Brook gazed down at the scurrying Merveille's human below. Were these... living, breathing "ground chickens"? Why couldn't they fly? Was it a lack of some innate trigger or energy? Were they stuck on the ground forever?
Brook's dreams of an aerial armada crumbled. What did these folks need to take flight? A second dose of IQ serum to spark their wings?
He vaguely recalled from the original story: after Luffy defeated Golden Lion Shiki, the Merveille archipelago plummeted like the end of the world. Yet, the Merveille's human had soared away in flocks at the last moment. Had Brook misremembered? Were they just gliding, not truly flying?
For now, he pushed the mystery aside. As long as Merveille had those IQ plants, the Merveille's human could wait. Flying would be a bonus, but the plants were the real prize.
The men of the Merveille's human began to organize, brandishing spears to fend off the Golden Ark hovering above. They were ready to drive out these invaders!
"Jahaha! Brook, look at these guys! They're pathetic!" Shiki chuckled, his Observation Haki sweeping the tribe.
"Not a single decent fighter among them. If this island really had miracle plants that evolve beasts, how's this sorry lot still scraping by in a place like this?"
"You're wrong, Shiki. This is the right island," Brook countered. "See those green trees outside the village? They're what's keeping the beasts at bay. Your job's to float this island. The rest of the crew will handle those rampaging, evolved monsters. If you spot any beasts spitting fire or shooting lightning, don't kill them—capture them alive for Vegapunk to study!"
Brook dismissed Shiki's doubts and turned to the crew, barking orders. The Merveille's human? He'd handle them himself with a bit of "physical persuasion."
...
The Golden Ark touched down in the heart of the Merveille's human's village. The crew spilled out, scattering to subdue and capture the island's ferocious beasts.
The Merveille's human's leader watched in shock as the outsiders fanned out, ignoring his attempts to stop them. They even dashed beyond the protective Daft Green trees—were they suicidal?
The kind-hearted leader opened his mouth to warn them, but a terrifying aura froze him in place. Golden Lion Shiki pressed his hands to the ground, his Float-Float Fruit energy enveloping the island, preparing to lift it into the sky.
"We're the new rulers of this island," Brook declared, his voice cutting through the air. "If you want to keep living here, you've got two options: One, obey. Two, prove your worth. That's it. Who's with me? Who's against? Any other bright ideas?"
Brook reined in his Conqueror's Haki, releasing the Merveille's human from its grip. They regained their ability to move—and speak.
"Who the hell are you? What gives you the right to kick us out of our home?!"
A young Merveille's human member stepped forward, his spiky, rebellious hairstyle screaming troublemaker. Every peaceful tribe had its bad apple, and this guy was clearly it.
"Oh? Got a problem with my terms?" Brook's tone was light but laced with menace. "I'm a reasonable guy. If you've got complaints, that's fine—because I'll make sure you don't."
A flash of steel. Brook barely seemed to move, but his Shichiseiken gleamed. The punk's two lackeys felt a chill, then screamed as their boss was sliced clean in half and encased in ice, frozen in place like a grim statue.
The scene was pure nightmare fuel. The two lackeys shrieked, collapsing to the ground before scrambling home, diving under their blankets in terror.
...
The Merveille's human leader's face paled, his peaceful people unaccustomed to such brutality. The worst crime they'd ever seen was that punk bullying his own kind.
"Anyone else got something to say?"
Brook's calm gaze swept over the trembling tribe. To their credit, they didn't scatter in panic—a good sign. If they had, he'd been ready to knock them out with another burst of Conqueror's Haki.
"Why'd you kill him? He was just a kid!" the leader stammered, voice shaking.
"He had a problem, so he's gone. What about the rest of you?"
Brook's voice was soft, but he slowly drew Shichiseiken again. A chilling aura washed over the tribe, gripping their hearts.
"We'll follow your orders! Please, no more killing!"
The leader dropped to his knees before Brook, banging his head on the ground in desperate pleas to protect his people.
"Can you speak for all of them?"
Brook twirled his sword in a flashy flourish, his tone casual. Honestly, this tribe hadn't shown him anything impressive yet. He wasn't exactly desperate to recruit them.
"Yes, yes, yes! I'm their chief, my lord! I speak for everyone!" the leader blurted, terrified that any delay would unleash this demon's wrath.
"Listen up!" Brook's voice boomed. "From now on, you're under the banner of Totto Land. But you've gotta earn your keep. Learn to fly, and you'll get a better life—more respect, more privileges!"
He gave the tribe a quick rundown of the Hell Pirates' history. The leader, quick to act, calmed his people. Fortunately, the dead punk was a known troublemaker, so his death didn't spark much rebellion.
Brook's promise—that any Merveille's human member who mastered flight would gain elite status and leadership roles—lit a fire under the younger, ambitious members. No longer bound by the tribe's rigid traditions of age and seniority, they saw a chance to rise fast.
...
In the weeks that followed, the Merveille's human threw themselves into rediscovering their long-dormant flight abilities. One young member, through sheer determination and a unique IQ serum he concocted from the island's plants, finally took to the skies.
This prodigy became the tribe's new star, drawing countless young followers eager to learn his secret.
When Brook heard the news, he appointed him the new tribal leader. The kid's rudimentary IQ serum recipe was handed over to the Hell Pirates.
Brook passed the formula to Vegapunk for further study, hoping to refine it into an evolution serum fit for humans.