The people of Alabasta roared with joy.
For them, this was not just a celebration—it was liberation. Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords, had fallen. His schemes had ended. And the empire, scarred yet standing, could finally breathe again.
Per Akira's request, a grand feast was being held in the palace. Laughter filled the halls, banners flew in the warm desert winds, and the exhausted citizens clung to joy as tightly as they had once clung to fear.
But Akira didn't attend.
He sat quietly in his room, lost in thought. His eyes stared into the flickering candlelight as a mechanical chime echoed within his mind.
"Ding. The system is generating a new upgrade for the host."
A surge of energy coursed through his body. Flashes of strange symbols, faces, and abilities darted behind his eyes like lightning in a storm. When it stopped, a calm voice followed:
"Host's current anger value qualifies for an upgrade. Please choose one of the following three abilities:"Uchiha Itachi's AmaterasuRoronoa Zoro's Three-Sword Style TalentPartial abilities of the Suna Suna no Mi (Sand-Sand Fruit)Akira narrowed his eyes. Compared to the overwhelming strength he inherited from Pain's full arsenal, these choices felt... modest. He raised a brow.
"Ding. Initial abilities are foundational. Subsequent upgrades will scale with host level."
That made sense. No system would throw game-breaking powers repeatedly without consequence.
He glanced over the list again.
Zoro's style? Cool, sure—but unnecessary. Akira already had powerful melee skills and Haki mastery.Sand powers? Unclear boundaries, too situational.But Amaterasu—that was different.
Relentless. Burning. Inextinguishable.
It wasn't just a flame. It was a symbol of inevitability. A technique meant to break wills.
"Ding. Congratulations to the host for unlocking: Uchiha Itachi's Amaterasu."
Akira clenched his fist. He could feel the power simmering, waiting.
But before he could examine it further—
"Ding. Beast Form unlocked."
Akira blinked. "Beast Form?"
"A new transformation path has been opened. The host can now absorb and morph into any living creature observed—temporarily. Transformations will improve with level progression."
He scrolled through the new system panel:
Name: AkiraSex: MaleBeast Form: 0.1%Abilities: All of Pain's Paths, AmaterasuBounty: 100,000,000 Berries (Temporary)
"Temporary…?" he muttered.
But the system offered no reply. It was still buffering—or hiding something.
Before Akira could question further, the door creaked open.
Ellie stepped in.
She wore a smirk that could melt steel and an energy that immediately shifted the room's air.
"Lord Akira," she purred. "Your strength earlier was... exhilarating. Watching you crush that arrogant warlord? Mm. That was intoxicating."
Akira raised an eyebrow. "Ellie, don't start."
She stepped closer, her gaze narrowing. "I'm serious. You're different from the rest. Noble blood, dirty blood… it all means nothing next to raw dominance."
There was something off about her—some mix of admiration, obsession, and danger.
Ellie placed a knee on the edge of the bed, leaning in.
"You don't need to play humble. You're the one who should be ruling. Not just Alabasta, but... all of it."
Akira stood up, keeping calm but alert. "You're talking crazy."
"Am I?" she whispered. "Or am I the only one here who sees your worth?"
Akira looked her dead in the eye. "Ellie, I'm not your war trophy. Take your flattery elsewhere."
She hesitated, the fire in her dimming for a second—then gave a slow smile. "Fine. But when the world bows to you... just remember who stood beside you first."
With that, she turned and left, the door closing behind her with a click.
Akira sighed. It wasn't the danger that bothered him—it was the unpredictability. Crocodile had been simple. Ambition, arrogance, power.
But people like Ellie?They were chaos in human skin.
"No, if you really do this, I'm afraid things will get out of hand."
"Come on," Ellie purred, her tone twisted with excitement. "Abuse me the same way… let me experience something I've never felt before."
Her words were shameless, and her gaze burned with desire. Ellie was aggressive—far beyond what Akira expected. His heart stirred, fists clenched involuntarily. The temptation was real, close, overwhelming.
She leaned in, her breath warm.
Akira stepped forward—
And then, the door burst open.
Ace stood there, arms folded, brow raised. His eyes flicked between the two frozen figures in the room.
There was an awkward pause.
"…Why aren't you at the feast?" Ace finally asked, clearly amused.
The spell shattered.
Akira coughed, backing off immediately. "Right. The feast. I should go."
Without another glance at Ellie, he pushed past Ace and left the room, his steps a little too fast.
Ellie sat on the bed, lips tightening, one hand absently toying with a knife and fork left nearby.
Her eyes narrowed, her voice low. "Stupid timing… If it weren't for that damned interruption, maybe Master Akira would've…"
Across the room, Hancock sat quietly, her young face filled with innocent confusion as she watched Ellie.
There was tension in the air—of desires restrained and plans interrupted.
Ellie didn't bother to explain. She just stabbed a piece of meat on her plate with unnecessary force and resumed eating in silence.
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