But in Brook's eyes, maybe the future Shakky and the world's top sharpshooter Shiruba are better than Fisher Tiger.
If Fisher Tiger were truly as strong as an admiral, then Fish-Man Island wouldn't have to fear any pirates at all—he alone could protect it. The Marine Headquarters, having received intel in advance, wouldn't have sent just Rear Admiral Strawberry to ambush Tiger. After all, Tiger was a man who directly provoked the World Government and the Celestial Dragons, making him a priority target for their relentless hunt.
The fact that they only sent Rear Admiral Strawberry proves one thing—the Marines underestimated Tiger's strength. In their eyes, Fish-Men had never been a serious threat!
If Tiger had received proper training from Brook as a child, maybe his strength could have reached Jinbe's level—the level of a Shichibukai, which equated to an elite Vice Admiral in the Marines.
Fisher Tiger grew up on Fish-Man Street without a proper teacher. When he became an adult, he ventured out to sea, which later made him a strong advocate for martial arts education in Fish-Man Street.
Jinbe also came from Fish-Man Street. Under Tiger's leadership, he trained in Fish-Man Karate, Fish-Man Jujutsu, and even learned Armament Haki from a young age.
This made Jinbe the strongest Fish-Man after Tiger and the second captain of the Sun Pirates. However, after the safety of Fish-Man Island was threatened, Jinbe accepted the World Government's offer to become a Shichibukai.
---
Tiger's Ambition
"It's not impossible for you to become our apprentice crew member, but what can you do now?"
Antonio, who usually handled the ship's cleaning, had a huge workload on such a large warship. While the crew helped out, having an apprentice with potential take on odd jobs wasn't a bad idea.
If he proved himself in the future, he could become a fighter.
"Captain Brook! I grew up on Fish-Man Street. I can endure anything! Cleaning, lifting cargo, fighting, carrying the wounded—you name it!"
Fisher Tiger responded excitedly, stealing a glance at Tom. He had thought that Uncle Tom would have a say in this, but the final decision lay with Brook!
Seeing this, Tom sighed. Since he couldn't change the outcome, he stopped interfering and let Tiger and the captain decide his fate.
"Alright then! From now on, Antonio's chores are your responsibility. But if I catch you slacking, I'll send you back to Fish-Man Island!"
Brook didn't dwell on whether anyone would storm Mary Geoise in the future or what would happen to the Pirate Empress someday. Now that he was in the One Piece world, things were changing.
His priority was building his own crew. Maybe he could rewrite the future. Who could say for sure?
"Yes, Captain Brook!!"
Fisher Tiger nodded furiously, his excitement barely contained.
---
"Haha~ If I wasn't so interested in studying the secrets of the Sea Forest, I'd want to go on an adventure with my brother too!"
A merman named Den pulled a cart full of sea beast meat and dishes, clearly envious of Tiger, who had just been accepted into the crew.
"It's better if you stay put. The sea is too dangerous right now!"
Tom, a merman and legendary shipwright, immediately shot down his brother's reckless idea. Den had a future as a researcher—he couldn't be allowed to become a pirate!
"Got it, big bro. Just tell me about your adventures in the future! I'll help you turn them into amazing stories!"
Den, despite his curiosity, had a gentle personality and wasn't suited for the pirate life.
"Hey, take this—it's the Hell Pirates' exclusive Den Den Mushi. Take good care of it, and you can stay in touch with Brother Tom!"
Antonio handed Den a special Den Den Mushi. Unlike regular ones, this one had been carefully trained and enhanced. Brook had tested it personally and approved of its performance.
"Thank you! Brother Tom, don't forget to call me often!"
Dan carefully stored the Den Den Mushi while listening to Antonio's instructions on how to care for it.
---
Fish-Man Island's Strange Cuisine
For the first time, Brook and his crew tried the unique marine cuisine of Fish-Man Island. Some of the deep-sea fish dishes were things they had never seen before.
For example:
The Elephant Fish, which had a trunk and tusks.
The Katydid Fish, which looked like a stick insect, but with tiny legs or flippers (or maybe something else entirely).
"There are really all kinds of strange creatures in this world..."
Even Brook was surprised by how bizarre some of the dishes looked.
That night, the Hell Pirates stayed in Fish-Man Street, resting before setting off to visit:
Dragon Palace City
Mermaid Bay
Gylon Square
Fish-Folly Villa
After all, how could they come to Fish-Man Island and not see the mermaids? They even planned to take photos using a Camera-Phone Mushi and Image Shells!
---
The next day, the crew headed toward the upper district of Fish-Man Island.
Unlike the gloomy and run-down Fish-Man Street, this area was well-lit and vibrant, filled with bright, luxurious buildings. Everything exuded a sense of nobility and romance.
"There's a hierarchy everywhere," Brook muttered. "Even in Fish-Man Island, where the World Government oppresses them, there are still huge differences in living conditions..."
The One Piece world was still ruled by monarchies and slavery. Nobles and royals thrived, while common folk—without the power to change the system—remained enslaved and controlled.
Because the Hell Pirates had killed a Celestial Dragon, King Mars of Ryugu Palace refused to meet them. Instead, he shut the palace doors, declining any visitors.
With no other choice, they abandoned their plans to visit Ryugu Palace and instead spent the day drinking coffee and admiring the mermaids at Mermaid Café.
Even the aloof Redfield—who usually acted indifferent—secretly stole glances at the mermaids, hiding his face behind his coffee cup so no one would notice.
When Shakky started taking photos with the mermaids, Brook didn't hesitate to join in. Seeing this, Redfield and Hiruba hesitated at first, but in the end, Brook's teasing got to them. They gave up their pride, joined the fun, and took plenty of group photos together.!
That morning, news doves flew across the Four Seas and the Grand Line, delivering the latest newspapers and bounties from Marine Headquarters.
Even in the New World, the papers arrived.
In Skypiea, Moore Thomas received the latest bounty poster.
The moment he saw it, his heart nearly exploded.
"WHAT!? Brook killed a Celestial Dragon!? AND he took down White Peizhen from the World Peace Dove News Agency?!"
He had never expected Brook to be this powerful!
---
Moore Thomas swallowed hard. The first thing that came to his mind was how to clear Brook's name and frame him as a hero who stood against the Celestial Dragons. He couldn't let the World Government control the narrative and discredit Brook!
Without hesitation, Moore grabbed his pen and started writing an article about Brook. He compiled all the information—whether true or exaggerated—emphasizing Brook's defiance against the Celestial Dragons and painting him as a liberator of slaves.
They worked overtime, printing and distributing the World Economic News earlier than ever before—at the crack of dawn—beating the World Peace Dove News Agency to the punch. The goal was to leave a strong first impression on the public.
After receiving the bounty orders from Marine Headquarters, they reprinted Brook and his crew's new bounties, sending them out via backup News Coo.
Moore Thomas slumped into his leather office chair, gripping Brook's latest bounty poster. He had done everything he could. Now, it was in fate's hands.
Worldwide Reactions
All across the world, people stared at the front page of the World Economic News, their eyes widening in disbelief.
"They may be pirates, but they are also heroes! The Hell Pirates dared to defy the tyranny of the Celestial Dragons and fired the first shot to liberate the slaves!"
Moore Thomas carefully avoided mentioning the full truth and instead painted Brook as a righteous outlaw fighting for the oppressed.
Many readers were unsure of the full details, but when the World Peace Dove News Agency released its own paper alongside the Marine-issued bounty posters, the world collectively gasped.
"For the crime of openly executing a Celestial Dragon, the Hell Pirates are to be arrested and severely punished!"
A pirate crew actually killed a Celestial Dragon? Was the world going insane?
Had the Hell Pirates slain a Celestial Dragon to free the slaves? Was this an outright declaration of war against the World Government?
And if that wasn't shocking enough, their bounties had skyrocketed.
Brook, Captain of the Hell Pirates – 600,000,000 Berries
Devil Fruit ability: Unknown
Patrick Redfield, "Thunder Count" – 550,000,000 Berries
Suspected user of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit (Goro Goro no Mi)
Tom, the Giant Fishman, Shipwright – 100,000,000 Berries
Crocus, "Poison Doctor," Ship's Doctor – 80,000,000 Berries
Hiruba, "Supersonic Sniper," Sniper – 70,000,000 Berries
Shakky, Navigator – 50,000,000 Berries
Kirin Lion, Mount – 1,000,000 Berries
Antonio, the errand boy, as well as the parrot assistant and the memory seahorse, were ignored by the Marines and weren't given bounties.
Redfield personally killed the Celestial Dragon, causing his bounty to soar from 80 million to 550 million. Marine Intelligence also seemed to have uncovered details about his family, leading to the spike in his notoriety.
Brook's bounty increased alongside Redfield's—after all, if a captain could keep a monster like Redfield in check, he had to be worth even more.
Tom and Crocus had both demonstrated their strength in combat against the Celestial Dragons' CP agents.
The massive sniper wound left on White Peizhen allowed the Marines to estimate Hiruba's abilities.
Previously, Shakky had defeated a Marine Lieutenant Colonel at Asuka Island. Now, the Marines assumed she had grown even stronger.
At the insistence of the Celestial Dragons, every bounty was significantly increased.
---
New World – Hachinosu, Pirate Island
"It looks like we've got some new big shots," Rocks D. Xebec muttered, a wicked grin spreading across his face.
As one of the top overlords of the New World, Rocks had powerful officers under his command—Silver Axe, Wang Zhi, and, most recently, Captain John, who had been "persuaded" to join after losing a battle.
Now, Rocks had his sights set on Shiki, the Golden Lion. If he could recruit the man and his Float-Float Fruit (Fuwa Fuwa no Mi), it would accelerate the Rocks Pirates' domination over the New World.
Rocks was dead set on ending the three-way stalemate that currently ruled the seas. But first, he had to subdue the arrogant young supernovas rising through the ranks—Byrnndi World, the so-called World Destroyer, was already making waves.
Then there were the Unan Pirates, the Evil Monk Pirates, the Karns Pirates, and the King Pirates, all vying for power.
Rocks relished the thought of crushing them all. If they refused to join him, they'd be wiped from existence.
As for the Roger Pirates? Rocks didn't even consider them worth his attention—at least, not yet.
But these Hell Pirates...
They killed a Celestial Dragon before he could.
Rocks' hatred for the World Government and Celestial Dragons burned deep. After all, his family name, "D.," had made him a target of the government since birth. He swore he'd slaughter a Celestial Dragon with his own hands one day.
"Captain Rocks, the Hell Pirates will soon be hunted by the full force of the World Government. Perhaps we can offer them an alliance?" Wang Zhi suggested, his face unreadable as he idly stroked the long nail on his pinky finger.
Rocks let out a deep, bellowing laugh. "One thing at a time! Where's that damn Golden Lion hiding?"
"No leads so far," Wang Zhi admitted.
"Find him! That little cat's good at running, but he won't escape forever!"
Rocks cackled, remembering how Shiki had barely managed to escape their last encounter. Even if Shiki had awakened his Conqueror's Haki, Rocks was confident he'd crush him eventually.
---
On a bustling trade island near the Red Line, a towering blond man with a black bandana read the latest newspaper.
"Resisting the Celestial Dragons and liberating slaves... a bounty of 600 million, huh?"
Edward Newgate smirked in amusement. This "new captain" intrigued him.
Unfortunately, his Den Den Mushi was out of commission, meaning he couldn't contact anyone. It left him feeling restless.
But thanks to some "help" from his second-in-command, he finally got Brook's Den Den Mushi number.
Even so, he hesitated to call.
Not yet.
He'd wait until they met in person. That would be the best way to get to know this new captain.
By now, the Hell Pirates should have entered the New World.
The only question was...
Which island would fate bring them to first?
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