Everyone trembled in fear under the might of the Old Ice Demon, but their thoughts were divided.
Willank, however, was silently furious.
"This old man is holding back the development of the giant clans!" he fumed.
Meanwhile, the human pirates had already made up their minds—they were planning to withdraw from the Ice Demon Pirates.
If the Old Ice Demon died and Willank took over, this would no longer be a pirate war but a racial war.
If both the Ice Giants and the Elbaf Giants marched together, countless islands would be reduced to rubble.
"I hope some powerful humans will stand against these warlike giants," a pirate thought grimly.
The Old Ice Demon glared at Willank, sensing his defiance.
"It seems you still refuse to give up..." he rasped.
"Very well... Today, I will officially pass the Ice Demon Pirates to you."
Gasps echoed through the hall.
"But from now on, the Ice Demon Pirates will be completely separated from the Kingdom of Ice," the Old Ice Demon declared firmly.
"If you have no business here, never return to this land.
As for the territories, do with them as you please!"
The Old Ice Demon had seen the resentment in Willank's eyes.
To preserve the Ice Giant Clan and prevent them from being dragged into extinction, he decided to retire into seclusion—offering his final protection to his homeland.
"What?! Captain, don't abandon us!"
Willank wailed, tears streaming down his face.
But beneath the façade, he was secretly elated.
"The old man is finally stepping down!" he thought triumphantly.
No longer would he be shackled by the old captain's cautious orders.
He would expand their influence, let the world witness the power of the Ice Giants, and unite with the Elbaf warriors to conquer the New World.
"Those who wish to follow Willank, go with him!" the Old Ice Demon announced.
"Those who wish for peace, return with me to the Land of Ice and live in stability."
With this, the Old Ice Demon separated the hawkish war-seekers from the peaceful clansmen, ensuring the preservation of his race.
He knew his days were numbered—one or two years at most. He could no longer endure fierce battles.
Willank's eyes narrowed with fury.
"Old man, you still want to hold them back?" he sneered internally.
But he knew his current strength was still inferior to the Old Ice Demon.
For now, he could only retreat with his followers.
"For the glory of the Ice Giant Clan!" Willank roared.
"My clansmen and friends, those willing to accompany me on this grand adventure—let's restore the glory of the Ice Demon Pirates!"
His slogans stirred the blood of the giants.
Both the warlike Ice Giants and the Elbaf warriors cheered loudly, boarding their massive ships with fervent enthusiasm, ready to wage war.
Only a few Ice Giants and some human pirates remained behind.
All of the Elbaf warriors had departed with Willank.
"You humans should leave and pursue your own paths!"
The Old Ice Demon dismissed the remaining human pirates.
With his clansmen, he returned to the Ice Kingdom in a somber mood, closing the country's borders.
From then on, the Ice Kingdom was isolated, severing nearly all communication with the outside world.
Even the Ice Giants from the Ice Demon Pirates required special approval to return home.
··
Willank's Rampage
Now the new captain of the Ice Demon Pirates, Willank immediately launched a campaign of terror.
The Ice Demon Pirates began to attack pirate territories, plundering without mercy.
Willank publicly declared that he had officially inherited the Ice Demon Pirates.
Using the Ice Country as his base of operations, he and his giants swept through the New World, raiding pirate crews and even overlord territories.
Wherever they went, they left smoking ruins and blood-soaked shores.
··
On Pso Island, the Sea King, David Kyons, roared in fury.
"How dare that bastard Willank invade my territory?!"
The captain of the Siren Pirates immediately assembled his crew, preparing to hunt down Willank himself.
"That wretched fool became the new captain of the Ice Demon Pirates?!" David sneered.
"So, the Old Ice Demon is finally dead? Perfect. The New World can finally have a true overlord!"
Among the three pseudo-overlord crews, David Kyons had the highest bounty—a staggering 1.6 billion berries.
He was the most likely to break free from the pseudo-overlord label and claim true dominance.
He had long despised both Ewald and the other overlord.
Now, with the Ice Demon Pirates in disarray, he saw his chance to rise above them.
Meanwhile, Rocks heard of David Kyons' attack and grinned.
"Haha~! This is our chance!" he declared.
"The more chaotic the New World, the better!"
Having missed his opportunity to ambush the Ewald Pirates, Rocks was determined not to fail again.
Now, with David Kyons battling Willank, Rocks prepared to strike suddenly.
His goal was to slaughter David Kyons, cripple the Ice Demon Pirates, and perhaps even recruit some giants under his flag.
On Madagascar Island Diger snorted upon hearing that David Kyons planned to fight Willank alone.
"Your ambitions are growing fast, huh?" Diger sneered.
"If I hadn't been blocking Rocks all this time, you wouldn't have grown so bold."
But Diger was unconcerned.
Without the Old Ice Demon in charge, the Ice Giants and Elbaf warriors were no longer invincible.
"Let David Kyons and Willank tear each other apart," Diger mused.
"Just keep your eyes on Rocks."
··
"Brook!"
Shakky hurried over with a Den Den Mushi in hand.
"The new pseudo-overlord David Kyons is going to fight Willank of the Ice Demon Pirates! What should we do?"
Thanks to the spy Den Den Mushi distributed to pirate groups, information was spreading faster than even the Seagull News Bird or special correspondents.
Brook smirked.
"Let them fight. It's none of our business," he said calmly.
"While they're busy tearing each other apart, we'll focus on developing our strength."
He turned to his crew.
"Mobilize all our intelligence groups.
I want every scrap of information on Shuigu Town!"
Brook wasn't interested in the Overlord Pirates' petty squabbles.
For now, his priority was to find the Vampire Devil Fruit for Shakky.
"Captain, we've found a clue!"
Antonio reported excitedly.
"There are several islands with traces of Shuigu Town, but only one matches the legend of vampires!"
Brook grinned.
"Then what are we waiting for? While the others are fighting, we're going to find that fruit!"
When Redfield and Golden Lion heard they were hunting for the Vampire Devil Fruit, they immediately abandoned their plans to watch the Overlord battle.
"Thank you, Brook! You're the best~!"
Shakky squealed, jumping onto Brook and rubbing against him happily.
Seeing this, Stussy eyed them playfully, while Charlotte Linlin pouted enviously—wishing she could act coquettishly with a normal-sized body too.
--------
With the lightning system of the golden Ship, and now with the addition of the Float-Float Fruit of the Golden Lion Shiki, the speed of Erebus had increased significantly, allowing it to depart directly from Baron Island. The other forces remained unaware that the Hell Pirates had already left their territory, Doragonzo Island.
"Brother Brook, the Shugui Town with vampire legends is located in the sea between Dressrosa and Sheep Island in the New World. There's a remote ancient island there. Legend has it that it once housed an ancient kingdom, which was destroyed for unknown reasons, leaving behind many myths. The island is often shrouded in fog," Shakky explained while flipping through the documents.
Ancient kingdom? No wonder in the original timeline, Redfield needed Nico Robin to decipher the ancient texts to locate the vampire fruit. That meant the vampire devil fruit had existed for a long time and had been stored there ever since. It even carried a legend with it!
Were people crazy back then? They found such a rare Mythical Zoan devil fruit but didn't eat it. Instead, they preserved it like a treasure. Or was it because the fruit's original owner had some misgivings? Did they not have time to eat it, or were they too afraid of its powers? Could it be that the devil inside the fruit had been discovered? Was it possible that the vampire fruit had its own will, like the Nika Fruit?
Following the nautical chart, Shakky led the crew, searching for the island without a permanent log pose. Instead, they relied on information and legends, visiting island after island. After more than ten days, while the Siren Pirates clashed with the Ice Demon Pirates in an ongoing battle, the Erebus landed on over a dozen islands along the way.
"Found it! Kidusan Island! That's where the Shugui Town with the vampire legend is!!" Shakky announced excitedly. She was highly motivated, knowing it could define her future. The ten days of searching hadn't dampened her enthusiasm in the slightest.
The island was covered in thick fog, giving it an eerie and desolate atmosphere, as if no living souls remained. The golden ship landed directly in the center of the town. Clearly, the vampire fruit Brook and the others sought was inside the enormous, decrepit Gothic castle in the middle of the town. Its extravagant and conspicuous design made it the obvious target.
Brook led many crew members off the ship and into the ruined castle. The gloomy atmosphere made them uneasy. With the island already blanketed in fog, the darkness made it even more ominous.
"Small problem!" Charlotte Linlin's sun Homie, Prometheus, immediately grew larger, releasing blazing flames. The sudden burst of light startled a large swarm of bats, sending them screeching into the air. The crew tensed, ready for battle.
Redfield, like an electric fence, released bursts of lightning, electrocuting many of the fleeing bats. Hiruba quietly handed out a few light bulbs to his fellow research enthusiasts, Crocus and Tom. The trio eagerly explored the surroundings.
Before long, they discovered ancient texts, similar to the ones on the ancient design blueprints Brook had given them.
"Captain Brook, we can't read this. What should we do now?" someone asked, hoping for the all-knowing and omnipotent Brook to have a solution.
"I don't understand it either," Brook admitted with a shrug. "So, I hereby declare the Hell Pirates' Demolition Team officially open for business! We'll tear this place down from the top floor to the bottom. I refuse to believe we won't find it!"
Brook decided to use the most straightforward and brutal method—demolish everything. Why waste time translating ancient texts when raw force could do the job?
"Sorry to bother you guys! Please, thank you very much!!" Shakky immediately flashed a sweet smile, clasped her hands together and asked every crew member for help. She even took out her ladies' cigarettes and offered them around, looking every bit like a seasoned female gangster.
Redfield glanced at Shakky but declined the lady's cigarette. He turned into lightning and vanished on the spot, reappearing at a corner of the castle. Without hesitation, he began to destroy it with sword energy, carefully avoiding the area where the devil fruit might be hidden.
Golden Lion Shiki, with a cigar clenched in his teeth, scoffed at the delicate ladies' cigarette. He pressed his hand against the castle wall, causing half the structure to float into the air. Using the Float-Float Fruit's powers, he separated the various substances of the castle with finesse.
Seeing this, Redfield silently halted his own efforts and returned to the ground, slightly embarrassed.
Charlotte Linlin summoned a horde of souls, turning the castle's doors, cabinets, and furniture into Homies. She ordered them to search for the devil fruit.
Meanwhile, Whitebeard let the white tremor energy on his hand dissipate. Deciding against using the Tremor-Tremor Fruit's destructive power, he simply stood by Redfield with an impassive expression, knowing it would do more harm than good in this situation.
The rest of the crew systematically searched through the artificial furniture Shiki had separated, opening cabinets and chests in search of the devil fruit. Shiki casually discarded the useless debris, shaping it into a massive architectural lion.
Sounds of rummaging echoed throughout the castle. Brook couldn't help but marvel at the convenience of the Float-Float Fruit. Shiki's ability to deconstruct the castle so efficiently was nothing short of astonishing.
"Boxes, boxes, boxes..." Several toy Homies marched by, carrying boxes while chanting monotonously.
"Found it!!! Awesome!!" Shakky shrieked in delight, clutching a purple, apple-shaped devil fruit with swirling patterns. It exuded a mysterious and sinister aura.
"Brother Brook, is this the Mythical Zoan Vampire Devil Fruit??" Shakky asked excitedly, hoping Brook would confirm it and ensure she hadn't stumbled upon some useless, weak fruit by mistake.
"It should be this one. Congratulations, my vampire queen!" Brook grinned. He hadn't expected the search to be this easy. The Hell Pirates' demolition team was simply too efficient. Why waste time deciphering texts when brute force could get the job done? No wonder Redfield had captured Nico Robin—having an archaeologist was necessary for more delicate searches. But for Brook? Just tear the place down and get what you want!
Without hesitation, Shakky bit into the devil fruit. Her face contorted in disgust at the wretched taste, but she gritted her teeth and forced herself to swallow the entire fruit.
Under everyone's gaze, Shakky's transformation began. Her fangs grew longer, transforming into sharp vampire teeth. Her ears became pointed, her pupils turned crimson, and her nails grew razor-sharp.
"Shakky, can you pop out a pair of wings? It is called the Bat-Bat Fruit, after all!" Brook teased. He knew the vampire fruit could allow the user to transform into a swarm of bats to evade attacks, similar to Moriah's Shadow-Shadow Fruit.
Following Brook's playful remark, Shakky tried to summon a pair of wings but failed. She had only just eaten the fruit and still needed time to develop its abilities.
··
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