One Piece: Capitalist Brook's Crew Expansion Plan

Gold Lion Shiki easily dodged the massive slash from Edward's blade. That kind of sword aura was even stronger than his own—completely impossible to block head-on. All he could do was watch as an ordinary pirate ship was split clean in half.

"Damn it! My attack didn't even touch him?!"

Shiki felt like he'd been overshadowed by Newgate, and the sting of that didn't sit well. Why wouldn't this bastard Edward just drop already?

Just as Edward prepared to launch another attack, bolts of lightning rained down from the sky, striking him and the surrounding sea. Pirates still struggling in the water, waiting to be rescued, were instantly electrocuted—twitching, smoking, and sinking into the sea.

"Bastards!!"

Edward nearly lost it. His elite fleet was completely wiped out. Only the core crew remained.

Redfield's thunder and Big Mom's flaming sun both surged toward Edward in tandem.

"Edward. Bounty: 1.5 billion Belly. A Paramecia-type Devil Fruit user who can manipulate all matter within a 100-meter radius. Also a swordsman of terrifying, great swordmaster level."

Antonio called out the enemy's intel just as Shiki's expression turned sour. Why was it that his attacks didn't work?

Fine then—if one island wasn't enough, he'd bring down an island a kilometer wide to flatten this bastard!

"Looks like elemental attacks are outside his control," Brook commented, sharp as ever. "He can't seem to handle Redfield's lightning or Big Mom's flames."

Hearing that, Redfield and Big Mom ramped up their long-range assault. Meanwhile, the officers aboard Edward's ship began returning fire—cannons, bullets, and sword slashes were all launched toward the airborne Golden Ark.

...

"The Hell Pirates too?! So you're working together—no wonder you had the guts to take me on!"

Edward finally realized who he was truly up against. His fists trembled in rage.

Sniper Silva found that none of her bullets could land a kill. As soon as they entered Edward's domain, they lost all momentum, floating uselessly in the air.

"Edward! From now on, Elan Island is our turf. Do us a favor and get lost! Newgate—hit 'em again!"

Brook shouted down from above, waving for Newgate to launch another tidal wave. He also unleashed his ghost army and drew his Shichiseiken, slashing out a massive energy wave with deadly force.

Edward retaliated with a sword slash of his own, cleaving through Brook's attack. But the relentless long-range barrage from the Hell Pirates was forcing him to stay on the defensive within his domain—he barely had a chance to fight back.

"Gurarara~! Even if the tsunami won't kill him, maybe it'll knock some sense into him!"

Newgate roared as he charged up another quake and slammed it into the ocean, sending a towering wave crashing toward the ship.

...

"That tsunami was yours?! Edward Newgate, I'll remember this!!"

Edward finally saw who was behind the destruction of his forces—none other than the Hell Pirates' newest monster, Newgate. The murderous intent in his eyes was practically spilling out.

He didn't dare take the wave head-on. Instead, he forced his ship into submarine mode, conserving energy. Tanking that tsunami would've been suicide.

...

"Brook, let me go down there and fight him!"

Redfield's eyes burned. Watching Edward take beating after beating from afar stirred something in him. He wanted to see if this so-called 'false sovereign' was actually as strong as people claimed.

"No. You're underestimating him. Right now, we're dominating because we have the high ground and long-range advantage. The moment you step into his Devil Fruit range, it's over. We're not ready for that."

Don't be fooled—while the Hell Pirates seemed to have the upper hand now, if Edward got a real chance, the entire tide could turn in an instant.

...

"Out of my way!!"

Fuming, Shiki hauled in a colossal island from who-knows-where. Veins bulged on his forehead—the effort to keep a thousand-meter island floating was clearly pushing his limits.

"Shiki… You sure this isn't overkill?"

Newgate watched the furious Shiki with admiration. The guy had a real temper and refused to lose. Just because his first strike had no effect, he now brought a whole damn island for payback.

The ship had just resurfaced when that massive island dropped straight toward it. Even a so-called "false sovereign" like Edward lost his composure.

"What kind of nightmare is this?! I've been getting pounded all day, and now this?! These Hell Pirates all have disaster-level Devil Fruit powers!"

...

"AAARGH!!"

Edward pushed himself to the limit, veins bulging on his arms as he unleashed a devastating slash—burning his own life force to split the thousand-meter island in half. Then he used his powers to shield his ship from the debris.

Just then, another thunderbolt struck. Brook's ghost army landed on his ship, and Edward was starting to crack under the unrelenting assault.

...

"Captain, we're with you!"

His top officer, Biff, charged in with a squad of elite pirates to fight off the ghosts. But no matter how hard they hit, the ghosts took no damage.

Meanwhile, Big Mom's distant thunder and fire barrage finally hit, leaving the ship in absolute ruins.

Shakky and the other crewmates without long-range attacks could only stand back and watch. Even Silva couldn't get a clean shot in.

...

"Time for a song!"

Brook grinned. His ghost army had been wreaking havoc long enough. Antonio prepped his sound shells and pointed the Den Den Mushi toward the battlefield below.

Music burst from the speakers. Brook's ten-meter-tall Soul Reaper form appeared, summoning a skull-shaped guitar. 

Edward's crewmates felt their souls yanked from their bodies. A wave of terror washed over them—heartbeats racing, life draining, limbs frozen, faces pale as death.

"No…!!"

Even Biff, the 700 million Belly officer, felt his blood turn cold. His spirit grew numb, his body sluggish. In that moment of vulnerability, Redfield and Big Mom's attacks landed squarely on him.

Edward himself felt dread rise in his chest. He was being dismantled by the Hell Pirates. This was the most humiliating battle of his entire career.

He hadn't even touched the enemy's clothes—and they'd already reduced him to this.

It didn't matter how strong his Haki was, how deep his Devil Fruit mastery ran, or how sharp his swordsmanship had become—he was no match for this coordinated assault of elemental devastation and soul-based destruction.

...

"Brook!! I won't forget this!!"

Edward fled in disgrace, his presence like a soaking-wet mutt chased off a battlefield. From this day on, his name would never carry the same weight again.

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+122 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg