Within Ulti’s mind…

Kuke was likely someone who had just joined the Beast Pirates, or perhaps he was an elite officer whose existence was not widely known.

He had to be one of the highest-ranking members of the crew.

If she could become his subordinate, she knew she could survive.

“Join me?”

Kuke looked at Ulti, and she dared to meet his gaze, her eyes filled with defiance.

Kuke had considered this before.

Among the female pirates of the Beast Pirates, there were only three who caught his eye.

Yamato was already in his crew.

Black Maria was still away with Kaido and hadn’t returned yet.

The last was Ulti, who would go on to become a member of the Tobiroppo in the original story.

However, Ulti’s obsessive care for her younger brother made Kuke unsure whether she would be an ideal addition. After all, there was no way he wanted to take Page One into his crew as well.

But then, fate had taken a strange turn.

Page One had died.

Ulti held a grudge against the Beast Pirates, and now she had no place left for her in their ranks.

“You can join me, but not as my subordinate—as my crewmate. I’m not with the Beast Pirates.”

Ulti couldn’t believe it.

He wasn’t one of the elite officers?

He was with another pirate crew?

“That’s impossible. Another pirate crew, daring to come to Onigashima?” Kaido’s terrifying strength had left an impression on everyone, and until today, no one would’ve dared to set foot on Onigashima.

“Hmph, my captain is one of the Four Emperors! That jerk Kaido is also one of the Four Emperors. He’s on par with our captain, Kuke. So who should be scared of whom?” Yamato proudly boasted, explaining to Ulti everything she had learned herself.

“On the same level as Kaido?”

Ulti had never heard of the Four Emperors.

But she understood what it meant to be on the same level as Kaido.

“I…”

Ulti had only wanted to survive, but now she realized that she might have grasped hold of a powerful lifeline. She opened her mouth in astonishment but couldn’t find any words.

“Betty, help patch up our new crewmate.”

Kuke could see the light radiating from Ulti’s body.

She was ready to join.

New Member: Ulti

A still-surprised Ulti was treated by Betty, her wounds dressed, and given new clothes.

She was in a bit of a daze throughout the process.

It was an atmosphere she had never experienced—so different from the brutal Beast Pirates.

For the first time…

She felt safe.

Kuke glanced over Yamato’s stats.

Crewmember: Yamato [Zoan-Type, Dog-Dog Fruit, Mythical Model: Okuchi-no-Makami; Power Level: 50,009]

Yamato’s power had just broken the fifty-thousand mark.

Fifteenth Official Member: Ulti [Non-Fruit User; Power Level: 2,006]

At only ten years old, Ulti already had a power level of two thousand.

Her talent was undeniable.

“Yamato’s power only increased by less than thirty thousand?”

Compared to Gion, who had gained the Phoenix form, or Shakky, who had gained the Vampire form, Yamato’s power increase was far less significant.

They were all Mythical Zoan Fruits.

“What’s causing the difference?” Kuke thought, watching Yamato chatting happily with Betty.

They had already started discussing liberation and freedom.

Yamato was highly intrigued.

She had already torn off her sleeves, revealing her snow-white arms.

And now, Yamato’s eyes were fixated on her chest, eyeing her kimono.

“Betty, stop corrupting the youngsters. Yamato’s not an adult yet,” Kuke interjected quickly.

Yamato was only around sixteen.

And suddenly, Kuke understood.

Yamato’s lesser gain from the Mythical Zoan Fruit compared to the others was due to her age.

At sixteen, her body hadn’t fully matured. Her physicality wasn’t on par with that of a fully grown adult.

Kuke turned to look at Kuina, Ulti, and Koala—the other young crew members, all around ten years old.

Their youth was holding them back, causing their strength to grow far more slowly.

“If they all had adult physiques, they’d improve much faster, and they wouldn’t have to be so cautious during training.”

Their underdeveloped bodies meant they had to train carefully, avoiding injury from pushing their limits too far.

But Kuke had an idea.

“There’s someone in Wano who can make them grow up quickly.”

He had found a way to help them level up faster.

So he asked them, “Do you all want to become adults?”

“Hmm?”

Kuina and Ulti turned their heads toward Kuke.

“Yes.”

Without hesitation, they all nodded.

Kuina had always wanted to grow up quickly, so she could finally learn real, powerful swordsmanship.

Ulti wanted to grow up and get stronger.

“Alright, come with me.”

Kuke led the women away from Onigashima.

They cremated Page One’s body, and amidst Ulti’s tears, scattered his ashes into the sea.

Wano Country—The Flower Capital

“What’s going on? Why is everyone running home in such a panic, even Orochi himself?” A young girl, Kozuki Hiyori, watched the chaotic streets in confusion.

“Kuke, one of the Four Emperors, is here?”

She caught bits of conversation from Orochi’s guards.

They all seemed terrified.

“Who’s this Kuke, the Emperor? I thought Kaido was the scariest pirate around. With Kaido here, why would Orochi be so frightened?” Hiyori, who knew little about the outside world, found it baffling.

She stayed hidden, cautiously observing.

From the distance, she saw a group approaching along the street.

“It really is Kuke, the Emperor… Why would that monster Kaido allow someone like him to come to Wano?” she heard Orochi’s anxious voice coming from inside the Shogun’s residence.

She had never seen the fearsome Orochi so afraid.

Kozuki Hiyori curiously studied Kuke.

He didn’t seem terrifying at all.

Unlike Kaido, whose mere gaze could make a person tremble with fear.

Intrigued, Hiyori secretly followed the group.

She continued tailing them, hiding in the shadows.

She watched as Kuke entered the Shogun’s residence, with Orochi groveling, flattering him while kneeling at the door.

Hiyori’s worldview was shattered.

Not even when faced with Kaido was Orochi this submissive.

“Who on earth is this man?”

She kept following them.

“It seems like they’re searching for someone?”

She kept up for days, until she saw them find a beautiful woman who looked vaguely familiar—a female ninja.

It was Shinobu.

The holder of the Paramecia-type Juku Juku no Mi.

Kuke studied her, recalling Shinobu’s transformation twelve years later in the original story. The difference was staggering.

“Do you all really want to become adults? There’s no turning back once you do this. You’ll miss out on many years of life,” Shinobu said, confirming their decisions.

The Juku Juku no Mi…

It could mature a person, transforming a child into an adult instantly, irreversibly.

They would age in proportion to how much they matured.

For most people, the downsides of using this ability outweighed the benefits.

But for the members of the Sun and Moon Pirates, it didn’t matter. Once Betty unlocked the Op-Op Fruit’s ultimate power, Eternal Youth, time and age would cease to be an issue for them.

“We’ve decided. Please make me twenty-five,” Kuina said.

She knew that at twenty-five, her body would be capable of handling intense training.

“I’ll be twenty-two,” Ulti requested.

“Me too, twenty-two,” Koala and Baby 5 agreed.

“I’ll be twenty-five,” Yamato added.

“Alright then.” Shinobu activated her Devil Fruit powers.

Everyone watched in anticipation as the younger members of the Sun and Moon Pirates were engulfed in light.

The transformation was visible to the naked eye—except for Yamato, who barely changed. The other four rapidly grew taller, their curves becoming more pronounced.

In an instant, they had transformed from young girls into fully grown women—ladies in their prime.

Their new forms…

Were nothing like their depictions in the original story after growing up.

Kuke had been watching them closely.

Suddenly…

Crack

Their clothes ripped apart.

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DONT FORGET POWER STONE

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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 175+ at patreon.com/Emik01.

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep