Antonio, Parrot, and Bra Kara watched from the golden ship as the battlefield shifted toward the town. Hiruba quickly adjusted course and resumed long-range fire from the ship.
Seeing the port mostly empty, Antonio—though weak—decided to take action. He and Bra Kara entered the castle, while their parrot companion flew toward the Rocks Pirates' flagship.
Inside the cabin, overflowing with treasure, Antonio, Bra Kara, and the parrot wasted no time. They stormed from room to room, stuffing themselves with riches. Even Antonio, usually frail, was worn out from carrying so much loot.
"If only Brother Shiki were here," Antonio groaned. "He could've flown the whole damn ship with the treasure—faster and easier. Damn it, this was a stupid decision…"
Meanwhile, Shiki—still fuming from his earlier defeat by the Scorpion Dragon—was burning with the need for redemption. Watching Brook injure Scorpion's arm with a single strike infuriated him. Was the gap between them really that wide?
No. Shiki clenched his fists. He would beat Scorpion Dragon himself. That bounty, that glory—it would all be his. Especially now, with Scorpion's right hand wounded, this was his chance.
After resting and recovering with a few Blood Crystal Dandelions from ship doctor Crocus, Shiki burst back into the fight, energized and wild-eyed.
Back on the ground, chaos had erupted.
The Rocks Pirates were torching houses, grabbing civilians, and using them as human shields. In return, the Hell Pirates hesitated, and the Rocks crew responded by murdering innocent townspeople in front of them—then tossing their bodies toward the Hell Pirates' lines in mockery.
Their grins were twisted. Their cruelty had no limit.
Brook's eyes went cold.
The kindness and restraint of his crew were being exploited by monsters.
Originally, Brook had wanted to personally deal with the Scorpion Dragon, but seeing Shiki charging in, hungry to prove himself, he let it go. Brook had bigger problems now.
He leapt into the fray, transforming into undead. His sword danced in a blur, cutting down elite pirates left and right. Each slash carved not only flesh but also tore at the soul—their terrified screams echoing.
Charlotte Linlin paused mid-battle, eyes drawn to the souls pouring into the air. Her instincts kicked in.
She abandoned her current target and lunged toward the freshly fallen pirates, harvesting their souls one by one.
Brook's killing spree had flipped a switch in the Hell Pirates.
They were no longer the calm, moral crew trying to set an example. They were pirates again—real ones.
Shakky, now resembling a vampire beast, consumed a Blood Crystal Dandelion and changed. Her eyes burned with feral hunger. She flew through the air, snatching pirates and draining them dry mid-flight. Their lifeless mummified bodies rained down as she cackled in a high-pitched, eerie tone, her voice carrying a chilling infrasound effect.
She looked like a villain out of nightmares.
Even Charlotte Linlin wasn't holding back. Her giant frame rampaged through the battlefield, gripping elite pirates like dolls and extracting their souls. Each victim died with wide, terrified eyes. She laughed—loud and unhinged—as she grabbed the next.
Brook's actions had triggered the crew's suppressed instincts. A bloodbath was underway.
Golden Lion Shiki, unshackled by Brook's usual restraint, let loose with blade storms of sword energy. Buildings exploded as his attacks rained chaos. Entire houses, even with civilians still inside, were flung into the sky and hurled at Scorpion Dragon. The town echoed with screams.
Seeing the madness unfold, Red Earl Redfield smiled wickedly. If Brook—his moral compass—had snapped, then so would he.
He unleashed his power. Lightning surged through the skies, his domain transforming into a raging thunderstorm. Bright white flashes blinded the battlefield. Opponents like Wizz and Saxe Way couldn't even react before being electrocuted into smoldering corpses.
The Hell Pirates had been hiding their true natures—restrained under Brook's guidance. But now? Now they let the devil out.
Shiki had always downplayed his violence to stay on Brook's good side. Charlotte hid her obsession with souls. But now they reveled in it. Even Stussy, watching Linlin's carnage, felt fear.
"Has Linlin… lost her damn mind?"
Kaido, once a reserved powerhouse, was now a berserker. Steam snorted from his nostrils, his eyes bloodshot. His muscles bulged. He crushed elite Rocks pirates underfoot and beat some to death with horrifying brutality. Even Tiger was stunned.
Nearby, Tiger watched Scaredo—his usually gentle fishman brother—bite a pirate in half with his massive shark jaws. Blood gushed across the battlefield.
Tiger almost vomited.
"Scaredo… What the hell…?"
He hesitated, distracted by the horror. A Rocks pirate seized the moment, striking from behind—but Fishman Tom blocked the blow just in time, scolding Tiger for losing focus mid-battle.
Only Whitebeard Newgate stayed composed.
He watched his crew fall deeper into bloodlust. They weren't supposed to be like this. Yes, they were pirates, but they were his people. Strong. Kind. Fighting for their dreams.
But the Rocks Pirates—monsters who murdered civilians without blinking—had brought out something terrible in them.
Whitebeard clenched his fists.
"I won't let your kindness be twisted… I'll protect you all."
He didn't pity the Rocks Pirates—they deserved what they got. But he mourned what the battle was doing to his crew.
He turned toward Salman, a Rocks pirate with a bounty even higher than his own.
"I'll end this. For them."
Whitebeard's arm surged with strength. His fist glowed white with shockwave power—now crackling with streaks of black-and-red lightning. His muscles thickened, his aura erupted like a tidal wave.
He launched forward.
BOOM!
His punch shattered the air like glass.
Salman screamed as he was sent flying, bones snapping, blood spraying.
Whitebeard howled at the sky, releasing an earthquake-like wave of Conqueror's Haki. It rippled through the battlefield, shaking the ground—and even pulling Brook out of his blood-soaked trance for a moment.
--------------------
Seeing Whitebeard Newgate shatter the very fabric of space with a punch, Brook stood silently, watching. That power… had Newgate really come this far?
Just the sheer visual force—ripping space apart, compared to simply creating tsunamis—was a whole new level. And now… had Newgate's Conqueror's Haki evolved too?
That red and black lightning… was that the true manifestation of advanced Conqueror's Haki?
"No way. Absolutely not!" Brook frowned. "He's only had Conqueror's Haki for a day or two! What does he think this is, some King Luffy protagonist arc?!"
Still, even if it was just an explosive surge, the aura was undeniable.
Looking around, Brook noticed the crew slaughtering elite pirates left and right with increasing glee. He frowned. Had he… accidentally set a bad example?
Redfield, sensing the power of Newgate's aura, refused to be outdone. Arrogant as always, he burst forth with his own Conqueror's Haki, pushing back against Newgate's dominating pressure.
If I want to push Brook to the throne... if I want to slaughter the Celestial Dragons... I must become stronger!
He abandoned the two opponents he'd previously overwhelmed. Seeing Redfield distracted, Monkey King Wizz and Saxe Way fled into the deep forest behind town.
Charlotte Linlin's enemies—Rocket Jonas and the giant female warrior Jennifer—had long escaped, while the elite pirates were being annihilated by the Hell Pirates' crew.
Still hunting down pirates, Charlotte was shaken out of her frenzy by the clash of two Conqueror's Haki storms. Startled, she looked at her own bloodstained hands, sensing the massive soul energy now within her.
She blinked nervously at Brook, recalling how he'd often reminded her not to kill needlessly. But he didn't seem to be paying attention. Relieved, she turned to see what had grabbed his focus—Newgate's massive aura, flooding the area with tremors and willpower.
With that, one by one, the Hell Pirates started to regain their senses. The senseless slaughter began to slow.
Even Scorpion Dragon, who had been ready to make a last stand, realized the tide had turned. He turned tail and ran—there was no chance he could survive against this many monsters. As for Salman, who'd been blasted senseless by Newgate, he was left behind like discarded cargo.
Golden Lion Shiki, watching Newgate and Redfield clash in raw Conqueror's Haki, gave up chasing Scorpion Dragon and turned to join them.
Why did Newgate get this strong out of nowhere? What happened to working hard? I was the one fighting hardest! Why am I always the one getting shafted?!
Furious, Shiki poured everything into his Conqueror's Haki. His aura flared, rapidly growing in strength.
"Linlin! Use your Conqueror's Haki too! Join us and push your limits!" Brook shouted, his voice ringing clear.
The others were leveling up fast—spurred by competition, adrenaline, and anger. Brook saw it all. With some hesitation, Charlotte Linlin joined in. Her aura surged out violently—perhaps not necessary right now, but every clash would help temper her spirit.
"Gurararara! Looks like everyone's back to their senses!" Newgate laughed, his voice booming like an earthquake. His joy was palpable—his crew hadn't lost themselves.
"Newgate!!" Shiki snapped. "Do you have to go around randomly bursting with Conqueror's Haki?! I almost had Scorpion Dragon!"
Frustrated, he stomped over, clearly annoyed that the kill—and likely the bounty—had been taken from him. He still had a blood crystal dandelion left! With just a little more time, he could've won!
Once again, Newgate, who didn't care about the bounty, ends up with a bigger one—while Shiki, who wanted it desperately, walks away empty-handed.
"Gurarara! I saw everyone getting carried away, so I wanted to remind them," Newgate said with a smile. "We're not the Rocks Pirates. We're not monsters."
Shiki scowled. "There's no pirate who doesn't kill! I'll become the new ruler of the New World, and help Big Brother Brook conquer the seas! I'll overthrow the World Government itself if I have to!"
"I won't let you take the second-in-command position of the Hell Pirates, Newgate!" Redfield chimed in, his voice firm, his aura still climbing. His Haki was now nearly level with Newgate's.
Shiki's eyes widened. Are you guys cheating or what?!
Everyone around him was leveling up like crazy, and he was the only one still stuck one step behind. At least Linlin was a bit behind too—that was the only comfort he had.
"Yohoho~ Before Rocks shows up, let me show you my Conqueror's Haki!" Brook said casually.
The others paused. Redfield, Linlin, Newgate, even Shiki—all stared at him in disbelief.
Since when did Brook have Conqueror's Haki?!
Brook's deep blue eye lights faded into pitch black. The cold aura that clung to his bones vanished. In its place, a human tone returned to his body—warmer, more alive.
"Stop blinking," Brook whispered, and the land shuddered.
With one burst of his will, the entire area fell silent. Cracks split across buildings and homes. Even the trees splintered under the invisible weight of his aura.
"This… this is the same aura as that mysterious warrior from O'Hara!" Newgate gasped.
"Brother Brook?! You've had this all along?!" Redfield's voice trembled—not from fear, but awe.
"Big Brother Brook~ You liar!" Linlin pouted. "You're so bad! But I love how strong you are!"
"Enjoy the pressure of a true king!" Brook declared.
He unleashed his full Conqueror's Haki, slamming down on all four of them. Their faces hardened from the sudden weight. Brook then used their resistance as training, further tempering his own Haki through the clash.
Just as the battle of wills reached its peak, a voice echoed through the Den Den Mushi.
"Captain Brook!" It was Hiruba, the sniper on the golden ship. "Rocks is approaching at high speed! ETA: less than an hour from the northwest!"
The crew exchanged glances. The next wave was about to begin.
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