Recruitment

"Submit, or die?"

On the spacious deck, those cold, murderous words made everyone feel as though they had been plunged into an icy wasteland.

Watching flesh and blood rain down from above, the prisoners' eyes were filled with profound terror.

One punch!

Just one punch!

Rocky Thompson, with a bounty as high as 980 million Beli, who had made a fearsome name for himself in the New World and was known as the "Destroyer"—

Had been blasted apart in midair!

What kind of terrifying, overwhelming gap in strength was that?

Laughably, many of the prisoners present had previously harbored the same thoughts as Thompson.

That was,

They were all prisoners of the Infinite Hell. No one was better than anyone else.

But now, the facts were clear.

This terrifying man before them truly was stronger than everyone else!

He was not merely a cut above them.

He was leagues beyond them.

After a long silence, one head after another slowly lowered.

Some, however, were not alarmed but delighted, their faces revealing even more fervent excitement.

These people were lawless thugs.

The stronger Bullet was as their leader, the brighter their future would be.

As for submission—

On the seas of the New World, strength had always reigned supreme.

In this world where the strong preyed on the weak, the lives of the weak should be controlled by the strong!

Thus, after a brief silence,

Fervent cheers immediately erupted across the deck.

"Long live Captain Bullet!"

"Charge into Marineford! Take Whitebeard's head!"

"By the way, Captain! What is our pirate crew called?"

At that moment, someone asked cautiously.

Bullet pondered for a few seconds before saying in a deep voice, "The Demon God Pirates."

"The... Demon God Pirates?"

Leaving the noisy deck behind, Bullet entered the dark interior of the ship.

The Hell Battleship had a vast interior, which Bullet had deliberately divided into several sections.

Apart from the cells that occupied the most space,

There were also fuel rooms, weapon storage, crew quarters, washrooms, and more.

After walking several hundred meters down a passageway, he came upon a row of equally sized cells.

The cells on the left held Burgess, Lafitte, Van Augur, Doc Q, and several others who were barely alive.

The cells on the right held Jinbe, Crocodile, Ivankov, Luffy, and the others.

Beneath Bullet's feet were many more cells.

Impel Down guards such as Magellan, Hannibal, and Sadi had all been moved there by Bullet.

He had already sent Shiryu down with some prisoners to shackle them with Sea-Prism Stone.

While they were at it, they were to give them basic treatment for their injuries.

People like Magellan could not die yet. Bullet needed him alive.

His value was far greater than that of Burgess and the others.

Some people were more useful alive than dead.

When Crocodile and the others in the cells saw Bullet appear, they immediately looked up at him.

Bullet waved his hand, parting the wall covered in thick Armament Haki, and walked straight in.

An opening slowly split apart overhead, allowing sunlight to shine down and illuminate the gloomy space.

"Bu... Bullet~!!"

Suddenly, an exaggerated cry rang out inside the cell.

Bullet raised an eyebrow. "It's Buggy. You're still alive."

The one who cried out was none other than Buggy the Clown, who had just awakened.

The instant Buggy saw Bullet, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

He could hardly believe his own eyes.

"Buggy, who is he?" Bon Kurei and Galdino, both looking utterly confused as they surveyed their surroundings, asked curiously.

Buggy forcibly suppressed the pounding in his chest, shrank back, and looked at Bullet with fear.

"Like me, he was once a member of the Roger Pirates."

"Long ago, he was already a monster whose strength rivaled Vice Captain Rayleigh!"

"We called him the 'Challenger,' Douglas Bullet!"

"What? You were a member of the Roger Pirates? Is that true?" Bon Kurei and Galdino stared wide-eyed.

Even Crocodile and Jinbe could not help glancing at Buggy.

Then they looked at Bullet standing before them.

"Fellow crew members on the same ship, yet the gap between you is enormous." Crocodile said flatly.

Buggy flew into a rage. "Hey, hey! Isn't your focus completely wrong?"

Pointing at Bullet, he shouted, "What I'm saying is that this guy is an absolutely dangerous person—a monstrously powerful freak!"

Yet Bon Kurei and the others had already run over to Luffy, who was lying on the ground.

Standing behind Crocodile, Daz Bones cautiously glanced at Bullet.

It felt as though a massive boulder were pressing down on his heart.

The aura emanating from this man was far too terrifying.

He was practically a natural-disaster-level storm.

He was countless times stronger than his boss, Crocodile.

"What did you come here for?"

Watching Bullet sit down in front of them, Crocodile asked calmly.

"I came to recruit you into my pirate crew."

Bullet did not beat around the bush and went straight to the point.

His words made Crocodile's body jolt, his pupils narrowing slightly.

As though he were seeing him anew, Crocodile scrutinized Bullet for a long while before saying:

"A man like you actually wants to create his own pirate crew? I'm curious. What changed you?"

Bullet chuckled. "People change, little Crocodile."

A vein bulged on Crocodile's forehead as he gritted his teeth and snarled, "Don't call me little Crocodile!"

"Fine, little Crocodile."

"You...!"

"Hmph!" Crocodile snorted heavily. "Then you can get lost. I won't join anyone!"

"This old man feels the same!"

At his side, Jinbe's voice was deep and resolute.

Bullet was not at all surprised by their answers.

He merely said flatly,

"We are currently heading toward Marineford."

The auras around Jinbe and Crocodile immediately surged violently.

Bullet smiled and pointed at the blue sky and white clouds overhead. "Even if I hadn't said it, I imagine you should have guessed."

Looking at the two who had fallen silent, he pointed at himself again and said:

"What do you think of my strength, Douglas Bullet?"

Crocodile said nothing.

Jinbe looked directly at Bullet. "The title of monster suits you well."

He did not state it outright.

But that answer was already an acknowledgment of Bullet's strength.

"Then..."

Bullet grinned, baring a mouthful of white teeth. "If I stand on Whitebeard's side in this war, do you think the final course of the war will change?"

"What did you say?!"

Jinbe's body trembled violently, and he sprang to his feet.

Even Crocodile, who had been so composed, could no longer remain calm.

"Why?"

"That doesn't sound like you, Bullet!"