When David Kyons saw that Rocks was about to strike, he tried to stall for more time, but Rocks gave him no chance at all.
"Rocks! If you want me, David Kyons, to surrender, fine! But I want to be the vice-captain of the Rocks Pirates!!!"
His words instantly caused the Rocks Pirates' officers to explode with rage.
"Vice-captain?! Right after joining?! Dream on!"
These ruthless pirates were wild and untamed, unwilling to take orders from someone new. While they respected strength and followed a loose hierarchy when dividing spoils, they refused to bow to a fresh recruit demanding such a high rank.
"Who the hell do you think you are? Vice-captain?!"
"You're lucky we don't kill you on the spot!"
Several officers shouted furiously. Individually, they might not be able to defeat Kyons, but as a group, they were confident they could bring him down.
"Kyons, stop with the tricks. Diger's not coming to save you."
Rocks sneered, his tone cold and confident.
"There's no vice-captain position on my ship."
"But with your strength, you'll soon be able to earn the title of the strongest officer!"
Rocks grinned sinisterly. Though he hadn't completely crushed Kyons, forcing him to submit willingly was still a victory. It saved time and resources.
The battlefield fell into a brief, tense silence as everyone awaited Kyons' decision.
··
Meanwhile, aboard the flagship of the Diger Pirates:
"Captain Diger, we're too late. Whether David Kyons dies or surrenders, the Overlord Alliance will be weakened."
"Why not learn from Rocks? Let's attack Beehive Island instead and hit his crew while they're vulnerable!"
Barbosa, the strategist of the Diger Pirates, suggested the bold counterattack.
"Let's play dirty right back at him!"
"That's a damn good idea!"
Xiaofeng immediately agreed. The Island Kings supporting Diger also nodded in approval.
With Xiaofeng's Wind-Wind Fruit, their ship was faster than Rocks' fleet. If they moved quickly, they could destroy Beehive Island and return before Rocks had a chance to retaliate.
"In that case, sorry, David Kyons!"
Diger made his decision without hesitation.
"Full speed ahead to Beehive Island! This time, we'll make Rocks pay!"
Furious and vengeful, Diger led his fleet toward Beehive Island, aiming to slaughter the pirates Rocks had left behind. Even if Kyons joined Rocks, Diger would retaliate by crippling his enemy's base, slowing Rocks' path to domination.
··
Meanwhile, on the Golden ship returning to Sky Island in the New World:
Brook sat with a Den Den Mushi in hand, continuously receiving updates from Moore Thomas about the fierce battles between the Overlord pirates.
At the same time, Antonio noticed that the Den Den Mushi signals from the Rocks and Diger pirates were shifting drastically—clear signs of fleet movements.
"Man, this era is nuts! These Overlords are at each other's throats, even raiding each other's bases. It's pure chaos!"
Brook sighed. In this age, power and dominance were the only things that mattered.
Before reaching the Final Island, it was a cutthroat competition to see who would stand at the top. Only the strongest could claim the title of Pirate King.
Brook recalled the legend of Gol D. Roger.
After Roger landed on Raftel and uncovered the truth of history, he named it Laugh Tale.
The World Government, fearing Roger's influence, branded him the Pirate King, hoping that elevating his status would turn other pirates against him.
By the time Roger was executed, he had already ignited the Great Pirate Era with his final words—enticing countless pirates to seek One Piece.
"Brother Brook, why don't we take over the Ewald Pirates' base while all this chaos is going on?"
Golden Lion Shiki suddenly suggested. His eyes burned with ambition.
Shiki and Whitebeard had both noticed Brook's connection to the Seagull News Agency and the Den Den Mushi network controlled by Antonio.
However, they assumed Brook was backed by a powerful underground force, supporting the Hell Pirates as a counterbalance against the World Government.
Rather than question it, they simply accepted Brook's growing influence, believing it would eventually benefit their shared cause.
Meanwhile, Charlotte Linlin, ever carefree, had all but forgotten about the Den Den Mushi situation. She only remembered the nun's instructions:
"Protect Brook. One day, you'll see the Mother Carmel again."
After hearing Shiki's suggestion, Brook shook his head.
"No. We need the Overlord Alliance to keep fighting Rocks."
"If they fall too quickly, the Rocks Pirates will dominate the New World far faster than we want."
Brook's sharp gaze hardened.
"Diger is already old. He won't last many more years."
"While the Overlord Alliance holds the Rocks Pirates back, we'll use the time to grow stronger."
"By then, we'll replace the Overlord Alliance and become Rocks' only true rival!"
Brook's bold declaration filled his crew with excitement and fighting spirit.
"Brother Brook, you're thinking way ahead! Should we help the Overlord Alliance fight the Rocks Pirates?"
Hearing that Rocks would become their eventual enemy, Golden Lion's blood boiled with anticipation.
"Sooner or later, I'm going to settle my score with Rocks myself!"
"Strength. Strength. And more strength."
Brook's voice was calm but firm.
"We'll focus on getting stronger in secret and surprise everyone when the time comes."
Brook had no intention of interfering in the current Overlord wars. For now, they would watch from the shadows and grow in power.
When the news of David Kyons' surrender reached them, even Brook was shocked.
Kyons had indeed yielded, joining the Rocks Pirates.
Meanwhile, Diger's fleet successfully raided Beehive Island, massacring many of the Rocks Pirates' officers who remained behind.
However, many of Rocks' men managed to escape, keeping his crew from being completely crippled.
With Kyons switching sides, Diger and Rocks officially declared all-out war, plunging the New World into further chaos.
In a surprising twist, even the Ice Demon Pirates—once Kyons' rivals—joined the Overlord Alliance, seeking revenge.
The addition of giant warriors to the Overlord Alliance further tilted the balance of mid- and low-level combat power in their favor, once again putting Rocks' path to domination in jeopardy.
With Antonio's help, Brook finally pinpointed the location of Wano Country, where Seastone exports occasionally flowed out.
With this intel, Brook crafted his next plan:
Great Swordsman Training
Seastone Resource
Advanced Haki Flow
Ancient Weapon Pluto
The Hell Pirates would grow in secret, preparing to shake the New World when the time was right.
-------
Brook discovered that the ability Rocks used to deceive Diger's spies this time was actually from the Mimicry Fruit. Could it be that Rocks had recruited the Sworn Brothers?, Kurozumi Semimaro and Kurozumi Higurashi, who were living overseas after being exiled from the Kurozumi family of Wano Country?
These two were no ordinary figures. One wielded the Mimicry Fruit, while the other possessed the Barrier-Barrier Fruit. Their ambition? To revive the Kurozumi family by assassinating Kozuki Sukiyaki and helping Kurozumi Orochi become the Shogun of Wano!
No wonder they were able to easily obtain the Mythical Zoan Fruit, the Yamata-no-Orochi Fruit, and feed it to Orochi in the future. It also explained how they successfully persuaded Kaido, the King of Beasts, to march into Wano and dominate the region.
It seemed that the siblings had gained some status within the Rocks Pirates, as Kurozumi Higurashi once used her Mimicry Fruit to impersonate both young Golden Lion Shiki and Miss Bakkin, proving she had already been in contact with the Rocks Pirates.
This meant the siblings were acquainted with Kaido and were his predecessors, having known him before he became the King of Beasts. Their connection was likely the reason they successfully introduced Kaido, the walking war machine, into Wano and helped him suppress the samurai rebellion.
The terrain of Wano made it a natural fortress. Its giant waterfall blocked most invaders but also made it difficult to leave. Entering and exiting Wano was extremely dangerous.
Even Whitebeard, in his prime, had only entered Wano by chance. His Moby Dick required major repairs afterward.
However, Brook's golden spaceship had no such limitations. With its flight capabilities, they could soar directly into Wano.
"I wonder how many master swordsmen are still in Wano?"
Brook mused.
Could the Hell Pirates subdue Wano with their current strength?
For now, it was safer to observe from the shadows and look for the right opportunity to learn advanced Armament Haki Ryuo.
··
In a gangster casino in the Flower Capital of Wano Country, a wild, eight-year-old boy sat at the bar, drinking from a bottle of wine. His face was already flushed from intoxication.
"Hey, brat! This ain't a place for kids! Get outta here!"
The casino thugs moved to throw out the drunk child who dared to act so brazenly in their territory.
"Brat?!" The boy's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"You dare call me a brat?!"
The boy wore an orange kimono with a crescent moon emblem on both sides of his chest. Purple and white shimenawa ropes were draped over his shoulders and waist, with two swords strapped to his side.
Though just a child, he was fierce and arrogant, his wild nature on full display. Without hesitation, he drew his twin blades at the slightest provocation.
The thugs laughed at the sight of the sword-wielding child.
"Hah! You got a sword? So what? Every samurai in Wano carries one!"
Before their laughter could fade, the boy attacked. With a terrifying burst of speed, he sent five or six thugs flying, slamming them into the walls with overwhelming force.
"What the hell?!"
The casino erupted into chaos. Panicked gamblers took the opportunity to steal money and flee, further intensifying the mayhem.
More thugs poured in from all directions, wielding swords and clubs, surrounding the child.
"You little bastard! You're gonna pay for this!"
A dozen samurai thugs charged at him, swords flashing.
But in just a few moves, the child cut them all down. The thugs fell like flies.
"Too weak. Not even worth my time. Ugh!"
The boy sheathed his twin swords, swaggering out of the casino, leaving a scene of destruction in his wake.
As he stumbled out into the street, he suddenly froze, his eyes wide with shock.
"Huh? A golden ship?!"
Above him, the Hell Pirates' golden ship soared across the Wano sky. Excitement flashed in the boy's eyes. Without hesitation, he took off at full speed, chasing after the ship with a trail of dust behind him, showing just how fast he was.
··
Onboard the Golden ship, Shakky turned to Brook.
"Brother Brook, you said this country has methods to learn Armament Haki, but will they really teach us?"
After eating the Vampire Fruit, Shakky's physical abilities had significantly improved. Her speed and agility were now enhanced, making her an even deadlier fighter.
"If they won't teach us, we'll learn through battle!"
Brook laughed confidently.
After all, Straw Hat Luffy, with his insane talent, had mastered Ryuo Haki after being pummeled by Kaido's club. Brook believed his Four Emperors-level crew could definitely learn something through combat.
"Hahahaha! So we're just gonna beat the crap outta their masters until we learn their techniques, huh?"
Golden Lion Shiki grinned, thrilled by the idea of testing his strength against Wano's elite swordsmen.
He was eager to master advanced Armament Haki, imagining how powerful he would be once he could unleash it at will.
"Ryuo released in battle…"
Redfield smiled faintly. His Observation Haki was already incredibly refined. Once he learned advanced Armament Haki, he was confident he could go toe-to-toe with Xiaofeng next time.
··
The appearance of the golden ship caused Kozuki Sukiyaki, the Shogun of Wano, to frown deeply.
He immediately ordered the use of Wano's snails to summon the daimyos from all over the country for protection.
Although Wano was a powerful nation, it was isolated from the world, rejecting both outsiders and the World Government. Even Navy ships were unable to enter.
Now, with foreign invaders suddenly appearing, Sukiyaki knew he had to protect Wano's secrets at all costs.
The daimyos under Kozuki's rule—including Nozomi, Suzuko, Usagi, and Hakumai—rushed to the capital, ready for battle.
The Kurozumi family, once daimyos themselves, had been stripped of their status for years.
Now, the Fugetsu family was led by Nozomi, the Ugetsu family by Usagi, and the Shimotsuki family—due to the legend of Ryuma—was represented by Suzuko and Hakumai.
Meanwhile, the last direct descendant of the Kurozumi family, Kurozumi Orochi, was only two years old, living a miserable life in Baiwu.
Brook couldn't help but feel confused.
"With so many master swordsmen, how did they fail to defeat Kaido?"
After all, Kaido hadn't even reached his prime when he conquered Wano.
Brook recalled how even the gangster bosses like Hyogoro of the Flower were masters of Ryuo.
And Kawamatsu, despite being imprisoned for 13 years, shattered his seastone cuffs with Ryuo upon his escape.
Yet, Luffy, with his special abilities, could barehandedly shatter Yamato's seastone chains after only a few days of Ryuo training.
It seemed that Wano's samurai were lagging behind in applying Ryuo effectively, despite their years of experience.
"It's like inventing gunpowder but only using it for fireworks…"
Brook sighed, ready to plunder Wano's skills and secrets for his crew's rise.
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