The evil beast Kaido, Alice, Aroan, and the other ambitious crew members stretched their necks like eager children, eyes fixed on the treasure chests stacked before them. Each fruit carried the promise of unimaginable power.
Brook's eyes gleamed as he scanned the collection. Among the ordinary chests, five gleamed with inlaid gems and golden trim. He deliberately saved those for last, savoring the suspense. The rarer the box, the sweeter the anticipation.
Tianmulan quickly rattled off the fruits already identified. "Among the animal types: Weasel, Sickle Mantis, Cobra, Anaconda, Persian Cat, Sparrow, Warthog, Wildebeest, Gray Wolf, Armadillo, and Butterfly. For Paramecia: Compression, Book-Book, Strength, Vines, Retrograde, Diamond, and Butter. As for Logia, there is only one—the Cloud-Cloud Fruit. Nine more remain unlisted in the encyclopedia, their powers unknown."
Kaido scowled, his young face twisted with frustration. "Why isn't there a mythical beast fruit I can use? A raccoon? That's worthless to me!"
Newgate's booming laugh echoed across the deck. "Gurarara! Patience, brat. Look at the jewel-studded boxes under Brother Brook's feet. The finest fruits always come wrapped in gold."
Brook chuckled. "Before that… Alice, the Fruit of Vines suits you well. As for you, Jennie, the Strength Fruit will match your hammer. Take them."
The two Lunarian women's eyes sparkled with joy. "Thank you, Captain Brook!"
Alice bit into her fruit, and green vines immediately sprouted from the deck, writhing like serpents at her command. Jennie lifted her massive spiked hammer and swung it with newfound power, the air cracking from the force.
"Hah! Still too light! Give me a ten-thousand-kg hammer next time!" she roared.
Nearby, Abefu experimented with his new shadows, stuffing one into Admiral Hoss's corpse to puppet the admiral's body. Aroan flexed as jagged bones erupted from his arms, the air whistling as he slashed at nothing.
All the while, Kaido clenched his fists tighter. At only eleven years old, he couldn't hide his impatience. "Brother Brook! Enough games—open the damn box already!" He tried to grab Brook's hand like a stubborn child.
"Yohohoho! Easy now. I feel something special here. You won't be disappointed." Brook tapped the first gem-studded chest and sliced the lock apart with his Seven-Star Sword.
The lid creaked open, revealing a gleaming, scaled fruit. Its blue skin shimmered like overlapping dragon plates, and an ancient aura pulsed from it.
Brook's grin widened. "Animal-type. Fish-Fish Fruit. Mythical Beast: Azure Dragon."
The crew gasped. Kaido froze, then trembled, staring at the fruit that would one day define him.
Brook's eyes glowed with pride. For a moment, he considered keeping it for his children, but Kaido had followed him loyally since childhood, calling him "big brother" every day, training under his hand, awakening Conqueror's Haki beneath his guidance. Kaido was reckless, yes, but fiercely loyal. With the Seastone recovery devices ensuring no one could defect, betrayal was unthinkable.
"Kaido," Brook said solemnly, handing the fruit to him, "this is your destiny. From today, you are no longer the Evil Beast. You are Dragon Beast Kaido. Eat this fruit, and rise as the King of Beasts. Conquer the sea in my name."
Kaido's voice cracked with excitement as he clutched the fruit. "Brother Brook, I swear—I'll become your strongest warrior! I'll crush the World Government, slaughter the Celestial Dragons, and make you the king of the world!" He bit into the fruit without hesitation, swallowing it whole.
The crew cheered—until a bolt of lightning split the air. It struck Kaido, blasting him to the ground before he could even feel the fruit's power.
Redfield stood with arms crossed, sparks dancing across his body. His eyes were cold. "The strongest? Don't delude yourself. That title isn't yours."
Golden Lion Shiki burst into laughter. "That's right! Open your eyes, brat—I am the strongest cadre here!" His eyes met Redfield's, and scarlet lightning sparked as their Conqueror's Haki clashed.
Newgate stomped forward, slamming his bisento into the deck. "Gurarara! Enough, you two!" The crackling tension dispersed, though the rivalry still burned in their eyes.
Kaido groaned, body blackened with burns, face swollen and battered. Yet he still snarled through bloodied lips. "Don't look down on me! I'll take that title one day!"
His stubborn defiance made the crew roar with laughter, but then green scales began to shimmer across his arms. The Azure Dragon's power had awakened, easing his pain. Even charred and broken, Kaido's ambition only blazed hotter.
Brook clapped his hands, his laughter rattling like bones. "Yohohoho! Enough of this squabbling. We still have more boxes to open."
Instantly, the crew fell silent, all eyes on the final four gem-encrusted chests. Even Kozuki Oden leaned closer, though he muttered, "Tch. My father forbade us to eat Devil Fruits. Something about needing to swim. What nonsense… how can I fight monsters like Kaido empty-handed?"
Fisher Tiger stood in silence, arms folded. A fishman eating a Devil Fruit was unthinkable—yet seeing Kaido transform into a dragon gnawed at him. Power was power, no matter the cost.
Brook ignored their mutterings and unsheathed his sword. With one sweeping slash, the final four locks shattered. He opened the lids with dramatic flair.
For a heartbeat, even he was silent. Then his eyes widened.
"My little heart is trembling… am I dreaming?"
Inside gleamed four mythical treasures:
—The Yamata-no-Orochi Fruit, scales shimmering with seven hues.
—The Phoenix Fruit, its surface burning faintly with ethereal flame.
—The Three-Headed Cerberus Fruit, gnashing spectral jaws circling it.
—The Sky Dragon Fruit, glowing with a divine azure light.
The crew erupted. Even hardened veterans gasped at the sight of so many top-tier mythical fruits together.
Brook's jaw hung wide. "Yohohoho… I think I'm in love with these Celestial Dragons. To hoard such treasures and then lose them to me—what a gift!"
He raised the fruits high, and for the first time since the battle at God Valley, the Hell Pirates felt the weight of destiny pressing on them. With these fruits, their crew would no longer just rival overlords… they would surpass them.
------------
In the original flow of history, the Rocks Pirates were said to have plundered the Valley of the Gods. Brook reflected on the possibilities—had Big Mom perhaps taken the Blue Dragon Fruit and the Book-Book Fruit?
Had Newgate secured the Phoenix Fruit and the Diamond Fruit? The Yamata-no-Orochi Fruit had eventually fallen into the hands of the Kurozumi clan, but what had Rocks himself claimed? What had the Golden Lion obtained?
Brook's eyes glowed faintly as another thought struck him. Could it have been Rocks who claimed the Three-Headed Cerberus Fruit? If so, then it made sense why Teach, bearing the will of Rocks, had inherited such a twisted destiny. During the God Valley War, Teach was only two years old. He even had two younger sisters. Could it be that, just like Ace, he had taken his mother's name—hiding a lineage that few had dared to consider?
The Hell Pirates stared wide-eyed at the fruits laid before them. The sheer number of mythical beast fruits was staggering. If not for the fact that most already possessed powers of their own, many would have thrown themselves forward to claim one.
Charlotte Linlin suddenly clutched her stomach, her tone almost casual yet heavy with meaning. "Mmm~, Brother Brook, these fruits came just in time. I'm pregnant again. This time, I'll bear many children."
Her words silenced the crew. Then, like a storm breaking, the air filled with uproar.
"Gurarara! Excellent!" Whitebeard roared with joy. "These nephews and nieces will be born with the might of kings! With fruits like these, the Hell Pirates' future is eternal!"
Shiki the Golden Lion clutched his stomach in laughter. "Even I feel jealous! To be born with mythical fruits—that's to be born standing on the peak of the world! Brook, you sly bastard, your children will inherit a throne of monsters!"
Redfield, ever the calmest, gave only a single, quiet word. "Impressive." But even he could not hide the gleam of respect in his eyes.
The rest of the crew erupted into cheers, voices chanting Brook's name as if he were already crowned Pirate King. Some even joked crudely about postures and methods to ensure the "next generation of prizes." Brook's smile stiffened for a moment, though Linlin basked in the attention, hands on her hips, pride swelling. Yes—she was the best mother.
Brook clapped his hands, cutting through the noise. "Enough. Everyone back to training! The World Government will strike back harder than ever, and when they do, we will fight as one!"
"Yes, Captain!" the cadres roared in unison. Their excitement did not fade, but discipline returned. They scattered to train and prepare, while Brook distributed ordinary Zoan fruits to lesser members, strengthening the ranks of their fleets.
At last, Brook returned to his private collection, the precious fruits carefully stored in locked compartments. Today, three of them would pass into the hands of his children.
But first, there was unfinished business. In the great laboratory, he retrieved the powers from Admiral Coss Dave and Admiral Candidate Youge. The goat-horned demon Zoan had long been prepared for his eldest son, Hades.
He ran a hand along the glowing shells of the fruits, already envisioning his children's futures. The Yamata-no-Orochi and Three-Headed Cerberus could wait. The Sky Dragon Fruit, however—that would be for Osiris, his second son. The name itself was fate. Osiris the Sky Dragon, the god-card of his childhood memories, now reborn in his own bloodline.
And then there was Kanna. Would she want the Phoenix, with its promise of rebirth, or the Frost Dragon, with its icy majesty? He decided to ask her directly.
Brook smiled to himself. His children were precocious, already speaking clearly before their second year. He cherished every moment with them.
The admiral and candidate, now powerless, knelt in chains before him. Brook offered them one last chance. "Submit to me, and live. Refuse, and your souls will serve me."
They closed their eyes, silent. They would not kneel. Their faith in justice—and their families waiting in Marinford—burned brighter than their fear of death.
Brook sighed, shaking his head. "So be it. I respect your resolve… even as I harvest it."
Charlotte Linlin tried and failed to draw their souls, their conviction like iron. Without Shakky, their essence would not yield. Instead, Crocus drew their blood for research, and Redfield touched their fading minds, siphoning fragments of memory—valuable glimpses of Marine secrets.
Brook's voice was solemn as the final breath left their bodies. "There is no good or evil, only stance. I respect those who protect civilians. Rest well."
Their deaths echoed like a whisper through the sea. To the world, Brook was a devil. But to himself, he was only surviving—growing stronger, one soul at a time. Once he had struck the Celestial Dragons in Sabaody, the Hell Pirates' path had been set. There could be no peace. The World Government and the Hell Pirates were bound for collision.
He handed the bodies to Abefu, the Shadow Demon, and carried the fruits himself back to the Golden Palace.
Ballon Island.
"Father, I don't want to be a bird. I want to be a dragon!" Little Kanna crossed her arms, silver hair shimmering as her pout deepened. Between Phoenix and Frost Dragon, her choice was obvious.
Brook laughed, kneeling to her height. "Very well, Kanna. You shall soar as a dragon."
He peeled the Frost Dragon Fruit himself, cutting it into manageable slices. Kanna's small hands trembled as she took the piece, eyes shining with determination. She bit, then gagged, face twisting. "Ugh! It's awful!"
"Hahaha! All Devil Fruits taste foul. But endure it, my daughter, and the power of the Frost Dragon will be yours!"
With tears in her eyes, she forced the rest down.
"Hades," Brook said, turning to his eldest son, "the Demon Zoan is yours. Osiris, take the Sky Dragon."
Osiris, ever mischievous, climbed into Brook's lap. "I want Father to feed me too!"
"Haha! Alright then. Open wide!" Brook carefully cut a slice, feeding it to him just as he had Kanna. Then he did the same for Hades, ensuring each of his children bore equal love and attention.
The boys fought the nausea, grimacing, but neither faltered. They swallowed, fists clenched, eager to show their father they were brave.
"You are all my good children," Brook said, his voice uncharacteristically soft. "From today, you carry the power of gods. And I… I will make sure you master it."
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