Once David Kyons chose to start this battle, there was no turning back. It would only end when one side suffered heavy casualties—or was completely wiped out.
Both sides were furious, the bloodlust in their eyes totally unrestrained.
The Hell Pirates wanted to crush David Kyons and claim the title of true overlord pirate crew. But David Kyons knew he couldn't stop now. Even if he wanted to escape with Calypso, Brook and the others would never let him go.
That slight hesitation, that thought of fleeing, made David's momentum falter. Brook's constant sneak attacks with his Underworld Soul Sword Energy weakened Calypso even more.
The battle was brutal—dodging, slashing, leaping in all directions. The sheer movement aggravated Calypso's wounds. Still, she chose to endure the pain in silence so she wouldn't distract David.
Even Brook couldn't help but respect the bond between this old couple—but an enemy was still an enemy. A single slip-up could get you killed on the spot by David Kyons.
David soon realized that if this dragged on, even if he survived, Calypso might not. He began fighting while gradually inching toward the sea.
Brook and the others tried to stop him, but the guy was just too strong. The Hell Pirates were still young; they hadn't built up enough Haki mastery yet. Maybe in a few years, they'd hold up better—but right now, they were struggling.
"Newgate, crack the ground with an earthquake! Shiki, raise a mountain to block him! Don't let him escape!!"
Brook refused to let a tiger return to the mountains. He openly attacked Calypso, forcing David Kyons to turn back again and again, blocking the attacks however he could—sometimes with his body, sometimes with his tentacles.
Seeing how effective Brook's focus on Calypso was, Big Mom threw away all sense of honor and aimed her attacks at Calypso too, slowing David Kyons's retreat even further.
Seeing this, Shakky immediately led her forces to the shore and sank the Siren Pirates' ship. She also joined Fishman Tom and the others in besieging the Siren Sea King.
While Ashura Doji was still battling Poison Master Tia on land, ship doctor Crocus used Fire Dials repeatedly to burn the poisonous insects, and sharpshooter Hiruba kept firing to snipe the golden silkworm hidden among the swarm.
That golden silkworm was surprisingly intelligent—moving inside other bodies to stay protected while still commanding the insect army.
Crocus saw that fire wasn't cutting it. He switched tactics—scattering poisons and insect repellents. Then he pulled out a special insect repellent bottle, and the effect was instant!
Masses of insects hissed and either fled or dropped dead, making Crocus curse himself for not thinking of this earlier. Poison Master Tia tried to run but shrank back, weakened.
Finally, the golden silkworm was trapped in a glass bottle by Crocus. He planned to study this so-called king of insects that could control swarms.
Meanwhile, David Kyons heard the pained cries of his new Sea King pet and got even more desperate. That Sea King was his final ace for escaping.
Even though he'd eaten the Octopus Siren Fruit, he couldn't swim. Whenever he'd faced death before, it was that old Sea King pet that carried him away into the deep ocean to escape his enemies.
That's how he'd survived pursuit from Emperor-level pirates and past Overlords—by having the Sea King swallow him and dive deep. If that pet hadn't been killed by the Ice Demon Pirates' giant last time, he wouldn't have been caught by Rocks. And now? This Sea King he'd only tamed for a year was about to be killed too?
The more he thought, the more panicked he got. Earthquake cracks split the terrain. Mountains rose to block his path. Worse still, Brook and Big Mom were relentlessly hammering Calypso, pushing him further into a corner.
"Brook! Do you really have to kill me?! Can't you at least give me a chance to retreat?!"
David's tone softened. Gone was the earlier fury and bravado of a man avenging love.
"If we were equally matched, maybe I'd let you go," Brook replied coldly. "But today, even if it costs everything, we're taking you both down!"
Brook had no plans to let this threat linger. He'd already almost wiped out the Siren Pirates—how could he just let that slide?
"Damn it!!"
David Kyons fought like a cornered beast, trying to escape with Calypso. But his Mythical Zoan – Octopus Siren Fruit only granted him extreme regeneration, not flight.
Brook and the four elite fighters kept dragging him back toward Pso Island. David's fierce sword energy could cleave the mountains Shiki summoned. But each time he jumped over the earthquake cracks, Brook and the others were waiting to ambush.
This battle of attrition lasted five days and five nights. At one point, Calypso passed out on David's back—her breathing faint, her body covered in wounds.
David thought she'd died. Enraged, he lashed out and seriously wounded the careless Golden Lion Shiki. But once Calypso stirred again and showed she was still alive, Brook and the others resumed their relentless assault.
David's recovery weakened. By the third day, it took minutes for his tentacles to regenerate. By the fifth, he couldn't stand anymore.
Surrounded by elite fighters and emotionally wrecked by Calypso's condition, he finally laid her down and collapsed beside her.
The defeated Overlord clutched Calypso's hand, tears rolling down his face.
"I regret it. I should've listened to you and retreated earlier. We should've gone back to the sea together…"
His tears dripped onto her cheeks. The tough woman's eyes flickered open. She raised a trembling hand and touched his face.
Click—click!
Two pairs of Seastone cuffs locked onto the wrists of the doomed couple. David could've resisted—but he didn't. He couldn't bear to stop Calypso from touching his face one last time.
The moment the Seastone suppressed her abilities, Calypso passed out again, and David Qiongs let out a pained howl, collapsing onto her and sobbing uncontrollably.
That heartbreaking roar terrified the Sky Island soldier who was cuffing him—he dropped the cuffs and bolted.
"I respect your love," Brook said with a blank face. "But the victors decide the future. I don't have the confidence to keep a beast like you alive. You're too strong… So you'll become one of my Underworld Ghost Generals. You'll be with her forever."
Brook ordered Crocus to stabilize Calypso. These two were powerful assets—no way he'd let them go to waste.
Big Mom, Shakky, and the others would all benefit from this victory—and Brook had an important experiment he was about to run…
------------------
In the New World, on Pso Island—the base of the Siren Pirates—spies and scouts from powerful factions lurked in the shadows.
The news of the Hell Pirates defeating David Kyons spread like wildfire. The battle raged for five days and five nights—plenty of time for informants to relay detailed reports about the powers, techniques, and overall strength of each Hell Pirate member.
The Siren Goddess, Calypso, who had been hanging by a thread, was saved by the ship's doctor, Crocus. She was slowly brought back from the brink of death. But don't get it twisted—Brook didn't save her out of kindness.
Truth is, he just wanted to fatten the pig before slaughter. This time, Brook had no intention of erasing memories and taming them like before. These weren't no-name rookies—they were already well-known pirates. Trying to brainwash them now would just be full of holes waiting to be exposed.
Brook urgently needed a powerful soul to evolve his strength. As the new Overlord, he couldn't afford to look weak—not if he wanted to stand shoulder to shoulder with the others. He also had a major experiment to run—one that might shape his future. The success rate? Low. But he had to test it.
Since the waters between Pso Island and the Hell Pirates' base at Bristol were divided by the territories of Diger, Rocks, and Saracha, Brook couldn't fully take over this region.
But by standard pirate rules, the Hell Pirates' flag had to be flown first on these islands. Then, whether traded with Diger or Saracha, or outright sold, it'd ensure they didn't lose out. Even if Rocks retaliated, Brook would have justification—and a solid reputation to fight back.
Golden Lion Shiki and Shakky were already busy collecting loot across these dozen islands. They seized plenty of precious materials—especially platinum, gold, and silver—but no Devil Fruits.
Any officers or Devil Fruit users who had joined the Siren Pirates within the past year or two were either taken by Redfield or had their souls harvested by Brook and the others.
The massive Golden Island still hovered above Pso Island. Brook wasn't planning to return to the Changshui Island battlefield just yet. David Kyons' defeat had put a huge dent in the Rocks Pirates' momentum.
Meanwhile, morale among the Overlord Alliance shot through the roof. But for Diger and Saracha, what they saw was the rise of another unstoppable overlord. Relief and unease warred in their expressions. Sure, they had a strong ally now—but maybe too strong.
Based on intel, even Saracha had doubts that his Butcher Pirates could beat the Hell Pirates. He'd just lost his strongest officer, Javier, and the defeat left a bitter taste.
Among the four overlords, his crew might now rank at the bottom. Maybe someday, when Diger Sparrow dies and the Diger Pirates fall off, Saracha can rise. But at least this new balance of power would stop the Rocks Pirates from dominating the New World entirely.
Their ideal? Multiple big powers co-existing. Even if the Hell Pirates were a bit stronger, they could just replace the Diger Pirates in the overall balance. That way, every faction would have to keep each other in check. The Butcher Pirates could stay relevant, keep growing, and help maintain the balance.
As for Diger, he couldn't help but be a little shocked—and helpless. The Hell Pirates had taken down David Kyons without losing a single officer. Not even one casualty.
That changed his whole view of them. He now saw the Hell Pirates as potential successors to Rocks. They rose faster, had younger, stronger members, and their overall power was climbing at insane speed.
He could only hope that when he died, the Diger Pirates—under Jack's leadership—could fight alongside Brook and Saracha against Rocks. That way, the Diger Pirates might still survive.
---
On Golden Island, the gold-plated spaceship Erebus rested on a custom landing pad at the island's heart.
Inside the grand City Lord's building, a massive lab had been set up. Gathered there were the main officers of the Hell Pirates.
"Brother Brook, are you sure this experiment will even work?" Shakky asked, staring at a five-meter-long seastone chamber submerged in a saltwater pool. Nearby, various fruits had been laid out—apples, pears, cantaloupe, pineapple, bananas, even a few persimmons.
"I'm not sure," Brook replied. "Legend has it that when a Devil Fruit user dies, their power randomly transfers to another fruit somewhere in the world. But some say it can also be reborn nearby.
"Now, seastone and seawater suppress Devil Fruit powers. So I'm wondering—can this seastone chamber, surrounded by seawater, stop the power from escaping and force it to attach to one of these nearby fruits?"
Brook wasn't sure whether the Devil Fruit's power would escape the double-layered trap of seastone and seawater—or if it'd actually stay and rebirth into one of the planted fruits.
To run this test, Brook had sourced the seastone chamber from the Usagi Seastone Mine in Wano. It was the largest, purest piece of seastone they'd found in six months. Still, purity varied between 50–90% across the stone. Whether this level of purity could actually lock the Devil Fruit's power inside... was the million-berry question.
"I heard mythical Zoan fruits might have a kind of 'will' or 'consciousness,'" Brook said with a cryptic grin. "Stussy, talk to Calypso. Show off your strength and charm—maybe the Siren Fruit will recognize you and choose to be reborn in your hands."
Brook's tone was borderline mystical as he coached the young blonde beauty. The Siren Form had wings and a hypnotic singing voice—basically tailor-made for someone like her. Pale, beautiful, seductive—perfect fit.
"There's such a thing? I've never heard of that before!" Even Redfield raised an eyebrow at that. Still, he jotted down Brook's words like gospel.
The rest of the crew looked thoughtful.
"Maybe. I mean, Devil Fruit awakening is said to happen when body and will align with the fruit's power. What if awakening only comes after earning the 'devil's' recognition?
"Anyway, who wants David Kyons' Mythical Zoan—Octopus Siren Fruit? What if this experiment works and it's reborn right here?"
Brook's eyes sparkled with scheming energy. "Go talk to the guy. Flex your potential. Tiger, Tom, Scaredo, Crocus, Hiruba—get moving."
Whether they wanted the fruit or not, Brook was set on tricking this so-called "devil" into reincarnating on his terms.
Everyone stared blankly at this ridiculous task. The Fish-Men, Tiger and Tom, didn't even want Devil Fruits. Being land-locked freaks wasn't on their bucket list. But still, Brook pushed them to show off in front of David Kyons.
"Brother Brook, shouldn't Dalma's Hammerhead Shark Fruit get a turn too?" Shakky asked, raising a brow.
And just like that, Brook herded the rest of the crew to Dalma, making him showcase all his special moves too.
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