As Brook's words hung in the air, Rocks' face darkened to a stormy scowl. If Brook managed to hoard all those top-tier Devil Fruits, what would be left for Rocks in the New World? Nothing but scraps!
The moment their contract ended, the Rocks Pirates would be finished. Hell, it might not even take that long—Brook's cunning could orchestrate his downfall through schemes and subterfuge long before the deadline. No need for the Hell Pirates to clash directly with Rocks' crew; Brook was clever enough to sidestep the contract's terms with tricks like pitting one enemy against another or waging proxy wars.
"Brook, don't bite off more than you can chew!" Rocks growled, his voice dripping with menace.
"You think you can take on the World Government and the Celestial Dragons single-handedly?"
His expression was grim, mind racing for a way to pry those Devil Fruits from Brook's grasp.
"Rocks!" Brook shot back, his voice booming with indignation. "Don't stand there playing the victim! You're the one who stormed in here first! What, planning to hog all the Devil Fruits for yourself?"
Brook's outrage was a masterclass in theatrics, his performance so convincing that even Rocks faltered, stunned by the audacity. It was a perfect "turn the tables" move, leaving Rocks momentarily speechless.
"You—!" Rocks' face flushed purple, his liver practically aching from the sheer gall of Brook's shamelessness.
"And another thing!" Brook continued, pointing an accusatory finger. "Your crew's been looting left and right. If you've got any decency, you'd share some of that haul! Let's keep things friendly for the future, yeah?"
Not only had Brook likely swallowed up a fortune in Devil Fruits, but now he was eyeing Rocks' spoils, his brazen greed on full display. It was capitalism at its most shameless, and Rocks could barely contain his fury.
Rocks was fuming, white steam practically shooting from his nostrils, veins bulging on his forehead. His grip on the hilt of his blade, Gibeck, trembled—not from fear, but from pure, unfiltered rage.
"You were the first ones to charge in here!" Brook pressed, his tone deadly serious despite the nonsense spilling from his mouth. "Don't tell me you didn't snag a single Devil Fruit? I'm not buying that the Celestial Dragons hauled off every last one when they fled!"
His accusations were relentless, each word a jab, and his acting was so convincing that even Roger, standing off to the side, started to wonder if Brook was telling the truth.
"I landed at a secret port behind God Valley," Roger interjected, trying to defuse the tension with a dry laugh. "The ships there were already gone. Looks like some Celestial Dragons made a clean getaway."
He was eager to get out of here. The Navy and World Government reinforcements were closing in, and the situation was growing more dangerous by the second.
"What did you grab from that big palace up there?" Rocks demanded, turning his glare on Roger. "Hand it over!"
Rocks was almost certain Brook was the one who'd swiped the Devil Fruits, but he couldn't rule out the possibility that some Celestial Dragons had escaped with them. If it weren't for the Conqueror's Haki contract binding him—and the injuries he'd already sustained—Rocks would've thrown caution to the wind and taken Brook on right then and there.
This was beyond frustrating. All that work, and not a single top-tier Devil Fruit to show for it! If Rocks knew Brook had also pocketed the corpses of the two God's Knights he'd killed, he might've erupted in flames from sheer anger.
Caught between two pirate titans, Roger felt the pressure. With no other choice, he signaled his crew to pile up their treasures in a heap. But he kept the rubbing of the Red Poneglyph for himself. The original was still in that grand palace, so a single copy shouldn't matter, right?
"No Devil Fruits here either?" Rocks roared, eyeing the pile of treasures—rare artifacts, sure, but nothing that satisfied him. "Did someone eat them already?!"
"We made a beeline for the main palace after landing," Roger snapped, his patience wearing thin.
"Didn't see a single Devil Fruit. I'll swear it on my Conqueror's Haki! If I'm lying, let my Haki crumble to nothing!"
Rocks was starting to question his own sanity. How could this be happening?
"Hold on, Rocks," Brook said, feigning confusion. "You got some inside scoop or what? You've already grabbed a mountain of treasure, and you're still not satisfied? Is there some special Devil Fruit here you're after?"
His bewildered act was flawless, each question poking at Rocks' nerves while Brook mentally patted himself on the back for his Oscar-worthy performance.
"Alright, Rocks," Brook continued, his tone shifting to one of mock betrayal. "You dragged me into this God Valley raid, saying it was about crushing the Celestial Dragons and the Navy. The loot was supposed to be a bonus! So what's this secret you're hiding? You using me?"
Brook leaned into his "victim" role, teetering on the edge of a full-blown tantrum. It was almost comical.
"Damn it!" Brook exclaimed, his eyes glinting with greed. "Did those fleeing Celestial Dragons take the best stuff with them? I'm going after them right now!"
He made a show of rallying his crew, as if ready to soar into the sky and chase down the escaping nobles.
His performance left Rocks second-guessing himself. Could it really not be Brook? Was he wrong about this scheming bastard?
"Captain Brook, take us with you!" Rayleigh called out. With the Rocks Pirates and a swarm of Navy forces closing in, the Roger Pirates were in a tight spot. Hitching a ride with Shiki the Golden Lion was their best shot at survival.
"Brook," Rocks said, swallowing his pride, "did you grab Devo? If so, you owe me Aokiba."
Rocks was forced to accept the bitter truth: his meticulously planned God Valley heist had yielded no top-tier Devil Fruits. His only hope now was to claim some from the Navy's elite Devil Fruit users.
"Hmph," Brook scoffed. "I'm off to chase those Celestial Dragons. I want to see what's got you so worked up, Rocks!"
Ignoring Rocks' request, Brook turned to leave with his crew, his greed practically radiating off him.
"Brook-senpai, wait for us!" Roger, Rayleigh, and Gaban shouted, desperate to escape.
"Brook, don't forget our deal!" Rocks snarled, teeth grinding. "We agreed to crush the Navy and drive them out of the New World!"
That was the other half of their Conqueror's Haki contract, and Rocks wasn't about to let Brook wiggle out of it.
Brook paused, his expression souring.
"Fine," he said, smirking. "Whoever takes down a Navy ability user keeps the spoils."
He sounded annoyed, as if Rocks was holding him back from his treasure hunt. But if Rocks didn't agree, Brook was ready to walk away and deal with the Navy later. The contract gave him time, after all.
"Deal!" Rocks spat, his voice thick with frustration. Never in his life had he felt so humiliated. The King of the New World, slayer of two pirate overlords and two God's Knights, was being outplayed by Brook at every turn. That Conqueror's Haki contract was starting to feel like the worst mistake of his life.
If only he could just kill Brook right now!
"Let's take these Navy bastards down!" Brook said with a cold laugh, dragging the Roger Pirates into his makeshift alliance.
The Roger Pirates wanted to slip away? No chance. They were staying to do the heavy lifting.
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Fanfic is finished 955 chapters in total on p@treon/tambeerg