The Marine Hospital in Loguetown was a beacon of calm against the howling storm.
"Whoosh—"
A figure descended from the sky, landing soundlessly on the sodden ground.
Dressed in an impeccable suit with his "Justice" cape billowing behind him, Mike's arrival was silent but carried an intimidating weight that seemed to freeze the very air around him.
He strode briskly into Kuro's hospital room.
"Captain... Mike."
Lying on the bed, Kuro weakly opened his eyes, his voice a low, raspy whisper.
His body was swathed in thick bandages, a clear indicator of the severity of his injuries.
He tried to sit up, a reflexive act of respect, but a sharp intake of breath and a wince of pain rendered him immobile.
"Stay down," Mike said, his voice gentle yet firm as he bent over the bed.
A flicker of genuine relief flashed in his eyes.
Seeing Kuro was conscious and able to speak, he finally felt the heavy stone in his heart begin to lift.
Though he had been told Kuro was merely injured, witnessing it firsthand truly dispelled his lingering worry.
There was no helping it—true administrative talent was a priceless commodity, rarer than any Devil Fruit in this pirate-infested world.
Since pledging his allegiance, Kuro had performed exceptionally, proving himself to be not just loyal and reliable, but also possessing a crystal-clear understanding of his role.
To Mike, Kuro was an invaluable asset.
With him around, Mike could truly indulge in the art of "slacking off."
Mike pulled a Senzu Bean from his pocket and lightly tossed it into Kuro's mouth.
"Swallow this."
Kuro struggled but managed to swallow the bean.
In an instant, a warm, pure surge of energy spread from the depths of his body. The searing pain from his wounds nearly vanished, and his entire condition began to improve at an astonishing rate.
Feeling the miraculous recovery of the Senzu bean, Kuro let out a soft sigh of awe.
'This is the wonder of Captain Mike.'
'He possess powerful and mysterious items.'
He had combed through every book on the warship and found no record of anything like a Senzu Bean.
From the moment he'd been injured to now, the Captain had rushed over personally to tend to his wounds.
This only reinforced Kuro's conviction: he had chosen the right man to follow.
"Captain.... I'm sorry, I've caused you trouble," Kuro's tone was sincere, his eyes carrying a hint of guilt for his failure.
"Nonsense," Mike patted his shoulder, his voice laced with reassurance.
"You've done well. You didn't disappoint me."
'After all,' Mike thought with a flash of pride.
'Every Marine in Loguetown now knows that one of my men stood his ground and tanked a storm from the Revolutionary Dragon.'
'That's some serious bragging right.'
He nodded, satisfied with the Senzu Bean's effects.
'System-made, quality guaranteed'.
"Rest well," he said, his tone calm yet caring. "You've done your part."
With that, Mike turned, his cape fluttering as his expression shifted from concern to a cold, hard resolve.
"I'll handle the rest."
Without further delay, he shot into the sky as a blur of motion as he raced in the direction the Going Merry had vanished.
As he moved, his mind worked furiously, piecing together the events that happening recently.
'Dragon wouldn't attack a Marine warship without a damn good reason' he thought.
'Attacking an Admiral's personal vessel is no small crime. He must have seen my duel with Zoro'.
'He saw the power I displayed, saw my elite HQ forces, and panicked. He feared I would be a threat to Luffy's journey, so he tried to eliminate my ship to give Luffy a clean getaway.'
The logic was sound.
But it didn't matter.
"I didn't do anything to them," Mike muttered, his voice a low growl.
"I even gifted Zoro a new technique to strive for. And what's my reward? They beat up my man. They almost destroyed my most capable and important tool. They almost... forced me to do paperwork."
The thought of it, the sheer horror of a future filled with endless reports and responsibilities, ignited his fury completely.
"DRAGON!!!" His fists tightened, his gaze turning cold with fury.
"If I don't vent this anger, I won't feel at peace! And if I'm not at peace, how can I maintain a happy mood?!"
As if on cue, a familiar sound chimed in his head.
[Ding!]
[Due to the host's extreme displeasure, the Happy System has activated Emergency Protocol One!]
[Drop rates have been massively increased! A ten-pull now has the highest probability of yielding a golden-tier item!]
'Oh ho!'
'As expected of my wonderful system!' Mike thought, his fury momentarily pierced by a flicker of excitement.
'It knows how to cheer me up!'
He silently checked his balance: [Happy Points: 9,036].
He had spent nearly everything upgrading the Demon God Conduit for Kuro.
Nine thousand points was only enough for nine ten-pulls.
There was no guarantee of getting anything good.
His mood, which had briefly lifted, began to plummet again.
[Ding!]
[The system detects the host's insufficient Happy Points and extreme unhappiness, meeting the conditions for Emergency Protocol Two. The system will now gift the host a sum of Happy Points!]
[May the host maintain a pleasant mood at all times. BANZAI! (???_??)?]
[Happy Points +100,000!]
"System! You magnificent bastard!" Mike couldn't help but grin, the influx of points washing away most of his frustration.
The rage that had been consuming him just moments ago dissipated, replaced by the giddy thrill of a gacha addict with a full wallet.
'Fine,' he decided, his mood now significantly improved.
'I'll just give Dragon a stern warning'.
'Tell him to keep his revolutionary business far away from my comfortable life.'
"System!" he declared, his voice filled with triumphant glee. "Give me—the ultimate pull! All of it!"
As his words faded, the gacha wheel in his mind spun with frantic speed, radiating a dazzling, blinding light.
Colors of every hue shimmered and swirled.
"DING—!"
With a crisp, definitive sound, a torrent of pure, unadulterated golden radiance burst forth, swallowing the entire interface in its brilliant light.
[Golden-Tier Item Obtained—Conqueror's Haki Awakening!]
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