One Piece: Capitalist Brook's Crew Expansion Plan-Chapter 89: Supernova Gathering

The Kingdom of Magaro was another non-affiliated nation in the New World, where piracy thrived. Even the kingdom's military force was a renowned pirate crew, much like the Happo Navy of the Kano Country. freewёbnoνel.com

Today, several Supernova crews and other notorious pirate groups had coincidentally arrived at this island.

Inside the largest pirate bar on the island, the atmosphere was rowdy. Countless pirates drank and reveled, their laughter and shouting filling the space. In a private room, several captains and high-ranking officers of different crews had gathered.

"Ulti, what's the deal? You called us all here, but I'm not here to play some childish game!"

Byrnndi World bellowed at a bald, tattooed man across the room. Despite World's current bounty being only 200 million Belly, his strength far surpassed what that number suggested. With the power of the Momo Momo no Mi, very few pirate ships could evade his attacks.

"Relax. Let's wait for the others to arrive first."

As Ulti spoke, a pair of towering twin brothers stepped into the room. Their intimidating presence and fearsome stature made them look like demons of war—the infamous Karns brothers of the Karns Pirates.

"Hurry it up. I have places to be. I was planning to head to Dressrosa to enjoy the women there."

Seated at the table, a pirate wearing a golden crown spoke up. This was Eric Darn, captain of the Royal Pirates.

"You've all heard the news, haven't you? The current hegemon of the New World—the Rocks Pirates—are expanding their ranks. The John Pirates have already been defeated and forced to join them. Even the Flying Sky Pirates, the top Supernova crew, were completely annihilated, with only Shiki and one of his men managing to escape.

So tell me, do you think they'll come for us next? That's why I propose we form an alliance. Why not seize the opportunity to claim a seat among the rulers of the New World ourselves?"

The Monk Pirate Ulti stood up, spreading his arms as he spoke, his face filled with excitement and madness.

"Hah! A pathetic fool who doesn't even have mastery over all three types of Haki dares to dream of ruling the seas?"

A terrifying presence erupted from a seemingly unremarkable pirate in the corner. He wore a cowboy hat and clenched a smoking pipe between his lips, his long black hair lifting in the air under the sheer force of his aura.

The entire room froze in shock. Ulti's face darkened as he glared at the arrogant man who had just humiliated him.

"So this is Conqueror's Haki? Incredible! I wonder if I have the potential for it."

Byrnndi World clenched his fists, channeling his newly awakened Armament Haki. His older brother, Byojack, placed a hand on his shoulder, his gaze filled with encouragement, further strengthening World's resolve.

"Train harder and grow stronger. With your current strength, forming alliances won't do you any good. The rulers of the New World stand far beyond our reach right now. If there's nothing else, I'm leaving."

The cowboy-hat-wearing pirate took another puff from his pipe before striding out of the room. He had no interest in this childish game. There was no point in forming an alliance when their strength was nowhere near enough to challenge a true overlord.

Only after years of growth, mastering all three forms of Haki, and gathering powerful crewmates would he have the right to compete for dominance.

Besides, alliances built on convenience and self-interest were fragile and prone to betrayal. What captain would willingly take orders from another?

"Haha, the guy has a point. Challenging the top of the New World at our current level is pure arrogance. However, forming a mutual defense pact and sharing information isn't a bad idea."

Eric Darn took a drag from his cigar. Unlike the others, he had once been a king of a small nation before circumstances forced him into piracy. His mindset was still more pragmatic than that of a typical pirate—survival came first, not pride.

"What about advanced Haki training methods? Observation Haki, Armament Haki, combat techniques—anyone have information on them? Maybe we can trade."

The muscle-bound Karns brothers spoke in unison, their voices deep and intimidating. Their monstrous physiques were already pushing human limits, almost to the point of developing "demon backs."

"Sorry, but I'm not interested in power struggles. Gold is all I care about."

From the shadows, a pirate with his fingers intertwined and a captain's hat tilted over his eyes stood up. With a flick of his crimson cape, he walked out of the room, leaving Ulti's expression even darker.

"Hmph. If that's how it is, I'll be leaving as well."

Byrnndi World adjusted his horned helmet, turning on his heel and leaving with his brother Byojack, showing no regard for Ulti.

They were all headstrong pirates with no intention of bowing to others. To them, an alliance was nothing more than a joke. A lone tiger had no need to run with the wolves.

"Forget them. Let's see who survives the longest. Those fools will be crushed by the Rocks Pirates soon enough. Let's see if they're still so arrogant when that happens."

Eric Darn had once been a king, but after being forced into piracy, he had learned to prioritize survival over pride.

Surprisingly, the Karns brothers were not as stubborn as they seemed. Their eyes gleamed with cunning as they nodded in agreement, choosing to form an alliance with Ulti.

Thus, from this Supernova gathering, only three pirate crews decided to form a defensive pact, sharing resources and information to strengthen themselves as quickly as possible.

Every year, waves of Supernova pirates entered the New World. Through endless battles and struggles, only a handful would rise to dominance, just like young lions eventually overthrowing the old.

Rocks was one such young lion, having only recently claimed his place as the New World's ruler after years of accumulating power and influence. Unlike a certain future pirate king, he hadn't simply stormed into the New World and toppled the Yonko within two years.

...

"Aaaah! Why?! Why is this happening to me?! Why is the entire New World against me?!"

On a remote island, Golden Lion Shiki knelt on the sand, pounding his fists into the ground in frustration and despair.

Then, exhausted, he flopped onto his back, staring at the drifting clouds above. A trace of bitterness lingered on his face.

Why was his luck so terrible?

He had entered the New World as the most powerful Supernova of the year, even awakening his Conqueror's Haki. By all rights, he should have been the protagonist of this era. And yet, here he was, left with only one surviving officer—Skaredo.

"Captain, the entire New World is talking about how we were crushed by the Rocks Pirates. Maybe we should retreat to the Grand Line and rebuild our crew."

Skaredo held up a stolen newspaper. The front page of the Underground News was dominated by headlines about Shiki's defeat. It was clear that most pirates in the New World no longer saw him as a rising star.

Worse still, rival pirate crews were eyeing him like scavengers, eager to recruit him as a subordinate. After all, the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi was a highly valuable ability.

Shiki's expression darkened. He knew retreating would only solidify his reputation as a loser, but at this point, what other choice did he have?

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