After learning the true origin of Uranus, Brook fell into deep thought. Was Imu a person from the Moon—or a native of the Blue Sea?
Countless thoughts collided in his mind.
Suppose the Moon People had migrated to the Blue Sea due to energy depletion. Alongside some kindhearted races, they established a vast technological kingdom, using their advanced science to aid the Blue Sea's development. This became the foundation of the ancient kingdom, whose technology far surpassed anything of this world.
But then, the desires of certain human kings grew uncontrollable—or perhaps racial prejudice between worlds led to conflict. Those kings wanted to destroy the Moon People, refusing to let "outsiders" taint the Blue Sea, and sought to seize their technology for themselves.
In the end, the twenty kings united, stole the Uranus, betrayed the Moon People who had aided them, and turned against the mighty kingdom that had given them strength. Both the Moon People and the great technological civilization were annihilated.
The kind descendants of that ancient kingdom—were they the current D clan?
Brook took a deep breath, a dark smile curving across his face.
Things were getting interesting.
Did the Twenty Kings and natives like Imu seize that technology but fail to use it? Or did they destroy it on purpose, keeping the world ignorant and controllable?
It was almost certain now—Devil Fruits were man-made products of advanced technology.
Some fruits showed obvious traces of artificial design: the Castle Fruit, the Hobby-Hobby Fruit, the Weapon Fruit, the Spring Fruit, the Rubber Fruit… These were not naturally formed powers.
Brook already knew that Devil Fruits could be created. In the future, Vegapunk would use Kaido's bloodline factor to produce Momonosuke's Pink Dragon Fruit. Caesar, through the "SAD" compound, could manufacture animal-type SMILE fruits.
"Yohoho! If I could master the most advanced technology to create Devil Fruits, ruling this planet would be child's play."
He laughed inwardly. The Moon People and the races of the great kingdom had been fools. With such overwhelming technology, how could they still lose to the Twenty Kings? Truly pathetic.
Still, he had to admit—their technology was astonishing.
Then, a thought flashed in his mind.
Could it be that the Moon People were like the Trisolarans or the Dwarves—never lying, always truthful, with pure hearts and transparent minds incapable of deceit?
Oh, hell!
If that were true, it would explain everything. Such honest races would have been slowly worn down by the cunning and ruthless Twenty Kings during the void hundred-year war.
Even among the D clan today, lying seemed rare. Even Teach, an anomaly among them, only hid his true intentions—he didn't lie.
After a century of endless struggle, it was only natural that some D clan descendants changed, becoming more brutal to survive. A family incapable of deceit would have been wiped out long ago.
Brook speculated that the Twenty Kings and natives like Imu never truly obtained the Moon People's technology. After destroying both the Moon and the great kingdom, their progress halted.
"Could the Final Island still hold the technology to create Devil Fruits—or even more advanced inventions? Is that why the Celestial Dragons fear anyone reaching that island?"
Perhaps the Twenty Kings had used treacherous means to destroy the great kingdom and were now erasing history to cover their sins.
Brook's mind swirled with possibilities. Maybe, at the last moment, the Final Island had activated self-preservation mechanisms that prevented its total destruction.
"That's it. That's all."
Brook rose from his seat, determination burning in his eyes.
He would go to the Final Island himself.
If it was truly the greatest treasure in the world, then it must contain something decisive—perhaps the ultimate weapon against the World Government.
But first, he needed to cultivate the D clan.
Without them, even Pluton's might wouldn't be enough when war with Uranus began.
"The Endless Earth of the Moon and the ruins of the great kingdom on the Final Island—now those are worth looking forward to."
Brook sat upon his golden throne, his expression resolute. He once thought he only needed to become strong enough to face Imu, but now he realized there were countless ancient legacies yet to uncover.
For now, though, he would keep the seas stable and make the World Government believe the Hell Pirates had quieted down.
As long as the New World remained divided and the Rocks Pirates still roamed, he would not provoke a global war.
What was Imu thinking, anyway? Why hadn't he acted? Was he planning to sacrifice a portion of the Celestial Dragons? Or was he still judging whether Brook was worth facing personally?
Whatever the case, Brook knew he must choose the right moment. Whether he set course for the Moon or the Final Island, a single misstep could trigger global chaos.
"Let's wait until the Pluton battleship is fully rebuilt. I can afford to bide my time," Brook murmured.
The D clan was still too few to sustain a long campaign.
Besides, Charlotte Linlin was already four or five months pregnant. She needed to rest for the next half-year.
Under Brook's command, the third [May Plan] began—an intense training program to make the Hell Pirates even stronger.
---
The year 1475 of the Sea Circle Calendar was truly extraordinary.
In the first two months alone, the world had witnessed the Battle of God Valley and the Great New World War—two massive conflicts that left countless dead, including numerous high-ranking marines and pirates.
This year also marked the birth of many exceptional individuals.
On February 5, Vista was born in the North Blue.
On February 9, Bartholomew Kuma was born in the Kingdom of Sorbet in the South Blue.
On August 2, Yasopp was born in Syrup Village, East Blue.
On September 18, Raven Callas was born in the North Blue.
On October 9, Magellan was born on the Grand Line.
---
The Hell Pirates, too, were celebrating new life.
On October 10, Charlotte Linlin gave birth to three sons and a daughter.
On October 22, Daenerys gave birth to a girl.
On December 1, Jennifer gave birth to a son named Abel, whom Brook nicknamed Flame Ember.
Linlin's third son was named Satan, her fourth Anubis, her fifth Mephisto, and her second daughter Hera.
Daenerys's third daughter was named Shana.
In the world of One Piece, siblings are ranked separately by gender. For example, Katakuri's elder sister, Charlotte Compote, is Linlin's first daughter, while Katakuri is the second son—the eldest being Perospero.
As the next generation of the Hell Pirates came into the world, the crew was filled with joy. With the New Year approaching and peace reigning in the New World, the celebration reached its peak.
For nearly a year, no great war had erupted between the two dominant pirate crews.
Judging by the atmosphere, this era of peace—though temporary—would last a little while longer.
-------------
Brook looked at his children and smiled like a loving father. He was full of expectations for them and hoped that, in the future, they would all become as powerful as dragons and dominate the whole world.
The name Satan came from a famous demon of his previous life's world. Anubis was the god of death in ancient Egypt. Mephisto, also known as the Lord of Lies, was one of the demon kings of hell. Hera was the goddess of death and the underworld in Norse mythology, and the sister of Thor.
The third girl, Shana, was named after Shakugan no Shana, a strong and capable heroine carrying all of Brook's hopes.
Of course, Brook also felt that this name was similar to that of his eldest daughter Kanna, and it sounded like they were sisters.
After all these happy events, Brook never expected that, even at the end of the year, the Celestial Dragons would still bring him good news.
Two Celestial Dragon families had succeeded and were actively contacting him, preparing to exchange a top level natural Devil Fruit for the pure gold ring.
However, for safety, the deal had to be made in the Sabaody Archipelago. The Celestial Dragons did not dare step into the New World.
This news made Brook's cold face split into a grin, his white teeth gleaming. He had not expected them to actually get their hands on it.
Brook had no intention of robbing these thieves for the time being. He wanted to secure a few more top level Devil Fruits first. The methods and connections of these Celestial Dragons were so strong they made him envious. He had to make use of them as much as possible.
"Yohoho! What a blessing."
Brook planned to go to the Sabaody Archipelago in person to complete the deal. Even if something went wrong, he was confident he could still retreat to Fishman Island.
"I wonder which Devil Fruit it is. That's really exciting."
Since the Celestial Dragons had not revealed anything and only said it was a top level natural Devil Fruit, Brook had no idea which one it might be.
Anyway, the children's full moon celebrations were over, and the eldest son and daughter's birthdays had passed as well. Brook finally had some free time, so he decided to make a big move before the New Year.
This time, Brook departed with Shiki and Redfield, while Newgate guarded their territory, and Charlotte Linlin stayed on Sky Island to take care of the children.
On December 15, 1475 of the Sea Circle Calendar,
a golden ship left Sky Island in the New World and descended directly onto the Grand Line, heading quietly toward the Sabaody Archipelago.
Brook had no intention of letting word of this deal with the Celestial Dragons spread. If this secret trade could continue, he would gladly exchange the pure gold ring for more top level Devil Fruits.
In any case, a bunch of immortal yet useless Celestial Dragons could not cause much trouble and would not be jumping around for many more years. He might as well treat it as leaving pure gold in their hands for safekeeping.
In the worst case, Brook would simply wait for Straw Hat Luffy to rise and then overthrow the World Government together with him.
In the better case, he would not need to wait for Straw Hat Luffy's birth or rely on the Sun God Nika. Brook himself would lead the Hell Pirates to complete the task of toppling the World Government.
If all of Brook's children became stronger than Katakuri, would they still need Straw Hat Luffy? Would they still need the Sun God Nika?
And if Brook managed to seize the Sun God Nika Fruit, he would just give it to one of his own children to eat.
Even if they could not awaken it, they could at least grow into a fourth gear rubber man.
··
Sabaody Archipelago.
Since the Marines had withdrawn from the New World, their suppression of the Four Seas and the Grand Line had become increasingly fierce, with many fledgling pirates being completely eliminated before they could even get started.
Because of this, the Four Seas and the Grand Line now had a brand new look, reaching an unprecedented level of stability.
It seemed that once the two overlord pirate groups drove the Marines out of the New World, the entire world actually became more stable. Whether in the New World, the Four Seas, or the Grand Line, the happiness of ordinary civilians rose sharply.
However, in this peaceful and prosperous atmosphere, human trafficking had actually increased.
As the nobles' desires expanded like never before, the slave trade and human auctions of the Sabaody Archipelago were booming more than ever. Countless slave hunting groups, disguised as guilds and backed by Celestial Dragons and nobles, were kidnapping and selling people everywhere.
The Marines turned a blind eye to such scum, even accepting bribes from these merchant associations. After all, these were the "legitimate" chambers of commerce of the Celestial Dragons and the powerful.
One night, several figures drifted down from the sky above the Sabaody Archipelago and landed on the prosperous island.
"Tianmulan, your Scroll Fruit just gets stronger and stronger. You can put the golden ship into a scroll in one go now."
Shiki marveled at the convenience of Tianmulan's Devil Fruit. Her Scroll Fruit could absorb the scorching breath of Kaido that destroyed mountains, store a massive amount of seawater capable of extinguishing the fires of Onigashima, and now, storing a pirate ship was relatively easy.
"Brother Brook is the best teacher. I'll go in first."
Tianmulan looked at Brook with a flushed face, then entered Uju's castle. Most of the crew were inside as well.
Now only Shiki and Redfield stood beside Brook, like two bodyguards.
"Brother Brook, this outfit and mask are so awkward, it is really annoying."
Shiki complained again. For a man who was an overlord of the New World to have to wear a CP0 white suit, cloak, hat, and a bizarre white mask was truly an embarrassment in his eyes.
"If you feel uncomfortable, go back into Uju's castle. No one is forcing you. Stop whining out here."
Brook could not be bothered to humor Shiki. Wearing his white mask, he walked at the front while Uju perched on his shoulder. Many of the crew inside were observing the outside world through the small windows of the castle created by the Castle Fruit.
Redfield remained silent and followed steadily behind Brook, and Shiki had no choice but to follow as well.
Soon, Brook made contact with his informants on the Sabaody Archipelago. On this dark island, people from the underworld were never in short supply.
Whether it was Moore Thomas or the Shipping King Umid, their networks and businesses spread throughout the Sabaody Archipelago, so it was easy to find someone to receive Brook.
In Grove 1 of the Sabaody Archipelago, Brook and his two companions walked openly through the illegal district, and no one dared to provoke them.
Their CP organization white suits alone were enough to scare off many pirates and criminals. On top of that, the terrifying aura radiating from the three of them made some small time pirates' legs go weak, unable to move, and some even collapsed on the spot.
Redfield's electric observation Haki and Brook's life force detection constantly scanned their surroundings. Seeing no signs of danger, they walked straight into the human auction house.
The timing of their arrival was random, but as soon as they landed on the Sabaody Archipelago, they had already messaged their contact among the Celestial Dragons.
The transaction would take place tonight.
All that remained was to see if those Celestial Dragons had the courage to descend from the Holy Land of Mary Geoise and trade face to face with Brook.
However, it was most likely that the private subordinates of those Celestial Dragon families would come down to complete the trade. After all, the Celestial Dragons were very afraid of death.
Yet this time, Brook seemed to have underestimated the courage of the dying old men.
In just two hours, the two elderly Celestial Dragons had secretly arrived from the Holy Land to the Sabaody Archipelago.
<><><><><>
[P@treon Christmas Discount: 20% OFF]
[Check Out My Patreon For +40 Advance Chapters On All My Fanfics!]
[[email protected]/FanficLord03]
[Every 100 Power Stones = +1 Bonus Chapter]
[Join Our Discord Community For Updates & Events]
[https://discord.gg/MntqcdpRZ9]