Kid, Law, and Bege also led their pirate crews away from Sabaody Archipelago.
Kid and Law had fought against a single Pacifista for a long time, exhausting themselves just to take down one cyborg.
While continuing their escape, they happened to witness Luffy and the others battling Admiral Aokiji in the distance.
The destructive power displayed in that clash was something they admitted they couldn't achieve themselves yet.
They finally saw the vast gap between themselves and the Straw Hat Pirates.
The most outrageous part was that several mere followers of the Straw Hat Pirates (Galdino, Bon Clay, Gem) had also defeated Pacifistas, seemingly with more ease than the two Supernova Captains had.
Kid exploded on the spot, clamoring to go spar with Gem and Bon Clay, but fortunately, his vice-captain Killer restrained him and dragged him away.
Law observed more comprehensively, noticing Bartolomeo fighting against Sentomaru to a standstill nearby.
'Was this barrier guy also a subordinate of the Straw Hat Pirates?'
Feeling the overwhelming strength of the Straw Hat faction, Law pondered the meaning of the initial "D."
He had other ideas for the future.
As for Capone Bege, he simply wanted to get as far away as possible.
When it came to sensing the true strength of the Straw Hat Pirates, he should have been the most aware.
After all, he had been instantly defeated and humiliated by the two female members of the crew without them even breaking a sweat.
Moreover, as a long-time underworld boss, he knew very well that such a dangerous environment was not suitable for staying long.
It wasn't about the old saying, "The rougher the waves, the more valuable the fish."
First, you had to actually have the ability to catch fish without drowning.
On the Sabaody Archipelago at that moment, only the Straw Hat faction and the Marines had the ability to catch fish.
Their group of Supernovas? They were the fish.
...
The last Supernova, Jewelry Bonney, had already arrived at Grove 13.
She had bidden farewell to that brave little boy from the slums.
Before leaving, the little boy with the Voice-Transmission Fruit ability had shouted to Bonney.
"I will definitely set sail to chase after you in the future!"
At that time, Bonney had already reverted to her true 10-year-old form, looking both adorable and oddly mature, instantly captivating the little boy.
Kuma stood by in the shadows, smiling happily.
He wasn't the pathological, overprotective type of father—he was genuinely happy to see his daughter liked by a good, brave kid.
Afterward, Kuma used his Paw-Paw Fruit ability to teleport Bonney safely to Grove 13, while he himself went to the Red Line to gather intelligence for Ray.
At this moment, Bonney, having returned to her disguised adult female body, walked into Shakky's bar.
This was her habit—she had to have a dedicated, intimidating image for each place she visited as a pirate captain.
Seeing the arrival of an unfamiliar Supernova beauty, the Straw Hat Pirates reacted differently.
Zoro was cautious, resting a hand on his swords; Nami and Robin were curious and Luffy immediately proactively invited Bonney to eat meat with him.
Sanji was so excited he nearly fainted.
In such a small bar, there were suddenly so many beautiful women appearing at once!
(Nami, Robin, Mikita, Camie, and now Bonney).
He frantically mixed his best drinks, rushed in front of Bonney, bowed deeply, gently took her hand and extended a gentlemanly invitation.
"Beautiful lady~ May I offer you a taste of my specially crafted cocktail?"
Bonney looked at the faintly glowing blue cocktail under the lights, thinking it was actually just a sweet beverage, and appeared very curious.
She picked it up and was about to drink it.
But she was stopped by a hand over the glass.
"You can't drink alcohol yet."
This one sentence left everyone around bewildered.
The Straw Hat crew were utterly shocked—why would Ray stop a strange woman from drinking?
Nami, Mikita, and Robin stared wide-eyed, their radars pinging!
'He's not letting her drink?' ×3
'Isn't this how you treat a girlfriend?!' ×3
'Oh my god!' ×3
All three women were somewhat mentally shaken, just staring intently in Bonney's direction, emitting dangerous, jealous auras around them.
Bonney glanced at Ray, her big eyes filled with genuine confusion.
"Why? I want to drink it!"
'Holy crap, is she acting cute?!'
'And Ray isn't even angry?!'
Nami was mentally exploding, Robin's eyes revealed a killing intent and Mikita felt her little heart breaking into pieces.
'Why? What's so special about this woman?! Her figure? I... okay, mine is slightly worse than hers, but I have better charm!' Mikita panicked internally.
An atmosphere like a battlefield spread through the bar, and under this inexplicable pressure, the entire place gradually fell silent.
The only sound was Luffy still munching on his chicken leg with loud chewing noises.
At this moment, Ray sighed and spoke again, his voice flat.
"Minors aren't allowed to drink alcohol."
...
'Huh?'
'A minor?'
'Such a BIG minor?!'
'Ray... you really do like young girls,' Nami thought, horrified.
'No wonder that loli in the Demon Realm couldn't win you over. So you prefer the early-maturing type!'
Nami and Robin had suspected this back in the Demon Realm.
Meanwhile, Mikita fell into utter confusion and despair.
She had lost—at 21 years old, she was too old!
She couldn't even compare to Bonney in terms of figure, despite Bonney being underage.
'Damn it...' Mikita silently shed tears. 'Is my love ending just like this?!'
Suddenly, Robin thought of something.
Having studied all the Supernovas' abilities from the newspaper, she knew Bonney's power was to alter her own and her enemies' ages.
'Could it be?'
Thinking this, Robin patted Nami's shoulder and gave her a "Don't worry, she's actually a kid" look.
'What did that mean?' Nami was suddenly confused again.
At that moment, Bonney smiled warmly and responded to Ray.
"Got it, Uncle Ray!"
'Uncle?'
'Huh?'
The entire bar was stunned.
This...
POOF!
After speaking, Bonney reverted to her true 10-year-old appearance—a small, pink-haired little girl in oversized clothes.
"Sorry, Uncle Black Leg! I'm still just a little girl. Since it's alcohol I won't drink it, or my Dad would be unhappy!"
At that moment, Sanji felt like a massive sinner!
A 10-year-old girl... what had he been inviting?!
'It's over. I'm definitely going to be mocked.'
"Pffft—HAHAHAHA!"
As he expected, everyone in the bar burst into laughter.
Zoro's laughter was the loudest and most obnoxious of all.
"Flirting with a little girl?! You perverted cook, you're really something else! HAHAHA!"
"SHUT UP YOU DAMN MOSS HEAD!!"
Sanji, flushed with shame and anger, grabbed Zoro by the collar and dragged him outside to settle things.
"Bring it on! I just happen to have a new move I want to test on you!"
Zoro wasn't about to back down either and followed Sanji outside eagerly.
Nami and Mikita now wore relieved expressions, clutching their chests.
'Whew, that was scary.'
They almost thought Ray was really a massive pedo!
Robin also looked as if everything had gone exactly as she expected.
'Heh. Got it handled. When it comes to understanding Ray... I'm still the best.'
The bar returned to its lively atmosphere, and little Bonney joined Luffy in eating and drinking heartily.
Everyone was astonished by Bonney's massive appetite, which rivaled their captain's.
"Yohohoho! This is the first time I've seen someone with an appetite matching Captain Luffy's!"
Brook, having been freed from the ice by Chopper's hot water treatment, picked up his violin and began leading everyone in a song.
"Yo-ho-ho-ho, Yo-ho-ho-ho!"
"Binks' brew, we'll bring to you!"
"Like winds that blow, free we go!"
...
"Yo-ho-ho-ho, Yo-ho-ho-ho~"
They sang while Ray listened quietly by the window.
Zoro and Sanji fought loudly outside.
But Ray, Rayleigh, and Shakky all knew this liveliness wouldn't last much longer.
What came next would be the real decisive battle.
...
Half an hour later.
The bar's festivities had spilled outdoors into the twilight.
The emerging Straw Hat Grand Fleet happily made a ruckus, drinking and celebrating their survival.
Sanji and Zoro had already called a truce and now the two of them, along with Robin, had come to Ray's side away from the noise.
Unlike Luffy, who was a carefree fool, these three sensed something strange about today's feast.
Sanji lit a cigarette and looked seriously at Ray.
"Even though the Marine Admirals retreated... is it really okay for us to just stay here and party?"
Zoro had the same question, resting his hand on Shusui.
"After killing a Celestial Dragon... things shouldn't be this simple. The Marines gave up too easily."
Robin, holding two drinks, handed one to Ray.
"There's probably something you haven't told us, right?"
Ray rarely smiled at the three of them, though the faint smile he gave now looked somewhat strange.
"Mm. Unavoidable things will always happen. Only after you've relaxed... can you barely handle them."
The three clever ones quickly understood Ray's hidden meaning: Rest now, for a massive fight is coming.
Sanji and Zoro nodded grimly and went back to join the crowd and have fun while they could.
Robin stayed seated beside Ray, watching his profile with a pained expression.
"You're pushing yourself too hard."
Ray shook his head gently.
"I can handle it. You focus on protecting yourself."
"Mm."
...
Half an hour later, as the sun was setting completely over the sea.
The partying crowd suddenly stopped.
Everyone felt a suffocating tightness in their chests.
Red glints flashed in Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji's eyes as their Observation Haki screamed in warning.
"What a terrifying beastly aura..." Sanji muttered, dropping his cigarette.
"Mm."
Zoro had already tied his bandana tight, revealing a feral, excited smile.
"They're here... the Celestial Dragons' backup~"
In an instant, three massive pentagrams emitting an overwhelmingly evil aura descended from the sky upon Grove 13 of the Sabaody Archipelago!
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