For days, the Conqueror's Haki wielders had been sparring, honing their mastery of Conqueror's Haki Coiling, each clash pushing their skills further. Roger, meanwhile, kept itching to leave Elan Island, eager to chase down more Poneglyphs and continue his grand adventure.
Brook stalled for a few days before finally handing over a translated copy of the Poneglyph to Roger, letting his crew depart. The Roger Pirates were too wild to tame, but making allies with them was no loss. Besides, Brook had a cunning plan: use Roger, the so-called Child of Destiny, to counter Rocks. It didn't break his alliance with Rocks—technically.
To spice things up, he'd drag another era-defining figure into the mix: Monkey D. Garp. Let those three D Clan hotshots tangle with each other!
Fate sure had a twisted sense of humor. The D Clan members—scattered across rival factions—seemed clueless about the "will" they supposedly inherited. United? Hardly. They were too busy brawling among themselves!
The World Government and Imu hadn't even made a move yet, but Roger and Garp had already taken down Rocks. Then Roger, struck with a terminal illness, practically handed himself to Garp. What a mess! The D Clan was a bunch of loose cannons—insanely talented but allergic to teamwork, clashing like their stars were misaligned.
Rocks, Teach—ambitious schemers like them always got crushed by protagonists like Roger or Luffy. Only Dragon played it smart, quietly building his Revolutionary Army in the shadows.
As the Roger Pirates sailed off, Brook mulled over his next move. He rallied Redfield and the crew for a big operation: wipe out the remnants of the Vesper Pirates once and for all. Those pests were like a stubborn rash—annoying and hard to shake.
Brook released Amber and Depo, the mother-son duo, as bait to lure Shirokiri and his crew into Hell Pirates' territory.
...
Word on the seas was that Rocks had reached the frontlines of the New World, eyeing some big targets. Navy Headquarters responded by deploying Admiral Aokiba to the New World, joining Admiral Devo to lock down the Navy's branches there.
Kong, the World Government's loyal bulldog, was handpicked by the Five Elders to hold down Marineford and keep an eye on the Celestial Dragons in the Sabaody Archipelago.
The Navy, tasked with hunting pirates and protecting allied nations, had pulled back their forces. Rocks' dominance was too much, forcing them to hunker down along the defensive lines of allied countries, too wary to venture deeper.
Only one reckless Marine dove headfirst into the no-man's-land between the overlords' territories and the allied nations—a chaotic buffer zone where Supernovas and big-name pirates hid, biding their time for a shot at glory.
"Garp, you damn mad dog! Why're you hounding us?!"
Chinjao seething with rage, was on the run. Chased out of Rocks' territory and crushed by Shiki's air fleet in Brook's domain, his Happo Navy was in tatters.
Barely back in the New World's frontlines, he found himself hunted by this relentless mad Vice Admiral. His pirate ship couldn't match the Navy's top-tier warships—outranged by their cannons, outpaced in speed, and outmatched in a straight fight against Garp. It was pure frustration!
"Haha! I heard that cone head of yours is tough as nails. Let's see if it's harder than my fists!"
Garp was in his prime, a battle-crazed lunatic who lived for a good fight. With the Navy's latest crackdown offering juicy promotions and rewards—plus extra "protection fees" and "gratitude payments" from New World allied nations—he was all in.
"Get lost, you maniac! Keep chasing, and you'll be stepping into Rocks' and Brook's turf. You think the Navy's got the guts for that, you coward?"
Chinjao was done. He didn't want to tangle with Garp anymore. His Happo Navy needed time to rebuild, and fighting the Navy was a losing game—minimal loot, heavy losses, and no territory to claim.
Fighting other pirates at least offered plunder or turf. Navy ships? Just a bunch of broke sailors with some rations and water. Hardly worth the blood.
"Hmph! If it weren't for orders, I'd storm in there and see how tough those overlords really are!"
Garp was at the peak of his growth, itching for a life-or-death brawl with a top-tier pirate. His punches could shatter mountains, and all that energy had nowhere to go!
"You arrogant mutt! If you're too scared to cross the line, don't yap about it!"
Chinjao threw caution to the wind and ordered his crew to sail straight into Brook's territory. Worst case, he'd register with Brook's Pirate Guild. He was tired of being hunted by three major powers.
Maybe hiding in Brook's guild would give him a chance to rebuild. Otherwise, he'd either get strong-armed into joining Rocks, locked up in Impel Down by the Navy, or forced to slink back to the West Blue as a crime boss.
Rumor had it Naguri was beaten into submission, while the Golden Pirate Woonan was thriving in Brook's territory, hunting treasures and gold mines with ease.
Then there was the Roger Pirates, who'd stunned the seas by defeating the former overlord Saracha. Word was Roger sold Saracha to Brook, earning the "Diamond Pirate" title and a VIP seat with the Hell Pirates. They were living large, their bounties skyrocketing.
The Roger Pirates were even dubbed the third overlord crew, though they had no interest in ruling. No territory, just pure adventure—free as the wind!
"Hmph! Today, I'm caving in that cone of yours, or my name's not Garp!"
Spurred by Chinjao's taunts, Garp didn't care anymore. He ordered his fleet to chase, barreling into Hell Pirates' territory.
...
And so, in Brook's domain, a Navy fleet of three warships pursued a pirate fleet of five ships. Cannons roared for half a day, fearless and unrelenting.
By sheer luck, the two groups dodged major trouble. The Hell Pirates' main force was far off, busy mopping up the Vesper Pirates' remnants, too occupied to notice the intruders.
But fate loves a good twist. A ship bearing a nose-hair skull flag appeared—the Roger Pirates, fresh from Elan Island, wandering aimlessly through Brook's turf.
Who'd have thought they'd stumble on a Navy fleet charging deep into enemy territory? Weren't they afraid the Hell Pirates would surround and sink them?
"Roger, you see that dog-head warship? Reminds me of that mad Rear Admiral who chased us down before!"
Rayleigh winced at the memory. That lunatic had thrashed them hard back then. They only escaped after buying Haki training methods on credit.
Now, that debt—two Devil Fruits—had been passed to Brook. The guy didn't even want their money, just the fruits. What a scam!
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+300 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg