Since Dawei was planning an ambush, Brook decided to flip the script—raid his home base and turn the tables. Not only would this bolster their own strength, it would buy time and throw Dawei into disarray.
The Sea Siren Pirates could've stayed in formation on their main base, Puso Island, and prepared to counterattack when the Hell Pirates showed up. But Brook wasn't about to play defense. He was going to strike first—wipe out their base and force Dawei to come to his doorstep.
And once they had the upper hand on the island, with its defensive advantages and a roster of Disaster-class Devil Fruit powers, they might just eliminate Dawei and his men before they even reached the open sea.
Of course, the Sea Siren Pirates had two Mythical Zoan users, which meant this wouldn't be easy. But it would at least wear them down.
Dawei, with a bounty of 1.6 billion Belly, wasn't someone Brook and the others could take on one-on-one. It might take five of them working together just to have a shot. And even then, his top officers couldn't be underestimated.
"If they've chosen to ambush us, they must have a way to seriously wound—or even kill—one or two of us. So instead, we hit their base."
Brook's eyes gleamed.
"Seize their main base, and wait for an enraged Dawei to come crawling back. Wouldn't that be poetic?"
He ignored Golden Lion Shiki's suggestion to charge in recklessly. Brook preferred a more calculated approach. They might all be future legends, but right now they were still young.
Compared to Dawei—the strongest of the fake overlords—their power level was still a bit behind. Caution was warranted. You never knew what kind of hidden abilities those Mythical Zoan users might be hiding, and Brook wasn't going to give them the chance to spring a surprise.
"Well, if that's Brook's call, I'll go with it," Shiki shrugged. "Besides, raiding his home base sounds fun too."
Shiki trusted Brook's knack for strategy. Capturing the flagship was proof enough—Brook's decisions always yielded results.
As for Shiki himself... ever since entering the New World, every choice he'd made had nearly gotten him killed. If it weren't for Scarlet suggesting they join the Hell Pirates, he might still be on the run from the Rocks Pirates—or worse, already conscripted into them like the John Pirates or the Karns Brothers.
With everyone in agreement, Brook eliminated the remaining pirates, claiming their souls as his own. Among them was Shanku, a veteran with a 200-million Belly bounty—quite the windfall.
He also had the Sea Siren Pirates' flagship. Rather than waste time looting smaller islands, the crew made a direct course for Puso Island—the enemy's main base.
Brook then had Antonio disguise himself as Shanku to mislead Dawei, who was lurking near Rupert Island. The fake intel said Golden Ark was drifting toward a faraway isle and hadn't moved toward Rupert Island just yet.
The message made Dawei uneasy, but he still had "Shanku" (actually Antonio) keep tailing Golden Ark and relaying updates.
By now, Golden Ark was already drifting toward Puso Island...
...
New World.
A true meat grinder of a battlefield.
The Rocks Pirates had launched another brutal assault and successfully seized half the island. What followed was a full-blown bloodbath.
Rocks himself faced off against both Vesper and Saracha, while Wilank stalked nearby, waiting for his moment to strike.
Never underestimate a Frost Giant.
Even without top-tier Armament Haki or a mastery of Conqueror's Haki, Wilank's raw physical power was enough to give even emperors pause. Few dared to face him head-on.
Vesper clashed with Rocks' strongest martial monk, Skal. Chief steward Salem battled the giant Sandy. Meanwhile, Orion wasn't up against Ochoku this time—he was taking on someone even stronger: Grimm Vane.
Ochoku, now hailed as the Rocks Pirates' most promising newcomer, was dueling the Butcher Pirates' top officer. Every major force, they all had someone in the fight, trading blows with Rocks' commanders and captains.
Jevalle, Anman, Jokade, Wilanyu... Rocket Jonas, Silver Axe X, Captain John, the Karns Brothers...One by one, these infamous captains and officers were leaving their mark—or their blood on the island.
In the mid-tier battles, the two Giant squads wreaked havoc. With their colossal spiked clubs, axes, and tower shields, even a simple stomp could send Rocks' troops flying. The damage was immense.
Eventually, the Rocks Pirates had to pull captains and officers from key positions just to hold back these out-of-control giants.
"Gehahaha~ Rocks! You're still the same cold-blooded bastard. Look how many of your men have died!"
Vesper—dual-wielding a Supreme Grade blade and a flintlock—was a rare gunblade fighter. Even Rocks had to take his bullets seriously.
"They died for the greater cause—unifying the New World. Their sacrifice is justified!"
Rocks' fists were his deadliest weapons. Coated in Armament Haki, his strange Devil Fruit powers made even Saracha—wielder of the Corrupt-Corrupt Fruit—tread carefully.
Saracha tried to restrain him with swordplay, but her Devil Fruit powers had no effect on Rocks.
Was this the infamous Dark-Dark Fruit? The most sinister power of all—one that could nullify every Devil Fruit ability?
"Rocks! You're wrapping both Armament and Conqueror's Haki around your fists?!"
Vesper couldn't believe what he was seeing. Those hardened fists were tougher than his Supreme Grade blade—both offensive and defensive power rolled into one.
"Gehahaha~ Old man, your Conqueror's Haki is getting weak. The more allies you gather, the less dominant your will becomes. You're a relic! Time to drop dead!"
Fueled by his own manic energy, Rocks charged with overwhelming force—until Wilank caught him with a perfect counter, slamming him into the ground like he was swatting a fly.
But all it did was enrage Rocks further.
The massive spiked club—dozens of meters long—shattered under his retaliation. If Vesper and Saracha hadn't blocked his next blow, Wilank might have been...
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