Chapter 242He neither gave her anything to eat, nor clearly captured or drove her away as an enemy.What was this supposed to be?Some new type of torture specifically designed for her?Like starving her to death through temptation?Perona's throat rolled uncontrollably once more as she stared at the enticing barbecue, her inner self locked in a fierce battle.At worst, at worst, I just won't eat!"I'll just leave, alright!"Perona said indignantly, trying to reclaim some of her dignity as the Ghost Princess.But she realized it too late.Luffy's operation of teasing her with food was all to pave the way for the formal invitation that was to follow."Back when I invited Vivi to join the ship..."Luffy remembered Vivi's look of absolute refusal, how she had almost bitten her tongue to commit suicide.This Perona in front of him also seemed like someone with her own convictions; if he invited her directly, it would likely turn into another tug-of-war.To some extent, wanting Perona to join the ship felt like poaching from Moriah.So, a flash of inspiration hit him, and he came up with a genius idea.First, let her experience the downsides of not following him, and then let her experience the benefits of following him. That way, the success rate should be much higher, right?Perona made up her mind, preparing to endure the hunger and temptation."If I don't eat, I don't eat!"She stood up, ready to leave this place of sorrow, when she suddenly felt a tightening around her waist.Looking down, she saw that Luffy's Rubber arm had extended at some point, wrapping around her waist like a flexible rope."Waaaaah! What are you doing?! Don't eat me! It's so scary, Kumacy! Lord Moriah, help!"Perona was so terrified that tears instantly burst out, and her newly built resolve collapsed in a second.She watched Luffy walk over, holding several unusually tough vines in his hand, and her mind instantly flashed with countless terrifying legends of Cannibals from storybooks.Could the Straw Hat boy really be so crazy with hunger that he planned to treat her as emergency food supply too?!"Don't scream," Luffy said, pinching Perona's mouth shut.Vivi had indeed taught him many useful things; sometimes, one needed to be a bit tougher.Perona didn't dare to scream anymore.She watched as Luffy skillfully tied her hands and feet with the vines, then placed her like a decoration at a spot not too close yet not too far from the fire—just close enough to clearly smell the aroma."Hey! Straw Hat! What exactly do you want?! If you're going to kill me, just get it over with!" Perona cried out.This kind of inexplicable 'neglect play' was the most agonizing; it caused her far more fear and anxiety than being told directly that she would be eaten or handed over to the Marine.The unknown was the greatest source of terror.Luffy saw that the timing was about right, and that giant wild boar was almost completely devoured by him. Only then did he leisurely tear off a piece of snake meat and squat in front of Perona.He dangled the meat, which was emitting a deadly aroma, in front of her eyes."Want to eat?" Luffy asked.The aroma wafted directly into Perona's nostrils.Beside them, Nika watched Luffy's actions with a strange look in his eyes.What kind of negotiation technique was this?Did he really think everyone was a hopeless foodie like him?No matter how hungry someone was, it was impossible to yield for just a piece of meat, right?Then, Nika heard the sound of someone gulping."This is the prime cut, the most delicious part of the snake meat," Luffy said, gulping himself.Perona's eyes didn't even blink; her throat rolled violently up and down, the sound of her swallowing saliva clearly audible in the quiet forest."I, I..."Perona struggled internally. Her last bit of tsundere pride made her difficultly look away as she humped, "I don't want to eat it at all!""Alright then."Luffy wasn't in a hurry either and simply responded.He stood up and went back to the fire to eat; he had been unable to hold back for a long time.He even intentionally made satisfied chewing sounds.Perona's heart was wailing.Her original thought was that no matter how big Luffy's stomach was, there would eventually be a time when he couldn't eat anymore. At that point, there would surely be some leftovers, right?As long as it was meat, it would do!The result?That strange Tanuki looked like it had already had its fill and was dozing off, but Luffy himself had actually finished off the entire giant python at an incredible speed!Afterward, a wild bull came along, and as expected, it also became a guest on the grill.Now, even this huge wild bull was about to be completely finished by him!What exactly was his stomach made of?Was it connected to another dimension?!Seeing the last piece of meat in Luffy's hand about to go into his stomach, the hunger and the desire for delicious food finally completely shattered Perona's psychological defense."I want to eat!"She almost cried out with a shout, her voice filled with humiliation.Chapter 326: I Joined a Four Emperors' Crew?A "just as planned" smile appeared on Luffy's face.He knew that on this sea, no one could truly refuse the temptation of delicious food!Especially when in a state of extreme hunger.This was all based on his own experience.Holding the fragrant piece of meat, he squatted in front of Perona again and said, "I have one condition."Perona immediately became alert. "What do you want to do? I'm warning you, I will never betray Lord Moriah!"She subconsciously assumed Luffy wanted to get secrets about Moriah or Thriller Bark from her.Luffy curled his lip. "That guy Moriah was defeated by me a long time ago."Moriah hadn't posed much difficulty at all, other than letting him test out the power gained from entering his Shadow Form.Although she'd had a premonition, hearing the news confirmed by Luffy's own mouth made Perona's eyes instantly dim, revealing a hint of sadness.After all, Moriah was the one who had taken her in and given her a place to belong."Then what do you want?" Perona couldn't help but ask."Join my crew," Luffy said with a grin."Join... the crew?"Perona was stunned for a moment, not reacting right away. Then, a faint blush inexplicably crept onto her cheeks, and she asked uncertainly and stutteringly, "Is it... is it *that* kind of joining?"Some not-so-wholesome associations from shoujo manga instantly flashed through her mind.Luffy's face was full of black lines; why did this scene give him such a strong sense of déjà vu, as if he had seen it somewhere before?Right, it was Uta!Uta: "???""Nonsense! Of course it's as a partner, joining my crew to be a pirate. What other kind of joining could it be?"Perona's face turned even redder, half from embarrassment and annoyance, and half from feeling that her thought just now was a bit stupid.She huffed and turned her head away, trying to maintain her final bit of pride. "Impossible! I won't agree to it!"Even though Lord Moriah had been defeated, she, the Ghost Princess, still had a backbone!How could she easily join the enemy's ranks?It was indeed common for pirates to invite each other's crew members, but that was usually built on mutual respect or the defeated party being won over. She felt that between her and Luffy, there was only one-sided beating and intimidation!"Then just keep staying here."Luffy didn't try to persuade her further. He stood up directly, making a move as if to return to the fire.It was a stance that said, 'If you don't agree, I'll just keep eating in front of you.'Luffy wasn't in a hurry; he wanted to keep eating anyway.But Perona was in a hurry!Watching Luffy's back as he turned away without hesitation, her psychological defense crumbled a bit more.The meat, the meat was going to be gone!"Wait, wait a minute!"Perona called him back, her tone softening with a hint of hesitation. "Why have you taken an interest in me?"She really couldn't figure out what this monster who defeated Lord Moriah saw in her, other than her ability to release Negative Hollows and scare people.Did he want her to use her abilities to deal with his enemies?That would be too vicious!"No reason, you just look alright to me."Luffy counted on his fingers; when he set out to sea, he thought he needed to find ten crewmates, and now with Nika and Merry, it seemed he had already exceeded it.But it didn't matter!"I thought you were pretty interesting, so I invited you," Luffy said with a grin.That was the truth.Those ghosts looked pretty interesting.Perona was left dumbfounded.What kind of reason was that?It was way too casual!It was even more casual than when Lord Moriahtook her in because he felt she had the potential to be a Weirdo!She was only a few years old back then; how could anyone tell?Her face was full of hesitation, her heart struggling.If she refused, she might really starve to death in this godforsaken place or be eaten by wild beasts.If she agreed, it didn't seem completely unacceptable?At least this Captain was ridiculously strong; following him, she probably wouldn't go hungry.And although he seemed thick-headed, he didn't seem like a bad person?She stole a glance at Nika, who was burping nearby; even a strange creature like that could become a partner."Then can I make one condition?"Perona lowered her head and asked in a voice barely a whisper, "Are you willing to help me build a Dream Kingdom?"She had mentioned this wish to Lord Moriah many times, but every time she was brushed off by Moriah with empty promises."Dream Kingdom?"Luffy looked confused. "Like something from fairy tale books?"
