The three-day carnival of the Hell Pirates drew a flood of pirates and underworld merchants into the seas around Doragonzo Island. Even the old underground families—the Du family and the Draco family—were quietly making moves to align themselves with Brook's rising force.
There were no formal surrenders, but a wave of new partnerships had already formed.
The Du family's financial networks and black-market banks had forged high-level agreements with Brook. Banks had been established throughout Hell Pirates territory to handle the booming financial sector. Brook didn't try to monopolize the industry—he wasn't a finance expert. He left the management to the professionals. He simply ensured that the lion's share of the profits flowed his way.
Still, he wasn't naive. The Hell Pirates had already embedded their own agents within the banks and businesses to monitor operations and learn. Brook knew that building long-term power required nurturing loyal talent from within.
After all, his reign in the New World was still young. It would take another ten or twenty years before his influence could fully seep into every corner of his territory. Unlike Rocks, who tried to control everything at once, Brook understood that dominance without understanding was doomed to collapse. Rocks had neither the patience nor the manpower to rule the way Brook intended to.
Now, the only sectors left without clear allegiance were entertainment and the warehousing/raw materials industries. But change was already underway. Stussy had swept into the entertainment industry like a storm. With her charm, cunning, and connections, she was quickly eclipsing the old Queen of Pleasure Street. A new entertainment empress was on the rise.
The underworld was rapidly consolidating under a few major names:
The World Economic News Agency under Moore Thomas controlled intelligence.
The Umit Family, led by Shipping King Umid, dominated transportation.
The Du Family, headed by old Fukushen, ran finance.
And rumors whispered that the infamous Loan Shark King Du Feld had also recently been born.
As for the Draco Family, they specialized in assassination and human trafficking. Their heir, Pecklo, already showed signs of sadistic brilliance. The boy was barely out of diapers and already obsessed with knives and guns.
"Only the warehousing and raw materials sectors remain in chaos, huh?"
Brook muttered as he scanned the latest intelligence reports, taking a rare moment to himself while baby Kanna slept peacefully nearby. Dozens of underworld bosses had arrived, offering congratulations and subtle pleas for Brook's favor.
The heads of the warehousing and raw material industries were especially anxious. They knew one thing—whoever earned Brook's support would instantly become the next kingpin.
Even though they remained proud and refused to surrender outright, the fear lingered—what if one of their rivals did surrender and gained Brook's backing? Years of hard work could vanish overnight.
So, behind closed doors, these old enemies made a pact: none of them would bow to Brook. Instead, they'd compete amongst themselves, and whoever emerged as victor would seek an equal alliance with the Hell Pirates—just like the Du and Draco families had.
But once the game of escalation begins... there's no turning back.
Trying to impress Brook, they worked overtime, expanded operations, and sent emissaries into his waters—all hoping to curry favor. Ironically, several of them arrived at the same time, running into each other at Doragonzo Island. Tension exploded. Blades nearly clashed. Loyalty meant nothing—greed ruled.
"These underground industries are at a stalemate," reported Antonio, pushing up his new gold-framed glasses. "Without outside intervention, they might drag on for years."
Managing the intelligence for the entire Hell Pirates crew—and co-managing world intelligence with Moore—had clearly worn him down.
"The Gibersons control warehousing, the Nicea family handles raw materials, and the Jian family runs processing…"
Brook scanned the dossiers. In theory, each industry could operate independently, but the underworld didn't tolerate scattered empires. Power demanded monopoly. Only those who controlled the entire chain could be called true emperors of the shadows.
"They all want to join us," Antonio said with a faint smirk. "But only if we back them to be the next dark king—like Moore or Umi."
The Hell Pirates now held enough weight to sway the entire underworld. Even Rocks had started taking advantage of their influence.
"Fine," Brook said, his voice calm but absolute. "Let them form a Commodity Chamber of Commerce. Three leaders. They rotate as president and underworld emperor every four years. If they refuse... then back the Giberson family and wipe out the others."
With that one sentence, Brook decided the future of the commodity black market. That was the authority of a true New World overlord.
He recalled from the future that the eventual king of warehousing, "The Concealer" Giberson, hailed from this very family.
"Understood," Antonio replied. "I'll handle it personally with Brother Shiki."
He knew better than to expect Brook to show up himself. With Princess Kanna in the crib, nothing could pull Brook away. Smartly, Antonio took full charge.
Once alone, Brook walked quietly back to Kanna's cradle, gently brushing her tiny cheek with his finger. He couldn't wait for her to grow up—to laugh with her, to hear her call him "Dad."
Meanwhile, Rocks had simmered down—slightly. He headed to a chaotic buffer zone and seized a new island, capturing a few people with rare abilities. But there were no new skirmishes with the Navy.
---
A few days later...
Shakky and the Memory Seahorse returned to Amazon Lily on the Grand Line. Instead of joining Brook on the Elbaf expedition, she had her own mission: to become the next captain of the Kuja Pirates and lead the Women's Kingdom into alliance with the Hell Pirates.
To maintain order at Doragonzo Island, Brook summoned the World Pirates, the Ewald Pirates, and the Woonan Pirates. He also left behind Ashura Doji and his team of elite swordsmen.
"Hahaha! We're finally heading to Elbaf!" roared Golden Lion Shiki. "I'm itching to see if that place really lives up to the hype!"
He'd clashed with Elbaf giants before, and none had been especially strong in his eyes. So why did the world call Elbaf the strongest nation?
Maybe the Ice Giants were overrated?
But he knew their numbers were small, and they lived on frigid Winter Island. Their cold-blooded nature and low birth rate meant they rarely appeared in the hotter climates—unlike the Elbaf Titans.
"Don't underestimate Elbaf," Brook said, his tone calm but heavy. "If the hundreds of elite warriors from Elbaf and Ice Giant Kingdom unleash sword energy shockwaves together... no pirate or marine fleet could survive."
Though their population wasn't massive, Elbaf still held tens of thousands of giants. Even if you excluded women, children, and the elderly, they still had thousands of elite fighters—not to mention dozens of warrior villages and one royal capital.
----------------------
Unlike most island nations scattered across the Grand Line, Elbaf stands as a true superpower—comparable in scale and prestige to Alabasta. At its heart lies the colossal Giant King City, with numerous villages spread far and wide around it. Because of the giants' immense size and ravenous appetites, these settlements are spaced generously apart to allow room for farming, hunting, and raising livestock. In fact, many of these giant villages are larger than entire kingdoms inhabited by humans.
One such village is the coastal outpost where Dorry and Brogy reside. Though just a seaside village, it boasts one of Elbaf's rare ports—an attribute that gives it unusual prominence. This village, often referred to as the Giant Soldier Village, has historically sent out the most pirates from the Giant Pirates. However, this doesn't reflect the reality of Elbaf as a whole. Most giants live peaceful, stable lives inland, focusing on agriculture and hunting, far from the wild freedom of the sea.
Brook used to believe Elbaf was a simple warrior village—the same one that was famously destroyed by a five-year-old Charlotte Linlin. The idea that such a place could represent the might of the so-called strongest nation on Earth always puzzled him. How could a country fall to a child?
Only after gathering more intelligence, especially from the agents of Rocky and beyond, did Brook begin to understand the full picture. The village Linlin destroyed was actually a poor and ordinary coastal village—famous solely for having a port. It had never represented the full strength of Elbaf, let alone its military might.
This village attracted criminals, outcasts, and giants thirsting for strength or glory—those who would band together every few decades to form a new generation of the Giant Pirates. The result was a recurring cycle: pirate crews formed, set sail, and brought home treasure and foreign goods, gaining fleeting fame. Over time, the village became known as Elbaf's link to the outside world.
In real-world terms, the Giant Soldier Village could be compared to a small portside fishing town that sends workers abroad to provide for their families. Piracy became a local tradition, not out of malice, but out of necessity.
Still, despite its humble status, the village held a measure of political influence in the Yggdrasil —largely because its returning pirates often brought with them exotic wares and stories from across the seas. This cultural bridge made it an informal gateway between Elbaf and the wider world.
"The situation in Elbaf is more complicated than I imagined," Brook muttered, gazing out across the coast. "But the matter with the Giant Soldier Village… that might be solvable."
Many of the giants who had gone out to sea hailed from that very village, and most of them still harbored deep resentment toward Charlotte Linlin. After all, she had grievously injured the legendary giant warrior Jorul, who later died from his wounds under Captain Alulu's watch.
Brook had initially believed that dealing with the Giant Soldier Village would be enough. But now, he realized that the true power of Elbaf resided within the Giant King City—hidden from the world's eyes. Of course! How could a mere village, defeated by a five-year-old child, represent the might of a nation that even Big Mom dared not invade directly?
Even the Four Emperors had chosen diplomacy over war when it came to Elbaf. Big Mom had tried to win them over through marriage—not conquest. That alone spoke volumes.
Clearly, Elbaf had more than one port. After all, the World Government's giant Vice Admirals weren't all from the Giant Soldier Village. Elbaf's military legacy didn't rest on a single coastal hamlet—it was built on generations of warriors, sailors, and strategists scattered across the kingdom.
Now, with Rocky return to the village, everything was shifting. His gleaming armor and alloy-crafted weapons drew attention like a magnet. Giants from across the land—criminals, ambitious youth, and would-be warriors—had come to the village, eager to follow him in forming the next Giant Pirate Crew.
After the defeat of the Ice Demon Pirates, many of Elbaf's warriors returned home, including the famous duelists Dorry and Brogy who had once battled for days in Little Garden. But their return wasn't as triumphant as they hoped. Many villagers still blamed them for past misjudgments and refused to accept them as leaders once more.
The tension finally erupted into a schism. The village was now split between two factions. On one side, Rocky openly declared the foundation of a new Giant Pirate Crew—directly opposing the Giant Soldier Pirates. He even defied the commands of the former captain, Elder Jarul, and renounced all hostility toward Charlotte Linlin of the Hell Pirates.
Dorry and Brogy were shocked. Not only did Rocky know Brook and his crew, but he also showed signs of wanting reconciliation with Linlin.
After all, how could they proudly tell the world that the legendary Jorul—their revered captain—had been defeated by a five-year-old girl? Such a tale was more humiliating than heroic.
"Dorry, Brogy," Jarul growled, eyes sharp with fury. "As the captains of the Giant Pirates, you must not plead for that demon Charlotte Linlin! Rocky has clearly been bewitched. We must cut ties with her completely!"
He slammed his cane on the ground, eyes blazing with conviction. "Jorul's death must not be in vain! That woman is evil incarnate. She devoured people. We saw it with our own eyes. What greater crime could there be?!"
Jarul had never spoken these dark truths aloud—not to the villagers, not even to his allies. He feared that if they knew the extent of her monstrosity, they would seek revenge, blinded by pride and rage. And Charlotte Linlin… she was no longer a child. She was now one of the strongest pirates alive.
"Elder Jarul," Rocky retorted, his voice cold and steady. "Charlotte Linlin only injured Jorul—and she was five! Are you not ashamed? Jorul was already old and weakened. Blaming a child for his death is cowardly."
He looked at the old warrior with barely veiled contempt. "You're nearly 370 and still clinging to outdated grudges. It's pathetic."
Now a proud member of the Hell Pirates, Rocky wouldn't stand by and let anyone slander Brook's crew—or especially Linlin. Despite her past, she was now a pillar of strength within their ranks, commanding fear and respect alike.
"What do you know?!" Jarul roared, the fury in his voice belying his age. "The incident with Jorul is only one reason. There are darker, bloodier truths that I've kept hidden! I've warned you—stay away from that devil woman Charlotte Linlin!"
He trembled slightly as he spoke—not from weakness, but from the weight of the truth he carried. He wanted to tell them everything, to expose the monstrous truth. But he feared what would happen if the next generation of giants acted on that knowledge. Linlin was powerful now—dangerously so. And no one wanted to send the Giant Kingdom to its doom over a grudge from centuries past.
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