One Piece: Hell Pirate

"Oh no! The Smoke Pirates are back again!"

A boatman came running back in panic, shouting at the top of his lungs.

"What?! That bastard dares to come back?"

Tom the Fishman's face twisted with rage. He grabbed a massive shipbuilding hammer and stormed out.

"Tom! Don't be reckless! Watch out for the smoke!" Jerry shouted with all his might, coughing up blood in the process. The boatmen nearby looked on in concern.

"Captain Brook, this isn't good. These shipwrights think we're the Smoke Pirates!"

Shakky narrowed her eyes at the furious boatmen, their bloodshot eyes filled with hatred as if they were ready to tear them apart. Something was seriously wrong here.

"Otomi, you bastard! I'm gonna kill you!!"

Tom charged ahead, swinging his massive hammer and smashing the brand-new pirate ship belonging to the Smoke Pirates.

Clang!

A sharp sword aura slashed through the air, cutting into Tom's path just in time to stop him. His eyes locked onto a strange man standing on the pirate ship.

"Bring Otomi out now! I'll kill him myself!"

Tom was seething with fury. He was strong—far too strong to fear a scumbag like Otomi.

"I've already defeated Miyan Otomi. He's my prisoner now. If you want his life, you can buy it for his bounty—150 million berries."

Brook stood tall, his sword still radiating an icy aura.

"The heavens have eyes! That heartless bastard Otomi set sail and got his ass handed to him immediately. Serves him right! Hahaha!"

The shipwright foremen erupted into a mix of laughter and tears. The whole shipyard cheered, but the celebration was bittersweet—Jerry's shipyard was in ruins, and rebuilding it would take a fortune.

"You really took down Miyan Otomi? That's perfect! Hand him over—I'll kill him myself and avenge my master!"

Tom, lost in his thirst for vengeance, completely ignored the part about the bounty. He figured he'd kill Otomi first, then cash in on the reward himself. What kind of idiot would demand payment upfront? This strange swordsman must be dumb as hell to make such a demand.

Shakky pinched the bridge of her nose. How is Captain Brook not realizing what's happening here?

"This ship is mine now. Don't even think about destroying it!"

Brook's voice turned sharp as he saw the boatmen lifting their hammers, ready to smash the newly built ship. He instantly swung his sword, cutting them off before they could take action.

"Everyone, stop!"

Tom's deep voice rang out.

"No matter what kind of ship you build, there's no such thing as good or evil in a ship itself. No matter whose hands it ends up in, even if it destroys the world, the one who built it must take responsibility. We shipwrights cannot deny or blame our own creations. A man must face the ship he builds!"

His words stunned not only Brook and his crew but also the boatmen behind him.

Wasn't Tom the one who charged in first, ready to smash the ship to pieces?

Now he was acting all noble and righteous—was he calling them clowns for being angry?

Just then, the factory's injured old director, Jerry, limped forward with the help of his workers. His weary eyes shifted between the new ship that had just wrecked his yard and the defeated Smoke Pirates lying at Brook's feet.

"Thank you, hero, for taking revenge on our behalf. We're grateful beyond words. Could you let us deal with Miyan Otomi ourselves? And... could you return the stolen property?"

Old Jerry cut straight to the chase.

Shakky frowned. This old man is trying to take all of Brook's spoils of war! Sure, they needed money to rebuild, but this was pushing it.

"Old man, you're asking for too much. Even pirates don't pull stunts like this. Miyan Otomi as a bounty of 150 million berries. Why should I hand him over for free? Not to mention, I worked my ass off to take him down. Everything he has is mine now."

Brook's voice carried a sharp edge.

"Of course, if you agree to one condition, I'll consider your request."

Jerry's face tensed. His old body, already weak from his injuries, grew even more anxious. What's this man's condition? Could he be after the blueprints? Did he figure it out?

"What's your condition?"

Brook smiled.

"If possible, I want this fishman, Tom, to be my shipwright. In exchange, I'll hand over Miyan Otomi and all the treasure he stole."

"Impossible! Tom is the backbone of Jerry's Shipyard! He's our protector! We can't let him leave and become a pirate!"

Jerry objected fiercely. Tom was his most skilled apprentice, and he was already prepared to pass down the Pluton blueprints to him. He needed a successor.

"You want to build something that'll save Water 7, right? Maybe I can help you with that."

Brook's words immediately caught Tom's attention.

Save Water 7?

He had spent years trying to find a way to revive the city's economy and bring stability to the shipbuilding industry.

"Tom, you can't leave! We need you here!"

Jerry's desperation showed.

Brook smirked.

"How about this—let Tom be my shipwright for two years. I'll share my knowledge with him, and in return, you'll get Otomi bounty, plus a few hundred million berries. That should be more than enough to rebuild."

Everyone's eyes lit up.

With this deal, Tom could chase his dream, Jerry's shipyard would get the money it needed, and everyone would keep their jobs.

Jerry hesitated. He figured he could hold out for two more years, long enough to pass on the blueprints to Tom. But with the Water 7 shipyards constantly at war with each other, letting Tom leave would be a huge risk.

Meanwhile, Tom was shocked. Brook was offering him nearly 200 million berries per year—an insane sum. And if he could find a way to save Water 7 in just two years, it'd be worth it.

After much debate, Jerry finally gave in, pressured by both the shipwrights and Tom himself.

Miyan Otomi, his memories wiped clean by a Memory Seahorse, was handed over to the shipwrights like a mindless idiot. Old Jerry and Tom personally beat him to a pulp before cashing in his bounty at the Navy branch to fund their shipyard's reconstruction.

Brook transferred all his loot onto his new ship and left his old one at the shipyard for refurbishment and sale.

Since Jerry still worried about protection, Brook left behind all the surviving Smoke Pirates. Their memories had been scrambled, making them clueless rookies. Now, under Jerry's watch, they'd be trained as proper shipwrights.

Later, in Jerry's office, the old man was still trying to squeeze a few extra berries out of Brook.

"Why are these pirates acting so stupid? Like total beginners."

Jerry frowned in confusion.

Brook shrugged.

"How should I know? Maybe I beat them so hard they forgot their own mothers. Or maybe... they were just too scared of me."

With that, Brook unleashed a wave of eerie Underworld energy. The dark, ghostly aura filled the room, sending shivers down Jerry's spine.

"Y-Yeah… that's possible. Maybe they were just scared out of their minds."

Jerry quickly abandoned the idea of squeezing more money out of Brook.

Since Brook's shipyard needed to be rebuilt, he and his crew had to stay in Water 7 for a few days, waiting for the powerful fish-man Tom to construct the new shipyard.

Brook had been carefully watching Old Jerry, trying to figure out where he hid the Pluto blueprints, but the old man didn't slip up once.

Antonio, meanwhile, managed to snag a few more Den Den Mushi from Miyan Otomi ship, adding them to his growing network of snail friends. Shakky often snuck out to gather intel around Water 7.

After several days of hard work by the craftsmen of Jerry's Shipyard and the crew of the Smoke Pirates, the shipyard's framework was finally rebuilt. Professional shipwrights truly worked fast.

That night, after a long day, the exhausted shipwrights returned to their rooms to rest. The shipyard was set to reopen the next day, and Tom planned to set sail for a while.

Old Jerry was just about to fall asleep in his bedroom when a ghostly figure—so blurry that its shape was barely discernible—appeared on his bed, looming over him.

"Jerry, I took the Pluto blueprints. Don't worry~"

The eerie, ethereal voice sent chills down Old Jerry's spine. He jolted awake, breaking into a cold sweat. As he opened his eyes, the ghost was right in his face, its deathly breath washing over him.

Panic took over. He shut his eyes and swung his arms wildly, crashing into the bedframe. Pain shot through his body as he opened his eyes again, scanning his surroundings frantically.

"A ghost? A Devil Fruit user? No—wait! The Pluto blueprints!"

Thinking the ghost had stolen them, Old Jerry scrambled to his feet, threw on his clothes, and sprinted out of his room. Despite the late hour, he rushed straight to the shipyard's waste storage area.

After ensuring no one was around, he activated a hidden switch, opening the entrance to a secret chamber. Inside, he approached a sturdy safe, unlocked it, and pulled out a stack of aged blueprints. The name "Pluto" was written on them—these were the blueprints of the legendary ancient weapon, Pluto, the god of the underworld.

"Thank god, they're still here..." Old Jerry sighed in relief, stroking the documents. But his expression suddenly twisted.

He had fallen into a trap!

Before he could react, a sharp pain struck the back of his neck. He collapsed instantly. Behind him, Brook emerged from the shadows.

"So this is where you hid them... I had my ghost scout every inch of your room but found nothing. You really made me work for it."

Brook snatched up the Pluto blueprints. Now, all that was left was covering his tracks. He placed a note next to Old Jerry.

"Justice Walking in the Dark – CP5"

"Memory Seahorse, take a little bit of his memory from tonight. Be careful not to take too much."

The small pink Memory Seahorse reluctantly absorbed a fraction of Old Jerry's memory. Afterward, Brook carried the unconscious man back to his bedroom, making it seem like he had simply slept through the night.

"Anyway, we're leaving tomorrow. I wonder how long it'll take him to realize he should check the secret chamber."

---

The Next Morning

Old Jerry woke up feeling sore all over. His body ached as if he had spent the night wrestling sea kings. Black bruises marked his arms. Strange... he didn't remember bumping into anything yesterday. His neck throbbed in pain.

"Did I sleep wrong or something?" he muttered.

After breakfast, the shipwrights gathered to send off Tom, while Brook prepared for the next step in their journey.

Standing on the deck of his new ship, he raised a flag and made an official declaration.

"Today, in Water 7, the Hell Pirates are born! Our new ship will be called the Underworld!"

With the help of the shipwrights, the new pirate flag was quickly painted. It was simple—just a skull, two crossed bones, and the word "Hell." The ship's hull bore the name "Underworld."

"Tom! You better come back!" Old Jerry yelled, worried that his talented apprentice would be stolen away by Brook.

"Master Jerry, I promise! I'll find a way to save Water 7 and return!"

Tom had officially joined the Hell Pirates, signing on for 300 million berries and one Miyan Otomi. A hefty price—but that money had been looted from the Smoke Pirates, so Brook wasn't too concerned.

Before leaving, Old Jerry took the remaining members of the Smoke Pirates into custody. Any crew member with a bounty was handed over to the authorities for reward money—even those worth only a few million berries weren't spared.

With Jerry's Shipyard now significantly weakened, the old man shrugged. "Worst case, we take on fewer contracts or hire stronger foremen at a high price."

(TL: I will change Demon Ghost pirate to Hell Pirates for the rest of the story.)

---

Setting Sail

The Hell Pirates were now official.

Captain: Brook

Navigator: Shakky

Intelligence Officer: Antonio

Shipwright: Tom

Pet: Memory Seahorse

Their adventure had truly begun.

"Captain Brook, where are we headed next?" Shakky asked.

Most pirate crews were making their way toward Sabaody Archipelago, but Brook's crew was heading backward, recruiting members along the way.

"Aska Island. We've got a permanent pointer leading there."

Brook had long felt that his current cane sword wasn't good enough. The legendary cursed sword he sought was said to be on that island.

"I got it," Shakky nodded, immediately coordinating with Tom. The fish-man had taken over as helmsman and was proving to be highly skilled.

As they sailed, Tom turned to Brook, his tone serious.

"Captain, how do we stop the internal conflicts in Water 7?"

Brook leaned back and grinned. "If you want peace, you gotta bring in money. Connect Water 7 to other rich islands, boost the shipbuilding industry, and make sure all the major shipyards get a cut. That way, no one's fighting over scraps."

"I get the idea, but opening direct trade routes between Water 7 and other islands is nearly impossible. And uniting the seven shipyards? That's even harder."

"If you can invent floating tracks—rails that won't be destroyed by the Aqua Laguna—you could build a Sea Train to link the islands. That would save Water 7." Brook smirked. "I've seen the future with my own eyes."

Tom's eyes widened. "A Sea Train... But is there really a material that can withstand the sea?"

"I swear on my name, it exists."

Tom clenched his fists. "Alright! I'll find that material, build the Sea Train, and bring Water 7 back to its prime!"

Fired up, the fish-man was fully committed to the mission.

With their course set, the Hell Pirates sailed straight toward Aska Island, where Brook would seek out the legendary cursed sword.

Meanwhile, Moore of the World Economic News had finally tracked down several pirate crews. He sent out Den Den Mushi using his Seagull News Birds, hoping the pirates would understand how to use and care for them—otherwise, Brook's efforts would go to waste.

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