Meanwhile...
In the southwestern sea of the East Blue, roughly 1,157 kilometers from the Kingdom of Rum, lay Red Maple Island.
A newly-formed pirate crew had just landed on the small island, wreaking havoc by burning, killing, and looting.
"Kill them all!" the towering pirate captain laughed maniacally.
Skunk, his face darkened with frustration, kicked over a basket of fruit. "Boss Bear, this village is dirt poor. There's nothing of value here."
As the apples rolled across the ground, Bear also frowned in disappointment. But his gaze suddenly locked onto one peculiar apple, unlike the others.
Pushing Skunk aside, Bear hastily grabbed the apple. As he stared at its silver-gray vine-like patterns, his hands trembled. "Could this be… the legendary treasure of the sea? A Devil Fruit?"
Skunk, picking himself up cautiously, whispered, "Boss, you think it's safe? What if it's poisoned?"
But Bear ignored him entirely. Without hesitation, he bit into the fruit. The indescribable, foul taste spread through his mouth, yet a crazed smile bloomed across his face. "Hahaha… it really is the sea's treasure!"
After consuming the fruit, Bear turned his cruel gaze to the trembling villagers. A sinister grin spread across his face.
The next moment, Bear's body transformed into steel. With one punch, he smashed a villager's head into pieces.
"Hahahaha! I love this power!"
Driven by his newfound abilities, Bear slaughtered the remaining two hundred villagers, using them as test subjects for his powers.
When they left, Red Maple Island was nothing but ruins, littered with corpses. The Poker Pirates sailed off into the distance.
________________________________________
The next day...
In the Rum Kingdom, the intelligence organization known as the Distillery received the news of Red Maple Town's massacre from the East Blue Times. Initially, the head of the Distillery didn't pay much attention to the story. But when the bounty poster for the Poker Pirates was released, news of Bear's acquisition of the Steel Fruit spread quickly, even being confirmed by the Navy.
As Noah listened to Mary's report, his fingers drummed lightly on the desk. "So the Steel Fruit has already been eaten, has it? No matter. Where are they now?"
"The Distillery spotted the Poker Pirates on Alidu Island. They made a secret supply stop at the port last night and left the area quickly."
"Send Lilith and Ari after them. I want Bear alive. As for the rest of the crew—leave none behind."
"Understood."
Soon after, Lilith received the order on Sixis Island.
Ari quickly transported Lilith to Alidu Island. Using it as a base, they began searching the surrounding waters in all directions. With Lilith's ability to fly swiftly and Ari's wormhole jumps, it didn't take long for them to track down the Poker Pirates.
Although Bear was naturally violent, one of his crewmates, Skunk, was more of a strategist. Knowing that massacring a town would attract the attention of both the Navy and powerful bounty hunters, Skunk had devised a plan. They secretly resupplied at Alidu Island before swiftly heading for a hidden, uninhabited island they'd prepared earlier.
Unfortunately for them, their ship was far too slow.
Lilith and Ari found them in no time.
"Lilith, any witnesses or News Coo around?" Ari asked.
"None."
"Good. Let's pay them a visit."
In the blink of an eye, Lilith descended lightly onto the deck of the Bear, with Ari following behind, emerging from a wormhole at her back.
Both were dressed in white suits and wore masks.
The lookout, a clownish pirate, spotted them first and immediately leaped down from the mast. "Who the hell are you?"
"You must be the Poker Pirates' clown, right?"
In the next second, Ari appeared behind him, thrusting a finger directly into the pirate's spine.
Thud! The clown felt his backbone snap, his body going limp as he screamed in terror, "Boss Bear! Help me!"
Boom! A hulking figure, his body radiating intense heat, crashed onto the deck where Ari had been standing. But Ari, having already sensed him with Observation Haki, used a wormhole to appear atop the mast.
Bear stared down at the clown writhing in pain, his face contorted with rage. His body heated up even more as he snarled, "I don't care who you are! Today, you're all dead!"
His declaration was met by a poisoned needle from Lilith.
"Aaaaah!"
A group of pirates collapsed instantly.
"Die, woman!" Bear roared, his superheated iron fist smashing down toward Lilith.
But Lilith, her hands coated in Armament Haki, smoothly dodged his blow with a graceful Kami-e technique. Her hands moved like serpents, striking with lightning speed.
In a flash, Lilith's fists connected with Bear's lower back and the back of his head.
Bear's brain rattled, and his body staggered forward uncontrollably.
In the next moment, Lilith unleashed three powerful kicks, driving Bear off the ship and into the sea below.
Bear, just recovering from the disorienting blow, immediately felt his strength drain as seawater flooded his mouth. His body began to sink.
"Ari, fetch Bear from the water."
"Leave it to me."
As Ari jumped into action, Lilith's cold gaze shifted to the remaining pirates. In an instant, her short sword, coated in Armament Haki, severed Skunk's arm as he tried to ambush her. A follow-up Finger Gun pierced his forehead, ending him instantly.
Lilith somersaulted backward, her legs slicing through the air, unleashing a barrage of sharp air blades.
"Secret Technique: Meat Grinder!"
In mere moments, the deck was covered in severed limbs and pools of blood.
A lone pirate, who had been hiding behind a crate, watched in horror, his bladder giving way. "Monsters! I-I want to go home!"
With a scream, he jumped into the sea, hoping to escape.
But Lilith showed no mercy. A single poisoned needle shot from her hand, striking the pirate's back before he could even hit the water.
The powerful cardiotoxin took hold instantly, paralyzing him as seawater filled his lungs, drowning him on the spot.
The pirates hiding below deck didn't fare any better. Under Lilith's Observation Haki, there was no place for them to hide.
With the final pirate beheaded, Ari pulled Bear from the sea and Lilith injected him with a paralyzing toxin for good measure.
The two returned to the Kingdom of Rum through a wormhole.
As for the Bear ship, it exploded in flames before sinking to the ocean floor.
________________________________________
In the secret base of the Rum Kingdom...
Noah looked down at Bear, who now lay at his feet like a lifeless dog. There was no trace of pity in his eyes as he instructed Ari to open a wormhole to assist him in cutting out Bear's prefrontal cortex.
Noah then pulled out a deck of Tarot cards, letting them choose the most appropriate card.
Soon, a Minor Arcana card appeared in Noah's hand.
[King of Wands]
"King, huh? Steel symbolizes strength, and heat represents passion…"
The fusion ritual was completed, and the card transformed into [King of Wands: Bear].
Noah carefully stored the card alongside two others he had previously created: [Page of Wands: Brian] and [Demon: Pan Barton].
Now, Noah possessed three card apostles, each granting him the powers of a Devil Fruit.