Oguro glanced at the towering wall of water in front of him—almost as high as a hill—and calmly raised his right hand.
"Hadō #4: Byakurai!"
It was the same spell as before, but this time he poured much more spiritual pressure into it.
A beam of white lightning, as thick as his palm, burst from his fingertip and roared toward Arlong's head.
Boom!
The torrent was instantly pierced through, but Arlong twisted his body and narrowly avoided the lightning.
After personally witnessing Oguro's "Devil Fruit ability" kill two of his subordinates, there was no way Arlong would be caught off guard.
In the water, a Fishman's agility multiplies several times over—dodging was effortless!
When his attack failed to land, Arlong took the chance to push both hands forward, roaring, "Go to hell!"
The violent tide came crashing down like a tsunami blotting out the sky.
Before such a monstrous wave, a human's figure seemed utterly insignificant.
"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!"
A clear, elegant voice rang out.
Rukia Kuchiki flash-stepped in front of Oguro, her Zanpakutō transforming upon release into a blade of purest white, flawless and crystalline.
A long ribbon fluttered from the hilt, wrapping gracefully around her form.
"First Dance: Tsukishiro!"
Rukia swung Sode no Shirayuki, tracing a perfect circle before her—encompassing nearly the entire Arlong Park.
In the next moment, a bone-chilling cold rose from the ground, surging straight into the heavens.
Everything within that circle was instantly frozen solid.
More than half of Arlong Park—including the surging torrent he controlled—was sealed in ice, transformed into a massive sculpture of deathly beauty.
Those few Fishmen who had survived earlier didn't even have time to scream.
They froze mid-motion, life extinguished in the blink of an eye.
"Lord Soul King, all enemies have been purged," Rukia reported, sheathing her sword and kneeling on one knee before Oguro.
With her power, she could have annihilated Arlong's group even without releasing her Zanpakutō.
But as a Vice-Captain of the Thirteenth Division, allowing even a single drop of water to touch the Soul King's robes would be a grave failure.
So she chose the cleanest, swiftest way to end it.
Oguro nodded in satisfaction.
Having powerful subordinates really was the best feeling.
That move alone—honestly—it wasn't much weaker than Aokiji's Ice Age!
Once he summoned all thirteen captains, what were Admirals or Emperors to him? Nothing but small fry.
"Take Arlong's head and bring it to Cocoyasi Village," Oguro said coolly.
At Cocoyasi Village, Nami and the others were still gathered in the clearing.
Suddenly, Nami shouted, "They're back!"
Everyone turned to see Oguro and Rukia standing quietly at the entrance road, as if they had been there all along.
Rukia flicked her wrist, and Arlong's severed head rolled across the ground, stopping at their feet.
"There's no such thing as the Arlong Pirates anymore," Oguro said flatly, as if he were talking about swatting a mosquito.
Everyone froze.
Then, realization struck—followed by tears of joy.
"That's great! We're finally free!"
"Mom… we won't be killed anymore!"
Laughter and sobbing filled the air—the sound of people freed from years of despair.
After letting them vent for a while, Oguro finally spoke again.
"Arlong is dead. It's time for our agreement to be fulfilled."
The villagers quickly fell silent.
According to their pact, Oguro was now their new lord.
Ajian was the first to kneel. "Greetings, my lord!"
The others followed his lead, bowing one after another.
In that instant, a system prompt echoed in Oguro's mind.
"Congratulations, host. You have conquered a new territory through force. Achievement Points +100."
"Congratulations, host. Divine Kingdom upgraded to Level 2. Rewards unlocked: Gate of Crossing, Ten-Man Guard Unit."
Oguro's eyes lit up.
He had been worrying about how to travel between his two territories, separated by a whole sea.
Now, with the Gate of Crossing, that problem was solved!
In the original Bleach world, it was used to travel between the Human World and Soul Society.
This version had been modified—it could link any two anchor points within the One Piece world.
As for the Ten-Man Guard Unit, they were Shinigami whose power hadn't reached Gotei 13 standards.
They possessed Zanpakutō, but only shallow, nameless Asauchi without Shikai. Their strength was roughly on par with a Marine Headquarters officer.
Still, with his growing territories, they were perfect for maintaining public order.
Both rewards were just what he needed.
After telling the villagers to rise, Oguro looked toward Nami.
"Nami, as agreed—now it's time for me to decide your fate."
"I understand." Nami took a deep breath. "You gave everyone their freedom. I have no complaints, no matter what you decide."
She had completely let go of her fears.
The others wanted to plead for her, but how could they? He had just freed them from years of torment. They had no right to question him now.
Under their anxious gazes, Oguro smiled.
"From today on, Nami, you'll serve under me as my chief navigator."
Nami blinked, stunned.
That was it?
Seeing her blank stare, Oguro frowned slightly. "What, you're not willing?"
That shouldn't be right!
Luffy defeated Arlong and still managed to recruit her. How could he fail?
Don't tell me this requires some sort of protagonist's halo?
Realizing his tone, Nami quickly straightened and bowed deeply.
"I'm willing! I'm honored to serve you, my lord!"
This wasn't punishment—it was a promotion!
Smart as she was, Nami instantly understood the value.
Becoming a trusted subordinate to someone as powerful as Oguro could only mean prosperity for her and Cocoyasi Village.
There was no reason to refuse.
Oguro nodded in approval. "I haven't touched Arlong's treasure. Go fetch it back with your people. That money should help you all rebuild your lives."
Nami hadn't expected him to return the treasure.
By the laws of the sea, all of it should belong to the conqueror.
At that moment, a new thought bloomed in her heart.
Maybe… this man really could be a good lord.
"Congratulations, host. Legendary potential talent Nami has pledged her loyalty! Reward: Epic Lottery Ticket!"
Upon hearing the system's announcement, Oguro's expression instantly darkened.
"System, get out here right now!" he shouted in his mind.
"Explain this to me! How does recruiting a legendary-tier talent only earn me an epic lottery ticket?"
Logically, recruiting someone of legendary rank should yield at least a legendary reward!
The system's tone turned patient but helpless.
"Please note, host: while Nami possesses the potential to become a legendary-tier talent, she currently only qualifies as epic-tier. Therefore, the reward is accurate."
Oguro's mouth twitched.
So basically, unless he recruited post-timeskip Nami from the New World, he wouldn't get the legendary bonus?
But by then, she'd already be devoted to Luffy! What's the point!
"I don't care, system! I went through all that to recruit a legendary-tier talent, and you're short-changing me! You'd better make this right!"
"You know I'm weak right now! Short on manpower! I could get killed any day—blah, blah, blah…"
He went on ranting for a good ten minutes.
Finally, the system seemed annoyed.
"Enough! The reward can't be changed, but I'll issue a new task and give you some achievement points as compensation."
Ding!
New Quest Received!
Quest Title: Perfect the Divine Kingdom Administration
Quest Objective: A powerful Divine Kingdom requires proper governance. Establish a basic administrative system within your current territories.
Reward: 2,000 Achievement Points
Oguro's eyes sparkled.
He didn't get an upgraded prize, but this was good enough!
Two thousand free points—he wouldn't say no to that!
While the villagers busied themselves hauling back Arlong's treasure, Oguro quietly slipped into Nami's house.
It was time for another round of summoning.
***
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