Joy Boy noticed the change in Pedro's expression and said with a knowing look,
"That's right. The Fleet Admiral of the Marines, a Celestial Dragon—his name is Figarland Carl."
Crackle!
The moment Pedro heard that name, he could no longer suppress his emotions. His fur bristled, and bright arcs of electricity crackled around him.
The members of the Inuarashi Musketeer Squad, including Shishilian, all wore dark expressions.
Joy Boy narrowed his eyes at the furious Pedro and asked,
"Pedro, do you hate the Fleet Admiral that much?"
Pedro gritted his teeth.
"Hate? I dream of killing him!"
"Oh? And why is that? Mind sharing?"
Pedro took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, before replying,
"Before that, you should explain your connection with him. You claim you've fought against the Fleet Admiral—if that's true, then your strength must be considerable, right?"
Joy Boy grinned.
"You're welcome to test it for yourself."
A sharp glint flashed in Pedro's eyes as he said in a low voice,
"That's exactly what I was thinking!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Pedro lunged forward, claws crackling with electricity, and shot straight toward Joy Boy.
Joy Boy showed no reaction, his expression completely unchanged.
Pedro frowned. With a sharp swipe, his claw landed squarely on Joy Boy's chest, releasing a surge of silver-white lightning that coiled around him like living serpents.
But Pedro felt no sense of satisfaction from landing a hit. Instead, his eyes widened in shock as he stared at his own claw—now "sinking" into Joy Boy's chest.
Joy Boy's torso rippled like a pool of white liquid, his skin twisting and stretching like a marshmallow-like swamp. Pedro's claws sank deeper and deeper.
Electricity crackled around Joy Boy, but it had no effect on him. After all, his body was made of the rubbery "Nika-brand" material.
He smiled playfully at Pedro, who was now red-faced, struggling to pull his hand free—only to find that the more he struggled, the deeper his claw sank.
From the crowd, a petite, rabbit-like Mink with an adorable face gasped in alarm.
"Pedro-san!"
Joy Boy glanced in her direction before activating his ability. His chest spun counterclockwise in an instant, dragging Pedro along with it. Pedro lost control of his body and was flung through the air, tumbling across the ground for several meters before finally skidding to a stop.
It took Pedro a while to rise. He clutched his forehead and shook his head to clear his dizziness. When his vision steadied, he looked up—only to realize that Joy Boy had already vanished.
The rabbit Mink cried out again.
"Pedro, behind you!"
Pedro's expression stiffened. He whipped around, only to be greeted by Joy Boy's smiling face.
That grin irritated Pedro. In his eyes, Joy Boy had just toyed with him using some ridiculous ability.
Pedro scoffed.
"If your strength relies solely on a Devil Fruit, then I don't see how you could possibly fight the Fleet Admiral."
By now, the whole world knew about the Fleet Admiral's Dark-Dark Fruit. Against him, Devil Fruit users were powerless—that darkness could devour any ability.
But Joy Boy wasn't bothered. He simply chuckled and said,
"You're mistaken. Technically speaking, I'm not a Devil Fruit user. I am the Devil Fruit itself."
"Stop talking nonsense. What, are you saying you're a living Devil Fruit?"
"Exactly. Well, it's a bit complicated, so you wouldn't get it anyway. But since you think I only won because of my fruit's ability, how about I fight you without using it?"
Joy Boy raised a fist, smiling cheerfully.
"Shall we begin?"
Pedro eyed him suspiciously. He took a few steps back and said in a low voice,
"Say whatever you like. But just so you know, this time, I'll be using Armament Haki. Even if you are a Logia-type, you won't be able to block this!"
Joy Boy didn't respond. Instead, he tilted his head slightly, looking as if he might fall asleep.
Pedro snorted. His fist darkened as he coated it with Armament Haki.
Joy Boy blinked, then nodded approvingly.
"Not bad Haki."
A sharp light flashed in Pedro's eyes. He suddenly threw a punch, roaring,
"Don't underestimate me!!"
His Haki-coated fist rocketed toward Joy Boy's face.
Joy Boy made no attempt to dodge. Instead, he threw a punch of his own.
Their fists collided.
A moment later, Pedro was sent flying like a cannonball, smashing through a wall and disappearing from sight.
Joy Boy remained standing, his fist still extended. A gleam of light flickered across his knuckles.
He looked at the gaping hole in the wall, lips curling into a faint smile as he murmured to himself,
"My strength recovered even faster than I expected. Though… I might've overdone it a little."
Silence followed.
Then, the Minks finally reacted.
"Pedro (Boss)!!!"
Swish!
A white, petite figure shot out from the crowd, leaving a trail of silver lightning in the air as she charged toward Joy Boy.
Joy Boy raised an eyebrow and casually reached out.
In an instant, he caught her.
"Ouch! Ouch! Let go, you jerk!!"
The attacker was none other than the rabbit Mink. Joy Boy had grabbed her wrist, and in frustration, she kicked off the ground, leaping up to bite his neck.
Joy Boy let out a theatrical gasp and tilted his head to avoid her fangs. Then, with a smooth motion, he flipped her around, twisting her arms behind her back.
Despite being restrained, the rabbit Mink refused to give up. She clenched her teeth, her snowy fur crackling as she unleashed a violent burst of electricity.
Joy Boy didn't even flinch.
"My, my. What a fierce little bunny. Not very well-behaved, are you?"
The rabbit Mink struggled harder.
At that moment, a female dog Mink drew her sword and charged forward, shouting,
"Let go of Carrot!"
Hearing that, Joy Boy actually let go.
Carrot, caught off guard, tumbled forward and crashed onto the ground.
By now, the rest of the Minks had drawn their weapons as well, glaring at Joy Boy with open hostility.
Joy Boy immediately raised his hands in surrender, looking as innocent as possible.
"Whoa, whoa, no need for that! I mean no harm!"
The atmosphere grew increasingly tense.
Just when a fight seemed inevitable, a voice rang out from the hole in the wall.
"Everyone, stand down!!"
Pedro stepped forward, clutching his arm.
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+200 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg