Hiss!!!
Swift vines burst forth from both sides of the Green Vine Grapple Device as if they possessed a will of their own, instantly wrapping around the crown of a towering tree.
Immediately afterward, the device let out another faint, sharp sound.
In the next moment, Chopper's body launched forward like a bullet, propelled skyward by the tension in the vines.
Midair, Chopper skillfully adjusted his posture, keeping himself in optimal condition to respond to any threat even while moving at high speed.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Before his body had fully reached its destination, the Green Vine Grapple Device actively severed the elastic vines, then fired two brand-new ones in rapid succession.
With the effects of this pseudo–three-dimensional maneuvering system, Chopper quickly closed the distance to the giant before him.
With a leap, he landed directly on the giant's neck.
"So far, so smooth!"
The Evil Wolf, who was rampaging through the forest while searching for Chopper, didn't notice anything amiss with his own body. He continued swinging his massive fists, smashing indiscriminately into the surrounding woodland.
"Operation start!"
A sharp glint flashed through Chopper's eyes as he instantly dashed along the Evil Wolf's body.
With the enhancement of the Six Powers, Chopper moved as lightly as if performing qinggong, running across the giant's body without the Evil Wolf sensing a thing.
"First… here."
"Hoof Needle Acupuncture · Sleep Point!"
Boom!
A needle-like shock was injected straight into the Evil Wolf's body.
In an instant, the frenzied giant shuddered violently, his entire body stiffening like an immovable mountain.
"W-Why… am I suddenly so sleepy…"
A muffled, buzzing voice rumbled out from the Evil Wolf's mouth.
But just as quickly, clarity returned to his eyes.
"Is it because my body's too big, so the force couldn't penetrate!?"
Seeing this, Chopper wasn't surprised in the slightest.
As a professional doctor, he had already anticipated this outcome.
"Looks like my strength alone still isn't enough to deal with someone like this."
Chopper let out a soft chuckle, calmly accepting his own limitations.
He pressed another button on the Green Vine Grapple Device. A tiny seed immediately shot out from the barrel, piercing the Evil Wolf's rock-hard skin.
"Then…"
"Usopp Support · Ground Spike Thorns!"
A surge of Grass-type energy brimming with vitality erupted from Chopper's hands.
The tiny seed trembled slightly, then—like time itself had been accelerated—began to grow at an explosive pace.
Pshhk!
A thorn-covered root suddenly burrowed along the Evil Wolf's massive body, stabbing deep inside.
And it stayed there permanently.
Almost immediately, the Evil Wolf—who had just barely regained his senses—became sluggish once more.
This was Chopper's brand-new diagnostic technique!
Building upon his original lock-on ability that allowed him to perceive an enemy's negative conditions, he had further reinforced his already formidable mental processing.
Now, by spending time, he could fully analyze the precise effects of the Fairy-type lock-on's discovered pressure points.
While it was admittedly a somewhat luck-based technique, it undeniably elevated the practicality of this combined skill set to a whole new level.
Just like right now…
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Before the Evil Wolf could even realize something was wrong with his body, Chopper turned into a streak of wind, sprinting across him at high speed, searching for one pressure point after another that could calm the raging giant.
In the blink of an eye, more than ten minutes passed.
When the final Ground Spike Thorn Chopper had planted finished growing, the Evil Wolf—leaning against a massive tree—finally couldn't hold on any longer.
His eyes rolled shut, and he collapsed heavily to the ground.
BOOM!!!
A massive cloud of dust billowed up like a curtain. As the Evil Wolf fell, the entirety of Amazon Lily shook violently, as if struck by an earthquake.
The Evil Wolf—one of the Black Lion Alliance's cadres—had successfully entered a sleep as deep and innocent as a newborn's.
Unless those Ground Spike Thorns were removed, or allowed to wither and fall away on their own, he might very well spend the rest of his life in this state.
...
...
"Yohohoho~"
"Thank you very much for the support, Franky."
As Brook politely thanked him, lowering his cane sword, Franky also relaxed his combat stance and laughed.
"Don't be so formal~"
"We're partners, after all!"
"Partners…"
Although Brook had already been with the Straw Hat Pirates for some time, hearing that familiar yet distant word still sent his thoughts drifting far away.
From his interactions with Laboon, Brook could clearly feel that Laboon's feelings toward the Straw Hat Pirates were no weaker than those he once had for the Rumbar Pirates.
Red had even apologized before, saying that although they troubled Laboon every day, everyone had their own things to do—
Training, studying, growing stronger.
As a result, their care for Laboon was far from enough.
That was why Red had hoped Brook could make up for the affection they had been unable to give.
But after joining the Straw Hat crew, Brook had personally witnessed just how much effort everyone put into making Laboon stronger.
That effort—and its results—filled Brook with overwhelming shame.
He was the one Laboon had been waiting for all along.
Yet he had wasted fifty long years drifting through the Florian Triangle.
He had even had his shadow stolen.
If not for the Straw Hat Pirates, who knew how much longer he would have wandered those cursed seas?
Fifty years.
In that time, he could have done so much.
But crushed by the death of his companions, he had allowed his heart to wither away—leaving Laboon to wait in vain for half a century.
If he had trained seriously during those fifty years, perhaps Laboon wouldn't have had to wait so long.
And then—
"Hey!? Brook!"
"What are you spacing out for!?"
Franky's rough voice abruptly yanked Brook out of his regrets.
"Time waits for no one. Move it!"
"The sooner we're done, the sooner we clock out!"
As he spoke, Franky volunteered to hoist the unconscious Kana · Wolf and Catherine Dieme onto his shoulders, then strode toward the Going Merry.
"Time waits for no one…"
Watching Franky's back, Brook murmured softly.
Then, suddenly, he grinned wide.
"You're absolutely right."
"Rather than drowning in regret, it's better to act."
"No wonder everyone's so strong!"
In that instant, Brook—currently the weakest member of the Straw Hat Pirates—realized something crucial and silently made a decision.
The past could not be changed.
But no matter what, he would never allow the same tragedy to happen again.
Since he had joined such an incredible pirate crew, he would use the cane sword in his hands to protect his companions properly!
"From today onward… it's time to train seriously."
With a newfound resolve, Brook quickened his light steps, catching up to Franky.
(End of Chapter)