Suddenly, Perona floated into the air, and Absalom vanished, becoming invisible.
Robin and Brook furrowed their brows, stepping forward to shield Luffy from any potential danger.
They didn't want to leave everything to Luffy. As his companions, they wanted to share the burden, even if Luffy didn't seem to need it.
Luffy smiled faintly, silently permitting the one-on-one battle that was about to unfold.
His unusual eyes flicked toward Moria, and the flames in his hands flared slightly, signaling to Moria not to interfere with the upcoming fight.
"Negative Ghosts!"
Perona, floating in mid-air, thrust her hands downward. Several white ghostly dolls instantly fluttered out of her dainty hands.
The white ghosts swayed briefly before heading straight for Robin.
"Get down, you big-chested freak!" Perona jeered in an eerie tone as she manipulated the Negative Ghosts from the air.
Robin stared in shock as the incorporeal ghosts floated toward her, perfectly neutralizing her powers and preventing her from using her abilities.
Helpless, Robin summoned a giant hand from the ground in an attempt to block the ghosts' attack.
But the intangible ghosts passed right through the hand without resistance, as they were able to float through anything.
"Leave it to me, Robin-san!" Brook, realizing Robin's abilities were useless against Perona, took a step forward, drawing his sword and preparing to engage the strange white ghosts.
The sharp blade glimmered with a cold light, and the aura of the underworld radiated from it, charging through his wrist and into the sword. The ghostly flames ignited, absorbing the surrounding heat.
This was Brook's first battle since joining the crew, and he was determined not to fail. He wouldn't allow Robin-san to be harmed while under his protection.
"Soul Dance. Waltz!"
With a swift movement, Brook swung his bone sword in the air. A blue flame barrier formed in front of him, shielding him from the ghosts.
"Haha, hahahaha..."
"Useless! You think ghosts are a big deal?!" Perona taunted from above, spinning and kicking the air with a mocking laugh.
"Ha?" Brook opened his mouth, exhaling a cold breath. His eyes gleamed with a detached, starlit coldness. He coolly responded, "Then what do you think souls are?"
His voice was as cold as a whisper from the abyss.
The white ghosts crashed into the blue flame barrier.
"Bang! Bang!"
"Bang!"
The Negative Ghosts that had passed through the barrier were suddenly frozen into ice blocks and fell to the ground with a few crisp sounds, echoing through the narrow room.
"W-What?!" Perona's eyes widened, her pupils shrinking in disbelief. She couldn't believe her own power had been countered so easily.
This was a technique even Moria couldn't break, how could this be?
Her worldview was shattered in an instant, and the ice that trapped the ghosts seemed to threaten her deeply. She couldn't bring herself to face it.
"Damn it!!"
But as someone raised by Moria like a princess, she had never encountered such humiliation before.
The anger rising within her pushed aside her fear of the blue flames. In an instant, her hands released dozens of Negative Ghosts, not avoiding the blue flames as they crashed toward Brook from all directions, intent on crashing into him, even if it meant turning into ice blocks.
It seemed that Moria's upbringing had truly shaped her, her behavior was strikingly similar.
"Useless!" Brook murmured.
"Soul Snatch Song. Embellish!"
The bone sword flickered through the air, and Brook's nimble movements created sword shapes that left afterimages in their wake. The flames suspended in the air swirled and expanded, silently spreading to meet the ghosts Perona had summoned.
The dancing blue flames left long shadows as they sped toward the dark purple ghosts in the sky.
Luffy and Robin took a step back, pressing themselves against the wall, leaving the stage to this newly-returned Soul King who was in need of a dazzling performance.
The blue flames collided with the ghosts, instantly turning them into ice sculptures emanating an aura of intense cold.
Before the ice sculptures could even hit the ground, the soul flames from the Underworld ignited in midair, causing the ice sculptures to explode like fireworks, scattering glittering ice crystals across the room. The reflections from the firelight bathed the underground chamber in a beautiful, radiant glow.
Amidst the rainbow light, Brook slowly performed a gentleman's bow, as if concluding a spectacular performance.
If anything, this fight resembled more of a performance than an actual battle.
Slowly, Brook retracted his sword, then with a swift motion, his bone staff erupted in green flames, transforming into a small violin made of bone.
Brook placed the violin on his shoulder, tapping his boots three times on the ground, finding the rhythm and preparing for the final act.
Once the rhythm was set, Brook's expression shifted suddenly. A terrifying, demonic visage appeared on his skull-like face, as if awakened from the depths of hell. His low whispers turned into haunting sounds, reverberating like voices from the soul.
"Next, please enjoy the violin solo, 'Requiem. Vermilion Phoenix'!"
Without missing a beat, Brook moved his arms rapidly, and an intense rhythm filled the room.
"What?!"
Moria could hardly believe his eyes as he watched Brook, who had once been at his mercy, now perform beneath the rainbow light. The bow and strings of the violin intertwined, creating a melody that vibrated with an eerie energy that made Moria's very soul tremble.
Visible to the eye, this energy slowly took form in the air, transforming into a large bird wreathed in blue flames.
The music continued, and the blue-flame Vermilion Phoenix circled above Brook, releasing sparks and adding an extra flourish to his performance.
"Caw~!!"
The Vermilion Phoenix screeched in harmony with Brook's music, marking the end of the short concert.
"Requiem. Vermilion Phoenix. First Movement. The Cry!"
As Brook placed the violin down, the flame of soul fire flickered in his skull, and with a grimace, he uttered the final note. The Vermilion Phoenix screeched again, releasing a powerful wave of energy. The cold aura emanated from its form, causing the ground beneath them to tremble slightly.
That single cry seemed to encapsulate the entire meaning of the music Brook had just played, before releasing it all in an explosive burst.
From an unknown dimension, a vast energy poured out of the Vermilion Phoenix's body, sending a chilling wave across the space.
Seeing the intimidating bird in the sky release a deafening cry, Perona's heart filled with dread. Her eyes rolled back, and she fainted in her ghostly form.
Brook seemed oblivious. He swung his bone staff again, and the low whispers of the abyss returned.
"Requiem. Vermilion Phoenix. Second Movement. Soul Peck!"
The Vermilion Phoenix vanished, transforming into a sharp sword that rushed toward the unconscious Perona.
"Damn it! Fragmented Bats!"
Moria couldn't let Perona be struck unprotected. He urgently called for a counterattack.
"Death's Hand!"
A voice rang out from the void, followed by an intense shockwave that struck Brook.
"Veinte Fleurs: Calendula!"
─────────🏴☠️─────────
Note: Brook's powers in this story are fanmade and non-canon. He also possesses the Hogyoku from Bleach, granting him abilities beyond those seen in the original One Piece series.
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