If Whitebeard hadn't made that call to threaten him, El's method of recruiting Shirahoshi might have been a little gentler. However, Whitebeard's call directly changed his mind.
He had just threatened Whitebeard moments ago—if his very next move was to use a recruitment method that didn't align with his identity as a Pirate Emperor, wouldn't that mean he was actually showing weakness to Whitebeard?
Furthermore, if he wanted to achieve Devil Fruit awakening, he needed to engage in a top-level battle with a powerful opponent.
Such a level of battle was undoubtedly a matter of life and death. Just like the battle between Kaido and Luffy that was interrupted by CP agents, when top-tier fighters went all out and used their ultimate moves, they couldn't be interrupted at all.
In order for Whitebeard to fight him seriously, El had to be prepared to either die or kill his opponent.
In this way, before awakening his Devil Fruit ability, El couldn't befriend Whitebeard—he had to anger him. This was also one of the reasons for El's current coercion and inducement.
"Come on, make your choice, King Neptune." Staring at King Neptune, who remained silent, El spoke lightly.
"I choose the first option..." King Neptune showed a hint of pain as he spoke. "But I hope that Your Excellency can be gentle and make Shirahoshi willingly follow you to leave Fishman Island. This is my humble request to you as a father."
"Certainly..."
Hearing King Neptune's choice, El also showed a gentle smile, nodded, and said, "Shirahoshi is my companion—a simple and kind girl. I recognized that long ago."
"As long as someone is my companion, I treat them like family and give them everything they desire."
"I won't just make Shirahoshi leave with us willingly—I'll make her happy every day."
Looking at El's sincere face, and at Carina and Robin, who were also smiling happily, King Neptune seemed to recall something and suddenly became stunned.
My god... could it be that I—and the whole world—have misunderstood you?
Hearing El say he would give his best to his companions and his worst to his enemies and strangers, King Neptune suddenly thought of his good brother, Edward Newgate, and his deceased friend, Gol D. Roger—who were the same type of person. He felt relieved in his heart, and his face couldn't help but reveal a smile.
"Thank you, Your Excellency."
"You're welcome. From now on, you and Fishman Island are my friends..."
Handing Tama—who was in his arms—to Robin, El stood up slowly and said to King Neptune and Jinbe, "Please entertain my companions for a while. I'll go deal with the mouse hiding in the depths before I go see Shirahoshi."
"Carina, Violet, let's go." Without waiting for King Neptune and Jinbe to respond, El left with Carina and Violet, who rose to follow him.
He wasn't afraid that after he left, King Neptune and Jinbe might do something harmful to Robin and the others.
If they wanted war, they would learn just how terrifying the Rumble-Rumble Fruit was—and how conductive the sea could be.
—
"Hehehe, Nii-san. In addition to innate Observation Haki that can read people's memories, you also have the ability to read minds—just like Violet's Devil Fruit ability, right?"
Carina, following El as they left Ryugu Palace, wore an expression that screamed "I've discovered your biggest secret" and teased him while laughing.
"Impressive. You're the first person to figure it out." El reached out and patted Carina on the head, praising her.
"Hehehe. No wonder Nami and I lose every time we gamble with you, Nii-san."
Carina first smiled proudly, then punched El with her little pink fist and said resentfully, "I thought it was because of some peculiarity in Haki—I never expected you to gamble with us while reading our minds!"
"Hahaha…"
El couldn't help but pull Carina into a hug, laughing heartily. It seemed that even someone as sharp as her could only discover through his actions that he could read minds—not that it was a passive ability activated 24/7.
Even if discovered, El didn't care. The girls he cherished most had completely transformed into extensions of himself. Even if they knew their thoughts were being read around the clock, they would at most blush and hit him playfully. As for feeling disgusted or trying to escape—that would never happen.
Moreover, with his rapidly improving strength, El was confident he would soon be able to control his passive ability. He vaguely sensed that his Observation Haki was just one crucial step away from entering a higher level.
Once he grasped that trick, all three of his Haki types would reach their peak. His strength would then enter the next realm, making him a veritable, undeniable Fourth Emperor of the Sea.
Luffy had reached the top at nineteen. And El, the protagonist of this era, was fully confident he would surpass that pace and completely ascend to the world's summit.
Holding Carina and Violet—one in each arm—El didn't use a Ryugu, the main mode of transportation. Instead, he directly employed his Devil Fruit ability to fly back to the Pegasus.
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/Sagamaster789