The golden ship hovered ominously above the seemingly ordinary merchant vessel. Everyone aboard was part of the New World Dispatch Company, disguised as a low-key cargo escort team. Among them, Bra Kara hid in plain sight, posing as just another guard.
A man dressed like the ship's captain stepped forward, visibly shaking under the pressure of the Hell Pirates.
"M-My lords, w-we're just a regular merchant crew," he stammered. "Take whatever you want, just spare our lives. We've got families... parents, children... we're just trying to survive out here."
His desperate, humble plea made even seasoned pirates feel a twinge of pity.
"Bra Kara, come out. I know you're in there."
Brook's life-sensing ability had instantly pinpointed the unusual energy signature hidden among the guards. It stuck out like a sore thumb to him.
But no one moved. The entire crew trembled, not a soul daring to speak up.
"Don't bother," Redfield said coldly. Without hesitation, he flung out an electric net, zapping everyone nearby. The whole crew—including Bra Kara—collapsed in a heap. Bra Kara even feigned a dramatic fall to make sure no one noticed anything off.
Before Redfield could check the situation, Brook casually unleashed a slash of Underworld Sword Energy, instantly freezing Bra Kara in place.
"Brother Brook, damn! You picked him out in a heartbeat!" Shakky blinked in surprise, impressed that even a cold badass like Redfield was praising Brook now.
Golden Lion Shiki flew down and scooped up the frozen Bra Kara. Even the entire merchant ship was floated along toward Baron Island by his powers.
Bra Kara quickly broke out of Brook's freeze, but upon realizing he was now aboard the enemy ship, he lowered his head and stayed silent—accepting his fate without a fight.
"Oi, you're not even gonna struggle?" Shiki scoffed. "Wait... you're not even a pirate, just a corporate lackey."
He lost all interest. Shiki wasn't here for small fries—he was itching for Roger's crew to show up. Beating the so-called Child of Destiny was the only thing that'd make his blood boil again.
Even the crew felt it—everything had gone way too smoothly. It was kinda boring.
"Bra Kara, why not join us?" Brook asked. "Roll with us, and you won't have to bust your ass running cargo anymore."
Corporate life—working 996 and being treated like dirt—was nothing compared to sailing with the Hell Pirates, hauling gold and seastone instead of tomatoes and textiles.
"No need to try," Bra Kara replied firmly. "Boss Manxway isn't just my employer—he saved my life. I'd never betray him."
Tough words... but Brook could tell the guy was scared shitless.
Brook didn't press the issue. Instead, he had Redfield rummage through Bra Kara memories for anything useful—like Manxway's location. If they could get to Manxway, Brook would give him one chance to surrender. If that failed, he'd call in the Memory Seahorse.
Meanwhile, Antonio was watching Bra Kara closely—memorizing his tone, mannerisms, everything. The master scammer was getting ready to impersonate him. Brook had a plan, and Antonio was the bait.
They needed to act fast. If the destination country didn't receive their shipment soon, Manxway would definitely start asking questions—and Bra Kara absence would be exposed.
Redfield soon found the number for Manxway's Den Den Mushi and passed it to Antonio. The scam artist went back to his hidden monitoring room, so no one would hear any off voices, and made the call.
"B-Brother Manxway!" he cried out in Bra Kara voice. "We were ambushed by pirates near Blue Pillar Island! There are monsters among them—come help!"
To sell it, he even faked getting attacked mid-call and cut the line.
No way to know if it worked, but if Manxway cared about Bra Kara, he'd show up.
Outside, both Memory Seahorse and Big Mom were already drooling at the idea of dissecting Bra Kara and studying the Pocket Fruit—but Brook had made it clear: no killing the ability user.
Blue Pillar Island was just a simple pit stop on the way to Baron Island. It was a perfect fishing spot to lure Manxway into their net.
Big shots in the underworld were hard to track down. The only way to catch them was to bait them out.
Manxway was still a relative newcomer among underground kingpins—he'd only been on the rise for about ten years. His tactics weren't as refined as those from families with generations of legacy.
When he got the distress call, he hesitated... but only for a moment.
Then, with his men and a camouflaged ship, he set sail for Blue Pillar Island.
Over the past few years, the chaotic war between the two dominant pirate factions had forced many non-aligned pirates to flee or go underground. Some became smugglers or joined secret syndicates.
The New World Dispatch Company had recruited quite a few powerful ex-pirates, which helped them grow fast—becoming one of the three giants of the underground transport scene.
They gave up on controlling the Grand Line and Four Blues, focusing entirely on the New World. Fewer routes, but way more control and efficiency.
Manxway even shed his pirate identity, going fully underground. Neutral. He did business with pirates, countries, and whoever else paid well.
Back when he first started, it was Bra Blue Pillar Island Pocket Fruit ability that made the business take off. Even now, as a top-tier boss, he still had huge respect for Bra Blue Pillar Island.
That's why he usually sent Bra Blue Pillar Island to handle the most important cargo. The regular stuff? The company's own transport team had it handled.
Of course, Manxway suspected this could be a trap, so he took a disguised vessel just in case. If things went south, he could slip away.
But in his heart, he was still an old pirate. And when a brother was captured by pirates, you went to get him—no matter what.
Besides, the current big-name pirate groups were all prepping for war. Who'd waste time targeting a transport company?
He also had business ties with the Rocks Pirates and the Diger Pirates. That ruled them out.
Which left one possibility—Overlord Candidate pirates.
Manxway figured he could handle them. After all, he'd survived in the New World for over twenty years. His bounty hadn't changed in a decade, sure, but anyone sitting at the top of the underground food chain had to have serious muscle. A 500 or 600 million berries bounty pirate wasn't out of his league.
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On Blue Pillar Island, the arrival of a golden spaceship caused a brief wave of panic among the residents, but order was quickly restored. Everyone was ordered to return home and stay indoors.
The Hell Pirates were stationed here, waiting for a suspicious ship to arrive. This island wasn't exactly bustling with activity, and ship traffic was light. Every incoming vessel was scanned using Brook's life-sensing ability and Redfield's special Observation Haki.
"Brother Brook, we've been sitting here all day. Isn't this a waste of time? The Diger Pirates already told us to help with defense, and the Roger Pirates are near Bristol Island. I wanted to have a quick sparring match with him!"
Golden Lion Shiki was starting to lose patience. Manxway's crew was taking too long. Based on the New World Dispatch Company's speed, they should've arrived by now. Did they not plan on rescuing their people at all?
"Not every pirate ship can fly in a straight line like ours," Brook replied. "Let's give it a bit more time. If they don't show, we'll just find another chance."
Most pirate ships still relied on sails, so their speed wasn't exactly blazing. Only powerful families with knowledge of ocean currents and monsoons could move faster.
The Umi family had even mastered some deep-sea current routes. Their submersible cargo ships could enter high-speed deep-sea channels and deliver goods across the world rapidly.
Maybe the heavens heard Shiki's complaints, because from the horizon, a plain-looking merchant ship appeared. But in Brook and Redfield's eyes, this was no ordinary vessel.
Aboard the ship were several individuals exuding unusual auras—obviously not average traders. These were likely their targets.
"There they are," Brook said. "Get ready. We can't let them get away!"
Brook had promised to help the Umi family eliminate the New World Dispatch Company's forces. These guys were high-value targets—ghosts, in a sense.
Onboard the merchant ship, several people were using binoculars to scan Blue Pillar Island's docks. Sure enough, their company's disguised cargo vessel—Bra Kara's ship—was docked there.
There were strange patrols at the port: winged musketeers and sword-wielding warriors in traditional outfits.
"These aren't forces we recognize," one scout said. "They might be a new pirate crew. In that case, we've got nothing to fear."
Seeing that the flags and troops weren't affiliated with any Overlord or quasi-Overlord groups, Manxway relaxed. How strong could a pirate crew be if they didn't even dare fly their own flag?
"My crew, get ready to attack once we dock!" Manxway barked.
He was pissed. Some unknown pirate group had jacked their cargo ship. These nobodies were clearly asking for it. But the fact that they managed to subdue Bra Kara without resistance meant they weren't completely weak.
The New World Dispatch Company crew grabbed their blades and guns, ready to kill the moment they hit land. In the underground world, cutting off someone's income was a blood feud.
As the merchant ship entered port, the Sky Island Musketeers and Wano Samurai tensed up, ready to act if the newcomers didn't cooperate.
Both sides were on edge, the fight seconds away from breaking out. Inside a nearby building, the leaders of the Hell Pirates were watching their prey walk straight into the trap.
"Does this idiot think we're some third-rate crew and that he can just charge in and wipe us out?" Shiki grinned. "This'll be over in no time."
"It's because we set the trap so well that he's misjudged us," Brook said calmly.
He understood. If he were in Manxway's shoes and some no-name pirates stole from him, he'd react the same—wipe them out and make them an example.
"Let's go. Cut off their retreat and take over their ship!"
Now that the New World Dispatch crew had landed and clashed with the Wano samurai, the Hell Pirates stepped in. When Manxway saw Brook's group emerge, his first instinct was to flee.
Wait a damn minute... Weren't the Hell Pirates part of the Overlord Alliance? Why the hell were they ambushing him?
He'd done his research on them—especially after they wiped out Ewald's crew. There was no way in hell he could beat them.
Golden Lion Shiki floated onto the merchant ship, placed one hand on the deck, and immediately took control of the vessel using his Devil Fruit.
"Wait—Master Brook, I have ties with Lord Diger! Maybe there's some misunderstanding here? If we offended you, our company is willing to compensate!"
Manxway, who'd come in blazing with confidence, immediately backed down the moment he realized escape was impossible. As a neutral force, they had no beef with the Hell Pirates... right?
"Sorry," Brook replied, his voice cold. "Diger doesn't run our business. You've got two choices—surrender or die."
He unsheathed his Seven-Star Sword, its chilling aura making even the bravest men flinch.
"Brook, we're a neutral force! If you force us like this, you'll make enemies across the entire underworld!"
Manxway was furious. He'd finally dropped the pirate life and risen into the underworld's elite—balancing the black and white sides. Why the hell would he go back to killing and looting like some lowlife?
Plus, the Hell Pirates were under the Overlord Alliance banner, and the Rocks Pirates had a 50% shot at wiping them out. Throwing in with them was like playing Russian roulette.
If you lose, you're dead, your people are wiped, your reputation is dust. If you win... you're still just under someone else's boot. No thanks. Better to rule your own territory.
"Sure, the fallout might be messy," Brook said, raising his blade. "But I won't give you the chance to run. Like I said—surrender or die."
Redfield, Newgate, and the others had already closed in, their overwhelming presence crushing any resistance.
"Listen, Brook—our Dispatch Company pays protection money to both Diger and Rocks. If they hear about this, they won't let you off easy. But if you let us go, we'll pay you protection fees too!"
Cold sweat dripped down Manxway's forehead. He wasn't about to submit, but he tried to leverage the two strongest pirate groups backing them.
There was no way he'd throw in with the weakest faction—the Hell Pirates!
"We're not short on money," Brook replied, voice flat.
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