Jaeger had no idea Esdeath intended to gift him Aokiji, impressed as she was by the Ice Admiral's evolution.
If he had known, he probably would've been thrilled.
After all, wasn't it a sign of a man's greatness to be pampered by women? That's what he told himself. He didn't have to lift a finger and yet another powerful Noble Phantasm was delivered to his door.
Aboard the warship, after Esdeath left, Jaeger turned to the last remaining queen by his side.
"So it's just you now," he said to Scathach, smiling. "Where do you want to go? I'll open a portal for you. Once you've had your fun or the mission ends, you can return to your world."
Scathach gave a soft chuckle. Her expression held the proud confidence of someone who knew exactly who she was and what she could do.
"I considered challenging the strongest warrior in this world," she said. "But I stopped myself. If I got too excited, I might kill him by accident. That would be a shame. You'd lose a Noble Phantasm opportunity."
Jaeger blinked. She said it so casually—as if killing a top-tier fighter was like stepping on a bug.
Raising her chin, she gazed at him with eyes full of unspoken secrets.
"So I changed my mind. I'll stay with you for now. Watching the birth of a new Noble Phantasm sounds far more interesting than butchering pirates."
"Oh?" Jaeger arched an eyebrow. "It's going to be deployed in the universe—possibly across the solar system. Still interested?"
Scathach confidently thumped her chest. "Of course. I've regained my peak strength through the chat group. While I'm still technically human, I'm now an immortal existence. Unless the world itself or the Shadow Land is destroyed, I can't die."
Jaeger nodded, impressed.
"Immortality, huh… I wonder how that compares to the two Noble Phantasms I just obtained."
As he said it, his gaze unconsciously swept over her form.
Gone was the skintight purple armor from before. Scathach now wore a white sweater and sheer flesh-colored stockings. Conservative, yet dangerously seductive. Like the ideal image of a beautiful, untouchable teacher that lived in every man's fantasy.
"You like what you see?" she asked, completely unbothered by his open stare.
"Yeah," he admitted. "But I prefer black stockings. And if the sweater had a heart-shaped cutout up top—half-covered, half-exposed—that's the ultimate combo."
Scathach burst into laughter. "You're as bold as ever."
She didn't mind his gaze—in fact, she welcomed it. A Celt from the age of the gods, she had no patience for cowardly hypocrites who hid their lust behind false virtue.
In her time, a hero could slay an enemy and claim the enemy's wife in the same breath.
Jaeger? He was mild by comparison.
With a playful smirk, she waved her hand and just like that, her sweater morphed into the version he described, complete with black silk encasing her legs.
Jaeger's eyes widened.
She actually did it?
"I'm only showing you this outfit, little man," she said teasingly.
Then she raised her fingers and traced glowing runes into the air, ancient symbols flowing with magical power.
"What are those for?" Jaeger asked, admiring the sight before him.
"A concealment illusion," she explained. "A blend of the original eighteen runes. Only you can see me like this—no one else."
Jaeger was genuinely impressed. "You really didn't need to go this far."
She smiled softly. "I said it's just for you. I wasn't lying."
This woman is like a spirit of seduction… no, a goddess who toys with fate.
Still, Jaeger had no fear. Scathach might be immortal, but when it came to sheer might, he stood at the peak.
"So, these runes," he said, "are they really that powerful?"
"They're ancient," she replied with pride. "Gifted by Odin himself. With enough strength, they can do almost anything—fire, ice, illusions, instant death, even stop time."
Jaeger was skeptical. "Sounds a bit exaggerated. Are they really that versatile?"
"Absolutely. Even Odin couldn't master them all. That's how deep their potential runs."
He narrowed his eyes. "Can you teach them to me?"
"Yes," she said without hesitation. But then her eyes gleamed with challenge.
"On one condition—beat me in combat. Not with your Noble Phantasms. I want a proper warrior's duel."
Jaeger's face twitched.
"…You haven't forgotten what happened last time, have you? When I used Aphrodite's Noble Phantasm and nearly traumatized you?"
Her cheeks flushed faintly but she kept her composure.
"That was then. This time, no tricks. No Noble Phantasms. Just a battle between two warriors."
She leaned in slightly, her voice lower and more intimate.
"If you can satisfy me—as a warrior—I'll teach you the runes. In fact, I'll even become your trophy."
Jaeger looked deep into her burgundy eyes.
"I'm not a kind man, Scathach. If I win, I won't treat you gently."
"I wouldn't have it any other way."
Somewhere in the solar system…
The void stretched endlessly.
Jaeger tore open the fabric of space as easily as peeling fruit, flying through the stars with Scathach held in his arms.
His bloodline, descended from the Otsutsuki, gave him the power to move across galaxies by sheer force alone.
Scathach, immortal but not cosmic by nature, couldn't travel through space herself.
So she let him carry her—letting him hold her waist, letting him have the advantage without complaint.
She had already accepted that this man—this transcendent being—was part of her destiny. No matter how powerful she was, his growth far surpassed what she could chase. Fighting it was pointless.
And she didn't want to fight it.
So when she teased him with flirtation, when she made her offer through battle—it wasn't just provocation.
It was a silent confession.
Pirate World.
Left behind in the cabin, Karuizawa Kei searched the entire ship for Jaeger, but there was no trace of him. With a pout, she opened the chat group.
Karuizawa Kei: "Where is Saint Jaeger?"
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "A lost puppy, huh? Waking up and not finding its owner."
Uchiha Miyuki: "If you can't find His Highness Jaeger, he's probably with another woman. Maybe Esdeath, Yamato, or even that ice-cold Gion."
Karuizawa Kei: "I thought the same. I checked in with all the usual girls first, but none of them are around. Could he be... with Esdeath?"
Esdeath: "Hmph! Don't lump me in with you clinging types. I don't need a man to breathe! [Image Attached]"
The image revealed a frozen wasteland, a vast snowy field littered with shattered glaciers and two figures locked in a battle: Esdeath and Aokiji. Esdeath appeared barely scratched, while Aokiji looked battered and bent.
Karuizawa Kei: "Again with the fighting? You're such a musclehead. No wonder you met Mr. Jaeger before me, and yet I still caught up."
Esdeath: "Tch. That's only because your goals are different. You cling to him, while I aim to conquer him."
Karuizawa Kei: "Pfft! You? Conquer? Maybe in your next life."
Uchiha Miyuki: "Dream big, I guess. Though, poor Aokiji… still on the run and now being gift-wrapped."
Yamamoto Mei: "A final battle, Esdeath? You plan to stop going after him?"
Esdeath: "Yes. After Aizen's transformation, Aokiji has grown stronger. Strong enough to become a Noble Phantasm for Jaeger. I intend to offer him up."
Karuizawa Kei: "Oh? And here you were mocking me for pleasing Jaeger. You're no different."
Esdeath: "You…!"
Luo Hao: "Enough. Peace, ladies. Esdeath, you were the one who antagonized Kei first. It's no surprise she fired back."
Jaeger: "If you ask me, you two should just fight it out. Like proper shounen rivals. Maybe you'll become best friends afterward."
Karuizawa Kei: "I'll pass. I'll be happy if she just stops glaring at me."
Karuizawa Kei: "By the way, Mr. Jaeger, where are you? Why didn't you take me with you?"
Jaeger: "You were tired, so I let you rest. We're just leaving the solar system now. [Image Attached]"
In the picture, Jaeger is flying through deep space, holding Scathach close as stars glitter endlessly in the distance.
Eriri Sawamura: "Too tired, huh? Saint Jaeger, you're shameless."
Karuizawa Kei: "Tired? Did you forget our contract includes 'never getting tired'?"
Jaeger: "Ah… sorry. My mistake. I'll take you for a space stroll later."
Karuizawa Kei: "You better!"
Uchiha Miyuki: "See? I knew he was with another woman. But with Scathach? So fast? Did something happen between you two?"
Scathach: "...Not yet."
Uchiha Miyuki: "YET!? You fell too fast, Master! You're supposed to be the Queen of the Shadow Kingdom!"
Jibril: "Forget the romance. I want to know what Jaeger's planning in the galaxy. Is it the fusion-based Noble Phantasm you mentioned before?"
Jaeger: "Exactly. This Noble Phantasm can only be used in the vastness of space."
Luo Hao: "You went beyond the solar system for it? It must be devastating."
Yamamoto Mei: "Even more powerful than your last one that blew up the sun?"
Jaeger: "Not exactly. This one isn't destructive in the usual sense. You'll see."
Tohsaka Sakura: "Jaeger-nii, start a live stream!"
Kocho Shinobu: "Yes, watching Jaeger unveil Noble Phantasms has become a group tradition."
[Group Member Nerona Saint Jaeger has started a group livestream.]
The prompt echoed through the chat group. Even the usually silent members tuned in instantly.
The first thing they saw? Scathach nestled comfortably in Jaeger's arms. The way he held her. The way she leaned in. It was enough to make a few of the girls scowl quietly.
---
One Piece Universe
Jaeger ignored the chat group banter, eyes fixed ahead as he carried Scathach across the stellar void.
They had officially left the solar system and entered the galaxy of the pirate world. What it was actually called didn't matter to Jaeger.
What mattered was this: he was about to ascend again.
Despite all his power, Jaeger felt a flicker of anticipation in his chest. This next evolution—this Noble Phantasm—would push him beyond even the strongest beings.
Scathach, still in his arms, gazed at the twinkling stars in awe.
"Are those... planets?" she murmured.
"Just a fraction of them," Jaeger replied calmly. "This galaxy alone has over 400 billion stars like the sun. Many of them host planets. And this? This is just one galaxy in a cluster of millions."
Her eyes widened. Even with immortality and divine wisdom, the scale of the universe dwarfed her understanding.
"The Type Moon World where you and Sakura are from," Jaeger continued, "is ruled by Arcueid Brunestud—the ultimate existence born from the will of the moon."
Scathach blinked. "You mean... the White Princess?"
"Exactly. She's a planetary guardian. Now imagine the same principle applied to a sun. A star millions of times more massive than your moon. What kind of being would emerge from that will?"
Her blood chilled.
"Wait... you don't mean to—"
"Yes." Jaeger smiled. "Bullets's Fusion Fruit. A power that fuses not just objects or beings, but even concepts. If the moon gave birth to Arcueid, what might be born from the union of a thousand stars?"
Scathach stared at him, stunned.
"You want to fuse with the essence of a star... or even the galaxy itself?"
"Not just one," Jaeger whispered, his gaze lost in the endless sky. "There are billions out there."
•••
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