One Piece: Hell Pirates

The sudden appearance of the two figures made Brook halt his execution mid-motion. He urgently redirected the Seven-Star Sword in his hand and slammed it back into its sheath.

Thinking back on it, there didn't seem to be an urgent need to harvest Saracha's soul or his Corruption Fruit just yet. Maybe raising him a little longer and cutting him like a leek every now and then wouldn't be so bad.

"I get it, I get it! Linlin, wait—let's save some soul for next time. Crocus, go recycle the leftovers!" Brook called out, waving a hand at Charlotte Linlin, who had been mid-soul extraction.

Brook didn't want her to kill Saracha just yet. But even so, it wasn't that easy—Saracha, being a master of Conqueror's Haki, showed no fear. And if there was no fear, Linlin couldn't rip out the soul.

"Hmph! Fine, let him live—for now. But next time, I'll make him understand what fear really is!" Charlotte Linlin growled, clearly displeased at the lack of harvest. Meanwhile, Crocus laughed like a madman, dragging Saracha away with glee.

This guy was a rare find—stronger even than Jack. Now that Crocus had a high-grade experimental subject, his lab would be able to develop even more advanced Blood Crystal Dandelions.

"You bastard, Brook! Using me as a lab rat? Let me go! I'll form an alliance, alright? I'll even call you 'Master' if that's what it takes!" Saracha roared as he was hauled off to the medical lab, where Crocus and his poison-specialist assistant, Tia, were already eager to begin the next phase of experimentation.

Back in the main hall, Charlotte Linlin followed Brook like a donkey, eyes sparkling with glee.

"Brother Brook, why are we heading to Elbaf again? Haven't we already pacified most of the territory? Ten Thousand Nations is thriving, and Cake Island is so lively now—I love it!"

Brook glanced down at her growing belly. Their child was developing rapidly, and soon, very soon, it would be time.

"Let's wait until the baby's born. After that, we'll deal with the remaining stragglers from the Jack's crew—Jack included," Brook replied, brushing a hand over her stomach with rare gentleness.

Truth be told, he hadn't even picked out a name for their child. Nor had he decided what Devil Fruit to give the baby.

Jack's woman, Amber, had already given birth to a boy—Depp Sparrow, named by Brook himself. That move had Jack and Barbosa more active than ever.

In response, Redfield and Golden Lion Shiki took it upon themselves to hunt the pair down. Yet no matter how close they got—like when Jack nearly got caught on Doragenzo Island—they always managed to slip away.

Brook had even made a public announcement: any remaining forces of Diger were welcome to join him as an affiliated crew, like the Ewald Pirates. No one responded. But Jack didn't dare curse him either—his son was still in Brook's hands.

"Brother Brook~, have you picked a name yet?" Charlotte Linlin asked, her expression unusually sweet.

She had done the math. She got pregnant on her birthday—February 15. That meant the baby's due date was December 12. Perfect timing for the Winter Solstice Festival in Elbaf on December 22, when the entire Giant Tribe would gather for celebrations.

She was determined to give birth before then, thinking it would be the perfect chance to return and mend things with the giants.

If Brook had known she was planning something like that, he'd have lost it. Children weren't party favors—birth should follow nature's course, not deadlines!

Still, even if reconciliation with the giants failed, Brook wasn't worried. He had multiple entry points into Elbaf now.

In the past two years, his investigations uncovered deep divides within the giant ranks. The Peace Navy Faction, Free Pirate Faction, and Radical Reformists were all locked in ideological conflict. Some even plotted to overthrow the king.

And where there's ambition, there's opportunity.

If Carmel could infiltrate Elbaf with a self-torture act and run the Lamb's House for decades, then surely Brook—with all his schemes—had no shortage of options. Especially since he'd already planted two powerful spies: Dorry and Brody.

"Yohoho~. Have you decided on a name?" Brook asked playfully, kicking the ball back to her.

Charlotte giggled. "Hehe~! Now that I'm married to Brother Brook, do I get your last name too? But then again, you gave up your family name. How boring!"

She twirled a strand of her hair. "Still, our baby should carry your name! Maybe I'll be Charlotte Brook from now on? Hmm... I saw a bunch of desserts the other day, and I came up with names like Katakuri, Smoothie, Cracker. What do you think?"

Her eyes sparkled with excitement—though, truthfully, her ideas were mostly dessert-themed names with a pirate twist. A bit embarrassing, really.

But names in the world of pirates weren't always serious. After all, if people insisted on logic, then Redfield should be "Patrick," Whitebeard should be "Newgate," and Sir Crocodile… well, "Sir Crocodile."

Brook internally sighed. Katakuri was just a transliteration of starch used for rice cakes. Of course she'd base names on food—she was Big Mom, after all.

"Very good! Wonderful, even! I'll leave the naming to you," Brook said with a grin. "Meanwhile, I'll head to the Tree of Knowledge —see if any ancient texts inspire me. Maybe I'll find something as great as your dessert-themed masterpieces!"

He wasn't joking. The historical texts Roger had translated might contain references to Uranus, the Heavenly King. If so, they'd possess intel on all three Ancient Weapons: Uranus, Pluton, and Poseidon.

A fantasy? Maybe. But every great pirate starts with one.

Besides, the records once collected by the previous ruler, Overlord Ingran, weren't just junk. They might hold real treasure.

"Ooh! I'll come too!" Linlin chirped, bouncing after him like a giddy child. "I haven't finished the rare species encyclopedia yet! Some mythical beasts have such cool names—Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Black Tortoise, Phoenix... Brother Brook, how about those?"

Riding atop Zeus, she zoomed through the air beside him, bursting with excitement.

Brook chuckled. "If we end up naming our kid after a mythical beast... I just hope it's not Taotie."

Together, they soared toward the Tree of Knowledge—one chasing knowledge, the other chasing snacks.

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

Inside the Tree of Knowledge in O'Hara, a group of scholars surrounded ancient texts left behind by Gol D. Roger. While the records didn't reveal Uranus' precise location, they described catastrophic events across various islands once part of the Great Kingdom.

The translation read: "With the coming of that dreadful force, the skies blackened, thunder roared, and something fell from the heavens. In the blink of an eye, the island was wiped from existence. It was like the end of the world—apocalyptic and absolute."

"Lord Brook," said Dr. Kutu, adjusting his glasses with a grave expression, "I suspect the phenomenon described here is the ancient weapon Uranus. Unlike Pluton, which was the mightiest warship capable of blasting an island into oblivion from the sea, Uranus appears to be airborne—dropping destruction from the sky. Just one strike, and the entire island vanished."

He shook his head. "To think something like this existed... terrifying. Truly, humans are astonishing creatures. Capable of building marvels—and also horrors that can wipe out civilizations."

Brook stood silent, his hand on his chin, deep in thought. This sounds eerily similar to a strategic nuclear bomber... Could this world's technology have reached such heights eight hundred years ago? Was there a nuclear war that shattered a massive kingdom, turning it into scattered islands and wrecking the magnetic fields?

Could Devil Fruits themselves be post-war mutations?

"You continue your research," Brook finally said. "I'll send you the original historical text soon."

He tucked the translated copy under his arm and left the Tree of Knowledge. Not far behind, Charlotte Linlin was still immersed in the Encyclopedia of Rare Species and the Bestiary of Ancient Beasts, scribbling notes fervently. Her passion for naming things had clearly found new fuel.

Without disturbing her, Brook leapt onto the somersault cloud Hera and descended from the sky island. The thin air and low temperatures of the upper atmosphere didn't faze him anymore—one of the many perks of being undead and stronger than ever.

In the original timeline, even Kaido the Beast could free-fall from sky islands without issue. Now, Brook not only had the strength but also the tech. It might be time to recruit someone with the Fruit to build a sky elevator—and maybe use those air octopi raised on the sky island for vertical travel.

Thanks to Vegapunk's efforts, the weather island Visalia had also reverse-engineered several weather ships, soon to be mass-produced for travel between sea and sky.

With the New World under control and no immediate threat from Rocks, Brook's territory was finally stabilizing. It was time to shift into full development mode. Now, his biggest concerns were rookie overlords, rival pirates, and the Marines.

Down below, the island of Doragonzo had transformed. It now rivaled Gran Tesoro, the future floating city of the Golden Emperor. The Golden Lion, Shiki, had even moved Madagascar's Diger Palace here.

Everything valuable from the Ten Kings Island was relocated to this central hub. Shiki, ever the dramatist, proposed changing the island's unwieldy name to something flashier—"Holy Island," "Hell Island," or "Golden Island." In pirate circles, though, it had already earned a new nickname: Pirate Holy Island—a paradise pirates across the seas dreamed of joining.

Reports from Moore Thomas confirmed the transformation. Brook's domain had become a utopia for pirates. Meanwhile, Rocks' territories were chaos incarnate.

Rocks had managed to keep his Dark Newspaper running through sheer willpower—and a lot of personal funding. Despite hemorrhaging money, the paper survived, allowing him to build a modest but loyal intelligence network.

On the training grounds of Doragonzo, the clash of titans rang through the air.

Red Earl Redfield and Gol D. Roger dueled fiercely—Redfield's noble blade locked in relentless combat with Roger's famed sword, Ace. Sparks flew. Shockwaves exploded outward. Scarlet lightning crackled from their blades as if the skies themselves were watching.

"Damn it! Why are these two monsters so damn strong?!" roared Shiki, watching with clenched fists. Beside him stood Newgate, Rayleigh, and Gaban—silent, observant, but clearly impressed.

Shiki had dueled Roger once, but only as part of Brook's request to train in Conqueror's Haki: Advanced Infusion. Unfortunately for Shiki, Roger had already reached an intermediate level, while Shiki was still struggling at the beginner stage. Only Redfield could trade blows with Roger on equal footing.

Roger's growth was staggering. Being hunted by Saracha for over half a year had pushed him past his limits. Without power, he and his crew would've been wiped out. Now, he was rapidly closing the gap between himself and the world's strongest.

Redfield and Shiki had only faced remnants of the Diger Pirates—fighting Jack and Barbosa in skirmishes that didn't push them to the brink. That lack of pressure showed. Roger was beginning to pull ahead.

Brook, ever the strategist, deliberately kept Roger nearby as a high-level sparring partner. He even planned to share the translated historical text soon, using it as bait for more intense training rounds between Roger and his own top lieutenants.

Knowing he couldn't match Roger for now, Shiki shifted his focus. "Tch… I'll just fight Rayleigh next and build myself back up," he muttered.

Newgate had his own plans: battle Roger first, then Rayleigh. He believed he was slightly stronger than Rayleigh and wanted to prove it.

Brook, watching from above on Hera, was thoroughly pleased. With good food, training, and a steady supply of worthy opponents, he could squeeze every ounce of potential from Roger's pirate crew.

Now that Diger was gone and Rocks had called a temporary truce, there weren't many other options for meaningful combat. Beyond the Admirals, Roger was Brook's best shot at growth.

Of course, the Hell Pirates trained constantly too. Brook and his four main combatants often sparred—sometimes even two-on-one—pushing each other to the brink and beyond.

With a final explosive clash, Redfield and Roger separated, both panting but smiling. They were clearly satisfied with the exchange.

Clap clap clap!

"Yohohoho~! Magnificent!" Brook called out as he landed. "As expected of the D clan… the natural enemies of the so-called gods. You're born to shape history!"

Brook studied Roger for a moment. How does this guy level up so fast? From his adventures and near-death escapes to learning advanced Haki on his own—Roger was a walking protagonist. Poor Saracha had just been another stepping stone on his hero's journey.

"Brother Brook!"

"Captain Brook!"

"Yo! Brook!"

The moment he landed, the crowd gathered. Roger's crew and Brook's officers all greeted him with enthusiasm.

Brook's Fruit had recently awakened, doubling his spiritual power. Just his presence was enough to make Roger's crew nervous.

More terrifying, Brook now commanded the spirits of powerful fallen warriors—like Overlord Diger and Pseudo-Overlord Kyons. Summoning just one of them could turn the tide of any battle.

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