As the Hell Pirates began to prepare a small feast aboard their golden ship, Korra of the Koala Mink Tribe descended back to Zou on Brook's cloud mount, Hera.
"Captain Minnesota, it's me! Korra! I'm back!"
Tears welled in her eyes. After years at sea, the sight of her homeland filled her with emotion. Life on the ocean had been brutal, and if not for Shakky's intervention, she would have been sold to a Celestial Dragon—or worse.
"Korra?! How are you flying?!" barked Captain Minnesota, leader of the Musketeers and a timberwolf mink of great stature. "Have you eaten a Devil Fruit?"
Korra shook her head quickly. "No! This cloud belongs to my captain. He loaned it to me! He and his crew are here—they wish to visit!"
Minnesota frowned, his sharp eyes turning skyward toward the gleaming ship. "That golden thing… another Devil Fruit ability?"
Korra hurried to explain. "No, Captain! They're here on behalf of Shogun Kozuki from Wano Country. He wishes to reclaim a red stone—the one our ancestors were entrusted to protect eight hundred years ago!"
"Wano?" Minnesota muttered. "That's a matter for Duke Hitsugisukan to decide."
He gestured to his men, sending messengers sprinting toward the city center.
"Captain Minnesota, please, I'm begging you!" Korra cried. "Don't do anything rash. These pirates… they're unlike any others. They could destroy Zou in an instant!"
A hyena mink laughed harshly. "You're exaggerating. Just because they have a flying ship doesn't make them invincible."
Korra's fur bristled. "No, you don't understand! Captain Brook and his crew are the true overlords of the New World! I saw it myself—Shiki cut an entire ship in half with a single swing! And Redfield's lightning… it strikes anywhere, even through walls! You can't hide!"
The Musketeers exchanged uneasy glances.
"And their captain," Korra continued, trembling, "commands an army of ghosts! He enslaves the souls of his enemies—anyone who dies before him joins his ranks, including the Admirals!"
Minnesota's eyes widened. "The Navy's Admirals… did you say they fought the Navy?"
"Yes! And they killed them!" she shouted.
The wolf captain went pale. Even on isolated Zou, the minks received seagull newspapers in trade for gold or pearls. They'd heard of the Admirals—the mightiest weapons of the World Government. If these pirates had defeated them, they weren't just dangerous… they were untouchable.
Before Minnesota could speak again, the ground trembled beneath the heavy steps of a massive bull mink. "What's this I hear about the Kozuki Clan?" boomed Duke Hitsugisukan, ruler of Zou.
The Duke's shadow fell over them, his enormous frame covered in white battle armor, his horns polished like ivory. His presence alone silenced the entire Musketeer unit.
"Lord Duke!" Minnesota bowed respectfully. "It's true—a ship from the New World has arrived. They claim to carry the Kozuki heir!"
Hitsugisukan's golden eyes turned skyward, narrowing at the gleaming ship that hovered above the clouds. The air itself seemed to tremble under its power.
"That aura…" the Duke muttered. "It feels like staring into the abyss itself. Those aren't ordinary pirates."
Korra fell to her knees. "Lord Duke, please! They gave me half an hour to speak with you. If you anger them, the entire island could be destroyed!" Her voice cracked as tears streaked down her fur. "I'll destroy the Vivre card myself if I have to—to keep Zou safe!"
She recounted everything she knew—the battles that had shaken the seas, the fall of the Navy, the storm at God Valley, and the war that had reshaped the New World. With every story, the Duke's expression grew darker.
By the time she finished, even the fearless ruler of Zou looked grim.
"This foolish girl," Hitsugisukan muttered, "has brought demons to our doorstep."
Korra bowed low, trembling. "If we return the red stone, they'll leave peacefully. I swear it!"
The Duke snorted, steam rising from his nostrils. "Tch… we'll see."
He looked to the sky once more, where the Hell Pirates' golden ship gleamed ominously. "If they are truly of the Kozuki bloodline, we owe them that much. But if they're as powerful as you claim… resistance would be suicide."
The Musketeers exchanged tense looks. None dared speak.
Finally, the Duke growled, "Korra… invite your captain here. I'll meet these monsters myself."
"Yes, Lord Duke!" she cried, leaping onto Hera and soaring back toward the golden ship.
As the cloud rose into the air once more, Duke Hitsugisukan stood in heavy silence.
For the first time in centuries, Zou prepared to face a power greater than any storm—the will of the man who commanded death itself.
------------
Korra returned to the golden ship with a bright smile, relief washing over her. She had succeeded—the ruler of Zou, Duke Hitsugisukan, had agreed to receive the Hell Pirates without hostility. There would be no bloodshed today.
When she stepped aboard, however, the crew was still eating and laughing as if nothing had happened. They didn't seem to realize she had nearly cried several times out of fear that one wrong move could have started a war.
"Korra's back! Come, have some juice," Shakky teased, waving her over. "We'll have to drink the elephant's saliva once we land on Zou anyway!"
"Captain Shakky! Please stop saying that!" Korra's ears twitched as she puffed her cheeks, glaring at her captain while the others laughed heartily.
Brook wiped his mouth with a napkin and stood. "They agreed, then? Good. Time to land."
He adjusted his coat. "Oden, your turn. Where's your proof of lineage? Duke Hitsugisukan will want to see it."
"Yes, Master!" Oden pulled out a jade emblem engraved with the Kozuki family crest. "This should be enough!"
Brook nodded approvingly. "And one more thing. You have the potential to hear the Voice of All Things. Once we arrive, try to communicate with the Elephant Lord—Zunesha might respond to you."
Oden's eyes widened. "The Voice of All Things?!" He clenched his fists, excitement flashing across his face. "I'll try, Master!"
Brook chuckled. "Roger, Momonosuke, even Luffy… all of them could hear it. Perhaps you'll awaken it too."
Oden's thoughts raced. If I can command Pluton and speak to Zunesha, maybe I really am a man of destiny!
His grin widened. Kaido may have his mythical beast fruit, but I'll have my own legend! A Phoenix, perhaps… or even the Cerberus fruit!
Brook sighed at his student's daydreaming. "Alright, enough fantasizing. Prepare for landing."
The golden ship descended slowly toward the moving island, matching the Elephant Lord's rhythm. The air shimmered as the Hell Pirates' flagship touched down on the lush plains of Zou.
Duke Hitsugisukan, a tall and broad-shouldered sheep mink with curled golden horns, stood at the head of a gathered army of musketeers. His thick wool swayed in the breeze, but his eyes carried sharp wisdom and caution.
"Welcome, great warriors," Hitsugisukan said solemnly. Even from a distance, he could feel their overwhelming presence—each of them radiated an aura that pressed against the air like a living storm.
Brook smiled gently. "Greetings, Duke of Zou. I am Brook, captain of the Hell Pirates. And this young man beside me is the heir of Wano—Kozuki Oden."
"I am Kozuki Oden of Wano," Oden announced proudly, raising the Kozuki emblem. "We've come for the red stone our ancestors entrusted to your people eight hundred years ago."
Hitsugisukan's golden eyes widened slightly. "The Kozuki crest… indeed, it matches the record passed down by our forebears."
Brook nodded. "Then you know we mean no harm. We're merely retrieving what belongs to the Kozuki line."
Hitsugisukan bowed his head. "The Kozuki family has long been our ally. How fares the Shogun of Wano?"
Oden grinned. "He eats well, sleeps better, and complains he doesn't have enough sons! Now, let's not waste time. Take my master to the stone—I'll try to speak with the Elephant Lord."
The duke blinked in disbelief. "You wish to speak… with Zunesha?"
"That's impossible," one of the musketeers whispered. "No one's heard the Elephant Lord's voice in centuries!"
Oden crossed his arms. "My master says it can be done. Whether you believe me or not doesn't matter."
He released a burst of Conqueror's Haki. The air cracked like thunder as invisible pressure swept through the clearing. Grass flattened, and dozens of mink soldiers collapsed instantly.
Hitsugisukan's wool bristled as he struggled to stay on his feet. "Conqueror's Haki…!"
Brook folded his arms, his eyes glowing faintly. "Not bad. They're still conscious. Your people are strong, Duke."
When the energy faded, Oden lowered his arms. "Now do you believe me? Take my master to the red stone—and don't get in my way."
Before anyone could answer, he dashed toward the edge of the island, the sunlight glinting off Ame no Habakiri and Enma.
Duke Hitsugisukan exhaled, trembling slightly. Even for a ruler of Zou, the power he'd just felt was beyond comprehension.
Brook's tone was calm but carried the weight of command. "Lead the way to the Whale Forest."
"Yes… of course," the duke said, forcing composure.
He turned and led the Hell Pirates through the dense jungle toward the sacred forest where the ancient Poneglyph rested. As they walked, Hitsugisukan's mind raced.
Five… six of them with Conqueror's Haki… what kind of monsters have stepped onto my island?
For the first time in generations, the ruler of Zou felt something he hadn't known in centuries—fear.
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