One Piece: Capitalist Brook's Crew Expansion Plan

At that moment, the Memory Seahorse stormed in, grumbling and shouting about being late. By rights, shouldn't it have been allowed to feast first before Brook and Linlin squeezed out the rest of the enemy's value?

Redfield also felt like Brook and Linlin had moved too fast. He hadn't even had a chance to read Brelco's memories yet—they'd just wasted a golden opportunity to learn the exact location of the Edward Pirates' base camp.

Left with no choice, Brook had to lay down a rule: they'd strip enemies of value in a set order. For important opponents, Redfield would read their memories first. Then the Memory Seahorse could have its meal. Only after that would Linlin harvest the soul's lifespan, and finally, Brook—being the boss—would enslave the entire soul.

Brook sighed. "So I'm just the guy eating leftovers? Seriously? Will the ghosts still be any good after all that draining? Don't give me that whole 'final act' nonsense to make it sound better!"

The other crew members watched in stunned silence, equal parts awe and pity. Yeah... "Hell Pirates" was the perfect name. For their enemies, this really was hell. In the future, not a single soul would escape the Four-Person Squad's grasp.

...

Stussy truly lived up to her CP roots. Among thirty or forty pirates, she alone had taken down over twenty. The Finger-sized holes in their chests from Shigan told the story—if Brook hadn't specifically ordered her not to kill, each one would've been a straight shot to the heart.

Even Stussy was shocked at how much stronger she'd become compared to her days training at the base. Shakky had told her she'd already mastered not just the basic Rokushiki but also advanced techniques and Seimei Kikan. The only reason she didn't remember was because of her lost memories.

But now, relearning them was just a matter of time. She hadn't realized how powerful she'd once been—all she wanted now was to reclaim those abilities as fast as possible.

Fisher Tiger, watching from the sidelines, couldn't help feeling overshadowed again. First it was Shakky who beat him down, and now here came an even stronger woman. The pressure was real.

Once the cleanup was done, Charlotte Linlin created even more Homies to patrol the area. Brook harvested a few more souls to feed to his ghostly minions.

Then came Golden Lion Shiki—a man driven by ambition, obsessed with becoming the strongest. He challenged Redfield directly, determined to seize the title of top officer in the Hell Pirates.

But Redfield wasn't one to back down. If Shiki had ambition, so did he. The two seemed locked in a contest of raw power and pride.

At this stage, Redfield still held the upper hand. His Rumble-Rumble Fruit, widely considered the strongest Logia, outclassed Shiki's Float-Float Fruit in both speed and power. Their swordsmanship was evenly matched.

When it came to Haki, both were users of all three types—but Redfield's Observation Haki was on another level. Boosted by his Devil Fruit and his innate, uniquely powerful Kenbunshoku, he completely outmatched Shiki.

His Armament Haki was also superior—thanks to a more systematic and complete training regimen—and he had years more experience.

And as for Conqueror's Haki? Redfield was driven by a mission to topple the Celestial Dragons and shake the foundations of the World Government. Shiki, by contrast, wanted to dominate the New World—but repeated setbacks at the hands of Rocks had taken a toll on his confidence.

...

"Newgate, still frustrated about not awakening your Conqueror's Haki?" Redfield chuckled. "Don't overthink it. What's meant to come will come. Just open your heart a little wider."

Edward Newgate watched the duel between Redfield and Shiki, itching to jump in. But without Conqueror's Haki, he felt like he was missing that final edge.

"Gurarara~ They're both so damn flashy, I can't help wanting to punch them both!"

Truth was, Newgate wasn't any weaker than Shiki. His lack of Conqueror's Haki didn't hold him back—just his Tremor-Tremor Fruit and mastery of the other two Hakis were enough to give Shiki a serious headache.

Shiki's aerial techniques, powered by the Float-Float Fruit, were all neutralized by Newgate's raw destructive force. But against Redfield's speed and godlike Observation Haki, it felt like every move he made was read in advance. He just couldn't land a hit.

No denying it—Redfield was a monster. His Devil Fruit, his Haki, his swordsmanship... everything was top-tier. It might take a long time for Newgate to catch up.

"Don't worry," Brook said with a calm smile. "You'll awaken it soon enough. Then you'll be right there with Redfield, and beyond Shiki."

In Brook's mind, Redfield was born with supernatural Observation Haki, Newgate had overwhelming natural strength, but Shiki lacked that kind of innate gift—which meant he'd always be just a step behind.

All three of them were destined to master all three Hakis. All three wielded top-class Devil Fruits. All three were gifted with blade mastery. In the end, what might separate them could be something as subtle—and as critical—as a natural talent they were born with.

...

"Brook! Come shopping with us!"

Charlotte Linlin swooped in and scooped Brook up like a doll, plopping him on her shoulder. Riding the thundercloud Zeus alongside her were Shakky and Stussy, grinning with excitement.

Newgate watched them drift off into the sky and shook his head with a soft laugh. He really liked this freewheeling life. But he still had something to do—yeah, he needed to go beat some sense into Shiki. The guy was always showing off his Conqueror's Haki!

Meanwhile, sniper Silva, ship doctor Crocus, and shipwright Tom were hard at work. They were experimenting with a paralyzing cannon—hoping to instantly thin out enemy forces and give the Hell Pirates a manpower advantage in any big fight.

"Crocus! Hurry up and bring out the toxins we got from Fish-Man Island! Let's upgrade this water cannon and turn it into a poison blaster!"

Silva was fiddling with a water cannon that used Jet Dials and Water Dials. It wasn't just effective against Devil Fruit users—it'd work against regular pirates too.

"Tom, your smithing skills are top-notch! Help me forge some precision parts!"

Silva was constantly refining his weapon designs. Now, he was even helping Tom study the blueprints for Pluton—always learning something new.

Elsewhere, Parrot gazed enviously at the Memory Seahorse swimming freely with the Qilin Lion. Meanwhile, it had to stay behind and help Antonio feed the Den Den Mushi and record information—because it was the only one who could talk.

Scarlet and Fisher Tiger had gone off fishing and hunting sea beasts, training in the ocean as they worked. Chef Streusen followed closely behind, ready to prep whatever they brought back.

...

"Brook! From now on, the three of us are officially the Hell Trio!"

Charlotte Linlin grinned brightly as she made the announcement. She said Shakky had warned her that the Marines always came up with dumb, insulting nicknames—so this time, they'd beat them to it.

"Oh? What kind of nicknames did you pick?"

Brook could already tell this was Shakky's idea. He remembered the last time her wanted poster called her a 'Petty Extortion Brat'—she nearly lost her mind.

"I'll be the Hell Witch—Linlin!"

"I'm the Hell Temptress—Stussy!"

"I'm the Hell Saintess—Shakky!"

"We are... the Hell Trio!"

Brook stared at their dramatic poses and overly serious expressions.

He couldn't help it.

He burst out laughing.

"Seriously, Stussy? Even you got dragged into this?"

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+122 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg