That day, Elan Island was packed to the brim, with figures from every race in sight.

The scholars’ island of Ohara hovered high above Elan Island, and the unprecedented sea train had drawn scientists from countries all over the world, eager to study the advanced technology.

Even Tom the fishman’s master, Jelly, had been sent by the mayor of Water 7 to the New World, hoping to leverage some connections to learn Tom’s techniques.

Tom’s two apprentices had already picked up a bit of the tech, and Tom had dispatched one back to Water 7 to fulfill his dream of revitalizing the city’s economy.

Of course, Brook wasn’t one to lose out. He had the World Economic News hype it up big time, announcing an investment in Water 7’s sea train under the name of the Ryugu Kingdom from Fish-Man Island.

This was to boost the fishmen’s influence while recouping funds. The World Government knew the economic benefits of the sea train and tacitly approved Brook’s actions—if they opposed it outright, they’d risk turning the people against them.

Plus, the World Government wanted to secretly send CP9 to learn the new sea train tech, then apply it elsewhere to boost prosperity across nations.

Under Brook’s guidance, the World Economic News started rolling out a series of rankings, setting all sorts of standards. Now, folks in the New World took pride in using products from the companies under the Hell Pirates’ umbrella.

Especially the weapon rankings released earlier by the World Economic News—it sparked tons of debate and let ordinary people get a real glimpse of the world’s legendary blades and swords...

Then came the bounty rankings, strength rankings, pirate crew rankings, even pirate ship rankings and beauty rankings...

The whole slew of lists doubled the sales of the World Economic News, completely crushing the Dark News and the Peace Dove News.

People took pride in collecting copies of the Economic News papers, packed with pictures of famous blades, big-time pirates, and stunning beauties—it drew crowds scrambling to buy them!

And all sorts of high-end gadgets they’d never seen before. Basically, snagging one felt like striking gold!

Meanwhile, the Dark News and Peace Dove News could only mimic the Economic News’s formula, but they always came off as second-rate, steadily losing readers and bleeding money every day just to stay afloat.

...

In the core area of the tea party,

The underground emperors arrived one by one: Big News Mortomas, Shipping King Umide, the Du Family, the Dracula Family... These heavyweights were seated together.

Plenty of pirates from the Pirate Guild showed up too, eager to get a taste of true high society. Captains from the Hell Pirates’ affiliate crews also made their appearances.

Even secret delegations from kingdoms like the Kano Country in the West Blue, Germa Kingdom in the North Blue, Oykot Kingdom in the East Blue, and Briss Kingdom in the South Blue... came to pay their respects.

After all, the Hell 18 Islands were now churning out massive amounts of cutting-edge equipment—even weapons—that were top-tier worldwide. Especially the limited-supply sky shell weapons and Seastone weapons, which had nations scrambling to get their hands on them!

"The Hell 18 Islands actually rolled out a ton of recovery potions and enhancement drugs. That’s some rare high-tech stuff, but the prices are steep. Still, it’s worth grabbing some for emergencies!!"

"This time, there’s a batch of jet boots that let you fly. I hear a bunch of big shots are gonna bid high for those sky shell weapons!"

"Forget that junk—let’s hit Omatsuri Island. Word is, they’ve got any kind of woman you could want. I heard they can even conjure up Navy beauties. Talk about living the dream! Nah, forget it—I’m going for Navy goddess Marilene Mellow. Ever since I saw her once, I can’t get her out of my head. Even if it’s fake, I gotta have a go!"

As soon as this pirate captain entered the Hell 18 Islands’ waters, he bolted straight for Omatsuri Island with cash in hand. That was Stussy’s Joy Street turf, where she and Lily Carnation, the Flower of Life and Death, had cooked up all sorts of projects.

[Relive Family Bonds: Let Your Loved Ones Cherish You Again], [The Secrets I Share with My Goddess], [Make Up for Regrets: See Them One More Time]... These high-end leaf person services.

But if any pirate dared suggest transforming into a member of the Hell Pirates’ crew, they’d end up as a glorious meal for Lily Carnation.

So that little yellow flower was itching for more pirates to cause trouble—it meant more people for it to munch on!

Plus, the cuisine plants transplanted from the Boin Archipelago had survived under the dwarves’ careful tending, becoming Omatsuri Island’s second-biggest attraction.

Without the dwarves’ racial abilities, those cuisine plants wouldn’t have lasted outside the Boin Archipelago—they’d evolved in symbiosis over years.

Moving them to Omatsuri Island took Lily Carnation’s nutrients and the dwarves’ cultivation working in tandem to establish a successful second breeding ground!

...

Sky Island Baron Island held too many secrets, so the tea party was held on Elan Island instead.

The three little princes and princess, though just turning one, were prodigies—they’d already mastered running and climbing, each one as cute as a porcelain doll.

"Brook-sama has arrived!!!"

A trumpet Homie shouted excitedly, and all the guests turned toward the door with respect.

There stood the New World overlord Brook, with a silver-haired, big-eyed little princess riding on his neck—adorably cute and flipping everyone out. She wasn’t intimidated by the crowd at all; instead, perched up high, she curiously scanned the room.

In Brook’s arms, one hand each held a little prince—both with black hair and dark eyes, tough little boys who showed no fear of the banquet. They gazed calmly at the crowd, but their eyes held a spark of curiosity as they quietly observed the strangers.

Brook carried the three kids to the head table, with Charlotte Linlin and Stussy following behind, ascending to the high seats together.

Once seated, Brook handed his two sons to Charlotte Linlin and Stussy, then lifted his daughter Kanna down into his lap.

"Yo ho ho, welcome everyone today! Let the music play and the dancing begin—don’t be too stiff about it!"

Brook couldn’t be bothered with a long-winded opening speech like some leader droning on for half an hour. He jumped straight into the festivities. Hosting a big event like this was mostly to gauge the intentions of these factions and give his subordinates a platform to network.

Of course, the tributes from these underlings were a key part too.

Back when Brook watched TV shows or read novels, he’d see mid-tier factions desperately offering gifts to their top bosses, just to boost their visibility, get familiar, and be remembered when opportunities arose.

Even side characters or protagonists would venture out treasure-hunting, presenting finds to family elders or big-shot leaders, leading to connections with the main character, shared adventures, snagging heavenly treasures, and earning favor from the higher-ups.

Who would’ve thought Brook would get this honor today, watching heads from over a hundred islands under him, plus underground world emperors and pirate captains... presenting all sorts of gifts.

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+400 Chapters on p@treon/tambeerg