“Why?”

Kuke gently pushed away Koala’s face, which was almost touching his.

“Because Imu doesn’t dare to risk everything against me. She won’t gamble her life,” Kuke said, a subtle smile curving his lips.

For a moment, even Yamato, who only thought of Kuke as their captain, looked at him with admiration, their eyes filled with adoration.

“Captain, there’s no man on the seas as commanding as you,” Shakky commented, though she didn’t move closer. She knew their captain was realistic and only showed interest in young, charming women.

“I’ve also reached an agreement with Imu. For the next ten years, the World Government and the Navy won’t dare trouble us. Of course, during this period, I won’t seek trouble with them either,” Kuke revealed the details of their agreement.

“It looks like we’ll have some leisure time ahead,” Gion remarked, stretching lazily. Her long-tense mind finally began to relax, and memories of the past two years surfaced in her thoughts.

Almost 800 days had passed since Kuke abruptly announced he would rescue slaves and form a pirate crew. On that day, Gion had been terrified. It was also the day she truly found herself under Kuke’s command.

“What an eventful two years it’s been. My once little brother has now become the strongest man on the seas,” Gion thought, gazing at Kuke with pride, her eyes full of affection.

Kuke turned his gaze to Belo Betty.

“Since we have such a long time, I hope to make all the crew immortal,” he said. “Belo Betty, can you develop the Immortality Surgery within ten years?”

“This…” Belo Betty hesitated. She wasn’t sure what level of power or Devil Fruit mastery was required to achieve such a feat.

“No worries. I’ll help you train. If you don’t reach the goal, there will be consequences,” Kuke warned.

Others could slack off, but not her.

Belo Betty let out a surprised yelp, seemingly imagining something embarrassing.

“Hancock, prepare a bath for me. After the battle, I feel filthy,” Kuke instructed Boa Hancock, who was the most attentive to his needs.

“Of course, Captain~~” Hancock replied eagerly, running off to the bath, already thinking about how to present herself.

As the crew dispersed, Smoothie and her siblings approached Kuke with heavy hearts.

“Captain, about our mother…” Galette’s eyes were red and swollen; her emotions always betrayed her.

“Charlotte Linlin? It’s not a big deal,” Kuke said dismissively, almost having forgotten about her. “I’ll revive her now.”

“But, Captain, what about the nun inside her?” Smoothie asked, showing rare vulnerability.

“I can handle it,” Kuke assured them with a confident glance. From the moment he killed Charlotte Linlin, he already had a plan.

Looking at the system panel, Kuke saw the options:

Member: Charlotte Linlin (Carmel) [Deceased status, revive? Which character to restore?]

The choices allowed him to revive either Charlotte Linlin alone, Carmel alone, or both together.

He had no interest in Carmel. Though her strength was decent, her exploitation of children for personal ambition disqualified her from being part of his crew.

“Revive Charlotte Linlin,” Kuke chose decisively.

Moments after the revival, sounds emerged from Charlotte Linlin’s quarters.

“Ugh… Captain killed me, killed me,” Charlotte Linlin sobbed, her memories still frozen at the moment of her death.

“Mom?” Smoothie and her siblings hurriedly opened the door, finding their mother crying on the bed.

“Smoothie?” Charlotte Linlin looked at them with teary eyes, disbelief written all over her face. “Are you dead too? Who killed you?”

A powerful aura began to emanate from her.

“Mom, no, you were revived by the Captain. We’re all alive,” Smoothie and her siblings hastily explained, fearing their mother might lose control again. Though her rampages couldn’t harm the ship, they would only bring her more pain.

After some explanation, Charlotte Linlin, still skeptical, stumbled onto the deck. Seeing the familiar surroundings, she realized she was truly alive and burst into laughter.

“Captain, I’m alive! I’m alive!” she shouted joyfully, charging toward Kuke like an earthquake.

“Scram!” Kuke shouted, kicking her away without hesitation. She wasn’t allowed near him.

Looking at the towering figure of Charlotte Linlin, Kuke pondered. He needed to quickly address her appearance; her presence disrupted the crew’s harmony and affected his mood.

“Violet, have you locked onto the target?” Kuke asked.

Ever since they left the Sabaody Archipelago, Kuke had ordered Violet to locate a Navy recruit named Ain. Ain possessed the Regression Fruit, an ability Kuke planned to use to restore Charlotte Linlin’s youth.

“Captain, I’ve found her, but she’s not at Marineford. She’s in another sea and currently in danger,” Violet reported.

“Danger?”

What kind of danger could a Navy recruit face? Their training missions were always accompanied by capable instructors.

“Pirate Edward Weevil has targeted the Navy recruits’ ship and is slaughtering everyone on board,” Violet explained.

“As expected,” Kuke said, recalling the original storyline. “But didn’t I sever his legs at Sabaody?”

He wondered how Edward Weevil was still moving freely without legs. He hadn’t paid much attention to the character, considering him insignificant.

“He has legs,” Violet confirmed.

“It doesn’t matter,” Kuke said indifferently. Whether Weevil had legs or not was irrelevant.

“How long until we arrive?” Kuke asked.

“Two hours,” Violet confirmed the distance.

“Two hours? Let’s hope we make it in time,” Kuke said, instructing Violet to keep tracking the target as they sped forward.

Turning to head toward the bath, he glanced at Hancock, already waiting at the door, and wondered if two hours would be enough.

“Captain, are you sure my body is free of…” Charlotte Linlin interjected at the wrong time, approaching him again.

“There’s nothing left. Your soul is now yours alone,” Kuke said impatiently.

“Captain, really? Thank you,” Linlin said, tears welling up as Smoothie and her siblings looked at Kuke with gratitude.

“It’s nothing. You’re all my crew,” Kuke said softly to them.

Charlotte Linlin watched the scene, her heart breaking.

“Captain, I’m also your crew. Why do you treat me so differently…” she muttered.

“Scram,” Kuke ordered with a glance, frustrated by her immature behavior despite her restored memories.

Feeling wronged, Charlotte Linlin squatted in a corner, questioning why she was treated so unfairly.

“Not bad, she’s 80% there,” Kuke thought, observing her briefly. She was almost where he wanted her to be, and it was just a matter of time before everything was perfect.

Turning back, he focused on Hancock, ready to cleanse his mind.

——

DONT FORGET POWER STONE

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep