On the other side of the sea, the Roger Pirates had been relentlessly chasing Garp. Eventually, both sides crossed the borders of the Hell Pirates' territory and clashed fiercely within the Pirate Chaos Buffer Zone.
Roger and Garp, both D clan titans, reveled in their long-awaited battle. Roger, cloaked in his overwhelming Conqueror's Haki, found himself unable to overwhelm Garp. The Marine hero's terrifying Armament Haki and monstrous physique made him nearly invincible.
Roger still couldn't tell if Garp possessed Conqueror's Haki. What unsettled him was how completely unaffected Garp was by his own Haki. A monster among monsters. Or perhaps... Garp had been hiding his Conqueror's Haki all along?
"Haha~ What a thrill!!" Garp bellowed with laughter as he punched Roger's famed blade, Ace, sending sparks flying.
He had to admit—Roger's strength had grown rapidly, almost catching up to his own. But Garp had also been evolving. Ever since entering the New World, his strength had skyrocketed. At this point, even his old partner Sengoku might not be a match for him. He even felt itching to take on admirals.
Finally, he had a worthy match in Roger. Yet, just as things heated up, an urgent warning split the air.
"Vice Admiral Garp, retreat immediately! The Rocks Pirates are approaching!!" shouted a frantic naval lookout.
"Roger! We should fall back too!!" Rayleigh's voice rang out.
Everyone understood the weight of that name. Rocks D. Xebec wasn't some fake overlord like Saracha. His arrival meant annihilation.
Without hesitation, both sides retreated. The Roger Pirates fell back into Brook's territory while Garp regrouped with the Marine defense line.
At that same time, Rocks was in pursuit of Eric Dane, captain of the King's Pirates. Originally, Rocks had planned to wipe out the remnants of the Diger Pirates, but Brook had cleverly lured Jack away, forcing Rocks to shift targets.
Naguri, ever the slippery fox, escaped at the first sign of danger. Unfortunately for the King's Pirates, they ran into Rocks while fleeing and ended up as convenient scapegoats. Meanwhile, Naguri slipped away again.
Eric Dane had hoped to use the chaos caused by the Roger-Garp battle to escape. But those two maniacs retreated far too fast.
"Hahaha~ Watching Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp go at it like wild beasts... What a spectacular duel! Those brats from the D clan, they're something else!" Rocks exclaimed, watching the distant clash.
He admired their ferocity—reminding him of his own younger days. If he could rally all the D clan members under his banner, he might truly have a shot at toppling the Celestial Dragons.
"Too bad they run like that fox Naguri... Still, I can't let this rare opportunity slip by. This is our chance to make a dent in the New World."
The Rocks Pirates quickly intercepted the fleeing King's Pirates before they could reach Brook's waters. Enraged that Brook's Pirate Guild had cornered so much prey, Rocks personally took action and even considered copying Brook's guild model.
Eric Dane was ultimately subdued before he could cross into Brook's territory. Presented with a choice between death and submission, he "voluntarily" pledged allegiance to Rocks.
With that, the Rocks Pirates gained three rookie overlord captains under their banner: the Karns Brothers, Ibadombo, and now Eric Dane.
Meanwhile, Brook's Pirate Guild had only one major affiliate rookie overlord crew—led by Byrnddi World. Roger, Chinjao, and Woonan remained loosely affiliated but free-moving.
"Heh, the navy still has powerful Devil Fruit users. Sengoku, Tsuru, and the two admirals... Three Mythical Zoan users. I'd love to butcher them all!" Rocks sneered.
Now that he had absorbed the King's Pirates, his gaze shifted toward the Marines. Other pirates had proven cowardly—fleeing at the first sign of danger. But the navy? They had to respond when allied nations were attacked.
Perhaps he could kill a Marine admiral. Maybe even Vice Admiral Sengoku. Rocks especially coveted Sengoku's Mythical Zoan: the Human-Human Fruit, Model: Buddha.
His decision was made: Sengoku would be his next target.
The Rocks Pirates began planting their flags on islands within the buffer zone, territories left unclaimed by mutual pirate consensus. By doing so, they brought their borders into direct conflict with the navy.
Rocks' ambition was clear. He wanted to push the navy out of the New World entirely, seize control over the allied nations and even Brook's holdings. Ultimately, his eyes were fixed on the Celestial Dragons in the Valley of the Gods.
But before all that, he needed to secure the buffer waters. Since Brook didn't want pirates meddling there, Rocks would claim it all, even if it meant challenging the navy head-on.
He feared no one. The time would come when he'd rally the Hell Pirates and strike the navy together.
Elsewhere, Brook had stationed Amber and her son, Depp Sparrow, alone on a beast-infested island—a move that risked their lives. It was clearly a baited trap. Jack, unable to bear it, vowed to rescue them with what remained of the Diger crew.
Barbosa tried to dissuade him. He knew Brook wouldn't let Amber and her son die so easily, but the risk was blatant.
Still, Jack would not listen. Madam Rose and Jocard exchanged glances and agreed to go with him. In the end, Jack and Barbosa parted ways.
Not long after, Barbosa murmured to himself, "Jack... you fool. Madam Rose and Jocard didn't go to help you. They sold you out to join the Hell Pirates."
He had seen it coming. That's why he tried so hard to stop Jack. But the New Diger Pirates were already crumbling beyond salvation.
Barbosa had once thought he could control the New Diger Pirates through Jack. That was hubris. Now, with Rocks and Brook rising to power, and Rose and Jocard accustomed to lives of luxury, there was no chance they'd follow Jack into hardship again.
"Forget it... Maybe I'll just form a new crew with my daughter. Or even register a pirate guild. Though, I wonder if that bastard Brook really allows all guild members to act freely."
As the former chief steward of the Diger Pirates, Barbosa found it hard to let go of the taste of power—that intoxicating high of standing above all others.
Now, they were becoming a pirate crew with no territory. The difference was jarring.
Unsurprisingly, the Sparrow family was soon captured by the Hell Pirates. As predicted, Madam Rose and Jocard defected, taking up positions as administrators of one of the Ten Kings Islands under Brook's dominion.
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New World — Doragunzo Island.
"Jack, Rose and Jocard have already joined us. Are you still refusing to reconsider? Your woman and son are in my hands. Your answer will decide the fate of all three of you!"
Under the relentless assault of the Hell Pirates, the scattered remnants of the Diger Pirates, led by Jack, barely made a ripple. Rose and Jocard surrendered quickly, and Brook placed them back on their old turf, Ten Kings Island, now under his dominion. To ensure loyalty, both were infected by the Seven-Star Sword—removing any chance of betrayal.
Only Barbosa's absence left Brook disappointed. The sly butler of the Diger Pirates had always impressed him—his strategic mind outclassed even the four elite fighters. Brook had hoped to recruit him, but alas, the tactician had slipped away.
"Brook, you betrayed our alliance! You stole the Diger Pirates' territory! Now you're using father's soul—enslaving the dead! You're no pirate. You're a monster!" Jack howled, voice raw with hatred. His rage only deepened upon seeing the spectral figure of his father fighting for Brook. Betrayal was one thing—desecrating the dead was another.
Brook's gaze sharpened. "So you've chosen extinction—for your clan and your bloodline?"
He had no interest in raising enemy offspring. History was full of cautionary tales—orphans turned traitors, adopted children stabbing their benefactors in the back. He wouldn't repeat those mistakes.
"Lord Brook, please! Spare us!" Amber sobbed, holding her child tightly. "Diger took me back by force—for Jack Sparrow. I never wanted this life! My son carries no love for that name. Call him anything you want!"
Once a proud woman who thought pregnancy would guarantee her status, Amber now found herself on her knees, stripped of power, crawling for mercy. The Diger Pirates had fallen, and with them, her delusions.
"Shut up, you wench!" Jack roared. "You dare strip my son of my name?!"
"I already did, you piece of trash!" she snapped back through tears. "His name was given by Lord Brook! From now on, he's Brook Depp!"
She clutched the child tightly, eyes full of desperation, willing to say anything to survive.
"You dare use Brother Brook's name?" Charlotte Linlin hissed. Her aura thickened, waves of killing intent pressing down. "You've got guts, woman. I ought to tear you apart."
Amber recoiled, trembling in fear. Linlin's wrath was enough to make even hardened warriors falter.
Though Brook hadn't killed Diger directly, he was responsible. The soul now under his control had been broken by his hand, and Jack would never forgive him.
The Seven-Star Sword had failed to subdue Jack's spirit. His will was too strong. Brook had no choice but to change plans.
"Crocus," Brook ordered, "swap out Saracha. Jack's yours."
Crocus, the ship's doctor, nodded. "Understood, Captain."
Jack lacked any Devil Fruit abilities, but his powerful physique and blood made him a valuable specimen. With it, Crocus could produce Blood Crystal Dandelions and high-grade healing potions—vital resources for war.
"What about the woman and her child?" asked Golden Lion Shiki, puffing calmly on a cigar.
Whitebeard Newgate stepped forward in silence. He wouldn't harm a child. He simply turned his back.
Brook unsheathed the Seven-Star Sword. With a slash, he struck the trembling Amber. A green mist, etched with eerie runes, spread through her body. She collapsed, infected and submissive.
"From now on," Brook declared, "he has no surname. He is Depp. He'll live on Cake Island."
He wanted to observe the child's potential. If the bloodline of the Diger family ran strong, the boy could become a powerful subordinate—or perhaps a useful subject for Vegapunk's experiments. Maybe even more promising than Bartholomew Kuma.
"Yes, Master Brook," Amber replied, eyes glazed with dread, clutching her son tightly.
Jack was already gone—taken away to be drained of blood. He never saw the twisted fate his son was being assigned.
But it was precisely that bond—the faint hope of one day escaping with his child—that kept Jack alive. He didn't beg, didn't break. He endured the bloodletting, waiting for his chance.
Back on Golden Island, Brook executed Saracha and enslaved his soul. Another powerful Devil Fruit—the Corruption Fruit—joined Brook's growing arsenal.
Now, Kaido couldn't hide his hunger. He wanted the Octopus Siren Fruit. He wanted the Barrier Fruit. He wanted the Corruption Fruit. The Azure Dragon Fruit that Brook had promised seemed like nothing more than a myth.
Brook, however, only smiled.
"You're still young, Kaido. If you don't find the Azure Dragon Fruit by adulthood, I'll let you choose anything you want."
Meanwhile, tremors echoed through the world. Rocks D. Xebec had begun skirmishing with the Navy, and the timeline for the God Valley incident might accelerate.
Brook had twisted the future. The pirates who survived in this new age were tougher, crueler, stronger.
"Brother Brook," Antonio reported, "Rocks wants to seize the Chaos Sea. If he does, it'll choke our routes to the Grand Line!"
Brook snorted. "Then let's head to the first half and cause a little chaos."
He chuckled darkly.
"Last time, Rocks ambushed Sengoku… and got baited instead. Surrounded by two admirals. Must've been a bad day, huh?"
Even the feared Rocks couldn't overpower two Marine Admirals. If they both used Devil Fruits, he might have an edge—but the battle would be long, brutal, and inconclusive.
Still, if Rocks was grabbing territory, the Hell Pirates wouldn't fall behind. The Grand Line had to remain open, especially their vital connection with Fishman Island.
And soon, with Vegapunk's innovations, new ships lined with seastone would take to the seas.
The Hell Pirates would be unstoppable.
They would sail the world.
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