Diger felt the subtle shift within his pirate crew—but what choices did he really have left? All of this was Jack's fault. Was he supposed to abandon his son just to go to war with the Hell Pirates?
And if that happened… how long could they hold out against both the Hell Pirates and the Rocks Pirates?
If only his officers weren't so disappointing. Not a single one had awakened their Conqueror's Haki, and the Diger Pirates lacked a worthy successor. Is this what had brought them to this pathetic state? Had Diger's ambition to dominate the seas crumbled because of this?
Diger himself was nearing seventy. With no hope on the horizon, retirement seemed like the only choice—just like the old Ice Demon. Ideally, he'd force Jack to produce some heirs to raise and train before then.
For now, his only move was to stabilize Brook. With Brook on the rise, he hoped that within a year or two, either his bastard son or one of the crew's officers would be able to carry the torch of the Diger Pirates. If no one stepped up… then it was time to step down.
He had reigned supreme for thirty years. That was a life well-lived.
The best ending would be to find a peaceful island, raise grandchildren, and enjoy a normal life.
The worst outcome? Accompanying the Diger Pirates to ruin, dying alongside his son, and ending the Sparrow family legacy.
Looking around at his disheartened crew, he sighed internally.
Old. Weak. Demoralized.
"Don't forget the alliance agreement!"
Diger growled and threw a thick booklet toward Brook. Every eye locked onto the tattered, haki-wrapped cover as it sailed through the air.
This… was the ultimate secret to mastering Advanced Conqueror's Haki—the Entanglement technique.
Brook caught it with one hand and flipped through it. He tested a bit of it himself, then handed it to Redfield, Shiki, and Linlin to examine. Once they confirmed it was legit, they tossed Jack's unconscious body back to Diger without a word.
Before Diger could even get angry, two seastone keys flew through the air like bullets. He snatched them with one hand and immediately unlocked the seastone cuffs binding Xiaofeng and Jack.
"Captain Diger, should we give chase?"
Barbossa asked, voice tight. "Or head straight for Brook's base? Are we really going to let the Hell Pirates walk away with our technique?"
Diger shook his head. "Xiaofeng is injured, and we can't catch up to Brook's golden ship. It's pointless to chase them. And besides, Brook and I are still allies—barely. Attacking his island now would only bring mutual destruction."
"The Float-Float Fruit power that Golden Lion Shiki wields is terrifying. He could level an island with it."
Diger sighed again, heavier this time.
"Return to Ten Kings Island. If none of you awaken Conqueror's Haki before the Hell Pirates truly rise… then the Diger Pirates have no future."
He was exhausted. These men had followed him for decades, but once he grew old and frail, their loyalty was already fading. He wasn't afraid of Barbossa having ambition—he was afraid Barbossa wasn't strong enough to back it up.
Otherwise, they'd all become prey for Rocks and Brook. If it came to that, better to disband the Diger Pirates entirely than let them be eaten alive and tarnish the legacy of Diger.
Following his orders, the fleet pulled away from Brook's territory and set a course back to Ten Kings Island.
Diger looked at the weakened Jack and made a decision—once they returned, he'd ensure Jack produced an heir no matter what it took. Even if it meant locking him up or drugging him.
---
Back aboard the golden ship, Brook and the others returned to Golden Island, where they would later move the entire place to Sky Island in the New World.
"Brother Brook!"
Golden Lion Shiki shouted, eyes blazing. "Now the Hell Pirates are truly gonna rise! Next time I see Jack, I'm beating his ass so hard he'll be calling me Grandpa!"
He was still furious about being suppressed by Jack earlier. Now that he had the training method for Conqueror's Haki Entanglement, he swore he'd surpass that bastard.
"Don't get ahead of yourself," Brook warned, calm but sharp. "We don't even know if our Haki has reached the level needed to train Entanglement. We still need to fight, strengthen our spirit, and grow our willpower."
Still, Brook was satisfied. With this technique in their hands, the Hell Pirates finally had the foundation to stand up to the Rocks Pirates.
All they needed now was time.
Lilin quickly used her Homies to make four exact copies of the training guide. Every crew member who had awakened Conqueror's Haki would get one.
Kaido, Fisher Tiger, and Shakky watched wide-eyed as the booklets were handed out—but unfortunately, none of them had awakened Conqueror's Haki yet. So they weren't qualified to learn this advanced technique.
Kaido clenched the golden alloy mace in his hand, his knuckles white. One day, he would awaken it. Captain Brook himself had said he had the potential—and Brook never lied.
That fact alone was Kaido's greatest source of pride. Tiger hadn't been confirmed to have the potential yet, which made him envious. Even Shakky and Stussy looked at Kaido with subtle jealousy.
That only made Kaido train harder. He wouldn't disappoint his captain.
Now, with access to proper training, his strength was growing fast. Even Whitebeard had called him a monster.
Tiger couldn't beat him anymore. His next target? Scaredo, the hammerhead shark fishman with a bounty of over 100 million berries.
He wasn't strong enough to beat him yet—but he would be.
Kaido had also heard rumors that Brook possessed a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit—the Octopus Siren Fruit—that gave the user eight arms and monstrous regeneration.
There were also Flying Zoans like the Wasp-Wasp Fruit and Rhinoceros Beetle Fruit recovered from the dwarves.
Any one of them could instantly elevate a pirate's power to terrifying levels. Kaido wanted one.
But as a trainee, a newcomer, he knew he had to earn it. Brook wouldn't hand out Mythical Fruits like candy.
So Kaido trained with even more obsession. He knew one thing:
Almost every senior officer on the crew already had a Devil Fruit.
Only Tiger and Uncle Tom, both fishmen, had refused to eat one.
That meant—he was next in line.
And if he was going to eat one, it sure as hell was going to be the best.
Eyes blazing, Kaido made a vow:
He would earn the right to eat a Mythical Zoan.
And then… the sea would tremble under his name.
-------------
On the Golden Island
Whitebeard, also known as Newgate, lounged lazily on the Golden Isles. With not much to do, he passed the time drinking with the Tom, who had become something of a drinking buddy. As for the scientist Vegapunk—well, they had nothing in common, so there wasn't much fun to be had there.
"Uhahaha~ Newgate, what do you think? Will that cocky bastard Shiki get his ass kicked by Jack?" Tom asked, laughing heartily. "He's way too arrogant for his own good."
"Gurarara~ You mean my idiot little brother? Let him get beat up. I'll avenge him later anyway," Newgate chuckled, swirling his drink.
Just thinking about Shuki's smug face made him laugh. It had taken him forever to get that bastard to call him "brother." When he finally did, Newgate was slick enough to record it with a hidden mic—classic trick he picked up from Brook, who'd used a similar move when taming Stussy.
Brook once said, "Make him say it once, and that bond's forever." Newgate took that to heart.
"I've got the dirt on him now. He'll work like a damn dog for me, whether he likes it or not! Gurarara!"
Meanwhile, a group of archaeologists from O'Hara were plotting to get a peek at the three ancient Poneglyphs hidden beneath the golden cloth under the massive clock tower. With Brook away, they thought they had a chance.
To sweeten the deal, they bought out all the homemade liquor on the island and loaded it onto a cart. Their plan? Get the white-bearded titan and the fat fishman drunk.
"Perrault… are you sure this'll work?" Nico Barroby adjusted his thick, black-framed glasses and asked Charles Perrault, who was pulling the cart. Behind them, two kids—Nico Herodotus and Charles Olivia—pushed from the back.
"Relax, Barroby," Charles said confidently, a smug glint in his gold-rimmed glasses. "I've watched those two closely. They both adore kids. As long as Herodotus and Olivia are polite and sweet, we'll be fine."
Charles wasn't just an archaeologist—he was a trained psychologist, and he'd already figured out that Newgate, despite being a pirate, had a serious soft spot for children. Tom, too. Neither looked the part of ruthless pirates at all.
Barroby glanced over and noticed that a couple of dwarves were sitting comfortably on Newgate and Tom's shoulders. It was a surprisingly wholesome scene.
The dwarves, having recently settled on the Golden Isles, were thriving. Some had moved into the Tree of Knowledge, and others built their own village. The islanders had accepted them warmly. King Gandalf oeven assigned a dwarf patrol unit to team up with the Seastone Musketeers and Swordsman Warriors to help maintain peace on the island.
As Barroby and Charles approached with the wine cart, the Kirin Lion dozing nearby let out a sudden roar. The sound startled everyone, its rumbling vibration carrying a faint sonic shock. Newgate's attention shifted to the newcomers.
While O'Hara had no real fighters, Newgate was still the island's top guardian, so anything suspicious fell under his jurisdiction.
"Lord Newgate! Uh… this is some fine liquor we brought as a gift!" Charles stammered, startled by the lion's roar. The two kids clung tightly to his legs, scared stiff.
Olivia, however, was wide-eyed with awe at the sight of the majestic golden lion and the massive, white-bearded pirate heading their way.
"Wine, huh? Why're you buttering me up? There's no free lunch—what do you want?" Newgate said gruffly, narrowing his eyes. "You give me a gift, you're either up to something or about to betray me."
Just as the tension rose, little Olivia chimed in sweetly, "Uncle! I just wanted to play with you. That's why Daddy brought the wine!"
The adults froze, unsure of what to say. But Newgate stared down at the tiny girl hugging his leg. Her big silver eyes sparkled like gems.
If her dad hadn't been standing right there, Newgate might've blurted out, "Be my daughter!"
"Gurarara! Hear that, Tom? Little cuties like this still like me!" he laughed, clearly flattered.
"What's your name, little one? If you ever wanna play again, just come by. Tom and I won't bite," Newgate said kindly, squatting down and trying not to scare her with his massive frame. "Our crew's not that scary either."
"I'm Olivia! We brought this wine for you. Can we be friends?" she shouted boldly, releasing her father and skipping toward Newgate.
"Gurarara! Friends it is, then. I'll take the wine. And listen—if anyone ever bullies you, you just shout my name: Whitebeard Newgate! I'll take care of it!"
He grabbed one of the large barrels, took a swig, and nodded. No poison—at least nothing his monstrous body couldn't handle.
After all, the ship's doctor, Crocus, was a shady old expert who'd made a career studying rare fish-man poisons. If anyone tried to poison him, Crocus would sniff it out in no time.
Newgate didn't suspect Olivia anyway. With him on the island, no harm would come to anyone—not from these gentle scholars, at least.
So he invited Olivia and her group to a small feast on the island. When he found out Charles and Barroby were archaeologists, he immediately guessed what they were really after.
Brook had given strict orders—nobody was to touch or even glance at the Poneglyphs beneath the golden clock. So Newgate planned to protect them at all costs.
Still, this cheeky little girl even tried to talk him into drinking more. That made Newgate laugh harder. He and Tom drank the entire barrel, but of course, neither of them showed the slightest sign of being drunk.
Barroby and Charles quickly realized their plan had failed. They wouldn't be seeing any ancient history today.
Newgate didn't expose them, though. Instead, with a loud laugh and a giant grin, he personally escorted them back to O'Hara.