On the Golden Island—
Right now, Vegapunk can only work on studying the island's security systems and helping to upgrade its weapons, firepower, and flight capabilities.
After improving the basic version of Pluton's cannon and the wind-propelled jet dials, he also laid eyes on the weather ship Brook had swiped from Wetheria Island. He was immediately hooked by the technology of a vessel capable of flying between the upper and lower Sky Islands.
Vegapunk is now preparing to develop combat-type airships, with full support from Brook. In short, any and all materials they can find will be collected for him.
Currently, the Umi Family has risen to become the largest transportation force in the underworld ever since Brook destroyed Manxway's New World Dispatch Company. If they can take down the World Transport Company under Kawase Posha next, the Umi Family will establish a transport monopoly just like the Du Family and the Dracula Family did in their industries—becoming one of the uncrowned kings of the dark world.
With the Hell Pirates backing them from the shadows, the Umi Family has already suppressed Kawase Posha company. Within five years, they're expected to completely overtake it and wipe it out, cementing their dominance.
With the Umi Family handling transport and Moore Thomas managing intelligence, Brook believes Vegapunk will have all the experimental materials he needs. In fact, Brook hopes Vegapunk can eventually turn Golden Island into a fully amphibious battle fortress—an unparalleled war machine.
But none of this happens overnight. Rome wasn't built in a day. Brook has both time and money. Once he finds Kaido, he plans to return to the Grand Line's Sky Island and bring a massive stockpile of Shandora's gold to Golden Island.
That way, the "gold content" of the Golden Island can reach another level—transforming it into a true Golden Island.
---
"Brook, the intel on that kid Kaido just came in," Antonio reported as he passed over the latest file. "He's currently fighting on the battlefield between the Kingdom of Valoran and the Kingdom of Vodka. Right now, he's part of the young army from Vodka attacking Iron Shield Island."
"The info says he's got an insanely tough body, monstrous strength, a ridiculous appetite, and fights like a demon. He's already survived four charges and has caught the eye of some high-ranking generals."
Antonio had been with Brook for over a year now. He had grown stronger, more composed, and a lot more calculated.
Having brushed shoulders with some of the world's most powerful and dangerous people alongside Brook, Antonio was starting to give off that strategist vibe—like a hidden dragon waiting to strike.
As Brook's first crew member and the one who knew the most of his secrets, Antonio had earned Brook's absolute trust and loyalty.
When Vegapunk eventually develops battle suits, Brook plans to give the first one to Antonio—the so-called "weakling" who'll be the first to wear armor worthy of a true warrior.
"So," Brook grinned, testing him, "how do you think we should get Kaido to join the crew?"
Brook wanted to see if Antonio had real strategic talent—if he could make decisions independently, without relying on orders for every little thing. Brook didn't want sheep—he wanted thinkers.
He was grooming talents across the board. His future empire would be too massive for him to run alone. He wasn't planning to burn himself out like Zhuge Liang. Once his initial story advantage faded, he'd need real strategists to keep things sharp.
"Brother Brook," Antonio said thoughtfully, "it looks like Kaido only joined the army to get food. He may have awakened a battle-hungry side, but I think he'll be easy to recruit.
The Vodka Kingdom started this war just to rob money and pay the Heavenly Tribute. So if we offer them some money and ask them to hand Kaido over, it's likely they'll agree. They're broke, and Kaido isn't even a known name—just some strong, unknown kid in the ranks."
Brook chuckled. "Good thinking, but look at the situation: we're strong, they're weak. Why should we pay? And don't you think 'buying' Kaido makes him look cheap?
If Kaido finds out he got sold off like a commodity, he'll hate both us and the Vodka Kingdom. The guy only respects strength. All we gotta do is show up, flex a little, beat a few people down, and then offer him good food and booze. That'll get him to follow willingly."
Brook laughed louder. "The guy's eight years old! He just wants a full meal and a good fight!"
"You're right, Brother Brook," Antonio nodded seriously. "I still have a lot to learn."
He took the lesson to heart. As someone weak in combat but entrusted with top-level secrets, Antonio knew he had to sharpen his mind if he wanted to live up to Brook's expectations. Being just an intelligence officer wasn't going to cut it—he had to become a strategist.
He'd already started diving into books on military tactics, management, and world affairs. Knowledge was power.
"Not bad," Brook said, smiling. "You're staying calm under pressure. That's the first step. Keep learning and you'll become a man of unmatched wisdom one day. When you can see through everything with the right intel, you'll feel like you're playing chess with the world."
Brook had big plans. For the intelligence business, Moore Thomas's Economic News Agency would handle external investigations, while Antonio's Den Den Mushi network would be in charge of internal surveillance.
With that combo, who could sneak up on them?
And just in case, they had Golden Lion Shiki's floating ability as a backup—and Redfield's mind-reading power as their last line of defense.
Now that Brook had the transport and intel industries in his pocket, he was getting ready to dip into entertainment next. Pirates were big spenders. That meant food, booze, and pleasure were huge industries.
Now that Stussy had joined his crew, Brook planned to dominate the underworld's entertainment empire. Once he stood on equal footing with the Rocks Pirates, there wouldn't be a business left that he couldn't touch.
Brook knew—without powerful backing, no one could rule the entertainment world. In the original story, even Stussy needed the secret support of the World Government to become the Queen of Pleasure Street.
And now?
Brook remembered what Shiki once told him: maybe the Hell Pirates should break away from the Overlord Alliance and become a third-party force on their own. Even if they're the weakest of the four, they'd still be a force no one could ignore.
Only then would the term "Four Overlord" truly mean something.
----------------
The triangular power balance was the most stable. Several overlords were wary of each other. But now, with the New World experiencing a brief moment of peace, the Overlord Alliance had started to show signs of disunity.
The current state of the Overlord Alliance was troublesome. While the Rocks Pirates retreated to recover and gather strength, the Diger Pirates took advantage of their position as the strongest to seize David Kyons' base, Pso Island.
Clearly, Diger—the old man—was now grabbing talents and resources in every way possible to suppress and limit the others. Not even Saracha and Willank were spared!
The Diger Pirates absorbed all the connections and businesses left behind by the Siren Pirates. Diger, being a shrewd strategist and the wealthiest pirate in the seas, had a natural edge in this game.
Saracha and Willank were no match for him. Most of their funds had been snatched by Diger. Open and hidden conflicts broke out, completely changing the nature of the so-called alliance.
Diger now seemed intent on turning the other pirate crews into subordinates. Even Brook began to wonder—had Diger grown arrogant, senile, or was he simply rushing to pave a path for his son and the future of the Diger Pirates?
Did he feel death creeping closer? Was that why he was acting so recklessly? Didn't he realize the Overlord Alliance might collapse, giving the Rocks Pirates the perfect chance to strike?
As the strongest force within the alliance, the Diger Pirates would undoubtedly be the first to bear the brunt of Rocks' fury. Without Saracha's help, there was no way they could stand up to Rocks.
Brook recalled that, according to the original timeline, forty-six years ago, a thirteen-year-old Kaido escaped from the navy. It took him two years to reach Rocks' base on Hive Island, also known as Hachinosu.
Knowing Kaido's nature, he likely sought out Rocks just to challenge the strongest. He probably took down many of Rocks' subordinates and earned the crew's respect that way.
So, forty-six years ago, Rocks might've already been the strongest force in the New World—strong enough to make Kaido pursue him. By then, maybe Rocks had already crushed the other overlords and unified the seas.
Based on that timeline, old man Diger definitely wouldn't last another five years—maybe even less.
If Diger kept this up, the Overlord Alliance wouldn't just disband—it might devolve into infighting. That would only benefit Rocks, helping him conquer the New World even faster!
So Brook figured it was better to pull the Hell Pirates out of the alliance now. Maybe that'd serve as a wake-up call to Diger, remind him there's a monster nearby watching everything.
This way, they wouldn't become enemies. When Rocks made his move, they could still form a temporary alliance to resist him.
Plus, pulling out would boost the Hell Pirates' fame. They wouldn't have to abide by the trash rules of the Overlord Alliance or get bled dry by the Diger Pirates anymore.
---
While Brook worked out his plans, the Golden Island had already crossed multiple seas and arrived in the skies above Iron Shield Island—a key battleground between the Kingdom of Valoran and the Kingdom of Vodka.
Coincidentally, the Vodka Kingdom was currently launching a new offensive against the fortress city. Artillery boomed in all directions, and most soldiers were too scared to charge. Only true monsters with terrifying gifts—like Kaido—could fearlessly charge into cannon fire.
However, in the Grand Line, very few national armies had mastered anything like Armament Haki. Not even the top generals knew how to use it.
The World Government had heavily suppressed the Four Seas and the Grand Line, monopolizing that kind of training. Most of the gifted people either turned to piracy or were recruited into the navy.
By keeping Haki techniques exclusive to the navy and a handful of pirates, the World Government could control the seas. They weakened the member nations and ensured that no country could rise too far in power. Non-member nations were little more than targets for looting.
Even when wars broke out between nations, they relied mostly on numbers and weaponry. No matter how large-scale the battle looked, it was never beyond the World Government's ability to control.
That's why the New World became a paradise for pirates. There, the navy didn't have overwhelming control, and more advanced training techniques—like Haki—were available.
In the Four Seas and the Grand Line, only the navy, some pirate kingdoms, and New World veterans had access to these powers. A fresh pirate with no backing couldn't hope to learn Haki unless they survived long enough to reach the New World.
Watching the intense bombardment from Iron Shield City, the generals of the Vodka Kingdom were frustrated. The Valoran Kingdom was no weaker than them, and nothing like their past enemies.
Their only option was to send young soldiers with iron shields on suicide charges to distract the enemy while the regular army advanced behind them.
One general looked at a bull-horned youth who stood over three meters tall—despite being only eight years old. The boy had skin like steel and shrugged off bullets and blades. He was the general's newly discovered trump card.
With that monster leading the charge, maybe they could finally break through.
Under orders, even Kaido—tough as he was—had to wear armor. The longer he survived, the more attention he could draw, buying time for the rest to push through.
Kaido wore heavy armor, an iron shield in his left hand and a giant mace in his right. He charged at the front of the formation like a human battering ram.
Bullets slammed into his shield—duang, duang, duang—but Kaido didn't even flinch. Iron Shield City's defenders noticed and quickly turned their cannons toward his unit.
Explosions tore through the lines. Young soldiers fell like wheat before a scythe, some dying without even screaming.
Kaido didn't care. He charged forward, shield raised, ignoring the dying around him. Even direct cannon hits couldn't stop his momentum.
The general in charge of Iron Shield City saw this and immediately ordered more than a dozen cannons to concentrate fire on the monster.
The general from the Vodka Kingdom saw Kaido's value instantly. The warhorn blew, and elite troops surged forward with everything they had. The battlefield erupted in an all-out artillery exchange.
Kaido, battered by cannon fire, had his massive shield blown to pieces. Still, he didn't stop. He zigzagged, dodging blasts, sprinting straight for the city gate.
The repeated booms of something smashing into the gate made the defenders nervous. That freak had survived a dozen cannon strikes and was now pounding on the city door!
What kind of monster was this?! Wasn't he supposed to be human? Why couldn't bullets and cannonballs stop him?
Kaido tossed aside his shredded armor and put everything into smashing down the gate. Once he got inside, he could start killing—anything to vent after all that bombardment.
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I didn't realize the Discord Link I shared had an expiration date, so I've updated it. Here's the new link
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Check my Pâtreon for (40) advanced chapters
Pâtreon .com/Fanficlord03
Change (â) to (a)
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Discord Link Here:
https://discord.gg/MntqcdpRZ9