Deep within the belly of the Swallowed Island Lantern Fish, several small islands floated amidst an eerie, stomach-lit ocean. Every creature was trembling in fear. The ground shook violently, and the sky-like ceiling of flesh above flickered with terrifying flashes of light, as if the world itself were collapsing.
"What's going on with the Lantern Fish? Was it attacked by another Sea King? Maybe a supercharged electric eel?" Myskina Acier shouted, his voice echoing through a makeshift dinosaur nest.
He had just barely survived the sudden burst of electric current that surged through the fish's stomach lining, illuminating the gastric fluid with arcs of bioelectricity. Clad in crudely-stitched dinosaur hide, he bolted back to his hidden laboratory. If this was a sign of the beast's impending death, then it was finally his chance to escape.
For over 150 years, he had lived alone inside this monstrous creature. A normal man would've gone mad—or worse, ended it all—but not Acier. What kept him alive wasn't hope, nor sanity... but Pure Gold.
A miracle metal. A treasure so divine it was said to grant immortality.
Do you know what it means to survive for a century and a half inside the belly of a beast, with nothing but science and madness for company?
Pure Gold.
The power to rule the world. That was enough to keep his heart beating.
Meanwhile, elsewhere within the same surreal ecosystem, a young-looking girl with long golden hair rode a sea lizard in a frenzied escape.
"What happened to Lady Benpoli? Is she dying? Hahaha~! Maybe... maybe this is our chance to finally escape, Elizabeth!" she said, laughing in panic.
The girl, Myskina Olga, had lived alone for more than a century—so long that talking to herself and naming her sea lizards "Elizabeth" had become second nature.
"Lady Benpoli" was her affectionate name for the Lantern Fish, the very monster whose belly she called home. She survived by scavenging the undigested remains of creatures the fish had swallowed. But she was sick of rotting meals. She wanted sunlight. She wanted real food. And above all, she wanted freedom.
The cruel irony? Olga and Acier were father and daughter. Yet in over a hundred years, they had never met—trapped on separate islands inside the same monstrous stomach. Each believed the other long dead.
Acier, so devoted to his wife and child, never even searched for their bodies. He simply assumed they had perished and anchored himself near the Pure Gold lab, protecting it with countless traps.
To Brook—who had read about this in his past life—it was almost comical.
---
Outside the Swallowed Island Lantern Fish
"Hahahaha~! Brother Brook! Let's dive in and grab that Pure Gold!!"
Golden Lion Shiki cackled wildly as he soared beside the enormous creature. With a roar of power, his twin swords unleashed a storm of slashing shockwaves, tearing into the beast's flesh to carve out a passage to its stomach.
Ship doctor Crocus was already at work, siphoning blood from the fish to analyze its properties. He wanted to compare the effects of blood crystal dandelions made from this Sea King's blood to those made from powerful human warriors.
Elsewhere, Streusen harvested chunks of the creature's meat, already imagining it deep-fried and served over rice.
Newgate and the rest of the crew joined Shiki in digging through layers of flesh and gore, carving a gruesome but effective tunnel.
Brook swung his blade, and a wave of chilling sword aura swept through the open wound, freezing the walls and halting the bleeding. The tunnel stabilized.
He turned to his crew. "Stay outside and keep watch. I'll go in myself. The fewer people who know about the Pure Gold, the better."
Not all of his First and Third Division members had been bonded with the Seven-Star Magic Sword. Their loyalty wasn't absolute, and Pure Gold was far too dangerous in the wrong hands.
Brook mounted his somersault cloud, Hera, and flew into the creature's stomach.
What he found inside was... astonishing.
Light from the lantern organ of the Lantern Fish filtered through its flesh, bathing the stomach in a warm, sun-like glow. It powered an entire ecosystem—plants, animals, even rainfall. It was an impossible world hidden within a monster.
"This makes no sense," Brook muttered. "An entire ecosystem in a belly? Crocus drawing fake skies inside Laboon was already ridiculous, but this is another level…"
Still, he reminded himself: I'm not here to study marine biology. I'm here for Pure Gold.
"Everyone," Brook ordered through Den Den Mushi, "search each island. Look for a blonde girl and a short, chubby blond man. We don't have time to waste."
The crew split up, spreading out their Observation Haki. Brook landed on the first island and began searching himself. To him, the true treasures weren't just the metal—they were the lab that created it and the scientist behind it.
Brook didn't care if the scientist was a bad father, or even a lunatic. He needed talent, not morality.
If the World Government got their hands on Acier, they'd turn him into another Vegapunk. Brook preferred the man as his own subordinate.
Keep him on Sky Island. Let him work under Vegapunk directly. Better us than them.
Before long, the one to report success was none other than Red the Aloof, Redfield himself. His lightning-based Observation Haki—amplified by his Thunder Fruit—was unparalleled.
Brook watched as Redfield approached, carrying a disheveled, greasy-looking fat man: Acier.
Brook smiled coldly. "Take me to your lab. Hand over the Pure Gold. From now on, you work under me. We'll also help you find your daughter... and cure Emperor Fever."
He didn't bother with pleasantries.
"What?! Olga's still alive?!"
Aciee's eyes widened, tears brimming. He looked like he was about to collapse from shock.
Brook didn't care about his feelings. He simply nodded. "Yes. But we'll talk later. Do as I say."
Acier felt an overwhelming pressure—like he was standing before a god. He nodded, trembling.
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Myskina Acier could feel the mounting pressure from Brook.
To be honest, when he first created Pure Gold, it wasn't just to cure his terminally ill daughter. He also wanted to become a world-renowned scientist! Giving up the results of his life's research without resistance… it felt unbearable.
After all, the Pure Gold was created by him and his wife purely by accident. Many critical steps weren't recorded properly—heck, even they couldn't recreate it if they tried. And he had tried—relentlessly—for over a hundred years. Still, he never succeeded.
That meant the existing Pure Gold might be the only pieces he'd ever produce. Without it, his dream of making a name for himself across the Grand Line would vanish like sea foam.
Ever since being stranded inside the belly of the Lantern Fish, he had to venture outside his lab just to survive. He went as far as donning a dinosaur hide and pretending to be one of their offspring, carefully scavenging "free" meals from an unsuspecting dinosaur mother.
To safeguard the Pure Gold, he booby-trapped the entire lab. He feared that one day, someone else might get swallowed by the Lantern Fish and steal his greatest masterpiece.
So when he heard these pirates mention having a daughter, part of him was genuinely happy for them—but he still couldn't bear the thought of giving up the Pure Gold.
"Pure Gold? What Pure Gold? What's this gentleman talking about?" Acier blinked innocently at Brook, his pudgy face wearing the best confused expression he could muster.
Crack!
A bolt of lightning zapped him right in the knee. The scream he let out could've been used to scare sea kings. He collapsed, clutching his leg and howling in pain, his face drained of color.
"Brother Brook, I already found the path to the lab. We don't need this guy anymore,"Redfield said flatly, clearly unimpressed with the scientist's poor performance. He turned to Brook and respectfully added, "Shall we proceed?"
"Oh, Acier," Brook said coolly, walking past the whimpering man. "Those who lie and lack self-awareness tend to die quickly."
Brook had chosen not to control Acier with the Seven-Star Magic Sword on purpose. He wanted the scientist's mind to stay sharp, in case he could rediscover the secret to Pure Gold creation.
The crewmates behind kicked the groaning Acier forward, forcing him to keep pace with Brook. Their kicks weren't gentle.
Acier was stunned. How the hell did these people know where my lab is?! It's their first day here!
"Please! Don't kill me! I'll take you there! But be careful—there are traps! If you trip them, the Pure Gold could be destroyed. And my daughter—please, give me back my daughter!" Acier begged, finally understanding that he was cornered. He had to give them what they wanted. The best he could hope for now was to survive—and for his daughter to live. If she lived, then one day, maybe… just maybe… he could create Pure Gold again.
"It's just a minor obstacle," Redfield scoffed. "I remember the layout and traps well enough. I can deal with them."
"You hear that, Acier?" Brook's voice sharpened. "If you prove useless, things will go badly for you—and your daughter."
He gave the man a chilling smile. "But if you show value, if you outperform my current scientific team, I might just make you world-famous."
Acier trembled. He understood now—Brook had him completely figured out.
"I'll do it! I'll work with you! Just… please let my daughter go. I'll recreate Pure Gold! Spare us, I beg you!"
Brook gave the signal, and Acier was released. He stumbled forward to lead the group toward his secret lab.
Brook, meanwhile, had no intention of damaging the facility. If there was even the slightest chance to recreate Pure Gold, he wanted to preserve it. If they succeeded, he could have Golden Lion Shiki float the entire lab out of the Lantern Fish's belly!
Led by Acier, the group marched toward the Pure Gold Laboratory. Just before they reached it, Golden Lion Shiki returned—carrying a struggling little blonde girl under one arm.
The child flailed and kicked, her short limbs thrashing wildly.
"Put me down, you jerk! Where's my Elizabeth, you bastard?!"
Myskina Olga was a ball of fury, her foul mouth nearly making Shiki drop her into a pool of stomach acid.
"Olga!!" Acier's voice cracked when he saw her. For the first time in years, he forgot about Pure Gold. Right now, nothing mattered more than his daughter.
"Hey, you fat guy!" Olga snarled, squinting. "Why do you look like my deadbeat dad?"
Acier's eyes welled up with tears. "Olga! I—It's me, your father!"
He desperately pinched the fat on his face, trying to make himself look thinner. Over the past century of living among dinosaur families and surviving on meat, he'd gained an absurd amount of weight without realizing it.
"You're that asshole dad? Hmph!!"
Olga turned away from him. She wanted nothing to do with him. After being diagnosed with Emperor Fever, he had abandoned her—too consumed by his research to even hold her hand. Even her mother had eventually joined him in the lab, leaving Olga to suffer alone.
When the Pure Gold experiment drew the Lantern Fish to Alchemi Island, it caused the deaths of many residents—including her mother. Olga blamed him for everything.
All of it happened because of that damned Pure Gold!
"Olga…" Acier's throat tightened as she refused to look at him. He had indeed cast aside his daughter for the sake of research, and now he was facing the bitter cost.
Brook didn't bother commenting on the family drama. "Redfield, lead the way. Let's get that Pure Gold into the safe."
Seeing there was no sympathy coming from Brook, Acier pushed down his emotions and rushed to guide the crew. Whether they lived or died now depended entirely on Brook's favor.
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