Amidst Miyuki Uchiha's mournful wail, Daemon finished his chat with Erina.
Sakura, still unsure of the situation, didn't bother to send a message in the group to update Daemon or anyone else.
Daemon, unfazed, simply returned to the Holy Land. He was greeted there by Stussy, who had just returned from her duties outside.
"Daemon Saint," Stussy greeted, kneeling before him.
Daemon took the water glass from the maid beside him and casually asked, "How is Rouge?"
"Lady Rouge has already taken residence in your palace. Perhaps it's to protect the child in her womb. Her mood is stable for now."
Stussy answered respectfully. "Dr. Vegapunk mentioned that it wouldn't be difficult to ensure the fetus is 100% female, but it will take some time.
Ms. Rouge seems to have accepted the situation, as there have been no signs of protest or dissatisfaction."
Daemon listened carefully, his expression unreadable. He knew full well the implications of what Stussy had said.
Rouge, once the widow of the Pirate King, was now carrying a child that would be manipulated by forces beyond her control.
It was a necessary measure for Daemon, but the reality of it weighed on him.
Stussy hesitated for a moment, feeling sympathy for the woman who was caught in such a strange, perhaps unnatural situation.
"What are you thinking?" Daemon's sharp voice broke her out of her thoughts. His brow furrowed, sensing her drifting attention.
Stussy snapped back to focus, startled by Daemon's reprimand. "I... I'm sorry, Daemon. I was just thinking about something else. I'll continue with the report."
Daemon leaned back in his seat, an amused smile tugging at his lips. "What else do you have to tell me?"
Stussy gathered herself, her voice now more measured, though still tinged with nervousness.
"The Navy has invited you to attend the funeral of Vice Admiral Garp. There will also be a ceremony for Vice Admiral Akainu's promotion to Admiral."
Daemon's eyes gleamed with interest. "When?"
"A month from now," Stussy replied, unsure of how Daemon would take the news. She knew he had no love for the Navy, let alone for Garp, who had been one of his greatest enemies.
Daemon chuckled softly. "I like to see the faces of those who want to kill me but are too afraid to do so. It'll be amusing to watch."
He calculated the time in his head. The funeral would likely clash with his plans to travel to Wano and complete the Five Elders mission, not to mention the task Sakura had set for him in the Moon World.
He had to balance his time carefully, as it was unlikely he'd make it back in time for Garp's ceremony.
Daemon shrugged nonchalantly. "It's no big deal. If I can't make it, the Navy won't dare blame me. The question is: Why would they invite me in the first place? Do they think I killed Garp, or do they have other plans?"
Stussy, keeping her thoughts hidden, watched him carefully. The Navy might think they had a plan, but who could truly predict Daemon's next move?
Daemon continued, more to himself than to her. "Akainu should be promoted to Marshal soon enough. While the Navy is ultimately useless, it's always good to have a pawn or two for small tasks."
Stussy couldn't help but think, once again, how bold Daemon was in his arrogance. The Navy was a powerhouse, feared by many—but in front of Daemon's overwhelming might, it was reduced to mere pawns.
Stussy had seen the destruction Daemon was capable of firsthand—the black thunder that had obliterated the Rose Kingdom—and it made her wonder if anyone, even the Navy, could ever stand against him.
She snapped herself back to attention when she noticed Daemon's gaze on her. He raised his hand in a dismissive gesture. "Come here."
Pussy froze, sensing where this was going.
Daemon flashed a playful grin, his voice low and teasing. "Time for another lesson. You need to drink more 'milk' if you want to grow strong, Stussy. You can't get any taller if you don't."
Stussy's cheeks reddened slightly, but she complied, a mix of respect and embarrassment flooding her thoughts.
In her time, she had always been a powerful woman, but with Daemon, she couldn't help but feel... small.
"Yes, Daemon Saint," she replied softly, kneeling closer.
Hours later, as Daemon rested, the familiar ping of the chat group brought him back to attention.
[Group member Yamamoto Mei returns to her world and completes the Rouge related task.]
[Erina Nakiri's mission evaluation – Qualified. Received 1 chance for the One Piece World lottery.]
[Yamamoto Mei's mission evaluation – Excellent. Received 3 chances for the One Piece World lottery.]
[Esdeath's mission evaluation – Excellent. Received 3 chances for the One Piece World lottery.]
Daemon smirked as he read the notifications. "Looks like they're all done with their tasks."
In the chat group, the others were already reacting.
Miyuki Uchiha: "It's time to fight for some luck!"
Jibril: "Is this the lottery after completing the mission? Do we get a special product from our world?"
Miyuki Uchiha: "Exactly!"
Jibril: "If someone completes a mission in my world, they could even draw the Divine Essence, right?"
Miyuki Uchiha: "Yes! Whether it's the essence of gods or their powers, you can draw anything if your luck holds out!"
Luo Hao: "Like the last time Kasumigaoka Utaha drew the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan from the Naruto World, a treasure that only appears once or twice every few decades."
Daemon: "And Luo Hao drew three powerful ninjutsu, but they didn't work for anything. Luck really does play a big part in this."
Luo Hao: "..."
Luo Hao: "I have good luck! Didn't I enhance the Thunder Fruit successfully?"
Daemon: "Good luck with seven successes and six failures?"
Luo Hao: "That was just a temporary fluke! My luck is actually quite good, alright? The next time, I'll get something amazing!"
The group burst into laughter, the lighthearted teasing lifting the mood.
Yamamoto Mei: "Enough about Luo Hao's bad luck! Let me do the draw for you all."
As Yamamoto Mei prepared to take his turn, Daemon couldn't help but grin. He'd seen the absurdity of luck in the lottery system before—and the chaos that it caused.
[Congratulations to Yamamoto Mei for drawing: Zoan-Type Dog Fruit – Husky Form]
[Congratulations to Yamamoto Mei for drawing: Low-Level Observation Haki]
[Congratulations to Yamamoto Mei for drawing: Low-Level Armament Haki]
Miyuki Uchiha: "Poof—Three lottery chances gone, and all wasted by the violent Grim Reaper girl."
Luo Hao: "Hmm? Observation and Armament Haki aren't bad at all. In the One Piece world, they're essential for any top-tier fighter. Mei's luck is actually decent."
Jibril: "Haki? What does that mean?"
Miyuki Uchiha: "They're combat enhancements—one boosts perception, the other strengthens offense and defense. In lower-tier worlds, they're practically cheat skills... But for someone like her, they're pretty much useless."
Daemon: "Right. She already moves at lightspeed and has the enhanced Thunder Fruit. These basic Haki types won't do much for her."
Daemon: "As for the Husky fruit... I guess you've got yourself a pet now. Maybe it's a throwback to your past life."
Sakura Matou: "It's okay, Sister Mei! Next time you'll definitely get something better!"
Yamamoto Mei: "Thanks, Sakura-chan. Haven't you made the decision yet?"
Sakura Matou: "No... My father's still talking with that dirty old worm."
Yamamoto Mei: "No need to worry. With Brother Daemon protecting you, even the gods of the Moon World would have a hard time. That dirty old man is nothing."
BBFA Sakura: "Y-Yeah… You're right!"
Sakura Matou: "I believe in Brother Daemon completely!"
Yamamoto Mei: "Alright then, I guess today just isn't my lucky day. Who's next?"
Despite being the one who drew, Mei wasn't fazed. She hadn't joined the One Piece world to gamble on luck anyway—her real mission was already a success with the enhanced Thunder Fruit.
Esdeath: "I'm up next!"
Esdeath: "I've had two breakthroughs since entering the One Piece world. My luck's been insane lately. I know I'm pulling something great!"
Just as her voice faded, the system chimed.
[Congratulations to Esdeath for drawing: All the gold and jewels in the Treasure Vault of the Saint Daemon]
[Congratulations to Esdeath for drawing: Cursed Blade – Supreme Grade weapon
Onitoru Kitetsu]
[Congratulations to Esdeath for drawing: Logia-Type Devil Fruit – Ice-Ice Fruit]
Miyuki Uchiha: "???"
Miyuki Uchiha: "I'm just gonna spam question marks now, because WHAT?"
Miyuki Uchiha: "Wait, how come she gets Daemon's treasure vault loot? Is that supposed to be her engagement dowry? I object! Sister Queen, look at me—I've got fair skin, long legs, and I'm the top candidate for the Uchiha clan heir!"
Yamamoto Mei: "... So the issue is the dowry… No, wait, isn't the real focus here the Logia-type Devil Fruit?!"
Miyuki Uchiha: "Of course it is! But still—Esdeath already defeated Aokiji. With her Demon God Manifestation, she's way past what the Ice Fruit can offer."
Daemon: "True. Elementalization is powerful, but that sea-water weakness is real. Unless… Esdeath, want Luo Hao to try enhancing it?"
Luo Hao: "Shall I lend a hand, then?"
Esdeath: "[Red Envelope] [Red Envelope] Sure. Please handle both the fruit and the sword. I don't care if it fails—better to try than play it safe."
Luo Hao: "That's the spirit! A warrior should be bold!"
Luo Hao: "I've got a feeling this will succeed. No weaknesses, elemental powers, and a weapon that can slice iron like tofu!"
At Mount Lu, in the world of the Godslayers—
Luo Hao tossed the First Generation Onitoru into the enhancement furnace, full of confidence.
[Ding! Enhancement failed. Weapon destroyed.]
"…Huh?"
Her expression froze. A shadow passed over her face.
Another failure.
Was it the furnace? The timing? Or just... her?
Still unwilling to give up, she quickly dropped the Ice Fruit into the furnace.
[Ding! Enhancement successful. Bonus trigger activated. Ice Fruit +2 acquired.]
"Hoh? A double bonus system?"
It felt like an online RPG. Intrigued, Luo Hao immediately checked the new stats.
Ice-Ice Fruit +2
Sea-water weakness removed.
Freezing temperature greatly reduced (stronger).
Ice becomes significantly harder.
When combined with other ice-based abilities, power is dramatically amplified.
"It's perfect for Esdeath... as if it was tailor-made for her. I'm honestly a little jealous."
Despite the success, Luo Hao wasn't smiling. The thrill of the double enhancement didn't ease the sting of the sword's destruction.
She'd recently tried enhancing another divine power—one from the fire god Zhu Rong. It shattered too. Not a huge loss, but still...
"...Next time, I'll just kill more gods. One of them has to stick."
With a quiet grumble, Luo Hao sent the upgraded fruit to Esdeath.
Luo Hao: "[Red Envelope] For you, Esdeath."
Miyuki Uchiha: "Wait, only one red envelope? Did one of the upgrades fail?"
Yamamoto Mei: "Was it the sword or the fruit that broke?"
Esdeath: "[Image Attachment]"
Miyuki Uchiha: "No way—+2?! That enhancement actually worked?"
Luo Hao: "Hmph. Witness the luck of a Godslayer! You could learn a thing or two, little Uchiha."
Miyuki Uchiha: "But… didn't the sword explode?"
Luo Hao: "…."
Esdeath: "This is perfect. I don't need to worry about seawater anymore, and it stacks with my Demon God Manifestation. There couldn't be a more ideal fruit for me."
Esdeath: "Thanks, Luo Hao. I owe you one."
Luo Hao: "Think nothing of it. You trusted me to enhance it. That's more than enough."
Erina Nakiri: "S-So... it's my turn next?"
In the food wars world of Tōtsuki, Nakiri Erina sat nervously across from her grandfather. Her hands trembled slightly as she clenched her phone.
"A fruit that can freeze seas and render the user immune to harm... If I could get a power like that..."
Across the table, Nakiri Senzaemon—the calm, steely commander-in-chief—was holding his breath.
A once-in-a-lifetime chance.
Even in a world of culinary skill, the power to reshape the battlefield was intoxicating.
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