Sweat beaded on Smoothie's forehead, her expression ugly as she bit her lip. Her palm, gripping the hilt of her blade, unconsciously began to sweat.
If there was one enemy in this world she least wanted to face, it would undoubtedly be Kaguya. Not just her—even anyone else in this world would likely make the same choice.
The strength of the beautiful woman before her was unfathomable and ghostly, commanding awe with every movement. No one had ever truly known the extent of her power. Even the Four Emperors of the Grand Line, or the mighty Marine Headquarters, were no match for her.
As for herself, she had experienced Kaguya's strength firsthand.
She had been defeated by Kaguya multiple times, each time ending in a crushing loss without the slightest ability to fight back. Even BIGMOM, once called a Four Emperor, was like a toddling child before her.
To this day, she could still recall the scene of BIGMOM being brutally overpowered. The once incomparably strong BIGMOM had died in such a humiliating way. And not only that—after death, she was even made into a puppet. The memory of that horrifying moment still sent chills down her spine.
As for Reiju beside her, her face didn't look any better. If the previous intel had been correct, Kaguya should have gone to the location of the ancient weapon Uranus, not appeared here over a hundred miles away. No one had expected her to show up here.
Kaguya ignored the terrified and motionless Smoothie and Reiju, walking straight toward Pudding and Shirahoshi.
"What are you doing?" Pudding asked coldly, eyeing Kaguya warily as she approached, her body instinctively shielding Shirahoshi.
"Kaguya… sister!"
Shirahoshi suddenly ran out from behind Pudding, her face lighting up with joy.
Kaguya walked over and gently patted Shirahoshi's head like she was a small animal, smiling as she said, "I didn't expect you to grow so much in just a few years."
Yes, she had indeed grown—ample and well-rounded, full and perky. She didn't look like a sixteen-year-old underage girl at all. Even many grown women couldn't compare to her magnificence.
"Mhm, mhm," Shirahoshi nodded vigorously.
Kaguya smiled dotingly and said, "You little girl, you really made me look all over for you. It wasn't easy."
Shirahoshi's eyes began to redden, and her large eyes filled with tears, ready to fall.
Kaguya raised an eyebrow and asked, "What happened?"
She had obviously noticed the blood-stained bandages on Shirahoshi's shoulders and back, which looked shockingly out of place against her fair skin.
Not good!
She's going to complain!
Smoothie and Reiju were startled. After all, they had been the ones chasing after them. Although their main target was Pudding, regardless of intent, Shirahoshi's injuries were clearly their doing.
Given how Kaguya was treating Shirahoshi now, their relationship clearly wasn't ordinary. If Kaguya found out they were the ones who hurt her, with her temper, things would likely get very bad.
It seemed this matter wouldn't end peacefully. If they wanted to survive, they had no choice but to go all out.
Smoothie and Reiju exchanged glances, gave each other a signal, and gripped their weapons tightly. Rather than relying on the mercy of the enemy, it would be better to take the initiative. Only that way could they seize a sliver of hope in this desperate situation.
As for the surrounding pirates, they were clearly unreliable. Ever since Kaguya appeared, they had all turned pale and gone weak-kneed with fear. Though they had been the ones surrounding Kaguya, now it seemed like they were the ones being surrounded.
Just moments ago, they had driven others into a desperate corner—now, they themselves had been cornered. It was truly ironic.
Or perhaps, as the saying goes: the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
Just when Smoothie and Reiju thought Shirahoshi was about to tattle, unexpectedly, Shirahoshi wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and said, "It's nothing. I just accidentally fell earlier and got scratched by some branches."
"Scratched?" Kaguya raised an eyebrow.
"Mm." Shirahoshi's gaze drifted, too guilty to meet Kaguya's eyes.
Kaguya pointed a finger at her shoulder and asked, "The wound on your shoulder—was that from a branch too?"
Shirahoshi cried out in pain and shrank back.
Kaguya shot a cold glance at Smoothie, and Smoothie immediately felt as though she had fallen into an ice cave. The thick killing intent radiating from Kaguya's eyes was almost tangible. Only after Kaguya looked away did Smoothie realize that her back was drenched in cold sweat.
Shirahoshi looked more and more guilty, her expression a mix of pain and embarrassment, the tips of her ears flushing red.
"Give them a taste of their own medicine," Kaguya stared intently at her and said, "I should've told you before—if someone bullies you, beat them up hard. If someone slaps your face, then hit them so hard even their mother won't recognize them. Just like this—"
Suddenly, Kaguya's figure disappeared before everyone's eyes, and in the next instant, she reappeared right in front of Smoothie!
Smoothie's pupils shrank abruptly!
Slap—!
A crisp slap echoed through the air. Everyone was stunned, even Smoothie was dazed. She hadn't expected to be slapped!
Smoothie stood there like an idiot, frozen in the posture of being struck. The red handprint on her fair cheek was shockingly visible!
Kaguya said coldly, "There's no need to show mercy to your enemies. This is how it should be!"
Smoothie snapped out of her stupor, finally reacting. Her face burned with humiliation and fury. Gritting her teeth, she shouted, "You… you actually hit me!" As she spoke, her fingers curled into claws, faint blue droplets of water forming at her fingertips. With a cutting wind as sharp as blades, she slashed toward Kaguya like lightning!
But before her hand could touch Kaguya, her wrist was suddenly and firmly caught!
Smoothie was shocked and struggled to break free. However, the seemingly slender hand gripping her wrist was like a steel clamp, holding her in place no matter how hard she tried.
"See that?" Kaguya's eyes were as cold as ice. She said coldly, "If anyone bullies you again, do this—beat her up."
Slap! Another crisp slap landed on Smoothie's face!
The blow made Smoothie's head spin, stars danced before her eyes. If her wrist hadn't been held tightly, that slap alone would've knocked her to the ground!
"Did you see that?" Kaguya turned around and said, "This is a world where the strong prey on the weak. The strong can easily obtain everything they want, while the weak don't even have the right to choose how they die."
Shirahoshi quickly nodded. Whether she truly understood or not was another matter.
Smoothie was burning with rage and shame. Never before had she been humiliated so openly. Her face burned, though whether it was from the slap or her anger, she couldn't tell. Her cheeks were flushed red.
Seething with humiliation, Smoothie clenched her teeth. She balled her fist, swung her elbow, and launched a vicious attack toward Kaguya's side!
But before she could land a blow, a sudden slap—pa!—landed hard on her face. The force was tremendous. Smoothie was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into a tree trunk with a bang. Her cheek was already swollen!
The hit had been brutal. Even with Smoothie's physique, her head was spinning from the blow, and she couldn't get up for a moment.
Seeing Smoothie in such a miserable state, Pudding felt a wave of satisfaction in her heart. When she turned her head to look at Kaguya, her eyes held a trace of something different.
If she were an enemy, she would be hated to the bone and feared by all. But if she were an ally, she inspired an indescribable sense of security.
If she really were on their side…
At that thought, Pudding's heart skipped a beat.
Noticing Pudding's gaze, Kaguya turned her head and frowned slightly. "I'll deal with you later."
Pudding's favorable impression vanished instantly. She secretly ground her teeth—how could she be so foolish as to expect something from this person? Hadn't she been bullied enough already?
Reiju, watching from a short distance away, realized the situation had turned bad. Seeing no hope for resolution, she began to quietly retreat while everyone was distracted. Cursing her luck, she thought that the deal had been so close to completion—who could have predicted such an accident?
Although Shirahoshi's injuries hadn't been caused directly by her, she was still involved. If Kaguya decided to pursue the matter, she wouldn't escape unscathed. Besides, Kaguya had always disliked the Vinsmoke family.
But now wasn't the time to weigh pros and cons. The loss of several hundred million Berries was painful, but compared to her own life, it was clearly better to preserve her skin.
Finally, Reiju quietly retreated to the edge of the crowd. She let out a small sigh of relief—just a few hundred more meters and she'd reach the outer beach, where her pre-prepared ship awaited. If she could just make it that far, she could escape.
But at that moment, a clear and pleasant voice rang out, freezing Reiju in place as if she'd fallen into an icy cave.
"Miss Vinsmoke, sneaking around—what are you up to? Did you do something shameful? Surely you're not trying to leave, are you?"
Meeting Kaguya's half-smiling gaze, sweat beaded on Reiju's forehead. She swallowed hard and forced a smile. "Of course not. You all seemed to be having such a lively chat, and I'm just an outsider. I'd only get in the way here." As she spoke, she unconsciously kept retreating.
"Is that so?" Kaguya walked over and said playfully, "But, have you ever heard this saying?"
Reiju paused and asked, "What saying?"
"No matter who it is, if they do something wrong, they must pay the price," Kaguya said with a faint smile. "Don't you agree, Miss Vinsmoke?" With that, she started walking toward Reiju.
Sensing danger, Reiju waved her hands and backed away, quickly saying, "Please don't misunderstand. I mean no harm. As for Miss Shirahoshi's situation, the Vinsmoke family was only acting under contract. It was all Smoothie's orders. We had nothing to do with it."
Kaguya stopped in her tracks. "Oh? Nothing to do with you?"
Seeing Kaguya stop, Reiju let out a small sigh of relief and quickly said, "The Vinsmoke family was merely carrying out a commission. We're like a weapon, without any will of our own—just following the client's orders. It's like someone kills with a knife—can you blame the knife as the murderer?"
Kaguya rubbed her chin thoughtfully for a moment and said, "That does seem to make sense."
Reiju couldn't help but breathe easier.
"However..." Kaguya lifted her gaze, a half-smile on her face. "A knife that's killed someone usually gets destroyed, doesn't it?"
Reiju's pupils shrank sharply!
Without her realizing, Kaguya had appeared right in front of her!
Startled, Reiju instinctively spun and launched a roundhouse kick at lightning speed toward Kaguya!
But before her long leg could connect, Kaguya easily caught it.
Reiju struggled with all her strength, but that seemingly slender hand gripping her ankle was like a steel clamp—no matter how hard she fought, she couldn't break free. Instead, the grip only grew more painful.
"Let me go!" Reiju shouted.
"Let you go? Seems like you're thinking too much," Kaguya said with a smirk. "Wild cats are always so unruly and willful. Only after a proper beating do they learn how to please their master. Don't you agree?"
Suddenly, Reiju's expression changed, and she stopped struggling. She said, "Becoming my master isn't out of the question—as long as you agree to one thing."
Kaguya had only been speaking casually, but Reiju's unexpected response caught her off guard. "Are you running a fever?"
Seeing Kaguya's odd expression, Reiju froze momentarily. Then she raised her head, looked into Kaguya's eyes, and said seriously, "Do you dare make a bet with me?"
Kaguya was indeed very powerful. Reiju knew she was no match for her in a straight fight.
But not all conflicts had to be settled by combat. If she used that method—even Kaguya would be…
Reiju's eyes sharpened. This was something she had spent years preparing. It was her trump card. Though it felt wasteful to use it now, there was no choice.
But unexpectedly, Kaguya flatly refused: "I don't dare."
Reiju was stunned, then grew anxious. "How can that be? Could it be that the mighty Kaguya would shrink back from a mere wager?"
She hadn't expected Kaguya to completely ignore the script.
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