Big Daddy Pirates

The crew members, who were busy gorging themselves, felt a wave of disappointment upon seeing Daddy Babaya return empty-handed, save for a single pink fruit. So much for an extra meal.

Only Kuro of a Hundred Plans watched Daddy Babaya with a look of shock. Had this guy actually obtained a Devil Fruit?

"Is that... a Devil Fruit? What kind of ability is it?"

Kuro of a Hundred Plans stood up abruptly. If it were a powerful Devil Fruit ability, he wouldn't mind the trade-off of becoming a hammer in the water.

At this, the others finally reacted, especially El Drago, who possessed the Sound-Sound Fruit.

"That's the pattern! And it tastes absolutely disgusting!"

El Drago recalled that unforgettable, nauseating flavor; it was something he would never forget for the rest of his life.

Zoro, however, only felt a flicker of curiosity. He was steadfast in his path as a swordsman and would never eat a Devil Fruit; he was determined to become a pure swordsman!

"Paramecia: Sube Sube no Mi, a Devil Fruit that can make a person beautiful!"

Daddy Babaya chuckled. He was already planning to save it for his own woman; perhaps he could craft someone even more beautiful than the Pirate Empress!

"Make someone beautiful?"

Kuro of a Hundred Plans instantly lost interest. If it couldn't significantly boost combat power, what was the point of having it, especially when it turned you into a hammer?

"Is the Captain going to sell it?"

The Cat Brothers also looked at Daddy Babaya with envy. They could go out for a stroll and stumble upon a Devil Fruit worth over a hundred million Beli, so why did they never encounter such good fortune when they went out to collect supplies?

"I'm not short on money!"

Daddy Babaya replied casually, then found a treasure chest to store it in, waiting for its rightful owner to appear.

Seeing the Devil Fruit tucked away, the others finally turned their gazes elsewhere.

"Daddy Babaya, have you decided on a name for our pirate crew yet? Once we take down the Krieg Pirates, we'll be famous throughout the East Blue! Unless you let us all go and keep the moss-head for yourself, we're all going to be wanted by the Navy. Rather than having them slap some random name on us later, we might as well decide now!"

Kuro of a Hundred Plans asked while chewing on a piece of grilled fish. Aside from Daddy Babaya and Zoro, everyone on board already had a bounty on their heads. Even Gollas, an obscure pirate swordsman, had a bounty of 10 million Beli!

"Most pirate crew names are either nicknames or the captain's name, so what else could it be?"

Daddy Babaya laughed. Aside from the Big Daddy Pirates, what else could it be called? The names of the Four Emperors' crews were all based on the captains' nicknames; his Big Daddy Pirates couldn't be any less impressive than Charlotte Linlin's Big Mom Pirates!

"The Daddy Babaya Pirates? The Babaya Pirates? The Big Daddy Pirates?"

Kuro of a Hundred Plans recited the three options. He had done his research on this captain: the underworld figure from the East Blue's Barto Family and former strategist, "Big Daddy" Daddy Babaya.

"So your nickname is 'Big Daddy'? That's such a cheap way to take advantage of people, and it's the same as your name!"

Zoro the Pirate Hunter spoke up with annoyance. Why don't you just call it the 'Daddy' Pirates!

"Please, call me Big Daddy! Hahaha!"

Daddy Babaya laughed. This nickname and name could finally fulfill its purpose of taking advantage of others.

"..."

Zoro, Kuro of a Hundred Plans, and El Drago all stared at their captain with black lines on their foreheads.

"Long live the Big Daddy Pirates! Captain Big Daddy is the strongest!"

Jango, acting as both a lackey and a dance-musician, immediately started singing, dancing, and rapping, eager to assert his presence as a lackey who had been in training for two and a half weeks.

"Sigh, there's no helping it, since you're the captain! Fine, the Big Daddy Pirates it is!"

Kuro of a Hundred Plans took a deep breath, adjusted his glasses, and said helplessly.

"That sounds terrible! Don't worry, everyone! In two months, I'll be able to defeat the captain, and then we'll rename it the El Drago Pirates!"

El Drago patted his chest, speaking with passionate confidence. However, he was met with several looks of pure idiocy. Even Gollas, El Drago's original crewmate, felt that his former captain had a screw loose!

"Heh, a Number 4 daring to brag! Your name is even worse than Big Daddy!"

Zoro the Pirate Hunter took a swig of alcohol, saying whatever came to his mind without the slightest intention of giving face!

"What! Say that again, you moss-headed swordsman!!"

El Drago's eyes blazed with fury, his voice so loud that light began to emanate from his mouth.

"Number 4, is that how you treat Number 2?"

Zoro smiled, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to re-establish the dignity of the second-in-command at the slightest provocation!

Bang!! x2.

Two figures flew backward. Daddy Babaya dissipated the Armament Haki from his hands; his Armament Haki had grown rapidly, evolving from a thin layer to a black coating covering half his fist!

"I'll give you all a chance to fight for your rankings once a month! Keep it civil the rest of the time! If you want to spar, come find me!"

After blasting the two away, Daddy Babaya took the grilled fish and fine wine respectfully offered by the Cat Brothers. Although he was getting tired of fish, there was no official cook on board, so he had to make do.

The crew members from the Black Cat Pirates loved grilled fish, and that was the only thing they were good at; any other dish they attempted was absolutely terrible.

Unless Daddy cooked for himself, he had no choice but to eat their offerings.

"Daddy, why haven't I awakened Armament Haki yet? Did you teach me wrong?"

Zoro returned with a bump on his head, yet he was desperate to master this Armament Haki. After all, Daddy could block blades with his bare hands, which was a testament to the sheer hardness of the technique!

"Your foundation is solid, but you're a bit too thin right now—not much better than Kuro, looking like a bamboo pole. From now on, eat more meat, train harder, and build some muscle. Only muscles that have broken through their limits can continuously generate Armament Haki!"

Daddy said earnestly. Just look at people like Straw Hat Luffy and Zoro; after two years of training, they had doubled in size, becoming hulking masses of muscle. They got bigger, and they got stronger!

"Hmph!"

Hearing Daddy drag him into the conversation, Kuro let out a soft snort, though he had already resolved to intensify his own training.

Otherwise, as Daddy had said, if he failed to keep up with the pace of their training, he would surely die on the path through the Grand Line and the New World!

"It really is a lack of effort on my part!"

Zoro took the advice to heart. He would eat more and train more from now on; back when he was a Pirate Hunter, he barely had enough to eat, so it was no wonder his strength had progressed so slowly.

He watched Daddy gorging himself—what a massive appetite, and what incredible digestive power!

Is this the standard for the strong?

Seeing the speed at which Captain Daddy was devouring his food, the Cat Brothers immediately sped up their grilling and increased the volume.

They just wished their captain would recruit a real chef soon; they would rather spend their time scrubbing the deck and cleaning.

Fed and rested, the Big Daddy Pirates finally left the deserted island after a day of recuperation and began their advance toward the territory of the Krieg Pirates.

Although the Cat Brothers were still terrified, the presence of four big shots with strength comparable to Krieg gave them a sliver of confidence.

After all, Krieg's bounty was only 17 million Beli, while the fourth-in-command, El Drago, already had a bounty of 16.6 million Beli, and the third-in-command, Kuro, had a bounty of 16 million Beli two years ago.

And while Captain Daddy and Pirate Hunter Zoro had no bounties, they were even stronger—perhaps even stronger than Arlong, who held the highest bounty in the East Blue at 20 million Beli!