The island trembled violently, and even Brook and his crew—who were lounging in the luxurious entertainment district—felt the shake. But none of them looked too concerned. After all, aside from their own crew, there shouldn't be any enemies strong enough to cause trouble here.
"Brother Brook, these things… they don't have souls at all!"
Charlotte Linlin grabbed a passing waiter and clutched him in one hand. The waiter, a humanoid leaf figure, squirmed frantically—but Linlin ignored his struggles. She activated her Soul-Soul Fruit, wrapping him in its ominous aura.
Nothing happened.
No reaction, no soul-ripping scream. Just silence.
"Don't waste your time," Brook said casually, reclining as he chewed on a baguette sandwich. "These aren't real beings. They're just puppets—imitations made by Lily Carnation. They're not alive."
Even the kitchen they'd just set up was more trustworthy than the flashy meals these leaf creatures served. Everything from the utensils to the appliances had been brought straight from the parrot. There was no way Brook would eat anything conjured by an illusion.
"Captain, you're telling me everything here is fake?" Shakky asked, looking around with disbelief. The entertainers dancing on stage, the musicians playing jazz under neon lights, the cheering crowd in every direction—it all felt real. "They all look like people to me!"
"They're all fakes," Brook replied calmly. "Slash a couple of them and see for yourself. If they bleed, I'll eat my boots."
He took another bite of barbecue that Stussy had fed him and sighed in satisfaction. Still, his interest in Lily Carnation was growing. This kind of power—creating a whole city of illusions—was rare even in the New World.
Taking his words literally, Charlotte Linlin grinned and tore the squirming waiter in half. Shakky yelped and jumped back to avoid the expected spray of blood.
But none came.
Instead, the waiter's body crumbled into dead branches and brittle leaves. No organs. No blood. Just mulch.
"Amazing…" Shakky whispered, now wide-eyed.
Brook gazed at the bustling city. Thousands of leaf people moved through the resort: bartenders, dancers, musicians, guests, and guards. The entire island was crawling with them. It was excessive, even by New World standards.
He recalled the old days, during the Straw Hat era. Back then, tens of thousands of Leaf Men had filled the speedboat racetrack during Zoro and Sanji's competition with the Battle Frog. The crowd had stretched the length of the entire river course—nearly a mile of screaming spectators.
Over the decades, Lily Carnation and its master—Baron Omatsuri—had likely killed countless pirates, tourists, and merchants, using their bodies to fuel this grotesque paradise.
The sheer energy needed to sustain this many leaf people—and this massive entertainment city—was mind-boggling.
But like all things, Lily had its weakness.
Its body was fragile. A single well-placed attack could destroy it. Even regular firepower could kill it outright. Of course, its defense mechanism—the giant root system—could launch waves of sharp, wooden arrows in all directions, with precision rivaling Enel's "Judgment of God." Though slightly less powerful, it covered a much wider area.
Still, if tamed, Lily Carnation could be turned into a living fortress—a guardian tree for any island.
And Brook had no moral qualms about feeding it. With two Stomach Barons already under his command, one more devourer wouldn't hurt. His territory had no shortage of Sea Kings, prisoners, rebels, and enemies to feed it.
"Brother Brook, let's go find this flower!" Shakky said eagerly, eyes gleaming. She was already thinking of a hundred ways to monetize the Leaf Men. "I can already see the business potential. No payroll. No breaks. No complaints. Thousands of workers at zero cost!"
Stussy, standing beside her, blushed as her own schemes formed. "Customized dolls… lifelike leaf people for every taste… they could move, talk, serve. It'd be revolutionary. A pleasure district with perfect spies."
No need to pay salaries. No need to worry about loyalty. And each "entertainer" could also feed intelligence straight to their controller.
The face of capitalism was evolving. Shakky would become the new Old Jew. And Stussy? She was already rising to become the Little Jew, queen of the next-gen red-light empire.
But Brook was aiming even higher.
He didn't want Stussy to stop at Pleasure Street. He envisioned her becoming the Queen of the entire entertainment world—food, gambling, music, brothels, you name it.
Still, deeper thoughts churned in his mind.
How should he govern this New World if he established his Ten Thousand Kingdoms? Pirates weren't builders. They were destroyers, adventurers, outlaws. A pirate empire with rules would always clash with those who thrived in lawlessness.
Brook needed a system that guided pirates upward—a structure that offered temptation and reward. A way for the strong to earn both fame and fortune—and become his chess pieces.
At the same time, he'd weed out the troublemakers. Those with blind ambition, those who'd refuse to follow order, would be disposed of—fed to the sea or the plants. His empire couldn't afford chaos.
That's when the idea clicked.
A Level Challenge System.
Like trainers in a Pokémon league, pirates would travel from island to island, defeating challenges to increase their rank, earn treasure, and unlock discounts in Hell Pirate territory.
The stronger the pirate, the more benefits they'd earn: better ports, better food, exclusive gambling access, and even discounted weapons.
But most importantly, it would control the chaos.
"You want freedom?" Brook would say. "Earn it."
Those who followed the rules would prosper. Those who broke them? Fed to Lily.
This wasn't about suppressing pirates completely. If the New World lost its appeal—if it became just another rigid empire—no pirate would risk the trip from the Four Seas.
Brook had to preserve the dream: the wild, lawless freedom of the New World. But within his territory, they'd follow his game.
Let them think they're free—while his system shaped them.
After all, he didn't have to worry about the other great powers.
In Rocks' Territory, the only law was surrender or die. You'd be hunted every day unless you bowed your head.
In the Diger Pirates' Territory, the rules were so strict that even the poor couldn't act freely. Step out of line, and you'd be crushed.
-----------------------
Brook, Charlotte Linlin, and the others finally set off to find the elusive Lily Carnation. Meanwhile, the tremors shaking the island hadn't ceased—it seemed that Whitebeard Newgate and Golden Lion Shiki were still locked in their ever-so-"friendly" contest over the mysterious "Big Brother"!
But something was clearly off. Shiki insisted that the Whitebeard standing before him was a fake and demanded that all sound shells be destroyed, no matter what.
It wasn't until Newgate calmly said something only the real him could know that Shiki froze, his confidence shattered. Without another word, he flew off into the sky—leaving behind only a single tear, a mix of shame and rage.
"Brook and Redfield have copies too! Even if you break one sound shell, a thousand more will pop up!"
No one really knew what went through Shiki's mind at that moment, but he was undeniably crushed. Yet, a few days later, the indomitable Golden Lion returned to the crew—chin high, pride restored. Oddly enough, all the "Big Brother" sound shells had vanished.
Rumors claimed that Shiki had wept in front of Brook one stormy night, appealing to his so-called "sense of justice." Moved, Brook agreed to destroy the sound shells—at least the visible ones.
Still, everyone suspected the truth. It was Brook who had first popularized the copying of recordings. He'd probably been the first to "archive" Shiki embarrassing moment, passing it on to Newgate and even Redfield. A historical record, if you will.
Since that day, Shiki never lowered his head again. When Newgate mocked him, Shiki would strike back with full force. And the rest of the crew? They knew better than to ever bring it up again.
But that was the past.
---
Back in the present, the battle between Shiki and Newgate finally ended. The island settled. Brook and his crew continued moving forward in search of the mythical flower.
Elsewhere, Tiger trudged behind Kaido with a sour face. In the end, he had called him "big brother"—a humiliating moment that made Kaido beam with pride as he accepted the new little brother.
With Redfield's electroshock threat now lifted, Tiger turned his frustration toward another target: Lily Carnation.
"I'll kill that damned flower myself!" he growled.
As the honorable "big brother," Kaido was naturally obliged to help. Without hesitation, he agreed to hunt down the fake Kaido that had deceived Tiger. Impersonating him? That was crossing the line!
Just because he'd gained a little brother didn't mean he'd forgive such blatant disrespect. Someone was going to pay.
Watching the two walk off in sync, a dark figure hiding behind a distant tree clenched his jaw. His plan to sow discord had failed.
In his arms, a small yellow flower squirmed—and for a moment, its tiny eyes glinted with cold fury.
"Lily, calm down. We'll find the next target soon!" the man whispered urgently, trying to pacify her.
He was afraid—not for himself, but for his family. Lily Carnation had a terrifying habit of draining people's energy when angry. If she lost her temper again, it might be them who were withered away next.
The man was once known as Viscount Flower, a former noble and caravan guard leader with a reputation for valor. Years ago, he'd taken what was supposed to be a safe escort mission. He brought his wife and children along, thinking it would be a chance for them to travel together.
Then came the storm.
Winds howled, waves crashed, and before morning, most of the caravan had been swallowed by the sea—including his family.
Only he survived—barely. Clinging to wreckage, he drifted ashore on this cursed island. Grief-stricken and hopeless, he considered ending his life… until he met her.
A yellow flower—small, delicate, and seemingly innocent. Lily Carnation.
She was no ordinary plant. Lily could speak, manipulate emotions, and more horrifyingly, create people out of thin air.
That day, Lily abandoned her previous parasitic host and latched onto Viscount Flower.
She read his mind, absorbed his memories—and within moments, recreated his wife, his children, even fallen comrades. They looked, spoke, and moved just as he remembered.
In that instant, Viscount Flower made a pact with the devil. In exchange for more time with his "family," he agreed to help Lily lure passing ships to the island.
Years passed. Merchant vessels, pirate crews, and wandering adventurers were led to their doom. Some were manipulated into killing each other. Others were overwhelmed by Lily's massive root system and her army of Leaf Men.
Viscount Flower remembered them all—the hundreds who had fallen.
He could still see the day Lily wiped out an entire pirate fleet of over 500 men. Arrows rained from the sky, covering the island like a monsoon of death. It was then he realized… there was no escape. Lily had made him a part of her ecosystem.
But time was catching up.
Though his wife and children never aged, Viscount Flower could feel himself deteriorating. His limbs ached. His breath shortened. Lily's parasitism wasn't just mental—it was physical, slowly hollowing him out.
And she knew his every thought.
When he once dared to fantasize about rest—just a little more time with his family—Lily responded by draining the energy from his illusory wife and son, reducing them to mulch before his eyes.
It was a warning.
He was hers. Resistance was futile. Escape, impossible.
Now, Lily had found new prey. She hungered for stronger hosts—Kaido, Brook, Redfield, perhaps even Charlotte Linlin. Any one of them could become her next puppet, and Viscount Flower would be the one to bring her there.
Lily promised he could see his wife and child one last time—if he fulfilled this final mission.
So, he pressed forward.
From what he gathered, the dual-sword blond and the white-bearded titan seemed to have a growing conflict. All he had to do was nudge them further—let chaos erupt.
That would be enough.
As he trudged onward under Lily's guidance, he clung to that hope.
Just one more time…
But before he could even reach the clearing—
CRACK!
A bolt of lightning tore across the sky and slammed into him with unrelenting force. Viscount Flower screamed as he was launched into a tree, coughing blood and barely conscious.
When his blurred vision cleared, he saw a man wreathed in lightning, staring down at him with icy eyes.
No… it couldn't be…
"Why… didn't Lily sense him?" Viscount Flower muttered in disbelief. "Why didn't she stop me?"
Panic gripped his heart.
Was this the end? Would Lily die here too? Would he ever see his family again?
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