AN: Longest chapter yet, by a mile. I am pretty proud of it! I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Once this story ends, I'm thinking of writing another one, more focused on smut. Would you all enjoy that?

Don't be afraid to leave a review. I want to hear your thoughts, both on the story and on the chapter!

Please enjoy!

"You shouldn't be here."

I blinked. In front of me was a… man? He was of average height, but other than that, everything was blurry. I tried to say something, but for some reason I couldn't speak. It felt like my throat was coated in ash, and it hurt.

"Things are falling apart, truth be told. All thanks to a funny little oversight. I'm grateful, but it's a lot of work. Just like a butterfly flapping it's wings into a hurricane, I suppose."

For a moment, we stared at each other. I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came through. The ash still burned.

He sighed. "I figured, but you can't handle it yet. I don't even know how you got here." He brought an appendage to my forehead and lightly tapped it. "Go home, friend. You still have plenty of places to go before you come back here again."

I woke with a start, launching myself up to an upright position. Echo was hovering over me, visibly concerned. Blinking, I asked, "Echo? What's up?"

"Well," She began, "You were sweating and fidgeting in your sleep. I was about to wake you when, well, you did so on your own." Her eyes literally glowed and she continued, "And when I scanned your body for abnormalities, I didn't find anything. Are you alright?"

I frowned, trying to remember what happened. I went to bed after exploring the ship with Ozaki all day. After that, I saved. Then, when I exited out of the save screen, I wasn't here, but somewhere else.

"I dreamt of… a room, I guess. There was someone standing there, in front of me. He said… he said…"

[You should stop thinking about it.]

I blinked, and the world around me turned gray. Echo was frozen, as was everything else. I furrowed my eyebrows and asked, "Why? What happened?"

[You saw something you weren't suppose to.]

"Why not?"

[I don't know.]

[But he's higher than us. All of us.]

I felt my eyes widen. "Us? Like, you and me? Or are there more of you?! And what do you mean he's higher than all of us?!" I yelled, growing increasingly irritated. What the hell was the System saying?!

[I'm sorry, but please, don't speak of him again.]

I released an explosive sigh but nodded. "Fine, whatever. I'll… stop thinking about it, I guess. Or I'll try, anyways." Time resumed and the world gained it's color again, so I assumed I appeased the Game.

Echo, unaware of whatever happened, asked, "Are you alright?"

I nodded. "Just a nightmare," I answered, which I guess was true. I heard birds chirping outside and glanced out my window, asking, "What time is it?"

Echo suddenly looked away, sheepish. "Oh, well, it's the… the next day…"

I raised an eyebrow and asked, "Seriously? I fell asleep at like, 10 in the morning. You're telling me I slept for 22 hours straight?" I paused then asked, "Wait, how come you didn't wake me up?"

Echo nervously chuckled and admitted, "I might've stayed up all day and night with your phone researching this world, haha…" She avoided eye contact, visibly guilty.

I sighed and properly sat up on the edge of the bed. "Well, I guess if I really did sleep that long, I needed the rest. So thanks for that. Plus, it's no big deal anyways. I lent you the phone because I knew you wanted to learn more, and you did. Right?"

She nodded and gave me a smile. "Thank you for understanding Jet. Yes, I have learned quite a lot, actually."

I shrugged. "Well, as long as you think you got what you needed, I'm satisfied. So, can I have my phone back?"

She smiled. "Of course!" She floated over and gave me back my phone.

"Thanks," I say, pocketing my phone and storing it in my inventory out of site. I was about to ask Echo something when the door knocked, catching both of our attentions. Without thinking, I walked over and opened it. On the other side was none other than Yui, a grand smile on her face.

"Good morning Jet! Ready for our first day as official heroes?" She asked, positivity practically radiating from her entire being.

I smiled and was about to respond when Echo, from behind me, spoke up. "Oh yes, I almost forgot about that!" I turned around and saw her float up to us, a smile on her face. "I heard that there are Hero Exams every two weeks! I would love to try out and see what this world's heroes are all about!"

Cringing, I turned back to Yui, who's face suddenly looked a lot less calm. Her eyes had practically popped out of her skull as she mumbled, "J-Jet… Wha…? Huh…?"

I raised both of my hands as a form of placation. "I can explain."

"So… You're actually from a parallel universe to ours?" Yui asked. The three of us were inside my apartment, all of us sitting in front of the single table I had in the main room.

Echo nodded. "Correct!"

My neighbor then turned to me and continued, "And you have the ability to use magic? And that's how you summoned her?"

I nodded as well. "Yeah, pretty much."

"How did you even get magic anyways?!" Seeing me shrug, Yui slumped forward, visibly exhausted. "God I feel a headache coming… So what now? What should we do?"

I tilted my head in confusion. "What do you mean? We just don't have to tell anyone."

"Jet is correct!" We both turned to Echo, smile on her face. "There are plenty of people and organizations with funds and desires in this world! I can simply say I was a piece of lost tech a company created and Jet found me! Grateful for assistance, I decided to stick with him!"

Technically, she wasn't wrong. Overwatch wasn't exactly around, so no one could trace her back to anyone if they could. I paused. Wasn't there an organization all about sentient machines in this world?

While I was lost in thought, Yui gave a hum of understanding. "I see… I guess it makes sense, but…" She sighed, visibly overwhelmed. "Doesn't this bother either of you?! Magic, sentient machines, DIFFERENT WORLDS?! Isn't that, you know, kind of crazy?!"

At that, Echo and I looked at each other. I spoke up first. "Honestly? So many weird things have happened in the span of five days that I've already grown numb to it." Next to me, Echo nodded along. "Also, I know you're not gonna, but please don't tell anyone our secrets." I pleaded. "I trust you with my life, and I don't want any of us getting into any problematic situations if we can help it."

[+5 Affection with Yui!]

She flinched back before sighing once more and closing her eyes, visibly waging war with herself. Eventually, she slumped forward with a weak smile and nodded. "Ugh, alright Jet. I trust you. I won't say a word." She stood up and stretched. As she did, she asked, "Shoving this entire conversation aside, ready to do some hero work?"

I got up as well and nodded. "Yep! Ready to rock!" I turned to Echo and asked, "What do you wanna do? You can either stay here in my apartment, or you could go out and explore."

She hummed as she looked upwards in contemplation. "I… I believe I will stay here. I still need to process everything I've learned, if that is okay with you?" I nodded and she added, "Oh, but could you perhaps get some sort of computer while you're out? I wish to continue researching this world."

I gave her a thumbs up. "You got it!" I was curious as to how much money I actually had, so I checked my stats.

Status

Name: Jet Nirati

Titles: B-Class Hero

Level: 16

HP: 900/900

MP: 960/960

STR: 97

VIT: 90

DEX: 86

INT: 96

WIS: 86

CHA: 95

LUK: 145

Bonus Points: 0

Currency: 753,500

A quarter off from a million, huh…? If that was yen, then that was… five thousand American bucks? And some extra. Yeah, I could totally afford a high-end laptop or something. "Any preferences or specifics?"

She shook her head. "Nope! Surprise me!"

"You got it!" I turned to Yui and asked, "Ready? I was thinking we could explore the X-City Branch today too, while we're out."

She gasped in surprise. "I totally forgot about all of that!" She nodded excitedly and asked, "Do you think we'll meet any S-Class heroes while we're there?!"

As she asked, we walked out of my apartment. I gave Echo one final wave before closing the door. "Hmm… I dunno. Not a lot of heroes advertise where they live, after all," I explained. Plus, my memory of the specific cities all the heroes lived in was hazy. Child Emperor lived in Y-City, Genos, Saitama, and Bang lived in Z-City, and I think King lived in M-City? Other than those guys, I couldn't draw a thing. "I think an S-Class hero does live here though," I muttered, trying to recall who.

She gave a small gasp in surprise and began pushing me to the stairs. "Then let's go the X-Branch right now! Maybe we'll meet them!"

I laughed as she pushed, and I asked, "Where is all this energy coming from? Before, you'd be all uncertain and meek. What happened?"

She gave me a warm smile and admitted, "You did, Jet."

I paused, extremely surprised by what she said. "Really?"

"Yep!" Her blush darkened a little as she explained, "I think I'd become a hero eventually, but you really gave me the kick in the pants I needed. Plus…" She gave me a hug, burying her face into my chest. "I don't need to be afraid of anything when you're around."

I. Was. Stunned.

[Oh my God, are you blushing?!]

Putting a hand to my face, it felt extremely hot, and I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face. "Wow." Yui looked up, surprised, and I finally reciprocated her hug. "I feel the same," I admitted.

[+15 Affection with Yui!]

For a minute, we simply enjoyed each other's presence. "Thanks for everything Jet. I mean it." She lifted her face out of my chest and said, "I can feel that this is the next stage in my life, and I'm finally ready for it. Without you, I don't know where I'd be."

I gave a huff, smile still on my face. "You'd become a hero eventually, Yui. I just gave you a small boost, you know?"

She finally pushed off of me with a smile. "Maybe, but would I have the confidence I feel now?" She shrugged. "For some reason, I doubt it." She gave me one more hug and asked, "So, ready to patrol, fellow hero?"

I gave a small chuckle. "Definitely."

"Then let's go!" With that said, she went down the stairs.

[+1 Reputation with !#$%!]

[That. Was. Adorable!]

I'm glad you liked it, System. I guess it's somewhat useless to ask now, but does Reputation and Affection work both ways?

[Sorry buddy, but you're at 100 Affection for every girl you wanna add to your harem. You're MY little experiment, and because of it, you're gonna feel my full brunt of love!]

I narrowed my eyes at that. "Experiment…?" I muttered, more than a little concerned.

Then, it clicked.

"Fuck. I've already been changed, haven't I? You messed with me, didn't you?" I whispered, dread filling me.

[…Whoops? +1 INT!]

"Jet? You alright? You're lacking behind!" I look up and see Yui waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs, head slightly tilted.

I gave her a smile I didn't really feel. "Still waking up a little, that's all," I lie. "So how do you wanna do this? Patrol around specific areas, or head straight to the X- City Branch?"

She perks up again and goes, "Let's head to the Branch building! My curiosity is killing me!"

I nod and say, "Let's get going!"

Once more Yui turns ahead, and as she does, I growl, "This isn't over, not by a long shot."

During the entire trip towards the X-City Branch building, I couldn't find a good time to interrogate the System. Yui was glued to me, there were countless people around, and I knew that time wasn't going to magically stop if I threw a fit.

So I decided to shelve the thought entirely and tried to enjoy the present. As we patrolled, we helped some people cross the streets, took a balloon out of a tree for a kid, and even passed a fellow hero – a C-Class named Rabbit, who was just a middle-aged guy in a bunny suit – before we finally reached the Association building.

Yui and I glanced at each other and smiled before walking through the front doors. They opened automatically and the second we walked through, they closed behind us. Now inside, we got a good look at the place.

It was incredible!

Sleek designs, spacey, and filled with-!

"What the hell do you mean five different reports throughout the city?!" Someone cried, and as they did, a filing cabinet flew right past Yui and I.

In the center of the lobby, there was none other than the Terrible Tornado herself, Tatsumaki. She was yelling at a Bearded Worker, who seemed to be doing his best to look unphased by the second strongest hero in the world yelling right at him. "I'm sorry Miss Tornado, but it's an emergency. Three Demons and two Tigers. No one else is available-"
By then, Yui and I were already marching past the stunned heroes and staff members, who were too scared to say anything to help either the Worker or Tornado out. "Excuse me," I started, and both turned to us. "Can you tell us where the Tigers are?"

For a second, silence.

Then, "HUH?!" Tatsumaki sneered at me and demanded, "Who the hell are you?! Some low-level newbie?! Trynna get some points, huh? Well don't bother!" She glared at both of us and declared, "If you go, you'll just die or be in the way!"

I gave her a smile and responded, "My name is Jet Nirati. I'm a B-Class hero, no hero name yet. I know it seems nearly suicidal to rush towards Tigers with just me and Yui, but I doubt that we'll lose, Miss Tatsumaki."

She seemed taken aback for a second before doubling down, yelling, "No way! A B-Class?! You really think a B-Class could handle two Tigers with a single person as back-up?!" She then turned her attention to Yui and remarked, "And I know this girl isn't an A-Class either!" She turned back to me and cried, "So stay the hell away!"

I turned to the Bearded Worker and asked, "Where are the two Tiger threats?"

Despite her glare, the Worker ignored the Tornado and said, "I've sent the locations to your phone. Good luck."

I gave a nod back and turned my attention to Tats, who looked like she was about to blow a fuse. "I'm not trying to get some brownie points with a higher class hero or anything, if that's what you're wondering." I said. "I ain't trying to look cool in front of you or anything either. I respect myself a lot more than that." She paused, visibly confused. I continued, mouth slowly turning upwards, "This is just the start of my climb to the top. Soon enough, you'll be third in rank, and I'll be sitting at number one!" With a determined grin, I declared, "Remember my name, Tatsumaki! I'm coming for your spot, and then number one!"

[+1 Reputation with Tatsumaki!]

Although still visibly pissed off, she had a small smirk on her face. "Hmph! Fine then, B-Class. If you're so confident, then beat both of them before I get to them! I'll even give you a heads start by dealing with the Demons first!"

A small ding rang in my ears.

[You've received a new Quest!]

[Timed Tiger Take Downs!]

Objective:

1. Defeat both Tiger-level threats before the Tornado of Terror herself, Tatsumaki, arrives! (0/1)

Rewards:

1. +500 EXP, +100,000 Currency, +3 Standard Gacha Coin, +19 Reputation with Tatsumaki

Failure:

1. No rewards. Sad!

I gave an excited grin and mentally accepted the Quest. "Sounds like a deal!" And as I said that, I used Observe to – and she was gone. She flew out before I could Observe her, her Stats still unknown. I silently cursed before turning to Yui, who was currently staring off into space, visibly dazed. "Let's go Yui!"

She blinked and shook herself back into reality. "Right!" And the two of us took off.

As we ran, I checked my phone. "The first one is a few blocks down, near a shopping district!"

"Let's do it!"

The two of us sprinted over, and after a little while, we arrived. In the middle of the street, a raging monster was attacking the nearby cars and buildings. I immediately hit it with an Observe.

Bio

Name: Fishers

Title: The Wet

Age: 39 Minutes

Sex: M

Height: 5'10"

Hair: None

Eyes: Black

Likes: Red Meat, Actual Food, Water

Dislikes: Those stupid fish flakes his owner kept feeding him

HP: 4,000/4,000

Level: 40

Reputation/Affection: [0/100]

Your Relation: Doesn't know you.

Description: What was once a normal goldfish, this one monsterized on his tenth birthday, when his owner fed him the most bland and horrible tasting fish flakes for the final time. Now, he wants to eat as much meat as he can, and he doesn't care where the meat is from. Humans included.

Yep, a human-sized goldfish with arms and legs and extremely sharp teeth. I would've laughed if the fish hadn't destroy multiple cars and reduce a few buildings to rubble. Despite how he looked, Fishers was powerful.

As we ran up, I ordered, "Yui, I'll get it's attention! I want you to do hit-and-run tactics!"

Right next to me, she yelled back, "Got it!"

She split off and fell behind me. As she did, I raised my hand and cried, "Arcane Storm!" Five bolts of lightning shot from my hands directly to the monster, who just now noticed the two of us running towards him.

It was too late though, as all five arcs of mana had already crashed into him.

[Surprise attack! Double damage dealt!]

Dealing 200 hit points right off the back. The fish then charged at me, hands ready, but I was prepared. I pulled out my bo-staff and activated Sharp Edge, which had a chance to inflict a bleeding debuff every attack for the next ten seconds. A small translucent ball of cracked glass formed on the tip of my staff, and I smiled. The monster got in range, and without hesitating, I crashed my staff into it's side with a satisfying slam! The glass at the tip shattered and it sank into the monster, blue blood beginning to leak.

[Fishers is now Bleeding!]

I clicked on the debuff for a quick explanation.

[Bleeding!] Debuff

Duration: 10 Seconds

Health regeneration is halved. Lose 10 HP every second.

Nice! I jumped back and used another surge of Arcane Storm, and once more, all five hit their mark. The fish was unbothered though and rushed me. Caught off guard, I braced for a hit, only for Yui to come in from the side and hit the monster with her pipe, directly in the face!

His momentum was completely stopped, buying me time to fall back and use Arcane Storm once more.

Despite so much happening, only a few moments had actually passed. It had barely been a minute since the fight had started. I quickly checked the monsters' health.

Bio

Name: Fishers

Title: The Wet

HP: 3,233/4,000

Level: 40

I couldn't help but grin. It may have been strong, but it was just a goldfish in the end. Yui and I were absolutely tearing into it!

"We're going for another, Yui!" I roared, and ran forward.

"Right!"

Surprised by our yells and charge, Fishers was caught unprepared for the onslaught of attacks. I hit it first with my staff enhanced with a Power Blow, then Yui hit the poor fish in the eye (I winced at that), I then whacked it in it's gut, and Yui finished with another slam to it's side.

I jumped back, and Yui tried to do the same, but the monster grabbed her by her leg before she got out of it's range. She couldn't do anything as it threw her into a nearby store, crashing through the front window.

"Yui!" I fought my instincts to go check on her and kept my eye on the fish. I'm glad I did, because he then tried to do the same to me. He lunged forward, surprisingly human hands outstretched, but I hit them away.

At least, I tried. The monster grabbed my staff, and just like the time before, I had to let go to avoid getting hurt as he threw it way down the street, out of reach. Unlike last time though, I had a back up plan. I checked my mana real quick.

Status

Name: Jet Nirati

Titles: B-Class Hero

Level: 16

HP: 900/900

MP: 840/960

Still plenty in the tank! I threw another Arcane Storm, but the big old fish had learned, and managed to jump out of the way of the five arcs of mana. He then charged, hands ready for a brawl.

I snarled at the charging monster. "A fist fight?! Fine by me!" I used Sharp Edge once more, and my hands were coated in glass. I then leapt forward and threw a punch, the blow connecting right in it's face.

[Critical hit! Double damage!]

He tried to slug me in the stomach, but thanks to my better reactions, I managed to weave out of the way and land another blow to his side.

[Fishers is now Bleeding!]

Sharp Edge then wore off, and I used a Power Blow and tried to hit his face, but the monster jumped back. I tried chasing, but it caught me off guard by rushing forward once more. I tried to move, but I was too late, and got punched in the shoulder. I immediately heard something pop, and pain flared all down my arm as I was knocked back. Did my arm just dislocate?!

-198 HP!

[Bludgeoning Resistance has leveled up twice!]

Fuck that hit hard! Game, what's his HP at?!

Bio

Name: Fishers

Title: The Wet

HP: 2,289/4,000

Level: 40

I scowled and adjusted my shoulder, all pain miraculously gone. I took a couple breaths, noticing that I was panting a little bit, before charging forward once more. I reeled back my fist, cocked and ready, turned on Power Blow, and shot it at the monster. It was fast, heavy, and Fishers fucking CAUGHT IT.

I admit, my mind kind of blanked at that. I was actually more impressed than anything at the moment.

The monster reared his other fist back intending on paying me back, but before he could throw it, a surprising return of Yui crashed into his side, feet first. The fish was sent flying, giving both of us a moment to breathe.

"Yui!" I yelled, surprised. I then hit her with an Observe to see if she was alright.

Bio

Name: Yui Kaiyo

Age: 18

HP: 991/1,300

Level: 17

I blinked in surprise before double checking. 1,300?! How the-What the hell was this?! AND she was a higher level?!

Damn!

I shook my head to clear my thoughts (and slight jealousy) and asked, "You good?"

She nodded. "Thankfully the only thing I hit was the glass. The inside was practically empty."

Which was how she lost so little health. She was cut and bruised, but still raring to go. I sighed in relief before turning my attention back to Fishers, who was slowly picking himself off the ground. "Think you could distract it for a second? I need to grab my staff." She wordlessly nodded, so I sprinted towards my staff without looking back.

I heard two pairs of feet start running, a loud slam, and something hitting the ground. Right as the noise stopped, I finally grabbed my staff and turned around, expecting the worst, only to see the monster on the ground holding it's right eye as Yui stood tall, momentarily victorious.

Fishers slammed it's fists into the ground, cracking it, before pushing itself up and throwing a quick left hook at Yui. Surprised, she barely put her pipe in front of the attack before it connected, sending her flying down the street with a cry.

With the monster focused elsewhere, I rushed forward and slammed my staff into it's head.

[Surprise attack! Double damage!]

[Critical hit! Double damage!]

[Staff Mastery has leveled up twice!]

Fishers fell to the ground in pain, and as it did I placed a hand on it's side. "Arcane Storm." I felt five pulses of magic come from my hand, and then immediately surged into Fishers, the monster flinching each time a bolt hit it.

The human-sized fish tried to stand up once more with it's hands, but I quickly whacked it's arms, causing them to give out. It flopped back on the floor. Without hesitation, it tried to push itself back up again.

I whacked it's arms again.

It flopped back onto the ground.

"…Huh."

After a few moments of silence, the monster tried picking itself up again. As it did, I heard the sound of Yui rushing back towards us.

I took a step back.

Rightfully so, as Yui slammed her pipe into Fishers' back, the poor thing once more falling to the ground. "Stop throwing me, stupid freaking fish!"

Undeterred, Fishers once more tried to stand, but with a Power Blow, I slammed my staff into it's back once more.

[Lucky Hit! Double damage!]

I wish I could say that we ended the fight in a really dramatic and cool way, but Yui was pissed at getting tossed around like a hacky sack and just continuously whacked the monster into oblivion. I watched in real time as it's health dropped from 900 to 800 to 700, Yui's continual strikes not letting up for a moment.

In terms of intelligence, Fishers was smarter than any other goldfish in existence, but in the end, it was still a goldfish. It kept tried to get up using it's arms and legs, but every time it tried, Yui just hit the monster in the joints, causing it to fall again.

Yui continued her onslaught until Fisher's HP dropped to zero, where I then had to pull her off the body of the monster as she kept ramming her pipe into his already mashed skull. "Leave some energy for the second Tiger! We still have one more to go!"

She blinked in realization before nodding. "Right!"

[Auto-loot?]

[Yes!] [No!]

Yes, but show me later!

[Okay!]

As we ran to the next monster, I pulled out my phone and reported to the Association, "First Tiger-level disaster defeated! We're enroute to the second one!"

We ran for a few minutes before eventually we came across a road that went over a small river. Standing in the middle of it was a humanoid monster, which was currently laughing like a lunatic to the skies. I hit them with an Observe.

Bio

Name: Red Candle

Title: Burning Hot

Age: 56 Minutes

Sex: M

Height: 5'6"

Hair: Orange Flames

Eyes: White

Likes: Candles, Fire, Natto

Dislikes: Water, Cold temperatures, Dogs

HP: 38

Level: 3,800/3,800

Reputation/Affection: [0/100]

Your Relation: Doesn't Know You

Description: What was once an ordinary man, Red Candle changed into the creature he is by tripping on a rock and falling onto his favorite red candle. Now, he is a monster beyond human compassion, and wishes to cover the world in his own personal flames.

"HAAAAAAAAHAHAHA! My fire cannot be stopped! Not until the world burns brighter than a supernova! For I, Red Candle, will burn FOREVER!" He cried, his long fire (literally) orange hair whipping in the wind.

We took a look around, but didn't actually see any destruction. I raised my hand. "Excuse me, Mr. Red Candle?"

He turned to us. "Yes, mortals?"

I gestured around and asked, "Where is the destruction?"

He pointed behind us where a single man, who I quickly recognized as Tank-Top Black Hole, was laying on the ground, covered in scorch marks and knocked out.

"Huh." I poked the man, and he twitched. I turned back to Yui. "Guess that's why he's ranked as a Tiger." I glanced at the monster and asked, "Hey, how come you haven't done anything else?"

Red Candle glanced at the river before turning away. After a moment of silence, he muttered something. We couldn't hear it though, because he was too quiet.

Yui and I looked at each other. "What?"

"I said…!" Red Candle's voice faded, and he began muttering once more, glaring at the river he was on top of.

Suddenly, I had an idea. I asked, a little louder, "What?!" The moment I did, I turned on Erase Presence, crouched, and began walking forward.

Red Candle, a little louder, yelled, "I SAID…!" Before once more muttering the rest of his sentence. He even kicked the ground a little, visibly dejected.

I was a little closer, still slowly sneaking up on him. I turned to Yui and gestured her to continue, and she nodded. "WHAT?!"

"I can't say it!" He yelled back, still not looking our way. "It's embarrassing!"

I was on the bridge itself now. Just a little more and I was gonna have the perfect opportunity. I gestured Yui to keep stalling. "I, uh…" She stumbled for a moment before saying, "Just because we're heroes doesn't mean we're cruel! We won't laugh!"

Red Candle sniffed, still not looking our way. "Really? You promise?"

I was right behind him. I smiled. "Promise."

Red Candle jumped and tried to turn around, but he was too late. I wrapped my arms around his waist, picked him up, and then threw him over board. As he fell, he cried, "I'm afraid of water because it'll kill me!"

With a splash, Red Candle fell into the shallow river, his fire permanently extinguished.

[Auto-loot?]

[Yes!] [No!]

I smiled as I selected yes and turned to Yui, giving her a thumbs up. She walked over and laughed. "That… was surprisingly easy!"

I nodded. "Right?! Now, let's hurry back to the X-City branch and-!"

"Not bad you two!" Yui and I looked upwards, and sitting on a nearby building was Tatsumaki herself, a sly grin on her face. "But still too slow! I was done with all of my fights before you defeated the fish monster!"

[You have failed Timed Tiger Take Downs!]

[Timed Tiger Take Downs!]

Objective:

1. Defeat both Tiger-level threats before the Tornado of Terror herself, Tatsumaki, arrives! (0/1)

Rewards:

1. +500 EXP, +100,000 Currency, +4 Standard Gacha Coin, +19 Reputation with Tatsumaki

Failure:

1. No rewards, so sad!

I clicked my tongue in disappointment. To think I'd actually fail a Quest… unbelievable!

Unaware of my thoughts, Tornado continued, "I won't lie though, you two are a little better than most of the nobodies." She brushed some of her hair out of the way before continuing, "It was acceptable."

[+4 Reputation with Tatsumaki!]

Tatsumaki then flew away before either of us could say a word. I sighed and leaned against the railings of the bridge we were on and turned to Yui, who was physically shaking. "Hey, relax. I know things didn't end up like we wanted, but-"

"SHE SPOKE TO ME! SHE PRAISED ME!" Yui squealed, jumping up and down in excitement.

I slumped forward a little, slightly confused. "You're… not upset?"

She turned around and cried, "Jet, we just started! It's a miracle she even entertained us! To get actual praise from the Number 2 Hero herself… this is the best day ever!"

I gave a small huff in amusement before asking, "So, how was that patrol, huh? Two Tigers in one day? More than enough for you to get promoted."

She laughed and hugged me for a moment before letting go. "That's right! Oh! Can we go to the X-Branch now? I wanna request an item! I forgot to do that last time!"

I nodded. We quickly reported both monsters and their locations before heading back to the X-Branch. In the heat of the moment, I had actually forgotten the main reason I wanted to go in the first place, which was to upgrade my equipment. So, with a pep in our steps, we headed back to base.

As we headed back, I heard a small ding in my head and a green message popped up.

[You have leveled up 5 times!]

[STR has hit 100! Your perk has upgraded!]

[VIT has hit 100! Your perk has upgraded!]

[DEX has hit 100! Your perk has upgraded!]

[INT has hit 100! Your perk has upgraded!]

[WIS has hit 100! Your perk has upgraded!]

[CHA has hit 100! Your perk has upgraded!]

[LUK has hit 150! Your perk has upgraded!]

[Muscle Memory II] STR

All strength-based Skills and Abilities require 30% less EXP to level up!

Blah blah blah, something something… fear the guy who swung a million times!

[Longer Buffs II] VIT

All buff timers are tripled.

Your body is so healthy, it actively draws as much positive effects from consumables as it possibly can.

[Better Reactions II] DEX

Your reaction times are cut down to a quarter of time normally needed.

Think fast!

[No Wands II] INT

Mana can now be used without any appendages.

Who needs fingers? I can just use MY MIND!

[Better Memory II] WIS

You are able to collect and retain information a lot better.

Remember, Intelligence is how long it'll take you to solve a problem. Wisdom is whether you should bother solving the problem at all!

[Preferred Looks II] CHA

User's appearance is now slightly attractive.

Be it human, monster, robot, or incomprehensible mass of flesh, everyone sees you as slightly attractive! Hooray!

[Lucky Hit III] LUK

User has a LUK * 0.7% chance of getting a Critical Hit, regardless of where the User strikes.

Be it leg, face, or even big toe, you now have the chance to deal double damage no matter what you hit! Lucky!

Nice!

[Here's all the loot you got by the way!]

[+10 Goldfish Scales!]

[+1 Gacha Coin!]

[+1 Candle Wick!]

[+24 Red Candle Wax!]

[+1 Fire Essence!]

All this loot PLUS a gacha coin?! Guess the Game was giving me a pity coin for failing my first Quest, but I'll take it! As we walked home, my smile couldn't have been bigger! Time for some upgrades!

I was in the workshop, and there were the three crafting areas from One Piece. The anvil, the furnace, and the workbench. Also just like in the One Piece world, crafting was a piece of cake. If I had materials, all items with that material in it would show up on the recipes. If I had all the materials for that item, I could select it and it'd appear. Easy!

I walked up to the workbench and immediately started browsing. I eyed a few items, but I decided to get some armor before anything else.

[Centipede Helmet]

+4 Defense

A shiny brown helmet with two pincer-like horns. Inside is suited with… fur?

[Centipede Chestplate]

+6 Defense

A shiny brown chestplate. The shoulder pads are surprisingly large.

[Centipede Greaves]

+5 Defense

A shiny brown pair of greaves, with insectoid claws near the tip of each boot. Surprisingly good for climbing.

I immediately equipped the armor set and hid it. I watched in real-time as my set disappeared, and yet I felt confident that I could tank heavier blows. I love armor!

Next up was a weapon upgrade! Before I did though, I pulled out my gacha coin and broke it. Maybe I'd get something good…?

[A new item has appeared in your inventory!]

I took a look.

[Demon's Scythe] Rare

Equipment

Once equipped, all magics have natural light. All magical attacks can pierce once.

A grimoire from the underworld that contains powerful demonic enchantments. Don't give this to any senile wizards.

I whistled in appreciation and equipped it, but was slightly bummed at no new weapons or spells. Call me spoiled, but I was ready to get a godly weapon for this world!

Oh well.

With that out of the way, I browsed to see what I could craft once more. Glancing at my inventory, I had a single Fire and Water Essence, a Nuclear Battery, some scales from the goldfish monster, a wick, and some wax.

The materials I had all seemed pretty rare, as I was able to glance at some pretty powerful weapons, but I wasn't able to craft any of them. There was only one I could make, and while it was definitely an upgrade, it wasn't as powerful as I would've liked. Still, I decided to make it. Better than nothing, right?

[Red Taper]

Attack Power: 30 + STRx1.1

Slight chance to inflict [Burning!] debuff.

A bo-staff made from the remains of a candle-themed monster. The wick on both edges of this weapon are forever lit, desires never ceasing, even after death. May all your foes burn.

I pulled it out of my inventory and gave it a look. It was a solid six feet, and giving it a couple test swings, it felt sturdy and tough. I smiled in satisfaction. "Nice."

"Now THAT is a weapon!"

I blinked, turned towards the voice, and immediately used Observe on them.

Bio

Name: Kira "Needle Star" Ito

Title: B-Class Hero

Age: 26

Sex: M

Height: 5'9"

Hair: Blonde

Eyes: Black

Likes: Strength, Cats, Himself

Dislikes: Monsters, Sushi, Authority

HP: 1,570/1,570

Level: 29

Reputation/Affection: [0/100]

Your Relation: Co-Worker

Description: Quick to anger and even quicker to throw fists, Kira had developed a fighting streak when he was younger when he witnessed some older kids picking on his friends. While he was thanked, his friends also grew scared of him because of his violence. So, throughout his school years, he was alone and isolated. Still, he did his best to fight for what's right. Once the Hero Association was created, Kira immediately dropped out of his old job and joined. He rose through the ranks quickly, but was poached by the Blizzard Group the moment he entered B-Class. After six months of working under Fubuki, he was kicked out due to a difference of ideologies and personal pride.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Needle Star?"

The man, unkempt business suit and all, swaggered forward as he twirled his chain-mace. "Jet Nirati, right? Your staff looks sturdy, and the fires could definitely give a monster a nasty burn. Not bad, rookie. Not bad."

I raised an eyebrow. "Thanks, I suppose. Am I in your way?"

He shook his head with a smirk. "Nah. Saw you walking in and wanted to meet the new B-Class, so here we are."

I smiled. "Makes sense." I stuck out a hand and said, "It's a pleasure."

He slapped my hand in response. "I ain't too big on formality. As long as you do your job, I won't complain. Got it?"

I shrugged and pulled my hand back. "Again, makes sense." I flashed him a challenging grin. "Guess I'll have to show you up, huh?"

His smirk widened. "Damn right."

"Well," I began, "nice meeting you, but I gotta bounce. Got stuff to do, you know?"

I was about to walk out when he grabbed my arm. "Wait a second." I turned back, and all levity was gone from his face. He warned, "Plenty of heroes ain't happy with your sudden promotion. It's rare for a person to start off as a B-Class, and because of it, there's gonna be a LOT of eyes on ya. Not all of them good."

I shrugged his hand off and turned around to properly face him. "That rare, huh? Not trying to say the warning is unappreciated, but there's video evidence of what I did. Why are other heroes upset by that?"

He clicked his tongue, looking a little annoyed. "Some bastards feel like they deserve the world, ya know? They don't care what you've done to get where you are, just that you're there and they ain't. It's jealously and envy." He sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Guess I'm just giving you a heads up that some fellas won't be the biggest fan of you or your partner."

"Wait a minute," I raised an eyebrow and asked, "Me, I can get. But what's wrong with Yui? She's still C-Class."

The ex-Blizzard Group member nodded. "Yeah, but she's near the top. Wouldn't be surprised if a couple heroes of more experience try to crush her."

I scowled and crossed my arms. "Rookie crushing is a thing?" I knew Snek did it, but I thought it was more of him just wanting to kick Saitama's ass rather than defending his rank.

Needle Star continued, "And I doubt it'll be long before you both experience it." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of gum. "Just wanted to give you a heads up. Rookie crushing isn't very common, but neither is starting off as a B-Class. Make sense? Add in the two Tigers you both got, and heads are definitely gonna turn." He popped the gum into his mouth and began chewing. "Anyways, that's all I wanted to say. Good luck, Nirati. Don't die." And with that, he was gone.

Huh.

What a nice guy, for such a tough exterior.

With that said, I walked out of the workshop as well, and saw Yui chatting up an Association member. As I got closer, I started hearing her conversation. "-and it would be really nice if I could get a trident! I have this whole plan in mind, and it's really help if you guys could make it for me! Oh, and I also want a pair of unbreakable goggles and-!"

"I never thought you'd be so specific on something like this," I interrupt, to the employee's relief.

She turned to me with a smile. "Well, can you blame me?! Being a hero has been my dream since high school, and now it's real! I want to be perfect!"

I asked with a raised eyebrow, "Not to be rude, but I'm already done with everything I came to do. Do you know how long you'll be? I was thinking of getting the computer for Echo."

Yui's eyes widened as she remembered my other task given to me. "Oh yeah, I forgot!" She hummed before declaring, "I'll be fine! You go on ahead, alright?"

I gave her a smile. "You got it. I'll see you at my apartment then?" She nodded, and I was about to leave when Needle Star's warning echoed in my mind. "Oh yeah, just as a heads up, we might get rookie crushed."

She paused for a moment, processing what I said. "Crushed?"

I nodded. "Needle Star, another B-Rank hero, gave me a heads up that we're progressing kinda fast, so some people don't like us. They're jealous, essentially."

Quiet up to this point, the Hero Association member asked, "You mean rookie crushing? That's… that's wrong!"

I smiled. "Yeah, but heroes are people too, right? Of course they're gonna be jealous of us, we're amazing!" Yui blushed, but didn't say anything, so I continued, "Plus, they're heroes. Whether they became one because of money, fame, or just for doing the right thing, as long as they're producing results, does it matter?"

Yui shook her head to clear her thoughts and asked, "But rookie crushing is wrong, isn't it?"

I nodded as I clarified, "Don't get me wrong. If someone tries to mess with us, we should definitely report them to the higher ups, but if it doesn't work out, or the crushers try again, then we'll have to take things into our own hands. That's what I'm thinking, anyways." I cracked my knuckles with a smile. "Kids these days only respect strength, so we should show them that, yeah?"

For a moment, Yui stared at me, incredulous, before a snort escaped from her. She held back the rest of her laughs before they bubbled up, a hand over her mouth and another over her stomach. "I – Oh my God Jet. You're ridiculous! You don't even look twenty!"

I huffed and crossed my arms, looking away from her with a small glare. "I have lived on this plane for almost two whole decades. I deserve some respect here!"

She patted my arm, consoling me, "Don't worry Grandpa, I respect you plenty."

We stared at each other for a minute before we both erupted into uproarious laughter, catching the attention of a couple nearby workers as we did. After taking a moment to calm down, I wiped a stray tear away and asked, "Anyways, will you be fine? People are different than monsters."

She gave me a smile. "Thanks for worrying Jet, but I'll be fine. Go get what you need, I'll meet you back at your apartment."

I smiled back and hugged her. "Sweet. See you there then!" She reciprocated the hug, and after a moment we broke off. "See you soon, Jet."

And then I left.

It took around half an hour, but I finally found an electronics shop and managed to buy Echo a pretty decent laptop. The entire time I was pestering the System about what they had done to me, but they hadn't answered back. I went in and grabbed a laptop, bought for around 360,000 yen. I winced at the price, but oh well. I paid in cash and headed out, the laptop in a small box that had a handle.

I was gonna try to interrogate the System again when I was stopped in the middle of the street by two men in business suits. I immediately hit them with an Observe, recognizing them.

Bio

Name: Masahiro "Eyelashes" Matsuge

Title: Blizzard's Vice President

Age: 23

Sex: M

Height: 5'10"

Hair: Light Brown

Eyes: Black

Likes: Tuna, His Eyelashes, Strong Allies

Dislikes: Bubble Gum, Dirty Clothes, Cockiness

HP: 2,600/2,600

Level: 39

Reputation/Affection: [0/100]

Your Relation: Co-Worker/Potential Recruit

Description: Eyelashes was just a normal guy, truth be told. Had a 9-to-5, worked overtime when needed, and was respected by his fellow office workers. However, he always strived for more in life. He didn't want to live his whole life doing such boring things. He wanted adventure, action, and camaraderie! When the Hero Association was created, he was one of the first to sign up. It wasn't long after did when disaster struck, and right as he was about to lose his life, Blizzard of Hell, Fubuki, saved him. Ever since, he vowed to always fight for her, and to make her reach the top.

I quickly turned to the other green screen.

Bio

Name: Tsuyo "Mountain Ape" Gori

Title: B-Class Hero

Age: 34

Sex: M

Height: 7'2"

Hair: Black

Eyes: Black

Likes: Meat, Fubuki, Jungles

Dislikes: Bananas, Cramped Spaces, Monsters, Weakness

HP: 3,520/3,520

Level: 36

Reputation/Affection: [0/100]

Your Relation: Co-Worker/Hopeful Recruit

Description: At the age of 16, Tsuyo was kicked out of his home by his parents, them deeming him old enough to take care of himself. Homeless and confused, he wandered the streets until he was involved in an attempted mugging, and he beat the mugger black and blue with his natural-born strength. Realizing how strong he really was, he immediately dived into construction and made himself some good money, for a time. Then he met Fubuki. She recruited him into the Blizzard Group, and with the help of the other members, quickly rose to become of the strongest in the group. He will be forever grateful to her for giving his life and strength a new – and better – purpose.

Eyelashes was the first to speak. He gave a small bow and asked, "Jet Nirati?"

I nodded in response. "Eyelashes and Mountain Ape, yeah?"

Visibly surprised, he asked, "You heard of us?"

I gave him a smirk. "You're more famous than you think." I walked past them and demanded, "Walk with me. I've got stuff to do." I saw them both narrow their gazes, but they surprisingly began keeping pace with me. "So," I began, "What do the big-wigs of the Blizzard Group want with little ol' me?"

Immediately, Eyelashes laid out his offer. "Join the Blizzard Group. With your strength, you'll be able to secure a decently high spot in B-Class quite fast." He then pulled out a pamphlet and gave it to me.

"The Blizzard Bunch?" I asked as I browsed it's contents. "So this is based off a salary too… An extra ten thousand yen? Not bad, not bad… Every Friday there's a get-together? With LOBSTER?!" I turned my gaze back to the two, both having smug looks on their face. "Not gonna lie, I'm real tempted." I pocketed the pamphlet and asked, "Anything else?"

Mountain Ape, who'd been silent 'till this point, rumbled, "Lady Fubuki would like to personally meet you."

I nodded. "I figured. Can you give me-"

He narrowed his eyes. "Now."

At that, I stopped walking. After a moment, I turned to face them properly. I raised an eyebrow, crossed my arms, and asked, "What's your end goal?"

Eyelashes tilted his head a little. "I'm afraid I don't know what you mean."

"Well," I began, "Every group has a reason to form. Alliances and shit, you know? What's the Blizzard Group's reason for existing?"

The two members of said group glanced at each other before Eyelashes spoke up once more. "Stability and power." When I beckoned him to keep going, he explained, "When a hero fights a monster on their own, the risk of them dying is large. No one wants to die, which is why alliances are formed. The Tank Top Army, the C-Class Hero Alliance, and us – the Blizzard Group – are all groups formed from a desire to survive and thrive against villains without the risk of losing our lives." He sighed and mumbled, "That's the main reason, anyways." Seeing my questioning gaze, he elaborated, "That's not the case for all groups or members though. Some simply wish for stability. They can't rise to the top, so they've decided to coast on by while doing menial work for the alliances or groups."

I nodded in acceptance, despite them not actually answering my question. So, I decided to tell the truth. "I'm planning on taking the number one spot in the S-Class." Their faces immediately expressed doubt, and I couldn't help but laugh. "I know, I know. It's a lofty dream, yeah? But…" I gave them a confident smirk and declared, "I'm gonna get there or die trying. There won't be any in-between."

In the middle of the street, ignoring all the stares and whispers of the civilians around us, we stared at each other. Both members of the Blizzard Group looked me in my eyes, searching for any uncertainty or hesitance, but I knew they didn't find any when they both slightly relaxed their posture.

The Vice-President sighed, having lost all drive to recruit me. "We'll inform Lady Fubuki about this, but she doesn't take no very kindly."

"Thanks." I saw them turn away. Before they left completely, I called out to them. "One last thing!" Eyelashes turned to me, and I offered, "I'd prefer to be friends rather than enemies. If you guys need anything, I wouldn't mind giving a helping hand."

The two looked at each other before Mountain Ape snorted. "Sure, we'll let you know."

[+5 Reputation with Eyelashes!]

[+5 Reputation with Mountain Ape!]

And they were gone.

I was a little put off by them brushing me off, but whatever. I continued my walk home. I had other things to do.

"I'm home!" I cried as I swung my apartment door open.

"Welcome home Jet!" Waiting for me at the entrance was Echo, a big ol' smile on her face as I walked in.

Not wasting time, I offered the box to her. "I found a decently strong one. I was originally gonna get a tower but decided a laptop would be easier for transportation," I explained as she gingerly took the machine from my hands.

Her eyes sparkled and her mouth was a wide grin as she read the details to herself, scanning the entire box for any info.

[+5 Reputation with Echo!]

She set the box down and swooped me up with a hug, laughing all the way. "Thank you so much Jet! This is so much better than I expected!" She let me go and zipped back to the table in the center of the general room, where she quickly unboxed the computer and started fiddling with it. "With this, I can learn so much more, and at a much quicker pace!"

I couldn't help but chuckle at her one-track mind. "Don't overdo it, alright? There's such a thing as information overload."

She absently nodded, already to distracted with her new toy. "Right… right…"

I huffed in amusement. As I watched her start up the device though, I got hit with an idea. "Hey, Echo," I began, and she looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "I'm not saying you have to, but do you think you could use that incredible super computer brain of yours to, oh I don't know, get incredibly profitable through stocks?"

She tilted her head a little and frowned. "You want me to become a stock trader?"

I shrugged my shoulders and said, "It's up to you, but I figured it'd be easy money, you know?"

She placed a finger to her lip as she gave a small hum in contemplation. "I'm afraid that while I certainly can do my best to predict how the stock market will fluctuate, I don't think it's something I wish to do." I nodded in understanding. If she didn't wanna do it, no biggie. "Besides, I'm already helping you with something else, right?"

My eyes widened. "You already have an idea?"

She smirked. "Although we just met, I am certainly not blind to the affection Yui holds for you." Yeah, and it was pretty damn high… "I'm guessing you don't know what to do from here though?"

I winced at that, looking away from her curious gaze. "I wasn't always like… this. I could hold a conversation, but I wasn't very smart. I couldn't read people in general." I shrugged. "I think I got better, but because of it I've never had a relationship, and I genuinely don't know what to do. Do I just… keep doing what I'm doing?"

"Not quite." Seeing my raised eyebrow, she explained, "You're in an interesting spot right now. Mostly because a girl is heavily crushing on you, you know it, and you clearly don't intend on stopping with her." I shamelessly nodded. "I'm more surprised that you care for her back. From the way you explained everything I thought you just wanted to collect women like trophies."

I internally winced. "Haha, yeah… That changed." She tilted her head a little, so I continued. "I mean, to be honest, I see this as a new start. So… why not indulge in this new life? Do what I want, you know?" Echo silently listened without judgment, a small smile on her face. "Yeah, that went out the window as soon as I met Yui. Maybe it's just who I've always been, but I whenever I'm near her, I feel safe. I feel like I could take on the whole world with her by my side, you know?"

Echo's grin widened and her eyes took on a hint of amusement as she asked, "So, you could say you love her?"

Without hesitation, I nodded. "I do. I love her a lot. It's only been a few days, but I would do anything for her."

[+20 Affection with Yui!]

Wait a minute.

"R-Really?!" I whirled around, and Yui was standing in the doorway, face redder than a tomato, eyes wide and jaw dropped.

I glanced back at Echo, who had the SMUGGEST grin on her face, before I turned my attention back to Yui. "Yep." Her face got redder somehow, and she proceeded to faint right then and there. I rushed over and caught her before she hit the ground, and I gave Echo an exasperated groan. "Seriously?"

She gave a titter before returning to her laptop. "Well, it seems like I managed to help you out, yes? Congratulations!"

I could do nothing but sigh. "A little warning would've been appreciated."

"Well, it wouldn't have been as genuine, would it?"

She wasn't wrong, but I had a feeling that if I admitted that, she wasn't gonna let it go. I simply shrugged as I moved Yui to my bed and laid her on it. She mumbled something, but I wasn't able to decipher it.

I turned back to Echo, grin still on her face as she typed away. I rolled my eyes and turned on the tv as I settled down across from her. Nothing was really happening at the moment, so might as well relax for a bit and watch the news, yeah?

A couple hours later, Yui woke up and quickly retreated to her apartment, muttering a quick goodbye and quickly escaping the room. I couldn't help but chuckle. By then, the sun had set, so I decided to go to bed.

To One Piece!

I slowly woke up, the gentle creaking of the ship coasting across sea helping me get my bearings. I got out of bed, stretched, and walked out onto the deck, where Ozaki was already training.

She repeatedly swung her sword, doing the same swing every time. She glanced up at me for a moment before focusing back to her set. Seeing she was busy, I decided to check my stats and sort my inventory.

Status

Name: Jin Tetari

Titles: Petty Officer, Sneaky Bastard

Level: 20

HP: 1,150/1,150

WP: 1,110/1,110 (WIS)

STR: 138

VIT: 115

DEX: 110

INT: 114

WIS: 111

CHA: 115

LUK: 137

Bonus Points: 55

Currency: 393,500

"Looking good Jin," I muttered to myself. "Looking good."

"Good morning." I glanced up from my green screen and saw Ozaki standing in front of me, covered in sweat. "What are you doing?"

"Just thinking," I lied. "We don't have a map, so I was thinking of drawing my own for the moment. While I don't know the exact location of the islands here, I do know the cardinal directions and general topography of the world. From there, we could get a good idea of where we need to go."

The Demon Slayer nodded. "Makes sense. Right now, we're literally just drifting the ocean, so anything is better than nothing, right?"

"Got it in one! If we're lucky, maybe we'll find an island sooner than later." Although I was the one who said it, my own words made me pause. Luck, huh? "System," I whispered, "put all bonus points into Luck."

[+1 Reputation with !#$%]

[LUK has hit 150! Your perk has upgraded!]

[Lucky Findings III] LUK

The chances of encountering lucky events have quadrupled!

Soon enough, you'll find a field of four-leaf clovers while it rains lucky horseshoes!

With a Perk like that, I'll have so much luck I won't even NEED to do anything! Hell yeah!

"Jin?" I snapped out of my own reverie and focused on Ozaki, who was staring at me with a slightly furrowed brow. "Are you alright? You were making a weird face and spacing out…"

Guess I shouldn't get too excited. "Yeah, sorry. Just thinking about how… uh… How I managed to get such a dedicated crew member! You're already practicing with your sword, and it's barely eight in the morning! You're amazing!"

[+1 Reputation with Ozaki!]

She gave a small sly smile. "Is that so…?"

There's no way she actually bought that, and we both knew it. I gave a chuckle before I admitted, "Alright, I'll be honest. I'm a lucky guy, you see? So I was just thinking how funny it'd be if we didn't even need a map to go where we needed to. You know, cause I'm lucky."

She rolled her eyes. "Luck can't solve everything, you know? Without proper preparations and planning, I imagine it's very easy to lose your life out at sea. Keeping stock of food, drinkable water, hygiene, and storage are things I can think of right now, but I'm sure there's more!" Although she wasn't upset, she still raised her voice in excitement. "It's not like our answer will just fall from the sky!"

It was then a giant bird fell from the sky.

Landing without a single bit of grace, a giant white and black bird crashed into the deck, catching both mine and Ozaki's attention. After a moment, we realized the animal wasn't moving, so we both walked over to it.

The thing was huge, the size of a horse! A white body, yellow beak, and black spots around the eye, I immediately recognized the guy. "A Roc bird?" Ozaki heard me and raised a brow. I explained, "Roc birds are known for having magical power in their blood. I don't know much else though."

Ozaki crouched down and gasped. "It's still alive, but this thing is covered in injuries!"

It was then I finally decided to use Observe on it.

Bio

Name: Balloon

Title: The Last Roc

Age: 7

Sex: M

Height: 8'1"

Feathers: Black and White

Eyes: Black

Likes: Fish, beds, Anne

Dislikes: Pirates

HP: 97/600

Level: 11

Reputation/Affection: [0/100]

Your Relation: Doesn't Know You

Description: The last Roc bird in existence, Balloon was chased all around the Blues by various pirates and criminals due to the rumors regarding his blood. It was only after he met Anne, a sweet young lady from Dawnto, a town on Toroa Island, that he finally found peace. She treated him with care and love, and he loved her back. He would do anything to protect her.

Oof, heavy stuff. Still, I was a little confused. Balloon wasn't canon, so was I in a different world? The System said I was in One Piece though, not Romance Dawn… Hm…

"Jin, do we have any medical supplies?"

I turned to attention to Ozaki, who was examining Balloon all over. "You wanna treat this guy?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

She shot me a narrowed gaze. "You don't?"

"Frankly, I have no idea if any of our medicine will help, but we can definitely wrap him up." She nodded in agreement, so I pulled up the Map of Dynami and looked for a sick bay. I couldn't find one. "Seriously? Do I seriously have to buy one?" With a sigh I pulled up the screen for ship customizing, scrolled to the upgrades section, and immediately closed the screen since it cost 500,000 Beri to upgrade a room to a clinic.

Well, there went that idea. Did my bathroom come with anything?

Each bedroom came with a personal bathroom, you see. Inside each one was a shower, a sink, a cabinet, and a mirror. So, I walked into my own and opened up my cabinet, and was pleasantly surprised at the med-kit inside. I grabbed it and went back to the deck, where Ozaki was tending to Balloon.

She saw me and held her hand out, silently demanding the kit. I complied and handed it to her. She popped it open and asked, "Can you stay quiet while I work on this thing? I don't want to lose focus."

I shrugged. "Sure. Just let me know if you need anything else."

She nodded, but didn't verbally respond. So, I sat down next to her, watching her do basic aid on one of the most bizarre creatures I've ever seen.

It took about an hour, but the Demon Slayer managed to patch up most of the wounds on Balloon. After that, we let the guy rest for another couple hours. It was around noon when we heard the bird gain consciousness, due to the squawking and ruffled feathers. I was already on the deck due to practicing my sword (Ozaki was making some food for lunch), so I called out to the guy.

"Hey, bird."

The guy froze his attempts of getting up and turned to me, eyes wide with fear. It let out a small squawk.

"So, uh… you alright? Ozaki had to patch you up, so… you good?" This was, admittedly, the first time I had a serious conversation with a bird, so I really didn't know what to say.

Balloon tilted his head before checking himself. His eyes lit up in understanding, and he quickly… bowed? What the hell?

"Ah, well, it's no biggie. I didn't even do much, to be honest. It was mostly Ozaki." He sent me a questioning gaze, so I elaborated, "My Vice-Captain. First Mate? We're Marines, you see."

At that, he quickly got up and started… miming? He threw his wings up and down, like he was flying, and then he made some kind of noise as he swerved around the deck.

"Oh… A guessing game!" He nodded, so I started guessing. "So, you were… flying?" He nodded, and I continued. "And you were… dodging?" He nodded. "Bullets?" Another nod. "So you were flying around and were trying to dodge someone shooting at you?" He squawked in confirmation and continued his charades.

"…You're… a panda!"

Wrong.

"You're a bird!"

Correct!

"You… you're being hunted?"

Correct!

"By… Marines?"

Wrong.

"Bounty hunters?!"

Wrong!

"TERRORISTS?!"

WRONG!

"…Pirates?"

Correct!

This continued for around fifteen minutes, until I finally got bored of messing with the poor bird. "Alright, let me do a Hail Mary. You were attacked by a bunch of pirates that are after your blood, and you ran away from your home due to these pirates coming? And you got attacked by them as you tried to flee the island?" He squawked in happiness, and I asked, "Is it close? The island, I mean." He nodded, and I groaned in pure relief. Right as I did, a small ding rang in my ears.

[You've received a new Quest!]

[Birds, Water Striders, and Pandas!]

Objective:

1. Defeat Shupeal the Hexagon and his pirate force! (0/1)

Rewards:

1. +800 EXP, +1 Will Shard, +100,000 Currency, +1 Vial of Magic Blood

Failure:

Death, Destroyed Town, Balloon killed

Description:

After figuring out what exactly Balloon wanted, it turns out a pirate crew is on their way to Toroa Island, where they believe a whole flock of Roc birds live, and they're willing to torch the island to the ground for it! Stop the pirates before they can do that!

Nice!

"There's an island nearby?" I whirled around and saw Ozaki in the doorway to the kitchen, egg sandwich in hand.

"Apparently," I answered. "And this little birdie knows where."

Balloon looked a little worried, so I asked, "How about a deal? We take care of those pirates for you, and you take us to the island? We need a map."

Balloon nodded and made some kind of whine, which I realized was him verbally agreeing.

"Let's head out then!"

"So that's them, huh?" In the distance, a single large pirate ship sailed. Even further into the distance, a small speck on the horizon, which was most likely Toroa. Balloon squawked in a… confirming tone. The bird had taken over the helm and had expertly guided the ship towards the pirates. I didn't say anything out loud, but I was debating whether I should recruit the guy as our actual helmsman. He had a really good grip on the wheel for a bird. I nodded and turned to Ozaki, who was right behind us. "If you have to kill, do it, but I prefer non-lethal moves."

She nodded.

With that said, I asked, "Also, could you go and prep the cannons?"

She tilted her head. "…How?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but couldn't. "Good question." I turned towards Balloon. "Know how to shoot a cannon?" The bird shrugged, and I gave a hum of disappointment. "Damn."

There was a moment where all three of us watched the distant pirate ship grow ever closer in silence, pondering what we were gonna do.

"Well," I began, "I guess we just sail up to them? I mean, they haven't seen us yet, right?"

The resounding boom from the pirate ship and explosion of water that erupted in front of Dynami said otherwise. What surprised me was the lack of MORE explosions.

A warning shot?

I turned to Ozaki and Balloon. "We need to get over there, but there's a decent chance we'll get shot down, and none of us know how to use a cannon." I turned to Balloon and asked, "Can you carry at least one of us? Either to the island or the pirate ship?"

Balloon nodded and cawed loudly, showing he was ready to go.

I nodded. "Good." I then turned my attention to Ozaki, who was visibly queasy. "This will be the first time you'll be facing against people, Ozaki. Not demons. Are you ready?"

"It's not the first time," She mumbled, eyes drawn to the deck.

It took me a moment, but I realized what she meant. It wasn't the first time she went against other people. Worst comes to worst, it won't even be the first time she's killed.

It was the first time she was willing to do it though.

"If you can't do it, just tell me. I won't be mad."

She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it right after. Her hands, which I just noticed were trembling, slowly clasped around her nichirin sword. "I-" She cut herself off, her face growing paler and paler as she tried to speak.

After a few more moments, I placed my hand on her shoulder. She flinched, but I ignored it and demanded, "Stay. I don't want you forcing yourself. It's too soon."

"I can fight!" she retorted, anger in her voice.

"You can't."

She hissed, "I can!"

I pushed her back and summoned the Royal Honey Blade. Her eyes widened in shock, both at my ability and the sword in hand. Before she could say anything, I spoke. "Then fight me."

Balloon, who had been silent so far, squawked in surprise.

Ignoring the bird, I pointed my blade at the Ex-Demon Slayer. "If you can fight me, you can fight pirates. Whoever surrenders first wins. No lethal strikes."

Unlike the anger from before, her faced melted into visible fear, sweat already forming across her forehead. "I… I…!"

"You can't?" I predicted, and her mouth snapped shut. "I am not going to kill you. I won't even try to hurt you. We'll just be swinging our blades at each other. Nothing more." Which was why I wanted to use my honey blade. I was afraid the nichirin sword would break if I used the Horseman's Blade.

Despite my reassurance, Ozaki seemed to look even paler than before. "I… I…!"

Without another word, I rushed her. She panicked and began to stumble backwards, but I didn't give her the chance. I swung my blade to her side.

Whether it was survival instinct or her muscle memory, Ozaki flawlessly pulled out her sword and blocked my strike, our blades collided. Rather than proud, she began to pant and gasp, as if she had just finished a marathon.

It was right then and there that I realized that I wasn't getting through to her at all. She wasn't surprised that she could wield a blade, she was sick at the thought.

I couldn't blame her. Time to change tactics then!

"Why are you here?!" I cried, and swung once more. She dodged under it, once again the picture of uncertainty. "You want to fight, but the minute you're in danger, you freeze! What's the matter with you?!" I thrusted forward, and once more she blocked it.

[-1 Reputation with Ozaki!]

"You don't understand!" She cried, and for the first time, she attacked. Her blade sung as it whizzed through the air, and the sparks that flashed highlighted our faces, so close to each other. "I'm a killer!" Her blade slashed through the distance, and our weapons clashed once more. "A kin-slayer!"

I pushed her blade back with a snarl. "And you think hesitating will do them any justice?" Harder than before, I slammed my sword down onto hers, and she buckled. "Wanting to fight but unable to wield a blade! After committing countless horrors, you decide to stop when civilians are in danger?! You're nothing but a COWARD!"

[-2 Reputation with Ozaki!]

She fell to her knees, but the fire in her eyes grew ever stronger. "I'm not! I'm not a coward!"

I leaned real close, our noses practically touching and whispered, "What are you gonna do about it?" She grit her teeth and I felt her grip loosen. I narrowed my gaze, disdain in my eyes. "Coward. The moment you have the opportunity to avenge those you've slain, you stumble."

[-1 Reputation with Ozaki!]

"You don't-!"

"I DON'T CARE!" I roared, and disengaged by jumping back. The confusion was visible in her eyes, but they change to horror when she saw my Royal Honey Blade disappear, and for the Horseman's Blade to replace it. I pointed it at her and declared, "I have no use for such a spineless fool on my ship." Her eyes, wide with fear and confusion, continued to swirl. "I'll kill you."

She flinched as sweat poured down her face. "You wouldn't."

My blade shone ominously. "Want to find out?" I was winging this to be honest. She wanted to fight, I saw her determination easily, but her own fears were holding back. We both knew it. She needed to overcome them. If she didn't, there was a decent chance she'd die.

I didn't want that.

"What are you waiting for, Demon Slayer?" I goaded, a snarl on my lips. "Fight me."

She snapped.

She launched herself forward, eyes wide and filled with fury, staring at me the entire time. "First Form…" My eyes widened as she slowly slid her blade out of it's sheath. "Water Surface Slash!" Using speed I didn't know she had, her blade slashed through the air in record time, the attack aimed at my neck. I barely managed to block it in time, but what really shocked me was the amount of power that came with the slash. It was incredible! "Seventh Form…" Still reeling from her first real attack, I could do nothing but watch Ozaki pull her blade back, her gaze sharp and focused. "Drop Ripple Thrust!" Her blade sprung forward like a tightly-wound spring. It sang as it grew closer and closer to my face.

"I surrender!"

The blade stopped, just an inch from my eye. She stared at me in confusion, before her eyes widened and she remembered what we were doing. She nearly dropped her sword from shock, but I grabbed her hands before she did. "That was amazing!"

She stared at me like I had two heads. "Huh?"

I simply smiled. "I knew you had it in you, Ozaki. You're incredible."

The pieces seemed to have finally fell into place, realization hitting her in an instant. "Y-You… you…!"

"I'm sorry for pushing you so far." I sighed and continued, "I knew how incredible you are from the moment I saw you. And as we talked, I realized how kind and courageous you really are." She started at me, eyes wide and confused, stunned into silence. "And it's why I don't want you killed. I know we barely know each other, but I already see you as a friend. I see you as someone I care for, and someone I want to trust with my life." I let go of her hands, and they slowly fell to her side. She continued to stare at me, wide-eyed and shocked. "I don't want to lose you. Not now, not ever."

She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. She closed it and her gaze lowered to the ground. Her shoulders started shaking. "D-Do… do you really mean that?"

"I do."

Tears began to fall to the ground as she shook. Her voice, so small and meek, reached my ears, "After everything… I've done?"

I wrapped my arms around her. "Especially after what you've done."

I felt her lay her hands on my chest and grip my shirt, refusing to let me go. After a few moments of silence, she asked, "Promise?"

Immediately, I responded. "Promise."

[+29 Reputation with Ozaki!]

"Thank you, Jin. Thank you so much… Thank you…!" She huddled closer, burying her head deeper into my chest as her tears continued to fall. "Thank you so much!"

I hugged her tighter in response. "Of course." For a little while, we stood there, simply enjoying each other's presence. It was after she stopped shaking and crying did I ask, "Feel better?"

"Mhm." She nodded.

"Good."

In the moment, she was all that mattered.

Ozaki took a few minutes to calm herself down after that, but once her emotions stabilized, she was ready to fight. The two of us were standing on deck, the beautiful blue sky and endless blue ocean only being interrupted by the pirate ship and island in the distance. The wind gently blew against us. I was ready to fight. "Remember," I reminded her, "There's a pretty decent chance there won't even be a fight." I flashed my Big Kill, loaded with seastone bullets. "One bullet might be all we need."

Her eyes narrowed at my confidence. "You can't take on an entire crew of people on your own. Not without getting hurt." When I visibly conceded the point by nodding, she continued, "I just… I don't want people to get killed." She paused, then elaborated, "Innocent people, and people protecting them. I don't want them to get hurt."

I simply smiled. "I get it." I turned to Balloon, who was thankfully silent throughout our entire fight. "Thank you for waiting. Who do you want to take first?"

Balloon squawked and waddled over to the two of us. After a few moments of silence, the giant panda-bird open his beak and chomped on my head.

There was another bout of silence.

"I-Isn't there a, uh, a better way to do this?" I asked, suddenly a little nervous.

Balloon made some kind of chirp, and took off.

With me in his mouth.

I will admit, I screamed.

Like a bitch.

"HEY HEY HEY! YOUR BEAK! AHH! IT HURTS! OW!" I scrambled and squirmed, all the while Balloon laughed at my plight. "Oh my God I feel your drool. LET ME GOOOOO!"

Balloon let me go.

While I was still in the air.

So of course, I fell.

I will admit, I screamed.

Like a bitch.

Again.

After a few seconds of free fall, I slammed into the deck of the pirate ship with a mighty slam.

-591 HP!

"Oh my God I felt all my ribs crack," I wheezed, trying and failing to get up. "Oh my God ow…"

"Are… are you alright?" I looked up and saw a standard pirate mook standing over me, visibly concerned. "That was a long fall. You alright buddy?"

I slowly stood up, my bones cracking and popping as I did. The mook winced as I did. "You do know I'm a Marine, right? I appreciate the worry, but I'm still supposed to, you know, fight and arrest you."

He nodded. "Well, yeah, but basic human decency goes a long way, you know?"

I stared at him for a moment. "When this crew goes down, I won't break you."

Another spoke up. "And who do you think you are, to make such bold claims?" I turned around, and standing in the center of the deck was Shupeal. Six tuffs of multi-colored hair braided into separate parts of his head, a long scar from his jaw to his forehead on the left side of his face, purple lipstick, buckteeth, a rainbow shirt, a yellow jacket, black pants, different colored shoes, hairy-ass legs…

"Man," I muttered to myself, "You are one ugly dude. And your taste in fashion is worse than your looks…"

The pirates all around me, that I just noticed, all started panicking. Ranting about how I shouldn't antagonize him, how he's so powerful and scary, so on and so forth. The fashion disaster pirate himself was stunned by my blatant disrespect as well, given how his face started growing redder with either rage or embarrassment.

I pulled my Big Kill from my inventory, aimed the pistol at Shupeal, and fired.

Unsurprisingly, the bullet lodged itself right into his shoulder, and the pirate crumpled to the ground immediately, knocked unconscious.

[-100 Reputation with Shupeal!]

It was here I finally decided to use Observe on him.

Bio

Name: Shupeal

Title: The Hexagon

Age: 43

Sex: M

Height: 6'4"

Hair: Orange, Cyan, Blue, Yellow, Purple, and Red

Eyes: Black

Likes: Power, His Fashion Sense, Aerobic Exercises

Dislikes: Stronger People, Marines, Naivety

HP: 0/2,130 (Unconscious!)

Level: 24

Reputation/Affection: [-100/100]

Your Relation: Despises You

Description: A two-bit thug that got cocky when he discovered the Magic-Magic fruit, Shupeal was a creep and a loner in his small village. It was only by chance he found the devil fruit, and the second he obtained his powers, he razed his own village to the ground and began his search for power, fame, and fortune. When he heard about the Roc birds, and how their blood could boost a devil fruit's power, he started searching the entire West Blue.

Pfft, what a clown.

I turned my attention to the rest of the crew and yelled, "Surrender now, and you won't be harmed!" Honestly, these guys were nothing compared to Whiler and Mind. Those two were powerhouses on their own, and even then I was able to deal with them quite quickly with my seastone bullets. Shupeal was nothing compared to them, especially since he was a devil fruit user.

The Magic-Magic fruit. How incredibly broken. I watched the OVA, I knew exactly what he could do. He had actual magic in a world that didn't. Someone competent could've changed the entire world with that power. Thank God only Shupeal found it.

Imagine if someone like Kaido had discovered it, or even worse, Blackbeard. The outcome would be catastrophic!

My attention came back to reality when all the pirates collectively roared and charged me. Admittedly, I would've been overrun if they had even a fraction of Shupeal's strength.

Thank God they didn't.

I didn't even need to use the Horseman's Blade. My Royal Honey Blade was more than enough for them. They had swords and guns, and I had an incredible reaction speed, a better sword, and a better gun. Plus all my other advantages, but you know what I mean.

It was a slaughter. I cut each charging pirate down without hesitation. I dodged bullets, I sliced through swords, and I left wounds on my enemies like I was Mihawk. I was a flurry of slicing and dicing, and no one could touch me.

"HEY!"

I paused my rampage and turned my attention to the guy who just came up from below deck. In his hand was a rope and a person hogtied to it. In his other, a pistol aimed at her head. I recognized her immediately, and hit her with an Observe.

Bio

Name: Anne

Title: None

Age: 18

Sex: F

Height: 5'9"

Hair: Sky Blue

Eyes: Sapphire

Likes: Balloon, Herself, Swords

Dislikes: Pirates, Abandonment, Giraffes

HP: 700/700

Level: 13

Reputation/Affection: [0/100]

Your Relation: Doesn't Know You

Description: An ordinary girl with an extraordinary friend, Anne was orphaned when she was young due to a group of pirates that raided her home. While the town stood, her house didn't, and she became the only survivor when a mad man came in and looted the place. While the remaining towners and her life-long animal companion – Balloon – managed to heal her heart, her hatred for pirates never disappeared. Now, she fears the same is going to happen once more, only on a much larger scale.

She was pretty. Not drop-dead gorgeous, certainly not, but she was definitely attractive. A simple blue and white striped shirt that hugged her chest a little, a short blue skirt that emphasized her long legs, and simple black socks and brown shoes was all she wore, and yet she pulled the simple look off. She was a catch!

Of course, her icy glare didn't detract anything from her looks, especially since it wasn't aimed at me. No, she was glaring daggers at the pirate that had her rope, and she was very vocal about not liking it. "You're nothing but a brute! A monster in human skin! How could you harm a charming young lady like me?!"

I was surprised at her temper, but I really shouldn't have. She was the precursor to Nami, after all.

The second I thought that, I frowned. That was worded wrong. She wasn't anybody else but herself.

As I watched her berate, antagonize, and outright mock the pirate that had her captured, the reality that she – and everyone else in this world – was a living and breathing creation of life crashed into me, so hard I nearly fell to the floor.

I already knew this was reality, but it never really clicked until just a moment ago. I had to remind myself that this was real. No matter how similar to the world of fiction I knew, this wasn't it. I glanced at the gun in my hand. A single bullet to the head would kill a man. The pirates I slashed and cut were all real and had their own lives. They were just as important as Anne, me, or anyone else in this world.

This wasn't a story. I ad to remember that.

"Are you listening to me, you damn Marine?!"

I snapped back to reality, realizing everyone was now looking at me. I blinked in surprise, before putting on a small smile and apologizing. "Sorry, I was lost in thought. Could you please say that again?"

The mook looked like he popped a vein, but did what I asked. "I SAID! Let us go, or this girl gets it!"

I glared at him. "I refuse to let Shupeal go. I'm willing to everyone else go, but not him. He's too dangerous."

He glowered at me and cocked the hammer of the gun back, before shoving it deeper into the side of Anne's head. "I said EVERYONE! Including our Captain! If you even think of moving, I'll blow her brains out!"

I didn't even need to think about my answer, but seeing Anne start to tear up in fear certainly cemented my decision. "Fine." No matter how dangerous Shupeal was, I refused to let anyone die. Without really thinking, I glanced up into the sky, trying to find any ideas on how to resolve this. The moment I did, I had to fight down my smirk. I turned my attention back down to the criminal. "Why?" I asked, trying to buy time. "I know how guys like Hexagon work. He'd kill you the moment he thinks you're worthless. Actually, he'll kill you if you even look at him wrong. He doesn't care about you."

The pirate smirked. "Maybe most, but not me! As the second in command, he's entrusted me to keep an eye on things if he's away! He might kill everyone else, but I'm too important!"

I couldn't stop the small chuckle that came from my lips. The pirate glowered, but before he could say anything I laughed out, "Sorry – Haha! – it's just… Wow, you seriously think that?! The guy's a wacko! He'd kill anyone and anything just for his own personal pleasure! I wouldn't be surprised if he's just using you as a secretary! Ha!"

The criminal was livid at this point, not even holding his gun at Anne anymore. Instead, it was pointed at me, the weapon shaking wildly as the man fumed. "You… you…! You bastard! I'll kill you right now!"

In response, I pointed my finger to the sky.

He blinked in confusion for a moment, before realizing what I meant and looked up. He was a little too late though, and Ozaki came crashing down right on top of him, the poor idiot cushioning her landing. He was out in an instant!

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU, BIRD!" She roared at Balloon, who made the wise decision to stay in the air.

I sprinted forward, laughing the whole way, and before the pirates around us realized what exactly happened, I had already untied Anne. She was rightfully confused, but I took control of the situation and demanded, "Stay out of the fight or go under deck if you need to. I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep you safe if a fight breaks out."

Still a little disoriented, she could only lightly nod and stumbled through the doorway she just came out of. I closed the door behind her with a click and turned back to the army of pirates standing before us. And by us, I mean Ozaki and I, who had stood up and dusted herself off while I was instructing Anne. "You pirates can either do this the easy way or the hard way!" I announced. "Either you all peacefully surrender and we take you to the nearest Marine base, or you all fight back and get beaten down, where you will be arrested with an even longer prison sentence!"

Of course, the moment a single pirate charged, they all did.

I was glad they did though. Free experience!

"Welp, that's the last of them." I declared, having tied up the rest of Shupeal's crew. It took about an hour, but Ozaki and I cut the pirates down a lot easier than I expected, and I was damn proud of us for it. The one pirate who had been polite to me was sitting in the corner, tied up and NOT beaten and bruised. He smiled at me, and I gave him a thumbs up in return.

Shupeal was still unconscious, but I did dress his wound up a little so that he wouldn't die by bleeding out. I didn't remove the bullet though. For all I cared, he could keep it in him the rest of his life. I also wrapped him up with some rope just in case, but I honestly doubted he'd ever cause trouble again.

"That's it? It's over?" I turned my attention to Anne, who was standing near Balloon with a sword in hand. She was staring at Ozaki and I with a guarded look, obviously not knowing what exactly to do.

"Yep!" I replied. "Now all I gotta do is steer this boat to my own ship, then we'll take both back to the island harbor, and I'll call up the nearest Marine Base. Let them figure it all out, not me!" I turned towards Ozaki, who was still tying up her own victims, and asked, "Do you think I'll Shupeal's bounty too? It's not nearly as much as Whiler's or Mind's, but any money is good money, right?"

Ozaki took a moment, admiring her own work with a smile, before responding, "I don't know either of those two. Are they strong?"

"The toughest pirates in the West Blue," I answered, my chest swelling with a little pride. "And I took them out on my own!"

I heard Anne choke, and I turned to her. A look of realization was on her face and she quickly pointed her sword at me, eyes wide with respect and fear. "YOU took those two down?! The news said it was a member of the 31st Branch, but that was you?!"

I unabashedly waved my hand at her. "Oh stop, you. You're making me blush!"

She didn't respond to my playfulness. Instead, she was glaring at me hard enough that I could practically feel the heat. "Why?"

I raised an eyebrow, confused. "Why what?"

"Why didn't you stop them?" Seeing my confusion only grow, she explained, "The news said that a single member of the 31st Branch had seen the Scourge Pirates lodging in a harbor of the island and managed to infiltrate the ship Whiler and Mind were on, before promptly taking them out. After, the rest of the pirates fled before island could retaliate." Her glare somehow got harsher as she cried, "How could you let any of them go?!"

I sighed and leaned against the railing of the ship. "It's a LOT more complicated than that. Do you want the short version or the entire version?"

Immediately, she demanded, "All of it."

Ozaki, who had been quietly listening, spoke up as well. "Actually, I'd like to what happened too." We both turned to her, confused, and she elaborated, "I want to get stronger. Tell me how you managed to beat the strongest pirates in this ocean."

I shrugged. Why not? "Well, it started out a bit more… drastic. I woke up in the middle of the night…" I proceeded to tell them what happened that morning, with only the occasional fib. By the time my story was finished, we had pulled the pirate ship next to Dynami, and we were guiding both to Toroa Island. "…after that, Whiler and I began letting all the people of the island out of the sacks. His crew ran away, and he turned himself and Mind in. I could've fought them all, yeah, but I was nowhere near as strong as I am now. I would've gotten killed for no other reason than trying to appear tough."

Anne, who had lowered her sword while I gave my tale, sighed as she stroked Balloon. "I… wow. You were the last one on the island? How were you not affected by Mind's devil fruit?"

I shrugged. "Devil Fruits are mysterious that way. Maybe I just had stronger will power than Mind."

Ozaki, who was also stroking Balloon, asked, "How did you acquire those seastone bullets? And what are they, anyways?"

"I found them while I was investigating the ship," I instantly lied. "And to make a long story short, seastone is a type of material that nullifies devil fruit abilities and weakens the user." She nodded in acceptance and turned back to Balloon, who was napping on the deck as the two ladies pampered the bird.

"So… It was all propaganda?" Anne questioned, visibly disillusioned. It made sense though. To the average person in this world, the Marines were the personification of Justice and Righteousness. For the Marines to be practically lying to the world… It's a tough pill to swallow.

I shook my head. "Not all of it, no. The only real part where they fibbed the truth is when they mention the rest of the Marines coming as backup. Everyone on the island had already been stuffed into sacks. I was the last person on the entire island that could've stopped them."

I wasn't surprised that the news lied about what happened. It was unfortunate, but Big News Morgan had a monopoly on information, and the birdbrain prioritized a good story over the truth, which irked me a little bit. Casually messing up the truth for an extra crumb of attention… It hit a little too close to home for me. Sadly, he was stationed in the New World. I wasn't able to combat him or his organization anytime soon.

"Does that answer your question, Anne?" I asked, aiming a raised eyebrow at her.

She nodded. "It does." There was a beat of silence before Anne asked, "So what now?"

"We turn in Shupeal and his goons to the nearest Marine base, I hopefully get his bounty, and maybe add Ozaki to my crew officially. With paperwork, of course." I answer, a smile on my lips. More money! Hooray!

The Demon Slayer spoke up. "I didn't say I was gonna join. This is temporary!"

I simply smiled in response. "We'll see."

Anne, still curious, asked, "And then?"

I gave an easy-going smile as I declared "I'll get rid of the Five Families of the West."

At that, Anne's mouth dropped from shock. "WHAT?!"

I nodded. "Yep! Turns out, Mind was working with the Regula Family, so I'm already in deep shit for taking that jackass out. It's either flee the sea or wipe them out, and I still wanna see what this ocean has to offer! So I'm gonna wipe out all five gangs!"

Ozaki nodded in understanding, but Anne was far from letting the conversation end there. "A single pirate crew isn't nearly as dangerous as the Five Families! What the hell are you thinking?!" She cried, eyes wide with confusion and anger. "Why are you throwing your life away like that?!"

Her words rubbed me the wrong way, and a flash of annoyance flared. I glared at her and she promptly clammed up. Did she really think I was gonna let myself bite the bullet? "Why the hell do you think my death is an inevitability?" She didn't respond, so I continued, "Do you think I'm saying all this just to look cool? Hell no!" I slammed my fist against the railings of the deck and declared, "I'm gonna be Fleet Admiral one day! I'm gonna be the head of the entirety of the Marines in the future! If something as small as a few gangs from the West Blue is enough scare me, then what kind of future Fleet Admiral am I?!" As Anne continued to stare at me with pure shock, I continued my tirade. "My name is gonna be known far and wide! I'm gonna be the man that takes out the Four Emperors! I'm gonna be the next Hero of the Marines! I'm gonna become King of this world! The Five Families, and by extension the West Blue, is too small for me!"

I continued my sudden speech, pacing across the deck as I ranted and raved. "You hear me?! The whole world is gonna know my name, and they're gonna thank me for it! This is just the beginning, you got that? The moment the Five Families got me involved, they're all got on borrowed time! Jin Tetari is gonna wipe them out, and nothing is gonna stop me! You got that?!"

[Nice speech Tiger! +3 CHA!]

[+14 Reputation with Ozaki!]

[+35 Reputation with Anne!]

Ozaki turned to me and gave a small smile, approving and proud of my declaration. Anne meanwhile was starstruck. I could practically see her eyes sparkle with admiration.

Was it really that impressive? I didn't think it was, but I guess I did just admit to taking out the most notorious pirate in the West, PLUS taking the pirates that threatened her home, so it shouldn't have been surprising she was beginning to look up to me.

[Psst… Hey… Wanna auto-loot? And get all the notifications?]

Hell yes.

[Excellent!]

[Birds, Water Striders, and Pandas has been completed!]

[+1,800 EXP!]

[+1 Will Shard!]

[+329,000 Currency!]

[+1 Vial of Magic Blood!]

[+1 Blod Family Emblem!]

[+37 Iron Cutlasses!]

[+17 Flintlock Pistols!]

[You have leveled up!]

Hey, so Game, now that you're here, might wanna explain what you meant by tampering with my soul?

[Uh.]

You know, my very being? Did I really have a previous life, or did you just throw that into me to make me more interesting? Did you create me out of nothing?

I tried to keep myself calm as I asked, but my breathing began to grow erratic as the thoughts that I'd been keeping sealed began to leak out.

How much of me is really me?

What else did the Game do to me?

Does my life even matter?

Am I replaceable?

What happens when the Game grows bored?

Is this really what I want? Or was I just changed to want this?

How do I know I'm really me? How much about me is myself, and how much isn't?

Should I keep living, if I'm not even me? How will I ever know-?

[STOP!]

I paused my thoughts, and I noticed the world around me had frozen as well. Anne and Ozaki, still as statues, smiling at each other as they groomed a motionless Balloon. The ocean's waves were still, and the seagulls soaring over the distant island stayed still. Like paint on a canvas.

In front of me, a flame appeared. It was pure white, and it was the size of a finger. It slowly grew in size until it reached my chest, where it began to take form, slowly molding into a humanoid shape. From the flames, an outline of a woman appeared. Long legs, larger than average thighs, small hips, a large bust, and two long protrusions from her head – pigtails, maybe – finished her shape off. She was still pure white. Her form rippled, a flame in the nonexistent wind.

She spoke.

"Please, don't think like that. You… I wasn't supposed to say anything."

Her voice was light and sharp. As odd as it was, her voice reminded me of innocence. It was high-pitched, but it wasn't grating. I was surprised at how sweet it sounded.

"How can I not?" I asked, pushing her voice out of mind. "You're telling me to ignore my own self! To ignore my own thoughts! How could I possibly do that?"

She reached a hand out, but I shirked from it, distrusting. She lowered it.

"I'm sorry. For what it's worth… I didn't change much."

"What did you change?" I begged, mouth dry. "What did you do to me?"

She looked away.

"I… I don't think I can…"

"PLEASE!" I cried, and shame grew in me as tears began to fall. I wasn't scared when I died, truth be told. But this? When I was dying, I at least knew who I was.

I didn't anymore.

"WHO AM I?!" I screamed, my desperation growing with each second.

This feeling of complete loss, complete helplessness… it was a sledgehammer to my soul. This woman… no, this THING… it changed me. It tinkered with my very identity, my very self… and for what? Curiosity? Because it was convenient? What the hell was gonna happen to me?

She spoke once more.

"Please, I don't… I'm sorry. I want you to be happy. I just want you to be happy."

Indignation oozed out of my body and into my words as I spat, "It doesn't matter what you want. I don't care. I don't care anymore."

She flinched at that, almost taking a step backwards. What the hell was going on?

"Just tell me, please…! What did you do to me?! WHAT DID YOU CHANGE?!"

"I can't tell you! I refuse to!"

"WHY?!"

"You're not meant to know! Please, don't make this harder!"

Desperation was in her voice as she begged to me to stop asking, but I couldn't. No, I WOULDN'T. If she wasn't gonna answer me… if I really wasn't me, but a twisted caricature of myself… a bastardized version of myself… "I'll leave!" I declared. "I'll leave this world and never come back! I'll end this story before it even begins!"

"You wouldn't…! You just talked about becoming the best! About ruling over this world!"

"IT'S NOT ME! I'M NOT ME!" I screamed back. "THE SECOND YOU BROUGHT ME HERE, I CHANGED! I CHANGED AND I COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT! YOU CHANGED ME!"

"I did it to help!"

She was crying. Thin lines of fire fell from the area where her eyes would be, and her hands were clutching the area around her heart.

"Please, I didn't do it to hurt you!"

She was begging me to trust her. To say it was alright. I knew she wanted what was best for me, and she may have even been right to do so.

But I couldn't believe her.

And she knew it.

We were at an impasse.

[In the span of a day, the same butterfly causes another hurricane.]

A blue screen popped up in front of me. In front of both of us. I could only stare at it in confusion.

[I wasn't kidding when I said things are falling apart. You two shouldn't be talking like this. Not here.]

The fire in front of me flinched.

"It's all my fault! Please, don't do anything to him!"

A new sense of desperation entered her voice, as it shook with fear.

[Hey, come on now. That's just rude. I wasn't going to do anything to him. In fact, it's you who tampered with him, not me.]

She flinched once more, but another screen appeared before she could speak.

[Look, things are already so much worse since you both started talking to each other. I'm gonna have to rush out an emergency fix anyways. Tell him.]

"…Really? I can? B-But, you said…!"

[I said it'd be easier for everyone if you didn't directly interact with him. Yes, I know. I also know you changed him without notifying me.]

She froze completely, stiff with terror.

[It literally doesn't matter anymore. I'll fix this.]

[I always do.]

Another screen popped up, but this time it was only in front of me.

[Hey, I'm really sorry about all this. I know things seem confusing and you're probably having an identity crisis, so I'll answer any questions you have right now, to the best of my ability.]

"What changed?" I immediately asked.

Instead of the blue screen, the woman made of fire spoke up.

"Your love. I changed your love."

I frowned at that, but before I could ask her to, she elaborated.

"I made it so you would love any and all of your partners indiscriminately and with all your heart. There would be no favorites or preferred partners. Once someone reaches 100 Affection, you and them are to love each other forever. I changed you in a way so that you could love every single person with your everything. That's it."

One question nagged at me, scratched at my mind. "Why?"

The blue screen popped up once more.

[That's something you'll find out later. It's not important, I promise.]

[Anything else?]

I took a moment to think carefully, but I already knew what to ask. "Why was I chosen?"

[Luck.]

I sighed at that. "Let me guess: I was chosen out of every single person dying at the moment, and I just happened to get chosen?"

[Correct.]

Figures. I puffed out some air, almost all tension bleeding out of me as I did. "In reality, I have so many questions that we'd be here for a lot longer than any of us want to be here. So instead, let me ask few instead, the important ones. Who are you? Why are you doing this? Why should I trust a single thing you've said?"

[Do you want the full answers or a recap?]

"Give me the cliff notes please. My head's already hurting too much." I asked as I splayed myself across the deck.

[The first answer is complicated, and it's not something you're ready for. For now, let's say I'm a bug fixer.]

That… that propped up so many more fucking questions.

[Second answer is simple: I'm bored.]

"Alright, yeah, that's – okay I getcha." Everyone gets bored. If a cosmic being's entertainment is me living my best life, I wasn't gonna complain.

[Third answer: the System is all powerful. It is a piece of magical engineering that dwarfs practically anything in existence. However, it is not autonomous. Not completely. It needs… employees, essentially. Your Chosen and I are such employees. We are bound by the System to follow it's rules.]

"And they are?"

[You will know in time. For now though, just know that one of the rules is that we cannot intentionally hurt Players. If we do, we will be punished.]

Curiosity peaked, I asked, "Can you prove that?"

"I will."

The Flame Woman lifted immediately tried to punch me, but right before it connected, she disappeared entirely. While I was processing what just happened, a green screen popped up.

[There has been a small problem regarding your Chosen. Please take a +1 to all Stats as compensation! She will return in a day.]

I'd been ignoring it for long enough, so I asked, "Chosen?"

[The person watching over you, essentially. The girl from before. She's your Chosen. You can find out more in the future.]

[That's all the time I have now. Be prepared for another patch soon, as well. Farewell, Jin Tetari. Or is it Jet Nirati? Doesn't matter, I suppose. Good luck in your future endeavors.]

The blue screen disappeared, and time began to move once more.

Well, that was an experience. One that I did NOT want to have again. I took a deep breath to stabilize myself and stood up, stretching as I did. My biggest concern – my own identity actually being ME – was resolved, so everything else was a bonus. Thank fucking God for that. I was still me.

Perfect.

"Jin?"

I turned to Ozaki. "Hm?"

She pointed to something behind me. "We're here."

I turned around, and sure enough we were just a few moments away from the harbor. I physically shook away all the thoughts of what just happened away. I was here, and I was still me. That's what mattered! Now that the issue was resolved…

Time to enjoy the world once more!

The moment we entered the harbor of the island, we were surrounded by townspeople armed to the teeth. Once they saw Anne jump down and explain the situation, they exploded into a party. I could barely process what was happening half the time, with people screaming, laughing, hollering, hooting, and dancing for the rest of the day.

Admittedly, watching Ozaki get hammered was hilarious. She was persuaded by a couple of older ladies to drink with them, and she was so polite she couldn't refuse, which ended up with her sprawled on the floor of the nearest bar, unconscious, before the sun had even set.

While my First Mate was busy partying with the rest of the town, I decided to finally get a map of all four Blues, plus a World map. I tried to pay for it, but the guy behind the counter simply said that I was a hero and didn't have to pay a single Beri. Which was nice!

I was confused at everyone's reactions though. Did they all know who Shupeal was? When I asked the guy, he explained everything. I didn't know this, but apparently the walking fashion disaster had already entered the town and was gonna raze it to the ground. It was only thanks to Anne and Balloon, who managed to lure him away from the island, that the town managed to stay up. It was how the pirates managed to even get Anne in the first place, apparently.

I was impressed! When I found Anne later that night and asked why she did it, she simply smiled and asked, "Isn't it the right thing to do?"

I couldn't help but laugh. "Yes it is!" I responded, and the two of us laughed into the night.

AN: A very satisfying chapter, if I do say so myself. Of course, if you have any praises, questions, concerns, or complaints, don't be afraid to voice it. I appreciate all feedback, and even just through writing this single chapter, I've learned so much. Every bit of writing is a learning experience!

Of course, I am grateful to all who continue to read. Even if it's just one person, as long as I help someone get through their day, or cheer them up just a little, then writing this chapter is more than worth it! That sounds cheesy, but it's true! I have a very wonderful life, and I am ecstatic that I have it, and that I have the ability and freedom to write as much as I want!

With that said, I encourage you all to write your own stories as well! If you wish to use my templates for yourself, don't be afraid to use them! As this is uploading, I've created new and updated sheets for this story! If you wish to sue them, don't be afraid to! All for free, of course!

Just type the funny pay-tre-on name in, and follow it up with a "dot com," a "slash," and then "TheOneAndOnlyBanana"! Someone said that they couldn't find me by googling my name, so I heavily insist on writing what I specified into the search bar instead!

That's about it for now though. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and be excited for more to come!

Bye for now.