"Ah, very good."
Bai Yu smiled.
One of the system's functions: Only by recruiting the beauties of the plot as crew members or subordinates can he perform a lottery in this world.
Focus: story beauties.
Looking at the women of the Charlotte family, it seemed that only these two matched Bai Yu's aesthetic.
The others?
Their appearances and personalities were somewhat strange, clashing with the style of the girls he had already gathered. Some were too young—Bai Yu didn't want to take in any more children.
Too many people would disrupt the harmony of the group!
Thus, the others would simply serve as subordinate workers in his crew.
Of course, subordinates could also contribute strength.
Bai Yu's plan was simple: go through everything quickly, find and recruit the missing story beauties, then establish an all-female team while adding others that fit the group's style.
"Do not be afraid."
Looking down at the two trembling girls he had just recruited, Bai Yu's voice was exceptionally gentle.
The first was a light brown-haired girl with long locks—Charlotte Pudding, only 14 years old.
• Devil Fruit: Memo Memo no Mi (Memory-Memory Fruit) – Allows her to read, remove, replace, and alter the memories of others.
• Three-Eyed Tribe: If she fully awakens her third eye, she will gain the ability to read the ancient texts of the Poneglyphs.
"Robin will be delighted to see little Pudding…"
Bai Yu knew that Nico Robin longed for someone who could share her knowledge of ancient history.
"Your name is Pudding, right?"
Pudding had always been bullied because of her third eye, so she hid it under her bangs, ashamed of her true self. She wasn't evil by nature, but years of ridicule had forced her to put on a mask—bullying others to avoid being hurt herself.
Deep down, she loathed this side of herself.
She saw herself as nothing more than an ugly monster, and her behaviors often seemed like she had a split personality.
"Don't… please don't look at me…"
Noticing Bai Yu staring at her, little Pudding suddenly burst into tears. This wasn't an act—she was truly terrified that she would scare him and anger this demon king.
"Your third eye…"
Under the shifting expressions of Pudding, Katakuri, and the others, Bai Yu gently brushed aside her bangs, revealing her third eye.
For a moment, his expression changed slightly.
Pudding, seeing this reaction, was genuinely terrified. She trembled, repeatedly apologizing:
"I'm sorry! My eye must have scared you… I'll… I'll kill myself, please don't hurt my family…"
"Please calm your anger!"
Katakuri and many others also pleaded. They had seen countless people react with fear and disgust at Pudding's third eye—including their own siblings, let alone outsiders.
"I say…"
Bai Yu looked at the Charlotte family members with a cold expression.
"Are you all sick?"
Everyone flinched.
"Who told you I was angry?"
Bai Yu scoffed, then turned back to Pudding.
"Your third eye is adorable. I was just surprised, that's all."
"Huh?!"
Everyone was stunned.
Pudding's three eyes widened in disbelief, her face turning a shade of pink. She stammered, overwhelmed:
"Y-You… is that true?"
"Of course." Bai Yu nodded with a smile.
Truthfully, her eyes were beautiful—so the third one didn't seem strange at all to him.
Bai Yu sighed internally. The Charlotte family had many bizarre-looking members, so why did they judge Pudding for her third eye?
"Thank you… even if it's a lie, thank you, sir…"
Tears welled in Pudding's eyes. She wanted to cry—but for the first time, it wasn't out of fear or sadness.
Bai Yu gently patted her head and said, "From now on, you don't need to hide. If anyone bullies you, just tell me—I'll kill their entire family!"
"N-No! That's not necessary!"
Pudding waved her hands frantically, panicking.
After all, some of her own siblings bullied her. If Bai Yu really went through with it, wouldn't that mean wiping out half her family?
Meanwhile, Enel, Crocodile, and the others were stunned.
"What is the captain doing?"
Hawkeye, observing the scene, said coolly: "This is his only weakness… but it's understandable."
Rayleigh chuckled, adding, "This is youth. Don't forget, Bai Yu is only eighteen."
Everyone fell silent.
Even the Charlotte family was shocked. They suddenly realized that this "Demon King" was, to many of them, still just a boy.
"You're all talking nonsense!" Bai Yu glared at them.
Was it so wrong to comfort a girl? A bunch of single dogs wouldn't understand!
Bai Yu then turned to the nervous girl with pink curly hair, wearing a purple cape, a red short skirt, and high heels.
"And your name?"
The pink-haired girl muttered under her breath, "He didn't even know my name and still took me?"
Then she quickly responded, "Lord Demon King, I am Charlotte Galette."
Bai Yu nodded.
• Charlotte Galette, 29 years old.
• One of the few normal-looking beauties in the Charlotte family.
• Devil Fruit: Bata Bata no Mi (Butter-Butter Fruit) – Allows her to generate and manipulate butter. Those bound by her butter obey her commands.
The fruit's name made Bai Yu cringe internally. "Bata"? Seriously?
But its ability to control bound targets intrigued him.
"Take care of your little sister, Pudding." Bai Yu instructed.
Galette was a good person at heart—she cared for her family deeply. Even though she feared Big Mom, she had once knelt and begged for her brother's life.
She could be arrogant and look down on others, but Bai Yu didn't mind. That could be adjusted.
It was at that moment that Charlotte Linlin, now blind, suddenly cried out louder:
"WAAAH! LINLIN HURTS! LINLIN CAN'T SEE ANYMORE!"
Bai Yu frowned.
"So noisy."
Even in her current weakened, childlike state, Big Mom's face alone was enough to sour his mood.
"Ichinen Hana Saku."
Using his combined Flower-Flower Fruit + Childlike Fruit, Bai Yu instantly turned her into a toy, knocking her unconscious.
Bai Yu had no patience—Big Mom needed to be permanently tamed.
Then, with a flicker of light—
SHING!
The unconscious toy-form Charlotte Linlin's limbs were cut off.
A moment later, Bai Yu released the Childlike Ability—returning her to normal but now limbless.
A collective gasp echoed across Whole Cake Island.
Even Katakuri, usually composed, had lost his calm.
"Turning people into toys erases them from everyone's memory?"
The realization was terrifying.
Doflamingo, who understood the Childlike Fruit best, felt a chill run down his spine.
"If he has this ability… who can stop him?"
If Bai Yu was given time to grow…
Even the Holy Land Mariejois wouldn't be safe.
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