Chapter 61: Subjugation and Haki

In the eyes of others, Bo Ni Si was locked in a bitter struggle against thin air. Although he had turned his entire body into blades to block a portion of Star Platinum's pitch-black fists, he was clearly struggling immensely, taking quite a few hits, and soon began to retreat step by step.

Watching this scene, Sara subconsciously took two steps back, then looked at Robin beside Luo Di and asked in confusion, "You have always been the one to relay orders on behalf of the Boss; have you betrayed him now?"

"Oh my, don't put it so harshly," Robin laughed. "My relationship with Crocodile was one of cooperation, and it has now been unilaterally terminated by me. Luo Di appreciates you both, so he had me call you over; this is also an opportunity for you, so be sure to seize it."

Crocodile?

Having taken a punch, Bo Ni Si's expression darkened. Previously, he only knew the other party's codename and did not know his true identity. He never expected the Boss to be one of the renowned Warlords of the Sea.

He was originally a famous assassin from the West Blue and had worked as a bounty hunter for a long time before joining Baroque Works. Every time he carried out a mission, the Boss would give them a reward, and he only needed to wait for instructions.

Boom!

Bo Ni Si was sent flying by a punch from Star Platinum. As he was about to fall to the ground, he relied on his strong fighting spirit to brace himself with his hands, flipped his body, and performed several somersaults before barely stopping on one knee.

Just as he stood up, a chill surged into his heart.

A pair of scarlet eyes opened behind him, and a cold voice said, "Well, have you considered it long enough?"

Bo Ni Si was startled upon hearing this, then the blades on his body vanished, and he spoke, "I am no match for you. If you had used your full strength, I would already be a corpse."

"Ya hahahaha, you're not bad yourself, to be able to hold on this long without Observation Haki," Luo Di laughed. "Become my officer, and the treasure you receive will definitely be more than before. Come with me to make a name for yourselves in the New World; that is where you belong."

Bo Ni Si turned around to face Luo Di's eyes. The two stared at each other for a long time, and he suddenly knelt slowly on one knee.

"I am willing to serve you."

"Haha, it looks like we have another formidable guy joining us!" A Nuo asked, "Are you an Ability User? To think you can turn your body into blades—how fast would you be at chopping vegetables!"

"I am a Blade Human who ate the Supa Supa no Mi; I can turn any part of my body into a blade," Bo Ni Si replied calmly.

A Nuo familiarly threw his arm around Bo Ni Si's shoulder: "Ah, anyway, we're all family from now on. Treat me well, you bastard!"

Bo Ni Si frowned; he didn't want to deal with A Nuo, but he didn't brush his hand off either.

Luo Di was very satisfied with this result. Bo Ni Si's strength was not bad, and in the original work, he was very loyal to Crocodile, but those were performances after entering Tui Jin Cheng. In the current timeline, he did not know the "Boss's" true identity and was only staying in Baroque Works for the sake of profit.

That was why Luo Di had Robin use a mission to call him over. It was best if he could be recruited; if it really didn't work out, he would just have to let him stay on this island forever.

Seeing this scene, Sara stood awkwardly to the side, feeling somewhat at a loss.

Luo Di looked at her and laughed, "What about you? Have you decided?"

"I..." Sara nodded immediately, "Captain, please treat me well!"

Luo Di nodded, "Mm, with your strength, you can be a squad leader. From now on, you will follow Xiao En."

Baroque Works always had partners execute missions in pairs. His heart was set only on Bo Ni Si; as for Sara, she was just an accessory.

Originally, Luo Di wanted Robin to bring Mr. 3 over, but he could no longer be contacted. It was likely that he was chased down by Crocodile after Little Garden.

Luo Di said to everyone, "Alright, everyone take another rest. We will board the ship and set sail after lunch."

……

"Hello, my name is Xiao En, and I am the Chief Captain appointed by Captain Luo Di," Xiao En said.

Sara looked at the stern-faced Xiao En and curled her red lips, "Please treat me well, Captain Xiao En. I am but a weak woman."

Xiao En ignored Sara's fawning and said indifferently, "From now on, you are the captain of the Third Squad, but I must first test your bottom line. Let's have a duel where we stop at the limit."

"Ah, then you must be gentle."

After Sara finished speaking, her eyes suddenly turned cold, and her fingers suddenly elongated, turning into sharp spikes, as she sped toward Xiao En.

A look of surprise flashed in Xiao En's eyes. The moment Sara was about to attack, his body suddenly became as thin as paper, dodging Sara's piercing claws.

Sara's strike missed. Just as she turned around to find Xiao En's position, Xiao En had already grabbed her wrist and flung her violently behind him.

Sara, thrown into the air, used her combat skills to stabilize herself. She hovered for a few seconds, grew spikes all over her body, and then spun violently. After landing, she rolled toward Xiao En with extreme speed, reaching him in the blink of an eye.

"Soru."

Xiao En vanished from his spot. Sara stopped after rolling into empty space and turned around quickly, but her back immediately went cold, and she stood still, not daring to move again.

"Finger Pistol!"

The two fingers of Xiao En's right hand were already pressed against her throat, a mere millimeter from her skin.

"As expected of the captain, I lost," Sara laughed, her back already soaked in cold sweat.

Xiao En nodded, withdrew his hand, and asked, "Are you an Ability User?"

"Mm-hmm, I am a Toge Toge no Mi Ability User; I can turn various parts of my body into spikes," Sara said coquettishly, "Captain, you must be careful."

Xiao En turned his head, "Mm, from now on you are the Third Squad Captain. Work hard for Lord Luo Di; he is the best captain!"

"Xiao En, you guy, you've improved," Gai Ou said. "These Six Powers are indeed very powerful. If I had known, I would have learned them too."

Luo Di shook his head, "The Six Powers are common techniques of the Navy. Their characteristic is that they are comprehensive—they can attack, defend, and escape. There are also recovery skills like Life Return. However, their ceiling is not high. When you reach the New World and face those monsters, their effectiveness will be greatly reduced."

"Then what is powerful? Devil Fruit?" Gai Ou asked.

"It counts as one," Luo Di said. "A powerful Devil Fruit is the fastest way for an ordinary person to leap over the dragon gate, but they are very rare and hard to find. Even if you find one, it might not be suitable."

"Then what else is there?" Sara asked.

Luo Di raised his arm, and in an instant, it was covered in a layer of black lacquer.

"Haki."

Luo Di said, "Haki is a latent power that everyone possesses; it is an innate ability. Presence, killing intent, fighting spirit... when you manipulate these invisible sensations, your willpower can turn into a weapon. This powerful force is Haki."

"Whoa, I've seen the Captain's hands turn black often before, and they're harder than steel. So that's what it is," A Nuo exclaimed in wonder.

Having grown up in the East Blue and never having left Xiu Mao Zhen, he had never heard of this term.