Roger and Rayleigh were finally forced to give in. They traded their seeds for two fully translated copies of the red historical text. Together with the rubbing they already had, they now held three copies in total. Only the last one was missing.
Roger stared at the three translations with a complicated look. So the shameless Brook had been sitting on them this whole time.
They had been played from the start.
"Then let's go back and rest."
Roger and Rayleigh spoke through clenched teeth. If the other historical texts had not still been waiting to be translated, they would have left this miserable place on the spot.
All they could do now was return to the hotel on the Island of Life and Death. Neither of them wanted to see Brook's smug face for even one more second.
"Yohoho, don't be like that. This was a voluntary trade, so why are you glaring at me like I stole your lunch?"
Brook watched Crocus walk away with their "donations" and cheerfully tried to soothe the two legends who looked ready to bite him.
"Go ask around. You got a huge bargain. Who else in the world can trade one tube of seeds for something as priceless as a red historical text? Even the Celestial Dragons only manage to collect a single piece at a time."
He spread his hands.
"Be satisfied, brothers. You're about to reach the final island. You might even dig up the ultimate secret treasure. That's a steal."
"Snort."
Neither Roger nor Rayleigh answered. They were clearly furious. Being pushed into giving up their so called chastity hurt more than taking a few blades to the gut.
But the red texts were in Brook's hands. They had no choice.
Just as the two turned to leave, Brook casually tossed out a line that froze them in place.
"Want the fourth red historical text too?"
Roger and Rayleigh slowly turned back, eyes bloodshot and temples twitching. Was he messing with them again?
This bastard had actually collected all four pieces. What were they supposed to do now, besides beg?
And if Brook already knew the location of the final island, why were the Hell Pirates not going there themselves?
Was this another trap?
"What do you want this time?" Rayleigh snapped. "And why aren't you going to the final island yourself?"
"Brook, tell me why."
Roger's face went serious, and the room's air tightened. He felt a conspiracy lurking behind that grin.
"Yohoho, you think I don't want to go?" Brook shrugged. "That sea is hostile to Devil Fruit users. People like us with special abilities can't even get close."
His tone turned blunt.
"If none of you in the Roger Pirates had special abilities, I wouldn't be placing my hopes on you at all. Be honest, did you learn something that made you stop your crew from eating Devil Fruits?"
Brook let out a long breath, then waved a hand as if throwing away the headache.
"That's it. Consider this last red text my investment in you. You reach the final island, tell me the secret, and we split whatever treasure you find. Seventy for you, thirty for me. Fair?"
He had tested this years ago with a crew on an Adam wood ship. The result was clear. Anyone with a Devil Fruit ability could not approach that sea.
Even Shiki had fallen sick there and only recovered after leaving the area. Brook himself had tried, and the moment he got near, his body revolted. Even Linlin felt unwell.
In the end, there was no choice but to abandon the idea of landing there.
That discovery made Brook suspect that only under the Sun God Nika could Devil Fruit users enter safely. No wonder Imu and the Five Elders were hunting the Nika Fruit like mad.
Brook did not know the full reason. One thing was certain.
They could not enter the final island.
The only path left was to follow the flow of history and let Roger's crew complete the feat of One Piece.
"What? Devil Fruit users can't even get close?"
Rayleigh's shock was real. He turned toward Roger. Roger had warned them not to take Devil Fruits many times, always using the excuse that pirates should not become land bound.
Now that warning suddenly felt heavier.
"I promise. I'll tell you the secret of the final island, and we'll split the treasure fifty fifty."
Roger did not hesitate. Right now, he only wanted the truth of the void century. Revealing it later was not a problem.
As for treasure, splitting it evenly would avoid stirring hostility among the Hell Pirates' cadres. Besides, whether there was any treasure there was another question entirely.
"Yohoho, happy cooperation. I wish you a smooth landing on the final island."
Brook laughed and handed over the fourth translated red historical text.
"Once you confirm the location and reach the final island, destroy these translations. I want only the Roger Pirates to know the route. I don't want the whole New World charging in after you."
Brook's voice stayed calm. Roger already understood this without being told. Without enough strength, going there was nothing but suicide.
Maybe future generations could grow stronger by searching for the red texts themselves and earn the power to walk that road.
Now, all four red historical texts had passed through Brook's hands. If Roger failed on the final island, he planned to use the translations he held to design another path for later explorers, so they could also chase the truth of history.
"I get it."
Roger answered quickly, but his mood was sour. Brook holding all four red texts felt wrong. What about other adventurers who wanted to dig into history?
Still, he could only pave the road his own way.
The deal was done. All that remained was to wait for the other historical texts to be translated, and for the Roger Pirates' short visit to the Kingdom of Women to be wrapped up. After that, the final voyage would begin.
Roger had not expected to reach the location of the final island this fast. The process had been humiliating, but his dream was already half fulfilled.
Next was the final island, and the full truth of the void century.
A few days later, the Oro Jackson left Doragonzo Island and set off on its last voyage to conquer the final island.
Watching Roger and his crew depart, Brook turned around and began preparing his publicity plan.
Why not let the world hear about Roger's coming conquest of the final island?
And while he was at it, why not make a little money off the news too?
Brook fed the underground forces, the World Economic News Agency, and Thomas a carefully packaged leak. The Roger Pirates had gathered four red historical texts and were headed for the final island.
Then they sold that information to the World Government for a fat price.
-------------
Holy Land Marijoa.
Saint Peter, the blond haired elder in charge of the CP organization and espionage, received a call on the highest level Den Den Mushi from an intelligence officer in the New World.
"What?" Saint Peter's eyes narrowed. "Thomas More from the World Economic News Agency wants to sell us information related to the security of the World Government? A red historical text? A pirate preparing to land on the final island?"
His tone sharpened.
"Tell him this, do you want a Nature type Devil Fruit or a Mythical Beast type Devil Fruit as your reward?"
Even Saint Peter was shaken. Pirates actually dared to touch the World Government's bottom line, and even tried to dig up secrets tied to historical texts.
"Is it the Hell Pirates or the Rocks Pirates?"
Mars, the long haired elder responsible for historical affairs, immediately spoke. Anyone who dared to approach ancient history had to be erased.
"Get the CP agents in the New World moving now."
Ethanbaron, the bald elder overseeing politics and diplomacy, slammed his hand down in anger.
"Even Moore Thomas can get this kind of news, but they can't." He sneered. "Useless. And they still dare ask for a top tier Devil Fruit after being toyed with by the underworld emperor? Dream on."
"Is this news even real?"
Saturn, the black hatted elder with curly hair who controlled Judicial Island and all legal matters, asked calmly. As the chief judge, he stayed steady no matter what.
"Find out fast."
Figarland, the bald elder in charge of military affairs and the navy, spoke with open killing intent.
"If it's really one of the two overlords, we have to seize this chance and wipe them out."
Peter's face darkened further.
"That Moore Thomas said if we don't answer him, he'll bury the news. He'll wait for that pirate to conquer the final island, unlock the secret of history, then spread it to the world."
Peter's voice turned cold.
"He even threatened to find a way to make that pirate reveal the final island's location."
Moore Thomas dared to threaten them.
If the CP side failed to identify the pirate carrying the red historical text in time, and failed to kill them in time, then the final island, which no one had landed on in hundreds of years, might truly be conquered in this era.
"Has anyone really collected all the red historical texts?"
Mars could hardly believe it. The World Government had searched for centuries just to find one. How could pirates gather them so quickly?
"The red historical text lost at God Valley was only touched by three pirate crews," Saturn said evenly. "The Hell Pirates, the Rocks Pirates, and the Roger Pirates. So it can only be one of them."
"Roger has been chasing historical secrets for years," Peter said with a tight expression. "And both Brook and Rocks D. Zebec have the power to force results. It wouldn't be strange if they found red texts."
"Do we still need Moore Thomas's news?"
"Forget him. Those three pirate groups are targets anyway."
"But if someone really reaches the final island and Thomas spreads the location, we're finished."
"Then silence Moore Thomas."
"Can you even find him?"
"Then pay him a Devil Fruit and warn him to shut his mouth."
"That's the only way."
…
Soon, Peter ordered CP0 to make a deal with Moore Thomas using a Devil Fruit.
"The Roger Pirates have gathered four red historical texts and are already heading for the final island. They're currently near Water Star Island."
After receiving the Devil Fruit, Moore Thomas sold the information with a satisfied grin, and even exposed the Roger Pirates' current position.
The World Government immediately dispatched a newly appointed Knight of God, along with five CP0 teams, to secretly intercept and kill the Roger Pirates.
Because Roger's crew had stayed quiet for so long and their bounties had not risen in years, the World Government still did not fully grasp how strong Roger and his men had become.
In their eyes, a Knight of God plus multiple CP0 squads should be more than enough to crush them.
"Roger couldn't have deciphered those red texts without Brook," Saturn said, his calm face turning grim. "O'Hara is in Brook's hands. That means Brook likely knows the final island's location too."
That was the truly terrifying part.
The Hell Pirates' power was on a completely different level from Roger's crew. If Brook reached the final island and learned the truth, the situation would spiral.
"Then why didn't he go himself?"
"Why let Roger go instead?"
"He's being clever. He can use Roger to pull our eyes away, so we can't focus on him."
"He might really be preparing to strike Rocks."
"So what do we do?"
"Do we handle Brook and Rocks first, or stop Roger from landing?"
"I suspect that bastard Brook is setting a trap," Ethanbaron said, voice low. "Everyone knows who Moore Thomas works for."
"This news about Roger and the red texts is bait. Brook's real goal is to drain the World Government's strength."
"Then we just ignore Roger landing on the final island?"
The five elders fell silent. It was an impossible choice.
Unless the World Government and the navy marched into the New World right now, dealing with the Hell Pirates and the Roger Pirates at once, and even dragging the Rocks Pirates into the same war.
"There's no other way."
Ethanbaron spoke through a clenched jaw.
"We secretly contact Rocks. We help him deal with Brook, and he stands by to reap the benefits, or even works with us to destroy the Hell Pirates together."
Cooperating with a dominant pirate crew that had slaughtered Celestial Dragons was a disgraceful idea, but the situation was already choking them.
"Or we ask Lord Imu to step in," Figarland said darkly. "At worst, we wipe out all three pirate groups in one sweep."
"And leave how big a hole in the defenses of Marijoa and Marineford?" Saturn shot back.
"By then, even minor pirates could invade the Holy Land and navy headquarters. That would cause more problems than it solves."
"And what if the Hell Pirates' flying fleet refuses to fight, or simply moves their base?"
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