Although Shakky was unable to transform her wings just yet, she was already satisfied. If she weren't still so young, she would have been tempted to test whether the Vampire Devil Fruit could truly restore and maintain youth.
Meanwhile, Redfield made rubbings and took photos of the ancient texts, preserving them for future study. His interest in these historical writings had grown significantly.
In his quest to study the red Poneglyphs and uncover the taboos and secrets of the Celestial Dragons, he had even started inquiring about O'Hara, the Island of Scholars in the West Blue.
"Once things stabilize, I'll head to the West Blue to study ancient characters and decipher these historical texts," Redfield muttered to himself.
"Now that we've found the devil fruit, let's head back!"
Brook, glancing at the ruins of the Gothic castle, saw no reason to linger. They needed to return to their territory quickly and monitor the outcome of the battle between the pirate overlords.
··
New World – Off the coast of Pso Island
David Kyons, captain of the rising Siren Pirates, was locked in a fierce battle against Willank, the successor of the old Ice Demon Pirates. Although Kyons managed to overpower Veronck, leaving him battered and bloodied, his victory came at a heavy price.
The Siren Pirates' fleet was crushed by the Ice Giants and the Elbaf Titans—true war machines. The massive giants leapt into the sea, delivering devastating blows that shattered the Siren Pirates' ships. Yet, even the mighty giants weren't invincible, as some were taken down by cannon fire and pirate elites.
David Kyons summoned the Kraken, a monstrous sea beast over 500 meters tall. With its massive tentacles, it dragged three Ice Giants and five Elbaf warriors into the deep sea, drowning them in one swift motion.
The sea turned crimson with blood, and the violent waves were stained with the corpses of giants and pirates alike. Spiraling sword slashes from the Elbaf Kingdom cut through the water, while ice spears pierced the waves, forming towering icicles.
The underwater hunt raged on for over ten minutes before the battlefield finally fell silent. The giant warriors failed to claim victory, their souls returning to the sea. When the Kraken resurfaced, only five of its tentacles remained—the others had been torn off.
However, thanks to its rapid regeneration, the Kraken would regrow its lost limbs within a month. It roared toward the sky, declaring its dominance over the battlefield.
But rather than intimidate the enemy, the Kraken's defiant cry only enraged the remaining Ice Giants and Elbaf warriors. Ten Ice Giants, each over forty meters tall, and fifteen Elbaf warriors, towering over twenty meters, charged the Kraken in unison.
As Kyons' most cherished battle partner, the Kraken couldn't be allowed to die. Kyons wouldn't stand by and let the sea beast he had fought so hard to subdue be slaughtered.
With a roar, Kyons transformed into a massive, ten-meter-tall siren. As the user of the Mythical Zoan: Octopus-Siren Devil Fruit, he possessed incredible regenerative abilities and could communicate with certain Sea Kings. It was through his devil fruit powers that he had tamed the Kraken,
"Eight Swords Style: Deep Sea Rush!"
Eight colossal sword slashes tore through the air, cutting into the twenty giants attacking the Kraken. Blood sprayed like rain. If not for the giants' thick hides and durable bodies, they would have been bisected on the spot.
"Ugly octopus, die!!"
Willank, a behemoth wielding a forty-meter-long mace, swung it down with destructive force, aiming for Kyons and the ship beneath his feet. The sheer power of the strike was enough to terrify pirates across the New World.
"Hahaha! You pathetic fool, Willank! You dare to call yourself an overlord? You should've stayed in your lair instead of invading my territory! Today, I'll make you the shortest-lived captain in the history of the Ice Demon Pirates!"
Kyons' eight sword-wielding tentacles lashed out. Four clashed against Willank's massive mace, holding back its crushing force, while the remaining four struck at Willank's vital points.
"Puff!"
The sharp blades pierced into Willank's flesh. Blood gushed out as Kyons drove his swords deeper. However, the ship beneath their feet couldn't withstand the immense force of the battle and exploded into splinters.
Willank coughed up blood, staggering backward before collapsing into the sea. His colossal body generated waves tens of meters high, and the water turned crimson with his blood.
Landing on a piece of shattered driftwood, Kyons barely had time to celebrate his victory when a heart-wrenching cry echoed across the battlefield.
The Kraken's agonized wail rang out. Kyons turned and saw, to his horror, the 500-meter-long sea beast being torn apart by the remaining Ice Giants and Elbaf warriors. The sea was now a graveyard of blood and flesh.
The giant warriors' terrifying combat prowess was undeniable—their sheer physical strength far surpassed that of most pirates.
"Kraken!!!" Kyons bellowed in fury, his eyes blazing red with rage.
"Captain Willank!!!"
The Ice Giants, equally enraged, raised their massive spears, greatswords, and battle axes, launching a suicidal charge at Kyons.
The giants swam through the bloodied sea with alarming speed, aiming to destroy every last piece of driftwood and pirate ship. Their goal was clear: drown Kyons, a devil fruit user, in the sea.
For generations, the Ice Demon Pirates had mastered this brutal strategy—targeting the ships first. As giants, they had no need for devil fruits. Their size and naval combat skills were their greatest weapons.
"AHH!! I'LL KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU GIANTS TODAY!!!"
Enraged by the loss of his partner and the devastation of his fleet, Kyons vowed to annihilate the Ice Demon Pirates. If he couldn't bring back the Kraken, he would claim the title of overlord to avenge his fallen crew and companion.
The Siren Pirates' senior officers joined the fray, launching a ferocious assault on the remaining giants.
But just as Kyons thought victory was in his grasp, Willank suddenly stood up with a pale, bloodied face.
"Brothers of the Ice Demon Pirates, retreat! I'll take my revenge next time!"
The cunning Willank, having feigned death, seized the moment to escape. Now on his feet, he ordered a retreat, using the remaining dozen Ice Giants as a diversion.
The most elite giant warriors, loyal to the end, fought desperately to cover Willank's escape. But their devotion was in vain. Betrayed by their own captain, they were slaughtered one by one by Kyons and his officers.
Meanwhile, Willank successfully fled from the waters of Pso Island, abandoning his claim as the dominant pirate captain.
Although the Siren Pirates emerged victorious, their losses were devastating. Only a handful of elite officers survived. The sea was now littered with the wreckage of pirate ships and the corpses of giants.
Despite the tragic cost, Kyons had claimed dominance.
But before he could catch his breath, a mocking voice sent shivers down his spine. He turned in shock, eyes wide with disbelief, as he saw a pirate ship rapidly approaching.
"Hahahaha! David Kyons! I, Rocks, will take you down today! It's your choice: surrender or die!"
--------
David Kyons, captain of the Siren Pirates and the self-proclaimed King of the Deep Sea with a 1.6 billion berries bounty, had just defeated the powerful Ice Demon Pirates. Yet, at this moment, he was breaking out in a cold sweat.
He couldn't even maintain his half-beast form of the Mythical Zoan: Octopus Siren Devil Fruit, reverting to his human form in terror. His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the monstrous figure aboard the seemingly ordinary pirate ship.
"Run!!!"
Without hesitation, Kyons spun around and fled. He leapt onto a pirate ship that hadn't been completely destroyed and frantically ordered his crew to sail away.
"Damn it!! Why didn't that old bastard Diger keep an eye on that mad dog Rocks?! And why the hell hasn't he come to back me up?!"
Kyons cursed Diger without a shred of respect, disregarding his status as an overlord. He didn't care anymore. With most of his crew slaughtered, he knew he stood no chance against Rocks alone.
"Kyons, stop struggling! That old fool Diger probably hasn't even realized I'm here yet. You won't be getting any backup. Just surrender already! Hahaha~"
The Ice Demon Pirates were already finished. If Rocks could destroy or subdue the Siren Pirates, his plan to dominate the New World would take a massive leap forward.
Rocks had meticulously planned this ambush, using strategy for the first time. He wondered if his old rival Diger had realized that the fake Rocks he left on Beehive Island was just a decoy.
"By the time Diger figures it out, I'll have already captured David Kyons. I bet he's fuming right about now!" Rocks thought with a cruel grin.
Meanwhile, Diger indeed held Kyons' Den Den Mushi, his face twisting in shock. The spies had reported that Rocks appeared on Beehive Island almost daily—so how the hell had he suddenly shown up on Pso Island?
Anxious to provide support, Diger immediately set sail with his officers. However, even with Xiao Feng's Wind-Wind Fruit to speed them up, it would still take most of the day to reach Kyons.
"Hold on, Kyons! Fight while retreating! I'm coming to back you up!"
Diger gritted his teeth, knowing that if Kyons fell, the entire Overlord Alliance could collapse.
After all, Kyons was the strongest of the three pseudo-overlords. If he were to be forced into the Rocks Pirates, Rocks would gain a legitimate shot at unifying the New World.
"Diger, you unreliable old bastard! You better hurry the hell up! If I can't hold out, I'll surrender to Rocks and turn my guns on you!"
Desperate, Kyons shouted into the Den Den Mushi, threatening Diger. He had been a captain for years and had no intention of becoming someone else's lackey.
He was just one step away from becoming a true overlord—he couldn't let it slip away!
But if death was his only other option, he would rather live, even if it meant becoming Rocks' second-in-command. It was humiliating, but he would endure it.
He had waited patiently for the old Ice Demon Pirates to fall apart. With Willank, the fool, in charge, he seized the moment and crushed the weakened crew.
Now, with the Ice Demons defeated, it was supposed to be his time to rise—not surrender to Rocks! He clung to every sliver of hope.
"Hahaha~ Kyons! When I defeated the Overlord Pirates, I spent months planning and hiding to recover before daring to show my face again!"
"So don't expect me to give you a second chance! Today, you have only two choices: surrender or die! Diger won't save you, no matter how much you beg! I, Rocks, have declared it!"
Rocks roared with laughter. He was finally enjoying being the oppressor for once.
After all, Diger had once relentlessly hounded him, forcing him into hiding for a time.
"Rocks! How the hell did you get past Diger's surveillance?!"
Kyons' fleeing ship was already being bombarded by cannon fire from Rocks' fleet.
"Just a little trickery!" Rocks sneered. "But since you still have hope, I'll shatter it myself!!"
Without hesitation, Rocks drew his Blade, crackling with Haki, and unleashed a monstrous slash. The thousand-meter-long sword energy tore through the sea, creating a massive trench that split the waters in two.
Although Rocks didn't typically rely on swordsmanship, at his level, being a top-tier swordsman was just a secondary skill.
"Eight Swords Style: Desolation Return!"
Kyons roared and countered with his strongest move. Eight massive sword slashes merged into one, forming a colossal energy wave that clashed violently against Rocks' attack.
The sea seemed to cave in under the pressure, and the resulting shockwave sent hundred-meter-high waves crashing outward. The explosion of force managed to push Kyons' ship further away, buying him a sliver of time.
"Kyons, stop struggling! Hahaha~"
Rocks' sinister laugh echoed across the battlefield as he unleashed several more massive sword slashes.
"Your ultimate skill can barely fend off my regular attacks. What do you have left to fight me with?"
Kyons' officers felt despair creeping into their hearts. The devastating display of swordsmanship made them realize just how far their captain was from truly becoming an overlord.
"No!!"
Even as Kyons, half-transformed, slashed desperately with his tentacle swords, he was rapidly being overwhelmed. Rocks' relentless attacks tore through Kyons' defenses like paper.
"Hahaha, Kyons! You haven't even earned the title of overlord yet, and you're already this arrogant. Hiding and scheming in the shadows doesn't make you a real overlord—it just makes you a coward!"
Rocks sneered. He knew that these three pseudo-overlords were inflated by the Navy's propaganda, fooling themselves into believing they were true powerhouses.
"Boom!"
Finally, Kyons' pirate ship was struck by Rocks' barrage of sword slashes, slowing it down significantly. Rocks' fleet closed in, surrounding the crippled vessel.
Now face to face with Rocks, Kyons felt the crushing weight of his aura.
Up close, Rocks felt even stronger than Diger, exuding a ferocity that made Kyons' blood run cold.
In that moment, Kyons felt deep regret. He had been far too impulsive.
Blinded by the opportunity to take down the Ice Demon Pirates, he had walked into a trap.
If he hadn't trusted Diger's surveillance so much, he might have been more cautious. He also deeply regretted sacrificing his Kraken, which could have saved his life by carrying him away in its belly.
Kyons clenched his fists, staring at Rocks with a mixture of fear and bitterness.
"Rocks! If you send one of your officers to fight me—and they defeat me—I'll surrender to you!"
Desperate to buy time, Kyons bluffed, hoping to stall until Diger arrived.
"Hah! Do you take me for a fool?" Rocks sneered. "If my subordinates could beat you, the Overlord Alliance would've crumbled long ago!"
With a cruel smile, Rocks raised his sword, preparing to crush the defiant Kyons once and for all.
The sea, once filled with the blood of giants and pirates, would soon bear witness to the fall of the Siren Pirates.
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