One Piece: Hell Pirates

"Charlotte Linlin from the New World is only 16 years old this year, but her bounty has already reached 580 million Berries!"

A voice suddenly cut through the lively atmosphere, immediately pouring cold water on Golden Lion Shiki's enthusiasm.

"Who said that? Which bastard is talking nonsense?! Come out now!"

The crew members of the Flying Pirates looked around viciously, trying to find the source of the voice.

"Forget it. I'm about to enter the New World, and I want to see for myself how strong this Charlotte Linlin really is! Humph~"

Golden Lion Shiki frowned slightly, scanning the crowd before taking a deep puff of his cigar, his expression calm but full of intrigue.

"Captain Golden Lion, are you still recruiting crew members? I want to join you!"

A wandering pirate suddenly spoke up, eager to join the rising supernova pirate crew. Flying under the banner of the Golden Lion meant experiencing true freedom—soaring through the skies and doing whatever they pleased.

"Yes! I'll take them all. I'm going to form a fleet of flying pirates and dominate the world! Hahaha!"

At that moment, Golden Lion Shiki's wild, lion-like hair flowed in all directions, exuding the inviolable majesty of a true king. His aura roared with the ambition and courage of a predator ready to swallow the world whole.

To the Flying Pirates, the Golden Lion was noble, glorious, and brilliant—just like the color gold.

The entire tavern erupted in cheers. Countless pirates pledged their allegiance to the Flying Pirates, while a few crews with bounties of tens of millions chose to leave, unwilling to align themselves with the mighty force taking shape.

"Captain Shiki, don't you love dancing and singing? Avenger Brook is currently on Sabaody Island. His Rumba Pirates have been wiped out, and he's all alone now. It's a perfect opportunity to recruit him!"

"Yeah! He also took down the Poison Smoke Pirates in one move. His bounty has already reached 80 million Berries—he's got real strength."

Several new recruits eagerly suggested potential members, trying to prove their worth to the crew.

"Are you talking about that ' Avenger Brook' who sings 'Bink's Sake'?"

Golden Lion Shiki's eyes lit up. Despite his terrible dancing skills, he loved music and celebrations. And as captain, no one dared question his moves.

"That's right, Captain! Having a musician onboard will make our parties even better! Plus, the guy's got talent!"

A member of the Flying Pirates pushed the idea further. Among the crew, only Shiki had a bounty surpassing 100 million Berries, while the rest hovered around 70 to 80 million. If Brook joined, he'd likely become one of the top three members instantly.

"Alright, if we run into Brook before the ship gets coated, we'll recruit him!"

Currently, Shiki was the only true supernova in the Sabaody Archipelago. The next highest bounty among the other pirates was only around 80 to 90 million Berries, making Brook one of the stronger ones present.

"Captain Shiki, looks like you're in luck! I just saw Brook outside!"

A pirate rushed into the bar, excitedly reporting the sighting to Shiki.

"Hahaha! The heavens favor me today! Now, where's my musician?"

Golden Lion Shiki strode out confidently, his twin swords swaying at his sides. In this era, powerful captains often personally extended invitations to those they deemed worthy—just like how Red-Haired Shanks once recruited Yasopp.

Brook had originally taken Shakky to see the Golden Lion, but before they even reached their destination, Shiki had already stormed out, his eyes shining with excitement as he looked at his future musician.

"Brook! I heard you're quite talented. Wanna be the musician on my ship?"

Golden Lion Shiki's wild mane flowed in the wind as he extended the offer, his enthusiasm catching Brook off guard. The musician had only come to observe the legendary pirate, but now he was personally invited?

"Captain Shiki, I’m sorry, but I’m not planning to enter the New World just yet,"

Brook responded calmly, his expression unchanged despite the pressure.

"Brook, are you scared? After losing the Rumba Pirates, have you lost the courage to keep going?"

A battle captain next to Golden Lion Shiki smirked, his tone carrying a hint of provocation.

He was Bloody Fist Scaredo, the intelligence officer and second-in-command of the Flying Pirates. With a bounty of 92 million Berries, he was just shy of being another supernova himself.

"Brook, with me as your captain, you’ll never be defeated again. Join my crew!"

Golden Lion Shiki studied Brook carefully, trying to gauge whether this guy had truly lost his fighting spirit. Yet, he still extended the invitation once more.

"Have you awakened Conqueror’s Haki? Do you know Armament Haki?"

Brook ignored Scaredo’s taunt and instead threw the question directly at Shiki.

"Haki? I think I’ve heard a little about it."

Golden Lion Shiki frowned, clearly unfamiliar with the concept.

Brook was stunned. A supernova with a 444 million Berries bounty had only heard of Haki? That likely meant he hadn’t even learned it yet.

It was a testament to the World Government’s tight control over information. Outside of noble families and major forces, very few in the Four Seas or even the Grand Line knew about Haki. Most pirates who gained Devil Fruit abilities set sail without ever learning about it. Only in the New World—through battles and sheer survival—did they finally discover it.

"Armament Haki is the standard for the strong in the New World. It allows you to directly attack Logia-type Devil Fruit users and defend against many Paramecia-type abilities. There’s also Observation Haki, which lets you predict enemy movements,"

Brook explained briefly.

In truth, Armament Haki could counter many Devil Fruit abilities, but only if the user’s Haki was stronger than the opponent’s Devil Fruit mastery. If not, a well-developed fruit power could still overpower weak Haki users. The balance between Haki and Devil Fruits was a constant clash—whoever had the stronger force would dominate.

"Are you saying that without Haki, I can't be strong in the New World?"

Golden Lion Shiki took a deep puff of his cigar, flicking the ash off his fingers with a smirk. He had absolute confidence in his Floating-Floating Fruit and swordsmanship.

"That’s the reality. That’s why I won’t be heading to the New World just yet,"

Brook stated honestly.

"Even if Haki is important, how can you grow stronger without real battles? What’s the point of staying in the Grand Line? Come with us, Brook! In the New World, we’ll find ways to train in Haki—then we’ll all have it! Hahaha!"

Golden Lion Shiki laughed wildly, once again extending the invitation to Brook, a seasoned veteran with valuable experience.

----

Outside a bar in the lawless zone of the Sabaody Archipelago, the Golden Lion Shiki stood with an air of dominance, extending an invitation to Brook. He wanted to recruit this seasoned combat musician into his crew.

"Shiki, the rising overlord of the New World... The Rocks Pirates will be the absolute and only rulers of the pirate era to come. You may find yourself suffering under his hands—you might even be defeated, overpowered, or worse... forced to submit to Rocks."

Brook eyed the young Golden Lion, hoping to provoke him while throwing shade at Rocks, making it less likely for Shiki to join the Rocks Pirates so easily in the future.

"What?! Surrender? Me?! I am Shiki, the Golden Lion!" Shiki roared, clearly furious at Brook's words.

"Brook, it’s fine if you don’t want to join us, but how dare you look down on our captain like that?! Today, I’ll make you pay for your words!" The battle captain, Bloody Fist Scaredo, attacked without hesitation. The brass knuckles on his fists gleamed with a cold metallic shine as he swung them with full force, sending powerful shockwaves through the air.

'Bloody Fist - Tiger Knuckles!'

"I’m just giving you a friendly warning." Brook calmly raised his cane sword, blocking Scaredo’s powerful punch effortlessly.

"What the hell?! Captain Scaredo’s full-force punch... blocked with one hand?!" The surrounding pirates were in disbelief. After all, Scaredo’s fists had earned their name by breaking the bones of both pirates and Marines alike.

"I don’t believe it! A guy with a lower bounty than me can’t just stop my attacks like that!"

'Bloody Fist - Iron Elbow!' 'Bloody Fist - Steel Knee!'

Scaredo launched a flurry of attacks, but Brook countered them all. Each strike he blocked left traces of eerie white frost spreading across Scaredo’s fists and legs. His movements grew sluggish as the ghostly energy seeped into his body.

"That’s enough, Scaredo! You’re no match for him!" Shiki barked, stopping his battle captain before he could make a bigger fool of himself. He turned to Brook, his expression shifting to one of intrigue.

"Brook, you’re strong. If the Rumbar Pirates hadn’t been wiped out, you could’ve been one of this year’s Supernovas. Since you’re not interested in heading to the New World yet, I won’t force you... but let’s have a proper fight!"

Shiki grinned. As the strongest Supernova this year, he wasn’t about to let an opportunity like this slip by. He needed to showcase his strength in front of his new recruits.

"I can’t beat you yet," Brook admitted, fully aware of Shiki’s terrifying reputation. He had held back against Scaredo only because Shiki was nearby.

"Don’t worry, I won’t go all out. If you change your mind, my ship is always open to a musician swordsman like you!"

The two agreed to fight on the shores of the lawless zone. Shakky and a group of pirates followed, eager to witness the clash.

---

Standing on the beach, Shiki observed Brook, who was fully on guard. Amused, the younger Shiki actually felt like giving the older Brook a few pointers.

"Hahaha! This is gonna be fun!" Shiki cackled, drawing two swords. Brook was startled to see him wielding the legendary blades Kogarashi and Oto so soon.

"Captain Shiki, please guide me!"

Brook vanished in an instant, leaving behind a frozen trail. His cane sword was already unsheathed, thrusting fiercely at the point where Shiki’s two blades met.

"Damn, that’s fast! Even I almost lost track of him!" A bead of sweat rolled down Shiki’s forehead. The cocky grin vanished as he clenched his cigar between his teeth, getting serious.

'Lion Peach Slash!'

Shiki swung his swords, unleashing dozens—no, hundreds—of golden sword waves that cut off all of Brook’s escape routes.

'Underworld Phantom Energy - Weapon Shatter!'

Brook shattered the incoming sword waves and lunged forward, aiming for Shiki’s wrist to disarm him.

'Lion’s Severance!'

A massive sword strike erupted from Shiki’s blades, sending Brook flying.

"I’m not just a swordsman! Let me show you my true strength!" Shiki smirked, cigarette still dangling from his lips.

'Lion’s Dominion - Imperial Sandstorm!'

Using his Float-Float Fruit ability, Shiki controlled the sand around the shore, shaping it into a towering lion over ten meters tall. The massive sand beast lunged at Brook with terrifying force.

'Underworld Phantom Energy - Aurora Burst!'

A flash of cold light streaked through the air, and Brook reappeared behind the giant sand lion. The beast split clean in half before collapsing into a pile of frozen sand.

"Hahaha! Not bad! Let’s see how you handle a few more!"

Shiki laughed maniacally as four more sand lions materialized and charged at Brook from all directions.

Brook weaved between the attacks, narrowly avoiding the ferocious jaws of the sand beasts. Shiki watched with a pleased grin.

'Underworld Phantom Energy - Blade of the Departed!'

Brook sheathed his cane sword and assumed a drawing stance. The instant he stepped forward, the beach beneath him cratered from the force. With a single sword flash, all four sand lions were sliced apart and frozen solid by the ghostly cold energy.

A loud boom echoed as the shattered sand lions collapsed, raising a cloud of fine dust that obscured everyone’s vision.

"Brook, you’re pretty damn good!" Shiki admitted, surprised. He realized that Brook’s ghostly energy had somehow interfered with his Float Fruit abilities.

Brook, however, was gasping for breath. That last move had drained him completely.

"I can’t fight anymore, Shiki..."

"Huh?! Already?! I was just getting warmed up!" Shiki was about to charge forward when he noticed Brook’s exhausted state. Reluctantly, he sheathed Oto and Kogarashi.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Supernova Leader."

"Hahaha! Supernova Leader, huh? I like that! Of course, I’m the strongest pirate of this generation! How could a small fry like you ever hope to match me?" Shiki laughed arrogantly. He had only fought Brook to test him, never taking him too seriously.

Brook wiped the sweat from his forehead and smirked. "Since you’ve been kind enough to go easy on me, I’ve decided to offer you something in return."

Shiki raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What is it? A treasure map?"

Brook simply smiled as he stood before the Golden Lion.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Do you want to read Advanced Chapters?

Visit this link:

Påtreon.com/Fanficlord03

Change (å) to (a)