Momousagi, Momousagi, Nowhere to Run

"Momousagi, Momousagi, I'll soon leave you with nowhere to run!"

Ye Zhuo had thought he would need to go looking for Momousagi.

He had not expected her to show herself first.

Momousagi, who had been carrying out a mission, wore the graceful long dress of a dancer, her face heavily made up and her lips crimson.

It formed a striking contrast with her valiant, dashing bearing when she drew her sword.

"Come to sea with me, Momousagi!

My ship desperately needs a dancer.

Without watching dancing at sea, it's hard to maintain one's physical and mental health."

With an effortless move, Ye Zhuo blocked Momousagi's sword strike wrapped in Armament Haki.

"That's quite a nice sword."

"Don't even think about making me board your ship!"

Momousagi thought, So the rumors really were true!

Was Demon King Ye Zhuo's body really that strong?

Even Kaido could not withstand it.

"You don't get a choice."

Ye Zhuo amplified the strength throughout his body, layering the Ox Talisman, Conqueror's Haki, and Armament Haki.

"One-Inch Punch!"

A sharp crack rang out.

Momousagi did not know which of her ribs had shattered.

"I wasn't careful. I really don't know how to treat a woman gently."

"Damn it!"

Momousagi collapsed to the ground. Just as she tried to get back up, she discovered that her aura had grown weak.

"Rest for a while."

Ye Zhuo patted her forehead, and Momousagi completely lost consciousness.

He slung Momousagi over one shoulder.

Then Ye Zhuo swaggered toward the Demon King.

"Vivi, help treat her.

Perona, don't let her develop any psychological issues."

After giving the order, Ye Zhuo tossed Momousagi into a cabin.

The pirates who saw this all turned ashen-faced.

How long had it even been?

Ye Zhuo had first taken a Celestial Dragon as a servant, then captured a long-legged beauty and thrown her into a cabin.

"Who was that just now?"

Gild Tesoro asked ingratiatingly.

"She should have been a pillar of the future Marines. Now she'll be a pillar of my Demon King's Grand Fleet."

Ye Zhuo's words left Gild Tesoro utterly confused.

He did not know there would be a World Military Draft in the future.

Nor did he know Momousagi would become a renowned Admiral candidate.

[ Ding! ]

[ Main quest completed: Invite Momousagi aboard ]

[ Quest reward: Shadowkhan · Mantis Shadowkhan ]

[ The host has gathered the complete Shadowkhan and obtained the Nine Great Masks · Haki Edition ]

[ The masks can be given to crew members. They will not affect their personalities, but will imprint them with the host's mark, enhance their Haki, and allow them to summon the Shadowkhan. ]

Nine masks immediately appeared in Ye Zhuo's hands.

He gave them respectively to the Empress, Kalifa, Vivi, Robin, Nami, Perona, Sadi, Shirahoshi, and Baby 5.

Rebecca and Tashigi were his guardian knight and swordswoman, and could not leave his side.

Violet, meanwhile, was the lookout and also needed to remain by his side at all times to identify lies.

That way, once it made the newspapers,

Donquixote Doflamingo could get his blood flowing when he read them in Impel Down.

As for Momousagi, she had only just boarded the ship and was still an intern crew member.

"Captain, what is this?"

Just as Kalifa was about to speak, an imprint of Ye Zhuo's pirate flag appeared on her arm.

"I have one too!"

The Empress was ecstatic. In her eyes, it was something exclusive to her.

Though hers had appeared on her ankle.

Marks appeared on different parts of everyone's bodies.

"This will strengthen your Haki. It has no side effects, and it lets you summon different Shadowkhan."

What Ye Zhuo did not say was

that everyone's authority over the shadows was lower than his.

But presumably, no one would dare do anything about it.

"So he really is still wary of me."

Tashigi said somewhat sadly.

"But Rebecca and I are Demon King's left and right guards, just like Aunt Violet. This position is very important."

Rebecca said cautiously, remaining on guard.

"Being able to protect Demon King is already our honor."

Violet said happily as well.

"What Demon King? At most, I'll call him Captain."

Tashigi felt that this meant he did not value her.

"What, are you jealous because you don't command the Shadowkhan?"

Ye Zhuo looked at Tashigi.

Seeing her angrily turn her head away, he found it amusing.

"Protecting me is important too, Tashigi."

Tashigi did not refuse after hearing that. She simply lowered her head and looked elsewhere.

"Shirahoshi and Vivi are little crybabies, while you're a little vinegar jar."

Joking as he spoke, Ye Zhuo picked up a bottle of liquor and headed into the distance.

Gold City was not bad. They could have some fun here for a while.

[ Main chain quest activated: Conquer one of the Four Seas—the South Blue. Go greet Bonney, the future supernova of the Worst Generation. ]

[ Quest reward: Moon Demonic Energy ]

Ye Zhuo had not expected this quest refresh to take some time.

Only now could his Demon King's Grand Fleet be considered truly established.

Crew members capable of summoning the Shadowkhan were equivalent to nine captains of a grand fleet.

"Once I collect all Eight Demonic Energies, will that trigger a reward too?"

Ye Zhuo was very interested in the Moon Demonic Energy's formidable power.

However, it also had certain limitations.

He first needed to gain control over the moon's gravity before he could further influence Blue Star.

When that time came, it would be extremely terrifying.

"The South Blue? Fortunately, this quest has no time limit. I'll have fun for a few days first."

Wasn't it just because there were Sea Kings in the Calm Belt?

Poseidon was still aboard his ship. He could go wherever he wanted.

If necessary, he could just fly there.

And if that did not work, he could directly use the Water Demon Aura to command the sea.

"Raise your cups and drink!"

Ye Zhuo cheered. The Demon King Pirates would never lack excitement.

With Amazon Lily, Alabasta, Fish-Man Island, and Dressrosa as his territories,

plus his subordinate officers and the complete Shadowkhan,

Ye Zhuo had already reached the level of a Four Emperor in terms of personal strength, subordinate forces, and occupied territory.

But just as Ye Zhuo had said,

Four Emperors?

Were they stronger than him, the Demon King?

Three days later.

Gild Tesoro gave Ye Zhuo three billion Beli, along with more than a hundred chests of gold.

He greeted him with a smile, but his heart was bleeding.

Only after personally watching the Demon King sail away

did Gild Tesoro finally breathe a sigh of relief.

He only hoped Ye Zhuo would never return. His heart could not take it.

When Momousagi slowly awoke from her sickbed, largely recovered,

the Demon King had already sailed toward the South Blue.

To get there, it would have to fly over the Red Line.

"You're awake?"

Vivi looked at Momousagi with concern.

"You're the Alabasta princess who was taken by Demon King Ye Zhuo?"

Momousagi had naturally read that intelligence report.

"Actually, I came willingly, though the Captain isn't interested."

Vivi smiled.

The three-year promise she had made when she first went to sea now worried her.

When the time came, would she really be able to let go?

"How could that be? Don't be afraid. I've already contacted headquarters."

After saying that, Momousagi tried to get up and retrieve her sword.

"Be careful. You still need to recover.

The Captain has a bad temper. If you attack again,

he'll feed you to the fish."

Before Vivi had finished speaking, there was a knock at the door.

Not long after, a Celestial Dragon maid dressed in a maid outfit entered.

"Do you need food, Captain Vivi?"

"You're that Celestial Dragon!"

Momousagi braced one hand against the wall and looked at the maid before her.

She was actually the Celestial Dragon who had once acted with utter impunity aboard Gold City.

At that moment,

Momousagi's head was filled with countless question marks.

What was going on these days?

Were Celestial Dragons really so worthless?