"This is a good idea, but we can't rule out the possibility that David Kyons is still on the ship. If they've set an ambush on the island ahead and are using the ship behind as bait, both sides could be compromised. I want to turn their strategy against them and launch a surprise attack!"
Brook fell deep into thought. How could he confirm whether David Kyons was still aboard the ship trailing them?
If they tested it recklessly and let Newgate unleash a tsunami, and David Kyons wasn't on board, the remaining crew would alert him immediately, exposing the plan. Brook would lose the chance for a counter-attack. Safer, yes—but less effective.
On the other hand, if Kyons was still on the ship, the Hell Pirates could push forward with their plan, continue raiding, and then engage in a decisive battle on Rupert Island!
After weighing the options, Brook took Redfield and the others aboard the golden ship Erebus, soared into the sky, and circled behind the main vessel of the Siren Pirates—the Goddess—to prepare for a sneak attack.
Even if Kyons was on the ship, they could still retreat and take over his islands, or even launch an all-out war right here. If he wasn't aboard, Redfield's Thunder Cage would block all Den Den Mushi signals, cutting off communication before any warning could be sent.
The Hell Pirates had used this strategy several times before—they were well-versed in its execution. Redfield would detect the enemy's location through memory reading, while Antonio mimicked their voices to relay false information.
Meanwhile, Shiki the Golden Lion felt a little disheartened. All the top officers had taken the Erebus to circle around for the rear attack, while he was left behind, piloting Golden Island to stall the enemy ship from behind.
"Could David Kyons have left the ship a long time ago?"
He didn't know why Brook had reached that conclusion, but it was clear he hadn't thought of it himself. Was he really less clever than Brook and Kyons?
Shiki refused to believe it. He was already prepared to rush to support Brook the moment battle broke out—and unleash his full might.
Why hadn't they fought the Siren Pirates head-on in the beginning?
Because Brook and Charlotte Linlin needed to clean out the Siren Pirates' forces from the dozen nearby islands—while adding more souls to their ghost army and stealing lifespans to boost their own power.
The golden airship Erebus tilted sideways and stealthily approached the Goddess ship from behind.
"It really looks like David Kyons isn't on board," Brook muttered. "We're this close, and there's still no reaction—not even with Observation Haki active?"
Over 7,000 meters above the Goddess, the thundercloud Zeus—amplified by Charlotte Linlin's soul powers—spread wide, concealing the Erebus.
Brook pulled out a sniper rifle, attached a scope, and scanned the deck of the enemy ship—but none of the key officers were present.
"Redfield, get ready. Block their Den Den Mushi signal."
Brook made a decisive call. He was done playing games with these cowards. They'd been tailing the Hell Pirates for so long. If it wasn't for Brook's sudden burst of intuition—drawn from observing Golden Lion Shiki's life—they might've walked straight into an ambush.
Under Zeus's cover, Erebus began to descend. On the Goddess Ship, a cadre and several crew members were watching the distant black speck of Golden Island through binoculars.
The moment anything changed, they were to report to the captain via Den Den Mushi—and also predict the Hell Pirates' next target based on their island path.
But then, a lookout stationed at the stern noticed something strange—an approaching cloud moving unusually fast. Thinking it was bizarre weather, he kept an eye on it.
When it was less than 1,000 meters away, the unease hit hard. He bolted to report to the only officer on board.
"Master Mon! Something's off behind us! A cloud's been tailing us!!"
The report startled Mon. He had only a handful of nobodies with him and was already on edge about a potential ambush by the Hell Pirates.
He'd been gripping the Den Den Mushi this entire time, not daring to lower his guard.
"What? A cloud?"
Mon rushed to the stern. Sure enough, a thick white cloud hovered low in the sky—its shape unmistakably ship-like. Fear crept in as he reached for the Den Den Mushi to alert Captain Kyons.
Suddenly, a massive lightning net burst from the clouds, crashing down on the Goddess. Mon's face turned pale with terror.
It was real.
The moment the Thunder Cage snapped shut, the clouds dispersed—revealing the golden flying ship Erebus. Mon's trembling hands kept dialing the Den Den Mushi, but it just wouldn't connect.
"It's too late!"
Lightning crackled and flared. A bolt struck the deck, morphing into a humanoid form. Redfield appeared, gazing coldly at Mon.
"Thunder Red Earl!!!"
Mon screamed in horror. He knew the mission had failed. He hadn't even been able to alert the captain. Would Captain Kyons be caught too?
The Erebus hovered above the Goddess, and Golden Lion Shiki turned Golden Island around to rendezvous.
"Redfield," Brook said, landing on the deck, "check which island David Kyons is hiding on!"
To their surprise, Kyons had truly left his flagship and left only scraps behind. The crew had no chance. Mon and his men were taken down in a few moves—then came the feast.
Memory Seahorse, Linlin, and Brook began devouring memories and souls.
"Brother Brook," Redfield said, dropping the coral from his hand, "David Kyons is most likely on Rupert Island—but he could change locations depending on Golden Island's flight path."
Brook pulled out his map. If Kyons had laid out an ambush, should they bypass it and strike his base on Pso Island instead? Or head to Rupert Island and try a counter-encirclement?
Golden Lion Shiki flew over, and when he saw Brook's team had already taken the Siren Pirates' flagship, he knew Brook had been right again.
"What now? Do we go directly to Rupert Island for the fight, or hit Pso Island and burn their base to the ground?"
Brook's words fired everyone up. Was the final battle about to begin?
"Let's end this!" Shiki roared. "They dare ambush us? Ha! Other than that rat David Kyons, the rest are ants—I'll crush them all!"
Brook looked at Shiki, already puffing up with arrogance, and sighed internally.
If they were planning an ambush, their first target would surely be you—the user of the Float-Float Fruit.
-------------
Brook had no intention of playing into David Kyons ambush. Instead, he planned to strike first and hard—by destroying David's lair and using the spoils to bolster his own strength.
"We can keep delaying them, drain David Kyons' patience, and irritate him to the point he makes a mistake," Brook thought, eyes sharp.
Originally, the Siren Pirates could've remained at their base on Pso Island, prepared to intercept the Hell Pirates. But Brook had other plans—he would strike their base first and force David Kyons to retaliate, bringing the fight to them.
"I can use the terrain and the disaster-class Devil Fruit powers to deal serious damage. If we're lucky, we might even wipe them out at sea."
Still, Brook knew he couldn't underestimate them. The Siren Pirates had two Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit users. They wouldn't fall easily—but they could be weakened.
David Kyons, a pseudo-overlord with a bounty of 1.6 billion Berries, wasn't someone Brook could take head-on—not alone.
It might take the combined strength of five people just to stand a chance. And even then, they couldn't afford to ignore the powerhouses beneath him.
"They chose to ambush us," Brook said to his crew. "That means they have a plan to seriously injure—or even kill—one or two of us right away. So let's flip the script. Let's take his lair instead!"
"We'll occupy his base, then wait for the furious David Kyons to come charging in. Wouldn't that be poetic?"
Brook dismissed the Golden Lion Shiki's reckless, head-on approach. Although they were all destined to become legendary in the future, they were still young.
Brook admitted to himself—he was still slightly weaker than the strongest pseudo-overlord. Caution was necessary. Those Mythical Zoans could have secret abilities that might turn the tide.
"Tch. Whatever. Since it's Big Brother Brook's plan, I'll follow your lead," Shiki said, shrugging. "Still, stealing his lair doesn't sound bad either!"
Shiki had grown to trust Brook's strategic genius—his plans always produced results. The successful capture of the Goddess was proof enough.
Shiki couldn't help but reflect: most of the choices he made since entering the New World had nearly led him to ruin.
If not for Scaredo urging him to join the Hell Pirates, he might've been hunted down by the Rocks Pirates by now—or worse, ended up like the John Pirates or the Karnz brothers, bending the knee to Rocks.
With the crew in agreement, Brook made his move. He killed the remaining pirates on the island, turning them into ghosts to serve him.
Among them was Mon, a veteran pirate with a 200 million Berry bounty—an excellent addition to Brook's spectral army.
Brook then had the Hell Pirates position the Goddess ship on Golden Island. They didn't waste time plundering nearby isles. Instead, they set course straight for Pso Island, the Siren Pirates' base.
Meanwhile, Antonio used his Mimic Fruit to impersonate Mon and send false intel to David Kyons, who was still lying in wait on Rupert Island.
He reported that the Golden Island had drifted toward a smaller island far from Rupert and hadn't entered the ambush zone.
The ruse worked. David Kyons grew anxious but still ordered "Mon" to continue tailing Golden Island and report any updates immediately.
And so, the Golden Island advanced—toward Pso Island, the heart of the Siren Pirates.
---
New World — Changshui Island, the Pirate Meat Grinder
Chaos reigned again as the Rocks Pirates launched a brutal assault on Changshui Island, securing control over one sector. The battle quickly descended into a bloody frenzy.
Captain Rocks clashed head-on with Diger and Saracha, while the fearsome Frost Giant Willank lurked nearby, waiting for his moment.
Never underestimate a Frost Giant. Though Willank lacked advanced Armament Haki and hadn't awakened Conqueror's Haki, his raw strength was terrifying. Even top pirates hesitated to take a single blow from him.
Elsewhere, Jack Sparrow faced off against the Scorpion Monk, the strongest martial artist among the Rocks Pirates.
Barbosa, his butler, battled the little giant Skeleton Belt Sawain.
Xiaofeng didn't fight Wang Zhi this time. Instead, he clashed with an even deadlier foe—the Monkey King Wizz.
Wang Zhi, known as the strongest rookie under Rocks, was holding off the top fighters of the Butcher Pirates.
The cadres of Ten Kings Island and Beehive Island had all found worthy opponents among Rocks' captains and lieutenants.
Names like Jevaler, Anman, Jocard, and Willannuo; Rocket Jonas, Silver Axe, Captain John, and the Karns brothers—all left their marks in blood and legend on Changshui Island.
At the middle and lower tiers, the destructive power of the two giant armies was staggering.
Every swing of their massive weapons—maces, axes, or shields—left trails of devastation. Even a step from one of them inflicted heavy losses on the Rocks side.
Rocks' officers had no choice but to pull back to contain the rampaging giants.
"Hahaha! Rocks, you heartless bastard!" Diger shouted, dual-wielding a supreme-grade sword and a musket. Though a spearman by trade, his bullets made even Rocks wary.
"For the sake of uniting the New World, they've died with honor," Rocks replied coldly. "You're too old for a war of attrition, Diger."
Rocks' fists—coated in Armament and Conqueror's Haki—were his deadliest weapons. His mysterious Devil Fruit power made even Saracha, wielder of the Corruption Fruit, tremble with unease.
Saracha's swordsmanship was formidable, but his Devil Fruit was useless—completely countered by Rocks' ability.
"Could this be... the Dark-Dark Fruit?" Saracha thought grimly. "The most evil of all, capable of nullifying other Devil Fruit powers..."
"Rocks, you can coat your fists with both Armament and Conqueror's Haki at the same time?" Diger exclaimed. "That's insane!"
His fists were like living weapons—both shields and swords. A single punch from Rocks could match the power of Diger's supreme blade.
No wonder so many feared him.
"Old man," Rocks sneered, "your Haki's getting weak. The more allies you gather, the more diluted your will becomes. You don't belong in this era anymore—fall already!"
Rocks' aura grew fiercer with each blow—his power increasing instead of waning. But as he roared in laughter, Willank found his moment.
With one crushing strike, he slammed Rocks into the ground like he was swatting a fly!
But all that did was enrage him.
With an explosive counter, Rocks shattered Willank's colossal mace, blasting a crater through it.
Had Diger and Saracha not intervened, Willank would've been obliterated then and there.
Saracha's heart pounded. Now he understood how Ewald had died—Rocks' fury was a force of nature.
Luckily, Saracha was just a distraction. Diger was taking the brunt of the onslaught, buying Saracha time to survive.
This battle wasn't one that could be won quickly. Once you stepped into a war of this scale, it was a grind—days and nights of non-stop fighting, and no one would go down easily.
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