Angelie's face twisted in painful conflict. She could only watch helplessly as Brook's cursed blade pressed against Bull-san's throat. Around her, the other crew members squeezed their eyes shut in despair.
Those who remained aboard the Edward Pirates were fiercely loyal. The ones with wavering hearts had long since abandoned ship—either joining stronger crews like Vesper's or quitting the pirate life entirely after Edward was killed by Rocks.
Now, seeing her crew prepared to die alongside her, Angelie's defenses finally crumbled. Maybe... maybe leading them to survive was what she, as their new captain, was supposed to do.
"Wait!!! I surrender! The Edward Pirates are willing to become your subordinates!!"
Clad in Seastone shackles, Angelie fell to her knees before Brook, choking back sobs as tears streamed down her face, darkening the floor until it almost looked like some kind of demonic sigil.
"With that half-hearted attitude? I'd rather just kill you all!!"
Brook's swing of the Shichiseiken sent a sharp wind howling through the air, making Angelie snap her head up in fear.
"I've already surrendered! What more do you want?!"
Tears clung to her long lashes, and her tear-filled eyes glared at Brook with a mix of fury and desperate pleading.
"Come on—smile and say it. Say, 'I want to lead my crew to survive. Please accept us as your followers.'"
Brook spoke coolly, though inside, he was already laughing. What kind of pirate was this woman? She still carried herself like some pampered noble lady. Had Edward sheltered her that well?
How did she even rack up a bounty of over 500 million Belly? Had she never faced the cruelty of the open sea? Her character wasn't nearly as tough and cold-blooded as he'd expected.
"I... I want to lead my crew to survive. Please accept us as your subordinates!"
Angelie's tear-streaked face stiffly contorted into a miserable smile as she forced the words out, her voice trembling slightly.
"Good. I accept your loyalty. But remember—betrayal among pirates only ends in death."
Brook bent down, gently wiping away her tears with a smile.
The sight sent a ripple through the Edward Pirates. Their goddess had just been touched... and from the way Charlotte Linlin and Shakky were glaring at Angelie, they clearly weren't thrilled either.
"Crocus, patch this guy up for me."
Brook turned to order Crocus to treat Bull. Angelie had surrendered quickly, so he'd lost out on the chance to claim a powerful ghost... but it wasn't a total loss.
Now, with the Edward remnants under his command, he'd secured two pirates with bounties over 500 million Belly. A solid gain. He'd just have to "train" them a bit.
"Redfield, these guys are yours to whip into shape. If there are still troublemakers after a few days... cut them down."
Brook's voice was light, but the message was clear. Loyalty or death.
"Don't forget—your real enemy is Rocks, the one who killed your father. Not us."
He had Angelie's Seastone shackles unlocked. Enhanced by her Devil Fruit's allure, she somehow looked even more striking now—and even Brook found himself sneaking a few more glances than usual.
"From now on, you'll be stationed here on Elan Island. The territory that used to belong to Edward? Captain Vesper already handed that over to us. Bristol Island's waters are our domain now!"
Brook twisted the knife a little deeper, just to see her reaction. Edward's old territory had been packaged up and sold off by Vesper to the Hell Pirates.
As expected, Angelie's eyes flickered with a dark glint. Looked like Vesper just earned himself a top spot in her little book of grudges—right below Rocks, who was still firmly number one.
...
Meanwhile, on Hachinosu—Hive Island—the Rocks Pirates' main stronghold...
"Good. The Hell Pirates think they can muscle in by joining this so-called Overlord Alliance? I overestimated them. Only sheep flock together for protection!"
Rocks let out a cold, booming laugh.
He'd already crushed one of the three so-called false overlords and subjugated another. What right did this alliance have to challenge him? There could only be one true ruler of the New World—and that was him, Rocks!
The Ice Demon Pirates had disbanded on their own, losing their overlord status. Still, their Ice Giants and the warriors from Elbaf remained a terrifying force, especially against rank-and-file pirates.
Time and again, his mid-tier troops had been wiped out—first by Vesper's crew, then by the giants. Even when his top fighters won battles, his forces couldn't expand much because he just didn't have the manpower.
"Captain Rocks, don't worry. Leave the Hell Pirates to us, the Sea Siren Pirates!"
Dawei cut in quickly. He'd fallen from grace after being injured by Wilank in their last clash—so much for being hailed as the strongest under Rocks.
And now, Rocks was even hinting at dissolving the Sea Siren Pirates and folding them into his own crew, offering Dawei a mere officer position. That didn't sit well with Dawei at all. They'd agreed he'd run his own subordinate crew, not get stuck on Hachinosu Island like some lackey.
Sure, he was still captain of the Sea Sirens, ruling his turf like a little king. But if his crew got disbanded? He'd be stuck under Rocks' thumb for good.
Rocks shot Dawei a sharp look. He knew exactly what the man was thinking. Typical—once you've tasted the seat of one of the "Six Overlords," it's hard to let go of the title.
If Dawei wasn't still useful against the Overlord Alliance, Rocks would've killed him already.
"I hear the Hell Pirates just swallowed up the Edward Pirates' remnants. Vesper even handed over Bristol Island to them. Are you sure you can handle them on your own?"
Even Rocks had to admit—the Hell Pirates were rising fast. Too fast. They already had territory and strength to rival the so-called false overlords.
"Don't worry, Captain Rocks. They're just another upstart Supernova crew. Leave them to us. You'll just have to deal with Vesper and Saracha yourself!"
Dawei had already made up his mind—he'd conserve his strength in the coming fight. No way was he going all-out against monsters like Vesper and Saracha again...
-----------
+188 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg