The next morning, Golden Lion Shiki woke up from his drunken stupor, recalling the excitement and joy of the previous night.
He had actually become Brook's sworn brother—and gained a group of powerful siblings in the process.
Brook had pledged to support him in becoming the overlord of the New World. Even more ambitious, Brook vowed to raise every crew member to the level of an overlord.
Shiki chuckled at himself—Brook's ambition was far greater than his own.
While Shiki dreamed of ruling the New World, Brook aimed to lead a whole fleet of overlord-level figures and control the entire New World.
Becoming Brook's sworn brother didn't conflict with his own Conqueror's Haki beliefs.
Maybe—just maybe—he could become an overlord himself while helping his elder brother Brook become the true master of the New World.
For the first time, Golden Lion Shiki recognized Brook's absolute ambition—and he fully accepted his role as Brook's younger brother.
---
"Brother Shiki~"
Scaredo, still groggy from the night of drinking, called out to Shiki in his sleep.
Shiki glanced at him with a complicated expression.
This long-time subordinate was now his sworn brother. He recalled Scaredo's overjoyed expression from the night before.
Maybe becoming brothers with the captain he had followed for so long was something worth celebrating.
From Captain Shiki to Big Brother Shiki—Shiki shook his head, feeling the unfamiliar but warm bond of true brotherhood.
---
"Brother Brook~"
Redfield had already dropped the title of captain, now addressing Brook as his sworn brother.
As Brook's loyal admirer, Redfield was overjoyed—feeling that they had truly become family.
So overjoyed, in fact, that he brought out most of his treasured Fish-Man Island Mermaid Red Wine to celebrate the brotherhood ceremony.
Even the new member, Stussy, was swept up by the festive atmosphere.
Despite never having drunk red wine before, she indulged herself—silently calling Brook 'big brother' several times in her heart.
---
Throughout the morning, cheerful shouts of "Brother Brook! Brother Captain!" echoed around the ship.
Meanwhile, Brook, immune to drunkenness, was already training.
As he focused his energy, a large amount of Underworld energy returned to his body, dispersing the lingering ghostly frost that had frozen the ground.
Charlotte Linlin approached with a large plate of desserts, placing it in front of Brook.
If she wasn't so massive, she probably would have fed it to him herself.
"Brother Brook, Linlin has so many brothers and sisters now! How about I take Sheep House Island (future toto island) as our territory?!"
Even as a child, Linlin was still thinking about Sheep House Island, the place where Mother Carmel's orphanage once stood.
"When the time comes, let Shiki transport the entire island here," Brook said with a grin.
"But your mission now is to get stronger—strong enough to protect Sheep Island!"
Brook's words made Linlin beam with joy.
She immediately sought out Redfield, pestering him to train her in swordsmanship.
After all, the future Big Mom would become a monstrous swordswoman.
---
Under Brook's guidance, every Devil Fruit user was developing new creative techniques, while the non-Fruit users trained relentlessly in:
Navy Six Styles
Fish-Man Karate
Judo
And mastering Haki
Meanwhile, Golden Lion Shiki was transporting massive amounts of soil to Sky Island every day, expanding their farmland.
The island's development was accelerating, and it wouldn't be long before the entire island could float.
---
"Brother Brook! The Ewald Pirates are sending men to Doraganzo Island to collect protection money!"
Unknowingly, a month had passed.
In that time, three new members had joined the Hell Pirates, and Moore Thomas had dispatched people to the New World Sky Island to establish a news and intelligence agency.
---
"Then let's see if you can fool them. If not…" Brook's eyes narrowed coldly.
"Kill them all—and officially start the fight with Ewald!"
Brook hoped that Antonio, with his half-baked anthropomorphic form, could deceive the pirates collecting the protection fees, buying the Hell Pirates another month of development time.
But he also knew that if Antonio were to meet the enemy face-to-face, he'd be exposed immediately.
Brook refused to let Antonio take that risk—after all, he was still too weak.
Fortunately, the three pseudo-overlords of the New World were too paranoid to leave their base camps.
The threat of Rocks kept them in check, fearing interception and death.
Because of this, the Ewald Pirates could only send low-level cadres to attack the Hell Pirates.
Brook knew it was only a matter of time—when Ewald himself was forced to act, that would mark the beginning of their real war.
---
"Brother Brook!"
Shiki's voice crackled through the Den Den Mushi.
"The Ewald Pirates' ship just entered Doraganzo Island's waters!"
Antonio's voice rang out, causing a wave of excitement among the Hell Pirates.
They were eager to face this new enemy, curious about their strength and bounty.
---
A pirate ship with an octopus figurehead sailed into Doragonzo Island's port.
Bleco, a cadre of the Ewald Pirates, wore a scowl of annoyance.
The island leader, Captain Goth, had failed to come out and greet him.
As one of Ewald's top cadres, Bleco had been with him for years.
Despite only collecting protection fees for the last three months, he held high authority.
Bleco marched into town with dozens of pirates, only to find that Goth was nowhere in sight.
Worse still, there were new buildings on the island—and not a single Ewald Pirates flag was visible.
---
"Something's wrong," Bleco's face darkened.
"Retreat immediately!" he barked.
"Contact the captain—now!!"
As a veteran New World pirate, Bleco's gut screamed danger.
Before he could use the Den Den Mushi, a bolt of lightning struck it, reducing it to charred remains.
The Den Den Mushi was obliterated, leaving Antonio with a brief pang of regret.
---
"Who dares invade Ewald Pirates' territory?!"
Bleco roared, drawing his sword.
His minions followed suit, raising their rifles and blades, pointing them in every direction.
"Ugh, can't you guys come up with better lines?"
A flash of lightning flickered—Redfield appeared before Bleco, elegant and calm.
The sudden roar of artillery rang out, ripping Bleco apart.
However, his mangled body reformed from lightning plasma, shocking the onlookers.
"Logia-type Thunder Fruit…"
Bleco's face paled as he recognized the Thunder Red Count of the Hell Pirates.
The man in the black and red noble attire was a nightmare, with a bounty far higher than his own.
"Tch. Just a small fry."
A man with a wild mane of blond hair floated down from the sky, a cigar clenched between his teeth.
He sneered at the financial officer, mocking him with disdain.
"Shiki the Golden Lion…"
Bleco's voice trembled in disbelief.
The infamous Float-Float Fruit user, once coveted by countless overlords, was now fighting alongside the Hell Pirates.
--------
Golden Lion Shiki, eager to show off his strength in front of his new companions, didn't care about his opponent's weakness—he attacked fiercely.
"Lion Power: Earth Scroll!"
With the Float-Float Fruit, Shiki lifted the entire ground, morphing the land into massive lion heads that charged at Bleco, biting and crushing everything in their path.
Facing the giant earth lions, Bleco dodged frantically.
His eyes widened as he spotted more Hell Pirates emerging from the shadows, completely surrounding him.
His face turned grim.
The dozen pirates he had brought with him weren't killed by Redfield—instead, they were being used as sparring practice by the Hell Pirates' rookies.
---
"Are you Hell Pirates trying to start a war with the Ewald Pirates?!"
Bleco barked, attempting to sound intimidating, but his trembling voice betrayed him.
"You actually took over this island without a word?!"
The Hell Pirates were far more brazen than expected.
First, they interfered in the battle between Xiao Feng and Wang Zhi.
Now, they had seized Ewald's territory right under their noses.
---
"Enough talk. This is our answer!"
"Lion Slashing Wave!"
Golden Lion Shiki, a ruthless man of action, slashed down with his twin blades, Oto and Kugarashi, sending a furious wave of golden sword energy toward Bleco.
Today, Shiki was determined to claim his first victory in front of his new crew.
Brook had given clear orders—they had to capture Bleco alive.
He couldn't be allowed to bring news of their attack back to Bristol Island, the Ewald Pirates' base.
---
"Damn it!!"
Bleco cursed Goth, the man in charge of Doraganzo Island.
That fool hadn't sent a single warning to headquarters before he was slaughtered, leaving Bleco exposed.
"I've followed Captain Ewald for years…"
Bleco hands trembled with fury.
He had endured countless hardships, barely surviving the crew purges.
When Ewald finally became an overlord, he had enjoyed only two months of peace—and now, he was about to die.
"I worked too damn hard to die here!!"
With Armament Haki coating his blades, Bleco roared and slashed through Shiki's sword energy, dispersing it with all his might.
But with just one strike, the difference in power was exposed.
Bleco heart sank.
The Hell Pirates' monsters were far stronger than he had imagined.
---
"Hell Pirates!" Bleco snarled, his eyes bloodshot.
"Our captain will slaughter you all to avenge me! I'll be waiting for you in hell!!"
Despite facing certain death, Bleco refused to beg for mercy.
His loyalty to Ewald burned fiercely.
Clenching his blades, Bleco charged, determined to carve a piece of flesh from Shiki—even if it cost him his life.
The fierce determination of a New World pirate.
---
"Hahahaha! We are hell!"
Shiki laughed maniacally, his eyes flashing with frenzy.
"We'll send your captain down to join you!!"
"Lion's Might: Hundred Beasts Slash!"
The Golden Lion unleashed a storm of golden crescent-shaped sword energy, each slash powerful enough to tear apart a mountain.
Dozens, then hundreds of slashes rained down on Bleco, engulfing him in a maelstrom of golden fury.
The ground shattered beneath the relentless assault, explosions rocking the island.
Smoke and dust billowed, the clanging of steel echoing for a few seconds—then silence.
---
When the smoke cleared, Bleco lay in a massive crater, his body riddled with sword wounds.
If not for the slight rise and fall of his chest, he would have appeared dead.
"Lord Bleco!!"
Several of Bleco men screamed in terror, only to be swiftly cut down by:
Shakky
Stussy
Tiger
The rookies of the Hell Pirates showed no mercy, dispatching the minions with ease.
---
"Too weak… so damn weak!"
Shiki stormed over, grabbing Bleco by the throat.
He cursed in frustration, glaring at his half-dead opponent.
"You're supposed to have a 350 million berries bounty? With dual Haki?!"
"This is all you've got?!"
---
"Hah… not that weak after all…"
To Shiki's shock, Bleco broken body suddenly morphed into a giant leech, wrapping around him.
The leech's fanged maw lunged for Shiki's neck, dripping with venomous saliva.
"You let your guard down, Shiki!"
Bleco sneered wickedly.
"I'm the user of the Leech-Leech Fruit!"
"Your sword energy can't harm me! Prepare to die!!"
---
Bleco, a veteran of the New World, was no pushover.
His vitality was monstrous—even on the brink of death, he refused to fall.
The Leech-Leech Fruit gave him incredible regeneration—his wounds closed rapidly, and he regained strength by draining blood.
A living, low-tier vampire.
---
"Bite!"
But before Bleco's fangs could pierce Shiki's neck, two floating swords—Oto and Kogarashi—barred his path.
The swords slammed together, blocking Bleco bloody maw.
"Hahaha~ You thought you had me?"
Thanks to Brook's training, Shiki had mastered the sword-controlling technique—an advanced skill that let him control his blades remotely with precision and speed.
---
"Damn New World freaks… always full of surprises!"
"Lion's Power: Imperial Palace Scroll – Earth Spear!"
Suddenly, jagged stone spears erupted from the ground, impaling Bleco and sending him flying.
Taking the chance, Shiki shot into the sky, breaking free from Bleco's death grip.
---
Watching from afar, Brook smirked in satisfaction.
Shiki's Float-Float Fruit abilities were evolving.
He was starting to fight like a Hokage-tier Earth-style user, using the terrain as his weapon.
Brook grinned.
"Redfield's lightning style must be almost complete by now…"
"And Linlin's elemental attacks are already absurdly overpowered. Even Newgate has his Water Style: Tsunami."
---
"Damn it!!"
Despite the spear wounds, Bleco's body began to heal again, his Leech powers mending the damage.
But Shiki, filled with fury, wasn't about to let him recover.
"You almost humiliated me, bastard!"
"Lion's Might: Imperial Palace Scroll – Palm of Hell!"
The ground transformed into massive stone hands, which clapped together, flattening Bleco like an insect.
---
"Shiki! Don't kill him!"
Charlotte Linlin and Brook called out.
They needed his soul.
Although Shiki held back, Bleco was left crushed beyond recognition.
Yet, his damn leech powers kept him alive.
But when Linlin's Conqueror's Haki shook his soul, Bleco finally crumbled, his lifespan stolen.
Brook's sword finished the job, trapping Bleco soul in his ghost army.
Even the ruthless Shiki shuddered at their mercilessness.
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