Brook couldn't understand why the Diger Pirates would send such a greedy man to oversee an important pirate trading island.
Did they really think all pirates would fear the Overlord Pirates? Weren't they worried that some reckless and stubborn crew would come along and wipe this place off the map?
Every Overlord Pirate Group could only maintain dominance for a few decades before being overthrown by a rising force. The captain of the Diger Pirates was already 65 years old this year.
Rumor had it he planned to pass his title on to his son, but that son was a rebellious pirate who cared only for adventure and not for managing the crew.
Still, that son carried the second-highest bounty in the Diger Pirates—an astonishing 1.1 billion berries.
Meanwhile, other rising pirate groups had been eyeing the Overlord position for years. As soon as Diger either died or grew too old to defend his throne, they would strike.
Among them were powerful crews with captains boasting 1.3 billion and 1.2 billion berry bounties. Though they wandered without fixed territory, they had been gathering strength, waiting for their time.
Like young lions prowling the savanna, they would inevitably drive out the old king.
---
"Since you've decided to play dirty and refuse to settle this peacefully… and since you're after my golden ship… there's nothing more to say!"
Brook's eyes turned cold as he swung his Seven Star Sword.
"Newgate, Redfield, Lingling—show them our power!"
Brook wasn't one to compromise. If words wouldn't work, then action would. If the world wanted to test the Hell Pirates' strength, so be it!
"Maaah~! I've been waiting for you to say that!" Charlotte Linlin grinned, her voice full of excitement.
"Zeus! Prometheus! Let loose!"
Thundercloud Zeus swelled to an enormous size, flashing with terrifying lightning. Meanwhile, Sun Prometheus burned wildly, its flames turning the docks into a blazing inferno.
"Gurarara ~! You refused our captain's offer and dared to covet our ship? Now I'm pissed off too!"
Edward Newgate's fists gleamed with white energy.
With a single punch, he reduced a towering building to rubble. With a second, he sent dozens of pirates flying, the ground beneath them fracturing like a spiderweb.
"Tch. Looks like our road to becoming an Overlord starts sooner than expected."
Redfield sighed, then raised his hand.
BOOM!
A massive lightning pillar struck down, obliterating the tallest building in sight. His attack was the most devastating of them all.
"Sigh~ Looks like I have no choice but to follow Captain Brook's lead and be reckless!"
Shakky smirked, activating the jet boosters on her wind shoes. She soared through the battlefield, picking off pirates with precise gunfire.
But soon, she abandoned her pistols, preferring close combat.
"Wind Jet—Two-Ton Flying Kick!"
With a burst of acceleration, she delivered a high-speed kick to a pirate's face. The impact sent him crashing through a nearby building, leaving a gaping hole in the wall.
---
From the golden ship, Hiruba provided covering fire, sniping down fleeing enemies with deadly precision.
Meanwhile, Fishman Tom and Tiger wreaked havoc on the battlefield. Tom swung a giant sledgehammer, crushing pirates like they were nothing, while Fisher Tiger unleashed his Fishman Karate, sending enemies flying with each punch.
Antonio, the ship's intelligence officer, didn't participate in the fight. Instead, he took out his Den Den Mushi camera, snapping dramatic action shots of the crew.
He needed high-quality material for the Hell Pirates' next wanted posters.
On the other hand, ship doctor Crocus calmly sipped tea, sitting with his Memory Seahorse on deck. He showed no interest in the chaos, watching the battle unfold like it was a festival.
Beside him, Kirin Lion and Parrot cheered enthusiastically. They had no plans to fight, but they were having a great time as spectators.
Even the ship's chef, Streusen, hesitated to join. He was eager to prove himself, but after seeing the destruction caused by his crewmates, he decided to stay behind.
Instead, he focused on preparing a victory feast for when they returned.
---
"Noooo! You bastards! If you dare attack the Diger Pirates, you're dead! Captain Diger will hunt you down!"
Vasily screamed in terror as he watched his island crumble.
His once-bustling port was now in ruins. His guards were dead or fleeing. And now, he realized the Hell Pirates had no intention of stopping.
Brook suddenly appeared in front of him, the Seven Star Sword glowing ominously.
"Didn't you say we violated the so-called Pirate Code? Since we're going to be hunted anyway… let's go all the way!"
Brook slashed, releasing a blast of Underworld Ghost Energy that spread across the battlefield.
The chilling mist swallowed the pirates, trapping them in an eerie fog. As they struggled to escape, Brook's figure flickered among them.
Each time he moved, another pirate turned into a frozen statue, their terrified expressions forever preserved in ice.
"Be careful in your next life… oh wait, you won't have one. Your souls are mine!"
Brook's laughter echoed as he harvested their souls, adding more strength to his ghostly power.
---
"Ah~ Captain Brook, I shot this one, but he's still breathing! Come finish him off!"
Shakky called out, her voice playful.
She knew Brook had a special ability to absorb souls, and she didn't want to let even one go to waste.
With that, she landed among the enemy ranks and continued fighting.
---
"I, Tiger, am a man who will become the strongest warrior!"
Fisher Tiger roared as he clenched his fist.
"Karate Six Styles—3KW Fist Gun!"
Combining Fishman Karate and Rokushiki, Tiger unleashed a devastating punch.
The pirate he hit collapsed instantly, eyes rolling back as blood trickled from his nose and mouth.
Tiger grabbed him by the collar and threw him aside.
"You know how many days and nights I trained to perfect that punch? Do you?! Who can stand against me?!"
He pounded his chest dramatically, as if he had just defeated a high-bounty pirate.
In reality, he had just knocked out a low-ranking crewman, barely worth mentioning.
---
Edward Newgate, after seeing that Brook had finished off the main attackers, stopped his rampage.
Despite his strength, he had no interest in harming innocent people. This was his own personal rule.
However, he wouldn't stop his crewmates either. He believed everyone had the right to make their own choices.
Brook, satisfied with his soul harvest, didn't press deeper into the island.
He had no intention of destroying Marseille Island completely. It was an important trading hub in the New World. As long as they eliminated the key enemies, that was enough.
---
"Captain Brook, are you sure you don't want to raid the trading center for treasure?"
Shakky asked, raising an eyebrow.
After all, they were pirates.
They had already declared war on the Diger Pirates, so why not go all the way?
Besides, if they didn't loot the place, some other crew would take advantage of the chaos.
In the end, the Hell Pirates would still get the blame.
That meant they'd gain nothing from the battle—except a powerful new enemy.
And that? That was definitely not worth it.
----
Shakky's words immediately won Redfield's approval. As pirates, they didn't need to follow some so-called moral code. When it was time to rob, they would rob; when it was time to kill, they would kill.
Even though they weren't short on money, the law of the New World was simple—survival of the fittest. Strength dictated everything, and the strong deserved their spoils.
Brook quickly realized this as well. Since they had already offended the Diger Pirates, they might as well go all out! Just as long as they didn't harm too many civilians.
That said, in the New World, the concept of a true civilian island didn't really exist. Nearly every island was under pirate control, and even children here might already have blood on their hands.
Newgate had grown up fighting human traffickers and ruthless pirates, killing countless foes along the way. The people of the New World were hardened by this cruel world.
Those who refused to fight back, those who were weak, could only be exploited and enslaved. It wasn't a personal failing—it was the world itself that was broken!
---
The Hell Pirates swiftly looted the pirate trading island. This marked their first real plunder since descending from Sky Island, and for Shakky, it was a long-overdue return to true piracy.
Technically, their raid on Sky Island didn't count—gold was practically worthless to the people there. But this? This was real pirate work!
Shakky, ever the money-grubber, even tried selling the bodies of defeated pirates to a shady bounty hunter who wanted to cash in on their bounties at a 40% discount.
Like hell she'd accept that!
Through intense bargaining, coercion, and sheer persistence, Shakky the Miser finally got him to agree to 30%.
Unfortunately, by the time she finished, Brook and the others had already returned to the ship and were preparing to leave.
In the end, she begrudgingly parted with the corpses at a lower price, cursing the tightfisted bounty hunter. For someone like her, failing to get the upper hand in a negotiation was an unforgivable humiliation!
---
Onboard the Golden Flying ship, Erebus
"Captain Brook! If you hadn't rushed me, I wouldn't have suffered such a loss!"
Shakky grumbled while counting stacks of berries, occasionally licking her fingers to flip through the bills faster.
Brook shot her a look of disdain. "Oi, I was the one who killed those pirates. Besides, we're not exactly short on money. Do you really have to keep nagging after we've already set sail?"
"Hmph, what do you know? Bargaining isn't just a skill—it's a woman's instinct! It's practically a belief system!"
Shakky gave him a scolding glance as she continued counting her loot. "Besides, you're the biggest spender on this ship, Captain. You don't know the first thing about saving money. Do you have any idea how much I worry about our finances?"
Brook ignored her ramblings and instead turned to Tom. "Set a course for the next island. We need to lay low for a bit. I don't like the way the wind's blowing."
From the information they'd gathered on the island—along with what Antonio had eavesdropped—things were looking bad for the Hell Pirates.
Apparently, Kandor, the President of the World Dark News, was a subordinate of the Diger Pirates.
This Kandor wasn't just some low-level lackey—he was known as the Hidden King of the Diger Pirates, controlling the intelligence network of the New World. Even the World Government had ties to him.
The real question was: Was Kandor truly loyal to Diger, or was he just using him as a stepping stone for his own ambitions?
---
Ten Kings Island Sea - Chichijima
On Chichijima, one of the Ten Kings Islands, a pirate captain with golden curls and a captain's hat put down his Den Den Mushi.
His expression was dark.
Marseille Island had been one of his biggest sources of income—and now it was gone!
And all because of some upstart Rookie crew that didn't respect him—Jevaler, King of the Earth!
The Diger Pirates called themselves an empire, with Emperor Diger at the top and his Nine Island Kings ruling over his territories.
He acted as if he was running a miniature World Government, revealing his insatiable ambition.
But Jevaler wasn't one of the weaker kings—he was among the strongest. And now, the Hell Pirates had stepped on his pride.
He wasn't about to let that slide.
He scoffed at Brook's "inflated" bounty. "Hah! A fake rookie overlord bounty, huh? Just because he killed some Celestial Dragons, the World Government jacked up his price."
In Jevaler's eyes, these rookies were nothing.
He'd spent years grinding his way through the New World to reach 600 million berries. These rookie brats hadn't even mastered Haki yet!
No way they could compete with a real veteran.
Just then, a signal officer ran into the room and knelt on one knee.
"Captain Jeval! Emperor Diger has summoned all Island Kings to a meeting at Madatascar!"
Jevaler narrowed his eyes. "Hmph. Understood. Leave me."
After the man left, Jevaler tapped his fingers on the table, thinking about the Hell Pirates.
They could fly—which was a problem.
He might need to team up with a few other Island Kings to take them down.
That said…
If Emperor Diger was interested in the Hell Pirates' flying ship, things might get interesting.
---
Madatascar – The Emperor's Court
Madatascar, the central island of the Ten Kings Islands, had long been a symbol of power.
But ever since Diger Sparrow declared himself Emperor, Madatascar had become an Imperial Capital—a testament to his unmatched dominance.
Diger sat high on his throne, his massive pirate hat towering above him—even bigger than a normal captain's hat, because of course, an Emperor's hat had to be bigger than everyone else's.
His flesh-covered face was adorned with a thick, braided beard, and his long black hair was tied into dreadlocks. His piercing eyes exuded authority.
He looked nothing like a 68-year-old man.
For 29 years, Diger had reigned at the top—longer than Rocks D. Xebec had held his own throne.
When Rocks had overthrown the previous overlord pirate group, it had taken years before he could fully stabilize his rule.
Even after defeating the previous King, he had to spend months recovering before he could truly declare himself the New Overlord.
In the New World, even if you killed the top dog, you might not inherit his throne.
There were always other hungry predators waiting to strike.
This was the rule of the New World.
And Diger Sparrow—as ruthless and cunning as he was—understood this better than anyone.
Even he had to admit…
That Rocks D. Xebec was one hell of a monster.
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