Youpi was among the Ant King's three Royal Guards, the one with the strongest physical aptitude and bodily strength. In terms of physical qualities, he was also the closest to the Ant King among the three - a super monster composed entirely of magical beasts.
His own Nen amount was even dozens of times greater than Morel, an expert from the Hunter world - the man called a monster by Knuckle.
He possessed super strong combat instincts, but his own intelligence wasn't high, making him easy to deceive.
In the original work, he had once been persuaded by Pouf, but due to his loyalty to Ant King Meruem, he ultimately revealed the truth.
In other words, among the Ant King's three Royal Guards: Pitou was completely loyal to the Ant King, wholeheartedly carrying out Meruem's will.
Pouf was equally loyal to the Ant King, but his imagination ran too wild - he easily overthought things and took actions equivalent to betraying the Ant King.
Youpi's intelligence was too low. Following Pitou, he'd carry out Meruem's will like Pitou; following Pouf, he'd be incited by him. But he himself would absolutely never do anything detrimental to Meruem.
Meruem's previous words were meant to trigger certain movements in Youpi's heart - namely self-blame and guilt. Youpi, Pouf, and Pitou were known as the three Royal Guards most loyal to him. This wasn't just talk - unquestionably, they took pride in this.
Unlike Youpi, Pouf would carry out his own overthought understanding. Although his methods would indeed make a good monarch, that would only be a monarch for Chimera Ants.
Or rather, a monarch cold and ruthless to all outside creatures. In Meruem's view, that was just a killing machine.
Meruem had his own thoughts. He didn't like being swayed by others' thinking. In other words, Pouf was indeed correct - Ruiko had no benefit for Chimera Ants and was only a burden for Meruem.
Or rather, a weakness. But Pouf didn't know that sometimes the power that erupted from protection was stronger than anything.
Emotions were very complex things. He didn't understand - Meruem didn't blame him.
But Pouf's forcing-the-palace approach, in Meruem's view, was no different from betrayal, though in a certain sense Pouf was indeed a loyal minister.
Wasn't there also so-called "purging the ruler's side" in ancient times?
"Generals... now that Youpi stands on my side, what do you plan to do?" Meruem looked at the three with interest. He'd never taken this matter seriously from the start, except that Pouf's overthinking speech just now did make him somewhat angry.
"Damn it, I knew that guy was unreliable. Pouf, what do we do? Say something!" Zazan had never been one to keep his composure. Otherwise, with Zazan's strength, she wouldn't have nearly been killed so easily by Feitan from the Phantom Troupe back then.
"Damn Youpi, betraying me at this most critical moment. Just a little more - just a little more and I could have made that damned human leave the King's side. Then our Chimera Ant clan would definitely dominate this world." Pouf looked darkly at Youpi facing them. They weren't completely without chance - as long as either Zazan or Leol could entangle Youpi for a while, he could block the King, and the remaining person could very easily kill Ruiko.
As long as she was killed, no matter how much punishment, it would be worth it.
But everything was just his thinking. He'd never fought Meruem and didn't know that even with only 40% strength, Meruem was far stronger than he imagined.
Moreover...
"King, this subject only came to request qualification to depart and has no wish to oppose you. If you let this subject leave without pursuit, I'll immediately disappear from your presence." The speaker was Leol, his meaning very clear: let me leave, don't pursue me afterward, and I won't oppose you.
Worthy of being one of the Squadron Leaders with higher intelligence in the original work - seeing hope was slim, he simply sold out his teammates first.
Moreover, he spoke half-threateningly, half-respectfully, very clearly saying "without pursuit," avoiding Meruem settling accounts later. As long as Meruem agreed, he'd have a guarantee.
Unfortunately, although his calculations were good, Meruem had no intention of sparing him. There was only one chance. My territory - was it somewhere you could come and go as you pleased, betray at will?
"Leol, you..." Zazan's expression was somewhat frantic, but more regretful. What a good opportunity - why was her reaction so slow? How good it would have been if she'd said it.
Hearing Leol's words, Pouf's expression became even darker.
These Squadron Leaders' integrity had always been low.
"Hehe... Ruiko, be good and close your eyes." Meruem didn't answer directly but turned to tell Ruiko, whose face still bore traces of tears.
Hearing Meruem's words, Ruiko obediently closed her eyes.
Meruem gently placed Pitou's egg in his arms, covering Ruiko's ear with one hand while slowly extending his other hand and lightly snapping his fingers.
"King, puh—" Before anyone could react, Leol and Zazan directly became two piles of meat paste.
The Golden Silkworm Gu inside them weren't joking - they were alive. It seemed Gudo's death hadn't given them any warning. They really didn't know life from death.
Strength enhancement wasn't free. While gaining power, their life and death were completely controlled by Meruem.
No one except Pitou knew that Golden Silkworm Gu could control life and death.
Even the Shadow Guard Twelve who had Meruem's deep trust only knew roughly.
"Pouf, now you've completely lost."
Before Youpi and Pouf's eyes, Meruem openly took back those two Golden Silkworm Gu.
I didn't expect the King to have this move. It seems everything I did was seen by the King. The King is truly... truly too amazing, hahahaha. Such decisive slaughter is our Chimera Ants' king! As long as that human disappears, the King is still the King!
Pouf actually showed a slightly crazed, relieved smile at the moment Leol and Zazan died. Indeed, his way of thinking was different from ordinary people.
The complete essence of two Squadron Leaders - looks like I can recover some more strength.
"King, oh~ even if shattered to pieces, even if you want to kill me, one day you'll understand my actions were correct! As long as, as long as that human can be killed, even if immediately executed by you, I'd have no regrets."
Seeing Pouf's continued unrepentant appearance, Meruem felt somewhat troubled. Honestly, he'd indeed had killing intent toward Pouf just now, but Pouf was truly loyal to him - just in a rather peculiar way. Essentially, Meruem didn't want to kill him.
"King, please allow this subject to say one thing. Although Pouf did such treasonous things, but..." Youpi could be indifferent to those two Squadron Leaders' deaths, but not Pouf's. If possible, he didn't want Meruem to kill Pouf.
"Alright, Youpi, I know what you want to say. Don't worry, I won't kill Pouf. But the death penalty can be avoided, though living punishment is hard to escape. Go, leave here - I, this king, can't control you." Meruem rubbed his brow and said slowly.
"King!" Hearing himself forgiven by Meruem and spared from death, Pouf's face showed a joyful expression.
The King truly understood - my actions were correct. But Meruem's next sentence threw him into hell again.
"No need to say more, my mind is made up." Meruem waved his hand at Youpi, indicating no need to plead further.
"It's already very late, withdraw." This was clearly Meruem's order to leave. "When you can understand what a subject should and shouldn't do, then come back." As Youpi supported the already ash-gray Pouf leaving the great hall, Meruem's light words reached their ears.
Instantly, Pouf changed from ash-gray to colorful, and directly wiped his snot and tears on Youpi's chest.
To this, Youpi expressed great disgust.
"What should be managed, what shouldn't be done?" Repeatedly chewing on these words, Pouf fell into deep contemplation.
————————Dividing Line————————
"What? Zetsu, you said you actually can't find where those Uchiha are hiding?" In a pitch-black stalactite cave, a man wearing a spiral mask was yelling at a black-and-white checkered weirdo that looked like a pitcher plant.
"Yes, Madara. They seem to have disappeared, completely vanished without a trace." The pitcher plant-like weirdo said with a hippie smile.
"Just like entering the three great summoning sanctuaries, completely isolated from the outside world. The news spread outside now was all disseminated by that monster you encountered last time."
This wasn't Zetsu mocking Obito. Rather, both White Zetsu and Black Zetsu naturally had that cheap smiling face.
After all, the world was vast with all kinds of wonders. If some people were naturally expressionless, then some were naturally cheap smiles.
But no one knew what he was truly thinking behind that smiling face.
Could Zetsu really not find traces of Uchiha Musashi and others? White Zetsu perhaps couldn't, but for Black Zetsu, known as the earth's incarnation, this naturally wasn't difficult.
Even if the opponent really went inside the three great summoning sanctuaries.
But Black Zetsu wasn't like those brainless White Zetsu obeying Obito and Madara. As Kaguya's third son, his purpose was to revive Kaguya.
After the variable Meruem, who didn't belong to the Naruto world, appeared, Black Zetsu found him.
Although Meruem's strength hadn't recovered, Black Zetsu himself had no combat ability. Between the two existed certain common goals.
For example, Black Zetsu's purpose was reviving Kaguya; Meruem's purpose was obtaining the Divine Tree's chakra fruit.
When he met Meruem, the two reached an agreement.
(End of Chapter)
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