One Piece: Hell Pirates

Brook stepped aside, and Byrnndi —eyes gleaming scarlet—gradually regained consciousness. The first thing he saw was his four commanders restrained with Seastone cuffs. His eyes locked onto Brook, filled with fury.

But when he tried to activate his Moa-Moa no Mi powers, there was no response. Only then did he realize the same Seastone was sapping his strength too.

"Byrnndi!! Calm down!!! We're out of chances! Now, it's all on you. Our lives are in your hands."

"If you want to die, we'll die with you! But if you join the Hell Pirates, we'll always follow you. We'll never betray you... and we'll never look down on you!"

Byojack's voice was firm. He knew his hot-headed little brother wasn't afraid of death—but Byrnndi had one glaring weakness: his emotions. And ironically, that weakness was also his strength. Byojack's hope was simple: that by putting the weight of their lives on Byrnndi shoulders, his brother would be forced to think, to consider... and to choose wisely.

Byrnndi didn't reply. But the trembling of his clenched fists betrayed the chaos in his heart.

Though Byrnndi was the official captain of their crew, it was Byojack who managed the ship's affairs. Byrnndi was the brawler, the battering ram, the unbreakable front line. But now—he was being asked to decide the fate of his crew. And that terrified him. Surrender was something he loathed. Death didn't scare him. But dragging his loyal crewmates to the grave alongside him? That... he couldn't accept.

What right did he have to choose life or death for them?

"Yohoho~ I invited you aboard, not to make you my dog or my slave. What exactly are you hesitating for?"

Brook's voice was calm yet sharp, cutting into Byrnndi's indecision.

"As long as you're loyal and strong, you can even remain a captain—like Shiki the Golden Lion. Or do you really think you're on the level of the Red Count? Whitebeard? Golden Lion?"

"I gave you a chance—one your brother begged for. The rest is up to you, Byrnndi World."

Brook's tone was laced with both respect and contempt, snapping Byrnndi out of his delusion. He finally realized: the Hell Pirates didn't need him. They already had plenty of monsters stronger than him.

"…Fine. I'll join. But don't try to break us up," Byrnndi said at last. "I want to remain captain of my own crew. We'll become a subsidiary group under the Hell Pirates—just like the Ewald Pirates. That's my bottom line."

He took a deep breath.

"I promised my brother I'd take him to see the world. For that, I need freedom."

Joining as a subordinate crew gave him that. Though he wouldn't be part of the Hell Pirates' core leadership, he'd still carry their mark—and with that mark came protection, power, and prestige.

"As long as your crew follows orders, I don't care about the rest. Yohoho~ Welcome aboard. Now let's go get you a new ship!" Brook laughed cheerfully.

As he sheathed his Seven-Star Demon Sword, a glint of red flickered in the eyes of Byrnndi and his crew—but no one noticed.

The Seastone cuffs were removed. Though no words were exchanged, a strange sense of respect—and obedience—began to grow among them. Their original ship had been destroyed by Charlotte Linlin, after all. In a way, this was the only path forward.

They followed Brook back to Golden Island and soon returned to Doragonzo Island. This time, Brook himself had ventured out—and came back with a powerful new ally.

Somewhere out there, Rocks D. Xebec was probably grinding his teeth in frustration.

The remaining two CP spies were quickly disposed of—one by Linlin, the other by Byrnndi himself. The betrayal stung him deeply. The World Government had dared to plant three spies in his crew.

Unforgivable.

With the World Pirates officially joining, the Hell Pirates gained another war-ready squad under their flag. One more cleanup team to manage Brook's ever-growing territory.

Upon their return, a new pirate ship was soon commissioned. It bore two flags: the skull of the Hell Pirates... and the emblem of the World Pirates.

For now, Brook left Byrnndi's crew stationed on Golden Island—for special training. Mastery of both Armament and Observation Haki was essential. Brook wanted them to grow from rookie overlord-class to true pirate elites.

Guyram the Rubik's Cube Man was also loaned out by Brook. Under the guidance of Dr. Vegapunk, he began the brutal reconstruction of Golden Island, following detailed blueprints like a war architect.

Inside the Captain's War Room…

"You're asking me for the Mythical Zoan: Octopus-Siren Fruit? For your brother?" Brook raised an eyebrow, half amused. "You haven't even done anything yet, Byrnndi. That's a pretty steep price."

Despite being subtly influenced by Brook's sword, Byrnndi retained a fragment of willpower. He hadn't forgotten his brother's suffering—Byojack's congenital condition limited his strength drastically.

"I'll follow you wherever you need me. You can use me however you want," Byrnndi said seriously. "I'll help retrieve other powerful Devil Fruits for the crew. But let me have this one—for my brother."

He had learned about the terrifying regeneration abilities of David Kyons' fruit. The Octopus-Siren Fruit was said to have a similar healing potential. With it, Byojack might not just recover—he could thrive.

Brook leaned back, tapping his fingers on the table.

"I could give that fruit to someone with real potential and gain a new top-tier officer. Your brother... doesn't meet that standard. It'd be a waste."

Brook's voice turned cold.

"Unless you show me undeniable value—don't expect me to hand it over."

Walder nodded solemnly. "Understood. I'll earn it. Capture other rookie overlords? Hunt Devil Fruits? Whatever the mission is, I'll succeed."

"Good." Brook smirked. "I'll hold onto the fruit for now. But don't keep me waiting too long, rookie. I'm a generous boss—but I don't reward empty promises."

And so, the capitalist captain spun his vision like a pro recruiter. For Byrnndi, it was the beginning of a long grind up the ladder. For Brook, it was a low-risk investment.

Whether Byrnndi would bloom... or just be harvested like a good ol' leek seedling—that was yet to be seen.

Without another word, Byrnndi turned and left. His first step? Training with the massive fishman, Sebastian.

They focused on improving both types of Haki, especially the rare and advanced Armament Haki variant—Ryou, the "Flowing Sakura."

Sebastian, though not famous yet, was a formidable fishman. In a future timeline, he'd lose his sight and rely solely on Observation Haki—strong enough to defeat even Luffy and Boa Hancock (though not permanently). Among fishmen, he was a living legend.

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

Weeks passed, and the World Pirates—now flying the flag of the Hell Pirates—had begun to make waves across the seas. With just a couple weeks of dual-color Haki training under their belts, Byrnndi and his crew embarked on a mission with fierce momentum.

Their primary targets? Devil Fruit users. Byrnndi hunted them relentlessly, expanding his scope to the early territories of the New World. It was a region teeming with ambitious pirates and vigilant marines.

Meanwhile, the Rubik's Cube Man, Guyram, remained behind on Golden Island. Assigned to island reconstruction, he carried out Brook's orders with no small amount of anxiety—still uneasy under the shadow of the captain's expectations.

Far away on Beehive Island—Hachinosu—the tension was palpable.

When Rocks D. Xebec learned that Byrnndi had been intercepted and subjugated by Brook, his fury was palpable. Another rookie overlord with limitless potential, gone—snatched away by the Hell Pirates captain.

With most of the rising stars and notable pirates either captured or driven out of his territory, Rocks found himself running low on viable hunting targets. Frustrated, he turned his gaze toward the front of the New World, plotting a direct confrontation with the Navy.

Even Barbosa, whom he had once marked for greatness, had disappointed him. The remnants of the Diger Pirates had been crushed by Brook with laughable ease. Now, Rocks had no choice but to intervene personally in the battle for the Fruit.

Worse still, many pirates had abandoned the central and rear territories of the New World, fleeing toward its front lines. There, however, they were promptly ambushed by the Navy.

In a short span of time, Impel Down welcomed a fresh influx of pirate prisoners. The resulting victories triggered a promotion boom within the Navy—bonuses, recognition, and medals all around.

Some names stood out.

The year is 1473 of the Sea Calendar.

(47 years before the Battle of Marineford, 49 years before the Straw Hat Pirates set sail again.)

Brook had been in this world nearly three years now, and his arrival had already reshaped history. His ongoing rivalry with Rocks, and their respective hegemonies splitting the New World, had changed the course of countless lives.

Even the Navy's destiny had altered. With pirates fleeing from the rear to the front of the New World, the Navy gained unprecedented victories. These wins led to a boom of rising stars within its ranks.

Among them, a 30-year-old vice admiral named Sengoku the Buddha, wielding a powerful aura of Haki, had made his name by leading the suppression of the pirate uprisings fueled by the dual-overlord chaos.

Next was the 29-year-old wild card—Monkey D. Garp, then known as Rear admiral "Mad Dog." Thanks to his battlefield achievements, he earned a promotion to Vice Admiral and received a new codename: Iron Fist.

And then there was Zefa, the 25-year-old Rear Admiral. Though he barely met the criteria, he was promoted to Vice Admiral as well, dubbed Black Arm, a principled officer who refused to kill. Known for his valor and discipline, he was respected even by those who outranked him.

(In canon, Zephyr would become an admiral at 38—two years after the War of Kamiya—but would resign at 42 after pirates killed his family. It was this tragedy that turned him into a legendary instructor.)

The flood of battlefield promotions didn't stop there.

Among the many was a striking figure—Rear Admiral Tsuru, age 27. A brilliant strategist and close comrade of Sengoku and Garp, she was just shy of the requirements to reach Vice Admiral. But with one or two more operations, she'd be there. Her power was unquestioned—her influence, growing.

"Haha! What a shame, Tsuru-chan. These kinds of golden opportunities to earn military merit don't come around often," Garp teased with a booming laugh. "Looks like you'll have to wait a bit longer to climb the ladder!"

"Garp!!" Sengoku snapped. "Because of your stupidity, you pursued the remnants of the Diger Pirates without authorization—and got a bunch of marines killed in the process! You idiot! You're accepting punishment for this, got it?!"

Garp tried to speak. "I—"

"GET OUT!!"

Bang!

With a swift kick, Sengoku sent Garp flying out of the meeting room.

There were more urgent matters to deal with.

A surge of pirate activity had pushed into the waters of the New World's bordering member nations, forcing the World Government to mobilize large swaths of Marines from Marineford to hold the line.

Sengoku addressed the situation gravely.

"At present, the Rocks Pirates and Hell Pirates jointly dominate the New World. Their alliance prevents them from clashing, which only reinforces their shared control. With Supernovas and veteran pirates flooding toward us, we're under mounting pressure.

Admiral Coss Davo is now personally overseeing the pursuit of the Diger Pirates' remnants. Meanwhile, it's up to us to eradicate the other threats and restore order to our territories.

For the people—for justice—let's finish this!"

Sengoku then began issuing orders. Even Garp, still rubbing his bruised ribs outside the door, was handed a new mission—hunting down Chinjao of the Eight Treasures Navy.

Despite suffering a devastating loss against the Hell Pirates, Chinjao remained a serious threat. As an awakened Conqueror's Haki user, he would be no pushover.

Before the meeting concluded, Tsuru, now serving as Chief of Staff for operations, raised a red flag.

"I want to alert everyone. Based on intel and my own deductions, the leaders of both the Hell Pirates and Rocks Pirates may be preparing to move toward the front lines of the New World."

Her tone was grave.

"They're both fixated on Devil Fruit users—whether pirate or marine. Captured, crippled, killed... It doesn't matter. The danger is spreading."

The room responded with a casual chorus:

"Roger that!!"

Smirks. Chuckles. Confidence.

Clearly, her warning had fallen on deaf ears. The recent string of victories had left many officers cocky, convinced of their own invincibility.

Tsuru watched them with quiet concern. Their overconfidence would cost them dearly—she was sure of it. But there was little she could do. She was still just a female rear admiral, and her reputation, though growing, wasn't enough to turn the tide of arrogance.

Sengoku, however, saw her worth.

"Tsuru, I'm assigning you a high-reward mission with minimal risk. You're overdue for that promotion, anyway."

He leaned in with a knowing smirk.

"Remember Vice Admiral Dorodo? He was stationed at Sabaody when Saint Rothschild died. Now he's a traitor with a 440 million bounty. Not all that strong. I think you can handle him."

"Do your best—next time we meet, you might be a Vice Admiral."

It was a shamelessly biased assignment—Sengoku pulling strings for his longtime friend. Meanwhile, Garp's kid was already six years old, and both he and Tsuru were still single... Sengoku figured, maybe it was time to try his luck?

Tsuru rolled her eyes hard.

Afro-headed fools aside, she wasn't interested in Sengoku romantically—but she was interested in getting that promotion.

Mission accepted.

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