"Are you flirting?!"
Kuma suddenly clenched his massive, fleshy paw, feeling an inexplicable urge to hit someone. However, upon seeing Luffy kneeling and crying not far from Bai Yu, the bear chose to hold back and continued:
"Since you know my identity, you should also know his. I hope you won't sacrifice something great for something small. We…"
"You talk too much. What I want to do is not up to you!"
Bai Yu ignored Kuma and instead turned his attention to the Supernovas.
Meanwhile, the grieving Luffy, upon seeing Bai Yu, found strength from nowhere and shouted again, "Give Nami back! I want to fight—"
Boom!
He was kicked away.
Luffy's straw hat fell to the ground.
Kid and the others were speechless. Where did this guy find the courage to shout at the Demon King?
"Your shouting is really foolish. Is that what they call the inheritance of free will?" Bai Yu sneered at the fallen hat. Lightning flickered around his feet, and then—
Crackle!
He stomped directly on the straw hat.
Fsshh!
The hat turned to ashes.
"Whoaaaaaa!!"
Seeing the straw hat that Shanks had given him be destroyed, Luffy erupted in anger, unleashing his Conqueror's Haki once more.
To Kuma, however, it was just a destroyed hat. His expression remained calm. As long as Bai Yu didn't kill Luffy, a little grief was nothing.
"To be honest, I have no interest in you right now," Bai Yu said flatly, looking at the roaring Luffy. "The Sun God the world is waiting for? The new Joy Boy? If I ever get bored, maybe I'll let you entertain me. Otherwise, I'll be waiting for you on the highest throne!"
Then, he shifted his gaze back to Kuma, who was still holding his Bible.
"And you," Bai Yu said coldly. "Go back and tell Dragon—I'll find him myself."
Kuma's eyes gleamed. "Are you looking to cooperate? I can—"
"No. Go capture someone for me."
Kuma fell silent.
The women of the Revolutionary Army were important. Did this Demon King intend to—?!
As expected of the most arrogant pirate of the new era, even Kuma felt the urge to get angry.
Bang!
Seeing that Bai Yu was ignoring Luffy, Kuma flashed to his side and slapped him away.
As he watched Luffy disappear into the sky, Bai Yu frowned slightly. "Where did you send him? Amazon Lily?"
Kuma looked puzzled. "Why would I send him to your territory?"
Bai Yu raised an eyebrow. "How do you know that's my territory?"
Kuma replied indifferently, "I guessed."
"Pfft!"
Hearing that, Jewelry Bonney burst out laughing.
Bai Yu's face darkened instantly. "What are you laughing at?! Laugh again, and don't even think about getting into a warm bed for three days!"
"Oh no, I'm so scared…" Bonney mocked, scanning Bai Yu up and down with suspicion. "Three days?"
Bai Yu squinted. "You seem very bold. Want to test it tonight?"
Bonney shrieked as Bai Yu suddenly lifted her up. "No! I don't want to test it—help! The Demon King is trying to kidnap a beautiful girl!"
And then—whoosh.
They vanished.
Along with them, the Supernovas disappeared as well.
Kuma stood still, lost in thought for a long moment before sighing deeply.
"This is the last time," he murmured.
"I hope you can live free and happy, Bonney."
Inside the Gravity Space
"Damn bastard! I'm going to kill you…!"
Kid roared in fury, staring at Enel with murderous intent.
Before anyone could get up, they were electrocuted by the lightning user.
Enel nonchalantly picked at his ear. "You can't even touch a god—what a bunch of trash."
"Damn it!"
Kid, Kira, Hawkins, Apoo, Drake, and Law all gritted their teeth.
But they didn't even know Haki yet—facing Enel was a nightmare.
Cavendish crossed his arms and smirked. "You guys are the Supernovas of the same era as my captain? How embarrassing."
Kid snapped, "You only set sail a year before us! What's so great about that?"
"Hah! This young master is always great!" Cavendish boasted before suddenly pausing. A realization struck him. "Wait… The captain didn't kill you guys. Is he planning to recruit you?"
Apoo and the others remained silent.
That was the only explanation.
But Kid was arrogant. Just as he was about to say something—
"It'd be better if the captain stripped you of your Devil Fruit abilities and gave them to someone else. That way, your powers wouldn't be wasted."
"What?!"
Kid's words caught in his throat.
That kind of horrifying ability—?!
Their greatest advantage was their Devil Fruits!
Cavendish then looked at Kira. "Aren't you a non-fruit user? You're worthless. Even if the captain kills you, he won't care."
"Stop!"
Kid's voice exploded in rage.
Seeing Cavendish's smug look, Kid clenched his fists, his veins bulging.
Kira said sternly, "Kid! Don't sacrifice your dignity for me! If I die, so be it!"
"Shut up!"
Kid roared again. "I'm the captain! It's not up to you to decide what I do!"
The atmosphere froze.
Apoo, Hawkins, and the others also looked grim.
Did they even have a choice?
Meanwhile…
A black hole appeared, and Bai Yu casually threw out two figures—Urouge and Capone Bege—who had been imprisoned in the Undead Prison. Their injuries had been healed.
The gathered Supernovas—Kid, Kira, Bege, Urouge, Law, Drake, Apoo, and Hawkins—were now all in one place.
With Bonney included, only Blackbeard, Luffy, and Zoro were missing.
The most infamous generation of pirates was almost fully assembled.
"The Demon King!"
Seeing Bai Yu's arrival, Urouge and the others felt a complicated mix of emotions. To exist in the same era as him was both an honor and a tragedy.
Bai Yu looked at the silent Kid and the others.
"If Kaido were in my place, he would just defeat you, throw you in prison, and wear down your fighting spirit over time until you submitted," Bai Yu said indifferently. "But…"
He smirked.
"Kaido is too softhearted."
What?
Kaido—the most brutal of the Four Emperors—was too softhearted?!
Everyone had a bad feeling about this.
Bai Yu continued, "There's a saying—'Conquer the heart, not just the body.' I have a few methods to make you submit. Want to hear them?"
Before anyone could react, Bai Yu started listing them.
"First option: Drug you, throw you into a pigsty, and broadcast your 'happy life' with the sows to the entire world."
Hiss!!
Everyone's scalps went numb.
Enel and the others instinctively took a step back. Thank you, captain, for your mercy!
Apoo immediately bowed. "I've always admired you! I pledge loyalty to the captain!"
As the others hesitated, Bai Yu continued, "Second option: Sever your limbs, parade you through the streets, and make you the most famous disabled eunuch in the world."
Gulp.
Too cruel!
Hawkins, losing his composure, bowed. "Great Lord Demon King! Please accept me!"
Bai Yu smirked. "Third—"
"Enough!"
Kid interrupted, sweating profusely.
"You—this isn't good for your reputation! Please stop talking!"
And so, one by one, the Supernovas submitted.
The Demon King had conquered them without even raising his sword.
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