Clatter—
It was as if some invisible switch had been flipped.
The instant Red's words fell, every Supernova in the tavern sprang to their feet, each one instinctively taking a stance and staring tensely at him.
They hadn't sensed even a trace of hostility—but the moment Red called out their names, all of them felt an overwhelming pressure, as though facing a deadly enemy.
After all, this was a crew where even the member with the second-lowest bounty was worth over a hundred million—existences on par with Supernovas themselves…
Standing before such a behemoth, the mental strain they felt was something ordinary people could never comprehend.
"Hm?!"
The Supernovas' abnormal reaction naturally caught the attention of the Straw Hat crew.
Luffy stared in confusion at the Fire Tank Pirates, who had been inviting them to eat together just moments ago, but were now pointing firearms straight at them.
"What's wrong, everyone? Did some bad guys show up?"
"Idiot! Can't you see the guns are aimed at us?!"
Sanji, quick-eyed and quick-handed, caught the fruit platter that had nearly fallen from the owner's hands. He calmly set it back on the table, then muttered at Luffy.
"Huh? So we're the bad guys?!"
Luffy crossed his arms, tilted his head, and a naïve question mark popped up over his head.
Red, however, simply willed it—causing an unopened bottle of red wine from the opposite table to float through the air and land in front of him.
Pop.
The cork shot out with a soft sound.
As he poured the wine, Red smiled warmly at the Supernovas.
"Are you sure… you want to be our enemies?!"
Boom!!!
A domineering aura suddenly erupted from Red's body.
In an instant, the Supernovas felt as though a collapsing mountain had appeared before them, countless boulders crashing down toward their heads.
As for their subordinates around them—one after another, they were struck by this invisible pressure, rolled their eyes back, and collapsed unconscious to the ground.
Fortunately, the aura came as fast as it went.
The world before the Supernovas' eyes quickly returned to normal.
"Th-this… what just happened?!"
Not yet understanding what Conqueror's Haki truly was, Apoo and the others looked at their fallen men in panic.
Urouge's eyes flashed with disbelief.
"If even the vice-captain ranked third in bounty has such presence… then how terrifying must 'God Usopp,' known as the Swarm, and their captain be?!"
"Conqueror's Haki…" Law's eyes gleamed faintly, as if deep in thought.
"..."
"..."
The Supernovas stared at the Straw Hats with uncertainty—forming a stark contrast to the Straw Hats' calm composure.
"Heh, everyone, sit down."
After using Conqueror's Haki to thoroughly intimidate them, Red still wore a gentle smile, gesturing for everyone to relax.
They really had just come here to eat.
Running into these Supernovas had been a complete coincidence.
But since they'd already met, Red had no intention of simply letting this group go.
Though their current strength no longer caught the Straw Hats' eye, their Devil Fruit abilities were each dazzling and powerful!
The Ope-Ope Fruit that could grant immortality and the mysterious Toki-Toki Fruit aside—
Urouge's Karma Fruit, Drake's Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Ancient Type: Allosaurus, Capone's Castle-Castle Fruit, Apoo's Sound-Sound Fruit…
Every single one of them was a rare and formidable Devil Fruit in the pirate world!
With such a vast pool of resources right in front of him, if Red didn't make good use of them, his heart would truly weep.
And so…
Under Red's "kind" guidance, the Straw Hat crew and the Supernovas shared a "pleasant" lunch together.
It had to be said—though Capone had rented the place as a tavern, the food quality was genuinely excellent. Even Sanji couldn't help but praise it.
At the same time, far away on another street—
The Hawkins Pirates, newly arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago, were hiding in a secluded alley.
A pirate adorned with various crystal ornaments asked in confusion,
"Captain Hawkins, the alliance meeting on Capone's side should have already started. Aren't we going over?"
"No rush," Hawkins replied calmly.
Suddenly, several straw tendrils extended from his body, each one suspending a mysterious tarot card.
As he read the cards, a rare hint of confusion flashed through Hawkins' usually placid eyes.
"Offer loyalty in exchange for power?"
"Why would such an omen appear? Could this pirate alliance be even more significant than I imagined?"
For the first time, unable to decipher his divination, Hawkins found himself hesitating—unsure whether he should still go and investigate this alliance.
…
…
Elsewhere.
After eating and drinking their fill—
The Straw Hats, who had originally planned to head to Shakky's Rip-Off Bar to find Rayleigh, instead remained inside this tavern.
Luffy, the captain, lay back lazily in his chair, his stomach bulging like someone about to give birth, casually picking his teeth.
The rest of the Straw Hats sat neatly in a row, like interviewers, their gazes fixed on the Supernovas below.
"So… you're planning to band together and form a pirate alliance to deal with the dangers you might face in the New World?"
After Capone finished reporting their plan in full detail, without daring to hide anything, Red's eyes lit up.
"Not bad! Not bad!"
"As weak newcomers, this is exactly what you should do—twist yourselves into one rope. Otherwise, how would you face the terrifying storms of the New World?"
"But for such a great thing, you didn't even notify our Straw Hat Pirates. That's really inappropriate."
"We're all rookies who entered the Grand Line together, all Supernovas. You shouldn't play favorites."
"This pirate alliance ought to have a spot for us."
"..."
"..."
Hearing Red calmly spout such shameless words, the Supernovas' expressions darkened instantly.
Rookie pirates? Fellow Supernovas?!
We're not Supernovas who can casually beat an admiral when we disagree!
You want you to join the alliance?!
Any one of you could crush us on your own…
Could you powerful monsters please stop saying such outrageous things?!
The Supernovas desperately wanted to curse—but could only suffer in silence.
And yet…
Judging by Red's attitude, this pirate alliance—just formed less than a second ago—seemed about to gain a brand-new member.
Only… this new member was far too enormous.
Not only could it completely fill their alliance, it could hoist the entire thing up from head to tail with ease.
They looked at one another, none daring to speak.
"Hm? Why is everyone so quiet?"
Seeing their silence, Red continued smiling.
"Could it be… you don't welcome our joining?"
"N-no, no, no…"
Sensing the hidden menace behind Red's smile, the Supernovas shook their heads frantically.
Joking aside.
Before absolute strength, how could they dare refuse?
They weren't reckless thorns like Kid.
Forget the future—for now, staying alive came first.
"That's more like it!"
Red smiled again, like a parent praising a child. He then raised his wineglass, completing the ceremony they hadn't finished earlier.
"Then, to celebrate the founding of the Supernova Pirate Alliance, let us raise our glasses together…"
"Cheers!!!"
"Cheers…"
The Supernovas hurriedly lifted their glasses. Though utterly unwilling inside, they could only swallow the wine and acknowledge the alliance's formation.
Thus, under Red's leadership, a brand-new Supernova Pirate Alliance was officially established!
And Red—the vice-captain of the Straw Hat Pirates—naturally became the alliance's leader, immediately issuing its very first mission…
Kidnap a Celestial Dragon!!!
The Supernovas: ???
Hearing Red state this earth-shattering task with utter calm, every Supernova felt an overwhelming urge to curse.
But Red spoke with conviction.
"The purpose of an alliance is to oppose the other great powers of the sea!"
"That is the meaning of its existence!"
"And looking across the entire ocean—what power is greater than the World Government?!"
"B-but…"
Unable to endure this absurd mission any longer, someone finally spoke up.
Urouge was the first to raise his hand.
As a religious believer, his mindset was the most stable among them—and he was the only one who could still ask in a normal tone.
"Sir Red, the Navy Headquarters has already relocated to the New World, and the Marines stationed at Sabaody aren't worth fearing. So it's not that we dare not kidnap a Celestial Dragon…"
"But what is the point of doing so?"
"Other than boosting the alliance's reputation, I see no benefit at all."
"We are willing to bow to the strong—but we are not so lowly as to throw ourselves into danger for nothing!"
"Point? Benefit?"
Hearing Urouge's question, Red's lips curled upward. With a mysterious gaze, he asked everyone in return:
"Relax. We're all in the same alliance—how could I forget about you?"
"It's just a question of whether the benefits of the Celestial Dragons' treasury…"
"…are worth the risk?"
"And whether they have meaning for you!"
"Celestial Dragons' treasury?!"
The Supernovas, who had been on the verge of flipping the table, froze instantly.
When profit becomes great enough, even one's life can be placed on the gambling table.
And pirates, by nature, were people who tied their heads to their belts and gambled their lives against the sea!
They were never afraid to gamble.
What they feared was winning—and finding the reward too small, the fame too quiet!
For a moment, aside from Drake—the Marine undercover agent—whose eyes flickered in thought…
Everyone else grew serious, sitting upright and listening intently to Red's plan.
Even Law and Bonney were the same.
After all, provoking the World Government was something they had wanted to do from the very beginning.
(End of Chapter)