The Kingdom of Magara, a non-member nation of the New World, was a pirate haven. Here, piracy was not just tolerated—it was celebrated. Even the kingdom's army functioned as a notorious pirate crew, similar to the Hachiman Navy of the Flower Kingdom.
Today, several Rookie pirate crews and infamous pirate groups had gathered on the island, their presence creating an electric atmosphere.
Inside the island's largest pirate bar, the air was thick with the scent of alcohol and sweat. Pirates roared with laughter, slamming down mugs of booze, and breaking into brawls over the smallest provocations. In a large private room, the captains and key figures of several pirate crews had convened.
"Urdi, what's the big idea calling us all here? I ain't got time for kids' games!"
Byrnndi World barked at a bald man covered in tattoos. Though Byrnndi current bounty was only 200 million berries, his strength far exceeded that figure. With the power of the Momo Momo no Mi (More-More Fruit), few ships could escape his attacks.
"Be patient. The other captains are on their way," Urdi replied, his tone calm.
A moment later, a pair of massive twin brothers stepped into the room, their sheer presence overwhelming. These were the Karnz brothers of the Karnz Pirates—legendary figures among rising Rookie Overlord.
"Hurry up and get to the point! I was on my way to Dressrosa to enjoy some fine women!"
Another pirate, lounging in his seat with a crown atop his head, finally spoke. He was Eric Dane, captain of the King Pirates.
"As you all know, the Rocks Pirates are aggressively recruiting across the New World," Urdi began. "The John Pirates got crushed and were forced to join them. Even the Flying Pirates—the strongest of the Rookie Overlord —were completely wiped out! Only Shiki the Golden Lion and one crewman escaped!"
His voice carried both urgency and excitement.
"So what do you think happens next? WE become their next target! That's why I'm proposing an alliance! If we join forces, we might even take the title of the New World's next overlords!"
Urdi spread his arms wide, his expression filled with a crazed enthusiasm.
"Hah! You're a fool."
A low voice interrupted him.
"You don't even have all three types of Haki, and you think you can challenge the Overlord?"
The words came from an unassuming pirate sitting in the corner, smoking a pipe. His cowboy hat cast a shadow over his eyes, but when he exhaled, a terrifying pressure filled the room.
A wave of Conqueror's Haki burst forth.
Everyone tensed. Even Urdi felt his throat tighten.
"So this is the power of Conqueror's Haki…" Brynndi muttered, clenching his fists. He had only recently awakened Armament Haki, but seeing this display made his blood boil.
Byojack, Bundy's elder brother and strategist, rested on his shoulder, offering him a look of encouragement.
"Practice hard and get stronger," the cowboy-hatted pirate continued, rising to his feet. "Forming alliances at this level is pointless. You lot aren't even in the running for the New World's throne."
With that, he walked out, dismissing Urdi's so-called alliance as a child's game.
The room fell silent for a moment.
Brynndi chuckled. "He's got a point. No matter how many of us join forces, we're not ready to take on the Rocks Pirates. I'll be going too."
Adjusting his horned helmet, Brynndi turned to leave, Byojack following close behind.
"Hah! They think they're too good for us? Let's see how long they last against Rocks!" Urdi growled, his pride wounded.
But not everyone dismissed the idea.
Eric Dane exhaled a stream of smoke, his eyes sharp. "That guy was right—we're not strong enough yet. But an offensive and defensive alliance? Now that I can work with. Exchanging information, watching each other's backs—that could help us survive."
The Karnz brothers, massive and built like demons, exchanged a glance before nodding.
"We're in. But we want training manuals—Armament Haki, Observation Haki, and combat techniques. If we're gonna fight, we wanna be ready."
The deal was struck. Out of all the pirate crews that had gathered, only three formed an alliance: Urdi's Great Evil Monk Pirates, Eric Dane's King Pirates, and the Karnz Pirates.
While others laughed at the idea of alliances, these three crews took the first step toward power.
---
Meanwhile, Elsewhere in the New World…
"Why?! WHY?!!"
On a desolate beach, Shiki the Golden Lion knelt in the sand, fists pounding the ground.
His voice was a mixture of rage and disbelief.
"First, I got wiped out by the Rocks Pirates! Then I barely escape, only to get attacked by a Marine Admiral! How the hell does this keep happening?!"
Exhausted, Shiki collapsed onto his back, staring up at the sky, his golden mane spread out on the sand.
His only remaining crew member, Scaredo, sat beside him, flipping through a newspaper.
"Captain… the whole New World is talking about our defeat," Scarleto muttered.
Shiki groaned.
The World Economic Newspaper was filled with headlines about his humiliating downfall. With the Flying Pirates destroyed, most of the New World had already written Shiki off.
Worse still, some pirate crews were now trying to recruit him—treating him like a washed-up relic instead of a rising legend.
Scarleto sighed. "Captain, why don't we go back to Paradise? We can rebuild, gather new crew members, and—"
"Shut up!!" Shiki roared.
His eyes blazed with fury. He may have lost, but this wasn't the end.
He would rise again.
And next time, the world would know the true power of Shiki the Golden Lion.
----
Even the other two dominant pirate groups had begun to spread the word—if Shiki the Golden Lion joined them, he would immediately be granted the rank of cadre. Once he grew stronger, he would have a chance to rise even further, potentially competing for the highest-ranking title in the crew.
Such titles included "Three Great Generals," "Three Supreme Commanders," "Three Divine Pillars," and even "Three Sacred Beasts"—all representing the strongest figures in each pirate crew.
"I will NEVER surrender! I am the Golden Lion! I've awakened Conqueror's Haki!!"
Shiki roared, unleashing a powerful burst of his willpower. His overwhelming aura crashed onto the beach, making Scaredo dizzy and lightheaded.
Even after venting his frustration, Shiki still felt bitter. In just one battle, the reputation of the Flying Pirates had plummeted to the point where they could no longer attract strong crew members in the New World.
If I'd known this would happen, I never would have provoked the Rocks Pirates! Now, I've completely squandered my advantage. Before, the Flying Pirates had the reputation to recruit powerful allies, but now I've lost everything. Why did I let my pride get the best of me and challenge that mad dog Rocks?!
Shiki clenched his fists, seething with regret. Rocks had been eyeing his Float-Float Fruit ability for a long time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Now, what were his options?
Should he return to Paradise in disgrace and recruit weaker pirates who didn't even know Haki? If he did that, the next time he entered the New World, he would still be a pushover.
Or should he train his own crew from scratch and teach them Haki? But that would take too much time. And where could he even find talented pirates? It wasn't like he had a way to measure their potential.
Frustrated and lost, Golden Lion Shiki could only take Scaredo to a nearby island to steal some food and hijack a pirate ship…
---
Meanwhile, aboard the Hell Pirates' ship—
"Captain Brook, is there really a Sky Island in the New World?"
Shakky asked excitedly. If they found one, it would be an ideal stronghold.
"Yeah, but I don't know its exact location. That's why we need everyone gathering intel—and Antonio's abilities."
Brook knew there was an island where Kidd, Hawkins, and Apoo would later form their alliance, only to be crushed by Kaido, the King of Beasts.
That Sky Island was crucial. Kaido had jumped down from it, crashing into Kidd's territory, singlehandedly shattering their alliance. Apoo and Hawkins immediately surrendered, while Kidd, refusing to yield, was taken to Onigashima for forced labor. His right-hand man, Killer, was even forced to eat a failed SMILE Fruit, turning him into a laughing fool.
Additionally, Urouge, the captain of the Fallen Monk Pirates, had also taken refuge on that same Sky Island. After defeating Snack, one of Big Mom's Four Sweet Commanders, he had been recuperating there when he witnessed Kaido's insane suicide dive from the clouds.
"If we can claim a Sky Island as our New World base, it'll give us a massive strategic advantage," Redfield said. "We'll have time to develop without worrying about an immediate invasion from the major powers."
Right now, only two pirate crews in the New World could freely navigate the skies—the Hell Pirates and the Flying Pirates. Any others attempting to reach the Sky Island would need either a flying Zoan Devil Fruit or some rare mythical beast ability.
"Captain Brook! Can we also claim Sheep's House Island in the future?"
Charlotte Linlin asked eagerly. She still had deep emotional ties to that island, where Mother Carmel had raised her. Later, Streusen had even hidden a decade's worth of treasure there.
That island would later become the heart of Toto land—Whole Cake Island, a bizarre land full of living Homies powered by Linlin's Soul-Soul Fruit.
"Of course!" Brook grinned. "As long as we're strong enough, we can take any island we want! Our first step will be claiming Sky Island. Then, we'll secure Sheep's House, and finally, we'll bring Sphinx Island under our protection!"
Sphinx was the hometown of Edward Newgate—Whitebeard. A place with great strategic importance. Brook couldn't afford to let any other pirates take it.
"Hell yeah! I'm gonna get stronger!"
Linlin was now actively training in Haki alongside the others. With talent as monstrous as hers, she awakened Armament Haki in just a few days—something that took most people years to master.
Brook, Shakky, and Antonio could only watch in horror as Linlin, Newgate, and Redfield grew stronger at absurd speeds.
"This is ridiculous! What kind of freakish talent is this?! Compared to them, we're like background characters!"
Even Brook, who had a Legendary Paramecia - type fruit, was starting to feel the pressure. He had to keep growing stronger, or he'd lose control over his own crew.
Luckily, Brook had absorbed an enormous amount of dark energy and ghostly aura from Underworld, gaining terrifying new abilities from his Revive-Revive Fruit.
Now, he discovered something truly horrifying—
The souls of those he killed didn't pass on to the afterlife. Instead, his Devil Fruit seemed to trap them in the Underworld, in a state of soul death.
And even worse—these souls could be forced to devour each other, growing stronger in the process.
At the moment, after countless battles, only three powerful ghosts remained…
Would this force me to kill even more people? Would I eventually turn into a monster?
Brook hesitated. Deep down, he still had a human conscience. He couldn't slaughter people indiscriminately just to grow stronger.
But in the New World, strength was everything. If he wanted to keep the Hell Pirates stable, he had to keep up.
Then I'll target only strong pirates. A single powerful soul is worth hundreds of weaklings.
This was the price of becoming a New World Overlord.
Brook clenched his fists. He would do whatever it took to ensure his crew's survival.
---
"Captain Brook! Land ahead! There's an island below!"
Shakky, holding a pair of binoculars, shouted excitedly.
"If we dock there, we can gather intel on Sky Island… and maybe have a little fun while we're at it."
At his side, sniper Hiruba smirked.
Recently, he'd been getting destroyed in training battles against Redfield, Newgate, and Linlin. His confidence had taken a serious hit.
He needed to vent his frustration—and what better way than bullying some lesser pirates?
"Let's go!"
Tonight, the Hell Pirates would feast—both on food and on the fear of the weak.
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