In the heart of the Hell Pirates' territory, the Bristol Sea, the Rocks Pirates' flagship stormed into the waters with an imposing aura. But as soon as it crossed the boundary, its speed dropped sharply.
"Gehehe! According to the latest intel, Vesper's pirate fleet has already shown up in Brook's turf. That means our job's done!"
Miss Bakkin, her golden hair gleaming, covered her vibrant red lips and let out a sly chuckle.
Though her combat skills were modest, her navigational prowess earned her Captain Rocks' trust. She was calling the shots for this mission.
Even the crew's top fighter, Warrior Monk Skal, deferred to her orders. The "Rocks" standing nearby—arms crossed, exuding menace—stayed silent as Miss Bakkin issued her commands.
Without Captain Rocks himself on board, they had no intention of getting too close to the clash between Vesper's crew and the Hell Pirates. If those two overlords suddenly teamed up against them, escape would be tricky, especially with Vesper's Wind-Wind Fruit and golden airship in play.
Their mission was pure strategic intimidation: lure Vesper here to give Rocks a chance to raid Saracha and Wilank's territories. Objective achieved, there was no need to provoke Vesper or Brook further. A quick show of presence—"We were here!"—was enough.
In fact, the smartest move was to leave immediately. That way, Vesper and Brook could slug it out without holding back, unhindered by the Rocks Pirates' presence. If they stayed, the two might hesitate or, worse, join forces against them.
Miss Bakkin's cunning rivaled that of Kurozumi Higurashi. Both were ruthless planners, never moving without a payoff.
With Skal and the other officers' approval, flagship swung around under Miss Bakkin's command, charting a course for Saracha's territory.
Vesper had taken the bait, appearing in Brook's domain. That meant Rocks could likely crush Saracha's Butcher Pirates. If they hurried, they might even snag some scraps from the fight!
Neither Brook nor Vesper likely expected the Rocks Pirates to bail so quickly, heading straight for Saracha's turf.
Brook had hoped to use the Rocks Pirates' presence to intimidate Vesper. Sure, he was almost certain this "Rocks" was a fake, but Vesper didn't know that. He wouldn't risk a reckless move.
Even with Vesper's heavy hitters, Shirokiri and Orion, in Brook's custody, the Hell Pirates still weren't confident they could take down Vesper's crew.
Whitebeard Newgate was stationed at Ohara-Golden Island, guarding their base. Vesper's crew still had Salem, a powerhouse on par with Shirokiri, plus more officers than the Hell Pirates could match.
Despite capturing Shirokiri and Orion, Brook knew he was still a step short of toppling Vesper's crew.
But with Conqueror's Haki infusion in his arsenal, that gap was closing fast. For now, it was time to lay low and grow stronger.
...
On Demon Horn Island, chaos reigned.
Rocks held up a lifeless pirate clad in Saracha's captain's coat, blood streaming from the man's face. Rocks' expression was grim.
"Captain Rocks, Saracha and his key officers vanished early this morning. They're likely long gone!"
Ochoku sheathed his legendary blade. The Butcher Pirates' headquarters lay in ruins, littered with bodies. Silver Axe and John, drenched in blood, had clearly fought a brutal battle.
"Fine. Let's hope Wilank's not as spineless as Saracha!"
Rocks didn't waste time. Abandoning Saracha's territory, he set his sights on Wilank's domain, ready to unleash havoc among the giants.
Greedy Captain John, ever the opportunist, rummaged through Demon Horn Island's treasures before leaving. If not for Rocks' impatient glare, he'd have stripped the place bare—after all, this was the stronghold of Saracha, one of the four overlords!
...
On Squid Island, the mood was lighter.
The Roger Pirates' trio were back to their lively selves. Ship doctor Crocus had handed out a few ordinary herbs, healing their minor scrapes.
Brook expressed his gratitude to the Roger Pirates. They had no interest in getting caught up in a war between two overlords and politely asked to leave.
Brook didn't try to stop them. Shakky handed over a hefty fifty pounds of gold as thanks. Rayleigh, ever the charmer, reluctantly accepted the treasure from Shakky, who ignored his flirtatious banter.
Her attention was elsewhere—fixed on Crocus' stash of blood samples. Two massive syringes, thick as calves, brimmed with the blood of top-tier pirates Shirokiri and Orion. Shakky's eyes gleamed with envy.
"Roger, if you ever stumble across a giant creature's egg, you have to let us know. Use that All-Things-Listening Observation Haki of yours—it'll lead you to some wild secrets!"
(T/N: In the anime, we really saw a giant egg on his ship. Google: So far, the egg on Roger's ship remains one of the greatest mysteries in One Piece. Since not much has been revealed about Roger's journey and life, the character invites constant speculation.)
Brook was obsessed with the mysterious giant egg aboard the Roger Pirates' future ship, the Oro Jackson. That egg, taking up half the deck of a world-renowned pirate ship, was no ordinary find.
He didn't know where Roger would discover it, but Brook had theories. During the Summit War, the Red Hair Pirates intercepted Kaido in the New World one day and appeared at Marineford the next, stunning the Navy.
Brook suspected Shanks inherited that egg, raising a creature—possibly a dragon, judging by the dragon-shaped prow of the Red Force. It might even be capable of crossing the Red Line and Calm Belt! Pure speculation, sure, but it fueled Brook's fascination.
"A giant egg? Uh, sure, got it!"
Roger didn't quite follow Brook's cryptic request but agreed with his usual carefree grin. To him, Brook was an enigma, and if they found some weird egg, notifying him seemed harmless enough.
After their big battle, the Roger Pirates needed rest and reflection. Staying on Squid Island to face Vesper's incoming crew wasn't appealing.
As Roger's crew sailed off, Brook and his team returned to their golden airship, readying themselves for Vesper's arrival.
If anything seemed off, they'd retreat immediately. Brook hoped Vesper wouldn't pull any tricks—or worse, reveal some unbeatable Devil Fruit power hidden in his crew.
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