Jevaler laughed as he steadied himself against the raging storm. He knew that Xiaofeng had finally revealed his true strength.
"Haha! In Brother Xiaofeng's Wind Devil fruit, none of you can stop his attacks!!"
He had already seen Brook's heart pierced by Xiao Feng, and next, it would be the turn of these hateful enemies. The Hell Pirates should prepare for their demise!
"I don't believe Captain Brook would die so easily!!"
Newgate roared, steadying himself before throwing a furious punch at Jevaler. The latter blocked with his rapier, but the impact still sent him flying, his bones audibly cracking in the wind.
"Your captain is dead. Do you want to join the Rocks Pirates?"
Wang Zhi effortlessly stabilized himself in the storm and continued attacking Redfield. He had already acknowledged his opponent's strength—this man had managed to hold out for so long against his swordsmanship and was even growing stronger before his eyes.
"Captain Brook won't die!!"
Redfield unleashed his Conqueror's Haki, causing faint arcs of lightning to crackle around him like a spectral storm elf, completely unaffected by the raging wind.
"BROTHER BROOK!!!"
Charlotte Linlin's eyes turned bloodshot as she let out a furious roar. The sheer force of her voice dispersed the storm around her, creating a vast vacuum in the raging winds.
She had promised the nun that she would protect Brook!
A surge of black and red lightning erupted around her, violently surging toward Brook and Xiaofeng.
"Damn it! Another Conqueror's Haki!"
Xiaofeng was about to pull his sword from Brook's chest when he suddenly realized that the man who should have been dead had actually grabbed the blade with one hand—while slashing at him with the other!
Xiaofeng barely dodged the attack, forced to abandon his weapon as he swiftly teleported away using the raging winds to evade Charlotte Linlin's furious assault.
"So getting my heart pierced still hurts like hell... But at least Linlin has awakened her Conqueror's Haki. That makes this worth it!"
Brook yanked Xiaofeng's sword from his chest and casually tossed it aside. A thick Underworld energy seeped from his wounded heart, slowly filling the gaping hole.
I didn't react in time back there. The moment the storm began, I barely steadied myself before Xiaofeng ambushed me. But I won't be caught off guard again!
Charlotte Linlin, her scarlet eyes burning with rage, continued chasing Xiaofeng through the storm. However, in this chaotic battlefield, Xiaofeng's speed had increased dramatically. The storm restricted his enemies, forcing them to waste energy resisting the wind's force. Worse still, Xiaofeng controlled the wind, constantly shifting its direction to throw his opponents off balance.
"I wonder if my soul is affected by the storm!"
Brook's soul suddenly separated from his body.
A colossal Reaper's Soul materialized, followed by a horde of enslaved ghosts. Fortunately, the storm didn't affect his spectral form. Soul Brook immediately led his ghostly army into the howling winds, heading straight for the battlefield.
Charlotte Linlin, upon seeing Brook's soul, momentarily regained her sanity.
Redfield had known about Brook's immortality for a long time, so he had no concerns. The other Hell Pirates, including Newgate, also sighed in relief.
Meanwhile, Silver Axe was still fighting fiercely, but he was now under siege by multiple Hell Pirates.
Fisher Tiger acted as the main tank.
Shakky was the primary attacker.
Tom provided support.
Even so, the three of them were no match for Silver Axe, who relentlessly overpowered them.
Luckily, sniper Hiruba's poisoned bullets had been continuously landing hits, gradually weakening Silver Axe. Crocus also landed several successful paralyzing harpoon and smoke shell attacks, further debuffing Silver Axe.
"Damn it, you bastards fight dirty!" Silver Axe cursed.
Xiaofeng, meanwhile, shifted his attack toward Wang Zhi and Redfield.
"Today, I'm keeping all of you here!"
As for that damn steel balloon—he would deal with her later!
Redfield, already fully elementalized, saw through Wang Zhi's movements time and time again, allowing him to dodge attacks preemptively.
But when Xiaofeng suddenly launched a sneak attack, it forced a three-way melee.
Xiaofeng, with his unstable mastery of Haki, was still the strongest of the three, pressuring Wang Zhi and Redfield to briefly cooperate to repel his relentless assault.
Meanwhile, Soul Brook finally found his opening and entered the fray.
Both Xiaofeng and Wang Zhi quickly noticed something shocking—their attacks had no effect on Brook! They couldn't even break his Armament Haki!
However, Soul Brook didn't seem to have any offensive power. He simply led his ghost army around the battlefield.
The two warriors weren't sure whether these ghosts could actually harm them, so they instinctively avoided them.
"Welcome to my Soul Funeral Song!"
Brook grinned as his Underworld and Netherworld energy enveloped his enemies. A skeletal guitar manifested in his spectral hands, and he began playing wildly—waves of eerie soul magic rippling through the battlefield.
Xiaofeng and Wang Zhi instantly knew something was wrong.
They reinforced their entire bodies with Armament Haki to counter Brook's strange ability.
"Follow my voice... and leave your body behind!"
A terrifying force suddenly pulled at their souls. They struggled desperately, their bodies trembling.
In an act of sheer willpower, both of them forcibly expelled bursts of gray energy from their bodies, resisting Brook's pull.
"If you don't want to leave your body—then explode!"
Both warriors coughed up blood.
Their Armament Haki had failed to defend against Brook's soul attack!
Brook's eyes gleamed with hunger.
If I can kill them, I'll have two high-ranking warriors as ghosts under my command!
One day, when my spectral army can truly attack physically, my strength will snowball endlessly!
"Damn you, Brook! Crushing your heart didn't kill you, but this soul attack actually hurts?!"
Xiaofeng spat out more blood.
"Fine, I admit defeat today! But next time—I'll smash your body to pieces!"
With his last ounce of strength, Xiaofeng activated his Wind Devil Fruit and escaped the battlefield, taking Jevaler with him.
Pirates of their caliber had monstrous vitality and recovery abilities. As long as they weren't instantly killed, escaping was always an option.
"Captain Brook! A fleet of pirate ships is approaching from the distance! We need to retreat!!!"
Antonio shouted, his voice urgent.
At the same time, flocks of Vulture News Birds appeared in the sky.
Brook's face darkened.
"Damn it! These news birds must have informed the Diger Pirates. We need to get out of here!"
There was no time to finish off Wang Zhi. They had to escape before getting surrounded by two overlord-level pirate crews!
-----
The overlord of the New World, the Diger Pirates' flagship—the Codex of the Diger.
Diger Sparrow couldn't believe that Xiao Feng and Wang Zhi's duel would be interrupted by a Supernova pirate crew. But according to intelligence from the Vulture News Bird, Xiao Feng had already used all his signature techniques yet still failed to get rid of Wang Zhi and the meddling Hell Pirates. This made Diger Sparrow even more determined to recruit Brook and his crew, prompting him to come in person.
When Rocks learned that Diger Sparrow had set out himself, he couldn't let Wang Zhi and his crew face absolute danger alone. As the captain, he personally led his ship to escort them.
Brook had already gathered all his crew aboard the golden flying ship, making a quick retreat. His unintentional Soul Strike earlier had injured both Xiao Feng and Wang Zhi, draining a massive amount of their stamina and vitality.
If they clashed head-on with Brook in this state, both Xiaofeng and Wang Zhi would be completely overwhelmed.
Wang Zhi watched the golden spaceship retreat warily before moving toward the injured Silver Axe. Back then, neither he nor Xiao Feng understood the peculiar nature of Brook's Devil Fruit power, which was why their souls suffered damage.
Next time, it wouldn't be so easy for Brook's Soul Phantom to touch them. They would strike his physical body first and eliminate him at the root!
Meanwhile, Xiao Feng was cursing under his breath. Brook's soul attack had drained over half of his vitality and stamina, leaving him with injuries far worse than his exposed-bone wound.
"Next time, if I don't cut Brook into pieces, I won't be called Xiao Feng!"
Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, he grimaced. He had suspected that Brook's intangible phantoms had unique abilities, but he never expected them to not only attack souls but also siphon away massive amounts of stamina and vitality.
He felt that if he didn't feast nonstop for the next few days to replenish his energy, he might not even be able to wield his Flowing Haki. And without that, breaking through Charlotte Linlin's defense would be impossible. Rather than getting beaten down while severely injured, retreating now and seeking revenge later was the better choice.
Now that he had figured out the Hell Pirates' abilities, he would be prepared next time.
"Brother Xiao Feng, put me down already!"
Jevaler, being carried by Xiao Feng, felt embarrassed. After all, he was a fearsome pirate—if others saw him like this, it would be humiliating!
It was already disgraceful enough to have his hand bones shattered by that unknown little giant. Next time, he would unleash his full strength immediately instead of underestimating his opponent!
Xiao Feng brought Jevaler back to his ship and put him down. He spotted the Hell Pirates still retreating and debated whether to intercept them despite his injuries and stall them until Captain Diger Sparrow arrived.
Just as he was about to use his Wind Fruit to blow the golden ship back, a wave of weakness washed over him. His soul felt faint, his face turned pale, and his limbs grew cold.
"Damn it, Brook! What kind of ability is this?!"
Xiao Feng staggered into the ship's kitchen, searching for food to replenish his vitality. Those phantoms had an effect far beyond what he expected—he had completely underestimated Brook.
Not only was Brook incredibly fast, but his attacks carried a chilling Underworld Aura that bypassed conventional defenses. Even striking him fatally didn't ensure his defeat. His ability to separate his soul from his body made him as troublesome as a Mythical Zoan user.
"Brother Xiao Feng, you're seriously injured too?"
Jevaler watched as Xiao Feng devoured food like a starving beast, not even tending to his mangled hand. Jevaler, who only had a minor fracture, immediately fetched the ship's medical kit. He quickly bandaged Xiao Feng's palm, leaving the proper treatment to the ship's doctor later.
"I got tricked by that bastard Brook!!"
Both Xiao Feng and Wang Zhi had believed their Armament Haki would block Brook's strange attack. They never expected the real damage to come from a direct assault on their souls, leaving them both severely wounded.
It was just like Law's Ope-Ope Fruit—Vergo's full-body Armament Haki had meant nothing when Law cut him to pieces. Even Big Mom's near-impenetrable defense was useless when her insides were targeted.
That's why, when facing a Devil Fruit user, understanding their abilities first was crucial. Not only did it allow for proper countermeasures, but it also revealed their weaknesses.
Even Conqueror's Haki masters could be rendered helpless by certain Devil Fruits—just like those elite fighters in Dressrosa who were turned into toys by Sugar's Hobby-Hobby Fruit.
There were many Paramecia-type Devil Fruits that were outright broken, such as the Pet-Pet Fruit. Once someone was marked, even powerful figures like Law or Luffy would be forced to obey its user's commands.
Even the strongest warriors could fall into the traps of strange Devil Fruits and lose the ability to resist.
"The next time we face Brook, we need to destroy his physical body before he can unleash his soul phantoms!"
Xiao Feng warned Jevaler, though Jevaler likely wouldn't dare to provoke the Hell Pirates alone now. Their strength had exceeded expectations.
This rookie crew, which had only entered the New World a few months ago, already showed the makings of a future Overlord-level force.
If not for carelessness, Xiao Feng might have been the one overturned today.
The next time they crossed paths, Xiao Feng wasn't sure if he could still suppress the Hell Pirates. These young pirates grew fast—once they overcame the Haki threshold, newcomers would soon rival the old legends!
"I understand," Jevaler nodded.
He had witnessed Brook surviving a pierced heart, which suggested a strong recovery ability or even an immortal body. But every power had limits—if they chopped Brook into pieces, he shouldn't be able to regenerate.
After all, as a dominant pirate crew, they had fought many battles. Captain Diger Sparrow himself had once slain an awakened Zoan user by cutting him into pieces and tossing him into the sea.
"By the way… you seriously couldn't handle that little giant?"
Xiao Feng gave Jevaler a questioning look. Had he been slacking in his training? His combat skills seemed to have regressed!
"Brother Xiao Feng, that little giant's strength surpasses that of actual giants. His Devil Fruit ability penetrated my Haki and directly injured my internal organs. He's a real powerhouse—not someone to underestimate!"
Jevaler quickly defended himself, making it clear that it wasn't his strength that had declined—the enemy was simply that formidable.
"That means the Hell Pirates have another member with a bounty over 500 million…"
Xiao Feng muttered to himself, analyzing the situation.
With Brook, that little giant, the two other core members, and the Iron Balloon Charlotte Linlin, the Hell Pirates now had at least four fighters on par with himself and Wang Zhi!
Though injured, Xiao Feng wasn't worried—he still believed Brook alone wasn't a threat. Now that he understood the nature of Brook's Devil Fruit, he was confident that no matter how many times they clashed, Brook wouldn't stand a chance against him.
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