Wrong...

"Thanks."

Kuina took the bullet, weighed it in her hand, then looked down and thanked Hell Hound.

"Woof, woof, woof!!"

Hell Hound looked up at Kuina. Fear flickered in its eyes, and it stuck out its tongue to please her as it barked a few times.

Of everyone aboard, it feared Kuta most. The woman before it came second.

In its simple mind, it might be on Kuta's side now, but the nightmare it could never shake still made it instinctively try to please Kuta and Kuina whenever it saw them.

After taking the bullet, Kuina glanced at Kuta, then turned toward the fleeing Pirate Ship. A cold look crossed her eyes.

Slowly, she raised her hand.

Electricity began to crackle.

Fine arcs of lightning streamed from Kuina as she stood at the bow. Her raised right arm was completely wreathed in it.

A whirlwind sprang up and lifted Kuina's hair. Behind her and to either side, the others narrowed their eyes against the wind.

They watched her with looks that said their suspicions had been right.

More than anything, though, they were awestruck.

They had never expected their guess to prove true: Devil Fruits could actually be reborn inside Kuta's domain.

The mere thought of such an ability sent chills through them.

With Kuta's strength, if he chose to hunt Devil Fruit Users, no one in the world—and no force—could stop him.

But they knew he had no such ambition. All he wanted was... well...

How could they put it?

"World peace" was probably the closest answer.

Peace sounded simple, but it was the hardest thing of all in a world ruled by strength and filled with extraordinary powers.

Achieving it would be harder than anything else. Even if Kuta truly became the World's Strongest, he could never bring