Brook watched in amusement as the young overlord, Golden Lion Shiki, puffed up with pride, his ego practically bursting after a few choice words of praise.
Did my talk really spark that kind of fire?
Brook thought, barely believing the power of his own tongue.
Shiki's golden mane whipped in the wind, his aura blazing like a Super Saiyan transformation. His Conqueror's Haki roared to life, and his mastery over the Float-Float Fruit seemed to surge to new heights!
"Get up, you chunk of dirt!"
With Shiki's thunderous bellow, the entire island of Ohara shuddered. The sea churned beneath, waves crashing against the island's base. Deep underground, the massive roots of the Tree of Knowledge snapped one by one, seawater rushing into the fissures.
Shoddy, crumbling houses collapsed into rubble under the violent tremors. Inside the Tree of Knowledge, books toppled from shelves, scattering across the floor in a chaotic mess.
The quake-like upheaval sent Ohara's residents into a panic, spilling out of their homes. Earthquakes were rare on this scholars' island, and basic survival instinct kicked in—flee to open ground! Even with pirates looming outside, the fear of collapsing roofs drove them to risk it.
They stared at their trembling homes, hearts heavy with dread. Ohara had seen few quakes in its history—why now, when these pirates arrived?
"Those damned pirates brought this curse!" some muttered, blaming the Hell Pirates for the disaster. But the island's learned scholars, sharp as ever, glanced at the floating Golden Island nearby and pieced it together.
Is Ohara about to float too?
The thought chilled them. Were they and their entire island being kidnapped by pirates? Would they be enslaved, dragged to some far-off sea, or worse—slaughtered and left as forgotten ghosts?
...
The tremors jolted the Hell Pirates' crew, who'd been poring over books in the Tree of Knowledge's library. They bolted outside, eager to witness the moment Ohara defied gravity.
Kutu, the library's head, stood frozen, his heart sinking. These pirates were brazen enough to steal an entire island—people, land, and all! Powerless to stop them, he watched in despair, his mind racing.
Why are they doing this? What becomes of us now?
"Oh, heavens, why must Ohara suffer this fate?" Kutu wailed, his lips trembling as he collapsed to his knees, staring blankly at the azure sky.
"Five thousand years of knowledge, the shining jewel of human culture, ruined in my lifetime! I've failed our ancestors!"
The ground continued to quake as most of the Hell Pirates gathered behind Brook, marveling at Shiki's spectacle.
Seeing his crew's eyes on him, Shiki hammed it up, striking a dashing pose while pouring even more effort into his Float-Float powers. He was determined to make Ohara soar now.
Antonio, ever the opportunist, whipped out a camera Den Den Mushi, snapping shots of Shiki from every angle—heroic, commanding, and downright badass.
Ohara's residents and the Tree of Knowledge's scholars crowded closer, desperate to stop the lawless pirates. But the yawning gap in strength left them trembling with fear.
"Hey, you lot thinking of picking a fight?"
Kaido swaggered forward, his golden alloy mace slung over his shoulder, sneering at the scholars and townsfolk.
"I could crush all of you with one swing!"
His menacing aura sent the crowd stumbling back, not a single soul daring to step up. No leader emerged to rally them.
"Get back to your houses, or I won't play nice!" Kaido growled, frustration simmering. Since joining the Hell Pirates, he hadn't seen a single real fight, his bounty still stuck at zero. Being taunted by these "ants" only stoked his anger.
"Jahaha! Kaido, kid, let me show you what real Conqueror's Haki looks like!"
Shiki cackled, multitasking like a madman. While lifting the island with his Float-Float powers, he decided to deal with the pesky crowd in one fell swoop.
Time to steal the spotlight!
His Conqueror's Haki exploded outward, a tidal wave of raw will sweeping over the islanders. One by one, they toppled like dominoes, a spectacular sight.
...
Kaido, the rookie crewmate, gaped as if he'd seen a ghost. Knocking out a crowd without lifting a finger? Even Vegapunk, the scientist, eyed Shiki's power with envy.
Brook had told them Conqueror's Haki was a one-in-a-million gift, impossible to learn through training. That bombshell left Vegapunk, a man of science, reeling—he'd already started dreaming of studying the mechanics of awakening it!
Kaido's eyes burned with ambition as he watched Shiki. He'd heard from Tiger's boasts that all four of the Hell Pirates' top fighters—plus Captain Brook with his soul-shaking powers—were Conqueror's Haki users.
Now, Kaido wasn't the only one craving that power. Shakky, Tiger, and others burned with the same desire. They even clung to a wild rumor: defeating a Celestial Dragon could awaken Conqueror's Haki!
Tiger had whispered that "divine" secret to Kaido, roping him into a future plan to storm the Celestial Dragons.
Witnessing Shiki's Haki in action cemented Kaido's resolve.
I'll awaken Conqueror's Haki, and I'll crush those Celestial Dragons with Tiger!
Shiki, basking in Kaido's awestruck gaze, let out a triumphant laugh. With a final surge of effort, veins bulging on his arms and forehead, he roared, "RISE!"
Ohara lurched upward, breaking free from the sea. Mud and water cascaded into the ocean below, waves rushing to fill the massive crater left behind.
"Ohara's really flying!"
Kutu, standing at the Tree of Knowledge's entrance, stared in disbelief.
Is this truly the work of a man?
The scholars and doctors around him were struck with confusion. What did this mean for their future? With Ohara stolen, could they ever return home?
"Jahahaha! How's that, huh?" Shiki crowed, grinning at Newgate and Redfield. "Behold my power!"
The two rolled their eyes. Floating an island was beyond them, sure, but obliterating one? No problem. Redfield's Lightning Fruit or Newgate's Quake-Quake Fruit could reduce Ohara to dust.
"Shiki, take a breather," Brook said with a chuckle. "Once we merge Ohara with Golden Island, we're heading back to the New World!"
The Hell Pirates' journey through the Grand Line and West Sea was a resounding success. They'd secured Vegapunk, Kaido, the Castle-Castle Fruit, and Ohara's vast library of knowledge—every prize claimed!
Now, it was time to nurture these seeds of potential into towering giants.
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+240 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg