The Ten Kings Island sea.
Brelco, former first mate of the Edward Pirates, hitched a ride on Orion's ship, powered by the Wind-Wind Fruit. Their two pirate vessels sliced through the waves, racing toward the Hell Pirates' territory in the Bristol Sea to track down their young master, Shirokiri.
Their secondary mission: nab Angelie before Brook and his crew could intercept Shirokiri. With Orion's wind-manipulating powers, escape was a sure bet if things went wrong.
To Brelco, this job seemed like a cakewalk—no real danger. But Orion had other thoughts. Vesper, their boss, had given clear orders: if Brook's crew showed up at the worst possible moment, Brelco was to be the sacrificial pawn. Whether as a peace offering to Angelie or a decoy to cover their retreat, Orion's priority was ensuring his and Shirokiri's safety.
Orion got the message loud and clear. Ideally, he'd bring back both Shirokiri and Angelie. But if Brook's crew appeared, he'd ditch Brelco as the fall guy and bolt with Shirokiri.
...
Meanwhile, Brook's crew had set sail from Dressrosa some time ago. After a call from Angelie on the Den Den Mushi, they locked in their course.
Silva, the sharpshooter, activated his Eagle Eye ability. Glancing at a map, he focused in one direction, his gaze stretching like a bird soaring across the sea, scanning the horizon with uncanny precision.
"Shiki, you heard Angelie's call for help. Roger's already clashing with Shirokiri in an all-out brawl. We've gotta move fast! You're stuck steering Ohara-Golden Island, so maybe sit this one out. Me, Redfield, and the others will take the Golden Ark to back them up!"
Brook's words left Golden Lion Shiki torn. His Float-Float Fruit powers were keeping the massive island aloft, but missing out on a fight? That was a kick in the teeth for a guy like him.
"Brook, how about we let the island float here for now? We can haul it back after the fight!"
Shiki was itching to join the fray. His plan was to challenge Shirokiri one-on-one to boost his bounty. Hearing that Roger was already throwing down with Shirokiri made his blood boil—he had to get in on this! Otherwise, Roger's bounty might skyrocket past his own, just like Newgate's did back in the day.
Shiki's mind raced. He'd barely climbed from a 440-million-Belly supernova to 500 million after countless run-ins with Rocks, who'd crushed his crew. Then Newgate ties with Jevalle, a 600-million-Belly pirate, and his bounty shoots to 500 million overnight. Total bullshit!
Now, Shiki was paranoid Roger's bounty would eclipse his.
I was supposed to be the one fighting Shirokiri!
he fumed.
How'd Roger steal my spotlight? This ain't fair! The heavens are screwing me over! I won't let Roger's bounty outshine mine!
"Shiki, I get you wanna throw down with Shirokiri, but we can't just ditch Ohara-Golden Island. It's our stronghold!"
Brook was exasperated. Abandoning their base for a brawl? That was a tough sell.
"Gurarara! Brook, Captain, let Shiki go. I'll hold down Ohara-Golden Island!" Whitebeard Newgate chimed in, seeing Shiki's tortured expression. "Shiki, just float the island a bit higher. And don't you dare die out there, or I'll be the one crashing from the sky half-dead with this hunk of rock!"
Newgate, content with his current bounty, didn't share Shiki's obsession with climbing the ranks. As a man who valued family and crew above all, he volunteered to guard their floating fortress.
"Newgate! I was wrong to ever mock you. You're the real deal, man!"
Shiki gazed at Newgate, genuinely touched. Scarlet was right—his charisma could rally even Conqueror's Haki wielders to his side!
"Gurarara!"
Newgate roared with laughter. Shiki, like Shakky, was usually a master at throwing shade and giving him lip. Today, Newgate finally got the upper hand.
Shiki wasn't about to let Newgate have the last word. His heartfelt gratitude flipped to banter in a heartbeat.
"Gurarara! Don't care, Shiki. Call me 'Newgate-san' today, or you're staying put and hauling this island to Skypiea!"
Newgate leaned into his rare chance to mess with Shiki, knowing how badly he wanted to fight Shirokiri.
Shiki glared at Newgate's smug face. He glanced at Brook and Redfield, who looked ready to leave without him.
"Fine, you bastard! But just for today! Newgate-san, happy now? Let's move, Brook!"
Red-faced and fuming, Shiki zoomed onto the Golden Ark, ignoring Newgate's booming laughter. He infused the ship with his Float-Float powers, combining them with its lightning propulsion and Wind Shells for maximum speed.
...
Newgate stayed behind, guarding the stationary Ohara-Golden Island. Shipwright Tom and Vegapunk remained too, along with the Qilin Lion as an emergency escape mount.
Every non-flying crew member was now equipped with Wind Shoes—even Vegapunk. The samurai squad and Seastone gunners were gradually outfitted too. Thanks to Brook's support, Skypiea's economy thrived, mass-breeding Sky Shells for food and resources, paving the way for prosperity.
Kaido and Tiger, the rookie crew members, insisted on joining the fight, so Brook brought them along to witness the brutal reality of New World piracy.
Shiki even roped Charlotte Linlin into helping, asking her to lend Zeus the Thundercloud and Prometheus the Sun to supercharge the Golden Ark's speed. Redfield, already tasked by Shiki, cranked the ship's electric propulsion to full blast. Shiki was as frantic as a man whose wife was in labor!
Meanwhile, Brook, Shakky, Stussy, and Linlin kicked back, playing a round of poker with massive gold-plated cards—sized like door panels to accommodate Linlin's giant hands. For these powerhouses and ability users, hefting the oversized deck was child's play.
Poor Kaido and Tiger, the rookie duo, were stuck shuffling, stacking, and dealing the cards. Brook called it "physical training for the people's service!"
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+280 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg