The Golden Ark sailed deliberately slow toward Vesper's territory, buying time for Rocks to deal with that old schemer Vesper while ensuring they didn't arrive too late.
Brook had his own plans. Vesper's soul—a prize that could massively boost his power—was too tempting to pass up. And Ten Kings Island, dripping with riches? No way was he letting Rocks hog it all. Brook wanted the lion's share: Devil Fruits, rare materials, the good stuff. Gold and Belly? Rocks could take those scraps—Brook didn't care about pocket change.
Meanwhile, Brook was mobilizing his forces in a big way. On the surface, it looked like he was sending reinforcements to Vesper's crew, but in truth, he was positioning to seize all of Vesper's territory!
Golden Lion Shiki couldn't believe Rocks was handing over such a juicy prize. But he had to admit, Brook's cunning was next-level—even Rocks was coming to him for a deal!
...
Then came a bombshell that caught even Brook off guard: Shakky, of all people, was a long-lost daughter of Amazon Lily.
Word had reached Shakky's network in the Sabaody Archipelago, carried by warriors from Amazon Lily. The current captain of the Kuja Pirates wanted Shakky to return after her eighteenth birthday to take a high-ranking role in the crew—maybe even become captain someday, or, wilder still, the queen of Amazon Lily. The news left both Shakky and Brook reeling.
Brook's jaw practically hit the deck. In the original story, Shakky was the queen of Amazon Lily two rulers before Boa Hancock, and a former captain of the Kuja Pirates! The old hag Gloriosa, always yammering about the queen who fell in love, was talking about Shakky—the one who ran off with Rayleigh to live in hiding on Sabaody!
Brook was floored.
He'd always pegged Shakky as a former Rocks Pirate, maybe someone Garp had chased down. But no—she was a Kuja captain, seduced by Rayleigh's charm, ditching her throne and crew for love.
Talk about a storm of passion! No wonder Amazon Lily's love stories were legendary—consequences be damned!
That also explained why Rayleigh and Shakky were so quick to help the Boa sisters when Tiger freed the Celestial Dragon slaves. Shakky was their former queen!
"Yohohoho, Shakky, what's the plan? Fancy being queen of Amazon Lily? If you want to captain the Kuja Pirates, I'm all for it! And if you can bring them under our flag as an allied crew, well, I'd be positively thrilled!"
Brook's tone was serious, but his skull practically gleamed with hope that she'd say yes. Shakky wasn't amused.
"Hmph! I see right through you, Captain Pervert. Got your sights set on Amazon Lily's ladies, huh? Linlin and the others aren't enough for you?"
Shakky's teasing jab carried a playful edge, but deep down, the idea of being a queen was tempting. Ruling a nation? That'd be epic. The catch? It'd mean leaving the Golden Ark and her Hell Pirates family behind.
If she took the helm of the Kuja Pirates, she'd be a full-fledged Division Commander with her own flagship. That'd leave little time to hang out on the Golden Ark.
"Don't twist my words!" Brook protested. "Amazon Lily's warriors are Haki masters—tough as nails! They'd be a massive boost for the Hell Pirates. If you become their queen, we could even relocate them to the New World, laying the foundation for our grand sanctuary. It's a win-win!"
Brook's pitch was all business, his eyes gleaming with ambition. Women? Mere clouds compared to the empire he was building!
...
"Hold up, Brook!" Shiki cut in, waving a hand. "You promised me the First Division Commander spot, complete with my own airship fleet! Don't tell me you're forgetting that!"
He shot a smug glance at Redfield and Newgate, puffing out his chest.
I'm the one getting the first flagship, suckers!
Redfield smirked, unfazed.
"I'm not chasing Division Commander titles. I'll stick by Brook's side—my goal's to be vice-captain."
His cool confidence made it clear: building his own fleet or recruiting underlings wasn't his style.
"Gurarara!" Newgate roared with a grin. "Guess I'll take the Zero Division Commander spot then! How's that, Shiki? Surprised? Shocked?"
He was half-joking, just needling Shiki, but the idea of forming his own division—and maybe adopting a few "sons" in a stable New World—had some appeal.
Linlin piped up, her voice brimming with excitement.
"Hey, Brook, once we've got more crew, I want my own Homies pirate ship! Sound good?"
She was already planning ahead, her maternal instincts in overdrive. Linlin's "baby fever" had paid off—she was pregnant with Brook's child, and a little bundle of joy was on the way!
Brook wasn't shocked by Linlin's fertility. The woman was a force of nature. He was already scouting powerful Devil Fruits for their future kids. No way was he letting his children settle for less—unlike Katakuri, stuck with a low-ceiling Mochi-Mochi Fruit that capped his potential.
The offspring of kings had a knack for awakening Conqueror's Haki early—think Katakuri, Doflamingo, or Ace. But how many kids would Linlin's first pregnancy bring? Twins? Triplets? She'd popped out decuplets before! Katakuri, Oven, and Daifuku were triplets, after all.
...
"Quiet down, everyone!" Brook called, raising a bony hand. "Once we've devoured Vesper's territory, we'll split the New World with Rocks. We've got a decade of rapid growth ahead—plenty of time to build your own crews and become regional commanders!"
As long as Rocks didn't pull any stunts, they were golden. Plus, their alliance with the supernova Roger Pirates made them untouchable.
Shakky grinned slyly. "Fine, I'll go for that Amazon Lily crown. And since you're handing out titles, I'll claim Second Division Commander—no arguments!"
She shot a cheeky look at the single guys in the crew, already staking her claim. With Brook encouraging his officers to recruit their own forces, she wasn't wasting time. Skipping over Newgate and Linlin for the second spot? Bold move!
Luckily, Newgate didn't care, and Linlin was too caught up in her baby plans to leave the Golden Ark anytime soon. She had big dreams—dozens of kids, raised to adulthood, before she'd sail off on her own family-exclusive flagship to conquer the seas.
-----------
+300 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg