Dragon? Next Time, Come Yourself

[Ding!]

[Main Chain Quest Completed: Conquer the Four Seas I, South Blue, Bonney]

[Quest Reward: Moon Demonic Energy · Complete Version]

...

Ye Zhuo held back a little of his strength.

Bonney rolled her eyes and collapsed headfirst.

[Main Chain Quest Unlocked: Conquer the Four Seas II: East Blue, Betty, Commander of the GM Army's East Army. Adventures at sea require courage.]

[Quest Reward: Mountain Demonic Energy · Complete Version]

He scooped Bonney up in his arms.

Ye Zhuo absorbed the Moon Demonic Energy into his body.

Although Moon Demonic Energy required traveling to the moon first to control its gravity,

as a complete power,

Ye Zhuo could feel his control over the things around him improve even further.

"Time to go. Our next target is East Blue!"

The GM Army had its own forces throughout the Four Seas.

Among them, the leader in East Blue was Betty. As the user of the Inspire-Inspire Fruit,

she could grant others courage and awaken the strength hidden deep within their hearts.

Bonney was Kuma's daughter to begin with.

If he snatched Betty away too, Dragon would probably be frantic.

At the thought,

Ye Zhuo's mood improved considerably.

The Demon King crossed the Calm Belt and sailed through the Grand Line,

heading for East Blue.

In truth, if not for the Red Line and the Calm Belt standing in the way,

the Four Seas would have long since merged into one and become All Blue.

East Blue.

"Damn it! You want me to be your cook? Dream on!"

Bonney stood at the bow.

After waking up, she tried every possible way to escape.

But the Shadowkhan found her immediately every time.

"We're here!"

Ye Zhuo looked toward an island. This was precisely where Betty was stationed.

"What are you doing here?"

Bonney looked confused. Her father was part of the GM Army, so naturally she had an inseparable connection to it as well.

"Of course, I'm looking for someone who can inspire my grand fleet. As a pirate, you need courage for adventures at sea."

Ye Zhuo's words gave Bonney a bad feeling.

"Let's start with some Conqueror's Haki. Knock them all out so she can't escape in the chaos."

Without hesitation, Ye Zhuo unleashed Conqueror's Haki upon the island's defenders, knocking every last one of them unconscious.

Only Betty remained awake.

More precisely,

this was Conqueror's Haki that had broken through Observation Killing.

Even elite vice admirals from Marine Headquarters would faint from it.

Being able to withstand Ye Zhuo's Conqueror's Haki already meant one possessed a certain level of strength.

"There's another surprise."

Ye Zhuo looked toward the harbor.

Besides Betty, who showed no fear whatsoever, there was another figure Bonney knew all too well.

Tyrant Kuma!

Four years from now, Tyrant Kuma would enter the final stage of his modifications.

But now, the modifications had only just begun, so he was still no different from an ordinary person.

"Kuma, why has this guy set his sights on me?"

Betty blew out a ring of smoke. She had not expected a pirate to target the GM Army.

"Fortunately, this guy likes to make a spectacle of everything he does."

Kuma believed that if Ye Zhuo had kept a lower profile,

he would not have been able to arrive in time today.

"Watch closely. I'm about to beat up your dad."

Ye Zhuo cracked his knuckles. In his eyes, Bonney's small frame was far too fragile to take a beating.

Kuma, however, as the user of the Paw-Paw Fruit, was clearly at the pinnacle of power beneath the Four Emperors.

He was absolutely worth fighting.

"Let's exchange greetings, Kuma!"

Whoosh!

White vapor rose from Ye Zhuo's body as Two-Color Haki wrapped around him.

He became a streak of light and appeared at the harbor in an instant.

Kuma had anticipated this. He could not sense Ye Zhuo's presence,

but he understood Ye Zhuo's style of doing things.

The Paw-Paw Fruit's power activated, merging with Haki.

It turned out the entire island had already been compressed into the air bubble of a massive bear paw.

In the end, it condensed into Kuma's single palm strike.

"I've been waiting for you, Demon King Ye Zhuo!"

Kuma struck with his palm.

"Interesting. So you prepared a big move for me."

Ye Zhuo met it with a punch.

This was the full-force strike of his Haki and the Ox Talisman.

Crack!

Even the Paw-Paw Fruit's power was shattered.

Sure enough, Haki stood above all else.

"Such powerful Haki and strength!"

Kuma's praise slipped out.

The moment he confirmed Bonney's condition, he had chosen to attack.

"Kuma!"

Bonney stood at the harbor, watching her father.

"I don't understand why you don't call him Dad. You people have no manners."

Ye Zhuo truly did not understand South Blue customs.

Why did Bonney never call Tyrant Kuma Dad and just keep calling him Kuma?

"How can I let you have your way!"

Betty gripped her flagpole and thrust it forward.

Ye Zhuo caught it effortlessly and yanked her over with overwhelming strength.

"Betty, you're no match for him."

After Ye Zhuo easily neutralized his full-force attack, Kuma understood the gap in their strength.

"Today, I'm taking Betty and Bonney with me.

If you want to stop me, at least have Dragon give it a try.

Of course, if he arrives too late, it'll probably be even harder for him."

Ye Zhuo carried Betty in one hand and slung Bonney over his shoulder with the other.

The two of them kept pounding on his back, trying to get away.

Kuma did not attack again throughout the entire exchange.

He sat on the ground as blood slowly seeped from the corner of his mouth.

"Your strength is too great. Even Dragon cannot defeat you."

Kuma had actually already been injured.

"Are you dying?"

Ye Zhuo had not even drawn upon the power of Demonic Energy just now.

"Not that serious. I just need some rest."

Kuma looked at Demon King Ye Zhuo. In his large hand was a small Den Den Mushi.

A middle-aged man's voice came from it.

It belonged to the world's most dangerous criminal, Dragon!

Of course, that title had long since been taken by Demon King Ye Zhuo.

After defeating Akainu and Kizaru alone, he had been called the strongest creature.

"Mr. Demon King, would you like to talk?"

"Talk about what? I'm not someone who likes to talk without acting."

Betty and Bonney continued attacking, yet they could not even break through Ye Zhuo's defenses.

"Will you join us?"

Dragon spoke bluntly.

"I refuse. I was born to be a pirate.

A fortune teller once told me, 'One pirate rises, and ten thousand bones wither.'

I'm destined to become the Demon King!"

Ye Zhuo could now say anything without batting an eye.

"Interesting, Mr. Demon King. According to the intelligence we possess,

the four islands you occupy seem to be doing quite well.

However, if you refuse to let them pay the Heavenly Tribute, the Five Elders will be displeased.

Join us. You are not a cruel pirate.

On the contrary, you are a warrior who hates pirates!"

Dragon's words made Ye Zhuo unwilling to listen to another word.

"Why not just say I'm a knight?"

Ye Zhuo threw Bonney and Betty onto the ship.

With one hand, he snatched the book from Kuma's grasp and flipped through two pages.

"So this is what you were reading. I thought it was something else."

Ye Zhuo closed the book and handed it back to Kuma.

"I won't join either side.

Whether it's the Celestial Dragons or the Five Elders,

anyone who stands in my way has only one path: death.

And next time you want to talk, come find me yourself. Don't use a Den Den Mushi.

Your operator might accidentally get beaten to death by me."

He hung up the Den Den Mushi.

Ye Zhuo took a swig of strong liquor he had bought in South Blue.

Then he tossed a bottle to Kuma.

"Your hometown's liquor. Your daughter Bonney and your colleague Betty—I'm taking them with me!"

Ye Zhuo waved and stepped onto the deck.

At the harbor,

Kuma watched this scene. After saying goodbye to Bonney, he picked up the South Blue liquor.

A smile gradually appeared on his face.

"How rare. I got to see my daughter and drink liquor from my hometown.

Mr. Demon King, you really are a romantic."