The pirates stared in horror at the wreckage before them—ships torn apart by lightning and flames, the ground cracked open by shockwaves. What kind of terrifying figures were they facing?
"No!! Stop this at once!! This island is under the protection of Captain Jevalle, a subordinate of the Vesper Pirates! Are you trying to provoke one of the rulers of the New World?!"
A pirate, seemingly one of the island's overseers, rushed forward fearlessly, standing in front of Newgate with an expression of fury.
The pirates who had initially attacked the Hell Pirates scrambled behind him, crawling and stumbling in their desperate attempt to avoid being wiped out.
"Gurararara~! Didn't you see that they attacked us first? The Hell Pirates won't just sit back and take it!"
Thanks to Brook's influence, every member of the crew had long since shed any fear of battle. Even if they were up against a ruler-level pirate crew, retreating was always an option—especially with the Golden Ark at their disposal. One day, they would have their revenge.
"They attacked you, fine—you had every right to fight back! But the destruction you've caused to Marseille Island is far too great! Do you even understand what this place is?! This island is a trade hub for pirates! It's one of the most critical links between the Grand Line and the New World!"
Jevalle's subordinate, Vasily, furiously berated Newgate. As the island's overseer, he was responsible for collecting protection fees—tributes that were handed over to Captain Jevalle every month.
But now? The Hell Pirates had destroyed most of the port's infrastructure. The financial loss alone was staggering! If Vasily failed to deliver the expected tribute this month, Jevalle would not hesitate to make an example out of him.
"Captain Brook, the Jevalle he mentioned should be one of the key commanders under the Vesper Pirates, one of the three ruler-level pirate crews. His bounty matches yours—600 million Belly!"
Antonio, the intelligence officer, quickly pulled out Jevalle's bounty poster. The wanted man had shoulder-length golden curls beneath his captain's hat, his sharp features giving off a shrewd and calculating look.
"You've got to be kidding me! We just happened to piss off a ruler-level pirate crew? Could we be any more unlucky?!"
Shakky ran a hand through her hair in exasperation. They had planned to avoid clashing with these major powers for now, yet here they were, having wrecked a crucial port in their territory. What kind of messed-up luck was this?
Brook, however, wasn't about to blame Newgate for the destruction. They could always be more careful in the future. But if there was a way to de-escalate the situation, that would be preferable.
"Look, you know as well as I do that these unruly pirates attacked us first. But we'll take responsibility for the damage to your port. How about this—I kill these scumbags and turn them in for their bounties as compensation?"
Brook unsheathed the Shichiseiken, its chilling aura sending shivers down Vasily's spine. The skeletal captain's face remained impassive, but there was no mistaking the killing intent in his smile.
Vasily trembled under Brook's gaze. This man had the same bounty as Captain Jevalle! But unlike Jevalle, Brook didn't have the full backing of the Vesper Pirates. That meant... he could still be pressured.
"That's still not enough! Even if you turn them in, the bounty won't cover all the damages! But... if you hand over that Golden Ark of yours, we might be willing to overlook this whole mess."
Vasily's eyes gleamed greedily as he gazed at the Hell Pirates' legendary ship. Recently, all three ruler-level crews had been trying to recruit Golden Lion Shiki—his ability to make ships fly was too valuable. But if Vasily could seize a flying vessel himself, his standing with the Vesper Pirates would skyrocket. He could even secure a life of luxury within their ranks.
Running Marseille Island was already a cushy job, but this? This could be his ticket to true power.
Brook's eyes darkened. This greedy rat actually thought he could extort their ship? Did he think Jevalle's name alone was enough to shield him? Even if Jevalle himself were on this island, the Hell Pirates could take him down. The real issue was the larger Vesper Pirates behind him.
"Are you insane? You dare covet our Golden Ark? The bounty from these pirates is more than enough to cover the repair costs!"
Shakky, once a renowned information broker on Sabaody, quickly calculated the total worth of the bounties. Based on New World bounty exchange rates—full payout for live captives, seventy percent for corpses, and forty percent for unverified kills—
The combined bounty of their attackers was well over 200 million Belly. Even at forty percent, that was more than enough to fund the port's reconstruction.
In the Four Seas and the Grand Line, bounty payouts varied. Some cases awarded seventy percent for dead targets, while others paid the full amount regardless. But in the New World, things were stricter—only live pirates fetched their full price. Corpses got seventy percent unless the killer's identity was clearly documented. Otherwise, unverified kills were treated as "stolen" bounties and only earned forty percent.
This had led to a shadow industry of "bounty brokers"—middlemen who handled bounty claims for pirates. Since pirates couldn't exactly stroll into a Marine base to collect rewards, these brokers took a thirty percent cut to claim the money on their behalf. If a pirate didn't want to bother with corpses, the brokers happily took them off their hands, hoping to cash in.
Many pirate captains figured that even forty percent was still worthwhile—it was easy profit after a battle. And of course, they also looted their enemies' ships for extra gains.
...
"Little girl, don't you know about Lord Vesper's Pirate Code? No fighting is allowed within his territory!
Out on the open sea, you were fair game. But now that you're on Marseille Island, these pirates are under his jurisdiction. If you attack them here, you're violating the Code!"
Vasily's smug grin widened. He was done pretending—he had the upper hand now. This wasn't just about the port anymore. This was about seizing that Golden Ark.
"So what you're saying is... there's no way to avoid punishment under this so-called Pirate Code? The only way out is to give up our ship?"
Brook's grip tightened on his sword. It seemed that, whether they wanted to or not, they were going to have to eliminate these greedy bastards.
"That's right! You understand quickly. Hope you don't do anything stupid."
Vasily had pulled this trick countless times, using the Vesper Pirates' reputation to extort and steal. This was just another payday for him.
Or so he thought.
Brook's grin widened, but this time, it wasn't the friendly kind.
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+122 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg