Now, Pedro was completely convinced by Joy Boy, and deeply impressed by him as well.
Excitement filled his eyes as he shouted, "This is incredible! With Zunesha helping us, there's no reason to fear the Celestial Dragons! No matter what, he's still only human!"
However, Joy Boy immediately shattered his optimism.
"No, Pedro. Zunesha's power alone is nowhere near enough to defeat the Celestial Dragons. The strength possessed by humans is far greater than you imagine, especially monsters like the Celestial Dragons."
Sicilian frowned slightly after hearing those words.
"Are the Celestial Dragons really as powerful as you claim? Zunesha is over 35,000 meters tall. Even Giants are no different from insects in front of it. You're exaggerating."
Joy Boy slowly shook his head.
"Power is not measured by size alone. Leaving aside whether Zunesha's attacks could even land on the Celestial Dragons, even if they did, it still wouldn't be enough to kill them."
The surrounding Mink Tribe members stared at him in disbelief.
The first half of his explanation made some sense to them. Zunesha's body was simply too massive, and its attacks could indeed be difficult to connect with against agile opponents.
But the latter half was absurd.
Not enough to kill them?
An attack from the Elephant Lord was practically the same as being smashed by an entire mountain. What kind of creature could survive something like that without being reduced to pulp?
Could it be that the Celestial Dragons' bodies were not flesh and blood at all, but forged from Sea Prism Stone?
Wanda, carrying the still unconscious Carrot in her arms, stepped forward and spoke coldly.
"If things are truly as you say, then the Celestial Dragons are monsters beyond the reach of ordinary people. If you want to oppose them so badly, then go do it yourself. Don't drag the entire Mink Tribe into your madness."
Joy Boy raised an eyebrow.
At that moment, he genuinely felt that knocking out only Carrot with Conqueror's Haki earlier had been a mistake. He should have dealt with Wanda as well.
Sure enough, after Wanda spoke, many members of the Mink Tribe began exchanging uneasy glances. Their expressions toward Joy Boy also became noticeably more cautious.
Naturally, Joy Boy would not allow the atmosphere to continue shifting against him.
"You misunderstand," he said flatly. "I never intended to rely on Zunesha to defeat the Celestial Dragons. The one capable of defeating them is me."
"You?"
Wanda sneered openly.
"That's hard to believe. If you were truly capable of defeating them, would you have ended up fleeing here after being beaten so badly?"
Joy Boy's expression darkened instantly.
Suppressing the anger rising within him, he replied in a low voice, "I already told you. At that time, I had not fully adapted to this body yet. My strength could not be completely unleashed. Eight hundred years ago..."
"Enough with your stories about eight hundred years ago!"
Wanda interrupted him without hesitation.
"No one knows what really happened back then. What I do know is that our tribe has lived peacefully until now, and there's absolutely no reason for us to become enemies with monsters like the Celestial Dragons just because of someone with unknown origins like you. Give up on this ridiculous idea."
Whoosh!
Joy Boy's fury finally surged.
The white flames burning atop his head expanded violently, while the cloud-like streamers behind him whipped through the air like living entities, releasing waves of pale light.
Wanda instinctively took a step back. She raised the blade in her hand and pointed it directly at Joy Boy.
"So you finally stopped pretending, huh? That's right, a pirate will always be a pirate. Talking about freedom while bringing disaster everywhere you go, it's disgusting."
It was obvious that Wanda held considerable influence within the Mink Tribe, especially among the female Minks.
Several women, along with a handful of gentle-natured male Minks, quickly gathered behind her. Their gazes toward Joy Boy became openly hostile.
Before Joy Boy could respond, Pedro suddenly stepped forward with the Musketeers at his side, placing themselves between both groups.
Crackle!
Silver lightning burst from the bodies of the Minks.
Countless streams of Electro intertwined through the air, releasing sharp sparks and violent static.
Pedro glared furiously at Wanda and shouted, "Wanda! Didn't you see Zunesha's reaction earlier? Joy Boy is recognized by Zunesha itself! That alone is enough reason for us to trust and respect him!"
Even after Pedro invoked Zunesha, Wanda still refused to retreat.
"This concerns the survival of our entire race!" she shouted back. "With all due respect, Pedro, your hatred has clouded your judgment!"
"I won't stop you from seeking revenge against the Celestial Dragons. But if the price is the lives of all our people, then I will never agree to it!"
"You...!"
Sicilian looked back and forth between both sides, his face filled with hesitation.
The situation was already on the verge of exploding, yet he still could not decide who he should support.
At that moment, Joy Boy suddenly spoke.
"That's enough. Everyone, settle down."
However, Wanda showed him no respect whatsoever. By now, her disgust toward Joy Boy had become impossible to hide.
"Aren't you the reason all of this started in the first place? If you really want peace, then leave Zou immediately. The Mink Tribe has no place for someone like you."
This time, Joy Boy did not lash out at her provocation.
Instead, he answered indifferently, "Whether you welcome me or not is not your decision to make. You do not represent the entire Mink Tribe. Besides, this land exists on Zunesha's back. To put it bluntly, if Zunesha had to choose between you and me, it would choose me without hesitation."
Wanda's expression stiffened.
Having witnessed Zunesha's reaction earlier, she found herself unable to refute his words.
Joy Boy continued calmly.
"And do you truly believe you can continue living peacefully atop Zou forever?"
"Let me tell you something. Ever since the Celestial Dragons took control of the Navy, military forces have been rapidly deployed across countless nations. As for independent countries, the World Government has already begun using violence to force them into submission."
"Wano Country, not far from here, is the perfect example."
Wanda narrowed her eyes.
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
"My point is simple," Joy Boy replied. "At the Navy's current rate of expansion, it's only a matter of time before Zou is discovered."
"When that happens, the Mokomo Dukedom will be exposed to the world."
"The Mink Tribe are natural-born warriors. The World Government would never tolerate a race like yours remaining independent and uncontrolled."
"And in the eyes of the Celestial Dragons, Minks are considered exceptionally valuable slaves."
"Think carefully about what that means."
Wanda's expression darkened slightly, but she still refused to yield.
"You don't need to scare me with empty threats. Even if Zou is discovered, so what?"
"As far as I know, Fish-Man Island became affiliated with the World Government long ago, yet the Fish-Men and Merfolk there continue living peacefully."
"Queen Otohime herself even publicly thanked the Navy in the newspapers for protecting her people."
"..."
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