Chapter 47: Bad Taste Request
"Ah—hiss!"
Brook slowly stood up, clutching his body and wincing. "I... I think I broke a bone..."
From a distance, several kingdom guards on patrol noticed the disturbance. Seeing the fallen captain and the boy with a drawn sword, they rushed over with drawn blades, glaring at Roy and Amatsuki Toki.
"You dare attack the captain of the guard?! Arrest that woman and the child!" one of them barked. The others quickly surrounded the pair, ready to strike.
"Don't!" Brook raised a hand weakly, supported by one of the guards. "Step back, all of you. It's my fault."
The guards hesitated, exchanged glances, then moved aside to let him pass.
Brook approached Roy and Toki, removed his hat, and bowed deeply. "I sincerely apologize, ma'am. I was rude just now."
He turned to Roy with an awkward smile. "And I'm sorry to you as well, little friend. I didn't mean to frighten you."
His mouth twitched. This kid's reaction was way too extreme.
Still, he couldn't really blame him. Old habits were hard to kill, and despite the King's constant reminders that "a royal guard must never mingle with the lower classes," Brook could never seem to stop himself from blurting out things when he saw a beautiful woman.
"You don't need to apologize to me," Roy said coldly. "I only want to talk to you about one thing."
Brook straightened slightly, his smile fading. Despite the boy's youth, the aura surrounding him made even a seasoned swordsman uneasy.
"Ah, please—go ahead. Whatever it is, I'll accept responsibility," Brook said, waving the guards away. "If I've offended you, I'll make amends."
He was already preparing himself mentally. As a gentleman, once an apology was due, it was only proper to accept the consequences.
Roy's expression darkened. "If you agree to a small request of mine, I'll forgive you. Otherwise… I'll kill you and have the warriors of Elbaf flatten this kingdom."
The words struck like thunder.
Brook froze in place. Even his afro seemed to wilt. Flatten the kingdom?!
If that wasn't the face of a devil, he didn't know what was.
"P-Please, say it!" Brook stammered. "I swear on my honor as Brook, Captain of the Royal Guard, I'll do it!"
He meant it. Behind Roy, the silhouettes of giants could be faintly seen moving on the distant shore, their massive weapons gleaming in the light. Brook's heart nearly stopped. If this boy truly commanded them... then the country might not see tomorrow's sunrise.
Roy narrowed his eyes. "Then here's my condition."
He leaned forward slightly, his tone calm—almost too calm.
"Within the next two years, you will look at the crotch of twenty male pirates in a row and repent for your actions. If you fail... well, I'm sure you can imagine the rest."
Brook froze completely.
For a long moment, the street was silent except for the rain. Then, very slowly, realization sank in.
"..." His face went slack. His mind blanked out.
This... this kid's a devil in human skin!
Toki blinked, trying to process what she had just heard. She opened her mouth to protest, but then she caught Roy's sly expression.
He wasn't serious.
Flattening a country? Of course not. He was just trying to scare Brook and make him pay for his own bad habits.
Though knowing Redding and the others, if they misunderstood, they might actually do it... Elbaf had certainly done worse before.
But Roy had no intention of causing real harm. He was simply using the threat as a bluff—and the "repentance task" was his own twisted way of payback.
Brook, in the future, would be surrounded by men anyway. Roy was just giving him an early lesson in humility.
In his own mischievous way, Roy considered it... character development.
Toki could only sigh inwardly. This little devil really had a bad sense of humor.
"Let's go," Roy said calmly, spotting Redding approaching from afar.
He reached out and took Toki's hand as Redding's enormous palm lowered beside them. The giant smiled warmly, and with a step, Roy and Toki climbed into his hand.
"Human, remember your oath. Elbaf does not take kindly to those who break their promises."
Redding's thunderous voice echoed across the port as he raised his giant weapon. With a single swing, the ground split open, leaving a deep sword mark carved through stone and soil. After that, he turned sharply and strode away, the earth trembling under each step.
Brook stood frozen, watching the giant's back disappear into the distance. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his mind spinning blankly.
To save his country, did he really have to look at... that... of twenty male pirates?
Too desperate. Too cruel.
"I might as well burn this country down!" Pandora growled, floating beside Redding's shoulder in the form of a blazing orb. His flames flickered angrily as he muttered to his young master.
"No, don't do that," Roy said firmly.
"Then I'll wait," Pandora huffed. "If that guy doesn't finish looking at twenty pirates in two years, I'll come back and burn them all!"
He turned, glaring daggers at Brook.
"..."
Brook could only stare blankly as the giant and the boy vanished into the horizon.
What kind of terrifying pirate crew was this!?
A giant swordsman, a talking fireball, and a child who could command Elbaf's wrath like it was pocket change.
He swallowed hard, then turned his head toward a group of nearby pirates. His hands trembled slightly as he approached one of them.
"Pardon me," Brook said with a solemn bow. "For the safety of the kingdom, please... allow me to look at your—ponzi."
"Get lost! I'm a pirate!" the man roared, stepping back in disgust. "What the hell kind of request is that?!"
Even if it cost him nothing, no man would ever agree to something like that. Pride, dignity, and common sense all screamed in protest.
Brook bowed again, looking genuinely regretful. "I'm terribly sorry. Please forgive my rudeness."
He lifted a hand, signaling to his men. A squad of royal guards rushed forward immediately and pinned the protesting pirate to the ground.
"Captain, are you serious about this?" one of the guards whispered nervously. "If word gets out, your reputation will be ruined."
Brook placed a hand over his chest and sighed. "Look, for the safety of the country, I have no choice but to sacrifice myself like this."
The pirate's outraged scream filled the square. "No! You bastard! Don't you dare—!"
Too late. The guards yanked down the man's pants, and Brook—grimacing—took a quick glance.
He turned away immediately, face twisted in pain. "What an eyesore..."
After a short pause, he straightened his hat and looked around. "Nineteen left," he muttered under his breath. "As long as I don't look too closely... just a quick glance will do."
Then he froze, realizing someone was watching him.
Up above, on Redding's massive palm, Roy was sitting comfortably, holding a camera Den Den Mushi and grinning from ear to ear.
Brook's face turned pale.
"Please wait a moment, I'll finish soon!" he shouted, waving his cane sword. Then, despite the pain in his ribs, he rushed toward the next group of terrified pirates.
"Oh, my bones!" he cried out as he stumbled. The sound of cracking echoed faintly, followed by another hiss of pain. Sweat dripped down his forehead as he forced himself to continue.
The pirates were fleeing in all directions now, while the guards—barely suppressing their laughter—chased them down on Brook's command.
"Let's go, let's go, hahaha!" Roy laughed uncontrollably, putting away the Den Den Mushi after snapping a few last shots. "Got every angle! This'll make a great keepsake!"
"Alright, hahaha!" Redding boomed with laughter too, realizing what Roy had done. The giant's voice rumbled like thunder as both burst into a fit of hysterics.
Roy waved goodbye toward the flustered musician below. "Goodbye, Mr. Guard! Next time we meet, I'll give you and your friends some 'gifts.' Oh—and don't worry about that request. I was only joking!"
Brook's jaw dropped. "Ahhhh, you little brat! Come back and duel me!"
He staggered forward, holding his aching body with one hand and raising his sword with the other. His entire face was red with fury.
Roy just waved back, grinning. "Sure thing! I'll bring your 'gift' when we duel next time!"
"Ahhhhh!!!" Brook roared, but his voice was drowned out by the laughter of the giants and the thunder of their retreating steps.
He stood there, breathing heavily, until the ship disappeared over the horizon.
Finally, a tired smile crossed his face. "That kid… he has a terrible sense of humor, but he's a good-hearted boy."
The punishment he received was nothing more than a swing of the sword and a bit of public embarrassment. After all that talk about giants destroying the kingdom, it turned out to be nothing more than a mischievous prank.
Brook couldn't help but laugh softly. "Yo ho ho... I suppose that's what you'd call mercy."
---
A few hours later, inside the royal palace, the King's furious voice echoed through the marble hall.
"Brook! How could you disgrace the royal family like this?!"
Brook stood there silently, a sad look on his face. "I'm deeply sorry, Your Majesty. I was rude first… I'll resign."
Without waiting for a response, he bowed deeply and turned away, leaving the hall with heavy steps.
But the moment he stepped outside the palace gates, his expression flipped.
"Yo ho ho ho! Thank you, my friend! I'm finally free!"
He leaped into the air, swinging his cane sword high above his head. His laughter rang through the kingdom, pure and unrestrained.
Roy had given him the perfect excuse to quit.
After "shaming" the royal family, there was no way the King could ask him to stay.
And that meant he was finally free to do what he'd always dreamed of—sailing the seas and sharing his music with the world.
"Yo ho ho ho ho~!"
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