Brook scratched his skull, pondering Golden Lion Shiki's question. Forcing every pirate crew into submission was one way to go, but with so many pirates already stirring trouble under the Rocks Pirates or roaming as rogue plunderers, that approach felt like herding seagulls in a storm.
What he needed was a smoother plan—a way to lure pirates to his side without storming into the territories of the Rocks Pirates or Vesper's crew.
The New World was crawling with freedom-chasing pirate crews. If Brook could rope them into his Pirate Guild, he'd have a platform to control them. Sure, it'd take some effort and Belly upfront, but once the Guild gained momentum, he could steer the seas' chaos to his advantage. These pirates would willingly let themselves be "fleeced" for a shot at safety and profit—a classic capitalist monopoly!
Picture it: the Hell Pirates post a single mission, and pirates would scramble over each other to take it, fighting for scraps of reward. A little bait, a touch of competition, and the "pacifier theory" would keep them hooked.
Brook smirked, his skeletal grin gleaming. Doflamingo had built an empire as an underground broker, dealing in artificial Devil Fruits to Kaido, selling Seastone from Wano to the World Government, and peddling arms to pirates, allied nations, and even slave auctions. Food, shelter, transport—Doffy's fingers were in every pie, black market or legit.
"Shiki, rounding up pirates one by one is too slow," Brook said, striking a sagely pose. "We dangle the right bait—profit, safety, a place to thrive—and they'll come running to serve us!"
His plan was simple: offer pirates a deal too good to refuse. A safe haven in Hell Pirates' territory, a cut of the profits, and a system to keep them hungry for more. Sure, some pirates feared the Hell Pirates' rumored ability to strip Devil Fruit powers, but a Pirate Guild could ease those worries, painting Brook's crew as less predatory and more… cooperative.
Love and loyalty might exist in the world, but in the Hell Pirates' domain, everyone who joined was one of theirs. Whether they'd be used or quietly culled for their Devil Fruit powers was a question for later. For now, the Guild was the perfect front.
...
Golden Pirate Woonan had just slipped out of Rocks' territory, battered but alive. Word on the seas was that registering with the Hell Pirates' Guild granted free passage through their waters—as long as you didn't stir up trouble.
For an adventure-driven pirate like Woonan, who cared more for hunting gold and treasures than vying for dominance, this was a dream come true. He'd been chased off Hell Pirates' turf once before by Shiki, nearly losing his life. If registering meant he could roam freely, it was a small price to pay.
Following the instructions in the latest newspaper, Woonan's crew hoisted a green flag and sailed to Elan Island for Guild registration. There, they faced a bizarre battery of tests—strength, swordsmanship, speed, Devil Fruit abilities, you name it.
Woonan Pirates
Captain: Woonan
Bounty: 410 million Belly
Test Score: 63/100
Naval Combat Record: Defeated one Branch Rear Admiral, fought to a draw with a Headquarters Rear Admiral, and drew with a Branch Vice Admiral.
Pirate Combat Record: Defeated three pirates with bounties over 100 million, fought to a draw with Supernova King Pirates' Captain Eric Dawn.
Overall Rank: Silver Tier
"Congrats, Captain Woonan!" chirped a Guild receptionist, pocketing his 100,000-Belly registration fee and handing over a sleek Silver Den Den Mushi.
"You're now a Silver-tier member of the Pirate Guild! This Den Den Mushi connects you to current Guild missions, and you'll enjoy a 60% discount on services in our territory!"
"Wohaha!" Woonan laughed, scratching his head. "Me, the great Golden Pirate, stuck at Silver tier? That stings! But a discount and free rein in an Overlord's turf? Not bad at all!"
Curious, he activated the Silver Den Den Mushi to check out the missions. The screen lit up with tasks: hunt for rare Devil Fruits, track down exotic materials, or capture non-Guild pirates for bounties matching their wanted posters.
Pirates like Woonan couldn't just waltz into a Marine base to cash in bounties—they'd be locked up faster than you could say "Seastone cuffs." But if Brook was willing to pay for captured pirates, that was a sweet deal! The catch? Only living pirates counted—corpses were worthless.
Woonan's eyes narrowed. When a Devil Fruit user died, their power reincarnated somewhere else in the world. The Hell Pirates must want live captives to harvest their abilities. Did Brook have a secret stash of Devil Fruit seeds or some other trick up his sleeve? Why else collect so many ability users?
And non-ability users? What was the point of capturing them? Spending millions of Belly on bounties only made sense if Brook could control or profit from them.
Then it hit him. The Hell Pirates' boarding team, led by Brook, had a knack for enslaving souls. No wonder they weren't worried about the cost—they could bend captives to their will!
"Whoa, check this out!" Woonan exclaimed, spotting a mission. "Take out a Rocks Pirates officer, and you get their bounty plus a bonus of a few hundred million Belly! Are they openly hunting Rocks' crew now?"
The Hell Pirates were acting like the World Government, issuing their own bounties. Non-Guild pirates were fair game—join or risk being hunted.
Talk about ruthless!
But pirates were no strangers to betrayal and bloodshed. If there was Belly to be made, they'd jump at the chance, even if it meant gutting rival Guild members. No bounty? No problem—old grudges didn't need a paycheck.
Now a Guild member, Woonan needed to defeat a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral or a non-Guild pirate with a bounty over 500 million to climb to Gold tier. That pointed straight at big shots from Vesper's crew or the Rocks Pirates. One takedown, and he'd score a fat reward and a better discount. Tempting!
Still, a Vice Admiral or a 500-million-Belly pirate wasn't a pushover. Woonan decided to cruise through Hell Pirates' territory for now, scoping out his options.
...
As word of the Pirate Guild spread, non-members realized they'd become targets. Within days, dozens of pirate crews were rounded up and turned in for bounties. Panicked, others raised green flags and flocked to Elan Island to register, desperate to avoid the same fate.
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+300 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg