Chapter 96: The Girl and the Arrogant Man!
[New World - The Pola - Captain's Quarters]
The pitch-black pillar of light, dense as liquid ink, slowly faded into the steel floor. The particles of magic dissipated, revealing the prize that had cost fifty thousand Legend Points.
A small, graceful figure stood quietly in the center of the summoning circle.
It was a young girl, appearing no older than seventeen.
She had lustrous, waist-length black hair that flowed straight down her back, with neatly trimmed bangs framing a delicate, doll-like face. But her most striking feature was her eyes.
Crimson. Burning. Like fresh blood spilled on pristine snow.
They were classic almond-shaped eyes with a slight upward tilt at the corners. Yet, unlike the seductive gaze of Albedo or the gentle warmth of Rem, these eyes held no hint of emotion. They exuded a cold, professional decisiveness—the eyes of a predator assessing its environment.
Her figure was well-proportioned and athletic, clad in a dark, sleeveless mini-dress with a red tie and armored gauntlets. Slung diagonally at her waist was a katana with a red hilt and a black scabbard.
Teigu: Murasame. The One-Cut Killer.
Appearing in a completely unfamiliar environment—a steel room rocking gently with the ocean waves—the girl showed no sign of panic. Her reaction was a textbook example of assassin discipline.
Click.
Her right hand instantly pressed against the hilt of her sword. Her muscles tensed, coiling like a spring ready to snap. Her breathing became shallow and silent, masking her presence.
She didn't move her head, but her crimson eyes darted around, scanning the room.
Steel walls. One door. One window. Smell of salt... ozone... and lingering food?
When her gaze finally locked onto the only man in the room—a handsome young man sitting on the bed—her pupils narrowed into dangerous slits.
Her first thought was tactical: Kidnapping? Teleportation Teigu? Enemy Territory?
But then, a strange sensation washed over her.
From the man before her, she felt an inexplicable sense of reassurance. It was a warmth that bypassed her cold logic and settled deep in her soul. Despite being a complete stranger, despite the lethal situation, her instincts—honed in the hell of the Empire—whispered that he was not a target.
He was... safety.
Just as the girl was wrestling with this contradiction, Suzaku's gentle voice rang out, breaking the heavy silence.
"Akame, welcome!"
Suzaku smiled, a genuine, disarming expression that reached his eyes. He looked at her as if greeting a long-lost family member he had been waiting for.
"My name is Suzaku. I am the Captain of this ship. From today onwards, we are companions. Family. Please take care of me from now on!"
"Companions?"
Hearing this word, the tension in Akame's shoulders visibly relaxed. The hand that had been resting on the hilt of Murasame dropped to her side, though she remained alert.
She tilted her head slightly. A look of pure, almost childlike contemplation replaced the sharpness in her crimson eyes.
She processed the System's bond. Captain. Suzaku. Safe.
Then, she looked him dead in the eye and spoke in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Companions, you say? I believe you."
She paused. Her stomach let out a small, audible growl.
"So... can you take me to eat? I'm hungry."
"..."
Suzaku blinked. He was taken aback. He had expected a question about where she was, or who he was, or magic.
Before he could reply, Akame added a remark in her unperturbed monotone that left him dumbfounded.
"As a reward for the food... I can help you kill people. Anyone. Just point."
Suzaku stared at her.
The girl before him could calmly offer "murder" as a transaction for "lunch" with the same casualness one might offer to wash dishes.
Ah, Suzaku thought, a sweat drop forming on his temple. This overwhelming sense of familiarity... it's her indeed.
It's truly you. The Empire's strongest assassin. The naturally clumsy glutton. Akame of the Demon Sword.
One-hit kill, huh? So, did I summon an Imperial Arm and get an Akame as a bonus? Is it a loss? No... definitely a win. Her combat potential is S-Tier.
Suzaku understood the tragedy behind her logic. In her world—a hellhole of corruption and death—survival was the only currency. You killed to eat. You ate to live. You lived to kill. It was a brutal cycle.
He also realized that if it weren't for the natural Favorability granted by the System, the girl before him would likely not be this harmless. His head would probably already be rolling on the floor, separated from his neck by a cursed blade that stopped the heart with a single scratch.
"No problem," Suzaku agreed readily, his smile turning sympathetic.
"However, I need you to wait a little longer. Just a few minutes. I have one more guest to welcome."
He pointed to the glowing System panel only he could see.
"Once I finish this, I'll immediately take you to the galley. We have a chef who can cook lightning-roasted Sea King meat. You can eat your fill. No killing required. The food is free for companions."
Upon hearing the words "eat your fill" and "free," a faint, starry glimmer finally appeared in Akame's otherwise calm eyes. Drool threatened to spill from the corner of her mouth.
"Sea King... meat..." she whispered, visualizing a mountain of barbecue.
She nodded heavily. The girl obediently walked to Suzaku's side and stood quietly, her hands clasped behind her back. Her eager expression, waiting for a meal like a well-behaved pet, made it hard to associate her with the reaper she had been just moments ago.
Seeing her dramatically contrasting appearance—deadly assassin vs. hungry teen—Suzaku couldn't help but chuckle.
"Alright. One more."
Suzaku turned his attention back to the interface.
He still had one Rare Summon opportunity left. Over 80,000 Legend Points were still lying in his balance. Not using it now, while his luck was hot, would be an insult to his devout "hand-washing ritual"!
"Let's see who matches Akame. A tank? A mage?"
Suzaku took a deep breath. He ignored Akame's questioning gaze, which seemed to ask, "Are you done yet? The meat is waiting."
He focused his thoughts. The thrill of the gamble rushed through his veins again.
"System. Rare Summon. Do it."
He clicked the button again!
[Points Deducted: -50,000]
[Remaining Balance: 38,300]
BUZZ...!
The room vibrated violently.
A dazzling, seven-colored halo, even more brilliant and chaotic than before, swirled across the interface. It wasn't just light; it was pressure.
In the center of the Captain's cabin, the mysterious magic circle that had just faded lit up once more. But this time, the geometry was different. Sharper. More aggressive. Ancient runes spun in the air.
"Hmm?"
Akame tilted her head again. Her crimson pupils dilated, filled not with curiosity, but with instinctual alarm.
She could feel it.
A completely different energy was brewing within the glowing pattern. It wasn't the cold precision of an assassin. It was the heavy, suffocating pressure of a calamity. It felt like the air itself was becoming heavy.
Danger. Extreme danger.
The next moment, the sky-piercing pillar of light erupted. It wasn't black this time.
It was a deep, ultimate Blue-Purple. The color of spiritual energy. The color of a Susanoo.
As the light dissipated, a tall figure appeared in the center of the magic circle.
Unlike Akame's petite stature, this was a towering man.
He stood over six feet tall. He was dressed in a set of ancient, dark red layered armor—Crimson Samurai plating—worn over a black high-collared suit. On his back, he carried a uniquely shaped fan (Gunbai) connected to a chain, and a scythe.
A wild, untamed mane of spiky black hair cascaded over his shoulders, reaching his waist.
Just by standing there, with his arms crossed, an overbearing aura of Dominance emanated from him.
It wasn't just simple power. It was an absolute aloofness. An arrogance that transcended all beings. It was the aura of a man who had looked at the world and found it wanting.
Uchiha Madara.
The moment he appeared, the air in the room seemed to solidify instantly. The temperature dropped to freezing.
The curiosity and anticipation on Akame's face vanished without a trace.
SHING!
Her body reacted faster than her mind.
Her right hand gripped the hilt of Murasame again. Her muscles tensed to the extreme. She dropped into a combat stance, her crimson eyes staring intently at the man's back, filled with unprecedented vigilance.
This man... is death, Akame's instincts screamed. If he moves, I kill him. Or I die.
At this tense moment, Suzaku acted fast.
"System, implant basic knowledge!"
He did not hesitate. He used the System to inject the basic knowledge he had already prepared about this "One Piece World" into the minds of Akame and the newcomer.
Flash.
Two streams of information flooded their brains.
The Grand Line. Devil Fruits. Haki. The Marines. Pirates. The Yonko. The structure of power.
Akame's body swayed slightly. Her eyes went blank for a moment as she digested the structure of this new world. Empire... Revolution... Justice... Survival.
But the man...
Uchiha Madara didn't even flinch. He absorbed the information as if it were a mild breeze.
Slowly, he opened his eyes.
They weren't normal eyes.
They were blood-red. In the center, three black comma-shaped tomoe spun lazily.
The Sharingan.
He didn't turn around fully. He merely gave Suzaku a cold, side-long glance over his shoulder. Then, he cast a look at the wary Akame beside him.
He looked at them as if he were looking at two insignificant insects. Or perhaps, two pebbles on the side of the road.
"Hmph."
A moment later, he let out a cold snort, full of disdain.
"Pirates? Marines? World Government?"
His deep, magnetic voice echoed in the room, rich with authority and boredom.
He turned fully, his armor clinking softly. He looked at his hands, then at the steel walls of the ship.
"Is this the New World you summoned me to? Is this the 'afterlife'?"
Madara looked out the porthole at the endless ocean. He saw the horizon, the waves, the chaos of the weather.
"Hmph. What a boring place."
His words conveyed a deep-seated disappointment and contempt.
For him, the Ghost of the Uchiha, the world's conflicts were something he had fought against his entire life. He sought the Infinite Tsukuyomi to end all pain. He had transcended humanity. He had fought gods.
To be summoned to a world of pirates fighting over treasure? A world of corrupt governments and petty wars?
"It is just children playing with sticks," Madara muttered. "I have no interest in the squabbles of weaklings."
The pressure in the room increased. It felt like gravity was crushing them. Akame's hand tightened on her sword, sweat beading on her forehead.
Suzaku had already anticipated this reaction. Facing the cold gaze of the Shinobi God, he showed no fear.
He stood up from the bed. He walked toward Madara, meeting those spinning red eyes with a confident smile.
"Boring?" Suzaku asked lightly.
He didn't back down. He didn't apologize.
"Perhaps. If you only look at the surface."
Suzaku stepped into Madara's personal space, challenging the legend.
"But give it time, Madara. You might find that this world... has teeth."
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