Chapter 244: Reputation Mission, King's Information!
At that moment, the other crew members vanished from the merchant ship, one after another.
Najenda approached Nojiko with a calm smile.
"Come on, I'll take you aboard," she said. "Ordinary people don't just walk onto that ship whenever they feel like it."
As her voice fell, a translucent Susanoo materialized behind her. It gently picked up both Najenda and Nojiko, placing them on its massive shoulders before leaping into the sky.
Chrollo remained behind to wrap things up. They might be pirates, but that didn't mean they would just leave empty-handed out of kindness.
"You'll treat Nojiko well… right?" one of the nobles asked hesitantly, his expression complicated.
"As long as she's one of us, she'll live well. That's our promise," Machi responded, her tone cold but honest.
With that, she and Chrollo followed the others, leaving the merchant ship behind. The nobles could only watch as the Ship of Gods disappeared into the distance.
Some things… really can't be forced.
Only now did the noble finally understand a harsh truth—power meant nothing without strength. If he'd been stronger, strong enough to stand toe-to-toe with the Dragon Hunters, perhaps Nojiko wouldn't have been taken.
But that was just wishful thinking. He would likely never reach even a fraction of the power their combatants held.
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Back aboard the Ship of Gods, Nojiko gazed in awe at the vessel.
It was massive and unlike anything she'd ever seen. Sophisticated navigation systems, strange metallic runes embedded into the deck, and instruments that hummed with unknown energy made her feel like Granny Liu stepping into the Grand View Garden.
As an experienced navigator, she could tell right away—this was no ordinary ship.
Suddenly, a system prompt echoed in Ryuunosuke's mind.
[Ding! Congratulations, host. Crew member Nojiko has received an A-rank current evaluation and an SS-rank potential evaluation.]
[Reward: 20,000 Reputation Points.]
[Reputation Mission activated: "Inherit the Second Joyboy Title." Completion Reward: 100,000 Reputation Points and the Heavenly King Core.]
Ryuunosuke, who had been planning to speak to Nojiko, froze mid-step.
A-rank evaluation? That was within expectations—after all, Nojiko was originally a navigator, not a fighter. But her potential was SS-rank?
That meant that, given the right training path, she could become as powerful as Escanor or Ban—both of whom were top-tier crew members with SS-level evaluations.
That wasn't just impressive. It was insane.
But what truly stunned Ryuunosuke wasn't her power level—it was the mission that followed.
"Inherit the Second Joyboy Title."
"Heavenly King Core."
What did this mean? Was Nojiko somehow connected to Joyboy? And not just any Joyboy—the second?
It couldn't be a coincidence. He had already obtained the title of Joyboy after gaining Shirahoshi's recognition. Could it be that Nojiko was tied to the legend of Uranus—the King of Heaven?
That would mean Nojiko could play a critical role in gaining the approval of the Heavenly King!
But… wasn't Uranus supposed to be under the control of the World Government?
Ryuunosuke's mind began spinning with possibilities.
Meanwhile, Najenda approached Nojiko with a welcoming smile.
"Sister Nojiko," she said. "Let me show you around and introduce the crew."
"You already know our captain, so no need for an intro there," she added, glancing toward Ryuunosuke who was deep in thought.
"I'm Najenda, captain of the First Division—Nightraid."
She pointed at two figures sparring on the training deck. "Those two over there? That's Akahime, one of my squad members, and Kuina, one of our top combatants."
Though their bounties were infamous across the seas, formal introductions still had value. Respect needed to be earned, not assumed.
Nojiko hesitated before asking, "…Big Sister Najenda, I heard there's someone in the crew who eats people. Is that true?"
Najenda blinked. "Eats people?"
A beat passed.
"Oh! You must be talking about Chrollo, our Second Division captain."
She laughed lightly.
"But no, it's a misunderstanding. Chrollo doesn't actually eat anyone. He uses a special ability—Mind Fish. It creates the sensation of being devoured, but it doesn't cause real harm. The enemy is trapped in an illusion of being eaten alive."
Nojiko breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh… so it's a skill."
"Exactly," Najenda said. "Creepy, I know. But nothing to worry about."
After a moment, she turned serious.
"Now, let's talk about your role."
"As the first official navigator of our pirate crew, these are for you."
She handed over a leather case full of Eternal Poses and Record Pointers.
"These are our next destinations. You'll be in charge of plotting our routes."
"This one," she said, holding up a pointer that shimmered faintly, "leads to the Valley of the Gods."
Nojiko's eyes widened instantly.
"Valley of the Gods… where Rocks D. Xebec clashed with Roger and Garp?"
Najenda nodded.
"It's also where the treasure of the Rocks Pirates is rumored to lie… and perhaps even Pluton's location."
She casually handed the eternal pointers over like they were nothing.
To Nojiko, each one was worth more than a fleet of ships. Any one of them thrown into the sea would cause chaos. But the Dragon Hunters had several.
She stood frozen, overwhelmed.
"Nojiko? Is something wrong?" Najenda asked quietly. Her gaze turned sharp for a moment.
A navigator's reliability determined their place in the crew. If Nojiko faltered, Najenda wouldn't hesitate to revoke the trust she'd just given.
"…No problem!" Nojiko snapped to attention. "I-I'll do my best!"
Just as she steadied herself, a sudden burst of energy surged from her body.
Buzz!
A golden light flickered across her skin. Her spirit surged violently, reacting to the Ship of Gods itself.
Power roared into her, and Najenda immediately felt it.
"Promotion…?" she murmured, narrowing her eyes.
"Is this… the Captain's doing?"
She glanced at Ryuunosuke, who was still deep in thought, unaware of the power radiating from Nojiko.
Could it be the ship itself reacting to her potential?
Whatever the cause, Najenda quickly took charge.
"Nojiko, step away and begin consolidating that power. After that, we'll begin combat training. You need to learn to channel that energy."
"What weapons do you specialize in?"
"…Honestly?" Nojiko said with an awkward smile. "Nothing, really. I mostly rely on physical attacks… some basic knife and gun handling, but that's it."
"No big deal," Najenda replied coolly.
She reached into her weapons rack and pulled out a long, polished blade.
"Here. Take this."
She waved over Akame, who quickly jogged to their side. "Teach her basic swordsmanship. Kuina, you help too."
Kuina smirked and nodded, clearly interested in this new potential rival.
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