"Haha, haven't you eaten? Oh, no, there's no need to eat here, but you're too weak—the gods haven't even started trying yet."
Enel continued laughing arrogantly.
Good grief, those six attacked so hard at first that even Enel was startled.
And yet… no Armament Haki?
Enel suddenly stiffened, realizing he had mocked Lucci and the others for nothing.
Lucci and his group, however, were too lazy to pay attention to Enel. They were truly fed up with this megalomaniac idiot.
"Tempest Kick!"
Kaku, Kumadori, Fukurou, Jabra, and Blueno all launched their Rankyaku attacks together.
Seeing this, Enel kept laughing, and even Lucci didn't bother rushing in.
"Rokuogan!"
Lucci slammed his fists fiercely into Enel.
Bang!
Enel's eyes bulged as he was sent flying by the attack.
Lucci looked at his hands, noticing the faint appearance of Armament Haki. Yet, he felt no joy.
Even after a week of training using the Haki manual left by Bai Yu, he had only barely grasped the basics. His Haki remained inconsistent—sometimes effective, sometimes not.
This didn't prove talent. It only confirmed that his physical ability had already reached the necessary level to awaken Haki long ago, but he had been suppressed by Spandam.
Because of that, frustration burned within him.
If not for those wasted five years, he believed he would have already entered CP0 and perhaps even become a squad leader, aiming for the title of the "strongest shield."
Now, however, even hitting an "idiot" like Enel depended on the latter's carelessness—a mere accident of a sneak attack.
At that moment, Bai Yu's cold voice rang out:
"Is that why you were sent flying, Enel?!"
"Demon King Bai Yu?!"
Bai Yu's sudden appearance froze everyone in place, and his words made the air grow heavy.
"Kalifa!"
Seeing the unconscious Kalifa in Bai Yu's arms, Lucci and the others stiffened.
Had they… been completely wiped out?
Enel reappeared in a flash, now silent, avoiding Bai Yu's gaze.
"Ego, arrogance, ignorance—these are all your faults!"**
Bai Yu then turned his gaze toward Crocodile, who had been secretly mocking the others.
"And you… You always carry this false sense of confidence. Who gave you the right?"
"The Red-Haired one, who is your age or even younger, has already become an Emperor of the Sea, while you are still stuck here. Don't you feel ashamed?!"
"What are you so arrogant about?!"
Enel and Crocodile gritted their teeth, feeling the sting of truth in Bai Yu's words.
But they couldn't refute him.
Especially after witnessing the results of their recent training, both had developed a deep respect for Bai Yu.
He was right.
"Is this what a true leader looks like…?"
Lucci and the others were in a daze.
For the past week, Enel and Crocodile had acted like they ruled the world, perhaps even believing they could surpass Whitebeard himself.
But now?
They looked like obedient kittens.
It made Lucci's group question if they had been seeing things wrong this whole time.
"We'll be arriving at Sabaody soon, then heading into the New World."
"Within one or two months at most, one of the Four Emperors will fall."
Bai Yu continued, unfazed by everyone's shock.
"I don't need you for this. I can handle it myself. But… I'll give you a chance."
"Within the next month or two, I want to see your growth. Understand?"
"Don't disappoint me."
"Otherwise, living will be a waste of air, and I might as well chop you up and feed you to the fish."
His voice was deafening.
Enel and Crocodile clenched their fists, determined to grow stronger at all costs.
"As for you."
Bai Yu turned to Lucci and his team.
"Spandam is dead. If you show your faces again, you'll become criminals. Or… you can choose to die."
Lucci and the others remained silent.
If they left now, they would surely be targeted by Spandain, Spandam's father—who was even more ruthless and cunning.
After all, the Five Elders wouldn't care about a few low-ranking CP members. They would simply let Spandain deal with them however he pleased.
In short, they had been abandoned by the World Government since last week.
Their choices?
Die or be left without a place to belong.
But their loyalty to the government had been ingrained in them since childhood, making them uncertain about their next move.
Bai Yu then pulled out a Den Den Mushi with a video function.
"Now, repeat after me: 'Celestial Dragons are trash. Celestial Dragons are trash and scum.' Of course, you don't have to say it—if you'd rather die."
Lucci and his team froze.
What kind of gangster move is this?!
But seeing Bai Yu's expression grow colder, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and obey.
After shouting…
Crack!
It was as if some kind of invisible chain had shattered within them.
A feeling of liberation washed over them.
A spiritual breakthrough.
Bai Yu smirked in satisfaction.
"In the future, you will understand how much of an honor it is to follow me."
The six remained speechless.
Right now, they just wanted to survive.
"I have all your information, including Kalifa's family. They will be relocated somewhere safe."
Bai Yu then added, "As for Kalifa, I've taken her. She's my second secretary now. That's all. You all continue training."
???
As Bai Yu disappeared with Kalifa, Kaku blinked in confusion.
"Wait… did he say… 'taken'…? That doesn't sound right."
Lucci was also puzzled.
It sounded way too polite. If Bai Yu was going to take her, why would he bother telling them in advance?
"Weakness is a sin."
"Back to training!"
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