One Piece: Hell Pirates

With the key officers of the Diger Pirates having followed Diger to confront Rocks, the strongest forces remaining in the palace were his elite guards. Under normal circumstances, they could suppress even one or two Rookie Overlords.

Unfortunately for them, the intruder was no ordinary pirate—he was a top officer of another Overlord-level crew. And under the sweeping golden slashes of Shiki the Golden Lion, these so-called "elite" guards dropped like flies.

"Out of my way! I don't have time to play with you fools!"

Golden Lion Shiki stormed through the palace, cleaving through one guard after another in a blur of golden sword energy. His expression was one of clear urgency—he wasn't here for fun. He intended to sweep through the entire palace... and if necessary, all of Madagascar Island!

"I swore to protect the young lady! Even if it costs my life!!" roared one of the captain-level guards, bravely stepping forward.

That single sentence caught Shiki's attention. A wicked grin spread across his face.

"Hahahaha! So she's the one who's carrying Jack's little seedling? Excellent. She's an even more valuable bargaining chip than I thought!"

With that, his killing speed doubled. Some guards died instantly, while others were left crawling—only to be finished off by the scavenging underlings hot on Shiki's heels.

After launching the last unfortunate guard out of a window, Shiki found her—unconscious, belly rounded with a six- or seven-month pregnancy. He gently picked up the woman: Amber. A strategic piece had fallen into his hands. Even if Diger and Jack escaped back, the Hell Pirates now had a trump card—one that could halt a war before it began.

Shiki carefully laid her down and activated the power of the Float-Float Fruit. Segments of the palace began to lift into the air as he created a mobile fortress. Time was not on his side. Who knew if Diger would manage to break away and return?

One thing was certain—none of them fully trusted Rocks. If that man wanted Diger to return for another round, the result could be catastrophic. It was better to take the loot and leverage now than to risk a full-scale war.

Elsewhere in the palace, Shakky and other crew were already helping themselves to anything valuable. With the Big and Little Jew brothers and the two "warehouse rats" among them, not even a pebble would be left behind. After all, nothing beats the thrill of shopping for 0 berries.

Brook and Linlin flew directly to the heart of the palace, cleaning up any remaining resistance. Meanwhile, Redfield returned to the golden ship and maneuvered it over the palace dome. As soon as the ship was in place, every crew member disembarked in full force, starting the plunder and suppressing what little resistance remained.

Redfield, with his Mind-Reading powers, located key memories from the minds of senior officers and immediately led Shakky and the others to the vault and Diger's private quarters.

"Brother Brook! That woman's Jack's baby mama—I'll leave her to you!"

From high above, Shiki shouted to Brook, clearly far more interested in the palace treasures than any woman.

"Oh? The intelligence said she's Jack's fiancée and already pregnant?"

Brook's eye sockets practically gleamed. He had just laid hands on the lifeline of the Sparrow Family. Even if Diger stood there watching them rob his home, Brook was sure he wouldn't dare act out.

He immediately summoned Crocus, the ship's doctor, and had Amber transported safely to the golden ship for medical examination. For now, she must not be harmed—she was the most powerful bargaining chip they had to control both Diger and Jack.

"Kill them all!!"

A squad of elite pirates and palace loyalists burst into the hall, all of them sworn devotees of the Overlord. Kaido, the monstrous beast himself, let out a thunderous roar and charged. Tom and Tiger leaped into action beside him.

The battlefield turned chaotic as Scaredo the Hammerhead, the Kilin Lion, and even the Memory Seahorse plunged into the fray, each one hungry for growth through battle.

"Move aside or there'll be no soul left for me!" Linlin bellowed. Despite her pregnancy, she charged in like a steel balloon on steroids, gleefully ripping lifespans from her enemies.

Brook was also testing the limits of his own soul-harvesting abilities. His Revive-Revive Fruit had grown stronger—he could now pull souls from those he hadn't directly slain. The range had expanded from just one meter to nearly ten! Awakening wasn't far off—he just needed the right opportunity.

And for Brook, that opportunity had a name: Diger.

The thought of missing out on all the powerful souls falling in the battle between Rocks and the Diger Pirates made his bones ache with regret. If he couldn't even claim Diger's soul, he'd be depressed for a month—no, a year!

"Antonio, give me an update on the battle at Java Island!"

Now that Madagascar was essentially secured, Brook's focus returned to the main course: Diger's soul.

"Bad news, Brother Brook! The Diger Pirates have collapsed! Jack and Barbosa just escaped and are flying our way at full speed!!"

Antonio and Moore Thomas had deployed an entire flock of Seagull News Birds and Live Den Den Mushi to monitor the battlefield. Despite some being knocked out by Conqueror's Haki or blown out of the sky, the information flow remained steady.

Following Brook's orders, Antonio had been watching closely and immediately reported every turning point.

"What?! Already?!"

Brook was stunned. According to the plan, he was supposed to support Diger within the hour. But he'd gone straight to Madagascar instead. And now… not even three hours later, the Diger Pirates were toast?

"This Overlord is too damn weak!"

Brook clicked his tongue. He had expected Diger to hold out long enough for him to finish looting Madagascar and then swoop in for the final soul-snatching. But he hadn't anticipated Rocks playing his hand early—exposing their temporary alliance and shattering Diger's morale.

After a moment of bone-deep frustration, Brook made a swift decision. No time to hesitate.

"Redfield, Newgate! You're with me—we're heading to Java Island! Linlin, you stay here and hold down the palace. Kirin Lion, Tom, and Hiruba, you're coming too!"

Brook distributed the responsibilities like a seasoned general. He needed heavy hitters to intercept Jack and Barbosa, speed from the Kirin Lion, water rescue from Tom, and vision and tracking from Hiruba.

He boarded the golden ship with his team and blasted off toward Java Island at top speed.

"Shiki! Don't push too hard. If it comes down to it, float the palace and get out!"

With those final words, Brook vanished into the sky like a grim reaper in a hurry, while Antonio continued feeding him live updates.

Each report cut deeper—Rocket Jonas, gone. The King of Underground Island, Jevaler, dead. One by one, powerful souls were being lost to the battlefield. Brook could practically hear them escaping his grasp.

Then came the dagger.

"Diger has captured Saxe Way and is surrounded!" Antonio reported.

Brook froze. His grip tightened on the ship's edge.

"Brother Diger... I'm calling you 'brother,' but you're a damn tyrant! You better hold on!!"

Don't you dare die on me, bastard!

You're mine!

Rocks, you son of a bitch—go easy on him!!!

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Diger probably doesn't even realize that Brook is secretly blessing him—not out of kindness, but so the old man doesn't kick the bucket too early. If he did know, he'd probably drop to his knees and thank Brook like he'd just been saved from the Gates of the Underworld.

"Redfield, activate the Lightning System and Thunder System! Tom, crank up the Wind Core! Kirin, give it everything you've got—CHARGE!!"

Brook was starting to panic. He'd just heard that Saxe Way had also been killed by Diger. That stubborn old man was still trapped in a deadly pincer attack by the Rocks Pirates. It was over. Completely over. If Diger died, then Brook's chance to seize the Overlord's Soul would vanish like smoke in the wind...

Brook clutched his head. "Damn it! Damn it all! What a massive miscalculation! I never saw this coming!"

"Diger, you let me down, old man! And Rocks—you monster! You went too far!"

"Captain Brook! Captain! Great news!" Antonio shouted, clueless about his captain's breakdown. "The core leaders of the Rocks Pirates have left their ship and split up—they're heading straight for Ten Kings Island!!"

Brook's eyes snapped toward him. "What about Diger?! Is he dead?!"

"No, not yet!" Antonio replied. "He's still fighting fiercely! Overlord Diger is wrapped in blood-red steam—he looks like he's in his prime again! His muscles are even bulkier than yours, Captain!"

Brook's tension finally broke with a bark of laughter. "That's more like it, old man Diger! You're a real legend after all! Burning up your life force like that—you better hold out! If you survive until I get there, I might just let your future daughter-in-law go!"

He cackled with mad glee. Hope surged back into him like a tide. If Diger kept holding out, Brook might just get his hands on the Overlord's Soul after all!

Then something clicked. Brook narrowed his eyes.

"Wait a second… Did you just say the Rocks Pirates are plundering Ten Kings Island?"

Antonio froze. "Uh… yes, Captain. Also, about Diger's muscles—what I meant was, they're not as… symmetrical as yours! Yeah, that's it!"

Antonio gave Brook an exaggerated thumbs-up, flashing a desperate survival smile.

Brook growled. "Tch. That sneaky bastard Rocks. He's stealing from Diger's territory before I can even claim it? That's practically cheating! But fine… Madagascar is enough for now. I'll let him have a little soup for his help."

"Forget the rest!" Brook bellowed. "Keep flying—full speed to Java Island!!"

If he could just arrive in time, Diger's soul would be his. Not even God could stop him.

Meanwhile, across the turbulent sea, a main pirate ship led over a dozen vessels at full speed—like a demon was nipping at their heels.

"Jack! Are you really abandoning Captain Diger?! He's your father!!" Barbosa roared, grabbing Jack by the collar. He may have considered retreating, but not like this. Not with such cold resolve.

Jack swatted his hands away, face grim. "This is what he wanted. We need to survive. We're going back… I'm getting her out of there. That child must be born. The next bearer of the Conqueror's Will must live."

"The Diger Pirates… are finished," Barbosa muttered as he collapsed to the deck. But in the back of his mind, he was already making plans. He couldn't die yet—not when his daughter Karina was still waiting for him.

Jack clenched his fists. "As long as I draw breath, the Diger Pirates will never fall."

For once, the carefree Jack sounded like a true captain. He finally understood the agony and burden that Teach Angel must've felt when his father Teach Ewald died.

Losing the pillar of your pirate crew was like losing your spine. No one knew what to do.

"Hah! You think Brook's just been playing around?" Barbosa snapped. "Use that empty head for something! Where do you think he went? Probably Madagascar. Your woman might already be in his hands, you idiot!"

Jack's eyes turned bloodshot.

Barbosa wasn't done. "You really screwed us when you kidnapped Angel. That's why our alliance collapsed. Brook's working with Rocks now. You think he gives a damn about honor?"

He laughed bitterly. "A prodigal son returning is nice and all, but it's too late now. If words could fix everything, who needs strength and brains?"

He had already sent Karina away, just in case. He hadn't expected Brook to actually strike so soon…

"That bastard… Brook!!" Jack roared.

The Diger Pirates' base was now on Madagascar Island. And the woman carrying Jack's child was there. If Brook took the island, Jack would be left with nothing.

"They didn't even hesitate," Barbosa said. "Brook saw the chance and took it. He's a overlord who worships profit. You were too blinded by rage."

Jack stared at him. "You're leaving too?"

Barbosa met his gaze evenly. "If Madagascar's fallen, I'm gone. If not, I'll help carry Diger's legacy and wait in the shadows."

Before Jack could respond, the lookout's scream pierced the air.

"Golden ship incoming! From Madagascar!! It's the Hell Pirates!!"

Panic erupted.

"They're coming from the direction of the City—no doubt about it! The capital must've already fallen! Brook has taken the palace!!"

Chaos spread like wildfire. Crew members scrambled, some shouting, some weeping.

"Turn around! Run for your lives!!"

The dozen-strong pirate fleet broke apart like glass. Even Jack couldn't stop the wave of fear. His eyes were red with fury. Barbosa clenched his jaw, torn, but stayed at Jack's side.

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