"A divination crystal ball?!"
No way—does something like that actually exist? Brook stared at the transparent orb, clear as pure water. Could this be the same one Madame Shyarly used in the original story?
Shyarly, the seer who predicted the birth of Poseidon right in front of Gol D. Roger, was shrouded in mystery. Her foresight was uncanny!
Damn it! That overwhelming sense of fate hit Brook like a tidal wave. Was destiny really a thing in this Pirate King world?
Brook's skeletal face darkened, startling King Mars nearby. The king glanced nervously at the pirate captain, wondering why he suddenly looked so grim.
But Brook quickly calmed himself. He stepped forward and gently touched the mysterious crystal ball. Nothing happened—no spark, no vision. Was this another of Sun God Nika's hidden moves left on Fishman Island?
The Ship of Promise Noah, Joy Boy's apology letter, the Red Poneglyph, the divination crystal ball—Brook even suspected the ES drug in the national treasure Tamatebako was a forbidden elixir meant for a desperate stand against the Twenty Kings' forces.
Why hadn't they used it? Maybe Sun God Nika or Joy Boy realized the dire consequences of the ES drug and chose not to, a decision fitting the righteous, saintly heart of a true hero!
Since the crystal ball was a Fishman Island treasure and clearly important to King Mars, Brook couldn't just take it. Besides, it was useless to him now. Better to wait for its true owner to appear and recruit them instead!
King Mars led Brook to the legendary Tamatebako. In front of him, the king unlocked the box with a key.
Inside was a small recipe booklet and a few vials of the finished ES drug. Brook inspected them, and Parrot, who'd eaten the Castle-Castle Fruit, swooped down to store the Tamatebako inside his fortress body.
Brook's gaze shifted to a pile of pristine pearls, each slightly larger than a ping-pong ball. Nearby, he spotted a chest of even bigger, faintly pink pearls—perfect for crafting a "dainty" necklace for Linlin!
Ever the gentleman—I'm a good man, and a good man is me!—Brook began picking out gifts for his crew. He roamed the treasure vault, selecting the best items and stashing them in Parrot's castle.
King Mars didn't object, and Brook didn't linger too long. After all, Golden Lion Shiki and Shakky had already sailed the Ohara-Golden Island over the Red Line, waiting for their return.
"These will do. Thanks for your hospitality, King Mars!"
Brook expressed his gratitude and handed the king a dedicated Den Den Mushi, along with a few contact numbers.
"If danger comes, call the Hell Pirates. We've got your back!"
Mars, visibly moved, accepted the Den Den Mushi. He escorted Brook out of the vault. Redfield and Tom were still off retrieving the historical text from the Sea Forest.
Mars offered to throw another song-and-dance feast for Brook, but the skeleton declined. Instead, he chose to visit Fishman Island's lowest depths to see the legendary Ship of Promise Noah.
If they could get that massive ship to the surface, Shiki's Float-Float Fruit might lift it into the sky, turning it into a true airborne fortress!
But Noah was guarded by colossal Sea Kings, and Brook wasn't sure if Shiki's powers could "float" it through water.
The ship, submerged for centuries, lacked the buoyancy wood should have. It was designed to carry Fishmen and Merfolk, complete with massive chains for Sea Kings to tow it. The Ship of Promise Noah was likely an island-ship, built to let Fishman Island's people sail freely across the seas—or return to the surface!
...
"Oh, King Mars, one more thing," Brook said suddenly. "I recall there's a Poneglyph in the ruins of an undersea city where some Sea Kings live. Could you send an expedition to search for it? I'll offer a 100-million-Belly bounty for it—any Fishman or Merfolk who finds it gets the reward!"
"Of course, Brook-sama!" Mars replied enthusiastically. "I'll issue the exploration bounty right away. And don't worry about the money—it's our gift to you!"
"Yohohoho! King Mars, your generosity is yours, but we'll still pay the bounty. It's a matter of principle!"
Brook wasn't one to skimp on rewards. Besides, he wanted to boost his influence on Fishman Island, letting everyone know that working for Brook meant big Belly!
"Understood. I'll arrange it immediately!"
Mars didn't argue over the details and ordered his ministers to issue the bounty task.
"One last thing," Brook added with a faint smile. "I'll place a strength-testing machine in Fishman Street. Anyone who passes the test gets a Belly prize and a shot to join the Hell Pirates!"
Strength wasn't the only measure of power, but those born with raw might often had greater potential.
Brook had Vegapunk whip up a simple strength tester, modeled after the Navy's Doriki scale. A standard Marine had a Doriki of 10—about 100 kilograms of force.
A Doriki over 500 marked a superhuman, equating to 5,000 kilograms (10,000 pounds)—the true starting point for a powerhouse in the Pirate King world!
Fishmen, with wrist strength ten times that of humans, averaged around 100 Doriki. Yet, true Fishman powerhouses were rare.
It seemed the heavens gave Fishmen a high starting point but low growth potential, while humans had a low start but sky-high growth. Or maybe humans just had a larger population, churning out prodigies endlessly!
Even the tiny Tontatta tribe had strength dozens of times greater than humans, to say nothing of giants.
In the original story, CP9's Kalifa had a Doriki of 630, while Rob Lucci hit 4,000—80,000 pounds of force.
And that was after Lucci wasted five years sawing wood and hammering nails in a shipyard! Two years later, he was trading blows with Admiral Akainu and Sabo.
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+280 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg