A colossal fleet of airships soared brazenly into the territory of a World Government-affiliated nation. At its heart, the Golden Ark loomed like an aircraft carrier, flanked by dozens of Golden Lion Shiki's airborne pirate ships. Redfield, piloting his own golden vessel, had already touched down on the island of Prodence.
Life without Shakky, the crew's resident contrarian, felt oddly quiet. Brook wondered how she was faring—had she tamed the Kuja Pirates and Amazon Lily yet?
"Brook, my man, is this King Punch really that impressive? Can it hold a candle to Elbaf's warrior techniques?"
Stussy was stepping into Shakky's chatterbox shoes, and she'd also taken temporary control of the Hell Pirates' finances, living up to her nickname as the crew's "little financier."
"No clue," Brook admitted, his skeletal grin unshaken. "It's probably on par with Elbaf's Hakai technique, but the King Punch's got a big drawback—it takes forever to charge. Great for obliterating a fixed target, though!"
He pondered if the move could be refined. An hour-long warm-up was absurd; most battles would be over by then!
"But imagine dozens of fighters trained in the King Punch, charging up in advance," Stussy mused, her eyes gleaming. "They could wipe out a small nation in one shot!"
She was already planning a King Punch strike team, a new ace up the Hell Pirates' sleeve alongside their Seastone gunners, samurai swordsmen, and Sky Shell multi-role squad.
"Not a bad idea," Brook said, encouraging her. "It needs a seriously tough physique to pull off. Start recruiting, but first, let's snag that technique!"
He wasn't about to dampen Stussy's ambition. If she pulled it off, conquering islands would be a breeze.
"I'm on it! Sky Island's got some sturdy warriors who can handle the kickback of Impact Shells," Stussy said, already thinking of cherry-picking elite races from Linlin's Whole Cake Island to test the technique.
...
At the New World Navy Headquarters, the Hell Pirates' brazen invasion was impossible to ignore. Admiral Devo urgently requested reinforcements from Marineford, summoning Kong and a CP0 unit to the New World.
The simultaneous assaults by two Emperors crews—the Hell Pirates and the Rocks Pirates—put the Navy under crushing pressure. With so many allied nations to protect, they were stretched thin.
The Hell Pirates had already breached the heart of the allied nations' defenses, while the Rocks Pirates were launching their own attack. Admiral Aokiba, alongside Sengoku, Garp, and Zephyr, had been dispatched to counter Rocks.
Devo was left to face the Hell Pirates alone, but against an airborne fleet, he was powerless. His forces were depleted, and he could only watch as they invaded.
Why were two Emperors crews moving at once? Didn't they have enough territory to manage? Were they so bored they'd risk their home bases to upstart Supernovas or rival pirates?
"Admiral Devo, we've confirmed the Hell Pirates' target: the Prodence Kingdom! Their king is begging for backup!" a panicked communications officer reported.
A Emperor crew invading a World Government nation was rare, but the Float-Float Fruit's power made the Hell Pirates untouchable. The Navy was outmatched.
"No choice," Devo sighed. "Let's scope out the situation."
He steeled himself to confront the Hell Pirates alone. Most of the Navy's heavy hitters were with Aokiba fighting Rocks, leaving him with a skeleton crew. Part of him hoped Brook would just loot Prodence and bolt back to his turf.
...
Above the Prodence Kingdom's royal palace, chaos loomed.
The palace ministers had never seen pirate ships infiltrate their heartland. Below, a few royal nobles were hopping in place, warming up for battle, their carefree demeanor clashing with the tense atmosphere.
"Damn it! The Hell Pirates got here too fast!" King Elizabello of Prodence, adorned with a golden crown, growled as he bounced, charging his power. "This isn't enough time to unleash the King Punch's full might. Otherwise, even a Emperor crew would eat my punch!"
The Elizabello royal family boasted robust heirs, each a prime candidate for mastering the King Punch.
"It's been less than half an hour—nowhere near peak power," the king muttered, frustrated. "Left and Right Ministers, see if you can stall them!"
He knew the Navy wouldn't arrive quickly, and even if they did, they might not handle an airborne Emperor crew. The royal family had to pull their weight.
The ministers exchanged silent glances. How do you stall a fleet floating high above? They ordered the army to fire guns and cannons if the fleet descended, praying stray shots wouldn't rain back on their own buildings or soldiers.
Brook said, waving a bony hand.
"Take out those soldiers below. Be careful—the King Punch can hit early, just not at full power. Don't underestimate it!"
He signaled Golden Lion Shiki and Redfield to clear the army with Conqueror's Haki. Their mission: secure the King Punch and lure a Navy admiral to give Rocks a breather, a favor to keep their alliance tight.
As Shiki and Redfield appeared, King Elizabello and his nobles kept warming up, desperate for every extra second to boost their attack's power.
Before the ministers could order a counterattack, twin waves of Conqueror's Haki swept over the palace. Soldiers dropped like harvested wheat, leaving only a few strong-willed commanders standing.
Everyone knew no nation could resist a Emperor crew's invasion.
"Sirs, what do you want? We'll give you anything we have!" the Left Minister stammered, stepping forward to buy time for the king and nobles to charge their King Punch.
"Stop your King Punch nonsense," Redfield said coldly. "We want its training method. Resist, and you're all dead. The consequences will be severe."
Despite his noble past, Redfield's words carried the icy weight of a pirate who'd long shed any mercy for royalty.
"You want the King Punch?!" King Elizabello gasped, mid-warm-up, stunned. It was the Elizabello family's signature technique. But if resistance meant annihilation, he might have to hand it over to save his people.
-----------
+400 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg