Chef Streusen couldn't stop bringing out dishes as excitement buzzed inside him—he'd definitely hitched his cart to the right horse. They'd just driven off the newly rising Edward Pirates, one of the most promising new contenders for power.
Was the Hell Pirates really about to become one of the six great ruling crews of the New World? He'd only been with them for a few months and already might end up as head chef for a ruling pirate crew?
The short-statured Streusen straightened his back with pride. He still wasn't entirely sure how he ended up in the Hell Pirates in the first place, but he was definitely enjoying the luxurious life aboard the Golden Ark.
The crewmates who hadn't been able to contribute much during the recent battle silently swore to themselves—they had to get stronger. Next time, they'd make sure to shine on the battlefield and help the crew carve their name into history!
"Brook, once things settle down, can we go find some Devil Fruits right away? I want to fight too!"
Shakky's eyes sparkled with determination. She'd been longing for that Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit for ages. She didn't want to stay sheltered forever—she wanted to stand on the frontlines and fight as a real part of the crew!
"No problem. Once Edward and the others stop daring to step into our waters, we'll head out and find you a Devil Fruit!"
Brook had been planning to search for powerful Fruits for his crewmates anyway. Apart from Fishmen Tom and Tiger, who weren't interested in Devil Fruits, the rest were all ready to eat one if it suited them.
"Brook! When are we heading to Sheep's House to claim it for ourselves?"
Charlotte Linlin piped up again, clearly still dreaming of that island. She also glanced toward Golden Lion Shiki, clearly hoping he'd soon develop his Float-Float Fruit to the point it could lift an entire island.
"We'll go next time—plant our flag there. Heck, let's even stake our claim on Sphinx Island, Whitebeard's hometown!"
"And Fishman Island too!"
Fisher Tiger raised his hand without hesitation. He wanted to do something for his homeland—to stop it from being endlessly harassed by pirates and slavers.
"If you want to protect the things that matter most to you, then get stronger! In this world, your words only matter if your fists are strong enough!"
Brook's encouragement rang clear. He also wanted to take Fishman Island under his protection—not only because it could become the base for a Fishman army, but because it was also the future birthplace of Poseidon.
"Gyahahaha~! Brook, that bastard Rocks actually wants to support us against the Overlord Alliance. We can't let things go the way he wants!"
For the first time, Golden Lion Shiki felt vindicated. Raw strength really was the foundation of survival in the New World. He still remembered how, back when he first arrived, the Rocks Pirates chased him around like a stray dog. The memory alone made his blood boil.
"Well, let's see what he brings to the table. If he's offering territory or Devil Fruits, I don't mind using his influence to expand. But once we've got enough strength of our own... we'll deal with him our way."
Brook hadn't expected someone like Rocks—a man so domineering—to ever seek out allies. But with Vesper teaming up with three of the pseudo-overlords, even someone like Rocks must be feeling the heat.
If it came down to a death match, Rocks might end up burning through all his resources—then even if he did become the sole ruler of the New World, he'd be a king without a kingdom. What was the point in that?
...
While chaos raged among the ruling forces of the New World, the Ice Demon Pirates remained eerily quiet.
Deep in the icy realm of the Snow Country, a gathering of giants was underway.
The ancient Ice Demon, standing over forty meters tall, coughed weakly a few times. Below him, both the native Snow Giants and the Elbaf giants who had joined the Ice Demon Pirates fell silent.
Even though the Elbaf giants were over twenty meters tall, in front of the towering Ice Demon, they seemed like children.
Human pirates were like ants in comparison—awkwardly seated on miniature chairs atop the colossal table, utterly out of place.
"The New World is in turmoil," the old Ice Demon said, his voice tinged with regret. "Wilank's not strong enough to lead a ruling crew. And we are not monsters bent on evil. We just want to protect our territory. So once I'm gone, we'll give up the title of Overlord. The Ice Demon Pirates will no longer compete for that seat."
He looked at his second-in-command with weary disappointment. Wilank hadn't awakened Conqueror's Haki, and his Armament Haki was barely intermediate level. His bounty of 1.1 billion Belly came more from his sheer size and the Ice Demon Pirates' reputation than from his actual strength.
Not a single member among the gathered giants had awakened Conqueror's Haki. The old Ice Demon's heart sank. This generation was truly weaker than the last.
"Captain, no pirate dares mess with our territory! And our base is in winter islands—we Snow Giants are even stronger there!"
Wilank protested with fire in his voice. Why should they give up the title? If he had to, he'd go cause havoc and rack up his bounty himself!
"Wilank, your bounty's inflated," the old Ice Demon snapped. "You didn't earn it by defeating real opponents. All you've done is destroy islands and kill civilians."
The Ice Demon hadn't expected his protégé to lose the pride of a true giant and pick up the sneaky ways of humans instead.
After the Elbaf Giant Warrior Pirates disbanded, many Elbaf warriors had joined the Ice Demon Pirates. Wilank wasn't satisfied with just ruling winter islands—he wanted the entire sea. And the Elbaf warriors, eager to feed their starving homeland, followed him without hesitation. The two irresponsible captains, Dorry and Brogy, were too busy dueling in Little Garden to care.
"Captain, only by expanding can we make our two great giant tribes dominate the New World! Hiding in the Snow Country means nothing—we need blood to prove our might!!"
Wilank's declaration stirred something deep in the hearts of the other giants. Why should the world belong to humans? The Ice Demon Pirates were supposed to be one of the six ruling crews, and Elbaf was hailed as the strongest kingdom!
Now that Snow Country and Elbaf were allied, they believed they could sweep across the New World and unify it under their banner.
"Enough!! You ignorant brutes!!"
A wave of pure Conqueror's Haki burst from the old Ice Demon, slamming into the room. Wilank dropped to his knees, trembling. The other giants gasped in fear.
"Captain, please—calm down!"
Wilank quickly tried to placate him. The sheer force of that Haki was more intense than even Vesper's—maybe only Rocks himself could match it.
"You think being big makes you rulers of the world?" the Ice Demon bellowed. "Look around—how many of our kind are even left? Cough, cough..."
He was heartbroken. There were only a few thousand Snow Giants left, and once you took away the elderly, women, and children, only a few hundred were fit for battle. How could they possibly compete with the tens of billions of humans out there?
Even Elbaf had a higher birthrate than the Snow Giants. Their tribe just couldn't reproduce fast enough. If they launched into full-scale war, losing just a dozen warriors every few months, they'd be extinct within a decade.
He wasn't against growing stronger. But warmongering would only lead them down the path of the ancient Oz giants—wiped out, leaving only scattered descendants. A people on the verge of extinction.
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+122 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg