New World — Sky Island, Baron Island.
The Hell Pirates were feasting heartily, replenishing their strength as they awaited the next assault from the Rocks Pirates against the Overlord Alliance.
"This time, our target is Dawei of the Sea Siren Pirates! Once we wipe them out, we'll claim our spot as the new overlords of the seas!!"
After sealing an alliance with Vesper of the Overlord Alliance, Brook could barely contain his eagerness to show off the might of the Hell Pirates. Their four elite fighters, all now wielding advanced Ryuo Haki, each outclassed even Orion, whose bounty sat at a hefty 800 million Belly!
After all, Orion barely managed a half-baked grasp of flowing Haki. In contrast, Ryuo—Wano's own special form of Haki—could be learned even by those with lesser raw power. The Red Scabbards and the yakuza bosses of Wano all mastered it as standard!
Out on the seas, however, releasing Armament Haki externally wasn't so simple. Without a proper technique, one could only push their body beyond its limits again and again, accumulating strength until they finally broke through to external emission.
But not every pirate's body could withstand that. Many hit a wall—whether due to race, talent, or simple human limitation. After all, not everyone belonged to the ridiculous D clan or the Oni tribe!
Take Douglas Bullet, the "Demon Heir"—his monstrous physique stood out above the rest. Even after over twenty years imprisoned in Impel Down, shackled with Seastone and starved of food, he kept grinding his body stronger!
That terrifying body could hold an endless pool of Armament Haki, unleashing it like Conqueror's Haki to suppress entire islands—or even coat the giant titan forms created by his Clank-Clank Fruit!
"Brook! I've finished gathering intel on every member of the Sea Siren Pirates!"
Antonio strode in, carrying a fat stack of newspapers, bounty posters, and his own scribbled notes. It was time for their war council.
"Dawei—bounty 1.6 billion Belly. Mythical Zoan user: the Octopus Siren. Exceptional regeneration and the power to summon unique sea beasts. Though, his pet Kraken was reportedly slain recently.
Hammerhead Shark Dalma—bounty 650 million Belly. Zoan type: Hammerhead Shark. Strong Armament Haki and brutal bite strength—tough hide and raw power.
Sea Siren Goddess Calypso—bounty 600 million Belly. Mythical Zoan user: Siren Fruit. Also Dawei's lover. Her singing can mesmerize all creatures!
Witch Tia—bounty 510 million Belly. Ship's doctor and master poisoner. Proficient in both Armament and Observation Haki. Avoid close combat—she's turned her own body into a living toxin!
Aside from those three main officers, they've got a few other lieutenants with bounties over 100 million. Not weaklings either."
Antonio finished his report and mentally matched up their crew's strength. Apart from Dawei himself, they should be able to handle the rest.
"Shaahahaha! What a bunch of trash. Brook, let's you and me team up and crush Dawei. Leave those other three clowns to Redfield, Newgate, and Linlin!"
Golden Lion Shiki's boast brought an immediate chill to the room. Three sharp presences flared at once—what did he just call them? Clowns?
"Shiki... care to repeat that?"
Electricity crackled from Redfield's hands. Newgate's fist gleamed with white energy, distorting the air itself. Charlotte Linlin stood there, lightning in one hand and fire in the other, glaring daggers at the golden-maned fool.
"Aha—hey, that's not what I meant! Look, their bounties match yours, right? Take them down and your own numbers go up! Sounds fair, yeah?"
Shiki laughed awkwardly. Technically, both he and Newgate sat at the bottom of their elite four, each with bounties at 500 million. Redfield and Linlin both had 600 million Belly on their heads.
"Hmph. No way. As the senior member and strongest officer, I'm the one who will join forces with Brook against Dawei. End of discussion."
Redfield coolly scanned the room, his tone laced with pride.
"Ma~a, my bounty's the same as yours. I should be Brook's partner! I'm his best match, after all!"
Charlotte Linlin wasn't backing down. She wanted that chance to fight alongside Brook, and she wasn't about to let anyone else steal it!
Seeing these two also jump in, Shiki—who had sworn to become the Hell Pirates' strongest—started bickering too. Only Newgate remained silent, waiting calmly for Brook to make the call.
"Enough!! Stop your squabbling! What, you think Dawei is some cheap cabbage you can grab off the street? Get serious!!"
Brook roared, cutting through the noise. These cocky brats thought that just mastering Ryuo made them invincible? As if their enemy's Haki couldn't be even stronger!
"And quit rushing. We don't even know if Rocks has fully absorbed the Sea Siren Pirates yet. Their officer lineup might've changed!
Whoever ends up facing Dawei, remember: once you take out the other officers, you're all jumping into that fight together. This is a death match for supremacy—don't you dare risk casualties just to save face!!"
Brook made it crystal clear. This wasn't a tournament. This was war. Chaos was inevitable. Now was not the time for heroics or ego.
Even Roger, king of Conqueror's Haki, had to team up with Garp to take down Rocks. So don't start spouting that nonsense about Conquerors needing to duel one-on-one!
Luffy and Kid both teamed up. Kaido and Big Mom formed an alliance. The idea that Conqueror's Haki users never join forces? That's just wishful thinking from starry-eyed fans!
Like Chinjao once said—the New World is swarming with Conqueror's Haki users. It's no big deal anymore!
For every million people, you get one Conqueror. With billions in the world, there should be hundreds out there. And the world isn't limited to just the Straw Hats' little adventure route!
There are over two hundred allied nations alone—countless more unaffiliated. Even animals in this world can use Armament Haki! Who's to say some rare beast out there doesn't wield Conqueror's too?
...
Before Brook could keep lecturing his overconfident crew, a report came in from their scouts on Elan Island below.
A pirate crew had launched an attack—flying the flag of the Edward Pirates. Leading them was Teech Edward's daughter, Angelie Edward. Right now, she was bombarding their harbor!
"You hear that? Some little brat came to settle a score. Go capture her!!"
Brook shelved his lecture for now. He wasn't about to let some upstart pirates trash his turf.
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