After gathering information from various sources, Brook and his crew finally uncovered some clues about a Sky Island in the New World. Near the waters of Elan Island, the clouds occasionally revealed massive humanoid shadows.
Many pirates and locals dismissed these as mere mirages, believing that no race of such towering stature could possibly exist.
But Brook knew better. These could very well be the giant shadows cast by the Sky Island's inhabitants—just like those seen near Jaya Island in the Grand Line. In the past, such sightings had terrified passing pirate and merchant ships alike.
Even in the original story, Luffy and his fearless crew had frantically rowed away, convinced that the enormous figures would crush them, ship and all, in an instant.
"Yohohoho~! Now this is the kind of adventure I live for!"
Brook lounged in a beach chair, sunglasses perched on his skull as he basked in the sun. With the News Coo no longer tailing him and the Rocks remnants too preoccupied to give chase, the Hell Pirates had a rare moment of respite. The three so-called False Overlords were too busy fortifying their territories against actual Overlords, and even the Admirals of the New World were under Antonio's watchful eye. Meanwhile, journalists from the Economic News Agency were flooding the New World, slowly monopolizing the region's news and intelligence networks.
With so many threats momentarily neutralized, even Brook found himself getting complacent. If not for the rapid growth of his top combatants, he might have considered taking a break himself.
"Captain Brook! Bad news! Elan Island was once under the Rocks Pirates' control, but after the World Dark News Incident, the stationed captain was killed in battle. Now, one of the three new Overlords, Teach Edward, has taken over!"
Antonio had pieced this together from news reports, underground intel from Mortomas, and intercepted communications, giving Brook a rough idea of the island's current power structure.
"So, a clash with the New World's major players is inevitable after all."
In the New World, nearly every island was claimed by some faction. Taking territory meant preparing for a battle against powerful forces.
The suspected Sky Island loomed thousands of meters above Elan Island—similar to how Jaya sat below the Sky Island in the Grand Line. Controlling this island was a necessity. Without it, travel between the surface and the sky would be both troublesome and dangerous.
Brook also intended to establish a foothold for the Economic News Agency on the Sky Island. Perhaps even a base on Elan Island itself. But without control over the island, operating freely would be nearly impossible.
Teach Edward had already been notorious before the World Dark News Incident, with a bounty of 1.15 billion Belly. Afterward, the World Government escalated it to 1.5 billion, solidifying his place as one of the six Overlords of the New World.
Though he wasn't as formidable as Rocks or Vesper, he still far outclassed the Hell Pirates at this stage. However, Brook's crew held a distinct advantage:
Unlike the False Overlords, whose crews revolved around a single powerhouse, the Hell Pirates boasted a well-rounded hierarchy of skilled fighters. The False Overlords operated under a "spearhead" model—where the captain alone carried the crew—while true Overlord crews followed a pyramid structure, packed with high-caliber warriors at every level.
This was a consequence of years of suppression. The False Overlords had spent too long without stable territories, unable to recruit strong subordinates. Their veteran fighters were gradually lost in battles against the true Overlords, with no way to replenish their ranks.
As a result, their captains were indeed powerful—stronger than the top officers of the true Overlords—but their crews were severely lacking. The best comparison would be Kid and Law, both worth over 3 billion, yet with hardly any noteworthy subordinates. Kid had only Killer, who had been forcibly fed a defective SMILE fruit, and Law's strongest crew member was merely Bepo.
...
Brook glanced at his own crew. Redfield, Edward Newgate, Charlotte Linlin—each with the potential to become Overlords in their own right. Even Silva had the makings of the world's greatest sniper.
"If that's the case, we'll first explore Elan Island to confirm the existence of a Sky Island. If it's there, we take it. Then, we'll deal with the island below at our own pace."
Brook wasn't about to rush into war with Teach Edward without reason. If there was no Sky Island, then seizing Elan Island would be pointless. There was no need to make unnecessary enemies.
"Understood, Captain Brook~!"
With Tom and Redfield at the helm, the Golden Ark ascended steadily as it entered the waters surrounding Elan Island, aiming straight for the sky in search of the legendary New World Sky Island.
...
Meanwhile, on Elan Island, a young girl with short golden hair stood watching the sky. Days had passed, yet her target had not appeared.
"Is the Hell Pirates' intelligence network really this incompetent? It's taking them this long to find this place?"
Her cold, arrogant voice carried a tone of disdain.
At first, Shirokiri had considered infiltrating the island himself, but with the New World's sudden upheaval, every major crew was on high alert. If an Admiral like him made a move, he would likely trigger a multi-front assault from several Overlord crews.
Even he might not survive such an ordeal.
For now, the safest strategy was to insert CP agents into the Hell Pirates and bide their time—until the opportunity arose to wipe them out in one fell swoop.
The golden-haired girl had already made a name for herself among the island's pirates. Strong, elusive, and dangerously cunning, she had even caught the attention of Captain Goth, the island's current ruler.
Goth had tried to recruit her multiple times, only for his men to be swiftly cut down. After she slaughtered over a dozen of his subordinates, he grew enraged and ordered a full-scale manhunt across the island for the "insolent, ungrateful wench."
The girl, however, had no trouble evading capture. She simply waited for her real target to arrive, carefully crafting the perfect persona—a beautiful, mysterious new pirate, down on her luck and in need of allies.
A role she played flawlessly, setting the stage for what was to come.
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+122 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg