"Straw Hat Kid, I am a friend of your father."
At this moment, the bear spoke.
He had always thought that his close friend's son would be the savior of the world and the Nika that the people were looking forward to, so he placed high hopes on him.
But judging from the current situation, the other party is still just a greenhorn, far from meeting his expectations. At the very least, he is not good enough yet.
Thinking of this, Xiong's gaze inadvertently drifted to Cifer beside him.
Although his captain seemed different from the legendary Nika, Bear now believed he could save the world.
"Father? Do I have a father?"
Luffy was completely bewildered; he had never heard anything about his father before.
"Your father is the leader of the Revolutionary Army —Dragon."
The bear sat down in front of him and slowly told him about dragons and why they had been separated in the Sabaody Archipelago.
"What? So you wanted to help us? We really misunderstood you, hahaha~ Thank you so much~"
After explaining, Luffy laughed and apologized to and thanked Kuma.
Looking back now, if it weren't for him, I and my companions might not have been able to escape from that female swordsman.
She's clearly a woman, but she's incredibly strong. Facing her is like facing my grandfather—I feel powerless!
"Luffy, four Supernovas like you have died on Sabaody Archipelago."
"This includes two guys with higher Bounty than you, who were completely helpless."
During the conversation between Kuma and Luffy, Rayleigh understood what Kuma wanted to express and also formed his own thoughts.
Rayleigh's words immediately extinguished Luffy's joy, and he pressed down on his straw Straw Hat.
In his view, those were people like himself who went out to sea to pursue their dreams, but were defeated in the Sabaody Archipelago.
"The woman on the Sabaody Archipelago who beat you and your companions to a pulp is named Gion, and she is Admiral Candidate."
Seeing that Luffy had finally calmed down and was deep in thought, Kuma added more information.
Even after witnessing how powerful the enemy is, would you still choose to enter the New World now?
"Can you protect your companions?"
Rayleigh's words struck Luffy's heart like a hammer blow, and the helpless scene on Sabaody Archipelago seemed to replay before his eyes.
"Should we continue to risk our lives, or stop and become stronger?"
"I just happen to need to train these kids for Cifer, so I don't mind having you as well."
Rayleigh gave his choice; he had high hopes for Luffy.
Although he is probably no match for a monster like Cifer, he suits his taste perfectly; seeing him is like seeing Roger back in the day.
"Cifer, do you also think we shouldn't enter the New World yet?"
Luffy turned his gaze to Cifer, Ace's savior and also the big captain. He must know a lot about the New World.
"Whether or not you enter the New World is your own decision, but you won't be so lucky every time."
Cifer didn't make any definitive statements; as he said, it was Luffy's decision to make.
But his attitude was also very clear: they were not yet worthy of reaching that level.
Luffy hesitated. He longed for adventure and looked forward to the journey to find One Piece with his crew.
But Rayleigh's words dealt him another heavy blow; he realized he was now unable to protect his companions.
He didn't want the helplessness he felt in the Sabaody Archipelago to happen again.
"Then... then I'll go with you! But I need to inform my companions first!"
After much deliberation, Luffy finally made up his mind to wait until he became stronger and able to protect those around him before entering the New World.
"I'll figure out what to do with your companions. I know where they are."
Seeing him make his decision, Kuma breathed a sigh of relief, while glancing at Bonney beside him with lingering fear.
If Bonney had been completely transformed and hadn't encountered Cifer and the others, perhaps she would have entered the New World in search of herself.
With just herself and her childhood friends, they had no chance of establishing themselves in the New World; they weren't even as good as the Straw Hat Kid's companions.
Fortunately, everything is fine now, Cifer is Nika for both father and daughter.
"Is it alright to set the timeframe at two years, Cifer?"
Seeing that the matter had been settled, Rayleigh turned his attention to the latter, after all, his men would be going along as well.
But time is a critical issue. Too little time won't work, as the skills won't be mastered enough; too much time might also affect Cifer's future plans.
"No problem. Time is essential for getting stronger steadily."
Cifer naturally had no objections. He didn't want these people to be his henchmen. It would be good for them to follow King Luffy around and see how much stronger they could become.
Moreover, Cifer felt that his companions also needed to find some time to hone their skills.
There are only three truly capable fighters on the entire ship right now, so at the very least, everyone else needs to be able to protect themselves.
Of course, what Cifer considered sufficient for self-preservation was being able to gain a foothold in the New World, a place teeming with monsters, and become someone who could stand on their own.
Nolan, Chopper, and the others felt a chill run down their spines for some reason.
"Then it's settled. There's a perfect island nearby for cultivation. Let's rest for two days and then set off."
Rayleigh was somewhat excited to see just how strong they would become after two years of training.
"Speaking of Rayleigh, why is it that Straw Hat Kid Luffy gets free instruction from you, but my subordinates have to pay you?"
Cifer was somewhat dissatisfied. Was this how the protagonist was treated?
"Hahaha~ Luffy is my chosen disciple!"
Rayleigh didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with it and answered his question with a loud laugh.
"Alright, let's go back to the city! Since we're already here, let's stay for a couple of days before we leave."
Cifer didn't delve into it further, since whether or not to teach was ultimately the other party's business.
However, we need to find an opportunity to go to the New World to find that guy Zephyr; the establishment of the New Marines is of utmost urgency.
Cifer has a bold plan that, once implemented, will inevitably plunge the world into turmoil. He needs to possess a force powerful enough to deter the villains.
And so the group remained in Amazon Lily, and several days passed in the blink of an eye. The people of Amazon Lily had grown accustomed to their presence.
The three empress sisters would occasionally come to the city to eat and chat with them, drawing envy from the people.
But it was the night before the trip.
"The Empress has fallen ill?"
Looking at the Elder Nyon in front of him, Cifer was a little troubled. Based on her behavior, he had guessed that this was possible, so he stayed a few more days.
"This is something that every emperor of Amazon Lily may face, and the only person who can trigger her illness is undoubtedly you!"
Hancock was able to resolve her inner conflict, Elder Nyon very happy, but she never expected that the woman would actually fall for a man like Ulquiorra.
"Then I'll go take a look."
Cifer took a step and arrived at the Empress's palace in the blink of an eye. The Empress was lying on the bed, with her two younger sisters anxiously surrounding her.
"I heard you were sick, are you alright?"
"Ulquiorra? My sister is resting, how could you..."
Sandersonia and Marigold were somewhat indignant. Even if their sister valued this man highly, he shouldn't have bothered her when she was seriously ill.
But to their surprise...
"I'm fine!"
Hancock had stood up; her face was rosy, and she showed no signs of illness.
"Eh~"
The two younger sisters were already questioning their existence when Shakky appeared at the right time and pulled them aside to explain things to them.
Only Cifer and Hancock remained at the scene.
"How about I bring the entire Kuja, along with Amazon Lily, into my fold!"
After a moment's hesitation, Cifer finally said those words.
Hancock is the emperor here, and she is responsible for the entire Amazon Lily. Moreover, Cifer is not too sure about the possibility of having her as a member of his ship.
So, turning this place into our base is a pretty good idea. But when the other party heard it, it seemed to have a different meaning.
"Cifer wants the Kuja ...and the entire Amazon Lily...and I am the Empress here..."
"Could this be... a marriage proposal?!"
Hancock covered her blushing face, her mind beginning to conjure up images of her happy married life.