On the deck of the Black Whale...
Baby Uvogin, baby Nobunaga, baby Phinks, and baby Feitan—four legendary members of the Troupe—were lined up in a row, contentedly sucking on pacifiers.
Without Haki to counter it, someone with a broken Devil Fruit ability is basically a god.
Bonney stood there with her hands on her hips, laughing toward the sky. Her laughter started as arrogant and quickly spiraled into total, unhinged triumph.
"Ho-ho-ho-ho! I'm invincible! How do you like that? Ready to admit defeat?"
After taking down the four of them, Bonney dusted off her hands, feeling a wave of intense satisfaction. All the frustration she'd built up over the last few days vanished instantly, replaced by an ego that was swelling by the second.
The Mad Monk was right! Why should a woman like me serve anyone else? I was born to rule these seas! The strength of these crew members isn't even that impressive. Come to think of it, I've never actually fought Chrollo... maybe I've been overestimating him?
Bonney couldn't help but wonder. She stole a glance at Chrollo out of the corner of her eye. He was still in the same position, lounging on his chair, holding a book and reading with total focus.
He doesn't even seem to notice what's happening over here... Yeah, I definitely overestimated him! That's it! How could he possibly be a match for the great Jewelry Bonney?
Thinking back on the pressure and humiliation she'd felt under Chrollo—and how she'd instinctively cowered like a loser in his presence—she felt even more annoyed.
Was I just tricked? Are you actually just some average guy? In that case, give up the Captain's seat to me!
With that thought, Bonney began to creep toward Chrollo. She still remembered his teleportation ability, so she knew she had to be careful.
Gotta be stealthy. Aim for a one-hit kill!
Thirty meters... twenty meters... ten meters...
As she closed in, she kept watching him through her peripheral vision. He really hasn't noticed me yet... Yeah, I definitely gave him too much credit!
Once she reached the perfect striking distance, Bonney stopped hiding and lunged.
Zip—!
Her figure vanished, and she reappeared instantly next to Chrollo, reaching out her palm at high speed.
"I'm the one who should own this ship! Hand over the Captain's position, Chrollo!"
Three feet... two feet... one foot.
Bonney watched her hand get closer and closer to his shoulder. And that idiot was still just staring at his book like he didn't have a care in the world.
Got him! I KNEW I was better than you, Chrollo!
A look of victory flashed across her face. All the fear and oppression she'd felt over the last few days was about to be erased.
"DROP DEAD—!"
Clunk.
Bonney's triumphant momentum hit a brick wall. Her expression froze in confusion. Her hand was firmly planted on the man's shoulder, but... why hadn't he shrunk? Was there something wrong with how she touched him?
Refusing to give up, she slapped him again.
"..."
Still nothing.
Bonney looked utterly lost, tilting her head like a confused Psyduck. "?"
The manga book was slowly lowered. Bonney found herself staring into a pair of playful, mocking eyes.
"Can I help you with something, Bonney?" Chrollo asked.
"Uh... haha, nope. Nothing at all." Bonney started to back away. "If you're busy, I'll just go—"
She tried to bolt, but Chrollo grabbed her arm. He looked at her with an intrigued expression. "I thought I heard someone say they wanted to be the Captain of this ship?"
"Uh... no, you must have heard wrong, Chrollo." Bonney scratched her head, trying to play it cool.
One second... two seconds... three seconds.
Poof—!
Pink light flashed and white mist billowed. Chrollo stole her ability back, and Bonney fell hard on her butt, reverting to her eight-year-old self. Simultaneously, the four "geniuses" on the deck returned to their original forms.
"What happened?" the four of them asked, looking around in confusion.
Toddler Bonney sat on the deck, and from her new low-angle perspective, she finally saw why her power had failed. The skin on Chrollo's shoulder, visible through his clothes, was jet black.
"Is that... Armament Haki?!!"
Her delusions of grandeur shattered instantly. This man has already mastered Haki? That's terrifying...
Haki, Observation, multiple abilities, and the power to steal other people's fruits. How could she ever compete with a guy like this? Her ego evaporated, and logic took over again. The fear of being under Chrollo's thumb came rushing back. She thought of how he stole the Heavenly Tribute, the pathetic state of Urouge in the dungeon, and her own "rebellion" just now.
Terrified of what was coming, she burst into tears.
"It's all that stupid Mad Monk's fault! Waaaaah! Chrollo—! I'm sorry! I won't do it again, I promise! Waaaaah!"
Chrollo put his manga down and raised an eyebrow, looking at her with a half-smile. "What did you just call me?"
Bonney's sobbing paused. She tried tentatively, "Chrollo... handsome?"
"..."
"Big handsome guy?"
"..."
"Uncle?"
"..."
"Daddy?"
When she said "Daddy," Bonney noticed Chrollo's expression shift. Thinking she'd finally hit the mark, she hugged his leg and wailed, "Daddy, I'll never do it again! I promise!"
Internally, she was thinking: I didn't realize someone so handsome and young had such weird fetishes...
Chrollo's face had indeed changed—from annoyance. What do you mean 'Handsome' or 'Daddy'?! I wanted you to call me 'Leader'!
But he let it go. Trying to talk logic into an eight-year-old was a waste of his time.
"Everyone, over here—"
At his command, the members of the Troupe gathered on the deck and stood before him. Toddler Bonney stretched her neck to see what was happening.
Chrollo first pulled out Shigure and handed it to Nobunaga. "Get rid of that old sword of yours. From now on, I'll be collecting better blades for you."
Nobunaga took the sword excitedly, admiring its craftsmanship. "This is a great blade, Boss."
Chrollo nodded and then addressed the group. "As you just saw, the ability users in this world have strange and powerful powers. Our current strength isn't enough to defend against them."
He paused before continuing. "Because of that, you all need to learn a new technique."
Chrollo extended his arm, and the jet-black Haki spread across his skin. He tapped Bonney's forehead, and she returned to her adult form.
"Touch me."
"Uh... right here? I don't know... I'm only eight," Bonney said, looking bashful. "And with everyone watching~"
A vein popped on Chrollo's forehead. "I meant use your ability on my arm!"
"Oh, right. My bad."
Bonney placed her hand on Chrollo's arm. Nothing happened.
"This power is called Armament Haki. By coating your skin with it, you can resist strange abilities like hers. You can also use it to hit targets without physical bodies, like that Marine Uvogin fought."
Uvogin looked ecstatic. "Perfect! Now I can finally punch that smoke-bastard in the face!"
Chrollo then shared everything he had learned about Armament Haki. "Start training."
He wasn't sure how many of them would be able to pull it off, as Haki required a certain level of natural talent, but it was worth a shot.
Bonney was listening intently, too. Chrollo turned to her. "Your power works fine in the four blues, but it won't cut it in the second half of the Grand Line."
Bonney nodded like a student taking notes.
"You need to change how you use it," Chrollo said. "Try focused development on your own body—like distorting or changing your own future."
Chrollo's words were a revelation. Bonney's face lit up with understanding. "Wait... I can do that?"
Seeing that she got the point, Chrollo stopped talking. He had just given her the shortcut to her most powerful technique.
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