Whiskey Peak.
As soon as Sora and his crew disembarked, they found themselves surrounded by hundreds of pirates.
"Hahaha! Only a handful of people daring to enter the Grand Line—you're asking to die!"
"Stop the nonsense! Kill the guy and capture all the girls alive!"
"Yeah, I'm going to have some real fun tonight!"
The pirates approached aggressively, their expressions twisted with malice.
Ever since Zoro had wiped out most of the bounty hunters in Whiskey Peak, the town had been overtaken by new pirate crews, eager to rob fresh pirates entering the Grand Line. To these seasoned pirates, newcomers with ample supplies were nothing more than fat sheep.
Hearing their vile words, Kaya paled and shrank behind Sora. After witnessing firsthand the true nature of pirates, her illusions about piracy shattered completely. Even her romanticized image of Usopp crumbled when she realized he likely wasn't much different from these pirates.
To her, these supposed "dream chasers" were simply criminals using dreams as an excuse to plunder. Sora, who hunted pirates and protected civilians, was now a real hero in her eyes.
Nojiko and Makino also nervously hid behind Sora, their faces pale, unaccustomed to such intense hostility.
Only Anna, Shalria, and Reiju seemed unfazed—Anna and Shalria knowing Sora's "true" strength, and Reiju understanding exactly what a 1.5-billion bounty implied.
"Don't worry, I'm here," Sora reassured, gently squeezing Kaya's trembling hand and smiling warmly at the trio behind him.
Their anxious expressions softened as they saw his confident smile.
Sora turned back toward the encircling pirates, smirking slightly.
It was the perfect opportunity to test his recently acquired Conqueror's Haki.
Instantly, a terrifying aura erupted from his body, surging outward like an unstoppable wave.
Thump!
A pirate collapsed, eyes rolling back as he lost consciousness.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
In mere seconds, hundreds of pirates surrounding them fell unconscious, leaving only a handful of captains standing, stunned and terrified.
Kaya, Nojiko, Makino, and even Anna and Shalria stared at Sora, jaws dropping in shock—this was their first time witnessing Conqueror's Haki.
Reiju's eyes sparkled brightly, excitement clear in her gaze.
"Sora… Did you do this?" Kaya whispered, looking at him in awe.
Nojiko and Makino also stared at him, thrilled and fascinated.
『Ding! Kaya's affection increased...』
『Ding! Nojiko's affection increased...』
『Ding! Makino's affection increased...』
『Ding! Reiju's affection increased...』
"Naturally," Sora replied smugly, enjoying the rising admiration of the girls around him.
Kaya and Nojiko's eyes practically sparkled with adoration, greatly satisfying his ego.
"Young Master is amazing!" Anna and Shalria chimed simultaneously, openly smitten.
The remaining pirate captains panicked, screaming "Monster!" and scrambling to flee.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Without waiting for Sora's orders, Anna, Shalria, and Reiju swiftly dashed forward, easily catching and knocking them out.
Half an hour later, Sora relaxed comfortably on a sofa inside a local tavern, leisurely sipping fine wine.
Swish! Swish!
Anna and Shalria, wearing their revealing maid uniforms and distinctive collars, stood among fallen pirates, methodically executing the unconscious criminals with their swords. Any pirate who tried to flee was swiftly hunted down and slain.
Through rigorous daily training, both Anna and Shalria had completely mastered their Inu Inu and Neko Neko Zoan fruits, raising their strength to a solid two-star level, significantly boosting the physical stats—strength, vitality, and spirit—they provided to Sora.
Thanks to the women's hard training, Sora's own stats had risen from three-star to four-star. With mastery over all three forms of Haki and Germa's Raid Suit, his fighting prowess had reached an impressive six-star, comparable to a Rear Admiral of Marine Headquarters.
Moreover, reaching four-star spirit allowed Sora finer control over his newly awakened Conqueror's Haki—exactly why he'd been able to release it intentionally.
Nearby, Nojiko and Makino, pistols in hand, dutifully executed pirates under Sora's orders. They understood this was something they had to experience and didn't protest.
As for sweet, innocent Kaya, Sora had wanted to shield her from such brutality. But Kaya refused to remain sheltered, bravely following behind Nojiko and Makino, determined to adapt.
In Kaya's own words: "I don't want to be a fragile flower."
Her courage made Sora cherish her even more.
"After Baroque Works was chased off by these pirates, they retreated to Little Garden," Reiju reported, emerging from a nearby room and tossing the corpses of several pirate captains outside.
Sora nodded, signaling his understanding.
Reiju washed her hands, surveyed the grim scene outside briefly, then returned and downed a shot of liquor from the table before him.
Observing her graceful neck and flowing pink hair as she tilted her head back to drink, Sora impulsively pulled her into his arms.
"Stop fooling around," Reiju scolded softly, glaring at him playfully as she reached for another drink.
Laughing softly, Sora drained his own glass, gently cupped Reiju's face, and kissed her, sharing the wine intimately.
Gulp.
Reiju flushed deeply, pulling back in mild embarrassment. "You're disgusting—I don't enjoy drinking this way."
"Then let's try another way," Sora teased, carrying her toward the tavern's second floor.
As he held her, Reiju suddenly murmured quietly, "I can't disobey my father's orders, you know."
Sora understood her implication immediately—one day, Germa's Judge might command her to betray him.
"With me here, he can't command you," Sora reassured her firmly. "If he tries, I'll kill him."
Reiju was quiet for a moment, then wrapped her arms gently around Sora's neck, whispering softly, "He is still my father… Just break his legs, okay?"
Sora placed Reiju down on a table, smiling warmly at her.
"As you wish."
"Mm…"
『Ding! Reiju's affection has reached 100. She is now permanently loyal to you. Experience gained from her is doubled.』
_____Important_____
I've spent all week translating and editing up to Chapter 150 because I love this book. Now let's play a game: if you think it deserves to reach the top of the Power Stone leaderboard within 24 hours, Give Power Stones—500 for one chapter per hour; 400 for one chapter every two hours; 300 for one chapter every three hours; 200 for one chapter every four hours; or 100 for one chapter every five hours. Do you think that's a fair deal?