Chapter 388 – The Self-Cultivation of a Sandbag!
Originally, Bullet already felt humiliated being bullied by a monster like Ban.
Now, with Ryuunosuke adding those words on top, it was simply insult to injury. His heart—already fragile—took a second blow.
"Well… everyone, don't be so enthusiastic."
"Mr. Bullet is our guest, after all."
"What are you doing dragging him into this?"
Ryuunosuke's voice carried across the deck.
But hearing those words only made Bullet feel even more wronged.
Guest? These people really thought he was a guest?
What kind of guest gets dragged straight into a brawl the moment he sets foot onboard?!
Sparring with Tatsumi he could still stomach. Trading punches like that reminded him of his old days, fighting for real. There was a sense of raw satisfaction in it.
But…
This wasn't just sparring. That guy was a monster.
Even standing before Ban, Bullet would never dare call himself a "descendant of demons." He wasn't worthy.
No—Ban was the real devil.
And then, as if to crush his spirit further, he learned from Ryuunosuke that there were other monsters like Ban among the Dragon Hunter Pirates.
How was anyone supposed to live with that kind of blow to their pride?
"Captain Ryuunosuke, could you give me a ship? I—"
"What? They're coming?!"
"I'll be right there."
Ryuunosuke cut him off mid-sentence and vanished in a flash.
Bullet hand hung awkwardly in the air. It felt like raising your hand to ask the teacher for a bathroom break, only for the teacher to ignore you and demand you solve the math problem on the board instead.
With Ryuunosuke gone, Bullet could only glare at the others in dissatisfaction.
"Well then, since Mr. Bullet wants a break, come sit and eat melon seeds with us."
"Xiao Di, go fight Leona!"
Chrollo casually waved his hand and opened his square-inch arena.
Machi entered without a word. Leona followed with a fierce fighting spirit.
Though Machi specialized in materialization, her combat ability was frightening in its own right. After her ability evolved, her one-on-one prowess was formidable.
Soon, the two clashed violently.
Bullet, who had been sunk in gloom, found his mood shifting as he watched. Without realizing it, he accepted the melon seeds Tatsumi handed him and joined the others in munching while spectating.
---
Not far away, Ryuunosuke observed from a distance.
"That was close," he muttered.
"Such a good sparring partner almost got scared off by Ban."
Akame smirked at his side.
"Brother Ryuunosuke, doesn't he know what kind of 'experience' he'll get aboard this ship?"
"Did you trick him into coming?"
"I didn't lie to him," Ryuunosuke shrugged. "He climbed aboard of his own will."
It was true. There had been no deceit.
"Captain, most of the chaos is under control now."
Najenda walked up, calm as ever. "Meliodas and Ban are still fighting. Do you want to watch?"
"A fight between those two?" Ryuunosuke raised a brow.
"Bullet's going to break down again after seeing that."
He smirked.
"Come on. Let's see what a primordial battle looks like."
Returning to the crowd, he sat among them, grabbed a bag of melon seeds, and joined in the spectacle.
---
Ban and Meliodas clashed with reckless abandon.
Both were merciless.
Limbs were torn, bones shattered—but thanks to their bodies, each injury healed almost instantly. Even a severed arm was nothing but a passing inconvenience.
The battle had its own savage beauty—an aesthetic of pure violence.
Bullet stared wide-eyed.
Can humans really fight like this?
If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed such combat was possible.
---
Eventually, the match ended.
But as the fighters emerged—bloody and battered—their wounds began to heal at a speed Bullet found unbelievable.
And this time, they hadn't even used the essence of life.
These weren't men.
They were monsters.
Where in the world had Ryuunosuke gathered such creatures?
Even awakened Zoan users couldn't match that recovery ability.
---
"How about it?"
Ryuunosuke's voice cut through Bullet's daze. He was standing beside him, smiling.
"My crew is more fun than you expected, right?"
"Fun?" Bullet'slips twitched.
"It's brutal!"
"The first division still looks somewhat normal. But once you hit the second, everything gets bizarre. Chrollo, Feitan, the rest… monsters."
"And that delicate-looking little girl? Fierce as hell in battle!"
"The fourth division…"
He trailed off, unable to finish.
Every one of them was on par with Roger's top officers.
And worst of all—they were all still young.
…Or so Bullet's thought. He didn't know that Meliodas alone had lived longer than Roger's entire crew combined.
---
"To be free on the seas, to do as you please…"
Ryuunosuke's eyes sharpened.
"The first requirement is strength."
"Stay on my ship, and you'll grow stronger. You don't think I only want you as a sandbag, do you?"
He pulled out Raftel's Eternal Pointer and dangled it casually.
"You're saying this is my 'payment' for playing punching bag?" Bullet's asked, suspicious.
At first, he truly believed Ryuunosuke was only using him as a training dummy for the crew. But now, he realized he'd been wrong.
These people didn't need him for experience. Many aboard were already stronger than him.
"Call it returning a favor," Ryuunosuke grinned.
"If you don't grow stronger before you leave, I'll give you a bottle of life essence as compensation."
"But I believe you will."
That smile—it was dangerous, disarming. A smile that could make you forget the pain and believe the impossible.
Bullet felt his doubts melt away.
"I understand. Keep your life essence. Even now, I can feel myself growing stronger."
"Maybe it's just been too long since I fought like this."
Bullet chuckled, his spirit lighter than before.
Ryuunosuke smiled as well.
Perfect. The sandbag was ready. No matter what battles came next, Bullet would endure.
---
After settling Bullet, Ryuunosuke returned to the command room inside the hull.
"Captain!"
Nojiko immediately stood to attention.
"Relax." He waved a hand, smiling.
"Nojiko, I brought something— a treasure. It'll be of great use for your future work."
Her heart skipped a beat.
Ryuunosuke was strong, handsome, and—
"Gaino, come out!"
Before her thoughts could wander further, Ryuunosuke's voice rang out.
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