(Vol 3) CHAPTER - 9 { Upcoming War! }

Inside the hall___

Pudding held her breath when she heard her name being taken by Akuma.

"Y-Yes."

Stuttering, Pudding barely managed to give a response because of the deadly aura from Akuma.

His eyes that were pupiless, closed. He leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You explain."

Akuma's words were directed to Big Mom this time as he didn't want to talk.

"Mama Mama! Pudding, from now on. You will belong to the Devil's Pirates. You must obey Akuma's orders even if he tells you to take your own life!"

There was no sadness or hesitation in her voice, Big Mom had already decided.

Losing a daughter in exchange for a huge part of the pirates from the Devil's Pirates was just too alluring.

Pudding was pale like a sheet of paper, never did she imagine something like this to happen.

Just a second and she was sold?

Wasn't she the favorite of her mother?

So why?

What wrong did she do?

Pudding was trembling with anger and despair. She gritted her teeth while nodding her head.

"Yes, Mama."

With her head lowered, tears ran down her cheeks. But her acting was too good for Big Mom to notice.

But not Akuma, he was seeing everything like a show.

'There will be a problem if this girl is not fixed.'

That was what Akuma thought at the moment. He moved his upper body and placed his hands on the table.

"Come here."

Akuma said. His eyes on Pudding, his mind full of thoughts.

With some hesitation, Pudding walked forward towards Akuma.

Her body was stiff as the person in front of her is the real Devil!

Stopping at a few meters distance from Akuma, Pudding awaited his orders.

But that didn't come. Instead, a huge hand with some light scars moved closer at her.

Pudding knew that this hand had enough strength to crush her alive.

The hand slowly stroked Pudding's head and moved back.

"Go find Maba. He will give you work."

Nodding her head, Pudding retreated out of the hall and headed towards the stage.

"Akuma, why her?"

Asked Big Mom, she couldn't understand his thoughts.

Pudding wasn't strong to be a fighter, neither was she special.

'Ah! Her devil fruit!'

Then before Akuma could speak, Big Mom had already understood.

"Mama Mama! Forget that! It's the time of celebration, why are you not eating!"

Big Mom smiled and shoved the cakes towards Akuma.

The faces on the cakes showed their fear as Akuma picked one and ate it.

* * *

Paradise___

*Boom*

A huge Navy warship was blasted off by two purple laser beams.

"Ahhh! What kind of monster is that!"

"Jump off the ship!"

Most of the soldiers on the warship died with only a few escaping the blast by jumping in the sea.

"Faaa!"

A shrill cry was heard from the source of the lasers, a huge figure with wide open wings.

Sphinx!

One of the three children of Maba's.

It flew in the air and rained lasers from its eyes at the many Navy warships.

In the middle was a pirate ship with two snake figures on the side.

Kuja Pirates!

At the bow of the ship, a tall and very beautiful woman with a voluptuous body.

Most of her skin was visible as she wasn't a weak and shy woman.

Her eyes showed confidence and her body was full of strength.

Because she is Wholeheart Hancock, the most beautiful woman in the world.

"Sphinx, we meet again after so many years."

Hancock raised her head and looked at the Sphinx who destroyed the Navy alone.

Behind her were Marigold, Sandersonia, and the members of the Kuja Pirates.

Unlike how they looked in the anime, the two sisters of Hancock didn't lose in beauty.

Was it because they didn't become slaves or was it because of the skin care?

Nobody knows.

"She is so strong! I only heard the stories of her wiping an entire city from an island."

Marigold held her sweaty palms and rubbed them. The members of Kuja Pirates weren't much better.

"Let's go. We need to return to Amazon Lily and wait for Karen."

Hancock turned back and entered the ship to rest for a while until they reached home.

Actually, they would have a hard time fighting against the seven Navy warships without the help of Sphinx.

This attack from the Navy was arranged by the World Government.

It shows that the World Government has striped Hancock from the position of a Warlord.

"So will you be able to resist my father after this, World Government?"

Hancock laid on the bed and had her lips curled up in a curious smile.

"How will my father beat them? Completely crush them? Massacre them?"

It was unknown if this was her real personality, but Hancock was giving an evil aura.

* * *

Somewhere___

In a small house at the outskirts of the city, a figure held a glass of wine.

He moved his head with the rhythm of the music. Slowly, he tasted the wine and laughed.

"How lovely a day isn't it?"

Asked the figure, Joker, as his eyes looked at the person on the opposite side of the table.

It was a man in his 50s, there was a fruit knife stabbed on his chest.

The man was already dead.

"Why are you silent? Don't you like it?"

Joker showed a puzzled expression while sipping the wine.

Even after Joker talked for few more minutes, the man didn't respond as what could a dead man do?

*Bam*

The door to the house was slammed and a pirate hurried in with a newspaper.

"Captain! Big News!"

He was almost screaming as he rushed and came before Joker.

"What's it?"

Asked Joker, he took the newspaper from the pirate's hand and read it.

As he went on, his smile grew and the stitches on the side of his lips dripped blood.

"Are they finally making the move? Ha Ha Ha ha!"

Joker stood up and started laughing loudly, making the pirate frightened.

Robert stopped playing the piano and got up from the chair as he followed behind Joker.

"Captain, where to?"

Asked Robert, he looked at Joker's back and awaited his command.

"Home."

Joker turned to face Robert, his face didn't have a smile anymore.

He looked very normal other than his whole body and character.

"Yes!"

Robert nodded. Behind, the pirate followed without making any noise.

On the table, the newspaper showed the headline-

[Hancock has been striped off from the position and status of the Seven Warlords of the Sea!]

[Is it because she is directly related to the Devil of the Sea?]

[Is the World Government going to bring a war to the Devil's Pirates?]