One Piece: Hell Pirate

Hiruba stumbled back to his home base in a daze. The place was fully equipped, clearly not just an ordinary house.

This was the home of his adoptive father, Hiruba Bonaparte, a legendary sniper from Gunners' Island. He had once challenged the former world's No. 1 marksman and lost. A middle-aged man without a wife or children, he had adopted Hiruba, an orphan with extraordinary talent.

(TL: Hiruba's surname and name are the same.)

Hiruba's eyesight and perception were exceptional, allowing him to hit targets with pinpoint accuracy from long distances even at a young age. He had competed in numerous shooting tournaments, racking up victories and honors, which only fueled his arrogance.

Bonaparte had warned him to stay grounded, to not be blinded by fame. But while Hiruba nodded in agreement, he dismissed the advice in his heart. His father eventually forbade him from participating in competitions, instead forcing him to focus on mastering firearms and hunting wild game.

But when Bonaparte passed away last year, Hiruba immediately went back to competing, winning every tournament he entered. People began calling him the future world's best shooter, and his confidence soared to new heights.

Yet today, in his first real life-or-death duel, he lost—beaten by an unknown pirate sniper. Years of pride, shattered in an instant.

"I'm sorry, Father... I was wrong. I don't deserve this title at all!"

Tears streamed down Hiruba's face as he recalled Bonaparte's words: How can a sniper who has never faced real battle claim to be the world's best? Those tournaments exist only to fuel gambling and draw merchants and pirates with money to burn.

"Roger Pirates... it's all your fault! You ruined everything for me!!"

Hiruba's mind twisted with resentment. He convinced himself that it was Peter who had taken everything from him.

"If you lost something, then take it back. What's the point of crying about it?"

A voice interrupted his thoughts.

Hiruba turned sharply and saw a man watching him with amusement.

"Who the hell are you?!" Hiruba snapped, clutching his wounded shoulder, still unbandaged.

"The name's Brook, and I'm a pirate," the man replied casually. "You want to surpass Peter, right? Your talent is obviously better than his, yet you lost. You need experience. Come with me—I'll take you to see the true powerhouses of the world."

Then, Brook's presence shifted. The air around him grew cold, a dark energy swirling as he entered his Underworld ghost state. Frost formed at his feet, and a chilling aura of death filled the room. Hiruba felt as if he had stepped into hell itself.

"You... You're a pirate too? Then how the hell are you stronger than Roger's crew? Can you even beat them?" Hiruba gritted his teeth, still stuck on his loss to Peterm.

"Peter is nothing but a stepping stone for you," Brook scoffed. "Stop fixating on him. Open your eyes! Go to the New World and see what real strength looks like!"

His voice boomed, startling Shakky and Antonio, who had been watching from the doorway. Hiruba, however, fell silent.

"If this is all the ambition you have, then forget it. You're not fit to board my ship. Just stay here and bark like a coward."

Hiruba's face turned pale. He had already lost a dangerous amount of blood, and now the weight of Brook's words crushed him. His vision blurred, and with a heavy thud, he collapsed.

Brook, Shakky, and Antonio exchanged looks.

"Shit," Shakky muttered. "That was a bit much, huh?"

Without hesitation, she and Antonio rushed over to bandage Hiruba's wound.

Brook, feeling awkward, glanced around the room. The place was filled with gun equipment, blueprints for firearm modifications, and stacks of custom-made gun parts.

After some time, Shakky finished treating Hiruba and gave him a blood-replenishing potion. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open.

"You guys patched me up?"

"No, dumbass, you bandaged yourself while unconscious," Shakky said dryly, rolling her eyes.

Hiruba fell silent again, unsure how to respond. The room was filled with an awkward quiet.

"Well?" Brook finally spoke. "Are you coming with us or what? You can't become the world's best shooter by hiding on this island."

"I can't even beat a sniper from a pirate crew. How the hell am I supposed to be the best in the world?" Hiruba mumbled, his self-confidence shattered.

"Just because you lost today doesn't mean you'll lose forever," Brook said, grabbing him by the collar. "People grow. Now tell me—what the hell is your resolve?!"

A long silence followed.

Then, Hiruba clenched his fists.

"I understand now... Captain Brook, take me with you. I want to see the true powerhouses of the world! I will become the world's best shooter!!!"

Tears welled in his eyes as he thought of the ridicule from the islanders and the pirates who had looked down on him after his loss. He gritted his teeth. One day, they'll regret doubting me.

"Welcome aboard, future world's best shooter, Hiruba Hiruba," Brook said with a faint smile.

Bruno stepped forward, lifting Hiruba to his feet and dusting off his clothes.

"Shakky, Antonio, help pack up all his gear. We've got plenty of space on the ship," Brook instructed.

"Hey, not so fast, Captain! My wound still hurts!" Hiruba protested.

"You just tell us what to pack. We'll handle the rest," Brook replied. "I'll carry it all myself if I have to."

And just like that, Brook started hauling large crates of gun parts back to the ship, one after another. Along the way, islanders and pirates stared and whispered among themselves.

Hiruba, still bandaged, felt a pang of embarrassment. But Brook didn't even glance at them.

"The strong don't give a damn about the opinions of the weak," he muttered.

Hiruba's eyes widened. That's right... Why the hell should I care what these nobodies think?

By the time they reached the ship, Tom, the fishman shipwright, was already waiting on the deck. He grinned.

"Damn, Captain! You actually brought back a sniper?" Tom chuckled.

Brook smirked. "Meet Hiruba Hiruba, our future world's best shooter. And Tom, our future world's best shipwright."

Chapter 24: Communication with Roger

Hearing Brook's serious introduction, sniper Hiruba and fish-man Tom were stunned.

"Captain Brook, how can I be the world's number one shipwright? Stop joking around!"

Tom quickly waved his hands with a modest and honest smile.

"Believe me, Tom! You'll definitely become the world's greatest shipwright in the future!"

Brook laughed, thinking about the blueprints of Pluton. If there hadn't been an ancient text expert to decipher them, he might have already started studying Pluton himself. Even so, the design alone would be a massive benefit to Tom, the master shipwright.

In the future, even Franky studied the Pluton blueprints, though he burned them before Nico Robin could read or translate them. And yet, he still built the Thousand Sunny, a ship with outstanding performance and powerful capabilities.

This proved that even if they couldn't understand ancient characters, master shipwrights could still gain inspiration and guidance from Pluton's design.

"Haha! Captain, we have so many so-called 'world's greatest' people on our ship. How am I supposed to fit in?"

Shakky chuckled, watching Brook talk people up so casually. She lit a cigarette with a graceful motion, blowing out a perfect smoke ring.

"Antonio is the world's number one intelligence expert. And you, Shakky, will definitely be the world's number one blackmail queen, haha!"

Brook grinned, making Shakky narrow her eyes in annoyance. Meanwhile, the others laughed, the idea of becoming the best at something settling in their minds.

---

"Oi! Senior Brook! Wanna have a party?"

A loud, carefree voice rang out—Gol D. Roger.

Hiruba's face immediately darkened. After all, he had just lost a marksman's duel against Peter, and now they were supposed to party with the same crew?

"Hiruba, calm down. One loss doesn't mean anything. The Roger Pirates are strong rivals, which means there'll be plenty of chances to fight them again. Just win next time."

Brook noticed his new crewmate's reaction and knew he had to reassure him.

Roger had already jumped onto Brook's ship, the Eternal Voyager, inviting them to a party. Spotting Hiruba, Roger realized that Brook had already recruited him. For a moment, Roger looked a little awkward.

"Hiruba, face failure head-on and challenge yourself again. Without setbacks, how can you become the best?"

Brook encouraged him, knowing that his sniper needed to break free from the frustration weighing on him.

"Captain Brook, I get it now! Don't worry about me. I swear, I'll defeat Peter fair and square! And I'll surpass even stronger people in the future!"

The 18-year-old sniper finally let go of his anger and self-doubt, his eyes now burning with determination.

"Hahaha! That's the spirit! Now that you've got a real fighter's heart, how about joining our crew?"

Roger grinned, making such an outrageous offer right in front of Brook. If it were any other pirate crew, they would've already started brawling. But since Brook knew Roger's personality, he wasn't offended—though Hiruba let out an annoyed snort, rolling his eyes at the Pirate King.

"Haha! Come on, let's party! I know Senior Brook is an incredible musician. Will you play something for us?"

Roger's excitement didn't waver in the slightest.

Brook paused for a moment. Come to think of it, since arriving in this era, he hadn't played music or sung a single song. But those skills were ingrained in his very soul.

At Roger's invitation, Brook and his crew boarded Roger's ship. It was a simple vessel, not even as good as the Eternal Voyager. It'd be a long time before Roger's crew could upgrade their ship at Water 7.

As for the Oro Jackson, the legendary ship that would one day be built using Adam wood—that was still years away from completion.

"So, you're taking the elite route too, Brook? Guess great minds think alike! You're a real hero, haha!"

Roger laughed heartily.

"Oh? So you're calling yourself a hero now too?"

Rayleigh smirked, his sharp words making Jabba and Tom burst into laughter.

"Well, actually, Roger's not entirely wrong," Brook said thoughtfully. "He's the chosen one of this era. In the future, he's going to shape history."

The ship suddenly fell silent.

"Senior… you serious?"

Roger, for once, seemed to be taking things seriously. He had been joking just a moment ago, but was Brook actually speaking the truth?

"Yeah, I'm not kidding. I've seen the future. Roger, you've awakened the ability to hear the voices of all things, right? That's a rare form of Observation Haki—only one or two people per generation ever develop it. It's a power that marks the chosen ones of an era, and it's tied to the Will of D. Do you understand?"

Brook's words left Roger stunned.

"How do you know about that? Not even my wanted poster has the 'D' in my name. How do you know?"

"The inheritors of D shape the course of history. Your ability proves that this era has chosen you, Roger. You're destined for greatness."

"Hah! So what kind of big shot am I supposed to be in the future?"

Brook smiled at Roger's crewmates—Rayleigh, Jabba, Spencer, Petermarl, Pancuro, Blumarin, Nozton—all powerful figures with immense potential.

"The greatest."

"The greatest?" Roger raised an eyebrow. "Mind explaining that?"

"You'll have to figure that out for yourself. It's your path to walk."

Brook grinned, then changed the subject. "By the way, I hear none of you have eaten Devil Fruits? Got any in stock? I'll buy 'em."

The crew seemed to relax at the sudden topic shift. But Rayleigh gave Brook a sharp look—his tone sounded a bit like a Den Den Mushi's voice transmission. Could it be that Brook also had a Den Den Mushi?

"We don't have any," Roger grumbled. "And for some reason, we can't seem to find any Devil Fruits. It's like they're avoiding us. That's why we're so damn broke."

"Tch. Oh well."

Roger suddenly brightened. "Alright, enough talk! Play us a song, Senior Brook! Let's hear some real music!"

Brook sighed, but with a smile, he took out his violin. His fingers remembered the feeling, and the moment he played the first note, it was like muscle memory taking over.

A familiar tune filled the air.

♪ Bring Binks' sake and sail the seas

With the waves rolling high, ride the tides free

Beyond the ocean, the sun dips low

Seabirds dance as the warm winds blow

Farewell, dear town, we'll meet again

Sing a song as we sail ahead

Golden waves turn to foamy spray

We set sail for the ocean's edge... ♪

Brook led the song, and soon, both pirate crews sang along. Even nearby merchant and pirate ships joined the chorus. Binks' Sake was a song beloved across the Grand Line and beyond.

The night ended in a grand feast—drinking, eating, and singing.

Brook and his crew eventually returned to the Voyager, ready to set sail again at dawn.

"I never expected Captain Brook to sing like that. I thought the old Brook was long gone…"

Shakky sighed.

When she first met Brook, he had been cold, ruthless—like a demon born from the depths of hell.

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