Redfield had been watching Viscount Flower for a long time now. With his Electric Observation Haki, he'd already sensed the presence of the stranger lurking behind Kaido and the fake Kaido when they were toying with Tiger.
The moment he saw the small yellow flower peeking from the man's chest, he knew.
Target confirmed.
It seemed a little too convenient, but then again, most people didn't grasp just how wide the detection range of Redfield's Electric Observation Haki truly was. What others missed from feet away, he could sense from across a battlefield.
Lily Carnation, for her part, panicked slightly. Her current host—Viscount Flower—was no match for this enemy. She immediately activated the massive root system beneath the island, preparing it to launch into a forest of sharp wooden arrows.
But part of her still hoped the man wouldn't realize her true identity.
Under her control, Viscount Flower fell to his knees, clutching his chest, and began to beg.
"Please, sir, spare me! I just want to see my wife and children again! I'm begging you!"
The tears were real. So was the desperation. Viscount Flower's thoughts were pure: if he or Lily died, he'd never see his illusory family again. It was all he had left in this world.
But Redfield didn't flinch.
"Lily Carnation, come out." His voice was cold, sharp as steel. "We're not here for him. Our target is you. Surrender... or die."
Redfield knew even if the flower resisted, Golden Lion Shiki could take the entire island, root system and all. Worst case? Vegapunk might clone the flower later and have the dwarves cultivate a docile version.
Suddenly, a sharp, eerie giggle rang out.
"Hiahiahia~"
The little yellow flower slowly wriggled from Viscount Flower's chest and climbed to his shoulder, its petals twitching like mocking fingers. It turned toward Redfield, eyes sparkling with desire.
"Then come pick me up~"
She spoke through her host, her tone seductive, eyes gleaming. Lily Carnation was thrilled. This man—this storm of thunder and might—was more powerful than the golden-haired dual-blade swordsman. Even stronger than the white-bearded giant. Her instincts screamed: This is the one. This is the body I want.
Come closer. Touch me. Let me in.
But Redfield frowned in disgust. "I don't like things growing on me. Come quietly, or I'll turn you into ash."
He turned around and walked away, unfazed.
Three bolts of lightning struck down around Viscount Flower, blocking every escape route. The flower hesitated—contemplating whether to launch an arrow barrage—but sensing Redfield's overwhelming aura, it chose survival over arrogance.
For now.
Viscount Flower's body lurched forward, forced to follow. Lily Carnation tried to act innocent, wearing her sweetest expression, all while plotting. If she could get close enough, she might parasitize this powerful host slowly. She just needed time.
Meanwhile, Kaido and Tiger had given up on searching for the fake Kaido. They stomped back toward the gathering point, still cursing under their breath. No one knew where Shiki had gone to sulk.
Soon after, Redfield returned to the entertainment city—Lily Carnation in tow. With a sharp burst of lightning fired into the sky, he signaled the crew to regroup.
Everyone returned quickly. Even Golden Lion Shiki showed up, though his expression was blank, and his mood was noticeably foul.
After a brief explanation, the crew pieced together what had happened. Their eyes turned to Tiger—his face glowing red like a cooked lobster.
He wished the ground would swallow him whole.
He'd called Kaido "big brother" in public. Even worse, he'd been duped and almost parasitized. Now he was facing the dreaded electrotherapy punishment from Redfield.
Shame. Guilt. Humiliation.
He felt like he'd failed Fishman Island. Could someone like him ever awaken Conqueror's Haki? Could he still dream of killing another Celestial Dragon?
"Yohoho~ Tiger, you're amazing! You're quick-witted, flexible, and you know when to yield. That's what makes a true hero!"
Brook's voice rang out, light and easy. He saw Tiger's head drooping like a broken sunflower and knew the guy needed more than punishment—he needed support.
Tiger looked up in disbelief. "C-Captain… Are you serious?"
His eyes shimmered. His mouth trembled.
He had never admired anyone as much as Brook—now this?
"A real man knows shame before rising stronger. You're not finished, Tiger. You're just getting started."
Brook didn't press further. He wanted Tiger to reflect, grow, and regain his fire—not drown in regret. Punishment could wait. Guilt would do the job better.
As for Shiki, he had also made up his mind. He would sit down with Brook soon and settle this "Big Brother" problem once and for all. If he had to stay aboard, he'd do it with dignity.
Brook also took note of Kaido. He hadn't punished him for the prank—partly because he realized something important:
Kaido wasn't just muscle. He had brains, too.
Still, Brook's eyes shifted to the true prize of this expedition—the flower on Viscount Flower's shoulder. That seemingly harmless little bloom.
"Captain Brook!" Kaido called out, pointing at the man. "Is this the guy who impersonated me and tricked my little brother?"
Brook gave a nod. "Not him exactly. It's the flower."
He stepped forward, his presence suddenly turning heavy. Conqueror's Haki rolled off him like a wave, directed squarely at Lily Carnation.
The yellow flower trembled uncontrollably. Its petals quivered. Viscount Flower, still under its control, shook from head to toe.
Suddenly, the skies darkened.
Everyone looked up.
Thousands—no, tens of thousands of wooden arrows rained down like a divine punishment. It wasn't a storm. It wasn't a barrage.
It was a massacre in waiting.
"Gurarara~ Is this your Devil Fruit ability?" Whitebeard laughed, unbothered.
He leapt into the air and slammed his fist forward.
CRACK!
The very air shattered. Space itself broke open. The entire rain of arrows disintegrated into nothing—reduced to dust by the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
"Hmph." Shiki scoffed, folding his arms. If it were me, I'd have to cut through it or raise a wall of earth. But this guy just deletes reality.
"Damn, that's cool."
Brook calmly walked up to Viscount Flower and yanked the yellow flower off his body.
Its roots—like red, veiny tendrils—ran deep through the host, binding to his very bloodstream.
The moment Brook removed it, Viscount Flower collapsed, his life force rapidly draining.
Thankfully, the ship's doctor, Crocus, stepped forward and administered a Blood Crystal Dandelion—stabilizing him in time.
But the little flower wasn't done.
Its roots lashed at Brook, trying to anchor into his hands.
But Brook's body, infused with the chill of the Underworld, grew colder by the second. Frost spread across his arms. The temperature plummeted.
The flower's roots began to freeze. Its face twisted, stiffening with fear.
Brook smiled, elegant and merciless.
"Submit, and I'll give you a carrier."
He held the flower closer to his icy aura.
"If not… I'll shatter you into ice crystals. And then—bang—you'll be dust on my boots."
He chuckled.
He still didn't understand how it could control such a powerful root system. But if this flower could be tamed…
It would be a valuable weapon.
----------------------------
The two leaves of the little yellow flower folded together like hands as it desperately pleaded for mercy, trembling on Viscount Flower's shoulder like a terrified servant.
"That's more like it. A plant that knows its place is a good plant," Brook said cheerfully, his aura from the Underworld still wafting off him. "Stick with us, behave, and you'll live well. No more hiding and starving while waiting for pirates to wander into your trap. We've got better things to do."
Brook carefully suppressed his deathly aura just enough to let Lily Carnation's root-blood network stabilize. Judging by its weakened state, he figured it couldn't survive long without a host—it was a true parasitic lifeform.
"Get me a spare host," Brook ordered.
Within moments, a white-haired, long-tailed fox was brought over from O-Kan Island. Lily Carnation quickly detached from Viscount Flower and latched onto the animal. It wasn't as glorious as parasitizing a powerful human, but it was better than dying. And besides, strong humans were rare in the Hell Pirates, and they wouldn't just hand one over to a flower.
The scene looked a little ridiculous—a fluffy fox standing proud with a delicate yellow flower blooming from its head.
Brook stared for a moment, then blinked. "Wait a minute… this thing can't even talk. How are we supposed to understand it?"
Turning to the side, Brook called out, "Hey, Uju! Got any prisoners left in your castle?"
The parrot-shaped fortress assistant squawked and waddled over. "Captain Brook, even if I did, you already took 'em all. But if you don't believe me—here, have a look!"
With exaggerated flair, Uju popped open a panel on his lower belly, revealing an empty holding cell inside. Unfortunately, the location of the door was a bit… awkward.
Brook deadpanned. "Could you not flash your underbelly in front of me like that? You're a male parrot. No amount of feathers is going to make that okay."
"Right. Close the door."
"Crocus, bring Viscount Flower here and give him a dose of Blood Crystal Dandelion."
Brook decided to let Lily Carnation return to its original host for now. As long as Crocus was nearby to monitor things, Viscount Flower would live.
The yellow flower gracefully extracted its root network from the fox and reattached itself to the recovering man, looking up respectfully at its new masters. The powerful aura these humans exuded made her abandon any thoughts of rebellion—at least for the moment.
If I'd known surrendering was this easy, I wouldn't have wasted my root arrows… Lily thought bitterly. All those years of built-up power, destroyed by that white-bearded monster with one punch!
There were still reserves underground, but she'd need to devour many more creatures to recover fully.
"Hey, little flower," Charlotte Linlin said suddenly, grabbing Viscount Flower and peering at the bloom on his shoulder. "Can you really turn anyone into anything?"
"Generally speaking, yes," Lily replied, using Viscount Flower's voice. "As long as I've seen the target, I can replicate their appearance. If I've parasitized them, I can even access their memories, voices, and behavior to create more accurate Leaf Men."
Linlin's eyes glinted. She was impressed.
Lily, meanwhile, was salivating—metaphorically. Linlin's energy was rich, vibrant. She would make the perfect host… if only Brook weren't so terrifying.
Brook narrowed his eyes. "So if you parasitize someone, you can access all their memories?"
"Yes," Lily replied honestly. "But I don't usually attack directly. I prefer to seduce and deceive my way into the host first."
Brook crossed his arms. "Linlin, just show it a picture. No need to let it latch on."
He had no intention of letting Lily peek into his and Linlin's shared "creative endeavors." That ancient, primal ritual of life crystal production was best left private.
Charlotte Linlin clicked her tongue and pulled out an old photo of Mother Carmel instead. "Fine."
After a single glance, Lily released a spore. It floated gently to the ground and sprouted into a life-sized Leaf Man—an uncanny replica of Sister Carmel, complete with robes.
"Carmel… Mother Carmel!"
Linlin's tone softened. She lifted the Leaf Figure as gently as a porcelain doll. Though it had no memories, it resembled Carmel in every detail.
"I haven't seen her voice or movements, so I can't perfectly replicate those," Lily explained. "Only her appearance."
Whitebeard Newgate, who had been watching silently, stepped forward. "Gurarara~ I'd like to see my family."
He'd been an orphan for as long as he could remember. He could recall their faces, vaguely, but had no photos. And no way would he let that flower parasite inside him.
Redfield was the same. His family photos were long gone. But as an aristocrat, he figured he could sketch their likenesses.
Then came Shakky—now fully embracing her inner capitalist.
She grinned like a shark and pulled out a stack of bounty posters.
"Let's run a business," she declared, handing two of them to Lily Carnation. "Make me these two guys!"
The posters featured the infamous overlords Rocks D. Xebec and Diger Sparrow.
Moments later, two Leaf Men stood before them—one a towering Rocks, the other a smug Diger.
"Step right up! One thousand berries to punch Rocks in the face! Only 998 to kick his brother Diger! Take your pick!" Shakky bellowed, instantly slipping into merchant mode.
"Revenge? Grudges? Catharsis? Come on, don't be shy! Full-scale satisfaction! And for the record, I've patented this Leaf Man entertainment model! If you try to copy it, you'll owe royalties!"
Shakky was glowing. "And Captain Brook, our great saint of innovation, will protect my intellectual property with an iron fist! All rights reserved! Final interpretation? That's mine too!"
Golden Lion Shiki slowly approached Lily Carnation, holding a bounty poster of Whitebeard Newgate.
Immediately, Shakky jumped between them. "Hey! Plagiarism! You better pay before you touch my product!"
Shiki's expression darkened.
And not just his.
Brook's face also twitched.
What the hell is going on with this woman? Even with her business savvy, she couldn't just monopolize the entire crew's ideas.
Brook sighed. No… this needs regulation. Now.
"If we don't step in now," he muttered, "Shakky will turn the entire Hell Pirates into an amusement park."
He'd have to implement an antitrust law immediately, for the good of the crew—and their sanity.
Would I tell you I also have a collection of bounty posters of famous pirate beauties and princesses from every kingdom? And that guy Hiruba owns full photo albums?
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Check my Pâtreon for (40) advanced chapters
Pâtreon .com/Fanficlord03
Change (â) to (a)
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
https://discord.gg/MntqcdpRZ9