[Note: Since Inazuma is also an Okama, his/her gender changes frequently and is inconsistent. I am just following the author.]
Yujin felt his head spinning, as if a road roller had crushed him again and again.
All the strength in his body had been drained.
He struggled to lift his heavy eyelids.
His vision was blurry at first.
Through the haze, countless figures seemed to sway back and forth.
As his eyes slowly adjusted and the scene came into focus, he couldn't help drawing in a sharp breath.
Standing before him were more than a dozen people who looked exactly like him — yet each one was dressed completely differently.
One wore flowing ancient robes, a longsword at his waist, radiating an old, timeless aura, as if he had stepped straight out of an immortal cultivation world.
Beside him stood another "Yujin" in a crisp modern suit, gold-rimmed glasses on his nose and a briefcase in hand, looking just like a white-collar elite rushing through a bustling city.
Another version wore casual sportswear, sneakers on his feet and headphones hanging around his neck, full of energy like a young man ready to sprint onto a track at any moment.
But what truly left Yujin speechless…
Was that among this strange group of "duplicates," there was actually a female version of himself.
She had long, silky hair tied into cute twin ponytails.
She wore a pink dress, her cheeks tinted with a shy blush.
When she saw Yujin waking up, she gave a small, embarrassed wave and whispered softly,
"Hi… I'm a little soldier from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms."
Yujin's eyes widened, shock and confusion filling them.
His heart pounded wildly, an inexplicable fear rising in his chest.
He instinctively pinched his own arm.
The pain was real.
This wasn't a dream.
His lips trembled slightly as he muttered, "W-what… what is happening? D-did I… already die?"
Just as Yujin was drowning in doubt and fear, overwhelmed by the bizarre scene around him, the pitch-black sky above suddenly stirred.
He instinctively looked up.
From the darkness, a massive head slowly emerged — a face he knew all too well.
The face of Emporio Ivankov.
Ivankov's face was pale, large beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.
It was clear he had endured immense struggle.
Beside him, Inazuma was also exhausted, though firm determination shone in his eyes.
Ivankov took a deep breath.
His voice was weak, yet carried a fragile thread of hope as he spoke:
"The antidote we injected earlier… finally worked. Our bodies still ache like hell, but at least the poison is gone. But that lovesick kid… he injected far too much antidote. His body's already forming resistance. And he soaked in poison for far too long…"
Inazuma frowned deeply, his expression tense.
He gritted his teeth and whispered, "Then we can only use that, right…?"
Ivankov heard him and nodded heavily, a flash of determination passing through his eyes.
Then Ivankov clenched his fist.
"You must hold on, love-struck boy! You still need to marry your childhood sweetheart!"
His voice echoed through the strange, eerie space, filled with endless worry and hope—like a beam of light trying to pierce through the layers of fog and reach the depths of Yujin's heart.
Suddenly, Ivankov's fingers transformed into syringes.
He thrust them straight into Pirate Yujin's body!
"Emporio… Healing Hormones!!!"
A sharp hiss tore through the air.
The next second, Pirate Yujin jolted awake as if struck by lightning.
A tidal wave of crushing pain surged from every corner of his body, as if thousands of steel needles were piercing his skin, muscles, and even his bone marrow all at once!
His face twisted violently, his features contorting together.
His eyes flew wide open, bloodshot from the overwhelming agony, while thick veins bulged across his forehead like writhing worms.
The torment crashed over him again and again, wave after relentless wave, giving him no space to breathe, no chance to endure.
His body shook uncontrollably.
He rolled on the ground, unable to stop himself, each collision with the floor adding another layer of pain—yet he simply could not stop.
In the middle of this unbearable suffering, his hands flailed wildly, trying to grab onto anything that might ease the torment.
By accident, his fingers latched onto a nearby iron railing.
That instant, Yujin clung to it like a drowning man grabbing his last lifeline.
His grip tightened so hard his nails bent backward, peeling up and tearing.
Blood flowed from the tips of his fingers.
His teeth sank into the railing as well, biting down with such force that his jaw trembled.
A clear "crack" rang out as one of his teeth shattered, but he didn't even notice.
He continued biting, continued clinging, as though distracting himself with pain was the only way to stay conscious through the torture ripping his body apart.
On the ship, Ivankov, Inazuma, the okama crew members, and a few scattered prisoners watched the scene unfold.
All of them were shaken to their core.
Their eyes reddened instantly, tears overflowing uncontrollably and sliding down their cheeks.
Ivankov's lips trembled as he clenched his fists, his eyes full of heartbreak and helpless sorrow.
Inazuma turned his head away, shoulders trembling as he fought to suppress his sobs.
The okama crew leaned on one another, crying softly.
Even the usually unruly prisoners lowered their heads and wiped at their faces in silence.
They all knew—no ordinary person could endure the pain Yujin was experiencing.
Yet they could do nothing.
All they could do was pray that he would make it through this ordeal.
This entire scene also appeared before Uchiha Yujin and Marvel Yujin.
Watching "themselves" endure such unbearable agony left both of them speechless with grief.
Marvel Yujin clenched his fists in guilt.
"If I had been stronger… he—he wouldn't have had to suffer like this. It's all my fault…"
Uchiha Yujin sighed.
"This all happened so suddenly. The guards will discover Level 5.5 soon. There won't be time for you to learn the Asgardian Magic."
As the two of them blamed themselves, a voice echoed in the chat group.
"Alright, I'm still alive, aren't I?"
The moment Yujin of the pirates opened his eyes, Inazuma couldn't help but scoop him up.
At the same time, Ivankov's head appeared, but because of his gigantic afro, both Inazuma and Yujin ended up buried in his hair.
"Cough… cough… cough…"
Yujin wriggled out from Ivankov's afro and collapsed onto the deck, gasping as he stared at the deep blue sky.
"Finally… we made it out?"
Inazuma wiped away his tears.
"Not only did we escape the Impel Down, but you also survived with only one to two percent of Ivankov's healing hormones."
"I see…" Yujin struggled to his feet.
"So that's how I survived… Thank you, both of you."
Ivankov stepped forward and handed Yujin a face cleanser.
Instantly, Yujin's nostrils were filled with an overwhelming masculine scent, but he didn't push Ivankov away.
If it weren't for these people from the Kingdom of Okama, he wouldn't have made it out alive.
"By the way…"
After a long pause, Yujin looked around at the crowd.
"Where's Redfield? Wasn't he supposed to be on our ship? That guy… he's way too reclusive!"
As he spoke, Yujin suddenly noticed the strange expressions on Ivankov and Inazuma's faces.
"Really?" He sank back onto the ground, his expression full of disappointment.
A long moment passed before he finally looked up again.
"When I've mastered my skills and return, I'll make sure he sails the seas again!"
****
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