Chapter 31: The Island of Adult Content

"Gwahahaha! You really know how to hold your liquor, kid!"

"Hahahaha! You’re kidding! I’m an absolute pro!"

Having his first drink since crossing over into this world, Loa slammed his hand on the table and downed his glass in one go.

Alcohol? A mere trifle. I’ll just neutralize it with the iron-tough body I’ve honed through countless hardships!

With their private alliance settled, the atmosphere of the banquet turned genuinely jovial. Truth be told, the two shared a surprising amount of common ground. While Kaido didn't possess Loa’s sunny, cheerful disposition—which treated everyone else in the world like mere NPCs—he was nonetheless a hot-blooded, lively, social-Darwinist kind of guy. Plus, a little alcohol always made his emotions run wild.

Coupled with their shared history in the Rocks Pirates, the conversation flowed naturally and boisterously. They reminisced about the glory days on Hachinosu, and as they talked, Kaido went from laughing to crying, becoming incredibly sentimental.

Bullet, stuffing his face, looked up at Loa and Kaido, who were now drinking like brothers.

*So strong!*

Whether it was Lord Loa or this guy called Kaido, they were both powerhouses far beyond his reach!

Having witnessed their clash just a moment ago, Bullet felt a surge of anxiety. It was the frustration of being so weak, unable to help the master he followed or stand against the enemies he faced.

*Get stronger!*

*I must become stronger!*

Bullet sped up his eating. Unlike Lord Loa, food was the very source of his own growth!

Dillon, meanwhile, ate quietly and calmly, neither fast nor slow, showing no particular reaction. He only needed to follow silently behind his master, just as he had always done. It was an absolute certainty, a destiny written in the stars, that Lord Loa would lead him to the pinnacle of the seas.

As they chatted, Loa suddenly asked, "By the way, Brother Kaido, do you happen to know the whereabouts of Aunt Stussy?"

"Stussy?" Kaido looked slightly surprised. "What do you want with that woman?"

Back in the Rocks Pirates, she was one of the only two executives who had treated Loa with cold indifference. Kaido suddenly considered a possibility, and his eyes took on a strange look as he gazed at Loa. "That woman runs the pleasure industry in the New World now. Don't tell me, kid..."

"What kind of dirty talk are you spouting to a pure-hearted youth, Brother Kaido? Do you want to get arrested by the Marines for corrupting a minor?" Loa said indignantly.

"A pure-hearted youth?" Kaido’s mouth twitched.

"Anyway, I just need to find Aunt Stussy to ask for directions," Loa explained.

The Vinsmoke family had no sovereign territory and wandered the seas, so confirming Jajji’s location wasn't easy. Loa’s intelligence-gathering capabilities were basically zero, and Kaido—whose subordinates were all a bunch of useless bums—wasn't much better. Therefore, he needed someone with exceptional information networks.

For instance, Aunt Stussy. Or rather, the artificial human, Stussy.

"Whatever you say."

Kaido didn't press the matter and told Loa where to find her.

Not long after, a massive Azure Dragon spiraled into the sky, clutching flame clouds. Loa stood on the deck, waving at his departing "brother." "Take care of yourself, Brother Kaido! Call me if anything comes up!"

"You’re not getting any younger. While you’re busy with your career, don’t forget to settle your love life. If you can’t look after your kid, I can help! I’m still waiting to hold my big niece!"

Kaido, in the distance, couldn't help but look back at the babbling Loa. *Crazy.*

"Lord Loa," Dillon’s voice came from behind as he watched Kaido disappear. "Is Kaido really worth trusting?"

"Doesn't matter," Loa shrugged, indifferent. "Since when do pirates talk about trust? Having shared interests is enough."

At the very least, they had an unbreakable foundation for cooperation when it came to overthrowing the World Government. Besides, there wouldn't be many opportunities for them to work together in the short term, as the current New World wasn't their stage.

"Anyway, let’s set sail," Loa stretched, yawning. "Time to find Aunt Stussy."

With no black mist to feed on, he felt sleepy. Dreams were the best way to curb the cravings.

"Yes." Dillon nodded.

"Lord Loa!" Bullet suddenly spoke up.

"What is it, Bullet?" Loa looked back.

The young Bullet looked solemn. "Only after seeing your power did I realize how small I am. I want to become stronger! Please, guide me in my training!"

*Guide him?*

*Ah...*

*That sounds so boring. I’d rather sleep.*

Loa’s eyes darted around.

"True power is forged in the heat of battle," Loa said with a straight face, despite having grown strong purely by eating. "So, Bullet, go have some fun with them."

With a snap of his fingers, his shadow-servants, swaying like zombies, shambled out of the cabin. Their empty—or perhaps devoid of any soul—pitch-black eyes locked onto Bullet.

"I see!" Bullet thought this was the secret to Lord Loa’s strength. Even though he had never seen Loa fight a real battle in the last six years, how could Lord Loa be wrong?

The boy clenched his fists. "I understand, Lord Loa! Tell them to attack with everything they’ve got!"

Having not yet faced the crushing setbacks of the world, this Bullet was much more "normal" than the one in the original story—capable of burning with passion and excitement.

"Have fun."

Loa waved a hand, and the servants lunged at Bullet instantly.

Bullet was immediately thrown into a bitter struggle. Loa had specifically hand-picked the servants who could use Haki; otherwise, they wouldn't have posed a threat at all. These were the elite among his shadow-servants; none had a bounty below 100 million, and some exceeded 300 million.

Bullet’s dual-color Haki had only just awakened, and he was still a complete novice. He wasn't using his Devil Fruit powers yet, so naturally, he couldn't secure a quick victory against such a group.

Still, he was already quite impressive.

But he was still far, far away from the top!

Loa lounged comfortably on his recliner, watching Bullet fight. *As I thought, that claim in the movie about a fifteen-year-old Bullet fighting Rayleigh to a draw was just Buggy-tier boasting.*

*If he were only weaker than Roger and equal to Rayleigh, where does that leave Gaban? If he were really that strong, would he have fought to a draw with Crocodile after leaving the Roger Pirates? And if it took him twenty years of training to reach the level of a Yonko after awakening... isn't peak Rayleigh already at the Yonko level?*

*Sigh, what is wrong with this society? Why is everyone so restless? Can't they just be grounded? It must be the system's fault. Imu, you really need to repent!*

Shortly after.

New World, Velvet, Night.

The island wasn't large, nor did it have many resources, but a massive number of ships were docked at its piers, simply because the island housed a very unique town.

Loa wore a pair of oversized toad-eye sunglasses, leading Bullet and Dillon as they strutted through the city streets.

The streets were lined with windows of all sizes. Looking at the scantily clad women inside, Loa couldn't help but sigh repeatedly. "This is far too inappropriate for children. I must collect evidence so I can report this to the Marines."

"This one is too small, doesn't seem right. Oh! This one is a bit too big. Human potential—truly breathtaking!"

"Long-leg tribe? A bit too ugly—wait? Impressive, they have that kind of style too?"

"Mink-tribe cat-girls? Fluffy isn't bad."

"Merfolk too? Exaggerated! They haven't even split their legs yet!"

"Hey, an octopus fish-man? That’s going too far, isn't it? Human fetishes are truly not to be underestimated!"

"What? There’s a Giantess too? Incredible! The courage to forge a path in the wilderness is truly a hymn to humanity!"

After one lap, Loa had exhausted all the surprise he hadn't felt in six years.

*You’ve got something going here, Aunt Stussy.*

After stopping and starting to "collect evidence," the trio finally arrived before a brightly lit, high-rise building.

On the balconies of each floor, the scantily clad, pitiful ladies were showing the passersby just how destitute they were. This drove the men below into a frenzy of righteous indignation, pushing their way into the building.

"Crimson Nightless City. Lord Loa, Stussy should be inside."

Dillon was his usual calm self. He only had the dream of following Lord Loa to the pinnacle of the seas; he had no interest in such trivial desires.

"Let’s go!"

Loa’s eyes turned resolute. "I’m going to see exactly what’s going on here!"