One Piece: Hell Pirates

Realizing something was wrong, Beaver bolted, abandoning his subordinates without hesitation. He was heading to join the powerful Rocks Pirates. There was no point staying with the Diger Pirates anymore. From what he had learned over the past year, Diger wouldn't hesitate to throw him to the wolves.

The moment Diger had ordered him to capture Angel, he already knew—this was a death sentence. No matter how it ended, he wouldn't get a good outcome.

If he succeeded in bringing Angel back as the Young Master's bride, she'd end up resenting him and would definitely take revenge later. And if he ran into someone from the Hell Pirates during the mission, he could be served up as bait to distract Brook—who'd likely turn the entire battlefield upside down over her.

That's why Beaver made a ruthless decision—kill Angel. Whether he stayed with the Diger Pirates or joined the Rocks, getting rid of her would eliminate a future threat.

As the saying goes, "You can guard against a thief for a day, but not for a lifetime." Eliminating her now was the cleanest solution.

He was done with the Diger Pirates. They didn't suit his ambitions or personality. The Rocks Pirates, on the other hand—where power ruled and the strongest claimed the throne—was more his style.

Meanwhile, the sudden arrival of the Hell Pirates forced Xiaofeng to immediately abandon his fight with Rayleigh and Gaban. In a flash, he vanished into the raging storm, which had begun to batter the island with violent winds.

Xiaofeng reappeared beside Jack, ready to drag him away. Now was definitely not the time to be ogling women, yet Jack was still trying to run toward Brook—just to check if Angel was dead or alive!

"Have you completely lost your damn mind?! We're deep in Brook's territory right now. The Hell Pirates could show up at any second, and you're worried about a girl?! Get your ass out of here!"

A powerful hurricane, summoned by Xiaofeng at full force, scattered Roger's Pirate Crew and gathered his own men to retreat. But just then—a flash of lightning crashed down, nearly striking him. Though Xiaofeng barely dodged it, his escape route was blocked.

"It's settled then, Redfield! Jack's mine. You take care of your old rival, Xiaofeng!"

Void-Cutting Thousand Slash Valley!

A smug, arrogant voice echoed through the hurricane as golden, crescent-shaped sword waves rained down from the sky. The ground exploded like a battlefield, each slash leaving massive, deep scars.

From the sky descended the unmistakable golden mane of Golden Lion Shiki, wild and flying like flames, and beside him stood the cold and unreadable Red Earl Redfield.

"Ha ha ha! Roger! You don't look so great. But hey—you lasted this long against Jack. That means you're worthy of the attention from both me and big bro Brook! From here on, Jack is my opponent!"

Without waiting for a reply, Shiki shot down like a meteor, aiming straight for Jack. He didn't spare a glance for Roger or let Redfield grab the spotlight.

Swinging his twin swords—Oto and Kogarashi—Shiki struck with lightning speed, battering Jack back dozens of meters. It snapped Jack out of his trance—his eyes had still been lingering on Angel.

Cunning as ever, Shiki summoned a massive fist of mud and stone, which sucker-punched Roger and sent him flying toward Rayleigh and Gaban, sparing Shiki the trouble of dealing with another opponent.

Redfield's intense Haki was already locked onto Xiaofeng. The Red Earl slowly drew his elegant sword, his expression calm and lethal.

Xiaofeng stared back at the familiar face. It had been just over a year, and this guy's bounty had already surpassed his own.

But bounties weren't everything. If the main force of the Diger Pirates were here, he wouldn't hesitate to fight Redfield head-on. But now? His top priority was getting Jack out of here. Engaging Redfield now would be a bad move—especially with more Hell Pirates lurking nearby.

Elsewhere, Angel's eyes fluttered open. Her mind was still foggy, but she could feel Brook's arms around her. Somehow, she was alive. Her internal injuries didn't hurt as expected.

The last thing she remembered seeing before blacking out... and the first thing she saw upon waking up... was the face of this infuriating Captain Brook.

Even though Brook's expression was as blank as ever, Angel felt an unexpected warmth—a strange sense of safety. It reminded her of the way her father, Ewald, made her feel. Trustworthy. Reliable.

"Good! I got here in time! Do you remember anything? Feel weird? Possessed? Memories scrambled?"

Brook helped her sit up, pinched her cheek, and ran a quick triage check—all without asking for permission.

"I-I'm fine! Wait—Beaver! Where is he? Go kill him, now!"

Her cheeks flushed as she realized how gently Brook had touched her. She stood up in a rush, looking away, trying to hide her blush and flustered expression.

"Angel! You're alive! Thank the seas!"

Uncle Bull practically burst into tears with joy. The Hell Pirates' ship doctor was a monster in human form—he'd just saved someone whose internal organs were basically soup. This guy was a walking miracle. The crew would do well to stick close to this big tree!

Before anyone could say more, a figure was sent flying across the battlefield. Charlotte Linlin approached with her thundercloud Zeus in one hand and flaming sword Prometheus in the other. She picked up her pace, charging after her opponent.

It was chaos—but it was clear that the Hell Pirates had arrived just in time. The Gold, Silver, and Bronze trio from Roger's crew let out a collective sigh of relief.

Even Roger, though knocked away by Shiki, could still grin. He was battered and bruised but clearly enjoying himself. Rayleigh wasn't so lucky—his body was covered in deep cuts, and he winced in pain even while lying still.

The rest of Roger's crew gathered around them. Their ship's doctor immediately tended to Rayleigh's wounds—luckily, they were all superficial, the worst being a pierced muscle.

Brook looked up, analyzing the battlefield. Shiki's entrance had been dramatic, but within just a few dozen moves, Jack was overpowering him. Xiaofeng's basic Armament Haki couldn't match Redfield's Flowing Haki (Ryuo).

Charlotte Linlin dominated Beaver, whose strength had already taken a hit from Uncle Bull's earlier attack. Linlin's raw power and nearly indestructible body made her a walking natural disaster.

"Perururu~"

Brook's Den Den Mushi rang. It was Hiruba, the sniper on their crew.

"Captain Brook! I see both Diger and Rocks' fleets. They're advancing from two directions—they've entered our territory!"

Hiruba had already confirmed their positions using his Devil Fruit.

"I can clearly see Diger and Rocks themselves. They're coming in full force! Estimated arrival time—less than two hours!"

There was a hint of panic in Hiruba's voice, and a touch of anger. These bastards were seriously starting a war for supremacy on Hell Pirates turf?

This wouldn't go unanswered.

---------

Brook wasn't surprised to hear the news about Hiruba. That old bastard Digger still cared a lot about his son Jack. But whether this "Rocks" was the real one… that was still uncertain.

"Check if there's an old woman and an old man next to Rocks. The old woman, Kurozumi Higurashi, uses the Clone-Clone Fruit, and she's usually with her brother, Kurozumi Chanmaru. If only the old man shows up, report to me immediately!"

If Rocks wasn't here personally, Brook could use the chance to pressure Diger into a deal. But if Rocks was here, he'd have to temporarily ally with Diger to force the Rocks Pirates to retreat. What he couldn't afford to do… was lose his leverage.

If things went south, he'd rather cut and run—let them tear each other apart. Brook wasn't willing to gamble on a full-out fight with no guaranteed benefit.

And as far as he knew, the Kurozumi siblings were always joined at the hip. Higurashi never showed up without Chanmaru, and vice versa. If only the old man was seen beside Rocks, it was very likely that this "Rocks" was just Higurashi in disguise, using her Devil Fruit.

In other words, this fake Rocks might be planning another ambush—just like last time with David Kyons. If he killed or subjugated Willank or Saracha next, the so-called Overlord Alliance would either grow stronger by cannibalizing itself… or fall apart completely.

A single move could destabilize everything. Diger's whole idea of forming an alliance to resist Rocks might crumble in an instant.

"Captain Brook! There's only an old man! No sign of any old woman!" Hiruba shouted, excitement in his voice.

That likely meant the Rocks Pirates were bluffing. This battle might not even happen. But then where the hell was the real Rocks?

Brook knew one thing—if the Diger Pirates lost their strongest ally now, they wouldn't be able to stand against Rocks for even a few more years.

He cut off all Den Den Mushi communication. It was time to act.

If he could take out Jack and Xiaofeng right now, he'd have the upper hand in any negotiation with Digger.

That old man never expected Brook's golden warship to be so fast, and without Xiaofeng's speed boost, Diger's fleet wouldn't make it in time!

Brook drew the Seven Star Sword. "Let's start with a little appetizer."

---

Beaver was getting hammered by Charlotte Linlin, struggling to survive under the relentless barrage of thunder and flame. His mind raced as he looked for an escape route.

How the hell did it come to this?

How did that damn golden warship move faster than Xiaofeng's wind boost?!

They returned way too fast—he didn't even get a chance to run. If he'd swapped places with Gaban earlier, he might've escaped and joined Rocks instead of wasting time trying to kill Angel!

Suddenly, Beaver—his body coated in Armament Haki—felt a chill that made his skin crawl. His instincts screamed danger. Every cell in his body set off alarm bells.

Something's wrong!

But he was too slow to react. Between Charlotte's barrage and this mysterious new attack, either could end him.

A chilling sensation spread across his chest. His movement froze.

Then—boom—a flaming fist smashed into his gut, sending him flying backwards in agony.

As he tumbled through the air, he caught a glimpse of his own chest—a deep sword wound cutting to the bone, freezing cold, right through the heart.

Brook.

That bastard had ambushed him. Even this so-called Overlord was shameless?!

The sword wound and the blazing fist that pierced his abdomen overwhelmed him. He rolled along the beach, blood spraying, until he finally stopped—barely clinging to life.

He was no match for Charlotte Linlin to begin with. But now, even Brook had jumped in. How could he possibly survive?

Despicable…

---

"The feast is about to begin! Leave the neck for me!!" Shakky shrieked excitedly, soaring through the air.

Finally, another gourmet meal of premium pirate blood!

The memory seahorse jumped onto her shoulder to hitch a ride. It wanted to feast too!

"I want some, too!!" shouted Crocus, the ship's doctor. His Healing Fruit needed high-quality blood to craft blood crystal dandelions—potion-like items to boost stamina for the whole crew.

Everyone rushed at Beaver like ravenous animals. Charlotte Linlin didn't want to be left out either. This was her kill—how could she let others take all the credit? If she didn't drain a few decades off his life, all her effort would go to waste.

(TL: This scene looks like all the hell pirates are cannibals)

Angel and Uncle Bull recoiled, horrified.

Were the leaders of the Hell Pirates actually cannibals?

They paled. Even the Ewald Pirates and other prisoners backed away.

The Roger Pirates, watching from the side, looked on with a mix of curiosity and discomfort.

Rayleigh refused to believe Shakky was a monster. She was so charming… she couldn't possibly eat people!

Then Brook joined the others circling Beaver, and their expressions stiffened. Don't tell me even Brook…?!

Shakky, hidden behind Linlin's massive figure, sank her fangs into Beaver's neck and drank deeply.

Crocus sliced his wrist open, fighting to collect blood for his potions.

Beaver looked around at the demons surrounding him—these monsters couldn't be human. Was this… hell?

Charlotte used her power Soul-Soul Fruit, drawing out his soul bit by bit.

The memory seahorse latched onto Beaver's head, sucking out his memories in vibrant, colorful strands. It had to move fast—if he died, the memories would vanish too!

Brook sighed.

Do these people have no table manners? Just look at Crocus using bottles—at least that's civilized. Why can't they be more like me?

Still… it was true. Pirates with 700 million berries on their heads didn't show up often. The only other "meal" close to this was when they dined on David Kyons. And this one? Even more luxurious.

As Beaver's eyes widened in terror, his body failing, Brook stepped forward and delivered the final blow—ending his misery.

But Beaver didn't pass into peaceful reincarnation.

No.

Brook enslaved his soul and turned him into a ghost general, another loyal soldier under his command.

---

The others finally backed off, revealing Beaver's frozen corpse. His eyes were closed, his face calm, almost serene. As if he'd died peacefully.

See? Brook thought. We're not monsters. Don't go thinking we're freaks just because we eat well.

Seeing Crocus bottle the blood and Beaver's body lying intact, Angel and the Roger Pirates finally breathed a sigh of relief.

At least… they didn't eat him.

Rayleigh clenched his fists and smiled.

He'd been right to trust Shakky.

She was still that lively, beautiful woman he remembered.