Every year, new Overlord Candidate enter the New World, and without fail, rookie pirate crews—thinking they're invincible—challenge the dominant pirate crews without even mastering Haki.
Without exception, they either get beaten half to death and barely escape, end up crippled, or surrender on the spot after being crushed.
Only those who understand the reality of the New World—who know when to keep a low profile, hide their weaknesses, and grow their power in secret—have a chance to make a real impact. These are the ones who rise to become contenders, earning the wariness of even the reigning pirate overlords.
But there are exceptions. Rocks, for instance, took the brutal path of fighting his way up, using battle to fuel his growth. Even so, he deliberately avoided clashing with the strongest factions in the beginning, steadily gaining strength through combat.
By the time the other dominant pirate crews realized the threat he posed, he had already gained enough power to challenge them. From there, he recruited more warriors, built his influence, and eventually took down the old overlords head-on—becoming a legendary pirate and one of the New World's new rulers.
---
"Wow~, so you're saying the longer you're in the New World, the stronger you get? Then I should just ask people their age instead of fighting them! If getting stronger was just about time, what's the point of being a genius?!"
A genius is someone who shatters expectations and breaks limits. No matter the era, true geniuses develop at insane speeds, achieving things in a few years that others take decades to accomplish.
"Hahaha! You're arrogant and ignorant, just like the rest! I've personally killed at least thirty cocky candidates like you—maybe even fifty! And the ones who survived? They either fled in disgrace or bent the knee to our Diger Pirates!"
Xiao Feng loved dealing with rookies who had more confidence than sense. Nothing pleased him more than watching their cocky smirks turn into terror when faced with the brutal reality of the New World. Seeing their pride crushed, their bodies beaten down—it never got old.
Now that the Hell Pirates had walked right up to his doorstep, he might as well take their heads himself. But first, he had to take care of the real threat—Wang Zhi.
"Brother Xiaofeng, you handle Wang Zhi! I'll take care of the Hell Pirates myself!!"
Jevaler stepped forward, his tone firm. He thought the Hell Pirates had come to join forces with Wang Zhi's side against them.
Until now, he'd assumed their sky-high bounties were only because they killed Celestial Dragons. But after seeing their presence up close—the way they carried themselves, their sheer battle aura, and the infamous Iron Balloon, Charlotte Linlin, standing among them—he no longer dared to underestimate them.
Still, Jevaler had the pride of an Overlord crew. Today, he would fight them alone and show them what the Diger Pirates were truly capable of.
"Gurarara~! Your opponent is me!"
Edward Newgate stepped forward, placing himself in front of Jevaler. His eyes burned with excitement—if he could take down Jevaler, his bounty would skyrocket to the level of Redfield and the other Crew.
"Hah! Are you serious? Who the hell even are you?! Some no-name brat thinks he can challenge me?!"
Jevaler burst into laughter, feeling outright insulted.
Even Wang Zhi, watching from the side, shook his head. He had expected the Hell Pirates to at least bring someone capable of keeping Xiao Feng occupied, but instead, they were making reckless decisions.
---
"Hey, Wang Zhi! I want to fight you!"
Redfield drew his sword, his voice ringing out across the battlefield.
Challenge? No—this wasn't a challenge. Challenges were for the weak trying to prove themselves against the strong. Redfield didn't see himself as any weaker than Wang Zhi.
"What? You want to fight me??"
Wang Zhi's expression twisted in disbelief.
Did the Hell Pirates really have another monster among them? He already knew about Linlin, but was there another rising legend in their ranks? He had expected them to side against Xiao Feng, yet they were turning against him instead.
"Hahahaha! Not only are you reckless, but you're out of your damn minds!"
Even Xiao Feng couldn't believe what he was seeing. He had assumed the Hell Pirates would team up with Wang Zhi against him—but instead, they were going after both overlord crews at the same time.
He had originally planned to eliminate them while dealing with Wang Zhi, but now… this was getting interesting.
Meanwhile, Wang Zhi's expression darkened.
The Hell Pirates' decision threw his whole plan into chaos. If Xiao Feng found an opening, he might not make it off this island alive.
He had two options:
Kill Redfield instantly, then focus on dealing with Xiao Feng.
Retreat.
He had been too arrogant today. There was still a gap between him and Xiao Feng—not a massive one, but enough to make this situation dangerous.
---
On the other side, Jevaler made the first move, attacking Newgate without hesitation.
He couldn't stand the idea of some unknown pirate daring to challenge him—so he went straight for the kill.
"Dash—Eviscerating Thorn!"
His rapier, coated in Armament Haki, pierced through the air, creating sonic booms along the way. His bounty was no fluke—he had earned it through countless battles, cutting down enemy after enemy with his blade.
"Gurarara~, just in time!"
"Shockwave!"
Newgate's right hand glowed with white energy, and with the sheer power of a giant, he threw a punch straight at Jevaler's sword.
BOOM!!!
The impact sent shockwaves through the air, causing a deafening explosion of force. The white glow was blinding, and the sheer collision sent hurricane-like winds across the battlefield.
Jevaler's rapier bent slightly from the force, and violent air currents erupted between the tip of his blade and Newgate's fist.
The sheer pressure made everyone's clothes and hair whip violently in the wind.
---
"He actually blocked it?!"
Xiao Feng and Wang Zhi both felt a jolt of surprise.
Jevaler was no joke—he had just toyed with Silver Axe in battle, stabbing him full of holes. Yet this giant, someone they had never even heard of before, stopped his attack head-on?!
"Enough standing around—let's fight!"
Redfield didn't waste time. His blade, once Brook's cane sword, now reforged under a new name, crackled with electricity as he flashed forward at terrifying speed.
Lightning sparked around him as he thrust his sword straight at Wang Zhi.
"You really dare?!"
Wang Zhi grinned bloodthirstily.
His waist injury slowed him down, but that didn't mean he was someone a mere Redfield could take lightly!
CLANG!
He crossed his swords, coating them in Armament Haki, blocking Redfield's strike while deflecting the lightning bolts that followed.
"You want to take me out first and then fight Xiao Feng, huh?"
Despite being slightly weaker than Xiao Feng, Wang Zhi wasn't blind. He could see exactly what Redfield was planning.
Redfield's Observation Haki was extraordinary—almost like he could predict the future.
Against a great swordsman who could use Haki, most Logia users wouldn't dare rely solely on their elementalization. Unless they were supremely confident in their speed and foresight, they'd get sliced apart before they could even react.
And Wang Zhi?
He wasn't planning to lose today.
-----
Wang Zhi realized that his Armament Haki and swordsmanship were stronger than Redfield's, but every time he unleashed a deadly move, Redfield managed to block it.
What annoyed him even more was that Redfield dared to use his Logia intangibility against an Armament Haki attack, perfectly avoiding fatal strikes. That level of arrogance pissed him off.
"Your Observation Haki... you can see into the future?!"
Because of the devastating offensive power of the Thunder-Thunder Fruit, Wang Zhi had to reinforce his entire body with Armament Haki, significantly increasing his stamina consumption. His expression turned solemn.
Redfield's Devil Fruit not only granted him immense lightning-based attack power but also extreme speed. More than that, thanks to Captain Brook's teachings, he had fused electromagnetic waves with his specialized Observation Haki, allowing him to sense his opponent's thoughts with ease.
"I wouldn't say I can fully see the future just yet… but predicting your movements? That's easy."
After dodging another of Wang Zhi's ferocious slashes, Redfield spun his sword in a flourish, dispersing the lightning. He had decided—he would fight Wang Zhi in a pure sword duel. This battle would be his whetstone, sharpening his skills and pushing him closer to the rank of a Great Swordsman.
"You want to use me as your grindstone? You better be careful, or you'll lose your damn life!"
Wang Zhi could see through Redfield's intent. A bloodthirsty smile formed on his lips. He remembered when he was just as reckless.
A true swordsman must face battle with unyielding pride. Even when facing someone stronger, they must press forward with unwavering sharpness, determined to claim victory.
"Come at me, then! I won't fall here—my dream's still far from over. You? You're just another stepping stone!"
Redfield coated his blade in Armament Haki, stepping forward to engage Wang Zhi in a proper duel of swords.
---
"Hahahaha! Now this is interesting!"
Xiao Feng was thoroughly entertained. A newcomer blocking Wang Zhi? If their captain, Brook, was even stronger than that, then the Hell Pirates were already on their way to becoming a top-tier pirate crew.
With that in mind, their potential was terrifying. They had that golden warship as a tool for expansion. Given enough time, the Hell Pirates would carve out a place for themselves in the New World.
"Hey, Brook, how about joining the Diger Pirates? We can forget about that Marseille Island incident. With your strength, you'd be ruling as one of the Ten Kings in no time!"
Right now, the Hell Pirates were stronger than the six lower-ranked Kings and nearly at his level—the Third King. If he could recruit Brook, he wouldn't just take him in—he'd wipe out Wang Zhi and Silver Axe right here and now.
With that, the Diger Pirates would become the dominant force, surpassing even the Rocks Pirates and maintaining their reign as the strongest crew in the New World.
However, the moment Xiao Feng made his offer, Jevaler scowled. He was currently locked in battle with one of Brook's crew members—and getting completely held down by the guy. It was downright embarrassing.
His frustration doubled his speed and power, yet he still couldn't break through his opponent's defense. That little giant was absurdly strong, and even his Devil Fruit abilities were rattling his internal organs, leaving him increasingly uncomfortable. The entire battlefield around them had been shattered from the impact of their blows.
Aside from slightly weaker Haki, this guy is my equal in every other aspect. I can't put him down quickly…
"Join you?" Brook unsheathed his Seven-Star Sword, shaking his head. "Nah. I'd rather carve out my own legend."
Charlotte Linlin stepped forward as well, Thunder Cloud Zeus and Sun Prometheus fusing into her fists.
Her left fist crackled with lightning. Her right burned with fire. With her iron-balloon defense, she stood tall as the frontline tank, allowing Brook—whose Devil Fruit abilities made him a lethal support fighter—to go all out.
"Hahahaha! I like it! Hell Pirates, I'd say you're the craziest rookie of the year!"
Xiao Feng abandoned the idea of recruiting them. A crew with a member who possessed Conqueror's Haki? That meant Brook's ambition was probably even greater than his own. Another ruthless bastard like Rocks had arrived.
That wouldn't do.
In that case, the best choice was to crush them here and now, before they grew into a future threat.
Charlotte Linlin charged toward Xiao Feng. He was one of the top commanders of the Diger Pirates, a pirate with an 800 million berry bounty.
Xiao Feng flicked his wrist, unleashing a barrage of flying swords toward her—swords so sharp they had even forced Wang Zhi onto the defensive before.
But when they hit Charlotte Linlin's skin…
CLANG!
The swords bounced right off, scattering sparks in all directions.
"What the hell?! Even Wang Zhi couldn't block those!!"
Xiao Feng's eyes widened. He knew for sure his swords were coated in Armament Haki, so how in the hell did they not even scratch her?!
Even for an "iron balloon" body, this was absurd!
His swords were capable of slicing through steel like butter, and he had mastered the sword to that level for over twenty years.
"Doesn't it hurt when you hit people like that?"
Charlotte Linlin smirked before swinging her Lightning Fist and Fire Fist at him. The force behind her attack was devastating, but Xiao Feng, empowered by the Wind-Wind Fruit, was far too fast.
With a blur, he vanished—dodging the strike in an instant. The spot where he once stood erupted in a massive explosion of fire and lightning, leaving two deep craters in the ground.
Xiao Feng appeared in the distance, catching his breath—only to hear a voice whisper from behind him.
"Too bad. I'm just as fast."
Underworld God's Wail – Seven-Star Phantom Slash!
Brook materialized behind him, gliding across an icy path formed from Underworld energy. A flash of his blade, and—
ZSHING!
A thin, precise cut appeared across Xiao Feng's chest. Blood trickled out—but before it could fall, it froze into tiny crimson ice crystals from the chilling ghost energy.
"Hahahaha! Not bad! Not bad at all! You even managed to cut me?!"
Xiao Feng grinned, but his eyes darkened. He had let his guard down. He had actually been injured by a rookie.
If this got out, how many would laugh at him?
"Tch. I was gonna take it easy on you, but that sword of yours pissed me off."
His playful demeanor vanished, replaced by the cold, savage presence of a true New World pirate. His eyes gleamed with murderous intent as his Armament Haki surged, forming rippling waves along his blade.
Brook's expression hardened.
"Advanced Armament Haki… Flowing Form?"
This was bad. If Xiao Feng had trained his Armament Haki that far, then even Charlotte Linlin's iron-balloon body wouldn't be completely safe.
"Wind Domain – Howling Tempest!"
Xiao Feng raised his hands, summoning a roaring hurricane that tore across the battlefield, battering the Hell Pirates with immense force.
Then—
"You made me bleed… now die!"
Brook barely had time to react. Xiao Feng, eyes bloodshot with rage, flashed in front of him, faster than a blink.
Brook's pupils shrank.
A sharp blade pierced his chest.
Xiao Feng's violent Armament Haki ripped through his heart, the sheer force crushing it completely.
"Captain Brook!!!"
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