Since the dawn of the Great Pirate Era, countless individuals have taken to the seas in pursuit of their dreams.
The number of pirates has skyrocketed.
Among them, some truly seek the legendary One Piece, yet many more are opportunists who use the era as an excuse to pillage and plunder.
They burn, kill, and rob—not for dreams, but simply for their own gain.
As a result, many pirate traditions and rituals have gradually faded into obscurity.
Brooks' solemnity and sense of ceremony before joining the crew was something rarely seen in this era.
At the very least, in Brook's time, such rituals were considered essential, even sacred.
Yes.
Sacred is not an exaggeration.
Because from Brook's perspective, this was an oath.
"I am Brook, the dead man reduced to bones. My head may not be worth much, but I am known as "Humming" Brook, with a bounty of 30 million Berries."
"In the past, I was the captain of a royal guard, and later, I became the acting captain, musician, and swordsman of the Rumbar Pirates, mastering the Rapid-Sword Style."
"From this day forward, my life belongs to Captain Maude of the Maude Pirates. I will follow him, even if it costs me my bones. Yohohoho!"
After making his formal declaration, Brook let out his signature laugh.
His serious and ceremonial demeanor made Maude feel slightly awkward, yet he could also sense the essence of a bygone era in Brook's actions.
"Welcome."
Maude helped Brook to his feet.
Thus, the Maude Pirates welcomed a new crewmate.
"Yohoho! My bounty may only be 30 million now, but I won't be a burden!"
Brook picked up his hat, placed it back on his head, and spoke with conviction.
Before Maude had invited him, he hadn't known any of their names, let alone their bounties.
Now, he was aware that his new captain was a great pirate with a bounty of 360 million Berries.
Compared to that, his 30 million seemed almost pitiful.
Maude merely smiled, unconcerned.
Lafitte, Jim, Philo, and even Bailey—who had reverted to his original form—all welcomed Brook into the crew.
It was this small act that allowed Brook to distinguish between Maude's crew and Law's group.
Initially, Brook had assumed that Law and Bepo were also part of the team.
Now, it was clear that they were not.
With Brook's initiation settled, Maude finally turned his attention to Perona.
Due to Laboon's story, Perona had cried until her eyes were swollen, looking quite pitiful.
Now, as Maude's gaze swept over her, Perona trembled slightly, fear once again surfacing on her face.
Expressionless, Maude studied her, considering his next move.
"Please don't kill me!"
Kneeling on the ground, Perona sensed an overwhelming danger and stammered, "I-I'm very useful! I can clean, cook, do laundry… I can do so many things…"
In front of Maude, she buried her usual haughty attitude deep inside, afraid that even the slightest slip would bring disaster upon her.
"..."
Maude remained silent.
Brook, newly inducted into the crew, hesitated. Though Perona had given him quite a beating earlier, he didn't dislike her.
Not because of her gender or appearance, but because of how deeply she had cared about Laboon's story.
He wanted to say something in her defense, but as a newcomer, he knew some boundaries shouldn't be crossed.
Unlike Brook, Lafitte and Jim were indifferent. To them, as long as Perona remained an enemy, there was no need for mercy.
Philo, standing behind Maude, hesitated for a moment before gently tugging at the hem of his coat.
Maude turned to look at her and was surprised to see her usual crow-shaped plague mask missing from her face.
A quick glance revealed that the mischievous Bailey had stolen it.
Among the crew, only Bailey enjoyed teasing Philo. Whenever he was in the mood, he'd snatch her mask away.
At times, he even played a ridiculous game—putting the mask on her, taking it off, putting it back on, taking it off again.
"That damn Bailey…"
Maude shot Bailey a glare before looking at Philo, who kept her head slightly lowered, as if embarrassed.
Sensing his gaze, Philo slowly lifted her eyes to meet Maude's, her voice soft. "Maude-nii, can you… spare her?"
When wearing her mask, Filo called Maude by his name.
Without it, she added "nii"—big brother.
"Oh? Give me a reason."
Maude was surprised but intrigued by Philo's plea.
"I think… she's not a bad person."
Philo gave her reason.
Maude chuckled.
He liked Philo's personality. Silently, he suppressed the killing intent he had felt toward Perona. Then, he reached out and patted Philo's head, noting that her mask had a better texture.
"Don't worry. I won't harm her."
"Mm."
Philo let out a small breath of relief.
Perona did the same.
She shot Philo a grateful glance before cautiously looking at Maude.
Rumors described Maude as a merciless butcher, a cold-blooded monster.
While he was indeed terrifying, she was beginning to feel that those rumors might be exaggerated…
With her immediate fear gone, Perona's tense body loosened slightly.
However, her relief was short-lived. As she considered what her future might hold, she curled up, hugging her legs with a helpless expression.
Maude, however, had no intention of concerning himself with her feelings.
He would spare her life, but he had no plans to let her go free.
With Law having extracted her heart, Maude had the perfect leverage to ensure her obedience.
After that, Maude began issuing orders.
First, they would tally the spoils within the castle.
Then, they needed to clear out any remaining outsiders aboard the ship-island.
The massive Thriller Bark was a rare island-ship, and Maude had no intention of abandoning it.
In a region perpetually shrouded in fog, Thriller Bark provided an undeniable strategic advantage.
If necessary, it could even serve as a base of operations.
Maude assigned Philo to inventory the spoils while Lafitte and Jim handled the cleanup operation.
He then ordered Bailey to fetch Gaya from the ship before heading into the castle's massive cold storage room with Law.
What lay before them was a chilling sight—nearly a hundred corpses, including that of Oars, the demon who had once been called a nation-thief.
Maude gazed at Oars' massive body, his eyes gleaming.
Beyond the corpses here, there were still those slain by Law and the others on the island.
"A trip to Impel Down may be necessary..."
If Thriller Bark were to be used as a base, they would need an army of zombie guards.
And they would also need a workforce of undead laborers.
But such things could not be rushed.
Maude suppressed the thought and turned to Law.
"A year from now, meet me at Sabaody Archipelago."
"..."
Law was silent for a long moment before coolly asking, "What exactly is this 'big event' you keep mentioning?"
"You'll find out when the time comes."
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