One Piece: Hell Pirates

Barbossa, ever the profit-hungry tyrant, had a daughter waiting for him to come home and protect her. Yet here he was—brows furrowed, conflicted—choosing to stay beside an old enemy.

"Let's go together!"

He didn't want to clash with the Hell Pirates aboard that golden warship. That would be suicide. Just the four core fighters were enough to give the two of them hell—never mind Brook, whose powers could literally harm your soul!

"But I need to confirm if Amber is alive or dead. It's Father's last wish," Jack Sparrow muttered, his voice heavy. He remembered the dying words of their captain—wishing for the survival of the Sparrow bloodline.

"You fool! Are you scared of losing your bloodline when you're still fertile?! What, are you impotent now? Can't do the deed? If we send you off to your grave, then sure, your family line's done for!"

Barbosa spat the words, frustrated. Jack was still capable of producing heirs, and as long as that was true, there was hope. [As long as there's green on the tree, there's still a sprout waiting to grow.]

If Jack were captured by Brook, the fate of the Sparrow clan would rest entirely on Brook's whims. That wasn't a bet worth taking.

"But—"

"No buts!" Barbosa barked. "If we don't leave now, we'll be trapped! We'll have another chance to search for Amber later!"

Barbosa gave the command to escape—veer left! With Brook cutting them off from the front and Rocks's crew burning through the rear, the left path led toward the first half of the New World. The right led to the former Ice Demon Pirates' territory in the New World's second half, possibly near the secluded Ice Kingdom. But Barbosa's daughter, Karina, had taken refuge in the first half, so naturally, he chose to reunite with her.

Besides, the first half was safer. It bordered the World Government's domain, where neither Brook nor Rocks could easily extend their influence. They'd be too busy consolidating their new territories anyway.

Under the command Barbosa, Jack's flagship and Barbosa's personal ship Black Pearl veered hard to the left, avoiding a head-on clash with the golden warship of the Hell Pirates.

Interestingly, the Black Pearl originally belonged to Jack. But because of his repeated screw-ups, Diger had forcibly reassigned it to Barbosa—the loyal butler—making it his flagship instead. One more grudge added to their messy relationship.

Still, despite the resentment, years of shared battles had forged a strange brotherhood between the two. No one else could understand the bond that existed between old enemies.

---

Aboard the golden warship…

"Captain Brook! I've spotted Jack and Barbosa! They're retreating toward the front half of the New World—should we intercept?"

Sniper Hiruba's clairvoyant gaze had already locked onto the fleeing ships. The Diger's Codex glimmered like royalty—a floating palace on the sea.

"They're not heading back to Madagascar? Interesting." Brook's eyes narrowed. "Antonio, what's Diger's condition? Has he passed?"

Brook's real priority wasn't Jack—it was Diger's soul. A powerful overlord-class soul like that? Unmissable. Jack could be captured later. But if Diger died before Brook arrived, then that soul would be gone for good.

"Maybe we should split up. Redfield and Newgate can go after Jack and Barbosa. I'll head to Java Island," Brook suggested.

The original plan had been to prevent Jack from returning to Madagascar and collect Diger's soul himself. Now that Jack and Barbosa were fleeing in another direction, the situation had shifted in Brook's favor.

Still, he wasn't entirely at ease. Redfield and Newgate might not be enough to stop those two if something unexpected happened. And if he split up the Hell Pirates too much, accidents were bound to happen—especially with the Rocks Pirates still rampaging across Ten Kings Island.

No. He needed his top men with him.

Brook gritted his teeth. "One step at a time. If I get greedy and spread too thin, I could lose everything."

He made the call.

"Keep sailing toward Java Island! We'll secure Diger's soul first. After we divide the Ten Kings Island with Rocks, we'll hunt down the remnants of Diger's crew!"

Brook knew how to prioritize. Diger's soul was the prize of kings. Only after sealing that would he deal with the mop-up—and Rocks.

He stepped to the bow of the golden ship, eyes fixed on the horizon. Though Rocks had gifted him all the territories of the Diger Pirates, Brook still wanted more.

He was greedy.

In his mind, every last treasure of Ten Kings Island already belonged to him. Watching Rocks loot it made him seethe. Stussy and Shakky were probably pulling their hair out—how many riches were being stolen under their noses?

"Hiruba, keep an eye on Jack and any surviving Rocks cadres. If they head for Madagascar, report immediately. Antonio, keep relaying updates on both Rocks and Diger!"

Brook's voice was calm, but his eyes burned with hunger.

If Rocks knew just how greedy Brook had become, he might storm over and knock his skull in. Two of Rocks's top men had died to destroy Diger—and Brook still dared to whine about who got the spoils?

---

Meanwhile, on the sea...

Barbosa let out a long breath when he saw that the golden ship wasn't chasing them.

"At least… we're safe for now."

"That direction… Java Island. Brook's flying there fast. Is he going to join forces with Rocks against the old man?" Jack muttered bitterly. In a single day, he had lost everything—his bride-to-be, his unborn child, his father… and possibly his power and territory too.

"Captain Diger won't make it," Barbosa whispered, closing his eyes in mourning.

"Jack, we need to focus. We must contact Lady Rose and Jocard immediately. If they're still alive, we'll regroup."

His eyes snapped open with urgency.

"Even if Madagascar is gone, the other Ten Kings Islands still have resources! If Rose and Jocard acted fast enough, they might've already gathered valuables from those islands!"

As long as the remnants successfully reunited, they could rebuild a pseudo-overlord-level pirate crew—far more powerful than any Rookie overlord or petty pirate gang.

-------------------

Five of the Ten Kings of the New World had fallen.

Xiaofeng, Antman of Blackwater Island. Will of Adriatic Island. These three dared to meddle in the underground power struggle at Liuxia Port—and paid for it with their lives at the hands of the Hell Pirates.

Now, on Java Island, Sabachi, ruler of Indo Island, had just been slain by the towering female warrior Jennifer. As for Jevaler, king of Underground Island, his end was even more miserable. After killing Rocket Jonas, he was promptly butchered by multiple elite members of the Rocks Pirates.

Next in line for the chopping block—Diger Sparrow, Overlord of Madagas Island.

That would leave only four of the original Ten Kings standing.

But even a wounded beast can bite. And four kings united still held more influence than your average supernova or so-called "great pirate." Especially when two of them were Jack Sparrow—widely recognized as the top powerhouse beneath the title of "Overlord"—and the cunning and formidable Barbosa.

"Yeah! Get those two escapees on the line, now! We're not done yet—we're gonna restore the Diger Pirates' former glory!" Jack roared, his fighting spirit reigniting.

They may have lost their crown, but the Diger Pirates still had teeth—assuming, of course, they could avoid getting hunted down by the twin nightmares that were the Rocks Pirates and the Hell Pirates.

"You blockhead! Madam Rose and Jocard didn't 'escape,' they're retreating with injuries!" Barbosa snapped, smacking the back of Jack's head. "Try using your words properly for once! Ugh, whatever. I'll make the damn call."

Barbosa, ever the tactician and steward of the Diger Pirates, knew how fragile their current situation was. Scaring off potential allies with loose talk would only tighten the noose around their necks.

"Fine, fine. You're the brains anyway, Barbosa," Jack said with a lazy grin. "From now on, you're officially Vice-Captain of the Diger Pirates. You handle all affairs—I'll just beat people up."

Barbossa blinked. That was... unexpectedly smooth.

Still, he couldn't help the twitch of satisfaction that crept onto his face. From this moment on, he would be the one pulling the strings behind the New Diger Pirates. Jack? A figurehead. A mascot. A battering ram in human form.

Barbosa immediately got to work, contacting Madam Rocae and Jocard, instructing them to bring whatever treasure they had left and regroup. Before news of Diger's defeat spread, they needed to rally.

Then, like a spider weaving a final web, Barbosa began reaching out to the managers of 30 or 40 islands. He urged them to bring all valuables to a new stronghold. In some cases, he even ordered the destruction of key infrastructure to prevent the Rocks and Hell Pirates from gaining anything of value.

His goal? Leave Brook and Rocks with nothing but an empty shell—a rotting, hollow empire.

But such strange orders set off alarms.

Many island managers began asking questions. Why this sudden panic? Why destroy instead of defend? Something didn't feel right.

Unfortunately for Barbosa, Brook had anticipated this.

Under Brook's command, the intelligence officer Moore Thomas went public through their vast spy network, announcing a groundbreaking shift: the Hell Pirates and the Rocks Pirates had formed an alliance.

From now on, all territories under the former Diger Pirates would fall under Brook's control.

Those who cooperated would keep their status, wealth, and privileges. Those who resisted? Crushed without mercy.

The announcement hit the world like a seismic bomb.

Two Overlord-level crews joining forces to divide the New World? That level of cooperation was unheard of.

And how could two groups—even that powerful—really manage so much land? Was the Diger Pirate Group truly done for?

Doubt spread like wildfire.

Some pirate crews, disillusioned by the Pirate Guild's failure to protect them, openly revolted. Others waited, watching to see if news of Diger's demise was true or just another misinformation ploy.

After all, no one takes down an Overlord that easily... right?

Back on Java Island—

Diger stood, breathless and bloodied, facing the monstrous force of Rocks.

Even after all this time, the power Rocks wielded was staggering. It was like standing before a natural disaster.

"Hahaha! Diger, you're finished! Accept your fate!" Rocks bellowed. He too bore wounds from the clash—Diger wasn't called an overlord for nothing. But the gap between them had grown.

"You're strong... and smart," Diger coughed, wiping the blood from his mouth. "Back when you killed Overlord Ingran on Bredin Island... I went looking for you. I knew then—you were a threat. A D with potential like yours? Dangerous."

"It's too late for regrets now," Rocks sneered. "You're going to die today. I already laid out my blueprint for this world—dual hegemony. In the next ten years, the New World will change forever."

His words were filled with fire.

The Valley of the Gods. The Navy. The World Government. All of it would crumble. He'd conquer the allied nations and make Marijoa itself kneel.

Even Brook wasn't off his radar—once Rocks seized the treasure hoard and Devil Fruits stored in the Valley of the Gods, not even Brook's Floating-Floating Fruit could save him.

Rocks was no longer aiming to be the king of pirates.

He wanted to be king of the world.

"Hah! You think you're the final boss?" Diger chuckled, coughing up more blood. "Brook will be the one left standing in the end. You're just a stepping stone."

"You trying to shake my faith, old man?" Rocks growled. "Won't happen!"

He launched a barrage of attacks, each swing of his Supreme Grade blade Jibek cracking the earth. Diger dug deep, pushing his dying body to block every blow.

If he could survive long enough, maybe Jack and the others could escape...

"Watch closely... Sparrow bloodline never backs down," he muttered, body trembling as vitality drained from him.

But it was no use. Rocks was too strong. Diger had expected to last a full day—but the burning of his life force accelerated beyond control. He was nearly out of time.

"Then rot in hell for the next few decades!" Rocks roared, his Conqueror's Haki slamming into Diger like a tidal wave.

With one final thunderous strike, he brought Diger to his knees, sword raised to finish it.

Blood pooled around the fallen emperor. His last stand would barely buy the others a few hours...

Just as Rocks raised his blade for the killing blow—

A streak of white tore through the sky.

"Waaaaait a minute!!! Rocks! Let me get an assist!!!"

Brook, riding the Flying Nimbus-like cloud Hera, burst into the battlefield with panic in his eyes and a grin on his face

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