Chapter 169 – How to Recruit!
After being knocked back by the Golden Lion, Ryuunosuke barely had time to catch his breath before the enemy charged again.
Just like before, there was no warning—no aura, no presence. The Golden Lion was simply there, already in front of him.
Wait a second, aren't villains supposed to talk too much and die because of it?
Shouldn't this guy be standing still, laughing maniacally and giving me enough time to figure something out?
Then I find a way to beat him and win dramatically... right?
What the hell? Did you get a different script?!
Ryuunosuke grumbled inwardly, all while defending against the Golden Lion's relentless assault.
From the start, he had noticed something strange about the Golden Lion's body. His strength was steadily increasing, and his speed—Ryuunosuke couldn't even track it with Observation Haki anymore.
This wasn't the same Golden Lion as before. He had undergone some kind of terrifying transformation.
The battle escalated quickly, dragging the two from the island's beach deep into its interior.
As for the chaos unfolding outside, Ryuunosuke wasn't worried at all.
He had complete faith in Chrollo, Najenda, and the others.
---
Meanwhile, elsewhere on the island—
"Is this... the potion?" Chrollo muttered, examining the glass vial in his hand.
"Machi, take a look."
"Search every inch. Grab anything that looks usable," he added, eyes gleaming. "These might actually be useful to our crew."
He had snatched the bottle from a pirate who hadn't had time to use it. After witnessing the effects it had on others, Chrollo's interest was piqued.
Suddenly, a horde of the Flying Pirates came charging straight at him.
"Oh? Now you decide to focus on me?" Chrollo said with a smirk. "Too bad it's already too late."
"Closetria Space."
He raised his hand, and the Bandit's Secret Book materialized in a flash.
A massive dark space spread outward, engulfing the surrounding area.
When the darkness vanished, the pirates who had been charging at him were... simply gone.
Elsewhere, Machi found herself surrounded by giant pirates. But as a ship's doctor, she knew the human body better than anyone—even the bodies of these super-sized freaks.
Gigantic or not, the pressure points were all in the same place.
With precise strikes, Machi had the giants immobilized within moments, her thoughts and skills in perfect sync.
On another battlefield, Najenda stood calmly amidst the chaos.
Susanoo towered behind her like a war god, cutting down the pirates without effort.
Size and numbers meant nothing to her.
Akame fought alongside her. With every slash of Murasame, her cursed blade, enemies fell. One strike was all it took.
The battle was completely one-sided.
Still, they couldn't claim victory just yet—not because they were losing, but because the enemy numbers were endless. Wave after wave of giants kept flooding in.
---
Back in the center of the island—
The clash between Ryuunosuke and the Golden Lion raged on.
Originally, Ryuunosuke had planned to handle this himself. But now, the situation demanded something more.
He summoned Tsukuyomi, who immediately took position beside him.
Ding! Congratulations, host! You've gained 10,000 reputation points!
Ding! Congratulations, host! You've gained 3,000 reputation points!
His reputation was spiking like crazy.
Many major forces were watching this fight, and what they saw changed their entire understanding of the Dragon Hunter Pirates. Ryuunosuke's growing fame directly translated into more reputation points.
BOOM!
Ryuunosuke was sent flying again—but Tsukuyomi caught him just in time, shielding him from a worse fate.
The Golden Lion's power... it had to be the awakened version of the Floating Fruit.
But why the hell was it so ridiculously strong?
How did his Awakening get enhanced like this? Ryuunosuke had no answers.
And if things kept going like this... he wasn't sure he could win.
At this point, he seriously wanted to curse.
"Oda, you damn troll. How the hell did Luffy beat this guy?!"
There was no more time to hesitate.
"System! Designated recruitment!"
"Team 1 – Night Raid member: Tatsumi!"
"System! Designated recruitment!"
"Team 1 – Night Raid member: Mine!"
"System! Designated recruitment!"
"Team 2 – Phantom Troupe member: Uvogin!"
He burned 150,000 reputation points in a flash, summoning three heavy hitters to turn the tide.
Three magic circles lit up the battlefield, space itself warping violently.
The Golden Lion paused mid-attack, sensing danger from the dimensional fluctuations.
Even he wasn't willing to charge in recklessly.
Heh. Yeah, take a good look. Let's see what surprises I've got.
The magic circles finished forming—and three figures stepped out.
"Captain!" all three shouted in unison, kneeling on one knee.
Immediately, a surge of aura radiated from them and flowed into Ryuunosuke.
Elsewhere, Chrollo and Najenda felt it too—an unmistakable shift in power.
"Tatsumi? Mine?" Najeta's eyes widened. "And Uvogin too?"
Thanks to the system's linkage, they immediately recognized the new arrivals as former squadmates.
"Go. Help your division leaders," Ryuunosuke ordered. "They'll brief you on the battlefield."
"Yes, Captain!"
Tatsumi didn't waste a second. He activated his Incursio armor, picked Mine up, and blasted off like a missile.
"Do we always have to fight the moment we arrive?" Mine muttered.
"Hahaha, I love it already!" Uvogin laughed, his monstrous aura exploding as he bolted forward—fast enough to rival Tatsumi in his armor.
Back on Ryuunosuke's side, the system finished syncing the recruits' abilities.
Ryuunosuke clenched his fist, power flowing through him like wildfire.
This feeling... Damn, it's been a while. Feels amazing.
No wonder martial artists get addicted to chasing power.
From the Incursio armor, Ryuunosuke had obtained a powerful new imperial weapon—Dragon Hunting Armor.
One of the Supreme Class weapons.
From Uvogin, he gained enhanced telepathic strength—perfectly boosting his strengthening system.
Mine's power was just as insane.
Not only did she bring elite sharpshooting, but also a passive ability called Crisis Breakthrough—which meant the more danger she was in, the stronger her shots became.
It was the same principle behind her Romantic Turret.
And now, Ryuunosuke had something else.
His own, personalized sniper rifle:
Dragon Roar.
The Golden Lion smirked arrogantly, "So... you called in a few lackeys. It won't change a damn thing. They'll just die with you—"
BOOM!
The sentence never finished.
Ryuunosuke had already closed the distance, crashing into him with a force that split the air.
No... It wasn't just Ryuunosuke. It was an armored figure—sleek, menacing, glowing with ethereal energy.
"Dragon Hunting Armor!"
The impact sent the Golden Lion flying like a broken kite.
Ryuunosuke stood tall, smirking under the dragon-faced visor.
"Damn... this boost feels so damn good."
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