Chapter 224: Chapter 224: Twin Cape’s Lighthouse
Aboard the gleaming Golden Island, soaring through the skies.
Charlotte Linlin was practically bursting with joy. The chance to mend ties with the giants and build a friendly rapport? That was a dream come true! And, as expected, there wasn’t a problem in the world that Brook couldn’t solve!
"Here, Brook, have some fruit!"
Linlin carefully handed Brook a slice of fruit—cut so large it dwarfed his skeletal head. No matter! In the wild world of pirates, stretchy mouths were practically standard issue. Brook chomped the oversized piece in one go, earning a delighted grin from Linlin.
Meanwhile, Vegapunk was in his element, collecting buckets of dinosaur blood and tissue samples. He didn’t stop there—while the giants were out cold, he sneakily drew several barrels of their blood, too.
Brook’s research projects included a giantification experiment, though it was low on the priority list. Still, Vegapunk wasn’t one to pass up a chance to tinker!
The giants’ Elbaf martial techniques seemed tailor-made for powerhouses like Newgate and Linlin, whose brute strength rivaled small giants. Shiki and Redfield, on the other hand, leaned toward speed and finesse, so they could only borrow bits and pieces to refine their swordplay.
Even shipwright Tom, a fishman with his strength, got to dabble in Elbaf’s secrets. Kaido and Tiger were clamoring to learn, too. With Brook’s blessing, every crew member had access to a treasure trove of training methods!
The Hell Pirates’ arsenal was stacked: Armament, Observation, and Conqueror’s Haki, plus Ryuo; the Navy’s Rokushiki with advanced variants; Elbaf’s martial arts; Fishman Island’s karate and jujitsu; and sword styles from Wano’s finest schools. All top-tier techniques, meticulously compiled by Redfield and laid out on the ship for everyone to study.
This was the might of an overlord crew! Kaido, still a rookie swinging his spiked club, was floored. He opted for Elbaf’s heavy-hitting techniques and doubled down on physical training, itching to awaken his Haki.
Brook eyed the collection of elite training manuals. The next goal? Conqueror’s Haki infusion. In the New World, only Rocks, Vesper had mastered it. Who’d be the best target to learn from?
Saracha, meanwhile, kept pestering his "ally" Vesper for the secrets of Conqueror’s Haki infusion to bolster his strength against Rocks. But Vesper, stingy as ever, refused to share, leaving Saracha grinding his teeth in frustration. No dice there!
Looked like that goal was a long shot for now. Vesper wouldn’t spill unless Rocks was knocking on his door with a death threat!
Vesper was tearing his hair out. Not a single Conqueror’s Haki awakener in his crew, while the Hell Pirates were swimming in them. Talk about envy!
...
At Twin Cape, before Reverse Mountain.
Aster lounged in his sun chair, flipping through a medical book as usual. Two newspapers a day didn’t last long in his laid-back routine, so he’d turned to the medical texts left behind by the Hell Pirates to kill time.
What started as casual reading turned into a deep dive. From struggling with dense jargon to getting the hang of it, Aster was now itching to try some hands-on experiments. Problem was, he had no guinea pigs to test his budding doctor skills on. So, he remained a theoretical physician, armed with just a smidge of knowledge.
Over the past year, the New World’s overlord clashes had made headlines, prompting some pirates to linger in the Four Seas to bulk up before braving the Grand Line. That meant fewer ships tackling Reverse Mountain.
With Aster’s strength, those rookie pirates fresh from the Four Seas didn’t faze him. Anyone dumb enough to mess with Twin Cape’s lighthouse would learn why the flowers bloomed so red!
Guarding Twin Cape wasn’t just duty—it came with perks. Aster lived comfortably, even raking in a bit of cash. Not every pirate ship from the Four Seas made it safely over Reverse Mountain.
Wrecked ships and lost crews? Free loot for Aster! It was like clockwork—deliveries of supplies and treasure from overconfident pirates who’d stocked up to conquer the Grand Line, only to crash and burn.
No wonder Crocus, with just a little personal funding, could afford stacks of medical books, equipment, and herbs for his research. Aster hadn’t realized guarding a lighthouse came with such a sweet side hustle!
Humming a tune, Aster lounged in his chair, engrossed in his medical book. Suddenly, the sky darkened. He looked up and spotted the dazzling Golden Island.
He read the papers—there was no mistaking that ship!
The Hell Pirates were back, sailing against
Reverse Mountain’s current for the second time? Last time, Brook whisked Crocus away. Were they here to drag Aster to the Golden Island for a pirate retirement?The thought sent a thrill through him. But wait—who’d guard Twin Cape? No way, he had to stay strong. He’d promised Crocus to protect this place. A real man keeps his word!
Still, if Crocus found a replacement and begged him to join the Golden Island for a cushy retirement, well, maybe he’d grudgingly agree. He was only in his early forties, after all—a prime, strapping man!
"Aster-san!"
Crocus zoomed down from the Golden Island on a smaller craft, landing at Twin Cape. He rushed over, wrapping his uncle in a bear hug.
"Crocus, you’ve gotten strong! What brings you back?"
Aster’s voice brimmed with excitement, tinged with hope. A chance to board the overlord crew’s Golden Island? Were they here to recruit him?
"Uncle, we’re headed to the West Blue and just stopped by to check on you. I can’t stay long—don’t want the Marines sniffing out our connection and causing you trouble!"
Crocus unloaded a haul of rare potions, self-defense poisons, and a chest of golden treasure. He even left behind manuals for training Armament and Observation Haki. With a heavy heart, he bid his uncle farewell, hopped back on his craft, and returned to the Golden Island as it sailed off.
...
Watching the Golden Island crest Reverse Mountain and vanish, Aster snapped out of his daze. That punk didn’t even invite him aboard for a quick tour!
His cheeks flushed. Here he was, daydreaming about retiring on the Golden Island, only for Crocus to breeze through like it was nothing.
Glancing at the pile of treasures and manuals Crocus left behind, Aster gave a wry smile. Fine, fine. He’d stick to his chill life at Twin Cape.
The high-stakes world of an overlord crew wasn’t for him. Aboard the Golden Island, Crocus chuckled. He didn’t want his uncle turning pirate or Twin Cape left in someone else’s hands.
Thinking back to Aster’s hopeful expression, Crocus muttered a silent apology—but the grin on his face said he wasn’t that sorry!
-----------
+240 Chapters on p@treon/tambeerg