When Brook received the news, he fell silent. The ability in question was too dangerous, too likely to stir up trouble. Could it really threaten the hard-won stability of his territory, plunging it back into chaos?
"Clever move, Rocks," Brook muttered. "Playing the media game, huh?"
But if it was a battle of public opinion, Brook was no slouch. Twisting the truth was exactly why he'd poured buckets of Belly into building the World Economic News Agency. Now, who to pin this on?
After some thought, Brook decided against framing Rocks outright—dragging down the entire D Clan would be too messy. Still, a little jab at the D Clan wouldn't hurt. In the end, he settled on the Celestial Dragons as the perfect scapegoat. With a bit of polish, his "rumor" was ready to spread.
"Brook has uncovered seeds of the Devil Fruit Tree on the Red Line. Water them with the heart's blood of a Celestial Dragon, plant them in a Devil Fruit user's body, and in just one day, a new Devil Fruit grows!"
Brook laid out the specifics: you'd need the rare seeds and Celestial Dragon blood—two hurdles steep enough to stump most pirates. He'd considered weaving the D Clan, "Natural Enemies of the Gods," into the tale but held back. No need to overcomplicate things.
Still, he instructed Mortomas to leak a tidbit about the D Clan's "Natural Enemy" status. After all, Rocks was the most infamous D around. If it splashed a little mud on Roger or Garp, well, that was just collateral damage.
If Rocks wanted to play dirty, Brook could sling mud right back.
For good measure, Brook threw in a global recruitment pitch: Join the Hell Pirates! The best of the best will earn a Devil Fruit!
Under Mortomas' deft hand, the headlines hit the seas, carried by News Coo gulls:
"SHOCKING! Devil Fruit Harvesting Is THIS Brutal—Dare You Try?"
"EXPLOSIVE SECRET! The D Clan: Natural Enemies of the Celestial Dragons?!"
"GOOD NEWS! Hell Pirates Seek Strong Fighters—Top Recruits Get Flying-Type Devil Fruits!"
The news swept across the seas. Kill a Celestial Dragon? Sure, the Hell Pirates had famously taken one down, but had they really collected their blood?
Plenty of pirates bought the story hook, line, and sinker. Most were barely literate, swallowing whatever the papers fed them. And with the Hell Pirates recruiting, some saw a chance to score a free flying-type Devil Fruit and join one of the sea's three dominant crews!
...
Hachinosu, the Beehive Island
"Captain Rocks, you're not actually planning to wipe out all the Celestial Dragons, are you?"
Miss Bukkin asked timidly. To common folk and even pirates, the Celestial Dragons were objects of terror. Even Supernovas knelt before them—a testament to their untouchable status in the One Piece world.
Rocks didn't answer. He pored over the newspaper, his eyes narrowing. Of course—the World Economic News Agency was Brook's mouthpiece. How else could they churn out such a polished defense and recruitment ad so fast?
As a D, Rocks had indeed fantasized about taking down a few Celestial Dragons. In his youth, a Fishman slave who'd escaped God's Valley had shared tales of its horrors, searing the name into Rocks' mind. Fear? He had none for the so-called "Gods." Maybe, once he ruled the New World, he'd pay that cursed place a visit.
"Natural Enemy of the Gods? Hah! I like the sound of that!" Rocks bellowed. "From now on, I'm Rocks D. Xebec, the God-Slaying King!"
His voice thundered, and his Conqueror's Haki surged, stronger than ever, sending a chill through his crew.
Brook could never have guessed his little stunt would hand Rocks a power-up, making the New World's mightiest overlord even more fearsome.
...
Madagascar, the Ten Kings Island
Vesper read the headlines and scoffed.
"Believe that? Not a chance!"
But the realization hit hard: the World Economic News Agency was indeed Brook's tool. How had that upstart built such a network so fast?
It reminded Vesper of how Rocks had obliterated his own World Dark News. Damn it! The intelligence game was supposed to be his domain!
He'd heard whispers about the D Clan from his scholar friends in Ohara. Was there really some hidden truth to their "Natural Enemy" title?
Then it hit him—Brook had sacked Ohara, the island of scholars, and spirited it away to who-knows-where. Infuriating! The World Economic News Agency was probably floating in the sky too, untouchable, unlike the World Dark News's island, which Rocks had easily razed.
"Damn you, Golden Lion Shiki! Damn that Float-Float Fruit! Damn the News Agency, Ohara, and those sky islands!"
Vesper slumped, defeated. Decades of building his empire, only for Brook—a New World rookie of barely two years—to catch up. Was this kid really the child of the era? To hell with the D Clan!
...
The Navy and World Government caught wind of the headlines. Utter nonsense, but they couldn't ignore the talk of "recycling" Devil Fruit powers. They needed answers.
As for the Devil Fruit Tree seeds and "Natural Enemy" nonsense? Pure fabrication. The World Peace Dove News Agency fired back, slamming the World Economic News Agency for spreading baseless rumors—a disgrace to journalism! They called for a boycott.
But the damage was done. Pirates were already flocking to Brook's territory, eager to join the Hell Pirates and chase that elusive flying-type Devil Fruit.
Rumors swirled that Brook had stockpiled countless Devil Fruit Tree seeds, supposedly draining barrels of Celestial Dragon blood with a pump after his kills. Join the Hell Pirates, and a Devil Fruit was practically guaranteed!
Just look at the Hell Pirates' bounty posters—nearly every member was a Devil Fruit user. The message was clear: join now, or miss your shot at becoming the next ability-wielder!
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+300 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg