Aboard the gleaming Golden Island, soaring through the skies.
Charlotte Linlin was practically bursting with joy. The chance to nd ties with the giants and build a friendly rapport? That was a dream co true! And, as expected, there wasn’t a problem in the world that Brook couldn’t solve!
"Here, Brook, have so fruit!"
Linlin carefully handed Brook a slice of fruit—cut so large it dwarfed his skeletal head. No matter! In the wild world of pirates, stretchy mouths were practically standard issue. Brook chomped the oversized piece in one go, earning a delighted grin from Linlin.
anwhile, Vegapunk was in his elent, collecting buckets of dinosaur blood and tissue samples. He didn’t stop there—while the giants were out cold, he sneakily drew several barrels of their blood, too.
Brook’s research projects included a giantification experint, though it was low on the priority list. Still, Vegapunk wasn’t one to pass up a chance to tinker!
The giants’ Elbaf martial techniques seed tailor-made for powerhouses like Newgate and Linlin, whose brute strength rivaled small giants. Shiki and Redfield, on the other hand, leaned toward speed and finesse, so they could only borrow bits and pieces to refine their swordplay.
Even shipwright Tom, a fishman with his strength, got to dabble in Elbaf’s secrets. Kaido and Tiger were clamoring to learn, too. With Brook’s blessing, every crew mber had access to a treasure trove of training thods!
The Hell Pirates’ arsenal was stacked: Armant, Observation, and Conqueror’s Haki, plus Ryuo; the Navy’s Rokushiki with advanced variants; Elbaf’s martial arts; Fishman Island’s karate and jujitsu; and sword styles from Wano’s finest schools. All top-tier techniques, ticulously compiled by Redfield and laid out on the ship for everyone to study.
This was the might of an overlord crew! Kaido, still a rookie swinging his spiked club, was floored. He opted for Elbaf’s heavy-hitting techniques and doubled down on physical training, itching to awaken his Haki.
Brook eyed the collection of elite training manuals. The next goal? Conqueror’s Haki infusion. In the New World, only Rocks, Vesper had mastered it. Who’d be the best target to learn from?
Saracha, anwhile, kept pestering his "ally" Vesper for the secrets of Conqueror’s Haki infusion to bolster his strength against Rocks. But Vesper, stingy as ever, refused to share, leaving Saracha grinding his teeth in frustration. No dice there!
Looked like that goal was a long shot for now. Vesper wouldn’t spill unless Rocks was knocking on his door with a death threat!
Vesper was tearing his hair out. Not a single Conqueror’s Haki awakener in his crew, while the Hell Pirates were swimming in them. Talk about envy!
...
At Twin Cape, before Reverse Mountain.
Aster lounged in his sun chair, flipping through a dical book as usual. Two newspapers a day didn’t last long in his laid-back routine, so he’d turned to the dical texts left behind by the Hell Pirates to kill ti.
What started as casual reading turned into a deep dive. From struggling with dense jargon to getting the hang of it, Aster was now itching to try so hands-on experints. Problem was, he had no guinea pigs to test his budding doctor skills on. So, he remained a theoretical physician, ard with just a smidge of knowledge.
Over the past year, the New World’s overlord clashes had made headlines, prompting so pirates to linger in the Four Seas to bulk up before braving the Grand Line. That ant fewer ships tackling Reverse Mountain.
With Aster’s strength, those rookie pirates fresh from the Four Seas didn’t faze him. Anyone dumb enough to ss with Twin Cape’s lighthouse would learn why the flowers blood so red!
Guarding Twin Cape wasn’t just duty—it ca with perks. Aster lived comfortably, even raking in a bit of cash. Not every pirate ship from the Four Seas made it safely over Reverse Mountain.
Wrecked ships and lost crews? Free loot for Aster! It was like clockwork—deliveries of supplies and treasure from overconfident pirates who’d stocked up to conquer the Grand Line, only to crash and burn.
No wonder Crocus, with just a little personal funding, could afford stacks of dical books, equipnt, and herbs for his research. Aster hadn’t realized guarding a lighthouse ca with such a sweet side hustle!
Humming a tune, Aster lounged in his chair, engrossed in his dical book. Suddenly, the sky darkened. He looked up and spotted the dazzling Golden Island.
He read the papers—there was no mistaking that ship!
The Hell Pirates were back, sailing against Reverse Mountain’s current for the second ti? Last ti, Brook whisked Crocus away. Were they here to drag Aster to the Golden Island for a pirate retirent?
The thought sent a thrill through him. But wait—who’d guard Twin Cape? No way, he had to stay strong. He’d promised Crocus to protect this place. A real man keeps his word!
Still, if Crocus found a replacent and begged him to join the Golden Island for a cushy retirent, well, maybe he’d grudgingly agree. He was only in his early forties, after all—a pri, strapping man!
"Aster-san!"
Crocus zood down from the Golden Island on a smaller craft, landing at Twin Cape. He rushed over, wrapping his uncle in a bear hug.
"Crocus, you’ve gotten strong! What brings you back?"
Aster’s voice brimd with excitent, tinged with hope. A chance to board the overlord crew’s Golden Island? Were they here to recruit him?
"Uncle, we’re headed to the West Blue and just stopped by to check on you. I can’t stay long—don’t want the Marines sniffing out our connection and causing you trouble!"
Crocus unloaded a haul of rare potions, self-defense poisons, and a chest of golden treasure. He even left behind manuals for training Armant and Observation Haki. With a heavy heart, he bid his uncle farewell, hopped back on his craft, and returned to the Golden Island as it sailed off.
...
Watching the Golden Island crest Reverse Mountain and vanish, Aster snapped out of his daze. That punk didn’t even invite him aboard for a quick tour!
His cheeks flushed. Here he was, daydreaming about retiring on the Golden Island, only for Crocus to breeze through like it was nothing.
Glancing at the pile of treasures and manuals Crocus left behind, Aster gave a wry smile. Fine, fine. He’d stick to his chill life at Twin Cape.
The high-stakes world of an overlord crew wasn’t for him. Aboard the Golden Island, Crocus chuckled. He didn’t want his uncle turning pirate or Twin Cape left in soone else’s hands.
Thinking back to Aster’s hopeful expression, Crocus muttered a silent apology—but the grin on his face said he wasn’t that sorry!
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240 Chapters on p@treon/tambeerg
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