Dawei hesitated. He had hoped to stall for more time, but Rocks was already moving again—he wasn’t giving him a single opening.
"Rocks! I, Dawei, am willing to submit to you—but only if I get to be Vice-Captain of the Rocks Pirates!"
The moment the words left Dawei’s mouth, the crew exploded.
"Vice-Captain? Who the hell does this guy think he is?!"
"Get real! You think you can just walk in and claim that title?"
The high-ranking officers of the Rocks Pirates were fuming. None of them had any interest in suddenly taking orders from some newcomer. While there was an internal ranking system—mostly used when it came to splitting loot—on deck, everyone was essentially equals unless it came to battle for status. Dawei demanding to leap to the top was outrageous.
"You cocky bastard! You think we’ll let you boss us around? We’ll kill you right here if we have to!"
The officers shouted in unison. Alone, Dawei was formidable—but against a whole crew of elite pirates, even he wouldn’t last long.
Rocks raised a hand, signaling them to quiet down.
"Dawei, cut the games. Vesper isn’t coming. And just so we’re clear—there’s no such thing as a Vice-Captain on my ship."
A cold grin curled on Rocks’ face.
"But with your strength, you won’t have any trouble clawing your way to the top. Prove yourself, and you’ll earn a place as one of my strongest."
It wasn’t the crushing defeat he’d originally planned to hand Dawei, but seeing the proud man voluntarily choose to join had a charm of its own.
The deck went silent. All eyes were on Dawei, waiting for his answer.
Meanwhile, aboard the flagship of the Vesper Pirates—
"Captain Vesper, if we move out now, we won’t make it in time. Whether Dawei ends up dead or surrendering, our Overlord Alliance will be weakened either way. Instead of chasing after him, why don’t we take a page from Rocks’ playbook and hit Hachinosu Island directly? Let’s make them bleed too."
Salem, the brains of the Vesper Pirates, immediately stepped in to stop Vesper from charging into the fray. If Rocks liked sneak attacks, then they could play that game too.
"That’s a damn good idea!" growled Orion. "Let’s torch Rocks’ nest and kill whoever’s left behind!"
The other island lords quickly voiced their agreement.
With Orion’s Wind-Wind Fruit powers, their ships could easily outpace Rocks’. If they struck Hachinosu Island fast enough, they’d be able to return to their stronghold before Rocks could retaliate.
"In that case, Dawei’s on his own," Vesper said coldly. "Turn the ships around—we’re heading for Hachinosu Island. It’s time to settle the score with the Dark News Syndicate!"
Without hesitation, the Vesper Pirates made their move. Even if Dawei was successfully recruited by Rocks, wiping out the pirates stationed at Hachinosu Island would cripple Rocks’ forces—and slow his climb toward domination.
At the same time, aboard the Golden Flying Ship soaring toward the Sky Islands of the New World—
Brook sat quietly, receiving a steady stream of updates via Den Den Mushi from Mortomas. Battles were breaking out between the top pirate crews, each vying for supremacy.
Antonio, meanwhile, had noticed something strange—both Rocks’ and Vesper’s Den Den Mushi networks were shifting rapidly.
"This era’s completely insane," Brook muttered. "The so-called Overlords are all trying to backstab each other. Chaos everywhere."
In this age, the path to becoming the Pirate King wasn’t set in stone. You didn’t have to reach the Final Island—just prove you were the strongest.
After Gol D. Roger reached that island and uncovered the truth of history, he named it Laugh Tale. The World Government, terrified of what he knew, labeled him the Pirate King in the press—likely hoping to incite others to turn against him.
When Roger was publicly executed by the Marines, he left behind the legend of the ONE PIECE, igniting the belief among pirates everywhere: to become Pirate King, you had to reach Laugh Tale and claim that treasure.
"Brook, why don’t we take out the Edward Pirates’ base while we’re at it?" suggested Golden Lion Shiki casually.
In truth, both Shiki and Whitebeard had realized that Brook was connected to the Sea Siren Pirates’ shadowy news network—and that Antonio’s Den Den Mushi had some unique abilities.
But they still believed Brook was backed by a mysterious organization helping the Hell Pirates rise as a counterforce to the World Government. So, for now, they didn’t press the issue.
It wasn’t a threat—if anything, it was an advantage. They could use Brook to gain insight into the bigger picture.
As for Charlotte Linlin, she’d long forgotten about the Den Den Mushi she was supposed to guard. All she remembered was the words: protect Brook. One day in the future, they’d meet again.
Brook, however, frowned at Shiki’s suggestion.
"No. We can’t weaken the Vesper Alliance any further."
He paused, then said seriously, "Rocks is the biggest threat to the New World right now. Vesper doesn’t have much time left—he’s getting old. But while the two of them are still evenly matched, we need to grow. Fast."
"If we play it right, we’ll replace the Vesper Pirates as the only crew standing against Rocks. When that time comes, it’ll be us versus him—two Overlord crews clashing for the throne of the New World."
Brook’s words lit a fire in everyone’s hearts.
"Brook... you’ve thought that far ahead? That’s incredible!"
Shiki’s eyes gleamed with determination. If the Hell Pirates were destined to clash with Rocks, then he would be ready to take his revenge.
"Strength. Strength. And more strength," Brook said quietly. "We’ll rise in secret—and when we do, the world will be stunned."
When the news finally broke, even Brook was surprised.
Dawei had actually surrendered—he had joined the Rocks Pirates.
Vesper’s forces retaliated by razing Hachinosu Island, wiping out most of the officers stationed there. Though a few escaped, the damage was done.
The two Overlords had officially declared war.
The New World plunged into chaos, battles erupting nonstop. Even the Ice Demon Pirates eventually joined the Vesper Alliance, seeking vengeance against Dawei and trying to halt Rocks’ advance.
With the might of the giant warriors added to their ranks, the alliance gained a major edge in middle- and lower-tier combat strength, halting Rocks’ conquest once more.
And thanks to Antonio, Brook finally located a nation where Seastone occasionally surfaced—Wano Country.
It was time to prepare: the Swordmaster training arc, the Seastone resource raid, mastery of advanced Armament Haki (Ryuo), and perhaps even—Pluton.
The next stage of their rise had begun.
+122 Chapters on p@treon/tambeerg