One Piece: Hell Pirates

When Jack Sparrow heard Roger's roar, his expression twisted with fury. A burst of Conqueror's Haki exploded from Roger, shaking the battlefield and igniting Jack's anger. He roared back, unleashing his own sound wave attack—his unique technique that mimicked the effects of Conqueror's Haki.

Why the hell does this rookie have Conqueror's Haki?!

Jack gritted his teeth. As the son of Captain Diger, he had never awakened Conqueror's Haki. Since childhood, he had seen the disappointment in his father's eyes again and again.

Am I really that weak…?

Jack's roar was just as fierce as Roger's, though not true Conqueror's Haki, it carried tremendous power. He hated those born with that kingly aura—but he also craved it. That hunger pushed him to create his sound wave technique, a substitute that achieved similar overwhelming pressure.

Fueled by rage and jealousy, Jack's attacks became more brutal. Even Roger, a so-called "Son of Destiny," was starting to get pushed back. Jack, now in his forties, was in his prime—peak physical condition, refined combat techniques, and brutal battle experience. Even the infamous martial monk Scorpion Dragon, with a 1.1 billion bounty, had been seriously injured by him.

Roger was just 26, barely over a year into his time in the New World. Sure, his strength had grown rapidly—his Haki in all three colors had improved fast—but he still lacked the depth to truly match Jack in a head-on brawl. The fact that he could hold his own this long was already an incredible feat.

Gaban and Rayleigh rushed onto the scene, their eyes locked onto their captain's duel. Around them, the rest of the Roger Pirates were fired up. Their captain was going toe-to-toe with a monster who had a 1.1 billion berries bounty!

So Captain Roger really can fight with the best...

After this battle, Roger's bounty definitely wouldn't stay near the bottom of the Overlord candidate list.

Currently, even pirates like Nagli and Cone Pepper had bounties higher than Roger's. Maybe it was because they'd gone around looting, burning, and wrecking stuff—while Roger's crew focused more on adventuring and chasing historical texts.

But Rayleigh wasn't celebrating yet. His sharp eyes could see it clearly:

Roger was fighting with everything he had—120% effort—just to barely keep up with Jack, who was only using around 80% of his power.

He won't last like this. Not unless he breaks through.

Still, that's what being strong was all about—fighting other strong people. Rayleigh knew this fight would push Roger's limits. He'd come out stronger no matter what.

He exchanged a quick look with Jabba. If Roger reached a breakthrough, they'd immediately jump in and help overwhelm Jack together.

They believed in Roger. They knew his potential. Give it a few more years, and even Jack Sparrow would fall before him.

Jack parried a flaming slash and pushed Roger back with a single heavy swing.

"Hah… Newcomer, you're tough. Real tough. Tell me your name!" he demanded, more impressed now than angry.

Roger grinned, his whole body blazing like fire, as if fueled by some hidden martial art that drew on pure potential.

"Name's Gol D. Roger! Bounty's sitting low at 233,333,333 berries. But forget the numbers—let's keep fighting!"

He didn't waste a second. He lunged forward again, slashing with Ace, his famed sword, desperate to press forward and level up through battle.

Jack froze for a second.

"Wait, what? 230 million?! Are you kidding me? Those two brats I've been hunting are over 500 million each—and they need you to protect them?!"

His eyes went wide with disbelief.

"Are the Navy eating crayons or something? How the hell is your bounty that low?!"

Jack was losing it. Roger's strength easily belonged in the 800 million range. That kind of power was reserved for titans—people like Xiao Feng, Golden Lion Shiki, or Whitebeard.

Whoever issued this lowball bounty clearly didn't know what the hell they were doing. Jack made a mental note to beat the snot out of whatever Marine idiot signed that bounty sheet.

But honestly, it wasn't the Navy's fault.

After Roger's crew entered the New World, the major pirate groups were all in chaos, fighting for territory. Roger's crew kept a low profile, had only brief skirmishes with rookies like Nagli and Cone Pepper, and mostly avoided headline-making battles.

Then Brook showed up, and they spent months relaxing, feasting, and touring a dozen islands. No fighting, no headlines, no bounty increases.

Meanwhile, pirates like Nagli, Cone Pepper, and World were torching islands, attacking World Government trade routes, and wrecking Marine branches—causing their bounties to spike fast. Some were already breaking the 500 million mark.

Once you break that line, you're no longer a rookie or overlord candidtae—you're a full-fledged New World pirate.

At 800 million or more, you're top-tier—worthy of names like "Three Calamities," "Admiral-Level Monsters," or titles like the "Four Heavenly Kings," "Five Tiger Generals," "Seven Sages of the Sea," and so on.

Once you hit 1.5 billion, you're officially an overlord. If your crew has enough turf, you can rule parts of the New World outright.

Jack looked back at Roger again—this fierce, insane rookie—and a crazy thought hit him.

What if I recruited this guy into the Diger Pirates?

But before he could speak, Roger shouted, "Enough talk! Fight!"

He knew he couldn't maintain his heightened state forever. He needed to break through now. With a roar, he swung Ace once more, each swing faster and more vicious than the last.

Blades clashed again, sparks flying, lightning-like flashes tearing across the beach. Everyone watching held their breath.

On the side, Angeli finally understood Brook's plan. Then she looked over at the rest of Roger's crew—every single one of them looked like a seasoned beast in human form.

That man with the gold-rimmed glasses and double-edged sword... the one with twin axes and sunglasses… they both gave off an even more dangerous vibe than she did!

Just who are these guys? Why haven't we heard of them before?

Clearly, Roger's crew were no pushovers. They weren't just nobodies—they were elite warriors, and Brook knew that when he invited them.

Angel quickly contacted Brook through a Den Den Mushi, reporting the battle location and calling for backup.

Roger seemed able to hold out for now. Meanwhile, his crew charged at Jack's men—intent on defeating them and raising their own bounties.

The entire beach plunged into chaos as swords clashed, Haki exploded, and blood stained the sand.

Even Bull and Angel kept their eyes locked on Jack, ready to join the fray the moment Roger showed signs of slipping. Rayleigh and Gaban were the same.

This battle wasn't just about survival.

It was about rising.

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

The waters surrounding Island were turbulent as two pirate ships cut through the waves with speed and purpose. Onboard were Beaver—the former first mate of the Ewald Pirates—and Xiaofeng, both heading straight for Bristol Waters, territory of the Hell Pirates. Their mission: locate Young Master Jack and assist him in capturing Teach Angel before Brook and the others could intervene.

Thanks to Xiaofeng's Wind-Wind Fruit ability, they had speed on their side, and Beaver thought this mission would be a walk in the park. But Xiaofeng wasn't as confident. Diger had given strict orders—if they happened to cross paths with Brook and the others on their return, they had to prioritize Xiaofeng and Jack's safety above all else.

That meant if it came down to it, Beaver was to be sacrificed—either thrown out as a shield or handed over to Angel as a sign of apology. In the worst-case scenario, he'd be left behind to cover their retreat.

Xiaofeng fully understood Diger's intentions. Ideally, they'd bring both Jack and Angel back safely. But if things went south, he was to abandon Angel and toss Beaver to the wolves while escaping with Jack. No hesitation.

---

Meanwhile, Brook and his crew had already departed from Dressrosa. After receiving a distress call from Angel, they immediately locked onto the target direction. Their sniper, Hiruba, activated his clairvoyance ability—his vision soaring like a bird, scanning the sea ahead through a sniper's lens enhanced by Haki.

"Shiki, you can hear it too now, right? Angel's calling for help. Roger's already fighting Jack! We need to move, fast!" Brook barked.

He turned to Shiki, the Golden Lion. "You want to take over Golden Island? Fine. But skip that for now—we're heading out. Redfield and I will take the golden ship to back up Roger!"

Shiki hesitated, torn. It pissed him off that even though he wielded the Float-Float Fruit, he was stuck babysitting a floating island instead of joining the fight. Wasn't this the textbook definition of digging your own grave?

"Hey, Brook. What if we just let the island float here for now?" Shiki asked, itching to jump into the action. "We'll come back and haul it away once the fight's over."

He had his own reasons for wanting to fight Jack. The goal wasn't just personal—it was to boost his bounty. But now that Roger had already engaged Jack, Shiki was worried his rival's bounty would spike past his own.

He still remembered what happened with Whitebeard. Newgate had been hunted down by Rocks and had his crew nearly wiped out, but somehow, his bounty had soared from 440 million to 500 million berries. Then, after fighting Jevaler, who had a 600 million bounty, Newgate's bounty skyrocketed again. It was total bullshit!

Now Shiki feared Roger would get the same boost—and he couldn't let that happen.

"This is so unfair!" Shiki cursed. "That bastard Roger's gonna get all the credit! Hell no!"

Brook shook his head. "Shiki, you can't just ditch a strategic base like Golden Island. We need someone to hold it down!"

Whitebeard Newgate stepped up. "Gurarara! Let him go, Captain Brook. I'll stay and guard Golden Island."

He turned to Shiki. "Just raise the island a bit higher before you leave. And don't die—if you do, I'll be falling from the sky along with this damn island!"

Newgate wasn't as obsessed with bounty numbers anymore. He had what he needed and was more about loyalty and protecting his crew. So he volunteered to hold the line.

"Newgate… you bastard. I take it all back. I shouldn't have mocked you before," Shiki said, eyes softening. "You're my real brother now!"

"Gurarara! Brothers, huh? Damn right, Shiki-lilbrother!" Whitebeard laughed.

"Wait a sec—you're older than me, right? I should be calling you little bro! Newgate-brother!" Shiki quickly retorted, not letting Newgate have the last word.

"Don't care!" Whitebeard grinned. "You don't call me 'Newgate-brother' right now, you're not going anywhere. I'll keep you grounded right here with this island!"

Shiki shot a glare. This bastard with his big brows and loud laugh was actually threatening him! He looked at Brook and Redfield as if asking, Are you just gonna let him do this?

"Tch. Fine, dammit! Just for today!" Shiki growled. "Let's go, Brother Brook!!"

He leapt aboard the golden spaceship, face red with frustration but fueled by adrenaline. With Zeus the Thunder Cloud and Prometheus the Sun—borrowed from Charlotte Linlin—powering the ship, and the wind dial and lightning engines firing at full throttle, the ship launched at max speed.

Meanwhile, Whitebeard stayed behind on the airborne Golden Island. Tom and Vegapunk also remained, preparing defenses. Brook, however, left the Kirin Lion—his emergency flying mount—behind for added security.

To handle aerial travel, every crew member had been equipped with jet boots—even Vegapunk. The sword-wielding samurai unit and Seastone rifle squad had also been outfitted.

Thanks to Brook's efforts, the Sky Island in the Grand Line had begun mass-producing Sky Dials, especially Sky Clams for food. Their development had skyrocketed—air travel, defense, and even a sustainable food supply were no longer a problem.

The two trainees, Kaido and Fisher Tiger, insisted on tagging along. Brook agreed—after all, it was time they saw how real pirates fought in the New World.

Redfield had been ordered to give the ship everything it had in speed, while Shiki looked like an expecting father pacing the delivery room—antsy, excited, desperate to be the first in.

As for Brook, Shakky, Stussy, and Linlin, they sat down to play poker. But these weren't ordinary cards—they were enormous, gold-plated slabs, each the size of a door panel, made to accommodate Linlin's grip.

Naturally, Brook and the others, with their supernatural strength, had no trouble playing with the massive cards.

Kaido and Tiger, however, weren't so lucky. The rookie duo had been stuck shuffling, stacking, and dealing the oversized cards. Brook called it: "Training through service to your elders!"

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