Beneath the city of Nine Snake, there was a huge arena.
Although Amazon Lily was a country inhabited only by women, the Kuja tribe was actually a very martial nation.
After all, in this country, Haki was an extremely common power; even teenage girls could skillfully use it.
And Haki grew fastest through fierce battles against powerful opponents.
The Kuja people were not only martial but also fond of fighting.
This arena existed for that very reason.
And at this moment, on this arena, brave and spirited female warriors were fighting fiercely.
It was a true fight to the death, with blades swung and arrows shot, all coated in Busoshoku Haki. The moment they struck someone, blood would immediately splatter.
In the otherwise empty stands, a banquet was taking place.
"What a pity, a true pity!"
While stuffing his face, Gaban shook his head repeatedly, "So many lovely girls…"
Roa, seated in the main chair, said with interest, "Isn't this quite fascinating? Flowers blooming, watered by blood, have a unique charm, don't they?"
He had a short blonde-haired girl nestled in his arms.
The girl's name was Marguerite, one of the warrior guards who had rushed back earlier.
She was pretty and adorable, and most importantly, she was a character who had appeared in the original work, so Roa generously gave her a chance to "take advantage" of him.
"You're right, Boss, you're absolutely right!"
Gaban, the loving missionary who felt pity for the girls, instantly changed his tune, nodding repeatedly in agreement. "Women fighting also has a unique charm! I love watching women fight the most!"
Colon, seated next to Gaban, glanced sideways at his father.
"Roa—"
Gloriosa, sitting nearby, looked disheartened.
Although duels between warriors were common in this country, they were glorious duels fought for the sake of honor!
Not meaningless massacres carried out simply to satisfy Roa's twisted amusement!
Gloriosa finally understood the suffering of the pirates Roa tormented on Hachinosu back then.
At the time, she and Roa were both members of the Rocks Pirates, and the boy had always acted very sensible and sweet around her, so she felt no sympathy for those pirates.
Pirates, who cared how many died?
But when Roa's twisted amusement began to affect her and the people she cared about, only then did she understand the pain.
However, Gloriosa said nothing, merely clenching her fists under the table.
After making such a sacrifice, she couldn't afford to act on impulse!
She had to stall until Robin and the others returned!
But even if Robin and the others returned, could they really change the situation?
Bitterness filled Roa's good aunt's heart.
Like Gloriosa, Olvia was also suffering inwardly.
Many of the warriors fighting in the arena right now were students she had personally trained.
Those vibrant girls were now risking their lives to satisfy Roa.
For the first time, she felt her long-deceased husband was somewhat useless.
Roger, why didn't you just cleave this guy in half with your sword back then?
And what made her even sadder was this:
"Olvia, why are you so quiet?"
Gaban raised his wine cup and toasted Olvia with a beaming smile from afar. "It's been so long since we last saw each other; we must have a good drink this time!"
With that, the man slapped his head-down, hard-eating son beside him. "Colon, say hello!"
"Hello, Aunt Olvia!"
Colon readily complied.
Olvia merely slowly closed her eyes, unable to bear watching any longer.
One Im wasn't enough; why did the world have to give birth to an existence like Roa too?
"Haha."
Roa laughed pleasantly.
Truthfully, the intensely battling female warriors in the arena below weren't providing much high-purity dark energy.
After all, for the warriors of this nation, fighting and dueling were commonplace. While being forced to attack their comrades was painful, it wasn't completely unacceptable.
Instead, it was the dark energy released by Aunt Gloriosa and Olvia that truly intoxicated him.
While intoxicated, Roa felt a restless little hand tentatively fumbling over his body.
Roa lowered his head, meeting a pair of startled, deer-like eyes.
Marguerite instantly looked away in a panic, and her two restless little hands retreated, trembling slightly with fear.
So adorable.
Roa chuckled.
Though he preferred older women, a younger girl wasn't bad either.
Especially an adorable girl like Marguerite, who had never seen a man, knew nothing about the opposite sex, and was very curious about him.
She wouldn't even be embarrassed if he kissed her; she'd just be bewildered, not knowing what it meant.
How could such a blank slate not be thoroughly painted?
And, at this moment.
In the arena, a female warrior slashed down a comrade with her sword.
Worse, she made a mistake in the swing and had cut her comrade's throat.
The female warrior was lost in confusion.
Their prior agreement was to fight with all their might but to avoid attacks on vital spots.
But she had genuinely killed someone!
Guilt and self-reproach instantly welled up in her heart.
Just as a look of pain crossed her face, she caught sight of the leisurely Roa.
At that moment, anger surged from her heart, and malice bubbled up.
Gloriosa's and Olvia's warnings were thrown to the winds.
"It's all your fault!"
With a roar, the female warrior leapt up.
She undeniably had some skill, directly spanning the wide protective moat and jumping onto the high stands. Her agile figure shot toward Roa the moment she landed.
"No!!"
Gloriosa instantly cried out in alarm.
Roa was already so irrational when he wasn't angry; if she truly provoked him, wouldn't he destroy half of Nine Snake Island!
"Naughty."
However, Roa was in a good mood right now; the lovely Marguerite satisfied him greatly, so he merely lifted his gaze slightly.
"Go back."
The aggressively charging female warrior instantly spun around, her eyes turning black and white. She took a massive leap, returning directly to the arena.
Then, she began an indiscriminate slaughter.
Her strength was suddenly far greater than before. At this moment, she was like a tiger amongst sheep; no one could stand up to her for a single round.
Moreover, she was not holding back now, slaughtering everyone in front of her like a beast fallen into a frenzy.
"…"
Gloriosa's body was stiff.
In that moment, she desperately wished Roa were a little more lustful.
On Olvia's side, the woman also hung her head, like a lifeless statue.
A terribly selfish thought suddenly surfaced in her mind.
Robin, maybe you shouldn't come back.
Don't worry about this country, don't worry about me, your mother, don't worry about Roger's last wish. Stay as far away from this man as possible!
However, such a thought only lasted for a fleeting moment.
The next second, Olvia quietly sighed.
If Robin and the others returned, there would at least be a glimmer of hope.
She was ultimately a very kind woman, unwilling to watch this country truly descend into hell.
Regardless, Roa and his group temporarily took up residence on Nine Snake Island.
Roa, who was about to rule half the world, experienced the joy of having "three thousand beauties in the palace."
It had to be said that while Nine Snake Island also had many less attractive women, beauties were naturally countless.
Perhaps this was why the emperors in stories loved to travel incognito?
A few days later.
On the sea near Nine Snake Island.
A pirate ship cut through the water rapidly.
It was the Kuja Pirates' flagship, the Perfume Yuda, carried by two gigantic sea serpents.
From the deck of this ship, everyone immediately saw the large ship floating quietly like a dark cloud above Nine Snake Island in the distance.
"The good news is,"
Shanks pressed down on his straw hat, his smile hard to define as relief or bitterness, "Roa only brought three executives: Loki, Enel, and Bege."
"The bad news is, Mr. Gaban and Colon are also with him."
The people on the deck fell silent.
They had known about Roa's arrival at Nine Snake Island a few days ago and were fully aware of his actions during these past days.
Should it be called arrogance?
Roa hadn't cut off Robin's communication with Nine Snake Island, allowing them to learn everything happening on the island through Gloriosa and Olvia.
"So we have to fight Uncle Gaban?"
Buggy held his head in his hands, looking pained. "That bastard Roa! Does he have a heart at all!"
"As for that guy, rather than a human, he's more like a monster in human skin,"
Shanks sighed.
"However, he doesn't seem to be without weaknesses."
Shakky, puffing on her cigarette, spoke slowly. "He's a lecherous boy, isn't he?"
No one understood better than her, the person once chased by the world, what power ultimate beauty could exert.
She might be past her prime, but didn't she have the even-better-than-her Hancock?
"If he could be swayed by beauty, the World Government wouldn't have such a headache."
Rayleigh shook his head.
To Roa, women were probably just a diversion to pass the time, at best a collector's item.
"There's no chance for a shortcut; to protect Nine Snake Island, we can only confront him head-on!"
"Confront him head-on?"
Shanks exhaled, then gave a carefree smile. "What are we waiting for then!"
If even Imu was powerless against him, Roa must have already become frighteningly strong.
But that was no reason to back down!
The true winner would only be known after the fight!
At this point, there was no room for retreat!
"Let's go!"
Robin took a deep breath. "Don't make that guy wait any longer!"
And so, the large ship began to approach Nine Snake Island.
Just then, Rayleigh felt the Den Den Mushi in his pocket.
Crocus, what exactly do you mean by a surprise?
Soon, the large ship followed the inner river's estuary, entering the interior of the island.
At this time, behind them, giant Sea Kings emerged on the water, surrounding the entire Nine Snake Island.
"It looks like he's not planning on letting us leave."
Shanks smiled.
"Afraid of him? How dare he cause trouble on Nine Snake Island,"
Hancock said coldly. "I won't let him get away with it!"
Ahead, on the massive cliff face, the barrier blocking the inner river slowly lifted, opening the passage into the island's interior.
The large ship followed the river all the way forward, passing through a dark cave and entering the interior of the ring-shaped mountain range.
This was the true entrance to the Kuja Kingdom's interior.
But at this moment, none of the men on the ship had any romantic thoughts.
This was because they were about to face one of the two most terrifying people in the world!
The ship proceeded along the river, eventually docking at a quiet harbor.
"Hahaha! You're finally here! You sure kept me waiting! Hey! Long time no see, Rayleigh! Shanks! Buggy! Robin!"
Before they could even disembark, someone on the shore was already waving excitedly at them.
Looking at that person, the remnants of the Roger Pirates all changed their expressions slightly.
Buggy was especially moved. "Uncle Gaban!!"
On the shore, Gaban adjusted his glasses, chuckling. "Come on, Boss sent me to pick you up!"
Although they had prepared themselves, hearing Gaban say those words still made everyone feel a heavy heart.
"Alright, lead the way."
Rayleigh nodded.
What else was there to say now?
So, with heavy hearts, everyone disembarked, following behind Gaban toward the city of Nine Snake.
Along the way, Gaban chuckled. "This country is really great, isn't it? Boss is very satisfied with it! Robin, you've managed this place well!"
Robin didn't answer, her eyes only filled with deep sorrow.
She hadn't met Gaban many times, but that didn't stop her from holding respect for her father's good brother.
And now, Uncle Gaban had actually been turned into this!
Robin silently clenched her teeth.
Roa!!
"Remember to maintain respect when you meet the Boss later!"
Completely oblivious to Robin's mood, Gaban still warned. "If the Boss gets angry, even I can't save you!"
He just kept rambling.
At this moment, Buggy couldn't take it anymore. He nearly screamed. "Stop talking, Uncle Gaban!! Stop talking!"
Tears were already streaming down his eyes.
He truly couldn't bear to listen anymore.
Uncle Gaban had been turned into this!
"Honestly,"
Gaban also shook his head helplessly. "Buggy, you're a grown man, why are you still crying like you did when you were a kid?"
"Ugh!!"
Buggy nearly ground his teeth to dust.
"Alright, Gaban, focus on leading the way. You don't want to keep Roa waiting, do you?"
Rayleigh said, his tone calm, but his eyes still held a tremor.
"Oh, right! I can't keep the Boss waiting; we can reminisce later. Hurry and follow me!"
He sped up.
Everyone followed.
Along the way, they attracted a lot of attention.
After all, besides Roa's group, many residents of this country had never seen any other men.
And many people greeted Robin, Hancock, and Shakky warmly and with cheerful surprise.
It seemed they didn't understand the crisis this country was currently facing.
Soon, Gaban led everyone to the city of Nine Snake.
Outside the palace, at the base of the cliff, the ancient giant, as enormous as a small mountain, stared at them anxiously.
However, Loki was indeed a formidable pirate, but no one paid attention to him now, merely hurrying past.
Upon entering the palace, everyone instinctively tensed their muscles.
The monster was right before them!
Gaban pushed open the palace doors and led everyone inside.
"Oh, so you're finally here?"
Roa, seated on what was originally Robin's throne, leaning lazily and hugging two Kuja girls like a decadent ruler, greeted everyone with a grin. "It's really not easy to meet you all. Should I say long time no see now?"
"Mr. Rayleigh, Shanks, Buggy, and Robin."
Robin did not answer immediately, her eyes moving to the right of the throne, where her mother and Elder Nyon stood, looking at them with worried eyes.
Seeing that they were safe, Robin finally let out a slight sigh of relief.
The others couldn't help but feel terrified now.
Whether the Straw Hat Pirates or the Kuja Pirates, everyone clearly understood what the monster before them represented.
Roa, the youth who currently looked only handsome and decadent, was one of the two poles of this world!
"Let's skip the small talk, Roa,"
Rayleigh stepped forward. "What exactly do you want?"
"Oh, you're so cold,"
Roa tightened his embrace around the girls in his arms. Everyone else's expression was icy; only the body heat of the women in his arms could warm his heart, which was suffering from this "cold shoulder."
"We were on the same ship for quite a long time, weren't we?"
He smiled. "My time on the Roger Pirates was also a beautiful and unforgettable memory in my life."
Roa looked at Robin, who was almost identical to a young Olvia except for her hair color. "Robin, I even held you when you were a child."
"Don't listen to him, Robin,"
Rayleigh immediately exposed Roa's lie. "Roger was extremely wary of him; there's no way he would have let him touch you."
"Sigh, see, Roger was too much, right?"
Roa complained in response. "Even I wouldn't harm a baby."
"Enough, Roa!"
Robin took two steps forward, facing the monster who looked nearly ten years younger than her. "What is your purpose!"
"Fine,"
Roa nodded slightly. "Then I'll speak plainly."
He looked at Shanks, who should have been called Red-Haired. "Shanks, where is the Gum-Gum Fruit?"
Behind everyone, the door was directly smashed open, and a gigantic face peered in. Loki was even more impatient.
"Hand over that fruit now! Or we'll slaughter you all!"
Shanks and Robin's pupils instantly contracted.
Was he actually after that fruit?!
-----------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------
I handpick only the finest and most captivating novels for you. Don't forget to check out my other novels!
p@treon HongMengZi