One Piece: Hell Pirates

King Riku and Prince Doldo stood frozen in place, trembling uncontrollably. Neither dared to move an inch, afraid the next shot might blow a hole straight through their bodies.

Why is he suddenly interested in us again? Wasn't it enough to rob the dwarves?! Riku screamed inwardly, full of despair.

Overhead, a massive golden ship hovered above the King's Plateau. Brook and Hiruba leapt down, landing gracefully in front of the royal officials who had just begun to flee. A crack of lightning split the sky—and Redfield appeared, silent and menacing.

Seeing Brook appear in person, the guards immediately felt a pressure so heavy their knees buckled. Their instincts screamed at them to run, completely overriding their duty to protect the king.

The high-ranking officials collapsed to the ground, weak-kneed and pale-faced. In front of them stood the infamous Lord of the Hell Pirates, Brook—one of the true overlords of the New World.

Their lives were in the hands of this pirate god, who could decide their fate with a single word.

Brook stepped forward, his voice calm but unnervingly sharp. "King of Dressrosa, don't faint just yet. I came here to ask—do you have any Devil Fruits stashed away in your treasury?"

Then he added coldly, "Don't lie. Thunder doesn't forgive."

The soul pressure in Brook's voice made King Riku feel faint, yet paradoxically reassured him—he knew that answering truthfully was his only way out.

"Y-Yes! There is one! Just one!" Riku answered immediately, trembling like a leaf. His head bobbed up and down frantically like a chicken pecking rice. "Please, don't hurt this country!"

"Very good," Brook nodded. "Hand it over. We're in a hurry."

Brook and Hiruba exchanged a glance, their eyes gleaming. There really was a Devil Fruit here! What kind of god-tier luck was this?

Hiruba was amazed. Captain Brook's ability to predict stuff is getting more and more insane. No wonder Redfield treats him like a damn god.

Brook, meanwhile, quietly thanked the protagonist's golden halo in his heart. With this kind of luck, his goal of becoming the world's Strongest was practically guaranteed.

Seeing Brook in a rush, King Riku was eager to resolve the matter peacefully. He immediately ordered someone to retrieve the Devil Fruit from the treasury.

Still, Brook wanted to take a look at the old treasure vault—once the property of the Celestial Dragon Donquixote family. Curiosity had gotten the better of him.

"Take me to the treasury," he ordered.

King Riku dared not object. He nodded rapidly and led the way himself, with Prince Doldo trailing behind like a stiff puppet, completely petrified.

Inside the vault… disappointment.

Just as Brook expected, Dressrosa's treasury was poverty-stricken. The gold here couldn't hold a candle to the Ryugu Palace's vault on Fishman Island, let alone the overflowing hoard of the Hell Pirates.

Brook walked up to a small ornate box. He opened it, revealing a swirl-patterned fruit nestled inside. Hiruba stepped closer and squinted.

"Looks like the Glare-Glare Fruit, just like in the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia."

Brook nodded, then casually tossed it to Hiruba. "Well? You wanna eat it now or take your time and decide?"

The Glare-Glare Fruit was ideal for snipers. Its powers included mind reading, spiritual scanning, and X-ray vision. On top of that, it granted clairvoyance up to a radius of 4,000 kilometers—perfect for gathering intel or locking on to enemies from absurd distances.

Hiruba caught the fruit, eyes wide with anticipation. "If I wait, I'll just hesitate. Might as well eat it now!"

He didn't even think twice. He bit into the fruit, grimacing immediately at the god-awful taste, then shoved it back into the box and gagged.

"Ugh… gross… but worth it."

Almost instantly, the powers began to activate. Hiruba's eyes sparkled as he looked around.

"I can see… everything! Mosquitoes in the corners… birds outside the window… This is insane!"

Brook smirked. "Great. We're done here."

He nodded politely to King Riku. "Thanks for the hospitality."

The two pirates turned and left the vault. Redfield followed silently behind, glancing back with a faint, satisfied smile. At least the king was smart enough not to resist.

As the trio departed without looting anything else, the guards and ministers collapsed in relief, hugging each other and sobbing.

They really didn't steal the gold… they thought in disbelief. We might actually survive this…

King Riku himself was stunned. He'd been sure Brook would loot everything. He'd even resigned himself to losing the entire treasury. But… he only took the Devil Fruit?

By the time Riku reached the surface again, the golden ship was already flying away. Moments later, the massive floating island—the Hell Pirates' base—also began to move, lifting into the sky and drifting out of Dressrosa airspace.

The entire kingdom erupted in celebration.

The people, who had feared imminent death from a falling island, were now safe. The citizens returned to their homes. The streets came alive again. Dressrosa was finally at peace.

But one thing was missing.

The "elves" never returned.

Dressrosa had lost its connection to Green Bit—and the dwarves.

Though the royal family still had its life and treasury intact, King Riku knew this was bittersweet. He'd never get the chance to introduce the dwarves to his son, Prince Doldo.

And that weighed heavily on his heart.

The prince, now brooding in silence, had entered a rebellious phase. One day, he vowed, he would rescue the Pokémon-like dwarves from the grip of the Hell Pirates.

---

Meanwhile, the golden island was finally ready to return to its own territory.

Elsewhere, the Queen Anne's —flagship of Angel's crew—was chasing the Roger Pirates. But tailing them was none other than Jack Sparrow, aboard his ship The Bad Girl, even bombarding Angel's ship at one point.

That cannon shot? It wasn't a warning.

It was a declaration of robbery.

Angel, furious, immediately accelerated. She hoped the Roger Pirates would intercept Jack before things escalated.

News of Jack's reckless attack reached both the Digger Pirates and the remaining Rocks Pirates.

Reactions were mixed.

At Ten Kings Island, Diger's face twisted into rage. "That damn bastard… Does he want the Overlord Alliance to break down faster?!"

His so-called son Jack was a constant headache—always bringing chaos.

Back in their own territories, Willank and Saracha were biding their time. Though they hadn't spoken openly yet, they were getting tired of Diger's manipulation. The economy of their territories was already nearly under Diger's control.

Still, deep down, they knew… it was their own damn fault.

Their reckless pirate ways had crippled local businesses, giving Diger all the opening he needed to monopolize their trade networks.

And now, the fuse had been lit.

---------------

With tensions rising again, Rocks on Beehive Island began preparing for war once more. He was ready to ignite the next New World Unification War at any moment.

The second the Diger Pirates and the Hell Pirates clashed, he planned to immediately wipe out the Ice Demon Pirates and Butcher Pirates, clip the wings of the Overlord Alliance, and crush that old bastard Diger once and for all!

Lately, newcomers like Wang Zhi, Silver Axe, and John had been growing rapidly in power. They'd surpassed many of the older crew and were now part of the Rocks Pirates' core.

Meanwhile, the Kurozumi siblings—Kuroshin and Chanmaru—had officially joined the Rocks Pirates as special guard officers. Though they weren't required to fight, they still enjoyed the privileges and spoils like top officers.

However, the two siblings had their doubts. Rocks was simply too strong. If he came to Wano, their Kurozumi clan would never get the chance to rule. So, the two secretly began cozying up to the younger, more ambitious members of the crew. Kuroshin formed a close bond with Miss Bakin, while his sister, Kurasaki, used her Clone-Clone Fruit to secretly imitate her.

In the original history, Kurasaki had used her powers to imitate Golden Lion Shiki, Miss Bakin, Kozuki Sukiyaki, and even Momonosuke...

That old hag had even dared to copy the face of a young Shiki. What the hell happened between them? That's nightmare fuel!

As the siblings snooped around within the crew, they noticed something interesting: John hadn't fully submitted to Rocks. Most of the other officers were loyal—mesmerized by Rocks' overwhelming power—but John was different.

That gave them hope.

They slowly tried getting closer to him, hoping that when the time came, they could form an alliance. Their goal remained the same: return to Wano, overthrow the Kozuki clan, and make the Kurozumi family the new shoguns.

---

Meanwhile, on the Island of Ten Kings—Madagascar...

Barbossa of Caspian Island once again gathered the island lords for a pirate council with Diger Sparrow to address one big problem: Jack.

The Hell Pirates were growing at a terrifying rate. Their strength had skyrocketed, becoming the dominant force just behind the Rocks and Diger Pirates.

If they went to war with the Hell Pirates, they'd both be crippled—leaving Rocks the last man standing.

Right now, the Rocks Pirates were the top dogs, the Diger Pirates were second, and the Hell Pirates ranked third. But Diger was getting old, while Rocks and Brook were still in their prime.

Barbossa had always disliked Jack. And now that moron had barged into Hell Pirates territory trying to rob Angel, the "Empress of Flame." He was practically begging for war.

Standing behind the core officers was a silent, fearsome man with a chunk missing from his lip—Beaver, the top lieutenant under the late Overlord Ewald. After Ewald was killed by Rocks, he surrendered to Diger.

With a bounty of 700 million berries, Beaver was only slightly below Barbossa, Xiao Feng, and Jack—but he was stronger than most of Diger's other officers.

Back when Diger gave Ewald's territory to the Hell Pirates, Beaver had kept quiet.

Even when Angel, Ewald's daughter, was driven out in a rage, he said nothing.

He'd been with the Diger Pirates for a year and a half now, but no matter how strong he was, Diger never fully trusted him. The other officers kept their distance. He was isolated.

He brought along some loyal men from the old Ewald Pirates, but his life now was dull and suffocating. He hadn't even wanted to attend this meeting—what was the point? He had no voice here. He'd rather relax on the island he was assigned to rule.

"Beaver," Diger called suddenly. "Why don't you go convince Angel and Bull to return to us? You've known each other for years."

Beaver's heart sank. Again? This old bastard knew Angel resented him for switching sides. If he went, she'd just spit in his face.

Diger sighed. If Jack had been half as ruthless as Brook, he'd have claimed Angel long ago. Now that she'd fallen for Brook, things had gotten complicated.

Still, a son was a son. Diger had to clean up this mess.

If they could "convince" Angel to return, all would be well.

He didn't believe Brook would dare go to war with the Diger Pirates over one woman—not with Rocks breathing down their necks. Brook was smart. He'd back off.

"Captain Diger," Beaver said with a strained smile, "Angel is hostile to me now. If I go, I'll only make things worse. It would be better for Xao Feng to act fast—strike while Brook and the others are away. Capture Angel and make her Young Master Jack's wife!"

He regretted surrendering back then. If he'd joined Angel instead, he'd be a top member of the Hell Pirates now. Life would've been so much better than this.

As a seasoned pirate, he'd never felt so humiliated.

Back when he followed Ewald Teach, evading Diger and Rocks, life was good—now he was just some pawn.

"Then go with Xao Feng," Diger ordered. "If you encounter the Hell Pirates, retreat immediately."

Diger hoped sending Beaver along would let Angel vent her anger. Maybe Jack could even "save" her from Beaver and win her over.

If Brook and the Hell Pirates weren't back yet, they could take Angel and retake Ewald's territory quickly.

Diger was getting old—and Jack was a pain in the ass. But as a father, he had to try.

"I understand, Captain," Beaver said through gritted teeth. He had no choice.

Luckily, Xiao Feng was fast. Maybe they could bring Angel and Jack back before Brook returned.

"Captain Diger, I object!"

Barbossa stepped forward, anger in his voice.

"You're risking war with the Hell Pirates over a woman?! That's insane! It's not worth it!"

He'd been Diger's butler and strategist for years. He wasn't about to gamble on Brook staying silent. If war broke out now, they'd all get crushed—and Rocks would eat them alive.

All because Jack couldn't keep it in his pants.

Barbossa stared at Diger in disbelief. Was the old man losing his mind? Favoring his son over the entire crew?

He couldn't accept that.

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