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...
A seemingly casual remark felt filled with murderous intent in Lucci's ears.
Lucci, on guard, looked at Noir and asked, "Why are you interested in us?"
Noir chuckled softly and replied, "I admire your philosophy."
Lucci was taken aback. The philosophy he adhered to was dark justice, believing that the weak are inherently guilty and that necessary evil is used to achieve peace.
Noir gently persuaded, "Your kind of justice won't have a place in the government."
"In their eyes, you're just one of the weak sinners. They might tolerate minor actions, but they'll never truly put you to good use."
This statement... was purely Noir's fabrication. In the original story, after being defeated, Lucci was hunted by the Marine but eventually returned to join CP0.
However, CP0 ultimately serves the Celestial Dragons, and Noir didn't believe that someone as proud as Lucci would be willing to serve those fools.
Noir knew that the government would eventually reuse Lucci, but Lucci didn't realize this.
Strangely enough, Noir's words did cause Lucci to waver.
At this moment, Jabra spat angrily and shouted, "Stop pretending to be a good person! If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be in this mess!"
Noir sneered and shook his head. Enel couldn't help but retort, "If you hadn't targeted us first, I wouldn't have even bothered to look at you!"
Jabra bared his teeth and was about to lunge at Enel for a life-and-death fight, but Lucci stopped him.
Lucci coldly said, "The failure of the mission is our responsibility."
"Being weak and failing, do you really want to blame your opponent for not killing?"
Jabra swallowed his curse and reluctantly stepped back.
After some thought, Lucci turned to Noir and said, "If my justice cannot be carried out within the government, can it be done with you?"
Noir smiled lightly and said, "Do you really have any other options?"
Lucci was unsure about his future and was indeed troubled by the current situation.
The government had abandoned him; was he supposed to become a pirate?
Noir speculated that Lucci returned to CP0 in the future due to the aftermath of the war at Marineford.
After Whitebeard's death, the rampant piracy, the loss of talent and internal strife after the battle between Aokiji and Akainu, all these factors might have forced the government to recall the disgraced Lucci.
Using his foresight, Noir believed that recruiting Lucci was a feasible plan.
Seeing Lucci still hesitating, Noir decided to speak more directly, "Then why don't you work for me for now? If you ever want to leave, just let me know, and I won't stop you."
Hearing this, Lucci looked at his companions.
The former members of CP9 all gave Lucci a look, indicating that they would follow his lead.
Finally, Lucci nodded and agreed, "Deal."
Noir smiled approvingly and said, "That's more like it, but let me be clear."
"You can choose to leave in the future, but if you betray me while you're with me, I'll take your lives back!"
Lucci nodded silently, and the rest of CP9 also lowered their heads.
The Ark Maxim set sail once again. With the new additions, the ship became livelier.
The full CP9 team consisted of seven members, while Noir, Robin, and the original crew numbered only four.
This imbalance made Wyper and Enel particularly cautious.
Lucci and Kalifa, having seen Enel's strength, were more restrained.
But Jabra and the other three, being more daring, engaged in open and covert battles with Enel.
As a result, the ship had been anything but peaceful in recent days, with wolf howls and thunderclaps filling the air.
As the ship sailed along its course, Noir finally found a moment to be alone.
After everything that had happened, even a strong person would feel tired. He closed his eyes, letting the sea breeze wash over him.
Suddenly, his shoulder felt heavy. A pair of warm hands gently touched his neck, pressing softly.
"What's wrong? Is it too noisy?" Robin stood behind Noir, thoughtfully massaging his neck as she asked.
Noir adjusted his posture slightly and said, "It's fine. It's nice to have some noise."
Robin frowned and hesitantly said, "Aren't you worried about conflicts between Enel and the others?"
Noir shook his head and replied softly, "Though he's cruel and has a bad temper, he's... somewhat normal."
"Maybe he just doesn't know how to interact with others."
Just a few days ago, Enel had finally given Noir the reward for their acquaintance from his system.
Besides the Copy Card, the system had even gifted Noir a complete set of home appliances, refrigerator, washing machine, television...
The system was cheap, why not just throw in a smartphone or tablet?
But to get back on track, the system's notification indicated that Enel was beginning to accept Noir and the crew.
Robin nodded in agreement and said, "True, sometimes bonds can form through conflict."
"Fighting might just bring them closer."
But just as they were talking, Enel suddenly burst into the kitchen, dragging Jabra by his wolf tail. The wolf-man was charred black and unconscious from the electric shock, while Enel shouted loudly:
"Conis! Get the oil ready, we're having wolf meat tonight!"
Robin: "..."
Noir sighed, rubbing his forehead, and asked Wyper to teach the CP9 members Haki on his behalf.
Getting beaten won't improve camaraderie...
In the days that followed, Wyper followed Noir's orders and began teaching the crew Busoshoku Haki. Though he was only half-trained himself, it was enough to cover the basics.
Everyone was studying diligently, especially Lucci, but there was one exception...
It wasn't that Wyper was unwilling to teach Enel, it was just that this guy refused to sit still and learn.
Noir left him be, figuring that Enel would eventually understand his weakness after getting beaten enough.
As the atmosphere on the ship became more harmonious, the Ark Maxim slowly sailed into the Florian Triangle.
The surrounding sky was eerily shrouded in thick fog, so dense that not a single ray of sunlight could penetrate, and the sea seemed to have turned a dark purple-black.
This fog was much thicker than that around Autumn Island, Noir mused.
Lucci, now dressed in a white suit, stood coolly at the bow and asked, "Are we going to target Moria?"
Noir nodded with a grin and said, "I like Moria's ship and his powers."
Lucci immediately understood. The Thriller Bark, Moria's ship, was reputed to be the largest ship in the world, comparable in size to an island.
Kaku and Blueno, who had recently woken up, stood trembling behind Lucci, not daring to say a word.
It seemed that Noir's special ability had taken effect; after being defeated, the two felt an inexplicable fear towards Noir.
When facing Noir, they couldn't even lift their swords.
Lucci assumed they were simply scared of being beaten, paid it no mind, and stepped aside to train Haki with Wyper.
On the ship, Lucci spoke little and mostly exchanged words with Wyper, a fellow combat enthusiast.
The two got along surprisingly well, one teaching Haki, the other teaching the Six Powers.
While Enel was busy tormenting the wolf cub Jabra, his eyes suddenly flashed red.
Someone was there?
Enel glanced suspiciously at a corner, but it appeared empty...
However, in his Observation Haki, he clearly sensed someone about to attack Kalifa!
Panic-stricken, Enel instantly unleashed a bolt of lightning.
The crew saw Enel suddenly attack Kalifa, and chaos ensued on the ship.
...
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