[V3] - Chapter 5. It's Ace-sama's Treat!
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After sealing Crocodile with a chakra black receiver, he casually tossed him aside.
Yuto suddenly realized that the chakra black receiver could actually control those with elemental abilities, and it seemed like he could even absorb energy through the receiver.
He figured that once he awakened the Rinnegan, he might be able to directly absorb the energy released by elementalization—just like the Otsutsuki clan!
It's truly the natural enemy of those who can elementalize!
It looks like… chakra fruits could probably be cultivated in this world too!
Yuto sat in Crocodile's boss chair, looking at the documents Miss Robin handed over. They detailed the industries the Crocodile "Group" had operated in recent years.
After scanning through them, he fell silent for a moment and sighed with emotion, looking at Miss Robin—who had started her new job immediately without even taking a break—and said, "To think you actually managed to work under such a boss for so long! This guy's even more evil than Orochimaru!"
Though Orochimaru constantly dangled dreams in front of his subordinates, at the very least… he still paid basic salaries.
Otherwise, those guys he fooled in would've long gone to deliver food instead of sticking around under him.
Unlike Crocodile, who sold an empty dream of a [Utopia], gave nothing in return, yet still had so many loyal believers.
Everything they looted… they only kept enough to buy alcohol and meat to survive and handed over all the rest… to help Crocodile build his [Utopia].
Such employees.
Such employees!
Even Orochimaru would probably be moved to tears after seeing them!
And then…
Exploit them with tears in his eyes!
With subordinates like that, why would he even need Impure World Reincarnation anymore?!
It'd just offend people and earn him a lifetime of infamy—and even his factory got blown up!
Though this bunch were ruthless in how they backstabbed each other over at Whiskey Peak, they were undeniably… good employees.
People with truly sincere hearts!
"…"
Miss Robin rolled her eyes.
You're no different!
Didn't you say you'd hire me for a high salary of fifty million Berries?!
Didn't you promise to treat talent well?!
And now?
Nothing!
They're all black-hearted bosses!
Even if she didn't really care that much about the salary, to be honest… she was still pretty annoyed!
No!
She was very annoyed!
She felt like she'd been scammed!
But then she thought of how easily this guy had kicked Crocodile to the ground—she still didn't know his true power.
So.
As the new subordinate, Miss Robin decided to keep smiling for now.
She nodded and said, "That was my former boss. Now, you're my boss!"
"Very good! Bin-chan! Do your best! Once your internship is over, I'll make you official right away!"
"…"
This guy!
She really wanted to show him what the betrayal of a witch and the wrath of the Demon Child looked like!
What kind of weird nickname was that?!
Robin raised her brow, clearly on the verge of snapping, but she was under someone's roof now, and her former boss was still lying on the ground. She still hadn't fulfilled her dreams, so how could she give up now?
You know, as the last inheritor of Ohara, she had a mission!
Searching for the lost, hidden history was her reason to survive now!
She took a deep breath, forced a smile, gritted her teeth, and pretended to beam, "Boss, what should we do with these guys next?"
"Get rid of the lazy and disobedient ones!" Yuto crossed his arms and said seriously, "Remember! Our Yuto Group is a legitimate organization. No more shady, no-cost business like before! I'm taking Crocodile with me!"
With that, he stood up.
"As for the rest, I'll leave it to you!" He looked with a smile at the intern whose eyes lit up—his intern, Bin-chan. "And remember! You signed a contract. If you run now…" He blinked. "You'll owe a huge amount in penalties~"
"...You're joking, right, Boss?" Robin's smile froze, but she quickly replaced it with a sweet grin. "With such great benefits, how could I possibly run away?"
She is truly worthy of being a girl who'd been wandering at sea since she was six!
What a performance!
He almost believed her.
Of course, Yuto didn't really mind. This woman wouldn't be able to run anyway.
He hoisted the still-unconscious Crocodile onto his shoulder and, under Robin's surprised gaze, opened a door and prepared to leave.
Then he seemed to remember something and pulled out a stack of documents. "Here's your next batch of work. Everything's explained inside. Your focus will now be on Fish-Man Island and the East Blue. Work hard and aim to pass your internship as soon as possible~"
With that…
Yuto left directly.
Since he didn't own any industries in Rainbase yet, the business channel disappeared as soon as he left.
Robin looked at the now-vanished door and let out a sigh of relief, murmuring with a wry smile, "I've really found a bad boss this time!"
It seems like escaping won't be easy from now on!
Though she wasn't sure how this guy would find her if she escaped into the vast ocean, without certainty, she wouldn't risk it!
After all, if he did find her…
Robin didn't even want to imagine the outcome.
So, she'd just wait and see for now!
Besides… there had been some news about the Poneglyph in Alabasta. Until she saw it for herself, she wasn't going anywhere.
Looking down at the so-called work documents on the desk, she frowned slightly and pondered for a moment. In the end, she shook her head and sneered. "He is still just a power-hungry schemer!"
A schemer even more ambitious than Crocodile!
Crocodile was only interested in running Alabasta. As for the East Blue, he just wanted to rake in some cash!
But this new boss… actually planned to run Alabasta, Fish-Man Island, and the East Blue?!
However—
Even Fish-Man Island could be brought under control. It looks like this new boss is quite capable!
She reached out and picked up the documents. Since she planned to work obediently for now, she might as well see what the job actually was!
It's probably some more shady business, right?
Otherwise, why would they seek out someone like her—the Demon Child?
Of course.
After all these years drifting across the seas and working under various powers, she'd already done all sorts of dirty work in the shadows.
She was used to it!
Thinking of the Poneglyph hidden in Alabasta, she sighed again and muttered to herself, "Have all the schemers gathered here now?"
Then she opened the file and glanced through it, her brows furrowing slightly.
Immediately—
She was taken aback. She blinked and looked more carefully.
After a moment—
Her expression turned strange as she muttered, "This Yuto Group… could it actually be running clean business?!"
What the heck is this stuff?
Why does it all look so legitimate?!
If it's all this normal… why look for her to do it?
…
Meanwhile—
Under the foreman's enthusiastic hospitality, Ace enjoyed a hearty feast.
And honestly… the food here was amazing!
So much meat!
So much delicious meat!
He ate until he was burping hard!
If he hadn't promised Luffy that he'd spread his name across the seas and prove the meaning of his existence by becoming the Pirate King faster than him, he would've really said yes right then and stayed to work for the foreman!
Of course, even after being declined, the foreman still brought him to a banquet held in a dazzling, brightly lit venue.
There were a lot of people!
Many of them were the same workers Ace had seen earlier that morning!
The beer was great too!
It was such a joyful vibe!
"How is it? Pretty nice place, huh? This is the Yuto Dance Hall!" the foreman laughed heartily, holding a beer in one hand and draping the other over Ace's shoulder. "I saw you dancing earlier—man, you were awesome! Hahaha~ But… the best was still when this place first opened. The boss's relatives came to dance! That was wild! Everyone was cheering! It was amazing! They were two really bold guys~ They even bought everyone drinks that night! We all drank our hearts out!"
His face already looked a little drunk, but he kept laughing and boasting.
No—
It wasn't really boasting!
Because that night truly was a blast!
"I remember now! It was Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara! Their dancing was super cool!"
"Really?" Hearing that, Ace's cheeks turned slightly red, clearly tipsy, and he swayed as he leaned on the foreman. "They danced that well? I'd really love to meet them!"
"Haha~ They haven't been back in a while! But when they do come, I'll make sure to invite you! I'm sure they'll treat us all to drinks again!" He raised his beer bottle high. "Come on! Let's keep drinking! Keep dancing! Let's get wild!"
As the words fell—
Everyone instantly erupted in cheers, swaying their bodies with the music.
"Hahahaha~ Alabasta really is fun!" Even Ace was swept up in the atmosphere. He jumped onto a table and started moving with the music. "This party is amazing!" He downed his drink in one go, let out a drunken burp, and slurred loudly, "Everyone drink up! Drink to your heart's content! Tonight, drinks are on me!"
"Yeah!" The drunken foreman, seemingly having forgotten that this was a kid working off a debt, shouted excitedly upon hearing Ace's words, "Tonight! All expenses are covered by our Ace-sama! Everyone cheer!"
"Waaaaaah~"
The entire venue instantly hit its climax.
Everyone started whistling, screaming, cheering…
"Ace-sama!"
"Ace-sama!"
"Ace-sama!"