Inside the Tree of Knowledge on Ohara.
A team of historians had finished transcribing Roger's historical text, but it wasn't the location of the ancient weapon Uranus as hoped. Instead, it detailed the destruction of islands tied to the Great Kingdom.
The text described a terrifying event: a monstrous entity arrived, cloaking the sky in dark clouds and lightning. Something fell from above, obliterating an entire island in a cataclysmic explosion, like the end of the world itself!
"Brook-sama, I suspect this text refers to the legendary Uranus," said Clover, his voice heavy. "If the ancient weapon Pluton is a battleship that can sink islands with its cannons, then Uranus must be an airship—something that drops a single, devastating payload to erase an island entirely. It feels even more powerful than Pluton!"
The thought of such a weapon chilled the room. Humanity, it seemed, was capable of creating tools of apocalyptic destruction for their brutal wars.
Brook fell silent, his skeletal frame betraying no expression.
Sounds like a nuclear missile or a strategic bomber, he mused. Could the One Piece world, 800 years ago, have reached such a technological peak?
A nuclear war 800 years back? Did it shatter the Great Kingdom or a continent into the scattered islands of today, even scrambling the planet's magnetic field? Could Devil Fruits themselves be mutations born from such a catastrophe?
"Keep digging into it," Brook instructed. "In a few days, I'll bring the original Poneglyph back for you."
Clutching the translated copy, Brook left the Tree of Knowledge. Charlotte Linlin was engrossed in books about rare species and ancient mythical beasts, scribbling notes with a fervor that suggested she was brainstorming names for something. Not wanting to disturb her, Brook hopped onto his Nimbus Cloud Hera and soared down from the Sky Island. The cold, oxygen-thin heights posed no challenge to a powerhouse like him.
In the original story, Kaido could leap from a Sky Island without a scratch. For Brook, with his cloud-riding tool, it was a breeze. His next goal: find a Target-Target Fruit user to create a man-made Sky Island elevator. For now, air octopuses bred on the Sky Island could ferry people down.
Thanks to Dr. Vegapunk's efforts, the weather science island Weatheria had developed prototype weather ships for Sky Island travel. Soon, they'd be mass-produced, streamlining access.
Brook's territory was stabilizing, ripe for rapid development. With Rocks out of the picture, his only threats were Supernovas, big-name pirates, and the Marines.
...
Elan Island.
The island had grown as prosperous as the future Golden Emperor Gild Tesoro's domain. Golden Lion Shiki had even relocated Vesper's royal palace from Madagascar Island to this hub. All the treasures of the Ten Kings' Islands flowed here, making it the heart of Brook's empire.
Shiki wanted to ditch the clunky name "Elan Island" for something snappier—Saint Island, Hell Island, or Golden Island. Didn't those sound better?
Now dubbed the "Pirate Sanctuary," Elan Island was a paradise for pirates. Countless dreamers yearned to join the Hell Pirates or the Pirate Guild.
Thanks to Mortomas's glowing reports, Brook's territory was hailed as a pirate utopia, while Rocks' domain was painted as a blood-soaked battleground.
Rocks, however, had launched his own propaganda outle in his territory. Backed by his wealth and influence, it held strong despite losing money, building his intelligence network.
...
On Elan Island's training grounds.
Redfield and Roger clashed ferociously, their blades—Redfield's noble sword and Roger's legendary Ace—sparking with each strike. Shockwaves rippled through the air, crimson lightning crackling as their Conqueror's Haki Coiling collided.
"Damn it! How are these bastards so strong?!"
Golden Lion Shiki, Whitebeard Newgate, Rayleigh, and Gaban watched the duel. Shiki had already sparred with Roger earlier, testing their Conqueror's Haki Coiling as Brook had ordered.
Shiki's Coiling was no match for Roger's—beginner versus intermediate. Only Redfield's Coiling could hold its own against Roger, barely keeping pace.
Roger's strength was forged in the crucible of survival. For over half a year, Saracha had hunted his crew relentlessly. Without growing stronger, the Roger Pirates would've been wiped out. That pressure fueled Roger's rapid progress.
Redfield and Shiki, on the other hand, had only faced Vesper's remnants, clashing with Shirokiri and Salem. The stakes were lower, so their growth lagged slightly behind Roger's.
Brook, ever the schemer, kept Roger around as a sparring partner. He even held onto the translated Poneglyph, planning to milk a few more days of training out of Roger and Rayleigh before sharing it.
Shiki, knowing he couldn't best Roger in Coiling, turned to Rayleigh to rebuild his confidence. Newgate planned to take on Roger after Redfield, then Rayleigh, feeling he had a slight edge over the latter.
Brook was pleased with the progress. Hosting the Roger Pirates with fine food and drink was a small price to pay for squeezing every ounce of training value out of them. He'd even spar with Roger himself soon—without a worthy opponent, his own Conqueror's Haki Coiling wouldn't improve.
With Vesper gone and Rocks in a temporary alliance, only a Marine Admiral or someone like Roger could push Brook's limits. Of course, the Hell Pirates sparred internally too, with Brook facing his top fighters—sometimes two-on-one—to force breakthroughs.
A thunderous explosion rang out as Redfield and Roger paused, both grinning, clearly satisfied with the intense bout.
Clap, clap, clap!
"Yohohoho! Impressive! Worthy of the D clan, the natural enemy of gods, destined to shake the era!"
Brook descended on Hera, his Cloud, admiration in his hollow sockets. Roger's knack for mastering Conqueror's Haki Coiling on his own was astounding—a true protagonist's luck. Encounters, secret techniques, being hunted, growing stronger, and turning the tables—it was like Roger was living a hero's saga. Poor Saracha, the so-called pseudo-emperor, was just a stepping stone for Roger's rise.
"Brook!"
"Boss Brook!"
"Captain Brook!"
As Brook appeared, the sparring halted, and his crew rushed to greet him. His Yomi Yomi no Mi had fully awakened, amplifying his presence. The spectral generals—Vesper's overlord soul and Dawei's pseudo-emperor soul—lurked within him, powerful enough to overwhelm most foes.
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+300 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg