In the vast territory once ruled by the Rocks Pirates, chaos brewed like a storm on the horizon.
Rookie overlords pirates and infamous crews, who had been making waves in the region, found themselves unexpectedly harassed—not by Marines or rival overlords, but by the Pirate Guild established by none other than Brook, captain of the Hell Pirates.
The reason was simple. The Pirate Guild was offering bounties and rank points for capturing unaffiliated pirates. Members of the guild were free to roam the Hell Pirates' territory, enjoying discounts on everything from rum to repairs—and many were eager to climb the rankings for fame, wealth, and influence.
Under Brook's rule, this sea zone had transformed. It was no longer a battleground drenched in blood, but a thriving economy of pirates. Entertainment flourished—casinos, taverns, theaters, even floating amusement parks. It was the spiritual oasis of the New World.
Here, no one feared sudden ambushes by Overlord-level crews. There were no protection fees. Joining the Pirate Guild didn't mean surrender—it meant freedom, profit, and the chance to live a good life.
The slogan of the guild had become legendary:
"Forge happiness with heart! If you want riches, come here! If you want peace, come here!"
No one quite understood why a powerful pirate like Brook had built something more reminiscent of a merchant syndicate than a pirate empire. It felt more like an underground world consortium than a traditional pirate crew. But that was what made it terrifying.
The titans of the underworld watched warily. This wasn't just a crew—it was the birth of a behemoth. A monopoly that could either inspire or crush everything in its path.
Countless rookie pirates now sailed for the Hell Pirates' waters, desperate to join the guild and gain legitimacy. Any rogue crew that caused trouble would be slapped onto a mission board—marked as prey to be hunted for rewards.
---
Ballon Island — Pirate Guild Headquarters
"Captain Brook, your Pirate Guild is bleeding money! Even if we had mountains of Berries, you'd burn through them like incense sticks at a funeral!"
Shakky's voice was sharp with exasperation as she tossed another ledger onto the table. The former underworld broker had been helping manage finances, and even with her experience, she was nearly losing it.
Luckily, young Stussy's booming entertainment ventures were raking in enough profits to balance things—barely.
"The Berries we earn from the guild need to circulate within Hell Pirates territory!" Shakky huffed. "And under your guidance, Stussy's set up more gambling traps than the Grand Line has sea kings!"
Indeed, Secret Island—run by Lily Carnation—had become a veritable pirate wonderland. Leaf-men mascots, sprawling food markets, themed amusement rides, and extravagant casinos brought in pirates and tourists alike. She even cultivated edible plants to create a food paradise. The island's fame now rivaled that of Water 7 and Sabaody combined.
"Didn't Stussy already turn in last month's profits?" Brook asked, flipping through data on a Den Den Mushi terminal. His fingers danced across holographic bounty lists. Every guild pirate, even at the lowest Black Iron rank, held a bounty of over ten million Berries. Yet all they were granted was the right to sail, buy, and sell under his domain.
These pirates were bound by interest. Anyone who complained would soon find themselves on the mission board—hunted, captured, and sent to hell.
Shakky sighed. "It's still not enough. These pirates eat like sea beasts. Even with all the discounts, we're hemorrhaging funds."
Brook chuckled. "All that money's turning into strength and resources. Besides, Shiki will be back soon with that gold mine island. That'll reset the cycle."
And he was right. While expenses soared, so did their gains. They had captured hundreds of pirates, harvested rare souls, and recovered powerful Devil Fruits. The empire was feeding on chaos—and thriving.
Shakky grinned. "Now that's the Brook I know. Speaking of mines... what about Wano Country? Should we start selling a bit of Seastone at ridiculous prices?"
She was referring to the mines in the country, now under Hell Pirates' control. Seastone reserves were stockpiling, and maintaining the labor force was expensive. She believed releasing small quantities at high prices could balance the books.
Brook's expression turned grim.
"No. Seastone is too valuable. It's our most strategic weapon. If we flood the market, Devil Fruit users everywhere will be crippled. I'd rather sell artificial Devil Fruits than give away Seastone."
Shakky crossed her arms. "Your call. But even warlords have to count their Berries eventually."
---
Now that the Pirate Guild was fully operational and no longer expanding, Shakky posed a more serious question.
"Rocks' territory is in turmoil. Why don't we issue a guild mission to take it over?"
Brook raised an eyebrow.
"We could let guild members swarm the islands. If they win, good for them. If they fall, we lose nothing. And we get a buffer zone between us and the Rocks Pirates."
Brook grinned. "Alright then. Let the dogs loose."
He immediately ordered Antonio to post a high-level mission:
"Occupy any island on the Rocks Pirates' border. You keep what you conquer."
The Diger Pirates were roped in as backup support. Brook wasn't shy about dragging others into the mud. It was time to shrink Rocks' bloated empire—he owned too much land and too few men.
The mission ignited the ambition of countless pirate crews. Everyone wanted a piece of the Rocks Pirates' turf. Maybe, just maybe, they'd be the next overlord of the sea.
But they underestimated one thing.
Rocks. Did. Not. Retreat.
When the tide of guild pirates and rookie overlords poured into his domain, the mad overlord snapped.
Wherever he appeared, newspaper seagulls vanished, and pirate crews were obliterated. That's when the guild pirates realized—this was no ordinary man. This was Rocks D. Xebec, the strongest pirate alive.
He swept across the sea alone, clad in a black robe, like a storm of death. No crew. No warning. No mercy.
Even Antonio and Moore Thomas couldn't trace him.
It was only through the efforts of Hiruba, wielder of the Glare-Glare Fruit, that Rocks' movements were even partially tracked. Hiruba published daily updates of Rocks' last known location, giving others a slim chance to survive.
Realizing he was being hunted by special Devil Fruit abilities, Rocks flew into a new level of rage.
He returned to Beehive Island and summoned every last crewmember.
To hell with territory. From now on, wherever he walked, he would bring ruin.
Let the world see what a true monster looked like.
----------------------
Rocks' sudden assault completely blindsided both Dig and Brook. Brook knew he had been a bit aggressive lately, but he didn't believe he had done anything wrong.
After all, he couldn't let Rocks keep rallying pirates to expand his strength. Forcing Rocks to act early might have been risky—but it would push the Rocks Pirates into open hostility with the rest of the New World's pirate crews.
That, in turn, would slow Rocks' expansion and give Brook's own forces more breathing room to grow.
But Rocks' madness also attracted the worst kind of pirates—lawless, brutal maniacs eager to follow a monster. In no time, the city under Rocks' control had become a hellish playground for criminals and beasts.
Now, the Rocks Pirates were making a direct move toward Ten Kings Island.
Diger Sparrow's face turned pale when he got the news. Why was it always Brook and those damned rookie overlords stirring up trouble, and why did it always fall to his Diger Pirates to clean up the mess?
All Diger wanted now was peace and quiet to await the birth of his grandchild.
But the aggressive momentum of the Rocks Pirates left him no choice—he had to request backup from Brook.
Truthfully, Rocks' number one target was the Hell Pirates. But Shiki the Golden Lion and Whitebeard Newgate were tricky to deal with, both possessing extremely powerful Devil Fruits. So instead, Rocks aimed to kill Diger first. The man couldn't escape Ten Kings Island anyway.
This war would erupt on Diger territory. The island that would serve as the battlefield for this new Overlord War hadn't been decided yet, but Rocks didn't care. If he could eliminate Diger, Brook and the rest would follow.
As for those rookies who hadn't fully matured yet? They were nothing but flies. Once he dismantled Brook's intelligence network, cleaning up the rest would be easy.
Across the churning waters of the New World, the massive warship Rocks ship cut through the ocean with terrifying speed.
Rocks sat at the helm, gripping a black iron Den Den Mushi phone, his face as dark as the sea at midnight. Kneeling before him was a groveling pirate, presenting something both shocking and infuriating—the unmistakable Den Den Mushi used by Brook's Pirate Guild.
"The Seagull Newsbird is Brook's. Even the Den Den Mushi is Brook's!!!"
Rocks finally understood what it felt like to be outplayed.
Every time his location was leaked, it was thanks to the Newsbird network, or those damned Den Den Mushi, or Brook's spies, journalists, and devil-fruit-enhanced agents.
He hated being someone else's pawn.
But when he tried purging the Newsbird system and Brook's intelligence agents, it had nearly cut him off from the entire outside world. His intel flow was now nearly zero.
Only now did he realize just how vital information truly was.
He might have been the strongest pirate in the New World, but he was living in the dark—blind, isolated, and miserable.
He couldn't outmaneuver Brook. He couldn't crush the Hell Pirates. He couldn't even stop their trade routes.
Even if he knew how Brook's system worked—knew that the Newsbird controlled communication, knew the Den Den Mushi were being tracked—what could he do? Could he sail around without newspapers? Could he cut off every line of communication?
It was terrifying how far Brook's plans had gone. Even the Underground Transport Emperor had stopped supplying him. His territory was starved of resources. His enemies were multiplying.
If he could just find the Umit Family's headquarters, he'd burn the whole thing to ash.
At first, Rocks took pride in being the world's enemy. It meant the world feared his power.
But now? He was starting to feel… defeated.
Even the best wines and foods from around the seas rarely reached his ports anymore.
He was the self-proclaimed Overlord of the New World—and he couldn't even drink his favorite North Blue liquor.
He was strong… but that was all he had.
He was beginning to realize that Brook, and even Brook's officers, surpassed him in other ways—planning, communication, diplomacy, economics.
So he made a bitter decision.
He would stop trying to unify the New World—for now.
But he would not let an old man like Diger continue to dominate.
If he had to rule the New World with Brook, so be it.
Brook was already an enemy of the World Government and the Celestial Dragons. Rocks had always planned to assault the Valley of the Gods—the Celestial Dragons' hidden sanctuary.
He'd wanted to first conquer the New World, then launch his ultimate attack. But the emergence of the Hell Pirates had ruined everything.
Brook's crew boasted five users of Conqueror's Haki, all wielding terrifying Devil Fruits. They also possessed strange technology—some means of stealing power, plundering at will.
The worst part?
Brook's mind.
If he let another eight or ten years pass, the Hell Pirates would eclipse him completely.
So he wouldn't wait.
If he couldn't beat Brook, he'd use Brook.
He would deceive the Hell Pirates into joining him to assault the Valley of the Gods. Together, they would drive out the Navy from the New World, then launch a joint attack on the Celestial Dragons.
If he could pull this off, he would finally fulfill the ancient will of the D. clan—and perhaps even reshape the world itself.
As his ship neared Ten Kings Island, Rocks stared at the Kurobuta Den Den Mushi, lost in thought.
If the Hell Pirates couldn't be eliminated… then they had to be allied with.
He would reach out to Brook. He would offer to split the Taige Pirates between them. Together, Diger would unify the New World—and march on the Celestial Dragons as a single force.
He even admired Brook, in his own twisted way.
Brook was cunning. He was a visionary. If anyone could bring down the Celestial Dragons… it was him.
Maybe… just maybe… it was better to trust Brook than trust himself.
---
In the captain's training room aboard the Gibek's Blade, the ship suddenly slowed.
"I know you can sense this! Find Brook for me—NOW!"
Rocks roared as he dialed the black iron Den Den Mushi, his expression stormy. He then pulled out a second Den Den Mushi—the one his crew had won as a newspaper prize. Just the sight of it made Rocks angrier.
Brook had been plotting this for years!
Everything—communications, intel networks, supply chains—Brook had sunk his claws into them all.
Rocks saw T-shirts, hats, even underwear printed with the logos of the Umit Family and the Economic News Agency.
Worse, the best booze in his collection had the Hell Pirates' emblem stamped on it.
And the clothing? The tags all read Made in Fishman Island—now openly known as Hell Pirate territory.
He checked the label of his latest captain's hat.
Damn it. A limited-edition collaboration between Fishman Island and Brook's fashion line.
Shaking, Rocks yanked off his brand-new cloak.
Another label: Domineering Captain Series – Official Hell Pirates Merchandise.
Rocks looked up, eyes bloodshot.
He didn't dare check the rest of his clothes.
He felt like Brook was everywhere—in the vents, under his bed, inside the closet.
Gripping the Den Den Mushi tightly, Rocks stared at both the iron phone and the newspaper prize model, silently waiting for Brook's response.
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