On the balcony.
Perona sat slumped on the ground, wiping her lips roughly before looking up at Ryan standing before her. "Are you satisfied now?" Her voice carried resentment, yet she dared not show the slightest defiance. Having been tormented by Ryan in every possible way—from having her pigtails yanked to being forced to tilt her head up—each humiliation was unbearable. But with Moria defeated, she had no courage left to resist.
"Passable." Ryan looked down at the disheveled Perona, a smirk playing on his lips. "Clean this up. We're leaving soon."
Just like in the original timeline, the World Government had learned of Moria's defeat at the hands of the Straw Hat Pirates and ordered Bartholomew Kuma to deal with them. However, it was merely a test—no lethal force was used.
With the matter resolved, there was no reason to stay. It was time to move on to the next journey.
"Wha—" Perona's eyes widened, her face instantly falling as tears welled up, barely held back.
This man was utterly detestable—not only had he bullied her in front of everyone, but now he was making her clean up the messy balcony. As one of Moria's "Three Calamities," when had she ever suffered such humiliation?
"Hmm?" Ryan leaned down, as if seeing through her thoughts, and twirled a strand of her pink hair between his fingers, his tone mocking. "You haven't forgotten, have you? You're my maid now."
Perona shuddered, recalling the agreement she had been forced into at the harbor—becoming Ryan's maid. The thought of following this man around every day, enduring his whims and unreasonable demands, filled her with despair.
"I... I know!"
Biting her lower lip, she fought back tears, cursing Ryan a thousand times in her heart. If she ever got the chance to escape, she would make this bastard pay dearly.
Ryan chuckled at her "seething but powerless" expression.
As one of Moria's Three Calamities, Perona had always been spoiled rotten, wielding her Ghost-Ghost Fruit powers to command zombies and live like a princess. She was too proud to lower herself and too weak to break free.
Perfect.
He would teach this pampered little lady the harsh realities of the world, grind down her edges, and force her to abandon her spoiled attitude.
If he thought about it, this wasn't bullying—it was practically a selfless act of charity.
As Ryan's group made their way out of the castle, Perona trailed reluctantly at the back, plotting her escape from this nightmare. Suddenly, frantic footsteps echoed from around the corner, and Absalom and Hogback stumbled into view, their faces pale with terror.
"Perona... and... the Warlord 'Wanderer' Ryan?!" The two froze upon seeing them, Absalom's mouth hanging open in shock.
Ryan's gaze swept over them, his fingers lightly tracing the hilt of his sword. "Kill them."
Hogback was a hypocrite, and Absalom was a pervert—neither was worth keeping. Especially Absalom, who had used his Transparency-Transparency Fruit ability to harass Robin, even sneaking into baths and forcibly kidnapping Nami to force a marriage. Why spare them?
As for Perona, she wasn't exactly a saint either—but at least she had her uses.
The moment the order left Ryan's lips, Daz Bonez stepped forward, his right arm transforming into a gleaming blade as a metallic chill filled the air. Rob Lucci crouched slightly, his fingertips extending into sharp Finger Guns, his gaze as sharp as an eagle's.
"Wait! Don't kill them!"
A voice laced with panic and defiance rang out from the back. Ryan turned to see Perona, her face a mix of fear and determination. He raised an eyebrow, waiting for her explanation.
Under his gaze, Perona's heart pounded. She fidgeted, her eyes darting away, but she forced herself to straighten up. "They... they're still useful!"
Though Hogback was shady and Absalom was sleazy, at this life-or-death moment, years of working together made that twisted sense of camaraderie surface.
"P-please spare us!" Hogback blurted out. "I'm Hogback—the genius surgeon! Whether it's sutures, organ transplants, or incurable diseases, there's nothing I can't treat! As a Warlord, you must need a top-tier doctor by your side. I can handle any injury, even pull someone back from death's door! Keeping me alive is a hundred times more useful than killing me!"
"Y-yes! I'm Absalom, the Transparency-Transparency Fruit user!" Absalom finally snapped out of his terror, slapping his chest emphatically. "I can turn myself and anything I touch completely invisible! Whether it's gathering intel, infiltrating enemy territory, or... handling things you can't be seen doing—I can do it all!"
Clearly, faced with overwhelming power, the dignity of the "Three Calamities" had shattered. Survival instincts kicked in—begging for mercy was the only option.
"Oh?" Ryan studied them with amusement.
Hogback's reputation as a genius doctor spoke for itself. Though Ryan's Artificial Dragon Fruit granted him extraordinary recovery, battlefields were unpredictable. Having a top-tier doctor around would save a lot of trouble—not just for himself, but for Daz, Lucci, and the others.
As for Absalom... sure, he was a pervert, but what man didn't have desires? Compared to Ryan, Absalom's "vices" were laughably juvenile.
The real value was his Devil Fruit ability. Just like Sanji saw the Transparency-Transparency Fruit as a "man's dream," such a power could prove invaluable.
Of course, there was another option—kill Absalom and wait for the Fruit to respawn nearby. But Devil Fruits reappeared randomly. Rather than waste time on such uncertainty, it was far more efficient to keep the existing user under control.
"You seem to know your place—at least you recognize your own usefulness." Ryan's lips curled into a cold smile. "I'll spare you, but only because your abilities have value. Remember this—from today onward, your lives belong to me. If you dare scheme or betray me..."
His aura shifted abruptly, an oppressive weight crashing down like a mountain, freezing Hogback and Absalom in place.
"...I'll make sure you learn that there are fates worse than death."
"Y-yes! We would never dare betray you!" they stammered in unison.
Ryan's expression remained indifferent as he withdrew his pressure, as if the suffocating moment had never happened.
To him, this warning was just setting basic rules for his new "tools." Know your place, do your job, and you get to live. The moment you stop being useful? Disposed of without a second thought.
As for betrayal... Ryan didn't even consider it a concern. In this dog-eat-dog world of pirates, loyalty wasn't built on sentiment—it was enforced by overwhelming strength.
The law of the sea was simple: the strong ruled.
Rather than hope others wouldn't betray him, Ryan preferred to ensure his fists were hard enough to crush anyone who dared. With Hogback and Absalom's meager abilities, they couldn't possibly pose a threat.
Trusting others like the Straw Hat Kid did, winning loyalty through "genuine bonds"?
Excessive trust was a luxury—a "gift" Ryan had no intention of indulging in. He would never stake his fate on someone else's goodwill.
"Enough standing around." Ryan strode forward, Daz Bonez and Rob Lucci following closely.
Perona lingered at the back, stealing glances—first at Ryan's tall figure ahead, then at the trembling Hogback and Absalom beside her. Relief and unease warred within her.
She had no idea what awaited them under Ryan's command. But one thing was certain—she had no choice but to follow, step by step, into the unknown.
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