Something’s off when things don’t add up—there’s always a catch!

The Rocks Pirates hadn’t launched a full-throated revenge against the Navy, which left Brook baffled and even surprised the Marines themselves. They’d braced for the Rocks crew’s berserk retaliation along the affiliate nation defense lines!

For weeks on end, the Rocks Pirates hunkered down in their stronghold, Hachinosu, showing no signs of sailing out for blood. Yet the three Admirals didn’t dare let their guard down, holding the line in the New World.

But how long could this stalemate last?

Marineford needed an Admiral to hold the fort too—dealing with endless paperwork, and always ready to handle Celestial Dragon drama on the Sabaody Archipelago, keeping those pampered nobles safe.

...

High above Kuri Castle in Wano Country, on the floating Golden Island.

Brook had a pretty good hunch about Rocks’ game plan. He decided it was time to bounce from Wano and head straight to Elbaf’s giant homeland, squeezing them for every last scrap of Gungnir divine steel!

With the Navy having pissed off Rocks so badly, no way they’d spare troops to back Elbaf against the Hell Pirates now!

If the Navy tried fighting on two fronts, all sorts of wild cards could pop up—who knew who’d come out on top? Anyone could bite the dust!

Poor Kozuki Oden had no clue Brook was about to split again. If he didn’t wrap up his mission and snag the Pattern Fruit, he’d miss another shot at sailing the seas!

Oden had been scouting for a way into the shogun’s treasury, but against Kozuki Sukiyaki’s ironclad security, what could a ten-year-old samurai even do?

When word hit that Brook was leaving, Oden’s grudge against his old man deepened, and he let loose a string of curses at his deadbeat master!

But Brook had Hyougoro pass along a message for Oden: He might be back soon, so keep grinding!

That shut Oden up from his griping. Instead, he started scheming a break-in to his dad’s vault and grab the mission’s prize! 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

As for why Brook would swing back so quick?

Simple: After scoring the Gungnir steel, he’d hit up Shimotsuki Kozaburo to upgrade his personal Shichiseiken.

Grab another hundred pounds or so this time, and Brook could turn his whole Shichiseiken into a Gungnir divine steel masterpiece!

As a full-on New World overlord, his weapon had to be top-tier. Even if it didn’t quite match the divine spear of Elbaf, it needed to eclipse Supreme Grade blades and hit quasi-divine status!

The Hell Pirates’ aerial fleet thundered back into Elbaf, this time plunging straight into the giants’ heartland: King City!!!

Golden Lion Shiki even floated an entire island over as a not-so-subtle threat—one wrong word, and it’d rain boulders on the capital!

Harald spotted the incoming Hell Pirates and his face darkened. This overlord crew was nothing like the old ones—no comparison!

They could fly. And drop islands.

"Brook, we need to talk!!!"

Harald patched through a call on his Den Den Mushi. A no-holds-barred war like this? Elbaf would bleed out first!

So he swallowed his pride and opened negotiations. The giants’ population revival couldn’t stall on his watch!!

A dragged-out slugfest with the Hell Pirates would whittle down their numbers nonstop. He’d seen firsthand how terrifying those five Conqueror’s Haki beasts could be!

"Last time’s Navy ambush—you called them in, right? That’s low, Harald. Should’ve gutted Thalrik and melted down Kratos’ War God Axe while I had the chance! Might’ve put me in a better mood. Ready for King City to bite the dust?"

Brook’s voice came through cold and merciless, like he was itching for a full-on brawl with the giant race!

"Brook, I know your type—name your price!! Otherwise, drop that island now. The giants will fight the Hell Pirates to the last!"

Harald knew he was in the wrong a bit, but he wouldn’t buckle under threats. He got Brook’s vibe: no profit, no play. Show weakness, and he’d get squeezed dry!

If Brook really wanted war, he’d have hurled the island on sight—no need for chit-chat. Picking up the call meant there was room to bargain... if the payoff was right!

"Yohohoho~ I want every ounce of Gungnir divine steel powder you’ve got. If you still wanna team up with the Hell Pirates down the line, think twice before you open your mouth!!!"

Brook came back hard. You giants wanna go all-in? We ain’t scared. He could read Harald loud and clear—he didn’t want the smoke.

"You drive a hard bargain!! But from now on, anything Elbaf needs, you supply us!!!"

Harald ground out the words, seething. Last time, Brook had fleeced half their Gungnir stock. Now it was all gone. With enough rare metals, they could’ve forged another Kratos’ War God Axe-level beast.

But Brook had cleaned them out!

"Fair trade. Hand over the Treasure Tree Adam business to the Hell Pirates. We’ll be Elbaf’s go-to suppliers—whatever you need, we’ll source and sell it back to you!"

Brook chuckled coolly. He’d eyed Doflamingo’s underground broker gig, but his rep—slayer of Celestial Dragons—scared off affiliates. No one dared touch the Hell Pirates!

Only a former Celestial like Doflamingo could straddle black and white markets, cozying up to Mary Geoise’s nobles while carving out his own turf on raw power!

"Like we said last time—private pact for cooperation, no meddling. If any giants wanna sail as pirates, I won’t block ’em from joining the Hell Pirates. But you lot stay the hell out of Elbaf!!"

Harald spat it out, choking on the humiliation. First time he’d ever been strong-armed into a deal with a New World overlord. That Float-Float Fruit user? Total nightmare for every power out there!

"Hand over the Gungnir divine steel powder. And you won’t boot the Hell Giant Fortress, right?"

Brook grinned. No need to set foot in Elbaf—he could still run the racket. Park the Hell Giant Fortress at their doorstep, monopolize Treasure Tree Adam trades, and corner most of the giants’ goods swap!

Best part? Draining Harald’s Gungnir hoard dry meant his quasi-divine blade was one step closer!

Out on the Grand Line, it wasn’t just about brawls and schemes—threats, economic takeovers, even cultural creeps could snag your goals!

War? Last resort.

War always meant bodies.

You and your crew weren’t wrapped in protagonist plot armor. You couldn’t waltz out unscathed every scrap!

Against a behemoth like Elbaf, sure, you could throw down. But why bother?

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+400 Chapters on p@treon/tambeerg