New World·Sky Island·Island of Technology·Punk Hazard.
A thin, white haired old woman was drenched in sweat as she treated the two scarred souls of the ruler of Universal Government.
Under Brook's coercion and persuasion, she was still moved by his pure gold ring, and by the promise that the Return Fruit could restore her youth.
Of course, the most important part was that Brook would not force her to undergo a life threatening anti aging surgery. Besides, the artifact, the Seven Star Demon Sword, was hovering just 0.01 mm from her neck. In the end, she accepted Brook's "invitation."
Over the past year or two, after Dr. Kureha ate the Op Op no Mi, she had been pushing this ultimate Devil Fruit meant for doctors to its limits. Even Crocus often joined her in medical research, especially in developing techniques for spiritual healing.
All of it was for one goal, to reach the point where she could treat Brook's soul injury as quickly as possible.
Dr. Kureha, the 122 year old doctor, had brought the Op Op no Mi to the edge of awakening in just two years, and she could already provide Brook with gradual soul treatment.
This was far faster than Trafalgar Law in the original story. Law ate the fruit at thirteen and awakened it at twenty six, a full thirteen years. Of course, Law also spent much of that time learning medical skills to strengthen what the fruit could do.
Dr. Kureha's medical skill tree was already close to maxed out before she ever ate the Op Op no Mi, yet she still had not fully awakened it in these two years. It was hard to tell whether she was deliberately suppressing it, or if it was simply an issue of aptitude.
After all, Luffy, Kidd, and Law were Supernovas who barely understood Haki, yet in just two years they mastered advanced Haki, awakened their Devil Fruits, and defeated Kaido and Linlin.
But now that Dr. Kureha could heal Brook's soul, she had already achieved her ultimate goal.
"Yohoho! This feels damn good!"
Brook, brimming with energy, opened his eyes and stretched. He looked at Dr. Kureha as she worked at full effort, then nodded in satisfaction.
He had given her a precious Devil Fruit, and never demanded the anti aging surgery. On top of that, he gave her a pure gold ring and plenty of other valuables. For the old woman, it was a bargain.
If she had been a little more sensible, and actually contributed to the Universal Government, Brook would have prepared a backup plan to recycle and reuse the Op Op no Mi.
"Tomorrow," Dr. Kureha said eagerly, sliding her pure gold ring back on, "you'd better have that little human with the Return Fruit give me my youth. I'm going back to my beautiful twenties."
Because she had to pour everything into treating Brook, she removed the ring before each session. Otherwise, it would slow the flow of time in her cells and interfere with the treatment.
"You're in the medical wing on Magnetic Drum Island. I already had Umit transport you there," Brook said. "From now on, you'll settle on that island.
"Also, exchange ideas with Tim. He has high tech medical skills. Work with him, keep sharpening your craft."
Brook spoke as if it were simple, but he was effectively relocating her entire life.
When he sailed back toward the Grand Line, he had already "hired" this old doctor. She even dragged him into the bathroom for injections and a physical examination. He had been so terrified he almost thought he would lose his chance at having descendants.
Brook still did not have many children.
On top of that, Dr. Kureha kept complaining that Brook's pirate ship was too small to hold her medical equipment.
Now Brook moved her outright, and gave her a high tech medical research laboratory on Punk Hazard.
Dr. Kureha, forced into this "invitation" and relocation, looked at Brook with a helpless expression. Her mind drifted to that quack doctor back home on Drum Island, Hiriluk. Without her around, would that bastard start killing people again?
Brook did not bother thinking about Drum Island too much. Chopper, the reindeer who would eat the Human Human Fruit and become "human," had not even been born yet. Still, Brook could go there later and search for that mushroom like Human Human Fruit.
After all, he had many powerful beasts under his command, like the four giant dragons. None of them had eaten Devil Fruits, and he could raise a dragon man in minutes.
The Baku Baku no Mi that belonged to Wapol had already been taken by Teach in advance, so Drum Island should not be enforcing a policy of driving doctors out.
And maybe, in the next few years, Brook would kill Imu and rule the world. By then, Drum Island would fall under the management of the Universal Government as well.
After sending Dr. Kureha away, Brook felt the power of his two mighty souls surge clearly within him.
The Mythical Zoan, Hell God, Jin form.
And the Mythical Zoan, Dark God, Ers form.
In his left hand, the freezing power of the Underworld swirled. In his right, dark power pulsed with crushing gravity.
"Imu," Brook murmured, "are you ready?"
He vented his strength without restraint, this was the true power of a god.
While repairing his soul, Brook had gradually explored and simulated the deeper development of the high level Underworld power that belonged to the God of Hell.
That dark energy felt even more terrifying than Imu's power as the so called God of Destruction.
Brook felt he did not need to wait for the sixth "son," Nika, the one who ate the Sun God Nika Fruit, nor did he need to wait for Poseidon, Shirahoshi, to fully mature. He believed he could defeat Imu alone.
As long as he steadily refined his Underworld ghost energy into the higher energy of the God of Hell, he could kill Imu by himself, without even relying on the dark power of the Dark God Ers.
Still, to prevent accidents, or any hidden backup plan Imu might have, Brook intended to develop the Dark Dark Fruit further. He wanted to defeat the immortal Imu in one decisive strike.
Imu also understood that the World Government was slowly waiting to die, so he ordered the Navy and CP agents to carry out the most brutal, indiscriminate purge of the Revolutionary Army in the East Blue and the South Blue.
Any civilians or islands connected to the Revolutionary Army would be wiped out.
He did not care about reputation, justice, or morality anymore.
This forced the Revolutionary Army to abandon those two seas, or hide completely.
Even the Revolutionary Army's headquarters on the Grand Line, Baldigo, was discovered. They had no choice but to abandon it and move into the New World.
The World Government's atrocities also made some marines and citizens within member nations increasingly uneasy.
After terrorizing the East Blue and the South Blue, Imu ordered the Five Elders and Marine Headquarters to launch suicidal assaults into the North Blue and the West Blue. Imu did not care about the lives of the navy or the kingdom troops at all.
He wanted to use these tools, the navy and the soldiers of allied kingdoms, and their lives, to destroy order and halt the normal development of the North and West.
This could also force Brook to enter the West and North for a decisive battle. With casualties piling up, it might stir a trace of compassion in Brook, and in the Universal Government.
As long as Brook left the New World, Imu would have a better chance to kill him.
Imu knew that if this continued, he might not even be qualified to demand that Brook open the gates of hell and gamble his life.
So while he could still suppress Brook, he would launch an unscrupulous attack on the North and West to force Brook out, and start the war ahead of time.
In short, either he conquers the West and North, or Brook fights him to the death.
He could no longer wait. He could not stand by and watch Brook grow even stronger.
-----------
September 1, 1503, Sea Calendar.
The World Government issued an order to Marine Headquarters. Five hawkish vice admirals, including MacArthur and Treacy, were to form the Buster Call Fleet and launch a brutal, indiscriminate bombardment on Polan Island in the West Blue, near Reverse Mountain.
The shelling lasted a full day and night.
Merchant ships and refugee vessels were not spared. The Shahua clan, the royal family of the Kingdom of Porlan, was wiped out. Over ninety percent of the island's civilians were killed or injured, nearly exterminated. Polan Island fell into total mourning.
With shameless arrogance, the World Government had declared the Second World War against the Universal Government.
Imu's attack forced Brook to abandon his plan of developing for a few more years. He immediately ordered the nations under his banner to counterattack and begin a full scale war. The three admirals of the new navy and commanders across every level moved at once, entering the North Blue and the West Blue to fight.
The outbreak of war thrilled the radicals who lived for battle, Kaido of the Beasts, Shiki, and Bullet.
The Lunaria, who carried a blood feud against the World Government for their genocide, sharpened their blades. With killing intent, they brought out every treasure they had and threw themselves into the war.
Abefu, the Shadow Demon who possessed the Kage Kage no Mi, and Aroan, the Bone Demon who possessed the Bone Controlling Fruit, unleashed everything they had built over the years. Zombie armies, bone armies, and the Winged Hand air force controlled by their four fallen angels.
The three legions led by the four Lunaria alone were enough to deal with tens of thousands of naval forces. Among the Hell Guild's senior cadres, they were the ones with the most subordinates.
The six Hell Kings and the Hell Guild's cadres also mobilized in full. They left Doragonzo Island behind, marched toward Dressrosa near the Red Line, and established a war base for the Universal Government on that island.
This war would not end quickly.
The world war eight hundred years ago lasted a hundred years. This one would last at least several months, perhaps even years.
The Hell Guild, the allied forces under the Universal Government, and the armies of the core countries joined one after another. Warships poured into the North Blue and West Blue without stopping.
A giant elephant over thirty thousand meters long was also moving toward the Red Line. Fishman Island dispatched one hundred thousand fishman troops to support the three battlefields of the North Blue, the West Blue, and Mary Geoise.
Wano also entered the war. A twenty thousand strong samurai army, led by the four great families, Kozuki, Shimotsuki, Fuzuki, and Uzuki, marched out together with a powerful force of Mink warriors.
From Elbaf, King Odin, who wielded the sacred artifact, the Spear of Elbaf, led five thousand giant warriors into battle.
The Ice and Snow Kingdom sent five hundred ice giant warriors, led by the surviving former pirate overlord, the Old Ice Demon.
Even the sparsely populated ancient giant tribe sent a few ancient giants to show their sincerity. Little Oz, a young ancient giant who was only fifty five years old, also took the chance to run out. He was determined to join this final battle.
…
The Hell Guild's flying fleet, carrying its strongest fighters, headed straight for the Holy Land, Mary Geoise.
Imu wanted to lure Brook into the North Blue and West Blue battlefields.
Brook chose Mary Geoise instead.
After all, the Hell Guild held air supremacy. They were the ones who decided the outcome of this war.
As long as Imu and the Five Elders dared to leave their old nest, Mary Geoise, and step onto the battlefields of the West and North, Brook would immediately destroy two pillars of their world, the Holy Land, Mary Geoise, and Marineford.
He would crush the headquarters and the spiritual symbols of the World Government and the Navy.
The dense flying fleet advanced with roaring shouts, closing in on the Holy Land.
Before the fleet even arrived, the sky island had already begun falling toward Mary Geoise. A greeting gift between the giants of this era.
At the same moment, five or six Pluton replica ships within the fleet unleashed their terrifying firepower. Several black annihilation cannons and dozens of dazzling electromagnetic laser cannons fired directly at Mary Geoise.
The Celestial Dragons were terrified. They trembled and panicked, scrambling to flee the so called safest kingdom of the gods.
But just as expected, those meteor like impacts and destructive cannons were erased by unmatched waves of destructive energy, kicking up massive clouds of smoke and dust.
"Yohoho! Imu, I was going to let you live for two more years," Brook laughed. "I didn't expect you to be this eager to die!"
Brook was the first to throw the words. Even if Imu stood on the Red Line, free from the New World's suppression, Brook was no longer afraid of this thousand year immortal.
Originally, Brook planned to develop for a few more years. Once both Devil Fruits were pushed to their peak, he would reveal everything, crush Imu completely, and unify the world.
But Imu forced his hand. Brook had no choice but to answer with war.
"My greatest mistake was letting you grow unchecked," Imu said, his voice tight with hatred. With a wave of his hand, the dust vanished instantly.
Imu appeared in the square of Mary Geoise, together with the Five Elders, facing Brook's flying fleet head on.
His face was dark as he stared at the endless ships and the terrifying Pluton battleship. When he sensed the countless powerful auras above, his expression grew even heavier.
"Yohoho! I planned to coexist peacefully with you for a few more years," Brook said, laughing loudly. "I even planned to let you live a few more years, then step out and crush you for good. But instead, you repaid me with coercion.
"Fine. I'm laying it all out. I'm done pretending. Even today, the Universal Government and the Hell Guild have enough power to overthrow the World Government!"
Brook's laughter rang out. Then he drew the sacred artifact, the Seven Star Demon Sword. Murderous intent poured from him as he pointed the blade at Imu.
Behind him stood the six Hell Kings.
Redfield.
Newgate.
Linlin.
Shiki.
Kaido.
Kozuki Oden.
One after another, they released overwhelming Conqueror's Haki. Their killing intent surged as they stood behind Brook, like a wall that could crush the heavens.
Shakky. Stussy. Wang Zhi. Jennifer. Hiruba. Fisher Tiger. Kaiba. Crocus. Ashura Doji sr.
More cadres appeared across the flying fleet.
Roger. Rayleigh. World. Byojack. Chinjao. Ibadombo. Woonan.
Subordinate powerhouses emerged one after another.
Mihawk. Kurt Wagner. Crocodile.
The seven devils were also standing on the fleet.
Then, quietly, a troop of Seraphim appeared. White hair, brown skin, and black flaming wings.
…
At the same time.
Marineford, and the Sabaody Archipelago.
The Revolutionary Army moved.
Dragon led Kuma, Morley, and Ivankov to attack and harass both islands.
Their mission was simple, to hold back Kong, and the Navy's top figures like Sengoku and Garp.
.....
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