Whether it was the Hell Pirates' high-speed mobility or their near-flawless intelligence network, no one could deny it—they struck with surgical precision.
After several coordinated raids from their golden ship, multiple ambitious pirate crews were crushed in quick succession. The result? The so-called "Rookie Overlord" had grown silent. No one dared act recklessly within Brook's territory anymore.
In contrast, the Diger Pirates—veterans of the New World—maintained a structured, efficient hierarchy. Their pirate territories remained orderly and calm, suppressed with seasoned authority.
And then there were the Rocks Pirates.
The strongest in land.
The weakest in leadership.
Their vast territory had become a battleground of chaos. Internal infighting, pirate infighting, and external incursions were rampant. The remnants of Ice Demon Pirates had even launched guerrilla strikes near Ice and Snow Island, picking apart the edges of Rocks' domain.
Rocks was beginning to realize it—his empire had grown too large to govern.
Each day brought new reports of insubordination, violence, and rebellion. It was frustrating. Exhausting. And worst of all—it interrupted his training.
As the saying goes: Conquering an empire is hard. Ruling it? Even harder.
When Rocks attempted to delegate, the situation worsened.
His so-called "cadres" refused to work together. Every man wanted his own piece of the pie. Rich, resource-laden islands were contested fiercely. The moment Rocks handed over authority, the power-hungry fools nearly came to blows over territory.
Eventually, Rocks had to descend from his throne with thunderous fury just to get them back in line.
A new system was implemented.
All cadres were recalled to Beehive Island, forming a roving elite patrol squad that would rotate across the territory. The everyday management of each island was handed off to elite pirates with bounties between 50 to 100 million berries.
But this created a massive vulnerability.
With so few top fighters managing individual islands, the Rocks Pirates couldn't suppress every uprising or intrusion.
The rookie pirates noticed.
And they attacked.
Some openly declared rebellion, aiming to carve out a slice of Rocks' vast domain and rise as new overlords. Others conducted raids under the radar. Either way, it was clear:
The Rocks Empire was overstretched.
Enraged, Rocks abandoned his training. If these pests wanted to challenge him, he'd crush them himself.
But then, a new insult appeared.
A so-called "Rocks Fan Club" popped up across the sea. It publicly broadcasted Rocks' location in real time.
It was infuriating.
"Fans?" Rocks growled. "More like spies."
Their frequent updates allowed countless pirates to escape before Rocks arrived. No one knew who ran the fan club, but one thing was clear: it was a well-informed, underground intelligence operation.
He suspected a connection with the Economic News Agency—but not even Rocks knew where that group was headquartered. If he did, he would've razed them the same way he wiped out the Dark News Agency.
Rocks returned to Beehive Island, boiling with rage. The world was mocking him. Jealous of his territory. Targeting him.
"Let them come," he muttered. "I'll unify this sea or die trying."
The real problem was strength.
He hadn't yet reached the pinnacle.
He knew it.
To wipe out the Diger Pirates and subdue the Hell Pirates, he needed more power. And there was a way—one that had recently revealed itself to him.
His Dark-Dark Fruit had evolved.
It no longer simply absorbed attacks or Devil Fruit powers. It had begun to plunder them.
He hadn't realized it until recently—when during a scuffle, the powers of a defeated fruit user vanished... and appeared to have been drawn into him. It wasn't just suppression anymore.
It was seizure.
That's when a thought hit him—what if Brook had discovered this same power already?
After all, the Siren Fruit and Hammerhead Shark Fruit—formerly used by the Siren Pirates—were now in the hands of Hell Pirates' Stussy and Scaredo.
Coincidence?
Rocks didn't believe in those.
Could Brook have mastered a Devil Fruit that steals the powers of others—before him?
The idea sent a chill through Rocks' bones.
Brook had risen too fast. Far too fast. It took Rocks over a decade in the New World before he stumbled upon the method to cultivate Conqueror's Haki Entanglement, the technique that vaulted him to the throne of Overlord.
And Brook?
He got it from Diger almost immediately. As if fate handed it to him.
Now, he had Devil Fruit plundering abilities? A crew of Haki prodigies? A floating fortress?
> "Is he the Child of Destiny of this age?" Rocks muttered.
The world always whispered that only the "Will of D" could shake the world.
Brook wasn't a D.
Or… was he hiding something?
Either way, Rocks pushed those thoughts aside.
If Brook was now plundering Devil Fruit users, then Rocks would too. There could only be one Overlord in this sea—and he refused to lose to anyone.
Not to Brook.
Not to Diger.
Not to anyone.
Diger was already a relic, a pile of bones waiting for a coffin.
Now, Rocks' new plan was clear.
---
Since Brook had begun hunting Devil Fruit users, Rocks would spread that truth—but twist it to his advantage.
He ordered his men to circulate "rumors" to the world:
Brook could steal Devil Fruit powers.
He emphasized the Siren Fruit and Hammerhead Shark Fruit as key examples, then leaked these "rumors" to every major faction—the Diger Pirates, the World Government, the Navy.
He painted Brook as a terrifying entity who consumed Devil Fruit powers and left husks behind.
Meanwhile, Rocks began hiding his own fruit users, keeping their powers under wraps.
Let Brook take the fall.
Let the world fear him instead.
Let him become the villain.
The next confrontation would catch Brook—and even Diger—off guard.
---
And sure enough...
The next day, despite Moore Thomas' best efforts to suppress the reports, the news spread like wildfire.
The World Government was especially interested.
After all, an ability to plunder Devil Fruits was a direct threat to the balance of power.
The Diger Pirates were rattled.
Xiaofeng, in particular, felt like he'd seen a ghost.
The more he thought about it, the more it added up. The Hell Pirates had too many powerful Devil Fruit users—too many to be luck.
And yes, the Siren and Hammerhead Shark Fruits were in the hands of Stussy and Scaredo.
They'd acquired them far too quickly.
It was too neat. Too perfect. Too fast.
Now, Devil Fruit users across the New World were beginning to fear the Hell Pirates...
But at the same time?
They were intrigued.
If you join the Hell Pirates… would it be easier to obtain a Devil Fruit?
-------------------------
When Brook received the latest headlines, he fell into a thoughtful silence.
The ability to plunder Devil Fruits—it was too threatening, too destabilizing. If the rumors spread unchecked, the stability he'd fought so hard to establish would crumble before it even took root.
"Very clever, Rocks," Brook muttered with a cold smile. "You know how to play the public like a shamisen string…"
But Brook wasn't just a swordsman or captain—he was a strategist. A manipulator of perception. Turning black into white was precisely why he had invested so heavily in the World Economic News Agency.
Now the question was: Whom should he trick this time?
He briefly considered flipping the blame onto Rocks, but that ran the risk of involving the D Clan. He wasn't ready to poke that hornet's nest too hard—not yet.
Still, if he couldn't attack the D Clan directly, maybe he could bait them indirectly.
After a few hours of quiet scheming and mischief-filled pacing, Brook struck gold. This time, he would aim higher.
The Celestial Dragons.
A few rounds of polishing and editorial theatrics later, a "rumor" was ready to go.
[Brook has acquired several seeds of the legendary Devil Fruit Tree hidden within the Red Line. These seeds, when watered with the blood of the Celestial Dragons—the so-called Clan of God—will sprout and grow into new Devil Fruits within a day, if planted onto a Devil Fruit user's corpse.]
That alone would be enough to send shockwaves through the world.
Brook omitted one critical point he had considered adding—the D Clan as "God's natural enemies." It was tempting, but no. Not yet.
Instead, he instructed Moore Thomas to subtly weave it into the side headlines. The connection was too juicy to waste, especially since Rocks D. Xebec was the most infamous member of the D Clan.
"You disgust me, Rocks… So I'll make sure to disgust you right back."
And then, with all the flair of a showman, Brook made a global announcement.
The Hell Pirates were recruiting.
Those who passed the test would receive access to rare Devil Fruits—some even rumored to fly.
With Moore Thomas personally overseeing the headlines, the world was bombarded with explosive reports:
"Shocking! Devil Fruit Recycling Involves Celestial Blood Rituals?!"
"Exposed: The D Clan—Natural Enemies of the Gods?"
"Breaking: Hell Pirates Open Recruitment. Flying Devil Fruits Offered to Top Recruits!"
One particularly outrageous article even quoted:
"Rocks D. Xebec is the natural enemy of God and is determined to kill all Celestial Dragons!"
Brook may have made that part up.
But hey, journalism was all about framing, wasn't it?
And of course, to top it all off:
"To join the Hell Pirates, call our recruitment hotline: 666666!"
---
All over the Four Seas, the Grand Line, and the New World, the pirate world collectively scratched its head.
Celestial Dragon blood? Devil Fruit seeds?
It sounded insane.
But… the Hell Pirates had killed a Celestial Dragon. That part was undeniable. Could they have collected the blood during the battle?
No one knew for sure.
But then again—most pirates weren't exactly scholars. Many were illiterate. And when the Seagull News Bird dropped a paper in front of them, they took it as gospel.
It didn't help that the Hell Pirates were actually recruiting. For many pirates, this wasn't just a rumor—it was opportunity. A chance to get a rare Devil Fruit and maybe join one of the Three Great Overlords.
---
Beehive Island
"C-Captain Rocks… you… you're not really going to kill all the Celestial Dragons, are you?"
Miss Bakkin's voice trembled.
Everyone, including pirates, feared the Celestial Dragons. Some rookie Overlord even dropped to their knees upon seeing one. Their divine status in the world was absolute.
Rocks didn't answer immediately.
He read the paper silently.
He wasn't stupid. He could tell the World Economic News Agency was aligned with Brook. No other paper would've published recruitment ads mid-crisis and tried to clean up the Hell Pirates' public image this quickly.
But the name struck a chord.
"God's Natural Enemy."
"Heh… I like that title," Rocks said at last. "From now on, I am God's Natural Enemy… Rocks D. Xebec."
The moment he declared it, a surge of Haki radiated from him. His Conqueror's Haki trembled, rippled, and intensified.
His aura grew stronger.
His commanders stepped back, unease written on their faces.
Brook, wherever he was, would never have guessed that his smear campaign had buffed his greatest enemy.
---
Madagascar Island – Diger's Hideout.
Diger stared at the paper with disbelief.
"I don't believe it…"
And yet, the more he read, the more the pieces fit.
Brook had definitely taken over the World Economic News Agency. The timing, the coordination, the propaganda—only he could've pulled it off.
Diger ground his teeth.
"This was supposed to be my territory. The intelligence network should have been mine…"
He thought back to O'Hara—the island of scholars. An island Brook had snatched up and hidden in the sky, just like everything else.
And then it hit him.
The World Economic News Agency had probably gone airborne too. Sky Island-style.
"Damn that Golden Lion Shiki… Damn that Float-Float Fruit…"
O'Hara. Sky Islands. News Agencies. Floating forts.
Diger clenched his fists in frustration.
"I've spent decades fighting tooth and nail… and now this newcomer Brook just outpaces me in two years?!"
Maybe Brook really was the son of this era.
Screw the D Clan.
---
The World Government and Navy also took notice.
The claims were outrageous. Borderline ridiculous.
Still, the potential ability to recycle Devil Fruits could not be ignored.
The World Peace Dove News Agency, sponsored by the government, immediately issued a counter-statement:
"Fake News! Devil Fruit trees? Celestial blood? Preposterous! The Economic News Agency is spreading baseless rumors! Boycott them!"
But the damage was done.
The buzz was everywhere.
And the pirates?
They didn't care if it was fake.
They cared that Devil Fruits were involved.
More and more crews began heading toward Hell Pirates territory, hoping for recruitment. The rumors were too consistent. Too compelling.
"Brook must've collected gallons of Celestial Dragon blood with a pump…" "They say he has a whole orchard of Devil Fruit trees in the sky!" "Look at the Hell Pirates' bounty posters—every one of them's a Devil Fruit user!"
Fact or fiction, it didn't matter.
The myth had been born.
And for the pirates of the world, there was only one question:
If you don't join now… when will you?
If you notice the new Fanfic are gone i'll give the new link
This is the new link for my new Fanfic because i repost it
Killing People is Kinda Scientific Right?
https://www.webnovel.com/book/killing-people-is-kinda-scientific-right_33392445700696205
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Check my Pâtreon for (40) advanced chapters
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