"Reiju, do you still think I'm sacrificing your freedom just to secure a backer for our family?" Judge looked at Reiju seriously.
He had to make things clear.
He had to ensure that Reiju willingly and happily joined the Sun and Moon Pirates.
Otherwise, if Kuke once again saw through her insincerity—
Judge didn't even want to imagine the consequences.
Reiju remained silent.
"The Sun and Moon Pirates are the freest crew on the sea—more than anyone else."
Anyone who had lived through the previous era knew this to be true.
Reiju subconsciously nodded.
She couldn't refute it.
Even the World Government didn't dare to move against them. Their crew members could steal a Mythical Zoan from another Emperor's hands.
She couldn't think of a single force or individual capable of restricting the Sun and Moon Pirates' freedom.
"The crew of the Sun and Moon Pirates, Reiju, you saw them yourself—every single one of them is female."
If not for that—
Judge would have joined them himself long ago.
Countless monstrous men on the sea also wanted to follow Kuke.
But their gender disqualified them.
Reiju nodded.
Yes, all of them were women.
And as a fellow woman, she had only taken a quick glance, yet she—proud as she was—instinctively lowered her head in front of figures like Gion and the others, who exuded the presence of queens.
"The treatment of the Sun and Moon Pirates' crew, Reiju, you've already experienced it firsthand. It's unmatched on the sea. And… since the establishment of the Sun and Moon Pirates, not a single crew member has ever died."
That—
Was something that no other crew in history had ever accomplished.
Not even the Whitebeard Pirates.
Not even Roger's crew.
"Becoming a Sun and Moon Pirate means receiving the greatest privileges on the sea. It means holding the safest identity in the world. It means having the strongest of comrades and an invincible captain. It means… having the qualifications to witness the peak of this vast ocean."
Judge couldn't even list all the benefits.
Reiju didn't speak.
Her breathing grew uneven.
Her heart was unsettled.
With so many reasons—there had to be at least one that resonated with her deepest desires.
"Father, wouldn't a dominant figure like Kuke have a very forceful and aggressive personality? If Sister joins the Sun and Moon Pirates, what if she's bullied?" Yonji and his brothers couldn't help but ask.
On the surface, they showed no emotion.
But in truth, they cared deeply for their sister.
"He wouldn't."
Reiju answered instinctively.
"Reiju, you don't even know him. How can you be so sure?"
Reiju's beautiful eyes flickered.
She recalled what she had seen in the garden earlier.
The interactions between Kuke and his crew—through their conversations, through the subtle details—
She could sense it.
The atmosphere aboard the Sun and Moon Pirates was warm and joyful.
There was no sense of hierarchy between the captain and his crew.
If anything—
They felt more like a family than a pirate crew.
That kind of atmosphere couldn't be faked.
"Reiju, do you understand now? This is the greatest treasure in the world." Judge stared at Reiju intently.
Reiju nodded.
She acknowledged it from the bottom of her heart.
"Then… do you want to join the Sun and Moon Pirates? Speak truthfully. Don't lie again. If you truly don't want to, then I will let it go." Judge asked sternly.
He couldn't allow a repeat of what happened earlier.
"I… I…"
Reiju opened her mouth.
But she couldn't decide right away.
On one side was the family she had known since childhood.
On the other was a place that filled her with endless curiosity.
In the garden—
Kuke reassured Belo Betty.
"Don't put too much pressure on yourself."
"Don't worry, within a year, I'll definitely develop the Immortality Surgery." Belo Betty was full of confidence.
"Really?"
The most excited person—was Charlotte Linlin.
She had regained her youth.
And she wanted to keep it forever.
Although the Rejuvenation Fruit had turned her young, she still felt uneasy—terrified that one day she might wake up and find herself back in her old body.
"Captain, from now on, I will personally protect Betty. No one will be able to harm her unless they get past me first!" Charlotte Linlin declared, slamming her fist into her palm.
"Linlin, that's not necessary."
Belo Betty looked at Charlotte Linlin, speechless.
"Of course, it's necessary! Why wouldn't it be? Are you saying you don't trust me?" Linlin put on an exaggeratedly heartbroken expression.
In the past seven years—
Maybe it was regaining her youth, maybe it was living in the Sun and Moon Pirates for so long, or maybe it was because the influence of the nun had completely disappeared—
But Charlotte Linlin's personality had changed greatly.
"It's not that I don't trust you."
Belo Betty shook her head.
By now, everyone saw Linlin as one of them.
Six years ago—
Linlin had already fully integrated into the crew.
And Kuke had gained all of her combat strength.
"In that case, what are you worried about? Are you afraid I'll get in your way? Come on, if Captain visits your room, I'll just pretend I didn't see anything. And if you get too exhausted, I can even help you out."
Charlotte Linlin had no filter.
She would say anything.
Kuke and Belo Betty's relationship wasn't a secret on the ship.
Others would feel embarrassed.
But Belo Betty—who was just as fiery and outspoken—just gave Linlin a sidelong glance.
"You sure talk big. Help me? You think you can handle it?"
"Whether I can or not—depends on whether the captain gives me a chance."
Charlotte Linlin cast a sorrowful look at Kuke.
"Mom, you won't get tired, right? We're crew members too! We should help so you don't have to work so hard!"
The recently joined, still-young Flampe spoke up innocently.
Smoothie was a second too late—
She didn't manage to cover Flampe's mouth in time.
"What do you mean, 'Mom'?! Don't call me that! You've got the wrong person!" Charlotte Linlin's face darkened.
"Alright, that's enough. Everyone, quiet down."
Kuke quickly put an end to their conversation.
They were getting bolder and bolder.
Didn't they see that just listening to this was enough to make Kuina and the others blush furiously?
"Betty needs to train alone. No one is to disturb her." Kuke quickly redirected the topic back to serious matters.
Then, he turned his gaze to the Mythical Zoan Daibutsu Fruit sitting on the table.
"Is there really no one interested in eating this fruit?"
He asked again.
Kuina's stance remained unchanged.
Koala thought it would be a waste for her to take it, as she preferred fruits with unique and tricky abilities rather than raw power.
The Daibutsu Fruit was strong—
But without a solid foundation, it couldn't be fully utilized.
"Captain, I actually wouldn't mind eating it… but I'm already a Devil Fruit user." Ulti looked regretful.
She deeply regretted it.
Regretted eating an Ancient Zoan when they were in Wano.
She despised herself for her lack of foresight back then.
She had thought Ancient Zoans were the best—an opportunity she couldn't pass up.
It was only after joining the Sun and Moon Pirates that she realized just how naïve she had been.
"Don't worry. In the future, you'll be able to change your ability." Kuke reassured Ulti.
She had great talent.
She was already strong.
But the Ancient Zoan was limiting her growth.
The same was true for Smoothie and Boa Hancock.
They were powerful.
They had immense potential.
Hancock, in particular, had some of the highest natural talent on the crew—but she wasn't among the strongest fighters under Kuke.
Her Paramecia Love-Love Fruit simply had too many limitations.
And Hancock, after joining Kuke, refused to use her beauty to enhance its effects.
Without that, her Devil Fruit's power was severely weakened.
Its offensive capabilities weren't significant.
"Maybe… if I could extract a fruit's ability from a body before reviving someone, I could swap one of their powers for the Daibutsu Fruit before we obtain the Dark-Dark Fruit."
Kuke contemplated this possibility in silence.
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DONT FORGET POWER STONE
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