On the golden flying ship, Erebus.
"Brother Brook, do you know how worried I was about you? Woo woo~"
The 8.8-meter-tall Charlotte Linlin leaned over, gazing at the 2.7-meter-tall Brook with teary eyes, as if she wanted to hold him in her hands. Her expression was reminiscent of Princess Shirahoshi's pitiful and adorable look when she clung to Luffy.
"Don't worry, I'm a man who crawled back from the Underworld. I won't die so easily. Besides, I haven't seen you all achieve your dreams yet—how could I bear to leave?"
Brook sighed in relief when he saw that Linlin had fully recovered. He had been worried that her unstable emotions might lead her to destroy Erebus.
He stroked Linlin's hair, gently comforting the immature beauty. Suddenly, she scooped Brook up in her hands, pressing him to her chest, rubbing her face against him as if she wanted to fuse him into her body.
Brook found himself trapped between two massive, snow-capped peaks. Though he didn't need to breathe, he still felt overwhelmed. Happiness had come too suddenly. He once envied Luffy for bouncing on Princess Shirahoshi's soft and majestic bosom—but now, he had his own paradise!
"Brother Brook, I'll definitely protect you from now on!"
Charlotte Linlin's tear-filled eyes made Brook's heart melt. If only she could be as gentle as Shirahoshi. However, after awakening her Conqueror's Haki, she might become even more domineering in the future…
I have to train Charlotte Linlin well. She can be wild with others, but with me, she must be gentle. It would be best if she listens to me, obedient and well-behaved.
"Gurarara~! Captain Brook, you had immortality and never told us new crew members? I was shocked too!"
Edward Newgate took a swig from a bottle of red wine he had found somewhere, glancing at Charlotte Linlin with envy. She had awakened her Conqueror's Haki so easily.
I wonder when I'll awaken mine…
Brook had explained that Conqueror's Haki could awaken in moments of extreme emotional turmoil, usually when someone with deep personal significance was in grave danger.
Newgate pondered this. Is there anyone that important to me yet? He glanced around at his crewmates, hoping to bond with them soon and become their closest comrade. Perhaps only when facing true danger would his Haki awaken.
"Big Sis Linlin! Please share how it feels to awaken Conqueror's Haki!"
Fisher Tiger, who normally hated reading, interrupted Brook and Linlin's intimate moment with a notebook and pen in hand, eager for knowledge.
It was the first time Tiger had witnessed someone awakening Conqueror's Haki firsthand. He was beyond impressed. Watching pirates collapse like cut wheat under Linlin's aura—it was too damn cool!
He could already imagine his own awakening: The mighty Fish-Man Hero, the War God Tiger, descending from the heavens with divine power, the center of everyone's attention!
Just as he was lost in his fantasy, a loud slap brought him back to reality.
Brook had delivered a loving lesson to this clueless Tiger. How dare he interrupt their intimate facial massage?
Tiger crouched, rubbing his throbbing scalp, eyes brimming with tears. Why did you hit me?!
"Haha~ I'm dying of laughter~"
Shakky, ever the sharp observer, had long noticed Brook's addiction to Linlin's gentle and sweet face massage. But being a tactful woman, she chose not to expose him.
Though she carried herself like a mature and experienced underworld queen, Shakky was actually younger than Linlin. She had always exaggerated her age to appear more reliable.
Back in the Sabaody Archipelago, she had realized that being too young would make her intelligence work less credible. So, she started dressing more maturely, lying about her age, and even picking up smoking to enhance her image. Not even Brook knew her real age.
"Damn it, Captain Brook! It was Sister Shakky who set me up! You should hit her too!"
Tiger, unwilling to suffer alone, immediately ratted out Shakky.
Sure enough, Shakky's face stiffened. You little brat actually snitched on me?
She had seen Brook getting lost in Linlin's embrace and had mischievously "guided" Tiger to interrupt. Now, the tables had turned.
Brook shot her a sharp look. Shakky, thick-skinned as she was, awkwardly smiled. The crew's curious gazes landed on her, but Brook chose to let it slide.
"Alright, Linlin, tell everyone about your experience awakening Conqueror's Haki."
Tiger, still rubbing his head, cried out in grievance.
"Captain, you're playing favorites! You treat men and women differently! You're bullying an eight-year-old Fish-Man who's barely two meters tall!"
But there was nothing he could do. He could only swallow his bitterness.
Seeing everyone's eager expressions, Linlin hesitated for a moment—was this what it felt like to be the center of attention?
"Honestly… I don't really know. I just saw Brother Brook's heart get pierced, and I thought he was going to die. I felt so much pain and sadness… Then, I got so angry that I wanted to crush the bastard who hurt him!"
As she spoke, Linlin seemed to recall the moment Brook had fallen. Her eyes turned red again, and an overwhelming aura burst forth.
The parrot perched on Antonio's head immediately rolled its eyes and collapsed.
"Linlin! It's okay, calm down~"
Brook hurriedly comforted her. She was still unfamiliar with Haki, and once it erupted, it was an indiscriminate attack.
Luckily, under Brook's gentle head-patting technique, Linlin quickly withdrew her aura.
Thus, Wuzhu(parrot) officially earned the title of the weakest on the ship, as the only one who fainted from the mere leakage of Linlin's aura.
At least Antonio's training had shown some minor results—though compared to others, his progress was insignificant.
"I'm sorry, everyone. I almost hurt you again…"
Linlin lowered her head, afraid of being feared and rejected once more.
"It's fine, Linlin! Everyone is learning from you! You're the best!"
Brook reassured her, while the crew members pondered deeply.
Each of them now had the same thought—
Maybe… I have a chance to awaken my Conqueror's Haki too!
------
In Brook's opinion, aside from Edward Newgate—one of the Four Emperors in the original timeline—who had a strong chance of awakening Conqueror's Haki, the rest of the crew could only dream about it. Their chances were slim to none.
However, anything was possible! It all depended on fate's favor!
Brook was very satisfied with the lavish lunch prepared by Chef Streusen. His cooking skills were far superior to Antonio's. In just a few days, he had mastered Brook's techniques and even managed to fuse the flavors of two different worlds.
"Fate is truly on my side! The Dove of Peace News Agency is in shambles, and the Dark News Agency has been completely wiped out by Rocks. I should send him an award! It's finally time to push Moore Thomas' Economic News Agency to the top as the world's number one!"
Brook had not anticipated such a fortunate turn of events. Not only had this resolved the issue of being monitored by the vulture news birds, but it had also cleared the path for the Economic News Agency to dominate the New World's market.
In addition to instructing Moore Thomas to increase the number of seagull news birds entering the New World, Brook also ordered him to locate a Sky Island within the region and secure a territory. This would serve as a vital outpost for their news agency.
After all, other young Overlord —such as the Evil Monk and the Karnz Brothers' pirate crew—had already established their own domains in the New World.
But to Brook, these Overlord candidate became even bigger targets once they settled down. Once Rocks regained a bit more of his strength, he would undoubtedly make a move against them. Bringing these potential threats under his command would not only help him reclaim lost ground but also strengthen his crew with fresh talent.
As for the Diger Pirates, they might have appeared to hold the upper hand in battle, but anyone with sharp eyes could see the truth—Diger was getting old. The fact that he had been wounded by Rocks alone made it clear.
Once Diger Sparrow falls, the most powerful, wealthiest, and most dominant pirate crew in the New World would be torn apart by the Rocks Pirates and other major forces.
Unless someone from the Diger Pirates could rise up and claim the throne, their collapse was inevitable. Their era as rulers of the seas would come to an end.
After the battle between Xiaofeng and Wang Zhi on Changshui Island and the infamous Dark News incident, the New World had erupted into chaos. Countless pirates had fallen, and numerous rising stars bared their fangs.
Many old bounty posters had been revoked, while new ones flooded in. Whether they were ambitious newcomers or infamous veterans, everyone received a fresh bounty update.
"Moore Thomas is quite the capable man. He's managed to establish ties with both the Navy Headquarters and the World Government, turning them into business partners. He's even connected with the New World's overlords."
Under Brook's guidance, Moore Thomas was determined to make the Economic News Agency the number one news organization across both legitimate and underground networks. His ultimate goal was to become the shadow ruler of the world's intelligence industry.
Unlike before, the Economic News Agency was now welcomed rather than shunned by the major powers of the New World. After Rocks obliterated the Dark News Agency, seagull news birds became the dominant news source.
Diger had tried to build his own rival news agency, but the other powerful forces quickly crushed his efforts. They had no intention of letting Diger monopolize the intelligence trade ever again. Instead, they preferred to let the neutral Economic News Agency take control of the New World's media.
"Gurarara! The new bounties are out, and mine just shot up!"
Edward Newgate roared with laughter as he held his updated wanted poster. His thick white mustache quivered, giving Brook an uncomfortable feeling. So this is what Newgate's beard looked like before it grew longer...
The battle on Changshui Island, the attack by the Hell Pirates, and the brief skirmishes—all of it had been reported. Whether this information had come from the World Government's spies or leaks from Dark News reporters was unclear.
The coverage was surprisingly detailed. It turned out Antonio had played a part, sending Moore Thomas several high-quality photographs he had taken.
Knowing how much Newgate cared about increasing his bounty, Antonio selected a few well-angled shots and submitted them to both the Economic News Agency and the Navy Headquarters—earning himself two royalty payments in the process.
One particular shot captured Newgate landing a devastating punch on Jevaler, which immediately caught the Navy's attention. As a result, Newgate's bounty skyrocketed from 90 million to a staggering 500 million berries. The increase was insane!
Redfield, after going head-to-head with Wang Zhi for an extended period, saw his bounty rise by 50 million, reaching 600 million.
Charlotte Linlin, having awakened her Conqueror's Haki, also saw an increase of 20 million, bringing her bounty up to 600 million—placing her on equal footing with Redfield.
Meanwhile, thanks to a powerful move that injured both Xiaofeng and Wang Zhi at the same time, Brook's bounty soared by 100 million, reaching 700 million berries. He had officially stepped into the ranks of the great pirates, shedding his former title as a mere Overlord Candidate!
Other members of the crew who contributed to the battle also saw significant bounty hikes. Fish-Man Tom earned 120 million, sniper Hiruba reached 100 million, ship doctor Crocus received 90 million, and navigator Shakky climbed to 80 million.
Even Fisher Tiger—who had only been a bystander—received his first-ever bounty of 10 million berries, much to his delight.
Antonio, who had not participated in the battle, remained bounty-free. Similarly, Streusen and Kirin Lion, having stayed out of the fight, kept their original bounties.
Back when Streusen followed Charlotte Linlin, his bounty had already reached 80 million. Seeing his wanted poster now, he was utterly baffled. When did his bounty get so high? Did he lose his memory?
At that moment, the Memory Seahorse flashed Streusen a knowing smile, leaving him even more confused.
(TL: what! How does a seahorse flashed a smile?)
As for the crew's pets—Parrot and Memory Seahorse—the Navy Headquarters hadn't even considered them threats. They were merely treated as harmless mascots, so neither had received a bounty.
The biggest controversy revolved around the three pseudo-overlord pirate captains, who had now officially crossed the 1.5 billion mark. The World Government had "recognized" them as three of the six New World overlords.
However, most experienced pirates knew these so-called overlords still had a long way to go before they could truly claim the title. They were slightly stronger than the top commanders of the actual emperors, but not quite at the level of the real rulers of the seas.
Upon seeing that his bounty was now equal to Charlotte Linlin's, Redfield made up his mind. Next time, he would be even more ruthless, targeting an even stronger opponent. He had to surpass Linlin's bounty and solidify his position as the strongest officer on the ship!
"A rare occasion calls for celebration! Let's have a party, Newgate! A feast for everyone!"
Brook's enthusiastic announcement instantly ignited the mood on the golden ship, filling it with excitement...
Meanwhile, on an island deep in the New World, a blonde-haired man with a heroic presence stared at the latest newspaper and bounty updates. The cigar in his mouth suddenly lost all its flavor...
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