Vesper's words left even Rocks speechless. The Hell Pirates' four top fighters all wielded Conqueror's Haki—a crew with that kind of potential could outshine even the Rocks Pirates if given time to grow!
"That's cold, Vesper. Aren't you afraid Brook'll just swallow your crew whole?"
Rocks hadn't expected Vesper to give up so easily, practically grooming an unstoppable beast. Did he really think he could just walk away from unifying the New World?
"I'm old, Rocks. My crew's not exactly shining either. Worst case, I retire. Disband the Vesper Pirates, let you and Brook tear each other apart. At least I won't go down like Ice Demon Pirates, crushed by you!"
Vesper's defeatist attitude felt like a weight lifted. He slung barbs at Rocks with newfound ease, almost enjoying the banter.
"You think you can block my dream of ruling the New World? Hide in the Four Seas, and I'll still hunt you down, rip you apart, and scatter your ashes!"
Rocks felt a twinge of pressure. Vesper wasn't dead yet, and the Hell Pirates were rising fast. Could his dream of conquering the New World really survive this?
"Heh, thanks for the heads-up. Guess I won't retire in the New World then. I'll slip back to the Four Seas. Come find me if you dare!"
Vesper hung up the Den Den Mushi, leaving Rocks fuming. In a fit of rage, he smashed Wilank's oversized custom Den Den Mushi to bits. The entire Snow Island quaked under the force of his furious Conqueror's Haki!
...
Meanwhile, Golden Lion Shiki had carved Ohara Island out of the sea, floating it beside Baron Island in the sky. Mortomas's Economic News Agency promptly relocated its headquarters to a branch office on Baron.
Shiki left Gold Island behind, letting scientists like Vegapunk continue their research. The Hell Pirates' combat crew, however, boarded the Golden Ark and rocketed toward Saracha's Demon Horn Island waters!
On the high seas, Angelie had already rallied her forces, invading Saracha's territory and planting the Hell Pirates' flag.
"Captain Brook, we've spotted the Rocks Pirates' ship! Are we really hitting their crew head-on?"
Sniper Silva was buzzing with excitement. This was no ordinary target—it was the main officers of the Rocks Pirates! Even with Rocks stuck in Snow Island's waters, unable to rush to their aid, Skal the Warrior Monk and his crew were no pushovers.
"Yohohoho! Rocks isn't here—what better chance to strike? We'd be fools to miss a golden opportunity like this!"
The chance to hit them was too good to pass up!
"Jahaha! That's the spirit, Brook! But how about letting me take on Skal the Warrior Monk? He's got an 1.1-billion-Belly bounty!"
Shiki, still sore about his last loss to Shirokiri, was itching to prove himself.
His enthusiasm earned a sharp eye-roll from Redfield. Hadn't Shiki learned anything from getting pummeled by Shirokiri? Where was his self-awareness?
"Alright, Silva, give me the rundown. Who's on the ship?"
Brook wanted the full picture before assigning tasks.
"Right, Captain Brook. Top dog is Skal the Warrior Monk, 1.1 billion Belly. Then there's Sandy at 900 million, Grimm Vane at 710 million, Sax Vey at 700 million, Rocket Jonas at 600 million, and Jennifer the Giantess Warrior at 550 million. Oh, and the impostor Rocks, Kurozumi Higurashi, and her brother Kurozumi Semimaru—no bounties on them. Lastly, the navigator, Miss Buckin, sits at 200 million, but she's calling the shots. Even Skal listens to her."
"I've been watching, and she's the one leading the raid on Saracha's islands, looting treasure like there's no tomorrow. She's decked out in gold, a total money-grubber—might even give Shakky a run for her Belly!"
Silva rattled off the intel, painting a clear picture: the Rocks Pirates' officer pool ran deep. Add in the three rookie core officers Rocks had with him, and their strength could overwhelm the Hell Pirates.
Brook's crew, aside from his four top fighters, lacked anyone with a bounty over 500 million. Their mid-tier officers were still growing.
Luckily, their allied crew, the Edward Pirates, had Angelie and Bull, both just over 500 million, giving the Hell Pirates a couple of mid-tier heavyweights to hold the line.
"Hey, watch it, Silva! Stick to the intel and leave me out of it!"
Shakky bonked Silva on the head. She wasn't some greedy hoarder—she just wanted her precious Belly to have a cozy home!
"This time, my target's Kurozumi Semimaru. His Barrier-Barrier Fruit's supposed to be the ultimate defense. Think we can take him down?"
Brook ignored Shakky's antics and turned to his four top fighters, setting his first goal: snagging that Barrier-Barrier Fruit.
"Gurarara! Ultimate defense? No such thing! It just hasn't met someone stronger!"
Whitebeard Newgate scoffed at the idea. He'd test this so-called "ultimate defense" with his Quake-Quake Fruit and show it who's boss.
"Newgate's right. It's only unbeatable 'til it meets us!"
Shiki didn't buy it either. To him, no defense was unbreakable—only weaklings failed to crack it.
Brook paused, mulling it over. They had a point. Bartolomeo's barrier shield got shattered by Uta's Song-Song Fruit, proving the Barrier-Barrier Fruit wasn't some absolute, rule-breaking defense. It could be broken.
Brook wasn't here to debate. He just needed the job done.
Miss Buckin, that gold-obsessed navigator, was running the ship. Her greed had her looting Saracha's turf instead of linking up with Rocks—a rare opening!
In the original story, this pint-sized granny, leading Edward Weevil alone, had the guts to storm the New World, claiming Whitebeard's turf and legacy. A master navigator with a love for gold, she was this era's Nami. To hold her own as the Rocks Pirates' navigator, she had serious skills.
The Golden Ark sped toward the island the Rocks Pirates were plundering. Brook was determined to intercept their officers and walk away with some serious spoils!
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+300 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg