Chapter 14 - Joining the 'Family'

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"What do you want?"

"Straight to the point, huh.... Fine. I want to join your group."

Hearing Lepus's aim, Diamante spoke again.

"Join? Brat, do you know who we are? We're pirates! We don't have time to play with you!"

"I know surely. Besides, there's no way I would have come here without knowing informations about you guys.... Don't ask where I got the info from."

"Fufufufufu... Interesting. What makes you think you deserve to be a part of us?" Doflamingo laughed and asked again.

Hearing Doflamingo's question, Lepus only answered briefly.

".... Attack me."

"Hmm?"

Doflamingo was confused.

"Attack me."

"What did you say? Attack you?"

"Yes. Punch me, kick me, stab me, or shoot me, you can choose."

"Fufufufufu! Are you sure? Are you not afraid of death?"

Hearing that question, Lepus grinned.

"Try me."

"Fufufufufu! Very Interesting.... Alright."

Then without being ordered, one of the Donquixote Family members who was wearing a coat and putting on makeup like a jester, Corazon, moved closer and kicked Lepus.

Seeing the incoming attack, Lepus only smiled slightly and remained sitting still.

*swosh *brakk

Corazon, who kicked Lepus, actually fell down on the floor after kicking Lepus!

""""Hn!!??""""

The members of the Donquixote Family were shocked!

But what surprised them was not Corazon who suddenly attacked or him falling down, because they knew Corazon was quite hateful and rough to children and also clumsy. What surprised them was, when Corazon kicked Lepus who was just sitting still, they didn't see what was supposed to happen! Corazon's kick didn't knock or hurt Lepus in the slightest! Corazon's kick instead went pasa through Lepus's body as if he was just kicking the air or an illusion!

"What!?"

"That!?"

"Behehehe! Surprising."

"I see now.... Uhahaha!"

"Ability, huh...."

"Fufufufufu!! Interesting! Very interesting! So you're a devil fruit eater!"

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Seeing the response of the Donquixote Family members who seemed to realize what had happened, Lepus then spoke.

"Are you guys not sitting down? .... Right. I ate the Paramecia Kara-Kara no Mi. I can make my body hollow and empty like it's just an illusion. Oh, and also, this power can be active or passive. So I'm automatically hollow unless I myself don't want to. So, I'll still be fine even if I'm attacked from careless or unconscious situations. That's how it is."

After sitting down and hearing Lepus' explanation of his ability, the members of the Donquixote Family were quite surprised and wondered.

"Kara-Kara no Mi?"

"Never heard."

"I've never seen one in the encyclopedia either."

"Then it means it's a new devil fruit?"

"It seems so."

Then Doflamingo spoke in conclusion.

"Fufufufufu!! It turns out you're a quite terrifying brat! Paramecia but has a Logia-like nature that can't be harmed. No, it might be even more troublesome since your power makes it seem like you can't even be touched"

"Yeah. Like I said, this ability is automatically passive, so my body always hollow unless I don't want to. You can't touch something that isn't exist, right? With this ability, I can sleep soundly without worrying about being killed in the middle of the night."

Lepus grinned.

"I see.... Couldn't be killed but could kill. Then... why should we trust you to be a part of us?"

Doflamingo asked sharply.

"Ah~.... You guys suspect I'm a spy or something?"

"Anyone would be wary."

"I'm not a Marine, a pirate or a member of any other organization. Before coming to Spider Miles, Brisa and I were just a restaurant employees in Groundhog Town for two years. You can look for information there if you don't believe it. And before at Groundhog Town, we both live and survive on the mountain."

"Quite unusual history for a devil fruit user.... So, why do you want to join our group?"

Doflamingo now asks the reason why Lepus and Brisa want to join as their members.

"That's because... we want to be stronger."

"Stronger?"

"Yes. Over the years, we forged our bodies physically and mentally, but we lacked the techniques, skills and fighting experience. And my personal reason is… because it seems interesting."

Lepus answered with a grin.

Lepus's answer made Doflamingo laugh.

"Fufufufufu! Interesting! Very interesting! Alright, you're accepted. I hope you guys can last a long time."

After that, the dinner started. And while dinner, Lepus and Brisa got acquainted with all the members of the Donquixote Family, namely: Donquixote Doflamingo, Donquixote Rosinante or Corazon, Trebol, Diamante, Pica, Gladius, Machvise, Senor Pink, Lao G, Giolla, Buffalo, also the baby Dellinger. In addition, the two of them were also informed about Vergo, but they said he seems to be on a secret mission elsewhere.

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