After staring at Bai Yu in silence for a moment, the entire Foxy Pirates crew finally snapped out of their daze.
One by one, they grabbed their weapons, glaring at Bai Yu with hostile eyes.
"My name is Bai Yu," he said with a relaxed smile. "I'm a treasure hunter."
"I came here to discuss a possible cooperation with Captain Foxy."
"Treasure hunter?" someone echoed, eyebrows raised.
The crew exchanged doubtful looks.
In the world of pirates, aside from the Navy and the pirates themselves, there were always unusual third parties—bounty hunters, revolutionaries, mercenaries, and yes, even treasure hunters.
Zoro, for instance, had once been a bounty hunter before joining the Straw Hat crew. Treasure hunters, on the other hand, pursued ancient riches, legendary maps, and rare items hidden across the Grand Line. Most were lone wolves, roaming from island to island, rarely forming long-term alliances.
"Don't try to fool us!"
"Look at him! With that face and confidence, he must be here to steal our treasure!"
"Captain, don't believe a word he says!"
The crew grew agitated again, shouting over one another, convinced Bai Yu's smile masked ill intentions.
"Fufufufufu…"
Just then, Foxy's unmistakable strange laughter rang out.
"Quiet, you fools!"
Foxy raised a hand to calm his crew. The crowd gradually fell silent.
"And why, exactly, should I trust what you say?" Foxy asked, eyes narrowing.
"What's in it for me if I agree to work with you?"
"If your answer doesn't satisfy me… well, I doubt you'll be leaving here in one piece."
"Fufufufu…"
Foxy sneered again, his tone filled with menace.
"Simple," Bai Yu replied, raising his chin, a quiet confidence in his voice. "Because I'm stronger than everyone here."
Boom.
That one sentence was enough to ignite the crew's fury.
The already suspicious and irritable Foxy Pirates suddenly erupted in anger.
"You bastard!!"
"Such arrogance!"
"How dare you look down on us?!"
"Hmph! You're finished now!"
"Puff puff puff puff…"
From the back stepped a large figure—Hamburg, one of Foxy's main fighters.
He towered over the rest, his body resembling a small giant. A core member of the Foxy Pirates, Hamburg was known for his immense physical strength and blunt-force fighting style.
"Captain! Want me to squash him flat?"
Hamburg grinned as he turned to Foxy, treating the challenge as a joke.
Foxy didn't reply directly, but the glint in his eyes and the subtle nod was all Hamburg needed.
"Understood!"
Hamburg stepped forward, his heavy footfalls cracking the earth. He stopped in front of Bai Yu, looking down like a sumo wrestler about to flatten his opponent.
"Let me test your strength, tough guy."
With that, Hamburg cocked his massive right arm back and threw a punch.
Whoosh!
The force of the blow roared through the air, accompanied by the sound of splitting wind.
Every crew member held their breath in anticipation, already imagining the gory scene of Bai Yu being flattened into the ground.
But Bai Yu remained still.
As Hamburg's massive fist neared, Bai Yu raised his left arm—casually.
Five fingers spread, palm open.
He was planning to catch Hamburg's fist.
"You've got a death wish!"
Hamburg roared and added even more power to the punch, veins bulging.
In a flash, the two forces collided.
BOOM!
A thunderous shockwave exploded at the point of contact.
The ground beneath them cracked open, dust and debris flying into the air.
A thick plume of smoke engulfed the area.
"Tch tch tch… What a loudmouth."
"He must be crippled if not dead!"
"Hahaha! That's what you get for mocking the Foxy Pirates!"
The crew burst into laughter as the dust billowed.
But amidst the haze, Hamburg's expression turned grim.
He could feel it clearly—his punch hadn't connected the way he'd expected.
It hadn't crushed anything.
It had been stopped.
Suddenly, a calm voice echoed from within the smoke.
"Is this all you've got?"
A light breeze swept through the area, dispersing the smoke.
The sight revealed left the Foxy Pirates frozen in place.
Bai Yu stood exactly where he had been, completely unharmed.
The ground around him was destroyed, but his body remained untouched.
His hand was still outstretched—firmly gripping Hamburg's fist.
He hadn't even taken a single step back.
The crew's laughter stopped dead.
Even Foxy's jaw slackened.
Snap!
Bai Yu's palm flipped, gripping Hamburg's wrist.
With one smooth motion, Bai Yu yanked upward—
—and lifted Hamburg's massive body off the ground.
Boom!!
A heartbeat later, Hamburg's entire frame was smashed into the dirt with a violent crash.
The impact rattled the earth. Cracks spiderwebbed across the surface.
Pffft!
Blood gushed from Hamburg's mouth. His eyes rolled back.
The towering fighter lost consciousness instantly.
Gasps echoed around the deck.
Their strongest crewmate—downed in one move?!
"Next."
"You can all come at once. I don't like wasting time."
Bai Yu let go of Hamburg and swept his gaze across the crew.
His tone was flat, emotionless.
None of the crew dared to meet his eyes. The fire from earlier had completely vanished.
They hung their heads, cowed by the overwhelming difference in power.
Bai Yu turned toward Foxy.
Gulp...
Foxy instinctively swallowed, sweat forming on his brow.
"Slow-Slow Beam!"
With a shout, Foxy raised his palm and fired a beam of Slow-Slow light energy toward Bai Yu.
Shave! (Soru)
In a blink, Bai Yu vanished.
Foxy's eyes widened.
Before he could even react, he felt a cold sensation at his neck.
Bai Yu stood directly behind him, his fingers shaped like a blade, lightly touching Foxy's throat.
His calm voice came with terrifying clarity.
"Now… am I qualified to talk cooperation?"
Too fast.
Foxy's mind reeled.
Bai Yu had been right in front of him just a moment ago—and now, he was behind him, faster than his eyes could follow.
Foxy's knees buckled.
His entire body trembled.
"C-Cooperate! Of course we'll cooperate!" he stammered.
"I'm very interested in your proposal!"
Hearing this, Bai Yu finally nodded in satisfaction.