The Diger Pirates had a more structured system than any other pirate crew, complete with a pirate code. This made Diger's territory the most stable and developed place in the New World.
However, this same structure also turned away some of the more lawless pirates, causing a gap in the upper levels of their combat strength. Even so, Diger's crew remained one of the most powerful, firmly maintaining its status as an overlord.
Diger wasn't just a formidable pirate—he was a shrewd businessman. He had a natural talent for making money and was now the richest pirate in the New World. His influence stretched across various industries, and even the World Dark News was under his control.
Among the three dominant pirate crews, the Diger Pirates had the strongest overall strength. In contrast, the Ice Demon Pirates and the Rocks Pirates had no sense of long-term planning. They only knew how to plunder and squeeze the islands under their control dry.
This was why Diger saw himself as superior to these reckless fools.
But what troubled him the most wasn't Rocks or the Ice Demon Pirates—it was his own son. The so-called heir to the Ten Kings was undeniably talented, but he spent his days lazing around, adventuring aimlessly, and showing no ambition.
Diger worried that as he grew older, the Diger Pirates would be swallowed up by Rocks, that ravenous wolf.
Right now, his son wasn't even strong enough to defeat the captains of the upstart pirate crews vying for overlord status. When he went out to sea, he was chased and beaten like a dog.
It was humiliating.
If Diger hadn't personally injured those captains and driven them back to remote waters, his useless son probably wouldn't even dare to leave the Ten Kings Island Sea.
And now? He had no idea which island the brat had run off to this time.
Lately, Diger had noticed something strange.
This year, there were far too many young overlord emerging—young pirates with extraordinary potential, top-tier Devil Fruits, and terrifyingly rapid growth.
It reminded him of something an old O'Hara scholar had once told him:
"Every few decades, a new wave of exceptional warriors will rise, shaking the world."
Diger had dismissed it as nonsense at first. But then, after coming across the indestructible Poneglyphs, he had sent a copy of one to that same scholar.
What he learned after that changed his view forever.
There was no doubt in his mind now—the World Government was hiding something.
And the Will of D? That so-called "natural enemy" of the Celestial Dragons?
Diger wasn't convinced they were the "liberators of the world" as some believed. He had seen Rocks with his own eyes. If the D-Clan was supposed to be the world's saviors, then Rocks must have been an anomaly—a ruthless, bloodthirsty beast.
Diger didn't believe in some grand destiny.
He only believed in power and in the Pirate Code he had created.
Still, he wasn't a fool. He could see that this era was about to shift.
"If I don't act now, even as an overlord, I could be swallowed by the tide of rising monsters!"
And so, he gathered his officers. Instead of clashing head-on with these dangerous young upstarts, he decided to pull back his forces, abandoning some low-value islands.
The Ten Kings Island Sea would become his stronghold.
If his officers fought, it wouldn't be for territory—it would be for eliminating threats completely. No loose ends. No mercy.
Like Rocks, he might even take matters into his own hands and recruit one of these rookies before they got too powerful.
Or better yet… he could sit back and let Rocks wear them down, then swoop in and offer the survivors a choice—join him or die.
That way, he wouldn't have to suppress them with brute force like Rocks did. Instead, he could buy their loyalty with the gift of survival.
The Rocks Pirates ruled by strength alone. That was a recipe for disaster.
If Rocks died, his pirate crew would collapse in an instant.
The internal conflicts in Rocks' ranks were well known. Crew members openly fought each other, creating endless chaos.
Diger despised that kind of lawlessness.
"Even pirates need rules!"
This was why he had founded the Pirate Code—to bring order to the chaos of the New World.
The Nine Kings Gather
By midday, most of the Nine Kings had arrived on Madatascar Island, gathering for Diger's emergency meeting.
Only one was missing—his own son.
"Captain Diger, why did you call us here? I'm busy as hell these days! Rocks is reaching further into my territory, and when I get back, I'm going to kill that bastard Wang Zhi!"
The speaker was Xiaofeng Jou, King of Shiranoya islands, a bald-headed brute. He was furious with Wang Zhi, one of Rocks' commanders.
Though they were both from the same ancient country, Xiaofeng hated the man for reasons even he didn't fully understand.
"That's right, Captain!"
Another voice chimed in—it was Barb Bosa, King of Caspian Island. He was the smartest of the Nine Kings, idly stroking the monkey perched on his shoulder.
"The Rocks Pirates are getting too bold. They're expanding their power recklessly, acting like we don't even exist. If we don't put them in their place now, it'll be too late!"
Their words rang true.
The Ice Demon Pirates had always been strong, but they kept to themselves in the frozen seas of the Ice Kingdom, only bothering with winter islands.
They had ruled for centuries. But now, word was spreading that their old captain was dying, and their second-in-command was just as much of a useless bastard as Diger's son.
And yet, Rocks was on the rise.
The balance of the New World was shifting.
Diger sat in his massive chair, his sharp eyes sweeping across the Nine Kings gathered before him.
"A new era of chaos has begun."
If even the Three Overlords couldn't remain untouched by the coming storm…
Then it was time to seize control of it.
-----
In this era, the Diger Pirates and the Ice Demon Pirates seemed to be the victims of the New World's reshuffling. Both Diger and the Old Ice Demon had reached old age and were beginning to decline.
The heirs of these two dominant pirate groups were incapable of carrying their banners, while Rocks was in his prime—an ambitious force seeking to unify the New World under his rule.
"Captain Diger, isn't it just Rocks? Just fight him and scare them! What's all this talk about a great change in the times? Do you really think these so-called rookie overlord are worth our attention?"
The one speaking was Jevaler, a battle-hardened pirate who had come to seek aid. He wasn't interested in hearing such unpleasant news about drastic shifts in the New World. To him, it seemed like Captain Diger was getting old and too cautious!
"It just so happens that the Hell Pirates have robbed my Marseille Island, and I was planning to take them down myself. Which one of my brothers will help me?"
Jevaler glanced around, hoping for support.
"Captain Diger, even if there's a major reshuffling, we'll be the ones clearing out these ignorant fools! Our Diger Pirates are the strongest!"
The one who spoke next was Barb Bosa, a pirate with a bounty of 1 billion berries, stationed on Caspian Island. Under his command were dozens of elite fleets. Powerful and intelligent, he never took the rising rookie seriously.
To him, the only real threats were the candidates for the overlord pirate groups and the Rocks Pirates. He didn't even consider the Ice Demon Pirates worth his time, dismissing them as weak and stagnant.
After the Diger Pirates had risen to dominance, Barb Bosa had taken on a role similar to a butler, managing Diger's territory and assigning missions. This left him with fewer opportunities to fight, causing his bounty to rise at a slower pace compared to the chaotic upstart pirates.
The so-called candidates for the overlord position had no fixed territory. They roamed the seas, constantly fighting, burning, looting, and killing, which made their bounties skyrocket. Some had even surpassed Barb Bosa, despite him being the strongest officer of the Diger Pirates.
To make matters worse, even Captain Diger's son, Jack Sparrow, had a higher bounty than him! All because Jack was a reckless wanderer who stirred up trouble everywhere he went.
As a result, many in the outside world now wrongly believed that Jack was the most powerful of the Nine Kings!
In truth, Barb Bosa was slightly stronger than Jack and infinitely more intelligent. This false perception infuriated him. If Jack weren't Captain Diger's son, he would have "proven" who was stronger long ago!
Feeling bitter, Barb Bosa resorted to petty revenge—naming his pet monkey Jack. Every day, he would mockingly call out "Jack" as if commanding a monkey, which at least gave him a bit of satisfaction.
"According to Kandor, the president of Dark News, six rookies attempted to form a secret alliance in the Magara Kingdom. In the end, only three pirate crews successfully banded together."
Digger Sparrow spoke calmly, his right hand gently stroking the Pirate Code on his throne.
"Meanwhile, Rocks has already recruited the John Pirates and defeated the Flying Pirates. Luckily, Shiki the Golden Lion wasn't subdued by him. If Rocks had a flying fleet, he would become an even bigger threat!"
Diger's voice carried a weight of certainty.
"As for the Hell Pirates that Jevaler mentioned, they're nothing to worry about. Killing a Celestial Dragon isn't so easy. The World Government and the Navy Headquarters have already sent admirals into the New World to hunt them down!"
To Diger, the Hell Pirates were already as good as dead. They had assassinated a Celestial Dragon—something even an Overlord wouldn't dare attempt.
Now, they had gone too far by seizing his territory.
All he needed to do was feed the right information to Kandor, and the Navy would do his dirty work for him.
"So, what should be our next move?"
The voice belonged to Madam Qingci, her face covered in thick makeup. She was the king of Taiping Island and controlled hundreds of pirate ships responsible for supplying all of Diger's territories. Because of this, she had earned the title "The Shopkeeper's Wife."
"Our next priority is to suppress the Rocks Pirates and curb their expansion."
Diger leaned forward, his expression serious.
"We'll follow Rocks' example. We will suppress the young overlords and even steal the spoils of his victories. Any pirate he tries to recruit—we must get to them first."
He paused, looking at his officers.
"From now on, you will operate in pairs. Never engage a young overlord you don't fully understand on your own. Always bring backup."
Diger was well aware of the shifting tides. If his subordinates grew arrogant and underestimated these rising pirates, they would soon suffer for it.
To ensure stability, Diger even elevated Willannuo, a pirate with a mere 200 million berry bounty, to the rank of Ninth King.
It was a symbolic move—on the surface, the Diger Pirates looked as grand as ever. But in truth, their high-end combat power was lacking.
Even Barb Bosa, the strongest officer, struggled against the captains of upstart overlord candidates. The Diger Pirates' dominance rested on Diger's own strength.
Once he died, the Diger Pirates' reign would end, and a new overlord would rise.
The Ice Demon Pirates faced a similar fate. If an overlord candidate targeted their Ice Kingdom, their dominance would crumble after the Old Ice Demon passed away.
But their situation was even worse.
The Ice Kingdom was a frozen wasteland. Its harsh conditions made it nearly unlivable, and its food supply was nearly nonexistent.
The new Ice Demon leader was weak—far inferior to the Old Ice Demon. Hundreds of years of inheritance could be destroyed in his hands.
The Ice Demon Pirates and even the Ice Giants could soon vanish from the New World!
"Then there's no other way. If we need to move in pairs, who will join me in killing Wang Zhi?"
Xiaofeng called out, ready to take action.
Jevaler, realizing he had no chance to deal with the Hell Pirates, immediately agreed to join him. Their sights were now set on the Rocks Pirates!
"You should also keep an eye on Shiki the Golden Lion," Diger added as a final warning.
"His Devil Fruit is far too powerful. Even if we can't obtain it, we must not let Rocks have it!"
Unlike Rocks, Diger valued his subordinates. He ruled with principles and order, not through sheer brutality.
Rocks, on the other hand, raised his crew like poisonous insects, letting them fight and kill each other to ensure only the strongest remained.
Meanwhile, the Hell Pirates…
The Hell Pirates, worried about being hunted down by the Diger Pirates, had already fled to a remote sky island, hiding out of reach.
"Redfield—use your Observation Haki and the radio waves of the Thunder Fruit to scan the area. Don't let any vulture News Birds from Dark News near us. Kill them on sight!"
Brook gave the command.
He knew exactly how Dark News tracked pirates.
"Captain Brook, President Moore Thomas sent word—the Admiral is still tracking us! He told us to be careful!"
Antonio relayed the message, but Brook had already considered this.
In addition to eliminating the News Birds, there was another problem—
The Den Den Mushi broadcast system probably had already transmitted their bounty to the Admiral's warship!
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