One Piece: Hell Pirate

After a brief pause, the Den Den Mushi finally responded, as Rear Admiral Garp anxiously waited.

"Alright, Monkey D. Garp, remember your promise!"

Brook didn't have high expectations, but he agreed nonetheless. He hadn't expected Garp to make such a decision—he just hoped this mad dog wouldn't come chasing after him.

Without waiting to hear Garp's response, Brook cut the call and immediately ordered his crew to evacuate. They left behind three naval warships and the injured marines.

Not long after, Garp's fleet arrived at the waters of Asuka Island and found Rear Admiral Temple and his men. After rescuing them, they quickly realized something was wrong—Temple and his officers had no memory of what happened.

The confusion deepened when the lower-ranked marines woke up and confirmed that they had been attacked by Brook's Hell Pirates.

"So… it was Brook," Garp muttered. "They actually have a crew member who can erase memories? A Memory Devil Fruit?"

With no other choice, Garp personally took the amnesiac naval officers back to Marineford. The final result? Their memories seemed permanently lost, forcing them to relearn everything from scratch.

This pissed Garp off.

"That bastard Brook! He said they'd be fine, and now they've lost their memories?! He actually lied to me!"

Meanwhile, the Navy Headquarters pieced together information about the Hell Pirates from the remaining marines who hadn't lost their memories. Along with the investigation on Asuka Island, they managed to reconstruct the crew's personnel structure and update their bounties.

---

Setting Sail Once Again

The Voyager continued sailing toward the next island.

"Captain Brook, our next target is Drum Island," Shakky said. "It's a world-renowned medical powerhouse. We're bound to find a strong ship doctor there!"

She carefully pulled out a Log Pose pointing to the Drum Kingdom, one of the World Government's allied nations.

Brook nodded. "Yeah… I heard there's a powerful female doctor in her eighties living on Drum Island."

He was, of course, referring to Dr. Kureha. She should be around 89 years old now. He wondered if she'd ever considered going to sea.

At the same time, Brook thought of Crocus—another legendary doctor.

While stationed at Twin Cape, Crocus would often visit Drum Island to purchase medical books and teach himself advanced medicine. He had a natural talent for it, which was why Gol D. Roger later invited him aboard to treat his terminal illness, extending Roger's life by three years.

The Rumbar Pirates had met Crocus before and even entrusted Laboon to his care.

"If I can't find a doctor on Drum Island, I'll go find Crocus… and bring Laboon with me," Brook mused.

Laboon had great potential, being part of the island whale species, which were comparable in size to actual islands. Now that Brook had grown stronger, he believed he could protect Laboon properly.

"Captain, we are NOT looking for an 80-year-old doctor!" Shakky groaned. "This is a pirate adventure, not some retirement cruise!"

Brook simply chuckled. "Dr. Kureha has mastered the secret of longevity. Even if she lives to be 150 years old, she'll still be full of energy. Don't underestimate her."

After all, at 139 years old, she was still throwing scalpels at Luffy's crew like they were darts.

More importantly, she had been the only doctor on Drum Island who could move freely under Wapol's tyranny. Her strength was nothing to scoff at—she was likely stronger than Luffy's entire crew back then.

"As the saying goes, people become more dangerous as they get older," Brook added.

Even in her younger years, Kureha had a keen sense of Observation Haki—always appearing at the scene whenever the reckless Dr. Hiriluk messed up his treatments.

And then there was the Will of D. Kureha knew something about it, proving she wasn't just some ordinary old lady.

"No matter how impressive she is, she's still an old woman! Captain, please don't recruit her, or she'll raise our average age!" Shakky protested.

Brook laughed. "You act like I can just snap my fingers and make her join us. Besides, forcing her would be suicidal—she'd probably poison us before we even realized it!"

"Captain Brook! There's a huge waterfall cloud ahead!"

At the helm, the fish-man Tom shouted excitedly. Everyone turned to see a massive cloud formation stretching over ten kilometers long—a waterfall seemingly connecting the sky and the sea.

It was an incredible sight, reminding them of how unpredictable the Grand Line could be.

"Captain, should we check it out?" Tom asked eagerly.

Brook hesitated. As a Devil Fruit user, he wasn't thrilled about exploring unknown waters.

"I wanna see it too!" Redfield grinned. "A place full of unknowns—isn't that the best kind of adventure?"

Shakky and Hiruba were also intrigued. Seeing how excited everyone was, Brook sighed and relented.

"Alright, alright, let's go take a look."

"Woohoo~! Adventure time!"

Redfield had become much more cheerful after stopping the use of his special Observation Haki on his crewmates. It was true—seeing things too clearly often brought pain, but allowing some mystery made life more enjoyable.

The Memory Seahorse had grown significantly after consuming so many memories. It could no longer sit on Brook's shoulder comfortably.

More surprisingly, after devouring Rear Admiral Temple's memories, it had actually learned some Navy Six Styles techniques!

Now, the little creature could perform:

Rankyaku (Storm Leg)

Shigan (Finger Gun)

Geppo (Moonwalk)—though only for a short time

Shakky and the others watched in envy as the little seahorse hopped around like a miniature marine.

Meanwhile, the crew began their own training using the Navy Six Styles manual and Haki awakening techniques copied by Redfield.

Tom had an extremely strong physique and was already showing signs of awakening Armament Haki.

Redfield's Observation Haki was developing rapidly, and his swordsmanship was growing even stronger.

Sniper Hiruba focused on Observation Haki and worked on mastering Shave and Moonwalk for better mobility.

Antonio, as expected, wasn't much of a fighter. His priority was learning survival techniques like Shave and Moonwalk—no need to dream about Haki.

Shakky wanted to learn everything and wasted no time throwing herself into training.

The crew had grown stronger once again, and their next big adventure was just beginning.

---

With the Voyager at the helm, Tom steering, and Redfield and Hiruba raising the sails, they sailed into the waterfall cloud. Shakky stood in the observation room, closely watching the situation inside the thick white mist.

Brook stood at the bow, ready for battle. As they entered the dense cloud, visibility was nearly nonexistent. They had no idea what lay ahead and could only push forward blindly.

Everyone felt a mix of nerves and excitement. Was this what true adventure felt like? Setting aside life and death, embracing the thrill of the unknown.

After stumbling through the blinding mist for five or six minutes, sunlight finally pierced through. A breathtaking emerald-green island appeared before them.

"An island hidden inside a waterfall cloud? Incredible. I wonder if anyone lives here?" Shakky's curiosity burned, eager to unravel the mysteries of this place. The rest of the crew was just as eager.

Brook suddenly recalled a movie—could this be the island of rare beasts, guarded by the legendary Kirin Lion?

"I think I remember something about this island. It's home to rare creatures, and its ruler is the Kirin Lion. Be careful, everyone. I don't know how powerful it is!"

Brook's eyes gleamed with interest. The Kirin Lion was a majestic creature. If they could tame it, wouldn't it make the perfect mount?

"Kirin Lion? A mythical beast?" Shakky's excitement grew. "That must mean it's extremely rare! Captain Brook, should we check it out?"

Meanwhile, the Memory Seahorse flicked its tail, deep in thought. Beast King? If I eat its memory, could I evolve? Maybe even grow wings and become a Thousand-Year Dragon?

"Hmph, I'd like to see how strong this Kirin Lion really is, if it's enough for Captain Brook to give a warning!" Redfield smirked, confident in his strength. He had no interest in fearing a so-called "Beast King" and was eager to test himself.

Since there were no humans on the island, there was also no port. The Voyager could only drop anchor in shallow waters, lowering the landing boat. Even Tom joined them—there was no need for him to stay behind.

"Finally, we're on land. What a beautiful, untouched island!"

The scenery was stunning. The vegetation was lush, the forest thick, yet the grass was oddly neat—almost as if someone had been trimming it.

As Brook and his crew stepped onto shore, strange animals emerged from the forest to watch them. Long-haired hippos, wild boars with twisted horns, and green giraffes stared at them curiously.

Brook frowned. These so-called "rare beasts" were... not exactly majestic. More like weird crossbreeds.

A trumpet-nosed wild boar suddenly charged forward, letting out a loud, echoing howl. It left behind a trail of thick smoke as it ran, like a war horn signaling the island's inhabitants of an intruder.

"Captain Brook, these so-called 'rare beasts' are ugly and weak," Redfield scoffed, clearly disappointed. This wasn't the battle he had been looking forward to.

Before Brook could respond, a massive cloud of dust rose in the distance. A thundering stampede approached, and in moments, countless rare beasts had gathered, surrounding the shore.

Just as the crew was taking in the sight, a magnificent golden lion soared into the sky. It had coral-like golden horns, resembling a regal crown.

This was the Beast King of O-Kan Island —the Kirin Lion!

The Kirin Lion let out a deafening roar, its powerful soundwaves stirring up fierce winds. It was a show of dominance, a warning to the intruders.

Redfield's eyes gleamed with excitement. He was itching to fight the Kirin Lion, to see if this so-called Beast King was truly worthy of its title.

"What are you humans doing here!?"

A sudden voice rang out, surprising Brook and his crew. Was it the Kirin Lion speaking?

From behind the Beast King, a massive green parrot—over a meter tall—flew into view. It was the one that had spoken.

"Whoa, a talking parrot? That's a rare find, Captain Brook!"

Shakky's eyes lit up. She had never seen a bird that could speak human language before. She had to get this one on board.

Sensing her intent, the parrot quickly ducked behind the Kirin Lion. But bolstered by the lion's presence, it flew out again, regaining its confidence.

"Humans, state your purpose, or our king will drive you out!"

As the parrot spoke, the Kirin Lion's golden horns gleamed. A blazing light shot from its forehead, slamming into the ground in front of Brook, leaving behind a deep crater.

"A decent display of power," Redfield noted, drawing his cane sword, preparing to strike. He had no intention of backing down.

"Not bad," Brook muttered, eyes twinkling with admiration. He called out, "Lion Beast King! Why don't you come with us and explore the world? You too, talking parrot!"

The parrot scoffed. "Human, address our king properly! He is His Majesty, the Kirin Lion! And I am Wuzhu, the elder of this island. Remember our names!"

The Kirin Lion rumbled something unintelligible, and Wuzhu quickly translated. "Our king says he will never leave this place. He will protect this land until his final breath!"

Brook sighed, visibly disappointed. Such a magnificent creature—what a shame.

"Captain Brook, you really want this beast?" Redfield asked. His tone darkened. "If you do, I'll help you catch it."

Seeing his captain turned down, Redfield grew irritated. Without hesitation, he bypassed Brook and lunged forward. His cane sword gleamed as he struck, aiming directly at the Kirin Lion.

He closed the distance swiftly, ready to engage in close combat.

Brook hesitated. A part of him wanted to stop Redfield. Perhaps it was the lingering sense of morality from his past life, making him hold onto a sense of kindness.

But he wasn't like Redfield—a true pirate who took what he wanted without hesitation. Even Shakky and Hiruba were already preparing to act.

Pirates take what they want, don't they?

The thought burned in Brook's mind. He had set out to sea as a pirate, but was he really acting like one? He was hesitating, thinking like a hero. That wasn't who he was anymore.

A man who wasn't ruthless wouldn't survive in this world.

Brook clenched his fist, discarding any hesitation.

If he wanted the Kirin Lion, he'd take it.

If it refused to join them, then he'd let the Memory Seahorse devour its memories and train it himself.

Greed flickered in his eyes.

A true pirate placed profit above all else.

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