One Piece: Hell Pirates

Rocks frowned as he watched Brook rush toward him, then grinned and finished off the exhausted Diger with a single, decisive blow.

He'd already recognized the silhouette of the Ghost General in Brook's movements—and more than that, he'd seen the shadow of David Kyons. That was enough to make him cautious. He suspected Brook's Devil Fruit might have the ability to extract souls under specific conditions. If so, he wouldn't give his enemy even a sliver of help.

Without hesitation, Rocks snatched Diger's Supreme Grade blade and tossed it to Wang Zhi. Then, as Brook closed within ten meters, a burst of overwhelming sword energy erupted from Rocks and completely obliterated Diger's body.

"Hahaha~ Brook, you're too late!" Rocks laughed, his voice thunderous. "You still want to save Diger and fight me together? That dream's over!"

Because of the Conqueror's Haki Oath between them, he couldn't attack Brook directly—but nothing stopped him from mocking or taunting the Hell Pirates' captain. And if Brook came to harvest Diger's soul? Too bad. The body was gone now.

About five or six meters away, Brook hovered silently on the somersault cloud Hera, disappointment written all over his face. Below, Diger's corpse lay in ruins, and Rocks only looked more pleased with himself.

But inside, Brook was laughing like a madman.

Old man Diger… you really held on that long? Even with your head cut off, you still clung to life for several seconds… just long enough for me to reach you.

And Rocks—so arrogant—had delayed destroying the body until Brook arrived. That delay had allowed Brook to seize the soul. Not just any soul, but Diger's dominant soul.

I'm rich!

On the outside, Brook wore an expression of frustration, guilt, and annoyance. Rocks, predictably, became even more smug at the sight.

"Hmph! So what if Diger died?" Brook growled. "Why did all your subordinates go off to raid the Ten Kings Islands? Not a single one stayed behind to hunt down Jack and the others. Because of that, I ran into Jack and Barbosa on the way—and that slowed me down!"

Even though he'd gained a massive advantage, Brook still chose to play the role of a sour ally. His tone was heavy with accusation, which instantly provoked Wang Zhi. The warrior raised his sword and pointed it straight at Brook.

"Hmm?" Brook raised an eyebrow, turning to Rocks with a smirk. What's this? Do you want to start a war?

"Wang Zhi, stand down!" Rocks waved his hand dismissively. "Be more careful next time. We and the Hell Pirates are allies now."

The more upset Brook appeared, the happier Rocks seemed.

"Diger just died—his territory isn't officially yours yet. My men are simply taking what belongs to the Diger Pirates. That has nothing to do with you," Rocks said coolly. "As for Jack, that stubborn old fool Diger burned the last of his life force just to cover their retreat. Even my crew couldn't stop him."

He scowled. "Two of my own commanders died. Are you going to compensate me for that? No? Then what's wrong with me helping myself to loot the Ten Kings Island?"

Rocks wasn't the kind to suffer losses quietly. Someone had to pay. And if not Brook, then Diger's legacy would.

Brook didn't argue. He just stared at Rocks, his eyes steady. "Now that Diger is dead... can we start dividing the territory officially?"

Rocks's smile thinned. "Only if you swear with your Conqueror's Haki that you'll never monitor any of my crew again—no Den Den Mushi, no News Seagull, no spies. Make that oath, and I'll pull my men back immediately."

He narrowed his eyes. "If not, then for the deaths of my two commanders, I'll raze the Diger Pirates' land for two days and two nights before handing anything over."

Clearly, Rocks had grown sick of Brook's intelligence network. Their ten years of so-called peace had been nothing more than a quiet cold war. Brook's eyes and ears were everywhere—and Rocks wanted them gone.

Brook gave a dry smile. "Then go ahead. Two days and two nights later, the Overlord's Haki Faith Oath will be officially invoked. Goodbye."

He turned Hera and flew off. The loot wasn't his anyway, though it still stung a little.

But to give up his entire surveillance network just to avoid a raid? Impossible. The Rocks Pirates were vast, and Brook couldn't possibly trust them unmonitored.

"Brook, are you sure about this?" Rocks growled. "In two days, I can turn most of Diger's territory into dust before I give it to you!"

Brook didn't even turn his head. "Then we'll grab it too. At worst, we split it 50-50."

He rose higher on Hera's Somersault Cloud, eyes scanning the horizon. It was a race to plant flags now—whoever got there first would claim the territory. Both crews would clash, but it all depended on speed and persistence.

Brook's forces were already planting flags across the borders of the Hell Pirates' domain, creeping deeper into Diger's former lands. Once Brook's flags were up, Rocks's men were forbidden from entering. All Brook had to do was hold out for two more days, and everything would be his—even if there were heavy casualties.

He wouldn't compromise.

The Den Den Mushi and News Seagull were critical. They were Brook's eyes and ears across the sea. He would never give those up just to pacify Rocks.

"You're ruthless!" Rocks yelled behind him. "At least agree not to monitor any of my officers with bounties over 100 million berries!"

Brook turned around with a sly grin. "Make it 500 million."

"200 million!"

"400 million."

Rocks barked, "Enough! No monitoring for anyone over 300 million berries!"

Brook's smile widened. "Deal."

Even Redfield and Wang Zhi looked stunned by the way these two monsters haggled like market vendors.

With that settled, Rocks tried shifting to a new topic: driving the Marines out of the New World. But Brook cut him off with a sharp look.

"We can discuss that later. First, order your men to retreat."

They were both in a hurry. Their territories were growing chaotic, with riots and looting breaking out. Both leaders had to return to stabilize their domains.

Only after Rocks confirmed that his men had secured several Ten Kings Islands did he agree to withdraw to Beehive Island and start reestablishing control. Brook watched him go with a sigh of relief.

The age of two overlords had officially begun.

Back on Java Island, the battlefield was littered with corpses. Rocks only took the bodies of Rocket Jonas and Saxe Way, ignoring the rest.

Brook wandered among the dead, eventually spotting the broken corpse of Sabachi, king of Yindu Island. If he played his cards right, he might be able to acquire the Shadow-Shadow Fruit from that body one day.

No trace of Diger remained—completely vaporized. A great loss. The underground king, Jevaler, had been torn apart so badly his corpse was unusable.

So many elite pirates, wasted. Unfortunately, neither Baron of the Stomach nor Lily Carnation was present, and no one on the island had the ability to extract shadows.

Brook clenched his fists, then let out a breath. Nothing more he could do here.

He and Redfield boarded the golden ship and returned to Madagascar.

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

New World, Ballon Island—

"Hurry, hurry, hurry! Urgent news! Latest update! Get it out, now!"

Chaos erupted inside the headquarters of the World Economic News Agency, nestled high atop Sky Island in the New World. President Moore Thomas was barking orders like a madman, hands trembling with excitement and urgency.

The death of the veteran overlord Diger Sparrow had just been confirmed—and the shocker? His older brother, Brook, was teaming up with Rocks to split the New World. The implications were earth-shaking.

There weren't even photos or article layouts—just massive headlines slapped onto paper and sent out by the afternoon.

[Overlord Diger Confirmed Dead! Hell Pirates and Rocks Pirates Form Alliance! Brook to Take Over Diger's Territories!]

Seagull News Birds scattered across the globe, spreading the bombshell that had even shaken the World Government and Navy to their core.

Why didn't the Hell Pirates and Diger Pirates form an alliance to counter the Rocks Pirates?

How did everything flip so drastically in just two days?

With the news officially confirmed, the pirate world exploded into frenzy. A dominant seat in the New World was now vacant, and with Brook and Rocks both controlling vast territories, chaos was inevitable.

The Rocks Pirates had already looted several of the Ten Kings Islands. Their cadres, satisfied with their spoils, regrouped at Beehive Island—Hachinosu—ready to cleanse their territories of rookie overlords7 and rebellious pirates.

This time, no intelligence agency would dare leak their battle plans. Anyone caught would face two choices: surrender or death. Devil Fruit users? Their powers would be stripped away and absorbed by Rocks.

Even infamous supernovas like Naguri, Chinjao, and Byrnndi hadn't seen this coming. No one imagined Brook and Rocks would ever cooperate. The entire pirate world was caught off guard.

With the New World thrown into chaos, ambitious pirates came crawling out from every dark corner, eager to seize the empty throne. As for Brook claiming all of Diger's territory? That was a joke to most.

In the world of pirates, power—not claims—decided territory.

And Rocks knew that.

If Brook wanted to rule Diger's lands, he'd have to fight for them—facing off against Diger's remnants, greedy rookies, and every pirate that smelled blood.

---

Elsewhere—

On the mobile floating island of Madagascar, now returning to the skies, Brook was already mobilizing his next move.

Shiki, the Golden Lion, was ordered to return the island solo, while Brook and the Hell Pirates' key commanders boarded their massive golden ship, en route to the Ten Kings Islands to plant their flags and assert control.

Meanwhile, subordinate pirate crews like Angel were pushing forward, raising the Hell Pirates' flag over every island formerly ruled by the Diger Pirates.

The New World was a warzone. Pirates took advantage of the chaos to raid, burn, and loot. The Rocks Pirates were busy subjugating resistance and expanding their empire, while the Hell Pirates fought tooth and nail to claim new territory.

"Brother Brook! A lot of our Den Den Mushi have been destroyed!"

Antonio looked grim, visibly pained.

"Some pirate crews registered under the Pirate Guild killed the Den Den Mushi as a sign of open defiance! They're trying to take Diger Pirate territory—and some are even making a move on our original strongholds!"

"They'll all pay for it."

Brook's voice was ice.

The Pirate Guild's golden age was ending. It had thrived when three overlords ruled the seas and balanced power. But now, with Brook and Rocks dividing the New World, the Guild's influence was nearly meaningless.

"Brother Brook, about the other Ten Kings Islands…" Shakky cut in, her voice full of frustration. "Madam Rose and Jocard looted most of the treasures from their islands before fleeing. On top of that, the Rocks Pirates seized five islands' worth of loot. We've suffered massive losses!"

Brook sighed, rubbing his temples.

Thankfully, the wealthiest of the islands—Madagascar—had been secured early. Jack's Island and Barbosa's Island were also reclaimed in time. These recoveries softened the blow.

Madagascar Island had belonged to Diger, making it the richest. But the Caspian Island, managed by Barbosa, held vital supply chains. Lady Rose rose Island ran merchant and pirate fleets. And Jevaler's Underground Island controlled key routes between the New World and Grand Line.

"We'll have to accept the loss," Brook muttered. "Rocks helped us wipe out the Diger Pirates. Two of their top brass died in the process. They took five of the Ten Kings Islands—consider it their reward."

Still, the Rocks' looting stung. Brook knew he had to establish control over the rest of the territories fast—before others claimed them.

Later, they'd deal with the troublemakers. Whether they were rookie overlords or big-name pirates—Brook would take a page from Rocks' book: no surrender, no survival.

---

"Brother Brook, we're running low on manpower," Redfield grumbled. "We barely had enough troops after taking over Saracha's domain. Now we're supposed to occupy the Diger Pirates' lands too? We're stretched way too thin!"

Brook nodded grimly.

"Shiki's forming an air fleet. Shakky, I want you to push hard to bring the Kuja Pirates and even the Amazon Lily Kingdom to our side. Vegapunk's working on cyborg tech. We'll also head to Wano Country to recruit samurai."

Even Fish-Man Island was recruiting en masse, and last time they'd used Devil Fruits to bait pirates into joining—but it still wasn't enough to secure all these islands.

Should he try recruiting pirates again?

If he offered the Mythical Zoan: Octopus Devil Fruit as a prize, it'd definitely attract powerful pirates...

Then it hit him—another solution: the Mink Tribe of Zou Island.

Every Mink was a natural warrior. If he could win them over, their fighting force would be invaluable.

---

"Brother Brook, I can create hundreds of Homies… if you provide me enough souls, I can make thousands!"

Charlotte Linlin stepped forward, clearly moved by Brook's visible frustration.

"You're a lifesaver, Linlin," Brook said with genuine relief. "You know, seeing you just gave me an idea. Remember Dorry and the Brogy from the Giant Tribe? Maybe you can resolve your beef with Elbaf. If you do, we might even recruit an army of giants!"

The mention of Elbaf sparked a new fire in Brook's eyes.

If the Hell Pirates could command the strength of giants… then taking over Diger's empire wouldn't just be possible—it would be inevitable.

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