The golden ship landed smoothly on the dedicated platform of Golden Island. The golden lion, Shiki, still beaming from Shakky's praise, eagerly flew over to help unload. With impressive strength, he lifted the two Poneglyph slabs and moved them down himself.
Joy Boy's apology letter could be freely studied by the archaeologists. However, the Red Poneglyph, the vital Road Poneglyph, would temporarily be stored alongside the ones recording the locations of Poseidon, God of the Sea, and Pluton.
Unless these archaeologists made significant contributions—and satisfied Brook—they wouldn't get a shot at researching the Red Poneglyph. No matter how well the others were translated, without all four Road Poneglyphs, they couldn't determine the location of Laugh Tale.
Brook had once wondered if three pieces might be enough to triangulate the final island's location. But after thorough study, he confirmed: three just wouldn't cut it.
That meant finding Laugh Tale would be a grueling journey. It might even require taking down the Rocks Pirates and flipping the New World on its head just to discover the fourth Road Poneglyph.
At this point, whether Roger could become Pirate King depended on Brook. If Brook didn't hand it over, Roger would go to his grave without ever reaching Laugh Tale.
Looking at the eager archaeologists, Brook reminded them of their mission—help Vegapunk recruit research scholars to work as his assistants at the Tree of Knowledge. In return, they'd get priority access to study the historical texts.
Just like that, the archaeologists became Brook's 'guides'—or rather, his 'traitors'—unknowingly serving the mighty Hell Pirates.
Golden Island-O'Hara floated on a massive steel suspension bridge, anchored between Dressrosa and Greenbit Island.
Greenbit was a pristine island full of lush, ancient forests. Because of the aggressive Fighting Fish that swarmed the waters, it had been isolated from the outside world for nearly two centuries. The island brimmed with wildly competing vegetation, making it a paradise of untouched nature.
The only known intelligent species living on Greenbit were the dwarves—a surprisingly stable population that hadn't seen explosive growth despite generations of free reproduction.
Brook waved a hand, summoning Hera, the somersault cloud, to carry him down. Behind him flew Shiki, Charlotte Linlin, Stussy, and Shakky.
Redfield remained on the golden ship for a moment, then powered it up again to take another group down—including Vegapunk and Crocus, who were eager to explore the island for new medicinal and scientific resources.
The moment Golden Island landed, Greenbit's dwarves had gone into full lockdown. Hidden from sight, they scattered among the trees and vines—almost invisible to the naked eye.
But not to Observation Haki.
These dwarves, though tiny, were powerful warriors. If any of them showed hostility or leaked their presence, it wouldn't take long to spot them with Observation Haki. And once they caught one? The rest would follow. These little guys couldn't lie if their lives depended on it.
Still, Brook had his own plan to draw them out peacefully.
He took out a loudspeaker Den Den Mushi and—ignoring Shakky's protests—plopped a chestnut-shaped hat onto her head.
"Are the dwarves of the Tontatta Kingdom listening?" Brook called out through the speaker. "Do you remember Noland? The girl beside me is named Shakky-Noland. She loves playing with fairies from the dwarf tribe!"
With a firm grip, Brook held down the squirming Shakky as he continued broadcasting. He believed she could act the part—whether she liked it or not.
Mont Blanc Noland was a legendary figure to the dwarves. Four hundred years ago, he'd helped them fend off invaders and shared his vast knowledge of plants. To them, he was a hero of mythic proportions.
As soon as his name echoed through the jungle, whispers stirred among the leaves—like the murmurs of hidden fairies.
Still, the dwarves remained cautious.
So Brook gave Shakky a gentle push forward. She stumbled ahead, chestnut hat in place.
Moments later, a voice rang out, laced with anticipation.
"Your name is… Shakky-Noland? Are you a descendant of Noland?"
Shakky looked down and blinked. A tiny human—no more than 20 centimeters tall—with a pointed nose and fluffy tail, stood by her feet.
"Uh… yeah. I'm Shakky-Noland. Nice to meet you, little fairy," she said with a twitch of her eye, shooting a glare at Brook.
So this was the trick—mentioning Noland and wearing the chestnut hat. That's all it took to win these little guys over?
"Amazing! A descendant of the great hero Noland is here! Everyone, come out!"
The dwarf's voice rang out with delight. Within seconds, dozens more tiny figures emerged from hiding.
Redfield, ever the stoic, blinked in disbelief at their naïve enthusiasm. Then… he smiled.
It was rare—a genuine, warm smile. Something not seen from the cold Lightning King in decades.
He squatted beside Shakky and began chatting with the little people like an old friend.
Shiki and Whitebeard (Newgate) stared in disbelief.
"Is that really Red Earl?" Newgate muttered. "Didn't he almost electrocute me just yesterday?"
But soon, even Newgate was laughing, a warm curve to his iconic white mustache. He too joined in, letting the dwarves climb onto his massive shoulders, one after another, introducing themselves with cheerful shouts.
Newgate chuckled, memorizing every name and nearly shouting: "You guys wanna be my sons?!"
Shiki looked around, watching all these legendary figures giggling with elves.
"...Is this what strength looks like now?"
And then he saw Big Mom happily playing with a crowd of dwarves too.
"...Am I the weird one here?"
At least Brook hadn't fallen into this nonsense, Shiki reassured himself. Only he and Brook remained dignified. Only the true warriors kept their composure.
He lit a cigar, exhaling slowly.
But then… he turned, and saw Brook.
The former skeleton was gently stroking the head of a blonde dwarf girl like a cat, smiling softly.
Shiki's cigar almost fell out of his mouth.
"I'm the clown, huh…?"
He trembled, hands shaking.
"Should I… Should I join them? Just to pet one? Just one tiny human?"
He squeezed his eyes shut.
"I'm the Lion King! I'd rather jump into the sea than stoop to that level!"
-----------------------
Golden Lion Shiki had just taken a long puff from his cigar, exhaling slowly as he relaxed his entire body. But just as he leaned back, a cold flash cut through the air—snip! The burning tip of his cigar was sliced clean off.
"Hey! Smoking is bad for your health, you know that?"
A tiny girl with short golden hair and a serious expression stood on a tree branch, pointing her spear at Shiki. Though she was a dwarf, her voice carried strong disapproval as she glared at him fiercely.
Shiki's expression froze. His face quickly darkened—no one, no one, had ever dared to mess with his cigar. To him, it wasn't just disrespect—it was a personal insult. The proud lion's golden mane fluttered as his aura erupted, suffocating the air around him.
The dwarf girl's face went pale, her body frozen. It felt like a wild beast was staring her down—she couldn't move a muscle. Cold sweat rolled down her cheeks, and her lips trembled from fear.
"Shiki! The mighty Lion King doesn't lash out at little girls!"
Brook stepped in with a gentle chuckle, his figure oddly calming as he released a bit of his own aura to counteract Shiki's.
The dwarf girl snapped out of her trance, and hot tears instantly welled up in her big eyes. She didn't mean any harm—she just didn't want the tall human to ruin his health. But she hadn't expected him to get so angry. She held back a sob, covering her mouth as tears rolled down uncontrollably.
Seeing her pitiful face, Shiki's anger began to melt. But just as he was about to speak, three intense auras locked onto him, and six red eyes glared daggers at him.
Redfield, Whitebeard, and Big Mom.
All three of them were staring at him like he'd just kicked a puppy. The atmosphere turned heavy.
"Oi, oi, don't look at me like that!" Shiki barked, sweating slightly under their collective pressure. "She's the one who cut my cigar! Shouldn't someone explain that part?!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Mr. Big Human!" the dwarf girl cried, bowing repeatedly while still sniffling. "It's all my fault! Please forgive me!"
Her tearful apology only made Shiki feel more awkward. The three heavy-hitters glared even harder.
"Alright, alright! I forgive you! Just stop crying, will you? Otherwise, they'll beat the crap outta me!"
Though Shiki sounded annoyed, the girl stopped crying right away. Dwarfs couldn't lie and were quick to trust. She believed his words wholeheartedly.
Wiping away her tears, she broke into a bright smile and leaped onto Shiki's shoulder with a few nimble jumps.
"Thank you for forgiving me, Mr. Big Human! You were super scary earlier—sorry for making you mad! But seriously, smoking is really bad! Oh, and I'm Man Michelle, nice to meet you!"
Standing proudly on his shoulder, the golden-haired dwarf girl smiled like nothing had happened. She chatted without fear, treating Shiki like an old friend.
Shiki clenched what remained of his cigar and turned to glance at the girl standing so casually on his shoulder.
Is this girl out of her mind? Doesn't she know I could squash her like a bug? Standing on my shoulder? Me—Golden Lion Shiki? Has she never heard of my legend?!
Yet… she was pretty cute, for a tiny person.
He picked her up with one hand, placing her gently in his palm. His eyes narrowed curiously as he inspected her.
"I'm Shiki the Golden Lion—the pirate who strikes fear into the New World. Remember that name, kid. Don't go crying later when you hear people talk about me! Hahahaha!"
Shiki chuckled heartily, tapping her little spear with a finger. Using the powers of his Float-Float Fruit, he made the weapon levitate from her hands.
Michelle panicked as the spear flew from her grip.
"Oh no! Mr. Big Human, a monster stole my spear!"
Shiki raised a brow. "Monster? You little people are the monsters!"
"Really? Then I'll help you get it back!"
With a smirk, Shiki held the spear just out of reach, teasing her like a big brother playing a prank.
Michelle jumped and reached, trying her best to reclaim it, but Shiki laughed and continued the playful game. "Come on, jump higher!"
Redfield, Whitebeard, and Big Mom watched the scene with amused smiles. Who could resist a little bundle of sunshine like that?
Meanwhile, elsewhere…
Brook and Shakky were speaking with Gancho, the king of the dwarves and ruler of the Tontatta Kingdom.
"Chief Gancho, the Tree of Knowledge is a legendary giant tree with thousands of books inside—many of them are about plant life," Brook explained. "We hope the Dwarves will move there, take care of the tree, and serve as its guardians and librarians."
Shakky, wearing a chestnut-colored cap and speaking gently, added, "I've heard how skilled your people are with plants. You're the best green managers in the world. You'd be perfect for keeping the tree healthy and thriving!"
Chief Gancho hesitated, memories of the past flashing through his mind—eight hundred years ago, the dwarves had been enslaved by the Donquixote family. Could they really trust humans again?
"Can we… truly live alongside humans?"
"Of course," Brook replied sincerely. "The Tree of Knowledge is on an island in the sky. It's safer than Greenbit and will give your people a peaceful life—one where you don't have to hide anymore."
He added thoughtfully, "Maybe we can even grow smaller versions of the Tree of Knowledge… or the Sky Island's giant vines. That way, more rare races can live comfortably in the skies."
In the end, the Dwarves were not just being asked to move—they were being offered protection, purpose, and a place in the sky among the stars.
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