"Follow you, and I'll live?" Kuro was stunned.
He understood the weight of those words.
He didn't fully grasp what following Mike entailed, but at the very least, he would survive.
Unlike other pirates who would be escorted to prison, living a life of endless darkness before ultimately facing execution.
Complex emotions surged within Kuro.
Only by living could he have everything.
This was an opportunity he had to seize!
Taking a deep breath, his gaze hardened.
Then, he lowered himself, his knees touching the ground as he knelt before Mike and said in a low voice.
"Captain Mike, I want to live."
Those few short words carried both submission and a desperate desire to survive.
"Good." Mike smiled with a hint of satisfaction in his expression.
He liked intelligent people—conversations with them were straightforward and effortless.
But surface-level loyalty wasn't enough.
What he needed was complete devotion, a subordinate he could trust entirely to handle tedious matters.
"Sit."
Mike gestured to the chair beside him, signaling Kuro to take a seat.
Then he asked, "Besides living, what else do you want?"
Kuro hesitated, frowning slightly.
Memories of his life as a fugitive, hunted by the Marines, flashed through his mind—disheveled, with nowhere to call home.
"I'm tired of the pirate life. I want stability."
"A stable life, huh?"
Mike nodded. "No problem. Come with me to Marineford. On this sea, there's no place more stable than Marineford."
Before the Summit War, Marineford had been one of the safest places in the world.
Even Mary Geoise had once been invaded by Fisher Tiger, yet Marineford stood unshaken, as solid as a rock.
Even Golden Lion Shiki had met his defeat there and was captured by Sengoku and Garp.
When the Summit War came, he could simply laze around like Kizaru, watching the show in peace.
"Marineford?"
Kuro listened to Mike's answer and nodded slightly.
Indeed, Marineford—the core of the World Government's military might, a place pirates avoided at all costs.
Its safety far surpassed any corner of the East Blue.
Mike's eyes burned with intensity as he gazed at Kuro and spoke again.
"Anything else?"
Kuro was momentarily taken aback before lowering his head in deep thought.
He recalled the three years of meticulous planning that had been ruined by some no name rubber brat, and a surge of resentment filled his chest.
Clenching his fists, a resolute gleam appeared in his eyes.
"I want to grow stronger. Much stronger. Only with real power can I guarantee my own security!"
"Oh?"
Mike raised an eyebrow, finding Kuro's answer both unexpected and reasonable.
On this vast and turbulent sea, power was everything.
Without strength, how could one ever find security?
Kuro's desire was evident, and Mike was deeply satisfied with this thirst for power.
After a brief contemplation, Mike smiled faintly and glanced at his remaining Happy Points before scanning the badge in his hand.
[Demon God Conduit]
[Rare blue item, current star rating: three stars (maximum three stars)]
[Consumes vitality to gain the potential to break through one's talent limit. Higher star ratings increase the probability of breakthrough and the extent of talent enhancement.]
[Only usable by those whose original talent is below Vice Admiral. After fully absorbing the item's effects, talent can reach Elite Vice Admiral level.]
[All rare blue items at three stars can be upgraded using Happy Points to reach purple level. Upgrade cost: 100,000 Happy Points.]
[After upgrading to purple tier item, breakthrough rate becomes 100%, and talent can reach Admiral level.]
His original plan had been to save up 150,000 Happy Points before spending 100,000 to upgrade the [Demon God Conduit] to purple.
But he hadn't expected to encounter Kuro so soon, who just happened to have a desire for strength.
In that case, there was no need to hesitate.
He might as well go with the flow and let Kuro break through now.
Why split something that could be done in one go into two steps? That would just be troublesome!
[Ding!]
[Host spends 100,000 Happy Points to upgrade Demon God Conduit to ceiling level. Remaining Happy Points: 1,520.]
[Ding!][Host spends 100,000 Happy Points to upgrade [Demon God Conduit] to ceiling level. Remaining Happy Points: 1,520.]
Mike casually tossed the now-glowing purple badge to Kuro.
"What... is this?" Kuro asked, catching it.
"It can make you incredibly strong," Mike said, his voice calm. "But everything has a price."
"This... a tiny badge can make me stronger?" Kuro frowned in confusion.
"You can try it if you want," Mike's tone carried a hint of undeniable temptation.
"However, be careful. Using it will consume your vitality. And I," he paused, his smile taking on a deeper meaning.
"Am the only one who can help you replenish it."
Kuro's heart sank.
He understood instantly.
The badge was cursed power and Mike was the cure.
As long as he remained loyal, Mike would keep him alive.
If he ever betrayed him, he would be left to wither away and die.
"Terms that leave no room for regret..." Kuro muttered, a bitter taste in his mouth.
Yet, his eyes shone with unwavering determination.
He took a deep breath and tightened his grip on the badge.
A small silver needle shot out, pricking his finger.
A jolt of pain, and then... power.
It surged through his veins with an unprecedented, violent intensity.
He could feel his mind expanding, his body changing at a fundamental level.
The "Shave" technique that Commander Hayes had used to defeat him, once an incomprehensible blur, was now crystal clear in his mind.
He understood its mechanics, the precise application of force, as if he had known it his whole life.
"Is my... talent becoming greater...?" Kuro muttered, his eyes wide with disbelief.
A vision flashed through his mind: if he could hone this new power, his potential could one day reach the level of an Admiral.
'Admiral 'Black Cat' Kuro...' a thrill of irrepressible excitement shot through him.
'What an enticing goal...'
At the same time, he caught his reflection in a polished brass fitting.
Strands of his deep black hair were rapidly turning stark white—a chilling, visible sign of the life force he was sacrificing.
Mike watched all of this quietly, a glint of satisfaction in his eyes.
This was the resolve he wanted.
He then took out a small, green bean and offered it to Kuro.
Kuro, recognizing the gesture, took the bean without hesitation and bit into it.
A surge of warm, pure life force spread through his body, repairing the damage, pushing back the creeping chill of the Conduit's price.
He could feel his vitality partially restored, but he knew this single bean wasn't enough to compensate for the full cost.
It was a taste.
A promise.
And a leash.
He stood there, clenching his fists, feeling the incredible new power thrumming within him.
The man who had given him this chance wasn't some Devil Fruit or a master plan; it was Captain Mike, a man who appeared lazy on the surface but was in fact, unfathomably deep.
The Kuro of the past—the scheming pirate captain—was now history.
"No more doubts, no more hesitation," Kuro told himself silently.
He straightened his back, clicked his heels together, and threw the sharpest, most resolute salute of his life, his gaze fixed on Mike.
"Captain Mike," Kuro said, his voice calm and powerful, stripped of all its former arrogance.
"Marine soldier—Kuro, reporting for duty."
Mike looked at the bowing man with immense satisfaction, a faint smile playing on his lips.
'Excellent. The first tool is now in place.'
What awaited him next was sure to be a comfortable, easy life at Headquarters.
'Old Man Kizaru, when a mission comes, you can handle the fighting! As for me, I've already taken my first giant leap toward slacking off freely at Headquarters!'
'I am the Marine's true King of Slacking after all, hahahahha!'