Brook gave Moore Thomas a firm hug before letting go. This guy was seriously capable. With just a little secret help, he'd managed to set up channels with both the Marines and pirates, forming cooperative relationships with both sides.
Now, he had successfully become an underground tycoon, pulling strings on both sides of the law! His influence was even stronger than the Peace Dove News Agency under the World Government!
"In a few years, once we crush the Peace Dove News Agency, I'll become the true underground emperor of the intelligence world—monopolizing everything!"
But for now, he still needed Brook's strength. Without that, defeating the World Government-backed Peace Dove News Agency using only the Economic News Agency would take decades.
"The Economic News Agency has helped us a lot. We'll rise to the top together!"
Brook valued Moore Thomas highly. He was a key piece in his power map and absolutely essential. Brook even picked up Morgans—his adopted son.
This little guy had been sharp since he was a kid. He already looked like a sneaky little profiteer, but he was smart and quick to learn. A real promising seedling!
Following Brook's orders, Golden Lion Shiki floated the Golden Island up to the palace above the giant vines. Brook planned to place the Golden Bell on the Golden Island and melt a huge amount of gold into it, turning it into a veritable treasure trove. He couldn't help but wonder how many greedy pirates would be lured by it in the future.
Golden Lion Shiki, Whitebeard (Newgate), and Big Mom (Linlin) were visiting the Grand Line's Sky Island for the first time. It was far more developed than the ones in the New World, especially since half of this island had risen up from Jaya, meaning it had real soil and rich plant life.
At Brook's suggestion, Linlin excitedly used the island clouds here to recreate a floating Homie cloud she named Hera. Unlike the thundercloud Zeus, Hera didn't wield lightning—it only had the ability to float and carry people.
Brook named it Somersault Cloud Hera, and it became his second mount. His first mount, the Kirin Lion, was often borrowed by Shakky to show off. It was flashy and golden, perfect for her luxurious vibe.
Later, Linlin even invested her savings to transform the battleship Erebus into a Homie that could fly on its own. Tom, the shipwright, even joked that he was out of a job as helmsman. Linlin now clamored to join Brook on soul and lifespan harvesting missions!
"Thomas, you planning to stay here in the Grand Line's Sky Island or come with us to the New World Sky Island?"
Brook gave him the option. The Grand Line's Sky Island was more prosperous, but the New World was where the real monsters played.
The top-tier pirate crews, underground powers, and elite factions were all concentrated in the New World. Apart from the World Government and Marines, that's where the real power was.
"Haha! Brother Brook, I'm definitely heading to the New World! That was my plan from the start. Now that the Dark News has fallen, I have to be there in person to dominate the intel game!"
Ambition sparked in Moore Thomas' eyes. He'd clearly made up his mind. Even if Brook didn't return, he was ready to head out on his own.
"Good. I'm heading to West Blue next. Want to come with us? Or wait for us and head to the New World together later?"
"Brother Brook, we can't reveal our partnership just yet. We need to learn from what happened to the Dark News. If the World Government or any New World kingpin finds out about us, our plan's finished."
According to Moore's plan, he would stay on Sky Island to make preparations while Brook traveled to West Blue. Once Brook returned, they would take Golden Island together back to the New World.
Afterward, Brook brought his new crewmates down to Jaya to meet Laboon, the island whale. He planned to take Laboon to Doragonzo Island after the West Blue trip, where it would grow into a guardian beast of the island.
Laboon was only two years old but already over 20 meters long. A year ago, it had only been 6 or 7 meters. In another twenty years, it'd grow to a whopping 400 meters.
In the original story, 28 years before Luffy set sail again, Roger had already invited Crocus aboard, and Laboon had reached full size—about 400 meters.
So, Laboon was growing around 10 meters per year on average. With the Golden Island now in their possession, a 20-meter Laboon could still be accommodated.
"Brother Brook, is this your only partner left from the Rumbar Pirates?"
Golden Lion Shiki sighed. He himself had only escaped with one officer, Scaredo, while the rest of his crew were all deadbeats.
Brook looked at Laboon, surprised at how fast it had grown. Yep, definitely a real island whale!
"Yeah, Laboon is one of us—my partner to the end! Laboon, hang in there a bit longer. I'll take you to the New World soon, so behave yourself!"
At the harbor specially built for Laboon, Brook stroked the gentle, innocent whale and shouted affectionately. Laboon responded joyfully, slapping the sea with its fin.
Brook then introduced all his new crewmates to Laboon. Tom and Fisher Tiger dove into the water to greet Laboon directly.
"Brother Brook, once Laboon grows to several hundred meters, it'll be a beast of a companion!"
Newgate admired the sincere bond between Brook and Laboon. It was worth more than gold.
"Of course! Laboon's gotta find me a Lantern Fish one day too—it's tied to the fate of all of us!"
Brook wasn't going to wait until the plot brought around that little girl Olga and her Pure Gold Ring. He was taking matters into his own hands.
After conquering Fishman Island, Brook planned to task both Laboon and the island's people with tracking down the Lantern Fish. That Pure Gold was essential—he wasn't going to sit back and let his crew age and die one by one.
After spending half a day with Laboon, Brook and his crew returned to Sky Island to prep for tomorrow's voyage. They transferred a huge stash of permanent log poses that Moore Thomas had collected onto the golden airship—ones Brook and his crew didn't have yet.
Thanks to the combined forces of the Economic News Agency and the Umi Family, the Hell Pirates' world map was growing more complete. They were collecting log poses to an incredible number of islands.
As long as the Umi Family's transport ships or the seagull news birds reached an island—even an uninhabited one—someone would be there to record a log pose.
With Sky Island's deep financial resources, this time-consuming, costly job still had tons of hands working it. In a way, it was a global, paid exploration effort.
Following Shakky's advice, Brook chose the next destination—Little Garden. Two captains from the Giant Warrior Pirates, Dorry and Brogy, lived there. They'd make excellent prey…
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Inside the Admiral's Office
Fleet Admiral Kukulkan sat behind his desk, his face expressionless but clearly darkened with concern. Admiral Kong—one of their strongest—had been injured at the hands of the Hell Pirates. Even he had taken a hit. That wasn't good.
Kukulkan had underestimated them. He once believed that after killing a Celestial Dragon and hiding in the New World, the Hell Pirates would stay tucked away for life, never daring to reappear in the first half of the Grand Line.
But within just a couple of years, they had grown into a pseudo-Overlord-level pirate crew. Through their bounty increases alone, they'd stepped into the tier of overlord-like threats. And now, they dared to return to the Grand Line—and even changed the location of Karakuri Island in the Future Kingdom.
They had a purpose, no doubt about it.
Not only that—they interfered in the war between allied nations, wiped Iron Shield Island of the Valoran Kingdom off the map, and escaped Admiral Kong's grasp, injuring him in the process. Even the newly promoted Rear Admiral Sengoku was defeated.
"Fleet Admiral, Brook's Devil Fruit is bizarre—its abilities bypass physical defenses and directly strike the soul," Admiral Kong groaned, gripping his arm. "Even with Armament Haki, I couldn't block it. His strongest move… it's as if my spirit itself was cut. I've been in constant agony ever since."
He clenched his teeth. "If my recovery continues at this pace, I'll need at least a week. Until then, I'm only at 70 to 80 percent battle capacity. Please—unless it's another admiral, don't send anyone else to deal with Brook!"
Kong's warning wasn't exaggerated. A Admiral like him had been crippled in one move. Any lower-ranking officer wouldn't last even that long. This kind of soul-based technique was rare on the seas—even for a seasoned veteran like Kong, it was the first time facing such a power.
Kukulkan leaned back, eyes narrowing. "They've grown… too fast. My previous strategy probably won't work. Even sending an admiral isn't enough now. What the hell are they planning, coming back to the Grand Line?"
Chief of Staff Weimark stepped forward, holding a thick file. "Based on intelligence from Count Iron Shield of Valoran Kingdom, Brook seems to be looking for a man named Kaido. According to the Vodka Kingdom, Kaido is a descendant of a rare race—the Oni. We believe the Hell Pirates returned to recruit him. He's likely already aboard their floating base—Golden Island."
He flipped the page. "Brook seems to have a knack for finding powerful individuals. He's built an entire squad of crew members who wield Conqueror's Haki. Four of them, at least. That's unprecedented!"
"In the past," Weimark continued, "if a pirate crew had even two Conqueror's Haki users, it would already be considered top-tier. But Brook? Four. Maybe five. This is beyond anything we've seen."
"If this continues, they may even surpass Rocks…" Kukulkan muttered, scanning the files again. "The Celestial Dragons' mission... might already be a failure. With Golden Lion Shiki and so many top-tier fighters in his ranks, how do we kill Brook?"
He rubbed his temples. "Even if we sent all three admirals at once, they'd probably just escape. We've tried sending spies… and they ended up joining them!"
Weimark nodded grimly. "What else can we do? Their crew is airtight. Their growth curve is insane. Delay any longer, and they'll be unstoppable."
"Mobilize every intelligence agent we've got across the Grand Line," Kukulkan ordered. "Find out where the Hell Pirates are heading. If they recruit more with Conqueror's Haki, it's over. No one will be able to stop them."
Admiral Kong sighed heavily. "Our warships aren't fast enough to catch Golden Island. And even if we find them, we can't guarantee a win."
"All we can do now is reinforce the Grand Line," Kukulkan muttered. "Warn all allied nations that a dominant pirate force has returned—and they should be on full alert. Not that their military strength will stop Brook…"
He issued orders recalling Admiral Coss Davo from the New World. All three admirals were to regroup in the Grand Line, ready to respond to any major threat. After all, Marineford, the Holy Land of Mariejois, and Sabaody Archipelago all required top-tier protection. If the Hell Pirates targeted the Celestial Dragons again, they needed to be ready.
Kukulkan recalled something else from Kong's report—Brook had openly declared his hatred for the Celestial Dragons, swearing to eliminate them if they crossed paths again.
That alone was enough to raise a red flag.
He sent an urgent report to the Five Elders of the World Government, urging them to restrain the Celestial Dragons. If they encountered Brook in the Grand Line, even admirals might not arrive in time to protect them.
The Navy quickly leaked word of the Hell Pirates' return via the Peace Dove News Agency, placing the blame for the destruction of Iron Shield Island entirely on the pirates.
But Moore Thomas' Economic News Agency wasn't as cooperative this time. They reported the news fairly—highlighting the fierce clash between the Navy and Hell Pirates and even included several photos of the battle.
One shot, in particular, stood out: a close-up of Admiral Kong writhing in pain. The image circulated fast and prompted immediate panic within Marine HQ. They rushed to the news agency, offering a generous "modification fee."
Wanting to maintain good relations (and earn extra cash), the Economic News Agency printed a second edition that afternoon—this one more flattering to the Navy. They included majestic shots of Admiral Kong pushing back Red Count Redfield and injuring Golden Lion Shiki. They even fabricated a story about how the Navy had "defended" Iron Shield Island from the Hell Pirates.
It salvaged some of the Navy's reputation, at least temporarily.
Meanwhile, the Golden Island under Brook's command had already taken flight from Sky Island, heading toward the prehistoric Little Garden. They passed through the Kingdom of Alabasta, Nanimones Island, and Drum Island before arriving at the ancient island filled with dinosaurs and other beasts long thought extinct.
Brook eyed the creatures with great interest. With his sights set on creating artificial Zoan-type Devil Fruits in the future, this island was a goldmine of biological data. Bloodline factors, genes, blood samples—everything was here.
"Ancient species are way better than regular animals," Brook muttered, recalling the half-baked Beast Pirates and their pathetic gifters. "No way I'm ending up like that mess."
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