Chapter 107: Back From Hell
Golden Ark.
"Brook, do you know how worried I was about you? Waaaah~"
Charlotte Linlin, standing at a towering 8.8 meters, bent down toward the 2.7-meter-tall Brook, her face on the verge of tears. It was as if she wanted nothing more than to cradle him in her hands.
She looked almost like Princess Shirahoshi when she pouted at Luffy, wearing that same adorable, pitiful expression.
"Don't worry, I'm a man who crawled back from hell. I won't die so easily! Besides, I haven't seen all of you achieve your dreams yet. How could I bear to leave?"
Brook let out a sigh of relief upon seeing Linlin regain her senses. For a moment, he had been worried that, in her madness, she might have destroyed the Golden Ark.
As he reached out and gently patted Linlin's hair to comfort her, she suddenly scooped him up in both hands and pressed him against her chest, rubbing her face against him as if trying to absorb him into her body.
Sandwiched between two massive, soft peaks, Brook—who didn't even need to breathe—felt like he'd been launched straight into heaven. The joy was so overwhelming that he couldn't help but recall the time he envied Luffy for bouncing on Shirahoshi's ample bosom.
"Brook, I swear I'll protect you from now on!"
Tears welled up in Linlin's eyes, making Brook's heart soften. If only she were as gentle as Shirahoshi. But with her awakened Conqueror's Haki, it was likely she'd only become more domineering and stubborn...
If he wanted to avoid trouble, he needed to teach her properly—let her be fierce toward others, but gentle with him. Ideally, she'd be obedient and well-behaved too.
"Gurararara~ Captain Brook, you never told us you had an immortal body! You gave me quite a scare."
Edward Newgate, having somehow "acquired" a bottle of red wine, took a swig and watched Linlin with a hint of envy.
He couldn't help but wonder—when would he awaken his own Conqueror's Haki? Brook had once said that one could awaken it when they or someone deeply important to them was in mortal danger, triggering an intense emotional outburst.
Newgate scanned the room. Did he have anyone that important to him? Maybe if he could truly bond with his crewmates, they would become his precious companions. Or perhaps he'd only awaken his Haki when he faced death itself.
"Linlin, please share your experience! How did you awaken your Conqueror's Haki? I beg you!"
Usually uninterested in books, Fisher Tiger now clutched a notebook and pen, eagerly interrupting Brook and Linlin's intimate moment.
This was the first time he'd ever witnessed someone awaken Conqueror's Haki, and he was beyond excited. Seeing Redfield's Haki knock down waves of enemies like harvested wheat had left him awestruck.
He couldn't help but fantasize—imagine him, the mighty Fisher Tiger, a legendary hero among fishmen, standing tall with divine power! Just picturing it made him drool.
A sharp flick to the forehead shattered his daydream. Brook had delivered a loving but firm lesson to the clueless Tiger, punishing him for interrupting his sweet moment with Linlin.
Tiger clutched his head, rubbing the sore spot with teary eyes. "Why'd you hit me?!"
"Hahaha~ That was hilarious!"
The ever-playful Shakky had long since noticed Brook sinking into Linlin's soft embrace but had tactfully chosen not to call him out. Though she, too, was interested in Conqueror's Haki, she decided to let things play out.
Despite her mature demeanor, Shakky was actually younger than Linlin. She just claimed to be older to make herself seem more experienced and trustworthy.
Living as an intelligence broker in Sabaody, she had learned early on that being too young meant being underestimated. To counter this, she dressed older, smoked to add to the illusion, and lied about her age. Even Brook had no clue how old she really was.
"Brook, it was all Shakky's idea! You should hit her too!"
Tiger, refusing to suffer alone, pointed an accusatory finger at Shakky, hoping to drag her down with him.
Immediately, Shakky's expression changed. This little punk! He had actually sold her out!
She had only nudged Tiger into interrupting because she was slightly annoyed at Brook's shameless indulgence in Linlin's affection.
Brook turned his gaze toward Shakky, who awkwardly chuckled. Seeing the normally thick-skinned woman actually flustered, he decided to let it slide. The other crewmates, however, stared at Linlin in curiosity, clearly eager to hear about her awakening.
Tiger grumbled about the unfair treatment, feeling wronged. "This is favoritism! Just because I'm a two-meter-tall, eight-year-old fishman, I get bullied..."
Feeling everyone's expectant gazes, Linlin blushed slightly. Was this what it felt like to be admired?
"I don't really know how it happened. I just... when I saw Brook get stabbed through the heart, I thought he was dead. I felt so heartbroken, so angry... I wanted to crush the bastard who killed him!"
As she spoke, Linlin's eyes turned red again, recalling that dreadful moment. A powerful aura burst forth, shaking everyone around her.
Parrotso on Antonio's shoulder, the parrot let out a strangled squawk and toppled over, eyes rolling back in a faint.
"Linlin, calm down!"
Brook quickly soothed her, stroking her hair. She had no control over her Conqueror's Haki yet—whenever it surged, it affected everyone indiscriminately.
Thanks to his "head-patting technique," Linlin soon regained her composure. Meanwhile, Parrotso officially earned the title of "weakest crew member," having been the only one to pass out from Linlin's minor outburst.
Antonio, however, was proud. At least he didn't faint this time—his training was paying off!
"Sorry, everyone... I almost hurt you all again."
Linlin bowed her head apologetically, worried that they might start fearing and avoiding her.
"It's alright, Linlin. Everyone is learning from you. You're amazing!"
Brook reassured her, while the rest of the crew exchanged thoughtful glances. It seemed like they all started believing that, perhaps, they too had a chance to awaken Conqueror's Haki.
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