Norse's Strength (Ticket)

"Why didn't you kill me?"

When Norse descended from the sky, the countless pirate grunts aboard the merchant ship were scared half to death, trembling like mice terrified of cats. Only Baby 5 showed a bit of courage, understanding that there was no point in being afraid now.

"Heh heh heh!"

Norse sneered disdainfully at the grunts on the ship. At last, his gaze swept over Baby 5 from head to toe as he said, "Getting too full of yourself without the strength to back it up will make you leave this world's stage early. Go back and tell your Donquixote Doflamingo that Norse, vice-captain of the Kuja Pirates, will definitely visit the country of Dressrosa when he has the time."

"What? You're Norse?"

Upon hearing that name, Baby 5 stared blankly at the exceedingly dangerous man before her. Then, from the deep cleavage squeezed between her ample breasts, she pulled out a folded wanted poster and unfolded it to compare it with Norse's appearance.

Wasn't this change in appearance practically like becoming a completely different person?

The next moment, Baby 5 nervously wiped the cold sweat from her forehead. "I'm truly sorry. I couldn't help taking it out to compare."

At the same time, as realization dawned on her, Baby 5 hurriedly put the wanted poster away.

Such a dangerous pirate only had a bounty of one hundred Beli. Wasn't Marine Headquarters deliberately smearing him? And they had even drawn a dignified grown man as a rather attractive woman. Were they trying to get themselves killed?

What was even more speechless was that Marine Headquarters' deception had thoroughly screwed over quite a few people this time.

Without knowing Norse's true strength, anyone who encountered him would probably treat him as an insignificant nobody. If he transformed back into his original appearance, he might even be mistaken for a pretty boy kept aboard the Kuja Pirates' ship, the sort who lived off women. After all, who didn't know that the captain of the Kuja Pirates was as beautiful as a flower, gorgeous as a fairy?

"There's no need to doubt it. The person with the one-hundred-Beli bounty on that poster is me, Norse. Hmph! But I've already made Marine Headquarters pay a sufficient price. In a few days, you'll understand just how dangerous it is to offend me!" Norse coldly watched her suddenly pull out the wanted poster, an irrepressible fury rising within him.

"My lord, the sealed crates you wanted have all been moved onto your ship," a pirate grunt said as he approached cautiously.

Only then did Norse take an interest. "What exactly is inside these sealed crates?"

"My lord, they're all antiques smuggled out through trades in Jaya's underground black market. Gold and silver jewelry make up the largest portion," the grunt replied carefully, afraid that a single unclear word would earn him a slap that killed him.

"All the sealed crates moved onto my pirate ship contain valuables like these?"

"Yes, they all do," the grunt said, nodding frantically.

Norse was delighted. They were all gold and silver ornaments among antique relics—this voyage had gotten off to a pretty good start. They had to be worth quite a lot of Beli. When the time came, he could use the money to buy some expensive tableware.

"Fine. Today, I'll let you go back and deliver a message to Donquixote Doflamingo. From today onward, the Kuja Pirates are the greatest force in the seas covered by the Grand Line. We'll be collecting protection money from him for operating in these waters. If he refuses, tell him to come find us!" Norse said calmly. The next moment, ripples formed beneath his feet as he stepped through the air, crossing the sea one step at a time before returning to his own ship.

Watching the Kuja Pirates' ship sail away, every pirate aboard the merchant vessel finally felt as though they had walked out of death's hell.

Yet the terror Norse had left in their hearts still lingered, impossible to dispel.

Walking through the air, crossing the sea, soaring into the heavens, transforming into the sun, and killing an ability user like Gladius with a single move—what did a pirate this powerful dare not do? What could he not accomplish?

The Kuja Pirates' ship, which had departed in the blink of an eye, continued sailing toward Long Ring Long Land.

"Norse, why didn't you kill all of them? Especially that ability user in the maid outfit—she looked so bewitching. She was obviously much older than us, wasn't she?"

Sonia did not quite understand. If they were being sent back to spread the word and stir up hatred, they could have killed another one of their ability users to raise the level of hostility even further.

"There was really no need. In my eyes, people like lolis and maids don't deserve to die. Besides, Donquixote Doflamingo has special methods to locate a Devil Fruit's power after its user dies. So even if we blew up Gladius today, after some time Doflamingo would just cultivate another new user of the Pop-Pop Fruit."

Norse took the glass of red wine Hancock had brought him and drained it in two gulps.

"So that's how it is. Then does that mean Donquixote Doflamingo is very formidable?"

Gorud picked up the conversation. Seeing Norse finish his glass of wine and pull a cigarette from his pants pocket, she immediately stepped forward to light it for him. "And he's one of the Shichibukai, too."

"Formidable? He's merely someone with considerable ambition, a man who'll stop at nothing for what he wants."

Norse said with utmost confidence, "In terms of personal strength, he's no match for me at all. However, during his years as a Shichibukai, the overall force he built up has become rather sizable.

"But there's no need for us to worry. After this sea expedition, I can guarantee that the Kuja Pirates' overall combat power will soar immensely. Then I'll take you to the New World and make you emperors!"

"Hee hee... Do you have to make it sound so exciting?"

The people around Norse were all fired up upon hearing such an overwhelmingly bold declaration.

After all, anyone capable of becoming an emperor of the seas would undoubtedly be a dominant overlord of the ocean. For the sisters, it also brought them one huge step closer to their dream of overthrowing the World Government's rotten rule.

"Norse, tell us honestly. Just how strong are you now?"

Sonia suddenly asked nervously. Norse was simply too monstrous—every battle brought them an unexpected surprise.

Norse exhaled a thick cloud of smoke and thought for a moment. "I don't know where my limit lies either. But if I fought without risking my life, I think Marine Headquarters would need to deploy at least two admirals to possibly restrain me. As for one... you saw what happened to Admiral Zephyr. That would be the result."

Sonia and the others sucked in a breath of cold air. What kind of strength and confidence was that?

"Then what if you fought with your life on the line?" Sonia could not resist asking for more.

"I don't know. That would involve the question of where my power truly reaches its limit."

Norse smiled. "But believe me, I'm absolutely not being arrogant. After all, there are always greater people beyond greater people. There are still several people in this world who are even more formidable than I imagined."

"Ah! Who are they?"

Hancock and the other two found it unbelievable. They immediately marked his words—that there were still several people in this world stronger than him—in their minds.

"Hahaha... Knowing too much won't do you any good. But since you all performed well today, I've decided to prepare dinner for you."

"Fine. Delicious food is what we need most."

"And this one wants to learn how to cook from Norse. Would you be willing to patiently teach this one?" Hancock blushed at the side, clearly indulging in some narcissistic fantasy again. Perhaps she was imagining whether, while Norse taught her to cook, he would hug her from behind, and then... perhaps hold her hand or something.

"Oh, that's a good idea. Girls should learn how to cook."

Remembering Hancock's dark cuisine, Norse felt his stomach clench. He resolved to take this opportunity to teach her some everyday dishes hand in hand.

P.S. If you have any ideas about the Sun-Sun Fruit's sun-related abilities, leave them in the review section. I'll open discussion threads on both sides later.