Chapter 9: The Horns of Dilemma and the Pheromone Pirate part- 1
"Wait, I don't get a vacation?" Ethan shouted into the void.
[Negative. Infidelity never sleeps.]
The world of ninjas dissolved into light.
............…
World 2: The World of Pirates (One Piece Universe)
Ethan felt the familiar lurch of displacement. The smell of pine forests and ramen was instantly replaced by the salty tang of the ocean and the smell of gunpowder.
He opened his "eyes" (sensors).
He was staring at a wooden ceiling that was swaying rhythmically. He could hear the sound of waves crashing against a hull and the raucous laughter of men drinking.
[Initialization Complete.][Host: Dalton.][Location: Drum Island (Kingdom of Sakura).][Current Status: Serving as Captain of the Guard.][Love Interest: Dr. Kureha... Negative. Correction. Love Interest: Unnamed childhood friend/fiancée (Original Character for plot stability).]
(Wait, Dalton? The Bison guy?) Ethan checked the files. (Okay, honest, loyal, a bit stiff. Perfect victim material.)
[Villain Identity: "Captain 'Slick' Rick" (Transmigrator).][Villain Ability: The "Harem King" Devil Fruit (Paramecia Type). Allows the user to emit pheromones that make people agree with his suggestions.][Current Situation: The Villain has arrived at Drum Island seeking medical attention, but is currently trying to convince Dalton's fiancée, Elara, that she has a rare disease that can only be cured by "special massage therapy" aboard his ship.]
(Oh, give me a break,) Ethan groaned. (Special massage therapy? That is the oldest trick in the book!)
He focused on his new host.
Dalton was standing guard outside the castle, shivering slightly in the cold snow. He was looking at a small locket in his hand containing a picture of a woman with warm brown eyes and a gentle smile—Elara.
(Dalton!) Ethan shouted into the large man's mind.
Dalton jumped, dropping his spear. "Who is there? Is that you, Wapol?"
(No, I am not that tin-can tyrant. I am your conscience. And I am telling you that while you are freezing your tail off out here, a pirate with a Greaser pompadour is trying to scam your fiancée into a very compromise position at the local tavern. Move your hooves!)
Dalton frowned, his brow furrowing. "A pirate? With Elara? But she is just buying herbs."
(She is buying lies! Run, you bison-brained oblivious tank! Run before he uses the 'It is for medical science' excuse!)
Dalton didn't question the voice. The urgency in it was too real. He transformed into his Hybrid Bison form—growing fur and horns—and charged down the snowy mountain path like a runaway freight train.
(Here we go again,) Ethan thought, preparing his bag of system tricks. (New world, same trash. Time to stomp some pirates.)
World 2: The World of Pirates (One Piece Universe)
The wind on Drum Island cut like a knife, but Dalton did not feel it. He was currently a two-ton bison-human hybrid thundering down the side of a snow-covered mountain, kicking up a blizzard in his wake.
(Left! Turn left at the pine tree!) Ethan screamed inside Dalton's mind. (Watch out for the—)
CRUNCH.
Dalton smashed through a frozen boulder, turning it into pebble-sized shrapnel without slowing down.
(—rock. Never mind. You handled that well. But seriously, Dalton, do you have brakes? We are going to flatten the village at this rate.)
"I must reach Elara!" Dalton bellowed, his voice deep and resonant, sounding more like a foghorn than a human. Steam poured from his nostrils. "If that pirate touches her, I will trample him into the permafrost!"
(I appreciate the enthusiasm, big guy, but let us try to be tactical. If you burst in there looking like a raging minotaur, you might scare her more than the pirate does. Remember, the villain, Captain Slick Rick, is using a manipulation ability. To Elara, he looks like a charming gentleman. To us, he is a greasy predator. We need to break the spell, not just break his bones.)
Dalton skidded around a corner, his hooves gouging deep trenches in the ice. "Tactics are for soldiers. I am a Guard. I protect."
(Okay, simple logic. But listen, I am scanning this guy's profile. He has the 'Charm-Charm Fruit' or something similar. It is a Paramecia type that releases pink mist. If you breathe it in, you will think he is your best friend. Do you want to become best friends with the guy trying to steal your fiancée?)
Dalton growled low in his throat. "I have no friends who wear hair gel."
(Good point. Just in case, I am buying a passive defense skill from the System Shop. 'Mental Fortitude: Stubborn Ox'. It costs 200 points, but it should give you resistance to mind-altering gases. You are welcome.)
[System Notification: Purchase Complete. Host Dalton has gained +50 percent Resistance to Charm Effects.]
.........…..
Location: The Tipsy Snowman Tavern, Drum Island.
The tavern was warm, smelling of roasted meat and strong ale. In a cozy booth near the fire, Elara sat across from a man who looked entirely out of place in a winter country.
Captain "Slick" Rick was wearing a leather jacket that was unzipped halfway down his chest, revealing a gold chain and an impressive amount of chest hair that he clearly groomed. He wore sunglasses indoors. His hair was styled into a pompadour so sharp it could probably pop a balloon.
"You see, baby—I mean, Miss Elara," Rick said, his voice smooth like melted butter mixed with gravel. He leaned forward, and a faint, pinkish mist seemed to drift from his skin. "This condition you have... 'Cold Hands'. It is very serious. In the Grand Line, we call it 'Frozen Heart Syndrome'. If not treated immediately with body heat transfer therapy, it could be fatal."
Elara, a sweet-faced woman of twenty-five who worked as a baker, looked at her hands with concern. "Really? I thought it was just... you know, because we live on an ice island."
"That is what the government wants you to think," Rick whispered conspiratorially. "But I have a medical degree from... uh... Sniper Island. I can help you. But we need privacy. My ship is docked just down the coast. It has a heated therapy room."
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