Antonio was very thoughtful and had already prepared a large room for the new little giant members. These spacious quarters were part of the original design of the Erebus.
Brook had considered the size of certain individuals, like Charlotte Linlin, who stood at 8.8 meters tall, and Edward Newgate, who was 6.6 meters tall.
The Erebus had three decks in total. One side featured a massive two-story room, while the other contained standard two-story cabins. The lowest level was used for storage.
On the main deck, there were two additional floors that housed a lounge, a combat office, a training area, and even a battle room.
Not to mention, the ship's shipwright, Tom, was around three to four meters tall and quite bulky, so the entrances of the Erebus were built larger than usual. Right now, there weren't many crew members aboard, so everyone had their own room—including the trainee, Fisher Tiger!
"Captain Brook, are the new members combatants too? And when are you going to find a chef? You barely cook, and that doesn't fit the image of our golden ship at all! How can such a luxurious pirate crew not have a top-tier chef?"
Shakky's complaints once again struck Antonio right in the heart. She had just found a new member and was already using Brook's lack of cooking to criticize him.
"Didn't you say you could cook when you first came aboard? But I've barely seen you step into the kitchen," Brook shot back without hesitation.
"Captain, I'm really busy! I have to monitor the weather changes every day—it's exhausting!"
If she hadn't been leisurely licking an ice cream at that very moment, they might have actually believed her.
"A skilled chef will be joining soon, but I have no idea what's on his mind."
Streusen was a decent cook, but his motives were far from pure. Brook, however, already had a plan to deal with him—while also ensuring he never revealed Charlotte Linlin's dark past involving Sister Carmel.
Did they really think Brook's memory was just for show? He planned to erase more than ten years of Streusen memories, permanently burying the secret of the Sheep's House.
Of course, this had to be done carefully. Brook couldn't let Streusen escape, and he needed the right opportunity to isolate him, bring Redfield along, and modify his memories.
Streusen had once been both a chef and a pirate, but his career had been destroyed by another powerful crew. He eventually drifted to the Sheep's House, where he witnessed young Charlotte Linlin's horrifying actions.
That's why he decided to take Linlin with him and set sail again, aiming to build a powerful force.
Even if Streusen realized he had lost part of his memory, what could he do? His fate was now tied to the Hell Pirates.
And given Charlotte Linlin's current attitude toward him, she certainly wouldn't help him recover those lost memories. His only choice was to settle as an ordinary crew member.
---
At a harbor bar, the towering figure of Edward Newgate sat drinking. Unlike most pirates, he had little interest in women or power. He only looted treasure to send it back to his hometown.
"Hey, big guy, are you a pirate? You're really out here in the middle of the assassin territory of the Magara Kingdom?"
The island was crawling with bounty hunters and assassin organizations that specialized in taking down New World pirates for bounties. Since pirates in this region tended to be stronger, their bounties were also higher.
The New World wasn't just a pirate's paradise—it was a hunting ground for bounty hunters, assassins, and underground organizations. Here, the line between hunter and prey could flip in an instant.
"Edward Newgate, former combatant of the Lion Pirates. A bounty of only 90 million berries? How the hell did you even survive out here? That's not even enough to cover my monthly expenses!"
A killer held up Newgate's wanted poster. The bounty for their captain, Ryan, was listed at 170 million berries, a number typical for a rising supernova entering the New World.
Clearly, there was a massive gap between the local pirate crews in this sea. Among the more dominant groups was the Ice Demon Pirates, one of the three overlords of the New World.
The frozen region they ruled was home to a rare tribe of Ice Giants, warriors hardened by the extreme cold. Even the legendary giant Oars, who lived over 450 years ago, had met his end there—frozen solid. He had likely suffered injuries from a battle before succumbing to the cold.
In later years, the massive twin giants, Lock and Scourge, who briefly appeared in Punk Hazard, would emerge from this very land. These Ice Giants towered over their Elbaf counterparts, standing more than 40 meters tall.
Unlike them, the Rocks Pirates were a rising force that had stormed into the New World from the four seas, fighting countless battles to establish their dominance.
However, the two other ruling pirate crews had deep roots in the New World. Even Rocks couldn't take them down outright, which was why he aggressively expanded his own fleet.
---
"Yeah, I'm Edward Newgate. But I left the Lion Pirates. What, are you planning to kill me for the bounty?"
Newgate took a big swig of sake, then turned to the assassins surrounding him with a smile. His massive fist pulsed with a bright white glow.
"Oh, so you've eaten a Devil Fruit? No wonder you quit the Lion Pirates. Are you starting your own crew? Too bad—you won't get the chance today!"
A pirate with a bounty under 100 million berries, even with a Devil Fruit, wouldn't stand a chance against their elite assassin squad.
During their prime, their organization had taken down pirates with bounties exceeding 200 million. Taking out Ryan, the Lion Pirates' captain, wouldn't even be a challenge.
"Today, I'm just waiting for my new captain. Don't make me angry," Newgate warned, gripping his sake bottle tightly.
Seeing the number of enemies surrounding him, he was itching to test his strength. Ever since he obtained the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, he felt an overwhelming compatibility with it. Simple. Raw. Destructive.
"Oh? You're already looking for a new crew? Then come on!"
The assassins' gunmen and snipers opened fire, while their elite blade-wielders drew poisoned daggers, waiting for the gunfire to end before rushing in for the kill.
Newgate's fist gleamed with a white glow as he swung forward. The air cracked—an immense shockwave erupted, smashing aside the incoming bullets and sending a devastating force toward the assassins.
The gunmen coughed up blood as they were hurled backward, while the dagger-wielding killers barely dodged the sheer force of the quake.
"What the hell is this power?! That shockwave alone wiped out our gunmen in an instant!"
Just one attack had obliterated an entire squad.
----
The Dagger Killers scattered in all directions, forming a tight encirclement around Newgate like a massive net.
Seeing their Musketeer allies injured and their guns broken, they had already suffered heavy losses. Their only way to recover was to capture Newgate and claim the bounty.
"Attack together!!"
Poisoned daggers in hand, the assassins lunged at Newgate from every direction, counting on their numbers to overwhelm him. They had used this tactic countless times—pirates always thought they were invincible, ignoring minor wounds. But once the poison kicked in, they'd start crying about dirty tricks.
But so what?
As assassins, they relied on poisoned blades and ambushes to survive against brutal pirates. Pirates pillaged towns, slaughtered civilians, and showed no mercy. Killers, on the other hand, valued profit above all, using any means necessary—poison, sneak attacks, deception. Who was worse? Wasn't it just two sides of the same coin?
Newgate spotted the assassins closing in, their blades glowing with eerie green venom. He knew these guys weren't to be underestimated. Facing a full surround, he decided to break through in one direction.
With a powerful step forward, he threw a punch that sent a shockwave blasting ahead. The assassin in his path flinched in terror and instinctively backed off, unwilling to take the hit head-on.
"Don't back down! Hold the line!"
The assassin captain shouted, furious at his subordinate's hesitation. If they let Newgate break free, all their losses would be for nothing.
The assassin, trembling, had no choice but to rush forward. Gritting his teeth, he stabbed at Newgate's tremor-wrapped fist.
The moment the poisoned blade made contact, an overpowering vibration surged through it. In an instant, the dagger shattered, and the assassin's entire arm exploded into a mist of blood.
"AAAAHHHH!!!"
Clutching the remains of his shoulder, the assassin screamed in agony as he was sent flying. The sheer terror on his face struck fear into the other killers.
"Damn it!!"
The assassin captain cursed. They had completely underestimated this white-haired giant. He was fighting like a pirate with a bounty of 200 million berries, yet his current bounty was only 90 million. Something wasn't right!
Newgate burst out of the tavern, standing tall in front of a building, relieved to have an open escape route. He glanced at the assassins still chasing him. His fists glowed white as he grinned.
"Gurararara! Come on, then! Let's have some real fun!"
Despite the overwhelming odds, he showed no fear.
The assassin captain led a dozen more killers after him, but seeing that Newgate wasn't running anymore, he hesitated.
"Call the boss. Now."
If they didn't get backup, they were done for.
"Yes, Captain!"
One of the killers quickly pulled out a Den Den Mushi and dialed. Moments later, their leader answered.
"You useless idiots. Hold him there—I'm on my way."
Hearing their boss's response, the assassins breathed a sigh of relief. Their leader was a notorious pirate who had personally taken down a 210-million-berry target.
"More assassins coming?"
Newgate wasn't the type to wait around. He charged straight at them. His sheer size, monstrous strength, and Tremor-Tremor Fruit left the assassins in a panic.
"You damn rats! If you're too scared to fight, I'm leaving!"
Newgate laughed as he saw them retreating faster than mice.
"You're not going anywhere! You've injured too many of our men! Just wait—our boss is gonna kill you!"
The assassin captain wasn't dumb enough to engage directly. Instead, they surrounded Newgate, trying to slow him down.
Newgate accelerated, punching an assassin who failed to dodge, further breaking their formation.
"Hmph! Let's see if your boss is really that tough!"
He had fought slavers, pirates, and criminals since childhood. He had never once backed down.
"Fine! If you've got the guts, stay put! Our leader will deal with you soon!"
As soon as the captain finished speaking, a shadow leaped over from a nearby building.
BOOM!
The figure landed, cracking the ground beneath him and raising a cloud of dust.
"You're the one who injured my men?"
As the dust settled, a rugged man with short, thick black hair emerged. A scar ran from his forehead down across his eye and cheek, giving him a menacing look.
Far from looking like an assassin, he had the brutal presence of a pirate.
"You attacked me first. Cut the crap—let's fight!"
Newgate wasn't interested in excuses. He charged forward, fists raised.
"I saw a pirate as arrogant as you once before… and he's already dead."
The leader of the Dagger Killers, Poison Blade Cavendish, unsheathed a poisoned dagger, its design completely at odds with his brutal, warrior-like physique.
Despite his rugged looks, Cavendish was a devious, treacherous bastard. He never forgot a grudge and never fought fair.
"Boss, watch out! He's got a Devil Fruit ability—it's ridiculously powerful!"
The assassin captain called out, warning his boss.
Cavendish smirked.
His dagger and arms instantly turned black with Armament Haki. As a man who had survived in the New World, he had long since mastered the basics.
He stabbed forward, his hardened, poison-laced blade aiming for Newgate's tremor-coated fist.
A powerful shockwave exploded outward.
"What?! I can't pierce through?!"
Cavendish's blade barely made contact before a mysterious force repelled it. His hand trembled—he nearly lost his grip on the dagger.
"DIE!!"
Newgate's massive left fist swung toward Cavendish. But Cavendish reacted fast, flipping backward and landing at a distance.
"Not bad. That's one hell of a Devil Fruit power you've got there. But I won't fight you head-on."
Cavendish smirked.
He exchanged glances with the assassin captain.
Clearly, he had no intention of a fair fight. They were going to use their numbers to wear Newgate down, then finish him with a fatal strike.
Just then, near the port, the onlookers started shouting in excitement.
"Look! There's a ship in the sky!!"
"No way! Is it the Flying Pirates?!"
Even Newgate and Cavendish turned their gazes upward.
Above them, a massive airborne ship loomed in the sky.
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