Brook watched Redfield fight and couldn't help but feel satisfied. Almeida, the warden of Impel Down, had the strength of an admiral candidate, but Redfield already stood at the level of a full-fledged admiral. In a few years, Brook believed, Redfield would reach the peak of that power—perhaps even surpassing Fleet Admiral Kong himself.
With the vast resources of the Hell Pirates backing him, Redfield had achieved rapid growth. He had mastered the principles of Conqueror's Haki infusion and Ryuo Haki far earlier than anyone else in this era, ensuring his rise to power would come long before its time.
Brook waved his hand, and five newly freed souls—former pirates who had shared Ibadombo's cell—were drawn into his command. They materialized as ghostly generals hovering silently behind him.
"Listen well!" Brook's voice echoed through the dungeon. "Surrender, or become one of my ghosts. The choice is yours."
The eerie green glow from the Seven-Star Demon Sword filled the hall. The imprisoned pirates stared in horror, unsure what manner of Devil Fruit could control the dead so effortlessly.
Some of the powerful ones, those possessing Conqueror's Haki, grit their teeth in defiance. They would never kneel to another—but even they longed for freedom after years in chains.
"Yohoho~ It seems you think you still have a choice," Brook said, stepping toward the innermost cell.
Inside was a single prisoner, his massive frame bound to the wall by iron restraints. The corpses of his cellmates lay scattered at his feet.
"You… you have Conqueror's Haki, don't you?" Brook's hollow eyes glowed faintly. "I felt it the moment I arrived."
The man's sharp gaze locked onto him. He sensed the killing intent radiating from Brook and knew that a single wrong word would end his life.
Brook didn't wait.
"Clang."
The Seven-Star Demon Sword sliced through the bars, and Brook stepped inside. "Apologies, but I don't have time to prepare you mentally."
The man's eyes widened, but before he could speak, the blade plunged into his chest. His body convulsed as his blood was drawn into the sword, and his spirit was ripped free, screaming before being devoured by Brook's ghost gate.
The corpse fell limp, eyes still open in disbelief.
"The infamous Azban… just like that?" a pirate whispered, trembling. "He didn't even try to make him surrender…"
A chill swept through the remaining prisoners as Azban's translucent spirit appeared beside Brook, eyes hollow.
"Captain Brook! I yield! Please, let me out!" another pirate shouted.
Before his voice faded, a flash of ghostly light pierced his heart. He froze mid-scream, turning into a frozen sculpture.
"For those who truly submit, I'll release you without being asked," Brook said calmly, lowering his sword. "But trying to deceive me… isn't wise."
He could feel his strength rise slightly. The soul of a Conqueror was potent nourishment. Yet at his level, growth came slow—he had nearly reached the limits of human potential.
Even the strongest had their peak. To push beyond meant abandoning flesh and exploring deeper into the mysteries of the soul and the Devil Fruit.
"Yohoho~" Brook murmured to himself. "Perhaps the next path is no longer human at all."
Around him, red-eyed prisoners began shouting wildly, pledging their loyalty in twisted fervor. Their crazed voices filled the level, startling those who still resisted.
"This is madness… he's controlling their minds!" one man hissed, backing away. "How is this any different from being imprisoned?"
Brook ignored him. "Those chosen by the Seven-Star Demon Sword will be freed—and their strength awakened. Anyone undecided after five minutes… dies."
His voice carried a chill that made even the toughest pirates tremble. One by one, the cells opened as those who had accepted his rule were released, their eyes now gleaming with ghostly light.
As for the defiant few, Brook spared them—for now. They would serve as blood or shadow offerings for Crocus and Abefor, sustaining the Hell Pirates' growing power.
Above, Shiki's voice echoed through the prison's upper levels. "Brook! Impel Down's ours. The director's down!"
The report matched what Brook had already sensed. Director Manuel, once considered unbeatable, had fallen to Shiki, Whitebeard, and Linlin's combined assault. Even the deadly Sulfuric Acid Fruit had failed to stop them.
Impel Down—the fortress once called the Navy's iron wall—was crumbling.
Outside, the Calm Belt's defenses had been shattered, and communications with Marineford and Enies Lobby had been severed for over half an hour. Panic spread across the government's network.
At Marineford, a fleet was already being dispatched to investigate. But by the time it arrived, it would be far too late.
Back in the prison, Shiki smirked, floating above the battlefield. "Jihahaha~ All right, old man," he called to Newgate. "If I'm doing the heavy lifting, I'm picking my subordinates first. Don't you dare steal my recruits!"
Newgate laughed heartily. "Fine by me! Once we get this fortress to the New World, we'll split the prisoners evenly. You can take your pick!"
Charlotte Linlin crossed her arms and snorted, still fuming from the earlier battle, while Kaido bellowed in laughter somewhere in the distance.
Shiki nodded, satisfied. "Then it's settled."
With that, the Golden Lion began to focus his power, lifting the entire Impel Down fortress into the sky. Below, Whitebeard and Linlin descended into the lower levels to assist Brook in clearing the final floors.
Only the sixth level—the Infinite Hell—remained under resistance. But even that would soon fall.
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Brook gathered the prisoners who had awakened Conqueror's Haki into one massive cell, preparing to share a meal with his crew. The air was thick with tension—none of them had eaten in days, and the scent of blood and burnt ozone still lingered from Redfield's lightning strikes.
Charlotte Linlin, unable to steal their souls or lifespans through fear, stood aside in frustration. This feast would be one she could not join.
"Yohoho~ Are you really that stubborn?" Brook asked, his hollow voice echoing off the walls. "Not one of you is willing to join my Hell Pirates?"
He looked at the three defiant men before him, each of them a wielder of Conqueror's Haki. Pity flashed in his eyes, but only for a moment. He wasn't the type to tolerate rebellion.
Brook remembered how Kaido once spared Kidd and Luffy, both conquerors, only for them to rise up and defeat him. He wouldn't repeat that mistake.
"If you refuse to bow," Brook said, his grin widening, "then you die. I don't have time for moral speeches."
He had no shortage of conquerors among his ranks already—Shiki the Golden Lion, Chinjao, and several others who had awakened their Haki without his help. These three were nothing special. They overestimated their value, imagining Brook would waste effort taming them.
But to Brook, their pride was simply a choice between two outcomes: surrender or death.
Meanwhile, Almeida, the warden, was faltering in his duel with Redfield. The thunderclaps in the prison echoed like drums of war, and the flash of lightning illuminated his exhausted face. His rhythm was broken; he could barely hold his sword.
Moments later, a blinding strike cut across the room. Almeida fell to the ground, smoke rising from his charred body.
"I… am a sinner," he gasped weakly. "I failed the World Government… failed Director Manuel's orders… So many innocents will die because we couldn't hold the line…"
His voice faded as he lost consciousness.
Brook stood over him silently. "Don't worry. My Hell Pirates don't massacre civilians without reason," he said softly. "You fought well. For that, you have my respect."
"Captain Brook!" Ibadombo's voice echoed from behind, his eyes bloodshot and his stomach growling. "We should break out and find some food! Everyone's starving!"
Brook chuckled. "Then Redfield, take your squad and seize the food storage on the fourth floor."
"Yes, Captain." Redfield nodded sharply, turning to lead a group of newly freed pirates upward. Their goal was simple—wipe out the remaining guards and secure the fortress completely.
Brook remained on the sixth level, his focus shifting back to the remaining conquerors who still refused to kneel. He wasn't concerned about the upper levels anymore. His mind was on something deeper—something hidden.
Closing his eyes, he stretched his spiritual senses through the prison. "No trace of a seventh level…" he murmured. "But the 5.5th floor exists."
He recalled the one who had created it—Morley, the giant who possessed the Push-Push Fruit. "He's already escaped, hasn't he?" Brook muttered. "As for Ivankov, that little demon king is still a child. The 5.5th floor hasn't become the Newkama paradise yet."
A small smile crossed his face. "Still, Morley might be worth finding. He's strong enough to be a commander in the Revolutionary Army—and that Devil Fruit of his… could be useful."
The thought of Morley tunneling through the Red Line and sneaking into Mary Geoise amused him. "A man who can dig through the Red Line itself… that's an ability I could use."
By now, Morley should be 113 years old—an adult giant who had escaped Impel Down decades before. The first true prison breaker, long before Shiki the Golden Lion's escape.
Brook's thoughts drifted. "San Juan Wolf… he's still young too. Fifty-two this year. Once he's grown, his size alone could shake the seas."
He chuckled to himself. "And little Oars… the one who called Whitebeard 'Dad.' I still can't tell if that was touching or just ridiculous. Only kids on Earth do that to people their own age."
Outside, the Hell Pirates were tightening their hold over the fortress. Redfield's lightning illuminated the lower decks as pirates overran the remaining guards.
But far away, in the Calm Belt, a different storm was brewing.
The reconnaissance ships from Marine Headquarters and Enies Lobby had already entered the still waters near Impel Down. The Calm Belt was once a natural barrier, but the World Government had long since mastered its crossing.
Even before Vegapunk's seastone technology, they'd developed ways to pass safely through Sea King territory. With Impel Down so close to Marineford and Enies Lobby—barely a two-hour voyage—it was easy for reinforcements to arrive quickly.
The fleet that had once escorted Fire Fist Ace from Marineford to Impel Down had made the same trip in a single morning. Now, history was repeating itself.
"Look over there!" a Marine shouted from the deck of the lead ship. "Is that… a floating island?!"
Through the mist, Impel Down rose into the sky like a dark fortress, its walls wrapped in storm clouds and lightning.
"Call for help! Contact Fleet Admiral Kong immediately!" the rear admiral ordered, panic in his voice. "Impel Down is under attack! The Hell Pirates are here—Shiki the Golden Lion must be lifting the entire fortress!"
The Den Den Mushi on the ship screamed with static as desperate calls went out to Marineford.
In his office, Kong slammed his fist on the table, the report still echoing in his ears. "What?! The Hell Pirates are attacking Impel Down?!"
His expression darkened. "So they're the ones who jammed the signal!"
Beside him, Chief of Staff Weimark turned pale. "If Brook takes those prisoners, we'll be finished. The World Government won't be able to suppress him—not even the Rocks Pirates could match that kind of force!"
Kong clenched his jaw. The main fleet was still in the New World. Here at Marineford, only he and Weimark remained as the strongest combatants. "If we go now, we'll just be feeding ourselves to the Hell Pirates."
Weimark's voice trembled. "We never even considered the Calm Belt! Of course they could invade—Brook's fleet can cross it freely! Damn it, we're doomed!"
"Enough!" Kong barked. "Contact the Five Elders—now! If they don't act, Impel Down will fall, and the balance of the world will collapse!"
He snatched up the Den Den Mushi, directly linking to Mary Geoise. "This is Fleet Admiral Kong! The Hell Pirates are seizing Impel Down! We request immediate deployment of the Divine Knights and CP0!"
Across the line, silence reigned for several seconds before the Five Elders answered. Their composed voices faltered for the first time.
Brook's boldness had stunned even them.
"Mobilize every force we have," one of the Elders ordered coldly. "If Brook succeeds, even the New World will be lost. We cannot allow this monster to grow unchecked."
For the first time in centuries, the Five Elders prepared to move personally—summoning the Divine Knights, recalling the New World fleets, and preparing to sacrifice territory and influence just to stop the rise of the Hell Pirates.
The balance of the world was about to change forever.
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I have a new Naruto fanfic out, guys!
The main character is Orochimaru's disciple, and I'll say this upfront: he is also a scientist and just as evil as his teacher.
So for those who don't like evil or morally dark main characters, you might want to skip this one.
The fanfic is titled Naruto: Orochimaru's Disciple.
You can search the title directly, or just click on my profile and you'll find it there.
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