Brook handed over Salmon and one other to Vegapunk for analysis. The man of science was confident—soon, he'd craft a device capable of completely restoring Devil Fruit powers.
As for the Kurozumi siblings and their sudden urge to surrender?
Brook didn't even blink.
They were destined to die.
Their Devil Fruit abilities had already been reclaimed, and with Wano now under Brook's flag, there was no way he'd allow those two to crawl back and stir chaos again.
Meanwhile, just a week or two had passed, and all of Cake Island was bubbling with laughter and joy. Thanks to the legendary Streusen, a massive cake had been sculpted into a new castle. And with Charlotte Linlin using her Soul-Soul Fruit abilities, the cake structure had been infused with life—transformed into a giant Homie.
Thus, a chattering, door-slamming, self-aware Cake Castle came to life, drawing curious stares from all corners of the Sky Islands. The dwarves and Skyfolk had already migrated over, and Charlotte Linlin welcomed them warmly.
The more races, the merrier.
She even sent word to Tom, asking him to contact Fish-Man Island. With permission from King Mars, dozens of mermen and mermaids were soon invited to join this budding paradise in the sky.
Across the 40+ islands under the Hell Pirates' banner, Brook gave the order—send representatives of rare races to Sky Cake Island. The Snakehead Tribe. The Long-Armed. The Long-Legged. The Long-Necked.
Every tribe was welcome.
After lengthy discussion between Brook and Linlin, it was decided: Cake Island would descend to hover 1,000 meters above Doragonzo Island—right after Linlin's eighteenth birthday party—becoming the first layer of the Sky City Project.
Then, as planned, the legendary Island of Scholars, Ohara, would reappear—anchored at 2,000 meters high. It would serve as the second tier of Sky City, a renewed center for scholars and global knowledge exchange.
Peace and intellect, layer by layer.
Once this system was perfected, more islands would join the Sky City blueprint.
---
Following strict screening, several rare species—eager for peace and strong in spirit—were transported to Cake Island, now reborn as a haven. Life blossomed. People bustled. Linlin's birthday was fast approaching, and everyone—newcomers included—pitched in to create a celebration to remember.
"Brother Brook, you're seriously playing favorites," Stussy whined, draped lazily over Brook's lap. "Linglin gets an entire island and all these rare races for her birthday. Me? I got a cake, some popsicles, and an all-night poker session. How is that fair?"
Recently, with Linlin occupied in birthday prep, Stussy and Angel spent most of their time lounging with Brook—cards in hand, training long forgotten.
"Didn't you have fun, though?" Brook replied, tapping Stussy's cheek with a fan. "Linlin can't even sit down for a full match these days. At least you had the whole night."
He pulled Angel closer and gave a sly grin. It had taken serious persuasion to get both women into a game of Landlord in the first place.
"Okay, okay," Angel said with a shrug, slipping away. "Let's go help out. If Linlin catches us slacking off again, we're toast."
Honestly, Brook was nearly broke anyway. He had lost most of his military rations playing Landlord. One more hand and he'd have to bet his shoes.
Elsewhere on the island, Shakky—ever fiery—was ranting about the "bastard Brook" and how no one could find him. Not even her "green tea sister" Stussy was around anymore.
---
"Shakky, the cake castle's all done," Linlin said, eyes sparkling. "Now we just wait for my birthday. I wonder… do you think Brother Brook will propose?"
The young Empress-to-be twirled in delight, already picturing romantic fireworks and dramatic music. She had poured her heart into this birthday bash. She wanted it to be unforgettable.
"Whoa, whoa, slow down, girl!" Shakky blurted, raising her hands. "You're the pride of the sea! The fiercest, most beautiful pirate out here! You seriously thinking about diving headfirst into Captain Brook's cow dung so fast?"
Linlin blinked in confusion.
"Give it two years! Let me test him first! We'll see if he's even a normal person."
She pounded her chest with confidence, but her expression… was suspiciously jealous.
"Shakky, you're not trying to steal Brother Brook from me, are you?! No way! He promised me, and I promised Mama Carmel I'd take care of him!"
Linlin's face turned red as she clutched her cheeks. She'd made it her mission to carry on the legacy of the Underworld Tribe, Brook's forgotten people. If she could help bear more descendants, the tribe wouldn't vanish.
"I'm not trying to steal him," Shakky huffed. "I'm just saying... he's a player. Look how much time he spends with Stussy and Angel lately. He doesn't even bring us along!"
She wasn't going to admit it, but it bugged her.
"What do you mean by 'player'?" Linlin pouted. "Brother Brook is good to all of us. Stussy and Angel are part of the crew. They train with him. He's even helping them with their Devil Fruit development."
Her eyes sparkled. "Most of my Soul-Soul Fruit powers were unlocked with Brother Brook's help! Next time, we'll train together, okay?"
Shakky frowned. In her eyes, Brook was less of a mentor and more of a mischief-maker in disguise.
"Linlin… do you even know what love is? Or what marriage means?"
Linlin puffed her cheeks. "Of course I do! Brother Brook taught me!"
She stood proudly and quoted, "If you sleep together today and want to do it again tomorrow—that's love. If you still want to sleep together tomorrow, even if today was meh—that's marriage!"
She beamed. "Like with dessert! If I eat it today and it's amazing, I want more tomorrow. That's love. If it's not that great today but I still want more tomorrow, that's marriage!"
"…You serious right now?" Shakky looked like she was about to explode. "That's what he taught you?! That's criminal-level nonsense! If this were a member nation, he'd be arrested for corrupting the youth!"
"I don't really get it either," she added, gripping her head. "When he explained it to me, he said love was 'falling in love over time… through close contact at negative distance.' I still don't know what that means!"
Even someone as savvy as Shakky couldn't decode Brook's peculiar brand of wisdom.
-------------------------
Because it was Charlotte Linlin's birthday, even the training-obsessed Redfield and his companions were forced to take a break and join the celebration. For once, they allowed themselves a few days of leisure.
When Redfield and Newgate set eyes on the transformed Cake Island, they couldn't help but feel a little envious.
"…Maybe I should get my own private island," Newgate muttered.
"I was thinking the same," Redfield replied.
Newgate's thoughts turned to Sphinx Island, his hometown. He was considering relocating it to the sky, though he wasn't sure if the island's residents would agree. Meanwhile, Redfield contemplated separating a chunk of red soil from Red Earth Island and building a castle atop it—his own floating sanctuary.
Of course, both men turned to one person with hopeful glances.
The Golden Lion.
"Hahaha! So now you need me, huh?" Shiki roared with laughter. "I'll move your islands... after my bounty passes yours!"
Typical Shiki. His flying powers made him the MVP of the Sky City Project, but he never missed a chance to gloat. Redfield scowled, but Newgate didn't mind. If skipping a few missions meant letting Shiki overtake him in bounty, so be it.
Redfield, on the other hand, wasn't about to give up his status as second-in-command of the Hell Pirates. He shelved the relocation idea for now—at least he still had a stretch of red land to build his castle on.
---
Inside the newly minted Cake Castle, dwarves bounced and tumbled through every corridor, thrilled to be part of such a massive event. They'd never seen so many races together in one place, and their joy was contagious.
Homie guards and maids lined the halls, their bodies formed from various objects that had been given life by Linlin's Soul-Soul Fruit. It was clear she'd reaped a massive amount of soul energy from the last two wars—enough to animate half the castle and forest outside.
The food table, as usual, was both bizarre and lively. Loaves of bread with faces chirped "Eat me!" in chorus. Brook, returning from the outer island with Stussy and Angel, didn't hesitate. He plucked a talking bun off the table and bit into it with a grin. It squealed with delight as it replenished a small portion of his soul power.
A teapot scurried over with a cup on its head, pouring him tea with expert timing.
"Service here is world-class," Brook said, giving it a thumbs-up.
Just then, a swirl of shadows materialized from every corner of the room, converging into a single form.
"Captain Brook, so busy these days, huh?" said Shakky, arms crossed and clearly annoyed.
She had appeared the second Brook returned. After all, she had spent the past few days handling birthday logistics with Linlin. Meanwhile, Brook was off "training" Stussy and Angel.
"Oh, Sister Shakky! You've been working so hard," Stussy chimed in sweetly, clutching Brook's arm with a pitiful expression. "I've been such a burden to everyone, constantly asking Captain Brook for advice while you've been handling everything... I feel terrible~"
Her tone was delicate, almost fragile. Her expression—guilt mixed with subtle charm—hit like a thousand-year brew of Biluochun. Brook twitched slightly. Yes, this was peak green tea art. The Queen of Subtle Seduction was back in action.
She cast a coy glance up at Brook. Her every movement shimmered with calculated allure. With her elegant figure, gentle voice, and watery eyes, even Homies blushed.
It was so artful that Shakky's next scolding stalled in her throat like a duck being strangled mid-quack.
Even Angel whispered, "Wow, I need to learn that trick." No wonder Captain Brook was wrapped around her finger. Compared to Stussy's Siren Fruit, her Charm Fruit looked like child's play.
"Tell me the truth," Shakky snapped, her voice low. "Did Captain Brook... seduce you?"
She narrowed her eyes at Stussy. Lately, the three sisters hadn't been seen together much, and Stussy often skipped out on joint missions.
"Seduce me? Sister Shakky, what a thing to say!" Stussy gasped dramatically. "Captain Brook has been nothing but a wise mentor! We're just a master and his loyal disciples—battle comrades who have braved life and death!"
She looked at Brook with such earnest admiration, one might think she was in a hero-worship cult.
"That's right!" Angel added, nodding furiously. "Captain Brook teaches with no reservations. He's sincere and kind. I've learned so many techniques... I can even use the Eighteen Styles now!"
Brook flinched at the memory of getting pummeled by her recent attacks.
"Sometimes I hit him so hard, he falls over screaming 'Alas!' like a drama queen," Angel said proudly.
"I don't care," Shakky interrupted. "From now on, we all train together. No more private lessons. If anyone has a question, we ask together. I'm not letting the captain work any... magic!"
She pulled Stussy behind her like a mother hen guarding chicks. Angel followed a second later.
"Hey now," Brook said with mock offense. "I'm an honest teacher! I'm a model of virtue! It's not my fault you girls didn't study your techniques seriously and instead became adorable little troublemakers."
He gave them a wink. "Still, troublemakers are cute. I like that."
And with that, he strolled past them toward the inner courtyard.
It would soon be Linlin's birthday.
---
As Brook walked alone, he couldn't help but feel conflicted. Love wasn't about age, or height, or beauty—or even wealth.
But it did require a connection of the soul, a meeting of minds, a shared depth of thought.
He knew Linlin adored him. He'd seen it in her eyes a thousand times. But Brook still doubted himself. Even if she didn't care, the difference between them weighed heavily on him.
Men hate being told "you're not enough."
He needed a plan.
Should he pull a stunt like Tang Xiaosan? Fake some mysterious soul ritual? Reveal an ancient Underworld relic like the "Golden Stalactite Fairy" just to impress her?
He had options. In fact, he'd recently developed an enlarged combat form by absorbing all of his ghost generals. In that mode, he stood nearly nine meters tall.
Would that impress her?
Could the steel balloon withstand that?
He chuckled at the thought, humming a tune as he went to find Charlotte Linlin.
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