One Piece: Nobody has more Devil Fruits than me.

Hawkeye: "..."

This is nothing but blatant mockery.

At first, he thought it was the Straw Hat Boy's ability, but if he cut the rubber, it would split in two.

"Is this all the form can do—just take a beating?"

"You still don't know what a slime is, do you?"

Russell's arm shot out suddenly. "The bizarre and the unpredictable are its defining characteristics."

With his left hand, he bypassed Black Knife Night and aimed straight for Hawkeye's face. Hawkeye dodged to the side, but the tentacle turned in mid-air and wrapped around him from the other side.

At the same time, Russell's swollen right arm slammed directly onto the deck, causing the entire ship to tremble.

The commotion drew the attention of the pirates on the ship, who all turned to look.

"what is that?"

"Captain Russell has turned into a puddle of something."

The pirates had never seen Russell in this form before; he couldn't be human anymore.

"Making a fuss over nothing,"

Bucky crawled out from somewhere, glanced at it, and said, "Is this even more exaggerated than a beast-like Titanoboa?"

Before he could finish speaking, Russell's body suddenly stretched out, extending and spreading along the deck, then converging upwards from Hawkeye's feet.

"She's really not human anymore!"

Bucky's voice cracked.

This attack method is too bizarre, completely beyond the scope of conventional physical and sword techniques.

Hawkeye had no choice but to use Moonwalk to leap into the air. Looking down from mid-air, he saw Russell's jelly-like body reforming into a human form.

"What's this thing called again?"

"Slime form".

Russell was quite satisfied.

It combines the characteristics of all three abilities.

The Chop-Chop Fruit grants the ability to split and recombine, so it can regenerate no matter how it's cut. The Smooth-Smooth Fruit provides low friction and a smooth surface, so physical attacks hit it like hitting a lump of oil, making it difficult to apply real force. The Shape-Shape Fruit gives this form a great deal of plasticity, not just the useless ability to transform into the opponent's appearance.

To put it bluntly, it's a strange system.

I won't compete with you on numbers, I'll compete on mechanics.

The pirates were dumbfounded, especially those who had been following Buggy.

So, even though they're both Devil Fruit users, the difference between them is this huge?

“Your development skills are impressive,” Hawkeye said.

He had seen many Devil Fruit abilities, most of which were only superficially developed. The only ones who truly reached the pinnacle of their abilities were those few who ascended to the throne of the Four Emperors.

"There is an opportunity to reach that level."

Are you talking about Devil Fruit awakening?

Russell smiled.

"You know that too?" Hawkeye asked, somewhat surprised.

"Of course I know. Apart from the blank history of this ocean for a hundred years, you can ask me about everything else. I know a general idea."

Russell's memories are his most precious treasure. He knows about things like Devil Fruit awakening, and even about Im on the throne.

Think about it, Im won't sense this, so let's go for a Heavenly King.

Unless the Im of this world has attained immortality.

"Russell!"

Not long after, Ella suddenly ran over, a hint of excitement on her face.

"What's wrong? Have we arrived at the Kingdom on the Bridge?" Russell asked.

"no,"

Ella shook her head. "We encountered a ship ahead, flying the World Government's flag."

A ship flying the flag of the World Government?

No wonder Isla was a little excited; although she hadn't been at sea for long, she had already developed quite a bit of pirate habits.

When pirates encounter a ship bearing the World Government flag, it's like seeing a fat sheep.

Soon, Russell saw it.

On the distant horizon, the outline of a ship appeared, with a blue and white flag fluttering at the top of its mast, and the World Government's emblem in the center.

In addition, there were five naval warships escorting the ship.

This scale...

Bucky, who was limping over, suddenly gasped, "Captain! That's the Sky Gold's transport ship!"

After these words were spoken, the ship fell silent for a few seconds, followed by a deafening roar.

Chapter 51 Heavenly Gold

Heavenly gold.

The enormous tribute that member states of the World Government must pay each year is used to support the Celestial Dragons in Mary Geoise and cover the huge expenses of maintaining the World Government's operations.

This thing, transported by a single ship, costs at least a billion pegories, and in a good year, two or three billion is not uncommon.

Of course, this refers to member states in small places like the East China Sea. Some member states in the Grand Line are quite wealthy and might have billions of dollars in celestial gold every year.

"No wonder we've been encountering fewer naval warships lately; they've all come here to provide escort services, haven't they?" Russell's eyes lit up, and he burst into laughter.

He looked at Bucky beside him, "You're very familiar with the Heavenly Gold."

"Hehehe, a naval frigate of that size, it's almost certainly one! I've seen them a few times before on Captain Roger's ship,"

Bucky rubbed his hands together, grinning slyly. "And I know that in the East Blue, those guys from the World Government use this fixed route to transport the Sky Gold."

The Kingdom of Flaus should be ahead of this route. Although it is not a large place, the member states must pay every penny of their dues.

It's at least three billion peggs.

"Three billion Pyre?!"

The pirates gasped in surprise, then their eyes turned bloodshot as they shouted in unison:

"Captain Russell! Let's do it!"

Russell licked his lips. "Nonsense, I'd break the legs of anyone who backs down at a time like this."

What is the most lacking thing on a pirate ship?

It's money!

To be honest, no pirate ever complains about having too much money. Most people go to sea to become pirates out of desperation; they can't survive without money, and they can't just wait to die.

They were still robbing the Celestial Dragons' money.

At first, when Buggy and his pirate crew heard that Russell had killed a Celestial Dragon, they were worried about whether they could safely reach the other side. But now that they heard about stealing the Celestial Dragon's Celestial Gold, they all went crazy.

There was a captain who assimilated all the crew members.

This is exactly the reaction Russell wanted. They're pirates now, why are they still afraid of this and that? The Demon Pirates shouldn't have any cowards!

From the moment he killed the Celestial Dragon, there was no turning back.

Just like Ella.

When he has time, he should let his pirate crew see the blood of the Celestial Dragons.

"Men, bring the boat closer!"

Russell laughed loudly, "Ready for boarding action!"

Checking weapons and ammunition, tidying ropes, adjusting cannon angles... the pirates proceeded methodically.

The serpent mother's army of beasts took to the air one by one under the buff, forming a terrifying, swarming mass.

Russell watched this scene and nodded in satisfaction.

As expected, leading a team takes time. Although the Demon Pirates have not been established for long, they are gradually taking shape.

.....

Meanwhile, on the gold transport ship in the sky not far away...

On the Royal Navy ship of the Kingdom of Flaus, the Kibo Ridge.

The escorting navy seemed unusually relaxed. Escorting the "heavenly gold" had always been a lucrative task. In addition to the headquarters' rewards, the real source of income was the expensive luxury goods that the royal family cleverly gifted under various pretexts.

The gift I gave you...

Can that be called embezzlement?