A month later.
"It's hard to imagine your skills are this rough."
Still in the forest where Joy Boy was hiding.
Michael floated in mid-air, looking down with some confusion at Joy Boy.
This man... truly shattered Michael's preconceived notions.
He clearly possessed the awakened Nika fruit ability...
But just like Luffy, who had only recently set sail, he could only passively use Conqueror's Haki under rare circumstances and was completely unable to use it independently.
Moreover, he didn't know how to use either Armament Haki or Observation Haki at all.
As for his performance in battle, it was even more difficult to describe.
Like a child with immense strength, holding a huge and sharp sword, but only knowing how to slap people with the blade...
One could say that in terms of combat, Joy Boy was like a blank sheet of paper, showing no significant difference.
"Ha! It shouldn't be my problem, right? You're just too strong!" Joy Boy laughed heartily, lying on the ground, panting heavily.
"Clearly, the opponents I faced before could hardly withstand the power brought by the Nika fruit."
"So you mean, fighting too many weaklings has led to a lack of skill training?" Michael sighed,
"Have you never thought about asking the giants, with whom you have such a good relationship, for some combat techniques?"
"Huh? But the people of Elbaf are all my friends... how could I fight with friends?"
"...Don't you realize that in the warrior nation of Elbaf, fighting is the best way to communicate with each other!?"
"Are you saying... I should go with the flow?"
"No need to go with the flow; since I'm here, you won't need those giants to hone your skills."
"...Um, Michael, your words sound like they imply something else..." Joy Boy finally stopped laughing and pointed helplessly at his own face.
"Can I really leave alive from your hands?"
"I'm not a demon..." Michael's lips revealed a rare, genuine smile.
"But between life and death, one can learn the necessary skills for combat much faster."c⌒っ?Д?No way!"
Joy Boy once again found himself in a passive position, getting beaten up.
...
"Hiss, this looks a bit too tragic, doesn't it?"
When Donquixote returned to Elbaf with new information, he saw Joy Boy hanging from a tree, half his soul escaping from his mouth, "After all, he is our rebel leader; can't we give him a bit of face?"
"Face? What face does he have in front of me? He's eating the Nika fruit, not a face fruit."
Michael stood up from under the tree, then casually flicked his fingers, snapping a branch, causing Joy Boy to fall directly to the ground.
Then he shouted towards the small wooden house.
"Little one! Come wash the floor!"
"Oh! Coming, coming!"
Toki cheerfully ran out, then skillfully grabbed Joy Boy's legs and dragged him straight into the house.
It was clear that this was not the first time they had done this.
Seeing this scene made Donquixote feel a bit of a toothache.
The leader seemed... to be dragged in face down.
However, both Toki and Michael remained unfazed, leading Donquixote to subconsciously feel that perhaps the one who was out of place was himself?
Shaking his head vigorously, casting that thought out of his mind, he turned to Michael with a serious expression.
"New information has arrived... just as you initially predicted, the pressure from the Great Kingdom on the rebels has become almost negligible."
"The Great Kingdom has mobilized nearly all its subordinates, determined to completely grasp your identity information."
"Especially the Lunarian Race; several members of the Divine Council have gone to Angel Island, where you once appeared..."
At this point, Donquixote took out a wanted poster.
There was no photo, only a written description.
Report immediately upon discovering a man with six white wings, who calls himself "the End."
A reward of 100 million berries for providing real clues.
A reward of 1 billion berries for confirming the location.
A reward of 10 billion berries for directly capturing "the End."
Seeing these conditions, Michael almost burst out laughing.
This situation was remarkably similar to that of the Lunarian Race eight hundred years later.
Good and evil will eventually be repaid; the righteous path of humanity is full of hardships.
"Now your bounty is astonishingly high... the last one this high was the leader himself."
"With such a high bounty, how come no one from the giant race has sold out Joy Boy?" Michael raised an eyebrow.
"That's a bit... unbelievable."
"I only know that whether it's the giant race or the extremely radical ancient giants, they are highly unified on this matter... In their eyes, Joy Boy is the Sun God, their deity; how could they sell him to the Great Kingdom, which they have always looked down upon?" Donquixote smiled, then put away the wanted poster.
"This is a good thing; once the leader steps forward, the rebel army to overthrow the Great Kingdom will surely have the Elbaf army as a strong backbone."
Michael had no differing thoughts on Donquixote's statement.
The giant race was indeed such a race.
Rather than saying they were protecting Joy Boy, it was more accurate to say they were protecting the Nika fruit user who liked to interact with them in the form of giants.
As for the name Joy Boy, it was relatively unimportant.
Michael stood in the shade of the tree, gazing at the clouds in the sky.
"And what about you? Your recent actions haven't been particularly secretive; those with a mind have probably begun to suspect you, right?"
"As you said, I have indeed been suspected, but those sent by the Great Kingdom to investigate in Dressrosa... expressed unexpected goodwill towards me."
"Goodwill?" Michael frowned, "Who are they?"
"The visitors are from the inland Nerona Kingdom." Donquixote sighed, "It's the daughter of the Nerona King, named Nerona Imu."
Imu!?
Michael suddenly turned his head to look at Donquixote.
Seeing Michael's expression, Donquixote felt a bit dazed.
Was there something wrong with this name?
"Is there... something wrong with this?"
"Nothing, continue... this Imu, expressed goodwill towards you?"
"That's right; she clearly expressed her dislike for the Great Kingdom, and she even knew that I am a member of the rebels..."
"So did she make any requests?"
"Well..." Donquixote suddenly showed a guilty expression, "She expressed a desire to meet the leader and... you."
"Me?"
"That's right; although I don't know how she found out... but she indeed knows of your existence."
"Where is she now?"
"Right in Dressrosa."
"Alright, I'll go with you."
Michael nodded, his face calm.
But deep down, he felt a hint of anticipation.
What kind of person would the future big boss Imu be?
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