In the memories of Kurozumi Higurashi, she had once briefly infiltrated the legendary God Valley—an island accessible only to the Celestial Dragons and their lackeys. The likes of the CP organizations and the Marines patrolled its shores, alongside slave-hunting crews and resource-plundering teams.
Pirates and bounty hunters? They didn't stand a chance of setting foot there. The island was a fortress, crawling with CP agents. Higurashi had once posed as a member of a slave-hunting crew, escorting mermaid slaves and rare species to sneak inside.
From CP0 to CP9, every rank of Cipher Pol was present. She'd even heard whispers of a mysterious group called the God's Knights, a name utterly foreign to her. With her own eyes, she saw a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit—the Yamata no Orochi—carted off to a Celestial Dragon's mansion.
She'd also overheard talk of slave crews and plunderers scouring the world for precious Devil Fruits. On one mission list, she spotted the 5-billion-Belly Paramecia-type Op-Op Fruit and the 6-billion-Belly Mythical Zoan Azure Dragon Fruit.
In that moment, Higurashi's heart raced with awe. She'd heard the team that secured the Yamata no Orochi fruit was rewarded with a staggering 3 billion Belly—a testament to the Celestial Dragons' obscene wealth!
Leaving God Valley, Higurashi was numb. The place lived up to its name as the abode of "gods." The luxury and grandeur were staggering, but so was the misery—countless new slaves arrived, only to be tortured to death in equal numbers.
...
Emerging from the island, Higurashi burned with desire for the Yamata no Orochi fruit. To get it, she and her brother joined the New World's mightiest crew, the Rocks Pirates, hoping to "accidentally" leak God Valley's location and its treasures to Captain Rocks. If Rocks attacked, they could slip in and snatch those precious Devil Fruits.
In Wano's legends, the Yamata no Orochi was a harbinger of doom, a beast to end all things. As a Kurozumi, Higurashi dreamed of her clan wielding that power, toppling the Kozuki family's rule, and crowning a Kurozumi as Wano's new shogun.
She yearned for the Orochi fruit to transform her clan's heir into a divine, eight-headed beast—a god-like ruler of Wano!
But those dreams crumbled when she and her brother were captured by Brook, who extracted God Valley's precise location from them.
"Yohohoho! God Valley! What a thrilling super-dungeon!"
Brook wasn't sure if the Azure Dragon Fruit or the red Poneglyph were still there, but the Yamata no Orochi fruit alone was enough to make his bones rattle with excitement.
A place hoarding Devil Fruits for years? The loot had to be legendary!
Brook even suspected that in the original story, when Rocks attacked God Valley, Big Mom Charlotte Linlin nabbed the Azure Dragon Fruit and the red Poneglyph, Whitebeard Newgate snagged the Phoenix Fruit, and the Kurozumi siblings stole the Orochi fruit.
Oh, the heart-pounding temptation!
After hearing this intel, Brook's soul blazed with ambition. Attacking God Valley became one of his ultimate goals!
Maybe he could use Rocks, the "enemy of the gods," as a battering ram. Brook's mind raced, scheming. Leak God Valley's location, dangle the Devil Fruits and riches in front of Rocks, and let him take the bait. Then, like a praying mantis stalking a cicada, Brook would swoop in as the oriole, reaping the rewards!
...
Soon after, Brook claimed Sandy's Devil Fruit. The Kurozumi siblings were dispatched and tossed into the Devil Fruit recycling process.
Holding the pale, swirling patterned fruit, Brook checked his Devil Fruit encyclopedia—no entry. He dubbed it the Bone-Control Fruit for now.
Its true powers would only reveal themselves when the right user came along. Sandy's use of it was too shallow, focused only on boosting his own strength.
Another Devil Fruit in the bag sparked excitement among the crew, especially among those without powers. Trainee Kaido, in particular, was itching for a mighty Mythical Zoan of his own.
Brook had promised Kaido a top-tier Mythical Zoan, and the kid was practically vibrating with anticipation.
Kaido gazed at Brook with starry-eyed gratitude. His trainee title was officially dropped. Fisher Tiger got a bit of the spotlight too, upgraded from trainee.
Tiger, puffed up with pride, started calling Tom "Tom" instead of "Tom-san." That earned him a beatdown from Tom, who showed him the raw power of a fishman who could lift a ship single-handedly!
...
Meanwhile, Memory Seahorse's resolve wavered. Tired of waiting to become a Dragon, it demanded to soar now. Through Parrot's translation, it told Brook it wanted the Hornet Fruit to become a flying seahorse.
"Seriously?" Brook said, cradling his longtime companion. "The Hornet Fruit's just a regular Zoan. I'm saving a flying Mythical or Ancient Zoan for you!"
"Captain Brook," Parrot translated, "He says he wants to fly now. He loves that the Hornet has six legs!"
Apparently, seeing Qilin Lion and Parrot soar while Shakky and Stussy took flight had left Memory Seahorse feeling left out.
Seeing its determination, Brook relented.
"Fine, but don't regret this! Ignore the old skeleton's wisdom at your peril!"
Back in his cabin, Brook set aside the Bone-Control Fruit and eyed the Hornet Fruit, Octopus Siren Fruit, and Rhinoceros beetle Fruit.
He stepped out, holding the Hornet Fruit, and looked at the eager Memory Seahorse. With a dramatic toss, he shouted,
"It's you!"
In a moment of whimsy, Brook chucked the fruit like a Poké Ball, smacking it right into Memory Seahorse's long snout with a splat.
The crew stared, dumbfounded. What was their captain on about now?
Memory Seahorse's forehead twitched with a vein, eyes glaring red at Brook. Its body transformed— insect wings sprouted from its back, six razor-sharp legs emerged, and a gleaming stinger tipped its tail.
"Uh… it was an accident, I swear! You believe me, right?"
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