Shakky looked at Redfield, who was covered in lightning, with envy. She wanted a Devil Fruit that was just as badass and powerful!
"Captain Brook, I don't care! My Devil Fruit in the future has to be both stylish and strong!"
She clung to Brook's arm, acting spoiled—completely different from her usual self.
"Alright, alright! How about the Mythical Zoan—Vampire Form? It lets you fly and grants immortality. The Mythical Zoan—Nine-Tailed Fox Form allows transformation into anyone. The Mythical Zoan—Phoenix Form gives you the Immortal Blue Flames, making you practically invincible.
Or maybe the Logia Snow-Snow Fruit? And for someone as obsessed with money as you, there's the Paramecia Gold-Gold Fruit, which lets you turn anything into gold!"
As Brook described these Devil Fruits, Shakky practically drooled. She wanted all of them! It was too damn hard to choose. Even Hiruba, Crocus, and Fishman Tom were caught up in the excitement, fantasizing about these Devil Fruits.
"Captain, do these Devil Fruits really exist?"
Shakky's eyes sparkled with gold as she looked at Brook expectantly.
"Yeah, they exist. But who knows where they're waiting for us to find them!"
Brook's words were like the whisper of a devil, sinking deep into Shakky's heart. Her eyes were full of dreams.
"Then, Captain Brook, do you know where to find them?"
Her voice trembled slightly, as if she was bracing herself for disappointment.
"They might appear in the next 20 or 30 years. I have no idea where exactly, but..."
"But what?! Spit it out, you bastard captain! You can't just leave me hanging!"
Shakky was already losing hope. Twenty or thirty years? No way in hell was she waiting that long!
"I do know that the Mythical Zoan—Vampire Form is somewhere in a place called Shuigu Town. The rest? No clue."
Brook recalled the Vampire Fruit's existence because Robin once translated some ancient texts. It had been enshrined and hidden away in the Sleeping Ancient Town for centuries.
"That's amazing! Flying and immortality? Captain Brook, you HAVE to take me there! No excuses! I swear I'll cry in front of you if you don't!"
Shakky was already treating the Vampire Fruit as if it was hers.
"I'll definitely help you find it, don't worry—the immortal vampire queen! Yohohoho~"
Brook patted her head, teasing her.
Building the Ship
Afterward, Brook and his crew cracked open the altar, discovering the replicated circuits and lightning storage devices inside. They were stunned.
"There's only one Thunder Memory, so we can only build one ship," Fishman Tom said, disappointed. "I wonder if we can replicate this technology. Has the world below finally caught up with the moon's technology?"
"For now, let's focus on finishing our new ship as fast as possible. We're mobilizing everything!"
"Understood, Captain Brook!"
Everyone got to work immediately. Redfield took charge of conquering Birka Island, while Brook and Shakky dismantled the massive lightning storage container and transported it back to Shandora.
Hiruba, the ship's gunner, worked closely with Fishman Tom on redesigning the new ship. Since they might have little giants joining them in the future, Brook ordered a much bigger design.
They didn't hesitate to use every last Thunder Dial and Jet Dial from both Birka Island and Angel Island. With Brook's full backing, Fishman Tom poured his heart into the project, determined to make the golden spaceship even more powerful.
Hiruba also went crazy over Pluto's blueprints, modifying guns and cannons like he had discovered a new world.
While Hiruba and Tom locked themselves in the design room, refusing to let anyone interrupt, Brook and Redfield personally carried the massive lightning storage device onto the Voyager. Redfield's immense strength made the job easy.
Meanwhile, Peng, the defeated warrior saved by the islanders, had no choice but to surrender. Brook ordered Gan Fallmo to appoint a new priest to stabilize the situation and crush any lingering rebellion.
All the Thunder Berries and Slash Berries on Birka Island were confiscated, converted into equipment for the Sky Kingdom's Divine Army. Birka Island itself was designated as the primary manufacturing base for offensive Dial weapons.
Only once Birka Island's people fully pledged loyalty to the Sky Kingdom and joined its governance would they receive the same rights and benefits as Angel Island.
When Brook and the others returned to Shandora, he mobilized every last resource of the Sky Kingdom to construct the new ship. Even the Voyager was scrapped, its parts repurposed for the new design.
Brook spent time helping Redfield refine his control over the Thunder Fruit and brainstormed with Fishman Tom and Hiruba about integrating an electromagnetic cannon.
Could the new ship be equipped with an electromagnetic turret?
Hiruba and Tom also simplified Pluto's primary cannon, making it incredibly powerful. If they could find even rarer and stronger metals in the future, they could upgrade the cannon even further.
The golden pillar they acquired was finally put to use—every conductive component was replaced with gold to maximize the ship's flight time.
A massive number of Wind Beads from the Sky Kingdom were requisitioned for the ship. The angels grumbled, but they had no choice but to wait for the next batch of Wind Beads to mature.
Even Morgan's and Moore Thomas often came over to watch the Fishman engineers work. The sheer amount of gold being used was insane!
Brook himself helped with the construction, along with a massive crew of priests and divine soldiers, allowing the enormous golden spaceship to come together at an incredible pace.
Meanwhile, Redfield's strength kept increasing at an alarming rate. At this point, even Brook couldn't keep up with his speed. Their power gap had nearly vanished.
Since Brook had no soul-based attacks, he likely wouldn't be able to defeat Redfield now that he had mastered the Thunder Fruit.
Once the ship's main body was complete, Redfield, unable to sit still, volunteered to conquer the remaining Sky Islands near the Sky Kingdom.
Brook agreed and ordered Gan Fallmo to assign priests and divine warriors to support him.
During his campaign, Redfield came across a floating sky island—Visalia, the Weather Science Island. It had drifted into the White Sea by accident, as it was usually carried by ocean currents.
The scientists aboard had no idea the power balance of the Sky Islands had shifted so drastically. A new kingdom had risen. And worse—they had just run into the worst possible opponent: Redfield.
Wind currents? Meaningless against him.
Storms and thunder? Useless—he controlled lightning itself.
Before they could react, the researchers were captured.
Since Visalia lacked any power of its own, its direction and speed were entirely dependent on the wind. Redfield had to get creative.
He mobilized an army of Waver riders and Jet Beads to tow the floating island, even calling in the Express Shrimp and Super Express Shrimp to drag Visalia back to Shandora!
----
Brook didn't expect that after Redfield had been away for a while, not only had he conquered several remote islands, but he'd also taken down a group of weather scientists!
It was perfect timing—they could help improve the floating capacity of the new ship, and Shakky could learn their skills, mastering climate control and weather manipulation.
But these old weathermen were tough—polite words didn't work on them, but they wouldn't back down from a fight either. They nearly went to war with Brook and his crew before finally settling on negotiations.
They demanded to be released once they'd helped, while Brook wanted them to fly the Sky Nation's flag and become a subsidiary force under its protection. He promised not to interfere in their affairs while offering resources and cooperation in return.
Under Redfield's piercing gaze, the old men had no choice but to agree, though they secretly swore they wouldn't return to Sky Nation for decades once they got away!
But when Brook asked if they knew how to make Vivre Cards, the old men tried to play dumb, whistling like they had no clue. In the end, under Brook's mix of threats and bribery, they caved and handed over the technique. At that point, there was no escaping anymore!
While Fishman Tom focused on building the new ship and Redfield searched for more sky islands, Brook received a Den Den Mushi call that made him anxious.
Disguised as Mother Carmel, Brook continued manipulating Charlotte Linlin. According to their conversation, Streusen had been pushing Linlin to achieve her dream of a utopia where all races coexisted—starting with her having children from different races.
Even worse, Streusen had suggested that he should be the first to father her child, taking the so-called "hardest step" and deceiving Linlin, who was still naive despite her overwhelming power.
After witnessing Linlin's terrifying actions at the Sheep's House when she was six, Streusen had recognized her monstrous potential and joined forces with her to create a pirate crew.
Now, at 40 years old, Streusen saw Linlin growing taller and more mature. Even he couldn't resist the thought—he had raised her from six to sixteen, and now someone wanted to take her away? Unacceptable. With Linlin's near-invincible Iron Balloon physique, her children would undoubtedly be powerful!
If that was the case, he had to be the first to claim her and ensure her strongest offspring belonged to him.
Rushing back to his quarters, Brook grabbed his Den Den Mushi, still posing as Mother Carmel, and set Charlotte Linlin straight.
[Carmel: Linlin, you will NOT have a child with a weakling like Streusen!]
[No. 43 (Linlin): But Sister, why? Streusen and I have been together for ten years. It's time to take the difficult first step!]
[Carmel: Linlin, Streusen is short, not of a special race, and too weak! The child you have with him won't be strong. I also forbid you from having children before you turn eighteen! Do you hear me?!]
[No. 43: Sister, don't be mad! I won't eat Streusen anymore. After I turn eighteen, I'll find a strong race to have children with!]
Brook saw that Charlotte Linlin was still obsessed with creating a family of multiracial children.
[Carmel: Instead of wasting time finding partners of different races, why not marry a strong man and adopt outstanding children from each race?]
[No. 43: But Sister, I want them to be connected by blood so they'll get along as a real family!]
[Carmel: Linlin, your family is already here. He's also a relative of the Sheep's House, the last surviving member of the Underworld Ghost Clan, and a man who came back from hell itself. You should join his great family. That would ease my heart.]
[No. 43: Sister, what's wrong with you? Do you not want me anymore? No! I'll definitely listen to you!]
[Carmel: Linlin, I'm 90 years old. I don't have many years left. My final wish is for you to join the Hell Pirates, protect the last of the Underworld Ghost Clan, and support each other with Brook. Help me fulfill this dream.]
Suppressing his own disgust, Brook tricked the ignorant Linlin once again.
[No. 43: Sister, I will definitely fulfill your dream! I'll go find the Hell Pirates right away, join them, and build a new family!]
[Carmel: Linlin, you're such a good child. And one last thing—don't listen to any nonsense from Streusen!]
[No. 43: Sister, I understand!]
Knowing he might be exposed in the future, Brook immediately removed Charlotte Linlin from the chat group. The chat had become a liability—full of nonsense, wasting time, and letting people mess around too much. Brook even considered shutting it down entirely.
But before that, he had one more target: Edward Newgate, a man longing for family.
Over in the Lion Pirates, Newgate was struggling. His strength had far surpassed Captain Lyon's, and the captain—as well as another high-ranking officer—were always wary of him.
Some of his crewmates even encouraged him to take out Lyon and claim the captain's position. To them, only the strongest deserved to lead.
Newgate was exhausted from dealing with these so-called "comrades" who no longer felt like family. Fortunately, there was always someone in the Den Den Mushi chat to talk to.
[No. 2: So? Have you decided to leave the Lion Pirates and join your destined crew? A massive golden spaceship is ready to pick you up!]
[No. 50 (Newgate): A golden spaceship? You're joking, right? I've heard of a flying pirate crew called the Golden Lion—don't tell me it's them?!]
[No. 2: Not quite. Wanna know now?]
[No. 50: Yeah, tell me. I can't stay here any longer.]
[No. 2: The Hell Pirates. Head for the Grand Line—you'll find them.]
[No. 50: I think I've seen their bounty posters…]
Newgate rummaged through his stash and found a bounty for Brook—200 million berries. A former musician of the Rumbar Pirates.
This crew's atmosphere felt like something he could belong to. Was Brook still just a musician chasing his dream?
[No. 2: Your new home is waiting. I'm removing you from the chat group now.]
[No. 50: Damn… Guess I won't get to chat with No. 36 and No. 55 anymore.]
[No. 2: I hope you find your family, and that family finds you.]
Brook grinned. Another big fish reeled in. It seemed staying low-key while building up power was the best move for now.
Later, Edward Newgate actually bid farewell to Captain Lyon. Surprisingly, Lyon didn't hold him back—instead, he even gifted Newgate some treasure as travel expenses.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Do you want to read Advanced Chapters?
Visit this link:
Påtreon.com/Fanficlord03
Change (å) to (a)