Brook looked at the Moore Thomas family. At this point, the World Economic News Agency was just beginning to rise. It had yet to become the powerhouse that would dominate the Great Pirate Era—one of the six underground emperors.

  "Mr. Thomas, I feel a strong connection to Morgans. I’d like to adopt him as my godson. Would that be alright? Of course, this will remain between us and won’t be made public."

  Brook stepped forward and gently teased Morgans, who was cradled in Monis' arms. Monis, the wife of Moore Thomas, was a virtuous woman with a keen sense of judgment.

  "Mr. Brook, it would be an honor for Morgans. You are our family’s savior. From now on, we are family."

  Moore Thomas was delighted to establish such a close retionship with his idol.

  "Moore, call Brook 'Brother.' 'Mr. Brook' is too formal."

  Monis, seeing the opportunity, believed that a powerful figure like Brook could guide Morgans. With the World Economic News Agency under suppression from the World Government and facing serious threats, it was wise to prepare an alternative path.

  "Yes, yes! Brother Brook, from now on, you’ll be Morgans' godfather, and we’ll be sworn brothers!"

  Moore Thomas rubbed his hands excitedly, clearly pleased with this arrangement.

  "I understand your current predicament. I’ll develop my power as soon as possible, seize Sky Isnd, and make it a safe haven for you!"

  Brook made this promise to Moore Thomas, but deep down, he also intended to bring the growing World Economic News Agency under his wing.

  "Sky Isnd? Brother Brook, that’s just a legend. Don’t believe those rumors—it’s a pce that could easily get you killed!"

  In this era, even Moore Thomas, as the head of the news agency, had never received any concrete reports about Sky Isnd, so he remained skeptical.

  "Leave it to me. When you return to the Sabaody Archipego, be extra cautious and y low for a while."

  Brook held Morgans for a moment, pying with him briefly before ending the conversation.

  "I assume there are permanent Log Poses for sale at the Sabaody Archipego?"

  Brook needed to expand his power quickly. Landing on isnds one by one along a set route would be a waste of time.

  "Brother Brook, leave it to me. I still have my connections. Just tell me which isnd’s permanent Log Pose you need, and I’ll get it for you!"

  Moore Thomas patted his chest confidently. Brook also proposed purchasing a batch of Den Den Mushi, which Moore Thomas agreed to handle.

  With that settled, the two ships set sail for the Sabaody Archipego. Brook’s captured pirate ship had already discarded its pirate fg, now flying the seagull emblem of the World Economic News Agency.

  Brook had successfully completed his first day of recruiting, securing an ally and taking his first major step forward.

  ···

  "Brother Brook, we’ve arrived at the Sabaody Archipego."

  Stepping out of the captain’s quarters, Brook took in the sight of a massive red tree looming ahead.

  The Yarukiman Mangrove—the rgest mangrove forest in the world. Its roots, always exposed above the water, had collected soil over time, forming the Sabaody Archipego.

  The defining feature of this isnd chain was the natural resin secreted by the mangroves during respiration. These resins expanded into bubbles due to the air and floated into the sky. They were also an essential material for coating ships to cross Fishman Isnd.

  However, these bubbles only remained stable within the climate of the Yarukiman Mangrove. Once they drifted beyond Sabaody’s climate range, they would pop due to atmospheric changes.

  "Incredible!"

  This was Brook’s first time seeing the isnd, and he was utterly awestruck.

  "There are 79 numbered isnds here, each controlled by different forces. Our news agency headquarters is on the tourist street of Tree Isnd No. 49."

  Moore Thomas expined as their ship docked at the port of Tree Isnd No. 50, entrusting it to a shipping company for safekeeping.

  As for the kidnapped civilians, Moore Thomas arranged for guards to escort them to the naval base on Isnd No. 60, where they would be set free.

  Sabaody’s divisions were well-defined:

  Isnds 1–29: The wless zone, including human trafficking shops and illegal auctions.

  Isnds 30–39: The amusement zone, home to the famous Bubble Park.

  Isnds 40–49: The tourism district, full of specialty shops.

  Isnds 50–59: The shipbuilding area, housing coating experts.

  Isnds 60–69: The naval base and government facilities.

  Isnds 70–79: The hotel district.

  Brook, Moore Thomas, Antonio, and the remaining guards made their way to the World Economic News Agency headquarters. There, the Thomas family felt safer, as the sheer number of guards discouraged any direct government interference.

  Brook was also captivated by the isnd—bubble cars, bubble Ferris wheels, houses built atop floating bubbles. The entire culture revolved around this unique phenomenon!

  He exchanged the treasure looted from the Disco Pirates for tens of millions of Berries, then decided to explore with Antonio.

  His appearance had changed drastically. His once dark skin had turned pale, his signature top hat was gone, and his afro had been tied back. His hairstyle now resembled a toned-down version of the swordsman Yasuo. With these changes, no one would recognize him.

  Antonio and Brook stopped by a nearby clothing store, changing into crisp white shirts, bck coats, slim-cut pants, and combat boots. The transformation left them looking sharp and unrecognizable.

  "Thank you, Captain!"

  Antonio beamed, feeling more at home than he ever had with his real family.

  "Use your ability. Listen for areas where Den Den Mushi activity is highest."

  Den Den Mushi, as strategic communication tools, were mostly sold on the bck market. Official stores, run by the World Government for the navy and registered merchants, were constantly patrolled, making them inaccessible to pirates.

  "Understood, Captain!"

  Moore Thomas had offered to buy a few for Brook through legal channels, but Brook wanted more—both legally and through the underground market.

  "Captain, I hear a lot of snails chatting! I’ll lead the way!"

  Antonio, now dressed sharply, was eager to prove his usefulness. He excitedly guided Brook through the winding streets, eventually leading them into the wless zone.

  Being the gateway to the New World, Sabaody teemed with pirates, merchants, bounty hunters, and even human traffickers. Buying and selling humans, rare species, mermaids, and Fishmen was an open secret here.

  This isnd was corrupt to its core, and the Celestial Dragons frequently visited to select sves, making the underground trade flourish.

  "Captain, I found it!"

  Antonio’s excited shout drew unwanted attention. He quickly shrank behind Brook as menacing eyes turned toward them.

  Brook’s cold, dark blue gaze swept across the crowd, and the temperature seemed to drop several degrees. The onlookers, feeling an eerie chill, immediately turned away, minding their own business.

  Antonio followed Brook into what seemed like an ordinary store, but under Brook's life detection, he sensed multiple life fluctuations inside, and security was tight.

  "Captain Brook, the people here seem really fierce!" Antonio whispered, clearly on edge.

  "This is a wless area. You'll find all kinds of people here—pirates, human traffickers, pirate hunters. Stay behind me and be careful." Brook warned, worried that this rookie might get kidnapped and sold again.

  "What does this guest need?" The old man at the counter asked. On the surface, it looked like a simple shop selling cigarettes and alcohol, but the real business y within—selling Den Den Mushi.

  "I also want to sell a rge number of Den Den Mushi to a rebellious warlord." Brook casually picked up a bottle of wine, which quickly froze in his grasp, letting the old man know he wasn't someone to be messed with.

  Realizing that Brook was a Devil Fruit user, the old man promptly led him to the back for the transaction.

  "Dear guest, which Den Den Mushi would you like?" A beautiful saleswoman repced the old man, taking over as Brook’s receptionist. She smiled warmly, exuding professionalism.

  Brook gnced at the various Den Den Mushi on dispy, each differing in size and color. He wasn’t sure which one to pick.

  "Sir, this is a Communication Den Den Mushi. As long as you know the serial number, you can call it. It allows for isnd-to-isnd communication and costs 100,000 berries each. This is a Fixed-number Den Den Mushi, which only pairs with another of its kind. Its advantage is a significantly stronger signal—you can talk across vast distances, from the Four Seas to the Grand Line and even the New World. These cost 500,000 berries per pair.

  We also have radio telephone bugs, surveilnce telephone bugs, camera telephone bugs, and fax telephone bugs. The cheapest option is the Children’s Telephone Bug, which has a weak signal and only works for intra-isnd communication. These go for 10,000 berries each."

  The saleswoman, noticing Brook's confusion, kindly broke everything down for him, detailing each Den Den Mushi’s functions.

  As expected, the Demon Syer Order's golden and silver Den Den Mushi, the intelligence-exclusive bck wiretapping Den Den Mushi, and the white anti-wiretapping Den Den Mushi were not avaible. Simirly, the massive Public Den Den Mushi, Image Den Den Mushi, and self-propelled video transmission Den Den Mushi were absent from this store.

  Brook counted the money in his box—over 20 million berries. It was enough for a major purchase.

  "I’ll take twenty Communication Den Den Mushi, twenty Children’s Den Den Mushi, ten pairs of Fixed-number Den Den Mushi, and five of each of the others."

  "Understood, sir! We’ll have them ready immediately." The saleswoman's eyes lit up with excitement. This was a massive transaction worth tens of millions—her commission would be substantial.

  Other pirates in the store had already begun eyeing Brook, but he remained unfazed. None of their life signatures posed a threat to him.

  Soon, the staff packed everything into a rge, transparent box made of an unknown material, with plenty of ventition holes. Each yer held twenty Den Den Mushi, nearly filling up all five yers. Some of the Den Den Mushi were even munching on leaves.

  Brook covered the box with a cloth and made his way back to the news agency. As he stepped out, he quickly noticed multiple figures tailing him and Antonio.

  "Captain, there are a lot of people following us. I can also hear a bunch of little snails communicating with each other from a distance," Antonio muttered, scanning his surroundings.

  "You can actually hear that? Are you a Den Den Mushi yourself? Listen carefully—see if you hear the words ‘Poison Smoke Pirates.’"

  Antonio’s Den Den Mushi Devil Fruit seemed to grant him the abilities of various Den Den Mushi, but not enhanced physical abilities. However, Brook suspected that this fruit might be as powerful as a Mythical Zoan-type.

  "Got it, Captain Brook. I just intercepted a conversation from an intelligence group. Poison Smoke Pirates, Tree No. 21, some bar."

  Antonio was thrilled to have completed his task. Brook, on the other hand, smirked.

  "Only a few trees away? The heavens must be on my side. Good thing I haven’t left for the New World yet, or tracking them down would be a real pain."

  With that, Brook led Antonio straight to Tree No. 21, intent on exacting revenge for his fallen crewmates.

  ---

  The Poison Smoke Pirates, led by Toxic Cannon Sarin, had a bounty of 56 million berries. He was a devious man, armed with an arsenal of poison-based weapons. His tactics revolved around sneak attacks and gas-based weaponry, making him infamous for his underhanded ways.

  "Hahaha! Captain Sarin, wiping out the Rumbar Pirates must've been satisfying! Those music-pying fools had no business being pirates!" One of his ckeys ughed, stroking his captain's ego.

  In a dimly lit bar, some pirates who actually liked Brook’s music began humming Bink’s Sake. Their faces darkened at the insult, fists clenching in anger. But before they could act, their companions held them back.

  "You're right! Pirates should be fighting for glory in the New World, not wasting time singing! I'll send them all to hell where they can sing their hearts out! Hahaha!" Sarin downed another drink, his arrogance filling the room. Several nearby pirates gred at him, clearly displeased.

  "Tch, he's just some low-life who relies on poison gas and sneak attacks. His bounty is way too high." A short-haired woman exhaled a puff of smoke, watching the scene with disdain. She was a well-known intelligence broker in the Sabaody Archipego, specializing in gathering and selling information. Occasionally, she even raided pirate vaults.

  "Who said that?!" Sarin, already drunk, smmed his hand on the table and pulled out a massive poison gas uncher. The sight of it sent small-time pirates scrambling in fear.

  Several notorious pirates, each with bounties exceeding 50 million berries, stared him down. This was an outw’s haven, but it wasn’t a pce to start an all-out war. The bar was meant for rexation, not destruction.

  "Tch, it was heard." The short-haired woman vanished into the crowd, leaving Sarin fuming but helpless. The other pirates' cold stares forced him to back down, so he gritted his teeth and continued drinking, muttering curses under his breath.

  But just as he downed another gss of liquor, a thin, figure carrying a massive box appeared in the doorway.

  Brook’s gaze locked onto Sarin, sending a chill down his spine. The sudden tension in the bar was palpable.

  Sarin’s already burning anger fred up again.

  "What the hell are you looking at, you bastard?! Do you have a death wish?!" Sarin stood on the table, hoisting his poison gas cannon, aiming it directly at the intruder—only to realize that this figure seemed eerily familiar...

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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