Meanwhile.
On Red Maple Island, in the southwestern waters of the East Blue, approximately 1,157 kilometers from Rum Kingdom.
A newly formed pirate crew landed on the small island, burning, killing, and pillaging as they went.
"Boys! Kill them all!" the burly pirate captain shouted with a wild laugh.
Skunk kicked over a basket of fruit, his face full of disgust. "Boss Kuma, this village is too poor. There's nothing here at all."
Kuma looked just as disgusted at the apples rolling across the ground, but when he spotted one that stood out from the rest, his gaze froze.
Forgetting everything else, he shoved Skunk aside and picked up the apple. Looking at the silver-gray arabesque patterns on it, Kuma's hand trembled. "Could this be the legendary treasure of the sea? A Devil Fruit?"
Skunk climbed to his feet and cautiously warned him, "Boss, what if it's poisonous?"
But Kuma didn't listen. He took a bite of the fruit, and as an indescribable stench filled his mouth, a deranged smile appeared on his face. "Hahaha... it really is a treasure of the sea!"
After eating the fruit, Kuma turned a savage gaze on the trembling villagers, then gave a cruel smile.
The next moment, Kuma's body turned to steel, and he smashed a villager's head apart with one punch.
"Hahaha! I love this power!"
To test his fruit's ability, Kuma slaughtered the remaining two hundred-odd villagers.
Leaving behind a devastated ruin and bodies strewn across the ground, the Poker Pirates sailed away.
The next day.
The Distillery, Rum Kingdom's intelligence organization.
Through that day's East Blue Times, the head of the Distillery learned that Red Maple Town had been wiped out by pirates. He initially paid little attention to the news, but when the Poker Pirates' new wanted posters came out, the Marines also announced that Kuma had obtained the Steel-Steel Fruit.
Noah listened to Mary's report.
He tapped the tabletop lightly with his fingers. "Has the Steel-Steel Fruit already been eaten? It doesn't matter. Where are they now?"
"The Distillery found traces of the Poker Pirates on Alidu Island. They secretly resupplied at the island's port last night, then left in a hurry."
"Send Lilith and Ray to find them. Except for Kuma, don't leave a single pirate alive."
"Yes."
Lilith, who was on Sikasis Island, soon received the message.
Ray first took Lilith to Alidu Island, and from there they began searching in every direction.
With Lilith able to fly swiftly and Ray able to jump through wormholes, the two soon found the Poker Pirates.
Although Kuma was brutal by nature, he had a strategist like Skunk among his subordinates. Skunk knew that massacring the town would draw the attention of the Marines and powerful bounty hunters, so he quickly devised a plan.
They would secretly resupply on Alidu Island, then leave the nearby waters as quickly as possible and head for a secluded deserted island they had prepared beforehand.
Unfortunately for them, their sailing ship was too slow.
Lilith and Ray soon found them.
"Lilith, are there any other people or News Coos around?"
"No."
"Then let's go down and meet them!"
The next moment.
Lilith descended lightly onto the Kuma's deck. Ray followed close behind, appearing behind her with a swift wormhole jump.
Both wore masks and white suits.
Joker, who was on lookout, spotted the two as soon as they appeared and jumped down from the mast.
"Who are you?"
"Joker of the Poker Pirates?"
The next second, Ray was already behind him, driving a Shigan into Joker's spine.
Pfft! Joker felt his spine break, and his body grew weaker and weaker. Terrified, he screamed, "Boss Kuma! Help me!"
Boom! A steel man wreathed in steam crashed onto the deck where Ray had been standing. But Ray's Observation Haki had already detected him, and he had jumped through a wormhole onto the mast.
Kuma looked at Joker, who lay wailing on the deck, and barely contained fury spread across his face. His body rapidly heated until it glowed red. "I don't care who you are. I'll kill you today!"
But Lilith answered him with poison needles.
"Aaaah..."
A great swath of pirate lackeys fell in an instant.
"Woman! Die!" Kuma swung his superheated iron fist, smashing it viciously toward Lilith.
Lilith coated both hands in Armament Haki, then used Kami-e: Bent Limbs to evade Kuma's iron fist, her hands moving like agile venomous snakes.
In an instant, Lilith's fists struck Kuma in the lower back and the back of the head.
Kuma felt his brain jolt, and his body pitched forward involuntarily.
The next moment, Lilith kicked Kuma three times in quick succession, sending him straight into the sea.
Kuma, who had only just recovered from the concussion, immediately felt strength leave his entire body as seawater began pouring into his mouth.
"Ray, bring Kuma back."
"Leave it to me."
Lilith looked coldly at the remaining pirates.
In an instant, she coated her short sword in Armament Haki and severed one of Skunk's hands as he prepared to ambush her. Immediately afterward, she drove a Shigan into his forehead.
She performed a backflip, sending a dense volley of Rankyaku air blades from her feet.
Secret Technique: Meat Grinder!
Before long, nothing remained on the deck but severed limbs and bloodstains.
A pirate hiding at the back saw the scene and instantly lost control of his bladder and bowels in terror. "Devil! Aaaah... I want to go home!"
Then he jumped straight into the sea.
Unfortunately, Lilian had no intention of letting him go. She casually fired a poison needle, which shot into the fleeing pirate's back before he could react.
The potent cardiac glycoside toxin caused the pirate to lose all control of his body. Seawater poured into his mouth and nose, and he suffocated to death.
The pirates hiding in the cabin did not escape either. Under Lilith's Observation Haki, they had no way to hide.
Lilith cut off the last pirate's head.
Ray used Observation Haki and a wormhole to fish Kuma out of the sea, and Lilith gave him another injection of paralytic toxin.
The two returned to Rum Kingdom through a wormhole.
The Kuma exploded and burned, quickly sinking to the bottom of the sea.
Inside a secret base in Rum Kingdom.
Noah looked at Kuma, who lay before him like a dead dog. Without the slightest pity, he had Ray open a wormhole to help him cut out Kuma's frontal lobe.
Then he took out a stack of tarot cards and let them select a suitable card.
A Minor Arcana card soon appeared in Noah's hand.
[King of Wands]
A conqueror? Steel represents strength, and high temperature represents passion...
The fusion ritual was soon complete, and the card became [King of Wands: Kuma].
Noah put the card away, adding it to the previously created [Page of Wands: Brian] and [The Devil: Pan Barton].
Noah now had three Card Apostles, equivalent to possessing the abilities of three additional Devil Fruits.