Chapter 43: Sub-Account
It had been a couple of hours since the Straw Hat crew left Little Garden after assessing the giants' newfound power.
According to Zala and Kuina's sparring test data, each giant alone had enough strength to crush the whole world.
When the two fused, even Zala and Kuina had to take them seriously—just as an Admiral would take a Vice Admiral seriously.
That explained how utterly powerful the ability bestowed upon them by Luffy was.
Their overwhelming display of strength filled Luffy with an intense desire to see what would happen next.
How would the script unfold?
How would the world and its people adapt once reality pushed past their perception?
When logic itself was redefined?
Disbelief? Fear? Ambition? Regression or advancement?
Luffy's heart raced with excitement and curiosity.
It would definitely be fun to watch.
These little shifts always seemed to lessen his boredom, filling him with human desires and emotions.
Because he could feel it—each time he grew stronger, he grew further and further from being identified as human.
This despair of losing one's identity, even if he told himself it wasn't a big deal, still plagued his teenage mind with abnormal ideas that even his will couldn't suppress.
He couldn't stop himself from becoming a god. But he didn't know if the god born would still be him.
He could only make his last days as a human as "humane" as possible—full of humanity's malice, desire, selfishness, and lust for conquest.
"Ah… this identity is a pain in the ass. I guess a sub-account is needed."
"Sanju, are the goldfish snacks not cooked yet?!!"
Nami complained as she lounged on the railing, enjoying the sea breeze, though restless. Her right eye was closed—she was connected to the virtual space.
Baphomet sailed calmly, with Nami lazily swiping her hand every so often, crushing abnormal weather patterns like swatting flies.
Nojiko, sitting not far from her with closed eyes, frowned.
"Can you shut up? I'm rehearsing a role, and your nagging is making it hard to concentrate…"
Nearby, the small girl Marianne whispered to Mikita, both sneaking glances at the lazy-looking Luffy in hope.
Vivi, who had been lost in thought for a long while, seemed unable to contain her curiosity any longer. She asked hesitantly,
"Luffy-sama… before, you only wanted a reason to give those two giants the 'LOGIN'. Why? Isn't such a thing very precious? What will happen if the whole world learns of it?"
Luffy didn't bother to look at her, thickening the air with embarrassment.
The other girls smirked at Vivi's reddening cheeks as she flushed with shame.
Robin chuckled softly.
"Vivi, you really are innocent and cute. Who told you that the reason the captain gave it to them wasn't precisely so the whole world would know?"
Vivi shook her head, aghast.
"Impossible… why would he do that? What if someone with bad intentions gained invincible power? Isn't that self-defeating?"
Luffy laughed lazily.
"Wouldn't that be even more interesting?"
"Huh?"
Vivi tilted her head in confusion.
Zala yawned.
"I said, little princess—are you an idiot?"
Vivi's face darkened.
Kuina smacked Zala's head, silencing her before speaking gently.
"Vivi-chan, how much stronger are you now?"
Vivi fell silent, then cautiously replied,
"After I awakened my Conceptual Armament, Queen's Domain, my body, soul, and mind upgraded to terrifying levels. I don't know how strong I am exactly, but the giants as they were before wouldn't be a big deal. I could easily defeat them…"
Kuina smiled faintly.
"Well, those two giants could conquer the world alone—and yet you could easily defeat them. How does that feel?"
Vivi's expression turned pale, shocked—and fearful.
Yes, she was strong. If she took the Red Line itself as her Queen's Domain, she could sink the entire planet with little effort.
Yasha chuckled.
"The captain messed up. He was always cautious when it came to upgrades, but somehow this one slipped out of hand. Now the whole world looks fragile as paper before us—let alone the captain, who's like a god walking the earth."
Kaya looked at Luffy with worry.
"The captain must be tortured by boredom… I think I understand why he started such a crazy plan."
Nami and Nojiko exchanged looks, confirming unspoken thoughts.
"No wonder the captain's been getting crazier lately… but why do I feel excited about it?"
Vivi interrupted nervously.
"Wait—what plan?"
All the girls except Mikita and Marianne, who had absurdly high IQs, gave Vivi a pitiful look.
Robin murmured cruelly at her side,
"World Power Reshuffle…"
Vivi and the other non-crew members gaped in shock, fear gnawing at their spines.
Zala laughed heartily.
"Although it's unkind and a lot of people will die, I believe the captain has a plan for everything. Things won't spiral beyond his control. After all, boredom alone isn't enough to shake his mind—I always feel the captain has a deeper purpose."
Robin nodded in agreement.
"Yes. We just don't share his perspective. All we can do is guess based on scraps of intel."
Nami snorted.
"Who cares? As long as it's the captain's order, I wouldn't blink to throw the whole world into eternal darkness if it means lessening his madness."
Luffy laughed from the side.
"Why do you suddenly sound like villains? That's not your role. Your role is to play the heroes—shining with justice and righteousness."
He grinned darkly.
"Leave villainy to professionals. You little girls should just enjoy yourselves. When the time comes, we'll play our roles and harvest fame and reputation…"
The girls stared at their increasingly sinister captain with exasperation.
Nojiko smirked.
"Roles? I love playing roles. But Captain, you really do look like a villain—the mastermind-behind-the-scenes type. So cool! I want a similar script… I'll talk to my manager later."
Vivi trembled.
Even with her intelligence, she could read between the lines.
She wasn't sure if knowing about such a world-shaking conspiracy was bad—or worse.
The girls giggled at her terrified face, even Mikita and Marianne amused by her nosy attitude.
Why care about the world's fate? They were living well here. All that mattered was following Luffy-sama and enjoying prosperity.
Just then, Sanju arrived, carrying a mountain of plates.
"Don't scare Vivi. Come and try the Island Eater full-course menu. I've cooked it every way imaginable—you'll never tire of the taste."
Everyone moved at once. As always, Sanju's cooking was godly.
Even Luffy, less and less human by the day, ate with gusto.
Finally, Luffy decided to comfort Vivi.
"You don't need to worry, Vivi-chan. Now you're also a Ruler-class powerhouse. If the world collapses, you just need to use your strength to stabilize it… Or what, even with such power, would you rather laze around on your throne, crying 'justice' while doing nothing?"
Vivi paled.
Yes, she'd been acting righteous as if she were powerless. Wasn't that hypocrisy?
No wonder the girls laughed at her.
Who exactly was she performing for?
It was like how even IMU felt a chill at Edward's last words—"One Piece is real…"
Bullshit. To such top-of-the-pyramid powerhouses, the cries of ants meant nothing.
Luffy looked at the girls, even the non-crew members.
"Next, you'll have to explore widely in the virtual world. Gain experience, grow stronger, and most importantly—stop thinking like weaklings."
Vivi blushed with shame, tears glistening in her eyes.
Marianne and Mikita nodded fiercely.
At last, Luffy granted Marianne a LOGIN. After her World Trait was absorbed, her Ability manifested as Emotion Manipulator—a fearsome and buggy power.
Watching the girls retreat to their rooms—so enthralled by this "other world" they didn't even think to pester him for sex—Luffy knew they were hooked.
It was time to begin the second act.
—VILLAINS MAKE THEIR APPEARANCE—