"That's a decent plan, but we can't rule out the possibility that Dawei is still on the ship. If they've already set up an ambush at the next island and are just testing the ships behind, both sides could end up exposed. I was hoping to turn the tables and launch a counter-ambush myself."
Brook paused, deep in thought. How could he confirm whether Dawei was still aboard the rear ship?
If they tested recklessly—say, had Newgate unleash a tsunami—and Dawei wasn't on board, the remaining crew would surely alert him. That would blow the plan, and Brook wouldn't be able to carry out his counterattack. Still, that route was the safer bet.
But if Dawei was still on the ship, then the Hell Pirates would continue with the plan—raid more islands, and then confront him head-on at Puso Island!
After weighing the options, Brook made a decisive move. He and Redfield boarded the Golden Ark and took to the skies, circling around behind the Sea Siren Pirates' flagship for a surprise attack.
Even if Dawei was still on board, they could retreat after the strike and keep raiding his islands. But if he wasn't, Redfield would jam their Den Den Mushi signals with his Thunder Cage!
This trick was nothing new to the Hell Pirates—they'd pulled it off several times already. Redfield would scan the enemy's memories to pinpoint their locations, while Antonio would mimic their behavior to feed them false intel.
Only Golden Lion Shiki seemed a bit frustrated. All the top officers had already boarded the Golden Ark to flank from the rear, leaving him alone to control the Island, slowing its pace to keep the enemy pirates on their tail.
"Did Dawei really leave the ship already?"
Shiki didn't know what led Brook to suspect that, but it clearly hadn't crossed his mind. Was he dumber than both Brook and Dawei?
No, Shiki didn't buy that. He was already mentally prepared—once Brook and Dawei started fighting, he'd rush back to support them and unleash his full might.
As for why they hadn't launched an all-out battle with the Sea Siren Pirates from the start? Brook and Charlotte Linlin still needed to clear out the enemy's remaining forces scattered across the nearby islands, build up their ghost army, and collect more souls to boost their own power.
The Golden Ark circled wide and reached the rear of the flagship of the Sea Siren Pirates.
"Looks like Dawei really isn't aboard... We're this close, and no one's Haki has sensed us?"
High above the ship, nearly 7,000 meters up, thundercloud Zeus—empowered by Linlin's soul energy—expanded to cloak the Golden Ark in concealment.
Brook pulled out a sniper rifle and peered through its scope, scanning the deck of the enemy ship. None of the key officers were visible.
"Redfield, get ready—jam their Den Den Mushi signals."
Brook made the call. Time to deal with these fakes. These nobodies had been chasing them for way too long. If he hadn't gotten a sudden hunch—somehow tied to Shiki's absurdly unlucky instincts—they might've actually walked into a trap.
Under Zeus's cover, the Golden Ark began descending. On the flagship, one officer and a group of lackeys were keeping their scopes trained on the lone dot that was the Golden Island in the distance.
The moment anything looked off, they were supposed to call their captain with the Den Den Mushi and calculate the Hell Pirates' next likely target based on island trajectories.
Just then, a navigator stationed at the stern noticed a strange, fast-approaching cloud. Thinking it might be odd weather, he hesitated—then, the closer it came, the more wrong it felt. When it was just over a kilometer away, he bolted to alert the ship's sole officer.
"Shanku-sama! Something's off! There's a cloud following us!!"
Shanku jumped. With only a few weaklings under him, he lived in constant fear that the Hell Pirates would double back for a sneak attack. He was on edge every second, gripping the Den Den Mushi tightly and not daring to relax.
"A cloud? What are you talking about?!"
Rushing to the stern, Shanku spotted the low-flying, dense white cloud. The more he looked, the more it resembled a ship. Dread crept into his chest. Still, he tried to call the captain.
Suddenly, a massive thunder net surged from the cloud, causing Shanku's eyes to go wide in terror—it was happening!
The Thunder Cage closed in around the flagship, and the cloud dissipated to reveal the glittering Golden Ark. Hands trembling, Shanku frantically dialed Dawei's Den Den Mushi—but no matter how many times he tried, it wouldn't connect.
"It's too late."
Crackling thunder sounded as a lightning bolt shot down. A molten surge of electricity morphed into a human form—Redfield stared coldly at the panic-stricken Shanku.
"Redfield!!"
Shanku screamed, horror-struck. He knew the mission was a failure. Worse, he hadn't even managed to alert the captain. Would Dawei now fall into danger too?
The Golden Ark hovered directly above the flagship, and Shiki also brought the Island to a halt and turned back.
"Redfield, see which island Dawei's lying in wait on!"
Brook and the others leapt onto the once-flagship of the Sea Siren Pirates. To their surprise, Dawei truly wasn't there—he'd gone off to set an ambush, leaving behind only fodder to crew his main ship!
Shanku and his lackeys barely put up a fight before being taken down. Now came the real party—Memory Seahorse, Linlin, and Brook would take turns feasting on their memories and souls.
"Brook, Dawei's probably hiding out on Rupert Island. But he could also change his plan depending on the our route," Redfield said, tossing Shanku aside like trash.
Memory Seahorse and Linlin dove in immediately to enjoy the spoils.
Brook reviewed the island layout in his mind. Since Dawei had already laid a trap, should he bypass them entirely and strike straight at Puso Island, his base of operations? Or should they head to Rupert Island and surround him instead?
Just then, Shiki steered the Golden Island over, arriving just in time to see Brook and the others successfully capture the Sea Siren Pirates' flagship. As expected, Brook had called it again.
"Do you think we should confront Dawei directly at...
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