The palace doors were tightly shut.
No one could enter.
The throne itself was spacious—but if three people tried to sit on it, it simply wouldn't fit.
Someone would inevitably have to sit on another's lap… or kneel.
When Luo Xing left—
Viola and Rebecca, the beautiful aunt and niece, were leaning against each other, slumped softly on the throne.
Viola rolled her eyes and said:
"This is ridiculous. This chair needs to be replaced immediately—otherwise how am I supposed to receive ministers here in the future?"
Rebecca's face was flushed red as she said:
"The entire palace needs to be cleaned too… there are traces everywhere…"
Viola lightly slapped Rebecca's smooth shoulder and said irritably:
"And whose fault is that? Whatever he asked, you agreed to! No sense of restraint at all!"
Rebecca lowered her head, too embarrassed to speak.
Thinking back to those past few hours—
She really had been far too bold… far too unrestrained.
But at the time—
Her mind had been hazy, as if floating.
Whatever her "big brother" asked, she simply did.
Like she was soaring freely through the sky.
...
Hearing their conversation behind him, Luo Xing's lips curled into a satisfied smile.
Then—
He spoke into the Den Den Mushi in his hand:
"Bring that Apoo to me."
On the other end, Page One acknowledged the order.
Before long—
Page One arrived with Scratchmen Apoo.
Along the way, Apoo felt extremely uneasy.
Because across Dressrosa—
He sensed several overwhelmingly powerful auras.
Each one was enough to crush him.
Even the one leading him—Page One, who was younger than him and one of the Flying Six—
Was clearly far stronger.
While shocked—
Apoo also felt relieved… even delighted.
The stronger the Beasts Pirates were—
The wiser his decision to defect seemed.
Soon—
He finally saw Luo Xing, the legendary Fifth Emperor, whose aura now felt even deeper and more unfathomable than when they met at Sabaody Archipelago.
Apoo immediately dropped to his knees and bowed in fear:
"Greetings, Your Majesty, Fifth Emperor!"
Luo Xing gestured for him to stand and said calmly:
"You want to join the Beasts Pirates and serve me?"
Apoo replied without hesitation:
"Yes, Your Majesty! I've already seen through the state of the world—the one who will become Pirate King in the future must be Lord Kaido!"
"The one who will rule the world will be the Beasts Pirates!"
"And the one who will create a new era… will be you!"
As a user of the Sound-Sound Fruit—
Apoo wasn't just good at attacking with music.
He was also very good with words.
Luo Xing smiled.
"A man who understands the times is a wise man. Being able to see the tide of the world this early… you surpass the rest of the Worst Generation."
"From today onward, you are a member of my Beasts Pirates."
"This Demon-level Monster Cell… is your reward."
Luo Xing had never been stingy toward those who sincerely pledged loyalty.
With his "god's-eye view"—
He knew X Drake was a spy and had already had him eliminated.
But Apoo—
Was genuinely defecting.
Receiving the Monster Cell—
Apoo was overjoyed.
He had originally thought he'd need to prove himself first to earn Luo Xing's trust.
But unexpectedly—
This man trusted him immediately and even rewarded him with something so valuable.
Apoo felt deeply moved.
His confidence in joining the Beasts Pirates grew even stronger.
After consuming the Demon-level Monster Cell—
He endured intense pain—
But his aura surged, and his strength doubled.
From that moment on—
His loyalty to Luo Xing solidified completely.
When he spoke again, he already referred to himself as one of the crew:
"Lord Luo Xing, I also have information to report about two other Supernovas—Eustass Kid and Basil Hawkins…"
From Apoo's explanation—
Kid, just like in the original timeline, had formed an alliance with Hawkins and Apoo—
Planning to train for a while before challenging Shanks.
Unfortunately—
Kid's luck was terrible.
In the original story, Apoo secretly defected and brought down Kaido upon them.
But this time—
Apoo didn't bring Kaido.
He brought Luo Xing.
Kid's fate—
Would be even worse.
Because Luo Xing wouldn't spare him like Kaido did.
If Kid refused to submit—
There would only be one outcome: death.
Luo Xing asked:
"Where are Kid and Hawkins now? Do you have a Log Pose for that location?"
"Yes."
Apoo took out a glass Log Pose.
Luo Xing input the coordinates into the Anywhere Door.
The door opened.
"Let's go meet this so-called Worst Generation."
The fame of the Anywhere Door—
Had already spread across the seas, just like Monster Cells.
Apoo was thrilled to experience it firsthand.
He looked around curiously—
Then followed Luo Xing inside.
Page One followed as well—
Excitement written all over his face.
He was eager to test his new Mythical Zoan ability—
And what better targets than Kid and Hawkins?
New World — a certain island.
The Kid Pirates, Hawkins Pirates, and Apoo's On Air Pirates had gathered here.
Eustass Kid, Killer, and Basil Hawkins—three Supernovas with bounties over 100 million—were discussing plans.
Halfway through—
Kid suddenly shouted angrily toward Apoo's crew:
"Where the hell is that bastard Apoo?! What's he doing? Why isn't he here yet?!"
A subordinate replied:
"Captain went out on business… he won't be back for another two or three days."
"Tell him to hurry the hell up!"
Kid snapped.
Then turned to Killer and Hawkins:
"That bastard Apoo is unreliable! At a critical moment like this, he disappears on us!"
Though their alliance had been formed—
They still needed to finalize plans and rules.
Which required all three captains.
No wonder Kid was furious.
Hawkins appeared calm—
But deep down, unease crept in.
He had just performed a divination—
And it showed today was inauspicious.
If they acted—
Disaster would follow.
But what disaster?
Hawkins couldn't tell.
At that very moment—
A voice suddenly echoed through the air:
"Hey hey hey, Kid! Don't get it twisted—I didn't skip out on purpose!"
"I went to bring reinforcements! So we'll have a better chance when we go after Red-Hair!"
The voice came too suddenly.
Kid, Killer, and Hawkins were all startled.
They quickly looked toward the source—
And saw—
A door appear out of thin air.
Then—
Several figures stepped out.
Apoo was among them.
But Kid, Killer, and Hawkins only glanced at Apoo briefly—
Because all their attention—
Was drawn to the man at the front.
All three inhaled sharply.
Shock.
Confusion.
Fear.
A chilling cold spread through their bodies.
Kid blurted out:
"Fifth Emperor Luo Xing… why are you here?!"
Then his expression twisted in rage—
"Apoo, you bastard… did you betray me?!"
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