Brook's confident words sent a chill through Chief Strategist Darian, his face hardening. Beside him, Marine Fleet Admiral Kurotaka clenched his fists, his expression darkening.
A pirate spy infiltrating the Navy's top ranks? Impossible!
The officers at that meeting—rear admirals and above—had earned their positions through years of service and hard-won merits.
The Hell Pirates, even back when they were the Rumbar Pirates, had only been on the Grand Line for a few years. How could they plant a spy so high up?
Could it be another intelligence network? Maybe Brook tapped into some other faction's spy system to track the admirals' movements!
The idea was chilling—someone had a mole in Navy Headquarters? Brook's words snapped Darian and Kurotaka to attention.
They needed to purge their ranks immediately, whether it was Brook's spy or someone else's. If not, how else could Brook have learned about the three admirals' secret mission?
Kidnapping multiple allied kingdom royals to blackmail the Navy showed Brook knew about the ambush plan well in advance!
"Brook, we can't fully trust you. You need to release the kings one by one across the Grand Line!"
Darian wasn't about to let Brook hold all five royal hostages until they reached the Sabaody Archipelago. If Brook went back on his word, the Navy would have no leverage.
His words indirectly confirmed the Navy had indeed sent three admirals to ambush the Hell Pirates near Reverse Mountain!
"Fine. We'll release one royal in the Alabasta seas and another near a random island by the Water 7 region. That's my final offer—take it or leave it!
Oh, and we've got your insider intel. Your admirals won't catch us so easily!"
"By the way, Admiral Devo wore a black suit today with a red-and-gold polka-dot tie. He had milk and a sandwich for breakfast, plus three cups of coffee this morning!"
Brook paused, then agreed to release two royals, tossing in a curveball to rattle them.
Would the Navy really audit every vice and rear admiral? Who knew—maybe there was another faction's spy in their ranks!
Brook's taunt left Darian and Kurotaka convinced: there was a mole. They'd check with Admiral Devo immediately to confirm!
Little did they know, a sneaky Den Den Mushi had spilled their secrets.
Hopefully, no other faction's spies were among the ambush fleet. Training a mole to that level took serious time and Belly—bad luck if they got caught and had to take the fall for Brook!
"Brook, you'd better keep your word and release those kings. If not, we'll hunt you down in the New World! We're pulling our admirals back now, so scram back to the New World!"
Even the cool-headed Darian snapped, cursing in frustration at Brook's mind games.
"Yo ho ho! Watch your tone, Chief Strategist Darian! But I'm a big soul—I'll let it slide this time. We're heading back to the New World!"
Brook smirked as his plan clicked into place. Outsmarting a three-admiral ambush? That was something to sing about!
No matter how sly you are, you'll still drink my foot-washing water!
...
After hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Brook gave the order.
"Full speed ahead to Reverse Mountain, Ohara-Golden Island! We're storming back to the Grand Line and the New World!"
Next time, Brook vowed, no ambush would catch him off guard.
Vegapunk, you'd better step up! Once we're back in the New World, get cracking on that flight propulsion system for Golden Island. We'll cut straight through the Calm Belt—no more Grand Line detours to raid the Four Blues for resources and recruits!
...
Atop Reverse Mountain's Red Line, three admirals who'd been lying in wait for days received the Navy's retreat order. All that waiting—for nothing?
Admiral Devo's face was a storm cloud as he scanned his subordinates. Every move he made was being watched—a humiliation he wouldn't forgive!
His piercing gaze swept over his men, but no one flinched. The spy was buried deep.
Per Fleet Admiral Kurotaka's orders, the three admirals and their entire fleet were to return to Marineford. Every soldier and officer would face a thorough screening to root out the traitor—no exceptions!
Fuming, the admirals descended the Red Line, boarded their warships, and sailed back to Headquarters. No one was allowed to leave, take leave, or even call in sick.
...
A day later, Ohara-Golden Island blasted through Reverse Mountain, entering the Grand Line. Ship doctor Crocus didn't stop to chat with his uncle at Twin Capes.
The island soared onward, cruising the Grand Line without resistance.
"Brook, turns out brains are good for something! Still, I say a fist solves problems faster!"
Fisher Tiger and Kaido, impressed by Brook's outwitting of the admirals, grumbled that their lack of raw power forced them to rely on wits.
If they could match three admirals, they wouldn't need such tricks!
"No one in this world dares claim invincibility! Strength and smarts together—that's the real deal. When power's equal, a clever warrior's got the edge over a reckless fool any day!"
Brook wasn't raising a crew of meatheads. These youngsters needed to learn: timing, terrain, and teamwork were just as vital.
Even the mightiest could fall to a storm—Brook shot a glance at Golden Lion Shiki. Or get ganged up on—he smirked at Redfield and Newgate.
...
Ohara-Golden Island kept flying, its residents slowly adjusting to their airborne home. Panic had given way to awe as they embraced the thrill of soaring through the skies.
Brook mulled over a detour to Alabasta's royal tombs to snag the Poneglyph detailing Pluton's location.
But since he already knew the ancient weapon was in Wano, did that Poneglyph even matter?
Maybe they'd drop a royal off at Alabasta's capital and grab it on the way—if the chance came up.
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+240 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg