At the World Peace Dove News Agency headquarters, a middle-aged man with slicked-back hair sat in a luxurious leather chair, puffing on a cigar as he reviewed the latest intel.
"A golden spaceship? A pirate ship that descended from the sky? What kind of Devil Fruit ability is this?" he muttered, tapping the ash off his cigar. "That Sky Pirate, Golden Lion—he's been making quite a name for himself in the New World lately."
His sharp gaze shifted to another report. Brook, captain of the Hell Pirates, formerly the musician of the Rumbar Pirates—a crew that had been wiped out years ago.
"Thomas Moore… That guy stayed at my headquarters for a while, and now he's missing. And now this Brook shows up?" White Peizhen narrowed his eyes. His gut told him these two things were connected.
"If I tip off the Marines about Brook's whereabouts, they'll take care of him. And if I get my hands on that golden spaceship… I can offer it to the World Government or even the Celestial Dragons. That'd be a damn good deal."
Without hesitation, White Peizhen reached for his Den Den Mushi and called the local Marine branch. He demanded immediate action—Brook was to be captured at all costs.
Just then, a panicked reporter burst into his office.
"President! Bad news! Special reporter Kuriya was killed by Captain Brook of the Hell Pirates! And now several pirates are charging straight at us!"
White Peizhen frowned but remained calm, taking another slow puff of his cigar.
"No need to panic," he said coldly. "I've already informed Vice Admiral Dorodo of the Marine branch. Order full lockdown—no one gets in or out."
Brook wasn't here just because of Kuriya's questioning. No—he was here for Thomas Moore.
But once Vice Admiral Dorodo arrived, Brook wouldn't be leaving this island alive.
---
Sabaody Archipelago - Near the News Agency Headquarters
At a nearby hideout, Shakky set down her Den Den Mushi after receiving intel.
"Captain Brook, Antonio just called in. White Peizhen tipped off the Marines—Vice Admiral Dorodo is on his way to arrest us."
Brook chuckled, adjusting his top hat.
"Expected as much. The Sabaody Archipelago is too valuable for the World Government to leave unguarded. The Celestial Dragons treat this place like a damn playground, so there's always at least one Vice Admiral stationed here."
He glanced at his crew.
"We move fast. Take down White Peizhen before the Marines show up."
---
World Peace Dove News Agency Headquarters
By the time Brook and his crew arrived, the news agency's headquarters had already been locked down. The main entrance was sealed, and only a handful of armed guards and elite correspondents remained inside.
From a vantage point, Hiruba had already set up his sniper rifle.
"Captain, let me go first."
Without waiting for approval, Redfield dashed toward the gate. His cane sword crackled with electricity, and in a flash, he sliced through the metal doors.
The guards inside immediately opened fire.
Gunfire erupted, but Redfield's body blurred with lightning—bullets phased through him, leaving only faint sparks. His wounds regenerated instantly.
"Oh no! He's a Logia-type!" a guard screamed in terror.
Seeing Redfield carve through his men like paper, White Peizhen turned and bolted. He wasn't about to stick around and wait for the Marines—his life was more valuable than some damn newspaper company.
Meanwhile, outside, a massive white dove took off from the building's rooftop, trying to flee.
Before it could escape, a bolt of lightning struck it mid-air, sending it crashing down in flames.
---
In the distance, a figure dashed through the sky, using Geppo (Moonwalk) to bridge the gap between rooftops.
"Vice Admiral Dorodo! Save me!" White Peizhen screamed for help, sprinting toward the Marine officer.
Dorodo landed in front of him, crossing his Haki-infused arms just in time to block Redfield's thunderous strike.
"Sneaky bastards…" Dorodo growled. His blackened fists smoked from the impact. "A Logia user, huh? And not just any—you got your hands on the Thunder-Thunder Fruit!"
Dorodo's gaze darkened.
"That's a top-tier Devil Fruit… And it's wasted on a damn pirate."
Redfield smirked. "Oh? Jealous, Vice Admiral? You want it for yourself?"
Dorodo cracked his knuckles. "Doesn't matter. If we kill you, that fruit will respawn somewhere in the world. And next time, a Marine will find it."
His fists surged with Armament Haki as he lunged at Redfield.
Redfield transformed into pure lightning, vanishing and reappearing behind him in an instant.
A lightning-coated sword clashed against Dorodo's hardened fists, sending shockwaves rippling through the battlefield. Sparks danced between them, the sheer force of their clash scorching the ground beneath them.
---
When Vice Admiral Dorodo saw the young Redfield, he hadn't expected him to be so powerful. Fortunately, he hadn't entered the New World yet. Otherwise, another terrifying pirate would have been born. It should still be possible to wipe them out here!
White Peizhen, seeing the two locked in a fierce battle, immediately transformed into a white dove and soared into the sky once more. As the president of the Peace Dove News Agency, he'd spent over a decade living in luxury—he had no intention of getting dragged into a life-or-death fight!
Bang!
A gunshot echoed. White Peizhen, who had just taken flight, let out a piercing scream and crashed back to the ground. Clutching his shoulder—now in the form of a wounded wing—he howled in pain.
"AHH!! Who did that?!"
He screamed in terror, his fingers pressing against the gaping bullet wound. Blood gushed out, and he could even see the ground through the hole.
A sniper?! His mind raced in panic. What kind of gun was that?! Even though he hadn't activated his Armament Haki while flying, the natural defense of a Zoan-type Devil Fruit shouldn't be something an ordinary bullet could pierce!
"It looks like you're not getting away!"
At that moment, Brook approached White Peizhen, drawing his Seven Star Sword. A chilling, eerie aura spread through the air.
"Don't kill me!!" White Peizhen screamed, eyes filled with terror as he stared at the ghostly blade. "It was the World Government that ordered Moore Thomas to be eliminated! It had nothing to do with me! I'm just a puppet!"
The sword in Brook's hand radiated a cold, sinister aura, sending shivers down White Peizhen's spine.
"Ohhh? You actually figured out the connection between me and Moore Thomas? Well, that just means I can't let you live!"
Brook chuckled darkly. He wasn't sure if the World Government knew, but this bastard sure did.
"Vice Admiral Dorodo! Save me!"
Feeling Brook's killing intent, White Peizhen desperately called out for help. At the same time, he activated all of his Armament Haki, hardening his body to block the incoming Seven Star Sword strike!
Brook smirked and glanced at Vice Admiral Dorodo. Despite his injuries, the Vice Admiral was strong—he had even resisted some of Redfield's lightning attacks.
Dorodo lived up to his rank. He blasted Redfield back and used Shave (Soru) to instantly appear in front of White Peizhen, raising his Haki-coated arms to block Brook's eerie blade.
But—
"ARGH!"
A painful scream tore through the battlefield.
Although Dorodo managed to stop Brook's Seven Star Sword, he couldn't block the second strike—Soul Slash.
"You think you're fast with your Shave, huh?" Brook grinned, his pale face twisted in amusement. "Too bad for you—I had this Soul Slashing Sword prepared just for you!"
With his speed, Brook could have easily killed White Peizhen instantly. He only let Dorodo rush in because he wanted to test this soul-based attack.
Did this guy really think he was some slow-ass old man like Borsalino, taking forever to charge up a move while doing jack shit?
Before unleashing his attack, Brook had been gathering power for several seconds. The dark energy-infused soul slash directly tore at Dorodo's soul, causing excruciating pain that would severely weaken his combat ability!
"Damn pirate!!"
Now, Dorodo was seeing double. He had always hated Devil Fruit users—their strange abilities could catch even the strongest warriors off guard.
"Despicable? It's called strategy," Brook sneered. "And you were the one who rushed in and took my attack head-on."
The Soul Slash had its flaws—it required charging, had a limited range, and wasn't particularly fast. But once it landed, the damage to the soul was devastating.
Since Brook's soul energy couldn't leave his body for too long, the sword energy from the Seven Star Sword wasn't a typical flying slash—it had to be delivered at close range.
Dorodo felt terrible. His combat power had plummeted, but his "justice" would not allow him to fall so easily. Gritting his teeth, he ignored the pain and lashed out with two Tempest Kicks (Rankyaku), sending razor-sharp air blades toward Brook!
But Brook was already prepared. With a swift swing of his Seven Star Sword, he shattered the incoming attacks.
At the same time, Redfield appeared beside Brook, electricity crackling around him. He glared at his captain, clearly annoyed that he had stolen his fight.
Seeing the two pirates standing side by side, Dorodo knew he was at a severe disadvantage.
"Pirates! What's your reason for attacking the Peace Dove News Agency?"
White Peizhen, still bleeding out, felt a deep sense of despair. This was clearly a revenge job. Had Moore Thomas really hired Brook for payback?!
"Brook, how much is Moore Thomas paying you?!" White Peizhen gasped. "Our Peace Dove News Agency will pay you double! No—ten times! No, TWENTY TIMES! I'll buy Moore Thomas' life!"
His thoughts were a mess due to blood loss and panic. He completely forgot that Brook owned a golden spaceship—did this guy look like he needed berries?
At that moment, Shakky rushed over, holding a Den Den Mushi, her expression grave.
"Captain Brook! Bad news! Antonio just called—Celestial Dragons have landed at the government base on Tree Island No. 69! Looks like they're after our golden spaceship!"
Hearing this, Dorodo took advantage of their distraction. He forced himself to use Life Return (Seimei Kikan)—a technique he had never fully mastered—to try and recover from his soul injury.
Perhaps it was the threat of death, but this time, the technique actually worked—though he couldn't fully heal, it significantly reduced his pain.
Taking action immediately, Dorodo didn't try to counterattack. Instead, he grabbed White Peizhen and hurled him toward Brook and Redfield!
Then—he used Shave (Soru) and fled at top speed.
The move was so smooth and shameless that both pirates were stunned.
"...This guy calls himself a 'righteous' Marine?" Brook muttered.
Kicking aside White Peizhen, who was screaming in despair, Brook slashed with his Seven Star Sword, unleashing a hundred-meter-long energy slash at the fleeing Dorodo!
At the same time, Redfield fired off a massive lightning column.
Dorodo used every ounce of his Haki to block the attacks, coughing up a mouthful of blood before using the impact to escape even further.
Redfield wanted to chase him down, but Brook stopped him.
"No point. He's probably gonna link up with the main Marine force by now."
"Let's get back and protect Erebus. If the Celestial Dragons showed up, Tom and the others might not be able to hold them off!"
Carrying White Peizhen, Brook rushed back. Shakky and Xiluba followed.
Redfield, still annoyed, glared in the direction Dorodo had escaped, then fired off a massive lightning blast, annihilating the Peace Dove News Agency headquarters.
Then—he turned into lightning and vanished.
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