After Brook issued his crew the final mobilization orders, he settled back to wait for Rocks' move.
That man was always more impatient than him.
Brook, on the other hand, could be patient. The mantis stalks the cicada, never noticing the oriole waiting behind.
Hiruba's Fruit had been tracking Rocks' every motion. Launching the first strike on God Valley might not be the best idea—its defenses were a mystery. Perhaps it was wiser to accept Rocks' request, hold off the Navy, and let Rocks throw himself into the Valley of the Gods first. If fortune favored them, Brook could disengage, abandon the Admirals, and then swoop in alongside Rocks to plunder the Celestial Dragons' hoard.
With Shiki's Float-Float Fruit, shaking off the Navy would be no trouble. They could catch up whenever they pleased.
---
Sabaody Archipelago
A pirate ship drawn by two massive sea snakes glided out of the Calm Belt and into the mangrove waters.
"Shakky, are we really going to attack the Celestial Dragons? Isn't that too dangerous for us?"
The speaker was a tall woman with a green snake coiled around her arm like a living weapon—Guroliosa, captain of the Kuja Pirates and queen of Amazon Lily.
"Captain, trust me," Shakky replied with a smile. Her black hair now brushed her shoulders, her aura sharper than ever. "If we strike Sabaody now, the Kuja will thrive for years. With the Calm Belt to shield us, what have we to fear?"
She didn't mention what she truly knew—that the Calm Belt's barrier was meaningless against the Hell Pirates. Shiki's flying fleet and their Sea-Prism powered ships could pierce it with ease.
Still, Shakky's words carried weight. Her mastery of Haki, her command of the Navy's Six Styles, and the power of the Vampire Fruit made even Guroliosa wary. If she weren't still so young and freshly returned, she would already have claimed the Kuja's captaincy outright.
For now, this raid would cement her rise.
"You'll lead this operation," Guroliosa said at last. She lifted her bow, the snake coiling and transforming in her grip. "Make the Kuja feared again."
"Then follow my orders, all of you!" Shakky grinned, her prestige growing with every word. It was only a matter of time before she became queen.
Her network of spies in Sabaody was already moving. Information was her weapon, as sharp as any arrow.
---
Tree Grove No. 1, Outlaw Zone – Human Auction House
The streets fell silent. Pirates, villains, and civilians alike threw themselves to the ground as a procession passed, led by the hated, feared figures in their pristine robes—the Celestial Dragons.
"Your Highness, let us finish quickly," the butler whispered to Saint Charles Martin, who rode proudly atop a towering slave. "The city is unstable these days."
The man trembled, remembering the slaughter at the hands of Saint Rothschild, when servants and slaves alike were butchered for a single slight. If anything befell his current master, his own life would end in an instant.
"Bah! That devil Brook is in the New World. Admirals stand guard here. Who would dare touch us now?" Charles Martin scoffed. Since the Rothschild incident, Sabaody had been calm. No Celestial Dragon had fallen for years.
Still, his steward persisted, voice careful. "I've heard rumors. The great pirate crews are on the move. Many lesser pirates wait here, trapped before the New World. Some might be foolish enough to offend you, Your Highness."
Martin sneered but relented. "Then let us buy that Mink-tribe slave and leave."
"Your Highness is wise," the butler sighed, relief heavy on his brow. Serving the Celestial Dragons was a death sentence of its own—one misstep, and your master's rage became your grave.
As the procession marched, unseen eyes watched from the shadows. Most pirates lowered their heads, unwilling to risk annihilation.
But one man didn't flinch. A bald pirate with half his face tattooed grinned, teeth bared.
"Have all the ships been coated?" Ibadombo asked without turning, his eyes locked on the Celestial Dragons.
"Yes, Captain. We're ready to set sail at a moment's notice. Or… retreat…" one crewman stammered, sweat dripping. "Attacking Celestial Dragons… it's suicide. The Admirals will come."
"That's fine," Ibadombo said coldly. "Send half the men back to the ship. I'll strike down the Dragon myself, then we'll flee."
His pulse quickened with excitement. To hunt a Celestial Dragon—it was madness, but it was also glory.
Elsewhere, Shakky marshaled the Kuja warriors. Their bows glistened with Haki, their eyes sharp. Their target was not the Celestial Dragons, but Sabaody's richest shops.
"Once Rocks' pawns strike, chaos will follow," Shakky told them. "The Navy will be too busy. That's when we take everything worth taking."
She smirked to herself. Ibadombo was bold, but reckless. She had already ordered his ship's coating destroyed.
Want to escape? Not this time.
"You'll draw the Admirals' fury, Ibadombo," she murmured. "Take the fall for me. Cut away Rocks' pawns while I bleed this place dry."
Her eyes gleamed. "And if I kill a Celestial Dragon in the chaos… perhaps even my own Conqueror's Haki will awaken."
-----------
Inside the human auction house, the hall was alive with shouts and bids from wealthy nobles. Ever since Fish-Man Island had fallen under the protection of the Hell Pirates, capturing mermaids and fish-men had become rare.
Yet desperation always birthed cruelty. Slave-hunters still risked everything to seize a few unfortunate souls. Some had even dragged fish-men from the New World, parading them here to sell for profit.
But today, something even rarer had appeared.
"The Mink Tribe? Incredible! A real Mink!" a noble gasped. "I heard Saint Charles Martin himself came for this one. That means we stand no chance."
The crowd buzzed as a young koala mink girl was dragged onto the stage, collars clamped around her neck and wrists. The explosive shackles sparked faintly, meant to keep slaves obedient. But for a mink—whose kind wielded electricity by nature—such shocks were hardly enough to break her spirit.
She struggled fiercely, eyes wide with terror as laughter echoed around her.
"I'll take her. One hundred million berries!"
The hall fell silent. Saint Charles Martin, seated in luxury, raised his hand casually.
Gasps rippled through the nobles. Normally, minks fetched anywhere from one to ten million berries. Even mermaids, the most coveted, rarely exceeded that price. Yet the Celestial Dragon had tossed out a hundred million as if it were pocket change.
For the Dragons, money was nothing more than scraps of paper.
"Any other bidders? Going once! Going twice! Three times—sold!" The auctioneer's voice cracked with excitement. They had bought this slave for three million. Now they would reap a fortune.
"I'll bid ten… ten berries," a voice suddenly cut through the hall. "Ten berries to buy this Celestial Dragon's life."
The auction froze. Silence smothered the room.
"You filthy dog!" Saint Martin roared, his face red with fury. "Guards! Take him down! I'll kill him myself!"
From the crowd stepped Ibadombo, tattoos twisting across his bald head and face. Seeing the fear in the nobles' eyes, his chest swelled with pride. Reporters' cameras clicked madly, capturing his defiance.
"Just a pig squealing," he sneered. "Remember my name—today I'll be the next pirate to slay a Celestial Dragon, like Brook and Redfield before me!"
Chaos erupted. Screams rang out as people stampeded for the exits. Auction guards and the Celestial Dragon's escorts drew steel, charging Ibadombo.
"Hahaha! Then let's slaughter them all!"
His fists turned obsidian with Armament Haki, and he crashed forward. His elite crew followed, blades flashing.
CP agents surged in with their Navy Six Styles techniques, but they lacked Haki. Ibadombo crushed them with raw power, sending them flying into the walls.
Outside, the Celestial Dragon's steward fumbled with a Den Den Mushi, shrieking at Marineford. "His Highness has been attacked! Send an Admiral immediately!"
Though irritated at the butler's imperious tone, Fleet Admiral Kukulkan still ordered Kong to respond. Another Celestial Dragon death could not be allowed.
Meanwhile, Saint Martin, red-faced and sweating, pulled a golden pistol from his robes. His butler dragged him toward the exit, but the Celestial Dragon fired wildly over his shoulder.
Bullets tore through guards and even clipped one of his CP agents. Only an Iron Body technique kept the man alive. None dared complain. Even if killed by their master's stray fire, it was their duty to die silently.
At last, the steward managed to drag his master outside, leaving Ibadombo battling a sea of corpses behind.
---
Backstage, the Auction House
Darkness rippled and formed into a woman with jet-black hair. The freed mink girl froze, eyes wide at this new human intruder.
"Well, well," Shakky said lightly. "A real mink. So, does Zou Island truly ride atop a giant elephant? Over thirty thousand meters tall, if the rumors are true?"
The mink flinched, trembling with fury.
"You know of Zou? Of the Elephant Lord?" she hissed, voice wary. Hatred and fear filled her eyes. She wanted only to return home, far from human hands.
"Interesting…" Shakky mused. "So Brook was right. Then tell me—would you ever return?"
The girl's eyes hardened. "Despicable human. I'll never betray Zou or the Elephant Lord. Even if I die here, I'll tell you nothing!"
She lashed out, small fists flying, desperate to keep her homeland's secrets safe.
Shakky caught the punch effortlessly. Her fingers tightened, Haki flaring. "Careful. That collar of yours will explode soon."
The mink's bravado cracked. "No… I can't die yet. I have to go back. I need to see my mother again!" Tears streamed down her face. She had only slipped from Zou for a short adventure, only to be captured within days.
With a sharp crack, Shakky's hand—coated in flowing Armament Haki—shattered the explosive collar to pieces. Sparks fizzled harmlessly on the floor.
"I just saved your life," Shakky said flatly. "From now on, you're mine. If you want to die, you'll need my permission." She lifted the trembling girl with one arm.
"The minks will never be slaves! I won't submit to you!" the girl cried, voice breaking.
"Quiet."
Shakky smacked her lightly on the head, making her crouch and sob again.
"You're spoils of war. No room for negotiation. Follow me, or I'll boil water and pluck your fur strand by strand." Her eyes glinted dangerously. "Now move. I don't have time to waste—the Navy will be here soon."
<><><><><><>
Read Advanced Chapters on:
~ [email protected]/FanficLord03
~ Every 100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter!
~ Push the story in the rankings using your
[Power Stones]
~ https://discord.gg/MntqcdpRZ9