A few days later...
A massive island drifted into view through the clouds. As it descended, thick mist wrapped around its surface like a natural shroud, making it appear as if it had always belonged there. Yet through the haze, lush vegetation could still be glimpsed.
"Hahaha~! Captain Brook, this island's strange as hell," Golden Lion Shiki laughed as he floated beside it. "The fog comes out of nowhere, and those magic-forbidden vines are terrifying! They chase Devil Fruit users like they're snacks!"
It was the third day after Charlotte Linlin's birthday, and Brook had personally joined Shiki and the others in transporting the legendary Island of Mist back from the New World.
The island's Forbidden Magic Vines had the terrifying ability to detect and bind Devil Fruit users. The effect was similar to Seastone—it nullified powers upon contact. Even Scaredo, the hammerhead fishman with a 260 million berries bounty, was nearly devoured by the vines during their expedition.
To make matters worse—or better, depending on your perspective—the fog itself had a suppression effect. It felt like a diluted sea essence, subtly weakening Devil Fruit abilities the moment one stepped into it.
Brook gazed across the island with appreciation.
"The Island of Mist—where Devil Fruit users are sealed... We'll designate it as the first defense zone in the Sky City Project. Let it serve as the beginning of our Eighteen Hells Initiative."
If Cake Island was a haven of unity for all races, and O'Hara served as a sanctuary for scholars, then it made sense that there should also be punishment zones—filters for strength and justice.
Brook envisioned the Eighteen Hells as selection zones for elite pirates, arenas where power would be proven—and weaknesses purged.
Eighteen islands would form a ring around Doragonzo Island, each island with its own theme and trial. In between them, eighteen safe water routes would guide ships toward the heart of the Hell Pirates' empire.
Even Totto Land had thirty-four food-themed islands in the original timeline. It was only fitting that the Hell Pirates—an emerging powerhouse—would structure their territory with style: a Nine-Layer Sky City, guarded by Eighteen Hell Islands.
And Shiki? Shiki had the honor—and workload—of being the man who would gather the islands.
"I know it'll take years," Brook said, "but when it's complete... the Hell Pirates' territory will become the holy land of the New World!"
---
The Island of Mist was placed beside Doragonzo as the first completed hell island. Now resting on the sea once more, its mist began thickening, regaining the power it lost while being floated through the air.
Newgate nodded with approval.
"This island's got potential," he rumbled. "Great place to toss Devil Fruit users who act up. Beat 'em down, drag 'em here, and let the vines sort them out. Maybe even turn 'em into allies."
Brook paused. For enemies that extreme, he preferred direct fruit ability extraction. Still, the idea had merit.
"I'm thinking bigger," Brook said. "Each island will be a test. If someone clears the Island of Mist, they've earned something."
A new plan formed in his mind.
Live broadcasts via Den Den Mushi. Titles like "Hell Challenger," "Speed Demon," or "Master of the Mist." Rewards for those who passed. And those who cleared all eighteen? A chance to join the Hell Pirates.
"The Pirate Sanctuary Project begins now," Brook declared, slamming his hand down on a table-sized puff pastry.
"Nine-Layer Sky City. Eighteen Hell Islands. Shiki—this is your masterpiece. You're now the chief architect of the Pirate Holy Land. In a thousand years, pirates will remember your name."
He smacked the pancake onto Shiki's face.
Shiki froze... then his entire body began to glow with pride.
"JIHAHAHAHA! I won't let you down, Captain!!"
He stood straighter than ever, flames of purpose in his eyes. The title alone was worth more than any bounty. Shiki, the Flying Lion, was now Shiki, the Architect.
Even Redfield and Newgate exchanged rare grins. This was bigger than either of them had imagined. They had all conquered seas and territories. But none had thought to create a sacred pirate haven.
Near the back of the gathering, Charlotte Linlin and Stussy looked at Brook with hearts in their eyes.
This—this was the man they had fallen for. A visionary. A builder of nations.
Shiki couldn't sit still. He immediately flew off to scout new islands. Redfield and Newgate began planning their own improvements. The Pirate Holy Land was now a shared dream.
"Brother Brook," Shakky said, stepping forward, "Thunder God Island could be one of the Eighteen Hells too. Its conditions are perfect."
Her tone had changed. She had been cold the past few days—bothered by Brook's sudden marriage to Linlin. But now, her gaze was clear. Focused. Devoted.
She had made up her mind.
Forget petty jealousy. This was a man worth following to the ends of the sea. Children, marriage—that could wait. For now, they had a destiny to build.
She flashed her signature sly smile. The scheming Shakky was back in full form.
Tom threw his hands up in excitement. "If we're doing this, then I'm building a Pacific Train Line through all eighteen islands!"
Brook laughed. "Then we'll call the waters between the Hell Islands and Doragenzo Island… the Pacific Ring."
"Yohoho~ That has a nice ring to it!"
Redfield chimed in. "I've heard of an island near the Calm Belt—Ruskaina. Forty-eight seasons in one year. Wild beasts stronger than anything on O-Kan Island. It'd be a perfect addition."
"I've read that too," Brook nodded. "Wasn't it once the capital of a lost kingdom?"
Redfield smirked. "Exactly."
Brook raised a fist.
"One at a time. We'll need to train harder first. Diger is nearly seventy. Before he falls, we need to stand toe-to-toe with the Rocks Pirates."
A heavy silence followed.
Even now, the Rocks Pirates loomed like giants over the New World. But Brook's crew was getting stronger. Strong enough to repel intruders, strong enough to hold territory.
Newgate's Tremor-Tremor Fruit. Shiki's Float-Float Fruit. Two of the most broken abilities on the sea—when combined with Brook's growing Soul techniques, they created a terrifying trinity.
And Redfield?
Redfield had recently unveiled a long-range attack known as Ten Thousand Thunders, capable of striking enemy fleets from over a kilometer away.
The Hell Pirates weren't just growing—they were evolving into something never seen before.
A pirate empire.
A sanctuary.
A storm waiting to break.
---------------------------
For the sake of building the Pirate Holy Land, every member of the Hell Pirates threw themselves into the work.
Even Golden Lion Shiki, who had been repeatedly electrocuted while transporting Thunder God Island, kept pushing forward with gritted teeth and a fried afro. Despite the constant thunderstorms, he insisted on bringing it back to Doragonzo Island's orbit.
No one fully understood what made this island so unique. But from the moment it was relocated, thunderclouds began gathering at a terrifying pace. By the time it reached the Hell Pirates' territory, the island's skies thundered daily—flashes of lightning streaking down like war drums of the heavens.
Charlotte Linlin's Homie Thundercloud Zeus practically lived on the island now. Even Redfield occasionally trained there, standing tall amid the crackling chaos, seeking the secret to awakening a Thunder-type Devil Fruit.
The Hell Pirates' golden ship came here to recharge. The lightning energy was seemingly endless—it had become their personal lightning power station.
Brook wasted no time. He instructed Vegapunk to develop a device capable of converting lightning into electricity for island-wide usage, ensuring that their cities in the sky would never lack energy again.
Meanwhile, Vegapunk also completed a new version of the Seastone Recovery Chamber, refining its precision and stability to safely reclaim Devil Fruit powers for future use.
In celebration of these breakthroughs, another feast was held.
Redfield the mind-reader arrived first. Then came Shakky the vampire, Charlotte Linlin, Brook himself, and even the ever-serious ship's doctor Crocus, who—despite his usual calm—insisted on attending "for research."
"I propose," Crocus said with a straight face, "that we keep Salmon alive. His blood is a resource. With a bounty of 900 million berries, his cells could be used to produce Blood Crystal Dandelions!"
Naturally, this drew protests from both Shakky and Linlin, who wanted to harvest his soul immediately. Crocus, however, made a strong point. Salmon blood could offer long-term benefits if harvested continuously.
Brook, caught between practicality and ambition, hesitated.
As much as he wanted Salmon Devil Fruit ability and soul, he had to admit Crocus's idea had potential. In the end, Brook rejected the proposal outwardly, but praised Crocus's business mindset.
"You're dangerous, Doctor," Brook chuckled. "But you're thinking long-term. I like it."
He then promised to find a replacement—a top-tier physical combatant without a special ability who could be turned into a "voluntary blood donor." Among the candidates? Jack Sparrow, the monk Scorpion Dragon, and even Wang Zhi.
"I'll take their souls eventually," Brook muttered, "but there's no harm in milking them first."
---
Inside the massive research facility on Golden Island, Vegapunk's influence was everywhere. Advanced machinery clattered and hummed, creating a futuristic world that felt alien even to pirates.
No one was more stunned than Brook himself.
"So this... this is what the world's greatest scientist is capable of," he whispered. "No wonder he mechanized animals back on Karakuri Island…"
Nearby, Salmon, now bound head-to-toe in seastone chains, screamed in terror.
"Brook! I surrender! Please don't kill me! I gave everything to the Rocks Pirates—and now this? I don't want to die!"
Salmon had clawed his way out of hell to become a high-ranking officer in Rocks' forces. He hadn't enjoyed the fruits of his success for even a year before Brook brought him down.
Now, face to face with death, he was willing to betray Rocks. Loyalty meant nothing anymore.
Brook looked at him coldly.
"I wish I could let you live," he said, voice calm. "But my crew sees you as an opportunity. Your soul... is too valuable to waste. Go to hell. I hear the Underworld's got great benefits."
He grinned.
Of course, Salmon soul wouldn't go to hell. It would be harvested by Brook—bound in death, just like his other Ghost Generals.
As Redfield quietly sifted through Salmon's thoughts, Shakky and the Memory Seahorse began their mental extraction. Linlin, with her Soul-Soul Fruit, drained his lifespan like water from a sponge.
Crocus sighed as he examined the lifeless body.
"A waste of a good blood donor," he muttered. "Only a few buckets of blood... I was hoping for more."
"For a guy his size," Shakky added, "this doesn't even match Beaver's energy—and he's only worth 700 million berries."
In the end, Brook gave Salmon a painless death.
With his soul harvested, he was tossed into the Seastone Chamber for Devil Fruit recovery. Brook watched curiously, wondering just how powerful this Bone Manipulation Fruit could become under his control.
---
Next on Brook's radar? The Kurozumi siblings.
The Mimic-Mimic Fruit and the Barrier-Barrier Fruit were both promising. But the Mimic-Mimic Fruit… felt underwhelming.
"It only copies appearance," Brook frowned. "What if it could mimic strength? Techniques?"
He thought of abilities like the Copy-Copy Fruit used by Gamenio—capable of replicating full skill sets, and sometimes even Devil Fruit powers.
And then there were fanfics…
The King of Imitation. 100% Copy. 'What's Yours is Mine!' The man who borrows your moves and makes them his own...
Brook chuckled at the thought. If the Mimic Fruit could evolve into such a broken ability, it might still have a springtime of its own.
Shakky, unimpressed, didn't even bother draining the Kurozumi siblings. She returned to digest Salmon soul instead.
"Tch. Kids these days are so picky," Crocus sighed. "You think top-tier pirates grow on trees?"
Not everyone shared Shakky's palate. Charlotte Linlin and the Memory Seahorse finished the rest, devouring both memories and souls like gourmet cuisine.
Redfield, meanwhile, returned with startling news.
"Brother Brook," he said gravely, "we may be sitting on a goldmine... but reaching it won't be easy."
He revealed the memories extracted from Kurozumi Murasaki, who had spent years infiltrating powerful factions through shapeshifting.
In her time undercover, she discovered that several top-tier Devil Fruits had been snatched up—either through forced deals or outright robbery—by the Celestial Dragons themselves.
And the location?
A forbidden place in the New World.
A location not found on most maps.
A land almost perfectly aligned with the Sabaody Archipelago, located near the Red Line:
The Valley of the Gods.
Brook's eyes widened slightly.
"The Celestial Dragons are stockpiling Devil Fruits?"
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