Golden Lion Shiki breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Charlotte Linlin regain consciousness—otherwise, he might've had to lay low for a while. Turns out, Linlin's real nemesis was Brook.
The power of the Revive-Revive Fruit was enough to completely suppress the Soul-Soul Fruit. Even her Homies were terrified of Brook's aura and the eerie energy of the Underworld!
Suddenly, Shiki saw Teach Angel leap into the sea. She's a Devil Fruit user—was she really so desperate that she wanted to off herself?
He was a bit stunned. He'd just wiped out most of her crew. She never gave up her resistance, never gave up on revenge—and yet Angel just dives into the ocean? What a waste of a beautiful girl. Under the effects of the Charm Fruit, she really was quite a sight.
But Shiki wasn't interested. His ambition was to be the strongest. Women? They were like clouds—nice to look at, but that's it. "No woman in my heart, my sword becomes divine!"
So, he didn't bother saving the gorgeous girl who'd just tried to invade their turf. He just stood there, watching her jump into the sea. A few bubbles popped—and she sank beneath the waves.
But there were still a bunch of pirates in the water who hadn't died. Shiki had just flung them overboard. These were seasoned pirates—good swimmers. No way they were drowning so easily.
When they saw their captain, the beautiful Angel, jump into the sea, they swam toward her frantically to save her. This was the lady they admired, after all!
Even the seriously injured Bull was dragged from the water by a few crewmen. He wasn't dead yet. But all they could do now was wait—wait for the Hell Pirates to finish them off.
Waiting for death… was sometimes worse than death itself.
All of them stared in horror at the floating golden spaceship and the ruined, upside-down Queen Anne's. A thick atmosphere of despair hung in the air.
A few crew members managed to pull Teach Angel out of the sea. They couldn't stand to watch their beautiful captain die—not without trying to save her, even if it was just for a few more seconds of life.
"Brother Brook, you wanna wipe them out completely?"
A bolt of lightning crackled in Redfield's hand. One strike, and he could turn them all into underwater corpses.
"Forget it. Shiki, toss that broken ship overboard and fish them out. Let's see if they're of any use... Those souls are top quality!"
Brook wasn't gonna waste the opportunity. He hadn't harvested any souls in a while—and his ghost army was still far from complete.
"I got it, Lord Brook. There's even a hottie in there! Hahaha—"
Shiki's pervy laugh instantly earned deadly glares from Charlotte Linlin and Shakky, shutting him up fast. He flew down to capture the remaining pirates along with the battered Queen Anne's.
---
On the island of Doragonzo
All surviving members of the Ewald Pirates were lined up, awaiting Brook's verdict. Surprisingly, Bull had survived and was spared for now.
Teach Angel had been handcuffed with Seastone cuffs. Even without the Charm Fruit's powers, she was still an eye-catching blonde beauty.
She sat beside the injured Bull, glaring at Brook and his crew with defiant eyes. She was ready to die—but instead, she was captured. A prisoner.
"Wasn't it Rocks who killed your father, Angel Teach? Why are you taking it out on us? You bullying the weak now? You think we're easy targets?
Sure, we ain't on the same level as the Rocks Pirates yet, but we're not weaklings you can just steamroll. So, I'll ask once—surrender or die?"
Brook had to admit—the fair-skinned, hot-blooded blonde was totally his type. She had strength, a bounty of 500 million berries, a solid build, and was proficient in both types of Haki. Most importantly, she was in her twenties.
Linlin was a towering 8.8 meters tall. Shakky and Stussy were both around 1.8 meters. And yet, for over a year since Brook's time-traveling adventure began, he hadn't had a single relationship. Not even one.
Even that loser Liu D'Er, running from island to island, managed to snag a wife—either Madam Mi or Madam Gan. Meanwhile, Brook was already a 700 million berry pirate… and still single.
Can't a pirate just live like a damn pirate? Can't I have a little fun?
"If my dad's fleet hadn't been destroyed, maybe he wouldn't have been moping every day. Wouldn't have let his guard down against Rocks. Wouldn't have died. So yeah, I'm your enemy now too!"
Teach Angel shot Brook a fierce glare, but her reasoning made everyone roll their eyes. Even her own crew looked embarrassed.
"Miss Angel, we're pirates. Your dad got taken down because he wasn't strong enough. You blaming me? Why not blame all the pirates who beat him?
That old geezer Digger who stomped your dad dozens of times—why not go cry at his door? Or how about blaming Rocks' mom? For giving birth to a monster like him that ended your dad?
Hell, maybe blame your own mom for wearing your dad out too much in bed, huh? Maybe that's why he lost."
Brook stared at her like she was an idiot. Was this some brainless beauty with big boobs?
His words made Angel face flush red with rage. Even the crew, scared as they were, glared at Brook. They wouldn't let anyone insult their goddess like that.
"You can kill me, chop me up, whatever. Just do it!"
Angel raised her chin proudly and shut her eyes, like a noble sacrifice ready to die.
How the hell did this chick get a 500 million bounty? Brook couldn't help but wonder.
"You act all tough, but you can't even tell who your real enemies are. Your dad would be ashamed. You need two cans of Smart Brain Powder and a box of Brain Gold at this point."
Brook unsheathed the Seven Star Sword, and the aura of the Underworld spread out around the prisoners. A chill crept over their bones. It was the aura of death.
"First, I'll kill your uncle Bull. His soul's perfect. I'll enslave it, make sure he never reincarnates. Then, I'll use his ghost to execute the rest of you… one by one…"
Brook muttered to himself—but to the pirates, his words were pure nightmare fuel. Use Lord Bull's soul… to kill them all?
"You devil! Kill me first! Please let Uncle Bull go! He's already half-dead—he can't hurt you!"
Angel eyes flew open. Panic overtook her rage. She finally realized she'd doomed them all.
"Yeah, you're all dead. If you won't surrender, you'll die. But I'll let Bull execute you. That's poetic, isn't it?
You'll die at the hands of the one you knew best. No—by the ghost you knew best. That's a blessing, really. A gift from the heavens."
Brook slowly walked up to Bull's unconscious body, his blade hovering near the man's neck.
In the next moment, he might just slice his head clean off.
----------
Teach Angel's face was twisted in pain as she watched Brook's sword press against Uncle Bull's neck. The rest of the crew shut their eyes in despair.
The remaining crew of the Ewald Pirates were all fiercely loyal. The ones who wavered had already defected after Ewald was killed by Rocks—either joining the stronger Diger Pirates or quitting the sea altogether.
Seeing the resolve of her crewmates, who were ready to die alongside her, Teach Angel's defenses finally crumbled. Maybe… maybe helping them survive was what a true captain should do.
"Wait!!! I surrender! We, the Ewald Pirates, are willing to become your subordinate crew!!"
Wearing seastone handcuffs, Teach Angel dropped to her knees in front of Brook, sobbing uncontrollably. Her tears fell like rain, splashing onto the ground and forming patterns like twisted demons.
Brook raised his sword with a cold tone. "Since you won't resist, I'll just kill you then."
The sharp whistle of his Seven Star Sword cutting through the air made Teach Angel jolt in fear. She snapped her head up, her face streaked with tears.
"I already surrendered! What more do you want?!"
Her wide, tearful eyes locked onto Brook, a mix of fury and desperation in her gaze.
Brook smirked lightly. "Say it with a smile. Say, 'I want to lead my crew to survive. Please accept us as your subordinates.'"
She hesitated, but finally forced an ugly smile through her tears. "I want to lead my crew to survive. Please accept us as your subordinates."
"Good. I accept your loyalty," Brook said with a grin, kneeling down and gently wiping her tears away. "Remember—betrayal only ends in death."
His gesture stirred unrest among the Ewald Pirates. Their goddess had just been touched on the face! Charlotte Linlin and Shakky both looked at Teach Angel with barely veiled hostility.
"Crocus, save that guy," Brook ordered. Uncle Bull was still in bad shape, but thanks to Teach Angel's quick surrender, he wouldn't become another ghost under Brook's sword. A missed opportunity… but not a loss either.
He had just secured the surrender of Ewald's remnants—two pirates with bounties over 500 million berries. That was a hell of a score. He could mold them later.
"Redfield, I'll leave these guys to you for training. If they don't shape up in a few days, just get rid of them."
Brook didn't want any snakes in the crew. Either they adapted, or they'd be erased.
"And remember this—the one who killed your father was Rocks. Not us."
Brook waved off the seastone cuffs from Teach Angel's wrists. With the boost from the Charm Fruit, her beauty was even more striking. Even Brook found himself glancing a few more times than usual.
"From now on, you'll be stationed here, on Doragonzo Island. Ewalds former territory now belongs to us, gifted by your respected Captain Diger. That includes the waters around Bristol Island—our turf now!"
Brook kept poking at Teach Angel's nerves. Ewald's territory, packaged and handed over to the Hell Pirates, stung like hell. Sure enough, a new name was written in her little black book of hatred. Brook was now second. Rocks still held first place.
With the Rocks Pirates not making a move yet, Brook ordered Shiki the Golden Lion to fly their Island over every island in the area. They were taking over.
Bristol Island, once Ewald's base, was next. They needed to collect the weapons and design intel that Diger sent over. It was time to build another stronghold for the Hell Pirates.
---
Meanwhile, on Beehive Island—Headquarters of the Rocks Pirates
"So the Hell Pirates joined the Overlord Alliance? Hah! Sheep gathering for protection!" Rocks scoffed.
"Accelerate the recruitment. Mobilize the mid- and low-tier troops. The next wave of annihilation starts soon. There can only be one Overlord in the New World—and that's me, Rocks!!"
He had already subdued one of the so-called pseudo-overlords and killed another. What the hell did the Overlord Alliance think they could do against him?
The Ice Demon Pirates had disbanded on their own, giving up their dominant position. Still, the Ice Giant and the Elbaf warriors were devastating to weaker pirates. Every time Rocks tried to grow his ranks, those bastards crushed his recruits.
He had high-tier strength but lacked the manpower to expand further.
"Captain Rocks, don't underestimate the Hell Pirates. Leave them to our Siren Pirates!"
David Kyons quickly jumped in. Ever since he got wrecked by Saracha and Willank, his prestige had taken a massive hit. Once hailed as the strongest under Rocks, he was now on thin ice.
Even worse, Rocks planned to dissolve the Siren Pirates and absorb them into his own crew, making David just another underling. He'd lose his captain status and his independence.
David couldn't stomach that. He used to rule his turf. Now they wanted him to move to Beehive Island and follow orders? Hell no.
Rocks gave David a cold stare. He could read him like a book. This guy was one of the "Six Overlords" once—of course he wouldn't give that up easy.
If he didn't still need him to take on the Overlord Alliance, Rocks would've put him six feet under already.
"I heard the Hell Pirates took in Ewald remnants and claimed Bristol Island. That's no small gain. Can your crew really handle them on your own?"
Rocks had to admit, the Hell Pirates rose fast. Too fast.
"Don't worry, Captain Rocks. They're just another rookie pirate crew. Let us take care of them. You focus on Diger and Saracha!"
David already decided he wasn't throwing everything into this fight. If he went up against Saracha and Willank again, he'd lose everything.
"Hmph. You beat Ewald in a two-on-one. I expect you to do the same with Saracha. But here's the deal—you're issuing a military order."
Rocks leaned forward, his voice like ice.
"If your Siren Pirates can't take down the Hell Pirates, then you disband. Merge with the Rocks Pirates. No exceptions."
David swallowed hard. If they couldn't beat the Hell Pirates, they'd be wiped off the map anyway.
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