Chapter 4: The Rat, The Maid, and the Awakening of the King
The Marine 16th Branch base on Black Belt Island was an imposing structure of gray stone and iron, designed to project authority and fear. The Seagull logo painted above the main gate was fading, peeling under the salt and sun of the East Blue, a subtle hint at the corruption rotting within.
Inside the reception hall, the air was stale, smelling of old paper, cheap tobacco, and bureaucratic boredom.
"We are bounty hunters," Suzaku stated, his voice calm and steady, cutting through the drowsy atmosphere of the room. "We are here to collect a bounty."
He stood before the high wooden counter, looking every bit the weary traveler, yet his posture held a relaxed confidence that didn't match his ragged, borrowed clothes. Beside him, Rem stood silently, her hands folded primly over her white apron, looking like a porcelain doll amidst a pile of rough stones.
Suzaku gave Rem a subtle nod.
Understanding the cue, Rem lifted the heavy, blood-stained canvas sack she had been carrying effortlessly. With a dull, wet thud, she dropped it onto the counter.
The Marine on duty, a young recruit with dark circles under his eyes, jumped in his seat. He looked at the sack, then at the beautiful maid, and finally at Suzaku.
"Uh... right," the recruit stammered. He reached out with trembling fingers and undid the knot.
As the fabric fell away, revealing the grim, frozen expression of the severed head inside, the recruit gasped, recoiling so hard his chair screeched against the floor tiles.
"Holy—! That... that's 'Brute Strength' Corliss!"
The recruit's eyes bulged. He scrambled for a stack of Wanted Posters, flipping through them frantically until he found the match.
"Confirmed! It's him! The pirate with a bounty of 5,000,000 Berries!"
The shout drew the attention of every other Marine in the hall. The lazy atmosphere evaporated instantly. 5,000,000 Berries was a significant sum in the East Blue, where the average bounty was often less than three million. To see such a notorious criminal brought in by a kid and a maid was unheard of.
"Please! Please have a seat!" The recruit's attitude underwent a complete 180-degree turn. He gestured enthusiastically to a wooden bench near the wall. "I will notify Captain Nezumi immediately! This is a big catch!"
Suzaku and Rem sat down. Rem scanned the room, her nose wrinkling slightly.
"This place smells of grease and lies," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
"Be patient," Suzaku replied with a faint smirk. "We're just here for the money."
Moments later, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the corridor.
A lean, shrewd-looking man strode into the room, flanked by two armed guards. He had a peculiar appearance that bordered on the comical—prominent buck teeth, a thin mustache that twitched when he sniffed, and a pair of round mouse ears perched on his head.
It was Captain Nezumi of the 16th Branch.
His beady little eyes darted around the room before locking onto the severed head on the counter. A gleam of avarice flashed in his pupils, quickly masked by a facade of official business.
"So," Nezumi squeaked, his voice nasally and grating. He turned his gaze to the bench, looking Suzaku and Rem up and down. "These are the hunters?"
He assessed them quickly.
A young brat in ill-fitting clothes. No visible weapons. No scars.
A girl in a maid outfit. Pretty, delicate. Probably just a servant or a trophy.
Conclusion: They are nobodies. Probably got lucky finding Corliss already injured or dead.
Nezumi's mind began to whir like a rusty calculator. 5,000,000 Berries was a lot of money. It was enough to buy fine wine, expensive cheese, and perhaps bribe his way into a safer posting in the Grand Line. Why should he give it to these two random children?
"What are they here for?" Nezumi asked the recruit, feigning ignorance.
"Sir! They brought in Corliss! They're here for the 5,000,000 Berry reward!"
"I see, I see." Nezumi stroked his whiskers thoughtfully. He walked over to Suzaku, towering over the seated boy to assert dominance.
"Ahem." He cleared his throat theatrically. "Regarding this pirate head... strict protocol must be followed. It appears to be Corliss, yes, but we cannot be certain it isn't a lookalike. It needs to be sent back to Marine Headquarters for forensic confirmation and DNA testing."
Suzaku raised an eyebrow. "DNA testing? In the East Blue? Since when?"
Nezumi ignored him, waving a dismissive hand. "It's a new procedure. Very complex. It will take months. You should go home and come back... oh, let's say in half a year."
Suzaku watched the rat-man's performance with amusement. He knew exactly what this scum was doing.
Nezumi reached into his pocket and pulled out a small stack of bills. He peeled off a few notes with agonizing slowness.
"However," Nezumi said, a greasy, benevolent smile stretching his lips, "I see that your journey wasn't easy. As a Captain of Justice, I cannot let citizens go empty-handed."
He held out the money.
"Here is 50,000 Berries. Consider it reimbursement for your travel expenses. Ah, I truly am a good man, aren't I? Take it and go."
50,000 Berries. One percent of the actual bounty.
The recruit behind the counter looked down, ashamed. The other Marines smirked, clearly used to this routine.
Suzaku didn't move to take the money. He just stared at Nezumi.
"Rem thinks you definitely don't want to pay."
The cool, melodic voice cut through the silence. Rem stood up slowly, her blue eyes fixed on Nezumi with a gaze that could freeze boiling water.
"You are trying to cheat Master Suzaku."
Nezumi froze. His intentions exposed so bluntly, his face flushed a mixture of purple and red.
"Insolence!" he screeched, his whiskers trembling. "How dare you?! How could we, the glorious Marines, refuse payment? Did you not hear me? I said the head needs to be processed! There are rules! Bureaucracy!"
He stepped closer to Rem, pointing a shaking finger at her nose.
"Look! Isn't there 50,000 Berries right here? I'm being generous! If you cause any more trouble, you will be charged with obstructing justice and provoking the Marine! So take the money and scram, you ungrateful little wrench!"
He scolded them with self-righteous fury, certain that two commoners would crumble under the weight of his authority. In his experience, people always backed down when the "Marine" label was thrown around.
Rem didn't blink. She tilted her head slightly.
"Rem understands now. You are not just rude."
Her voice dropped an octave, losing its politeness.
"You are a bad person. You are a thief hiding behind a uniform. You want to embezzle our money."
"That's it!" Nezumi exploded, veins popping on his forehead. He slammed his hand on the counter. "Guards! Arrest these two immediately! Shoot them if they resist! They are pirates in disguise! How dare they slander the righteous Marine!"
Click. Clack.
The Marines in the room raised their rifles, aiming directly at Suzaku and Rem.
Hearing this, Suzaku simply threw his head back and laughed. It wasn't a nervous laugh; it was a laugh of genuine exasperation and dark amusement.
"Unbelievable," Suzaku said, standing up and shaking his head. "I originally intended to interact with you as an ordinary person. Walk in, trade the head, get the cash, and leave peacefully. I didn't want to make a scene on day one."
He looked at Nezumi, his eyes narrowing.
"Forget it. I'm done pretending. If the law is corrupt, then there's no point in following it."
He glanced at the maid beside him.
"Getting a bounty counts as 'making a name for myself,' right, Rem?"
"Yes, Master."
Before Suzaku even finished his sentence, the air in the room shifted.
BOOM!
There was no buildup. No warning. One moment, Rem was standing still; the next, her fist was buried deep in Captain Nezumi's stomach.
The impact sounded like a cannon firing.
"Guh—?!"
Nezumi's eyes bulged out of his sockets. His feet left the ground. He folded in half around her fist like a wet towel.
Then, he launched.
Whoosh—CRASH!
The Marine Captain flew across the reception hall like a ragdoll, smashing into the far stone wall with enough force to crack the masonry. He slid down to the floor, leaving a smear of blood on the plaster.
"Captain!" the guards screamed in horror.
"Pfft—" Nezumi lay on the ground, clutching his shattered ribs, coughing up mouthfuls of blood. Terror flooded his eyes as he looked at the petite girl who had just broken him.
"I... I am a Marine Captain!" Nezumi wheezed, trying to crawl away. "If you... if you dare kill me... you'll be wanted worldwide! The Admirals... they won't let you go!"
Rem walked towards him. Her steps were light, almost dancing. She raised her right hand.
Flash.
A blue magical light shimmered, and from the empty air, a heavy iron chain materialized. At the end of the chain was a spiked iron ball the size of a watermelon.
"Rem thinks," she said softly, swinging the flail casually, the wind whistling through the spikes, "that you are more detestable than the pirates we killed yesterday."
"Wait! No! I have money! I can give you—"
"Goodbye."
SPLAT.
Rem swung the flail down.
It wasn't a fight. It was an execution. The spiked ball crushed the corrupt captain, ending his reign of terror over the 16th Branch in a single, gruesome stroke.
The room fell into a deathly silence.
The Marines stood frozen, their rifles shaking in their hands. They looked from the bloody remains of their captain to the maid who was now inspecting her weapon with a frown.
"Ah," Rem complained softly, pulling a handkerchief from her pocket to wipe a speck of blood from a spike. "Rem's weapon is dirty again. Cleaning this is going to be troublesome."
Although she was complaining, there was no trace of guilt or fear in her tone. To her, crushing Nezumi was no different from swatting a particularly gorged mosquito.
Suzaku watched the scene, feeling a strange sense of liberation. The constraints of his past life—the fear of authority, the need to follow rules—shattered alongside Nezumi's ribs.
"Well," Suzaku said, clapping his hands together. "Since we're already criminals, we might as well get paid properly."
He walked over to the frozen recruit behind the counter.
"The safe. Open it."
"Y-yes! Right away!" The recruit scrambled, tripping over his own feet to unlock the heavy iron door behind the desk.
Suzaku didn't hold back. He swaggered into the interior of the branch office. He took the 5,000,000 Berries owed to him. Then, seeing the piles of bribe money Nezumi had collected from Arlong and other criminals, he shrugged.
"Interest," Suzaku muttered, sweeping stacks of Berries into a canvas bag. "Consider it a tax refund for the people."
Ten minutes later.
Suzaku and Rem stood at the main entrance of the base. Behind them, dozens of Marines cowered, nursing bruises or pretending to be unconscious to avoid Rem's wrath.
Suzaku slung the heavy bag of money over his shoulder. He looked at the trembling group of Marines and took a deep breath.
"Listen up!"
His voice boomed across the courtyard.
"I am Rem's boss! My name is Suzaku Yareon! My alias is 'Vermilion Bird'!"
He grinned, a wild, fierce expression that promised a new era.
"Don't get the name wrong on the Wanted Poster! And if you want revenge... feel free to come find me anytime! We'll be waiting on the Grand Line!"
With that declaration, he took Rem's hand.
"Let's go, Rem."
"Yes, Suzaku-sama."
Under the dumbfounded gaze of the entire base, the two walked away, calm and unhurried, as if they had just finished a grocery run rather than assassinated a Marine Captain and robbed a military base.
Two hours later.
The Mad Dog—now fully stocked with fresh water, food, and new clothes purchased from the town (where rumors hadn't yet spread)—sailed away from Black Belt Island.
The sun was setting, painting the ocean in hues of orange and purple. The wind was crisp, filling the sails and pushing them toward the horizon.
[System Notification:]
[Ding! Event Complete: The Fall of the Rat.]
[Host Fame +50!]
[Subordinate Rem Fame +100!]
[Current Legend Points: 150]
Suzaku stood at the stern, watching the island shrink into a small dot. He laughed, a genuine, hearty sound.
"Now we really are going to become famous," he said, leaning against the railing. "Killing a Captain... the bounty on my head is going to be at least a few million."
Rem stood beside him, holding a tray with two drinks. She tilted her head, her blue bangs falling over her eye.
"Is Suzaku-sama not worried?" she asked softly. "We have made an enemy of a global military organization. We will be pursued endlessly."
"Worried about what?" Suzaku grinned, taking a glass from the tray.
He looked out at the vast, endless sea.
"This world is inherently a stage for the strong, Rem. The weak obey the rules; the strong make them."
He took a sip of the drink—it was perfectly chilled juice.
"Since we chose this path, there's no point in being overly cautious. As long as we follow our own will and only eliminate those we deem wicked—like Nezumi—that's enough. We live freely, and we die without regrets."
He turned to look at her, his expression softening.
"Besides," he said, his eyes shining with absolute confidence, "with you here by my side, what do I have to fear? You are worth a thousand Marines."
Rem paused. Her eyes widened slightly. A flush of color rose to her cheeks, distinct even in the twilight.
She lowered her head, a gentle, breathtaking smile gracing her lips.
"Mm," she whispered. "Rem will protect Suzaku-sama. Even if the whole world turns against you... Rem will be your shield and your sword."
[System Notification:]
[Rem's emotions have fluctuated significantly.]
[Bond Level Increased!]
[Current Bond Level: Close Friend!]
Huh? The Bond Level increased...
Suzaku's heart stirred. He recalled the system tutorial mentioning that bond increases unlocked special rewards—abilities or traits shared between the summoner and the summoned.
He focused his mind, and the pale blue interface materialized.
Sure enough, a prominent, golden notification was flashing.
[Bond Upgrade Reward awaiting claim: Yes/No?]
"Yes! Claim!" Suzaku chanted silently without hesitation.
[Ding — Congratulations to the Host for successfully claiming the Bond Upgrade Reward!]
[Reward 1: Rem's Combat Experience (Basic)]
[Description: Sufficient combat experience is needed to unleash the body's potential. You now possess the muscle memory for basic weapon handling and hand-to-hand combat.]
[Reward 2: Critical Awakening detected...]
[Reward 2: Conqueror's Haki (Haoshoku Haki) - Awakened!]
[Rank: Intermediate]
[Description: The disposition of a King. Act according to the guidance of your heart! The power to overwhelm the wills of others!]
Boom.
As soon as the system notification ended, two completely different streams of power surged into Suzaku's body.
The first was tactical—knowledge of how to throw a punch, how to dodge, how to swing a blade. It settled into his muscles like he had been training for years.
The second stream... was different.
It was formless and intangible, yet vast and mighty like a tsunami.
It did not originate from his limbs or bones. It erupted from the deepest parts of his consciousness—like a sleeping dragon opening its eyes within his soul. It was a pressure that demanded obedience.
"This is..."
Suzaku unconsciously straightened his back. His eyes snapped open, glowing with a terrifying intensity.
BZZZT!
An indescribable pressure spread out with him at the center.
There was clearly no wind, yet his hair tips and the corners of his new coat whipped around violently. The wooden railing of the ship creaked and groaned under an invisible weight.
A subtle yet distinct buzzing vibration resonated in the air, a low-frequency hum like the sound of glass about to shatter.
Vaguely, streaks of deep red and black lightning crackled around Suzaku's body, flashing and leaping in the air, emitting a dangerous zap-zap sound.
In this instant, his perception of the world shifted.
He could "feel" the life force of the fish swimming beneath the ship. He could feel the small seabirds flying overhead. And he instinctively knew that with just a single thought, he could snuff out their consciousness like pinching a candle flame.
He could force all the surrounding weaklings who were unworthy of standing before him to grovel in the dust.
This was a power stemming from absolute self-confidence and firm conviction—the qualification of a King who commands the world!
Rem, who was standing just a few feet away, gasped. She took a step back, her demonic instincts screaming that a predator had just entered the area. The air felt thick, heavy like lead.
"Suzaku-sama...?"
Her voice snapped him back.
Suzaku blinked. He looked at Rem and realized the pressure was affecting her.
Control it, he thought. I am the master of this power, not its slave.
What surprised him was that, unlike the stories he had read where new users knocked out their allies, he was able to perform a degree of precise control immediately.
He visualized the pressure retracting, pulling the red lightning back into his skin.
The surging aura, which had just awakened like a storm, was swiftly contained and suppressed back into his body before it could fully manifest and hurt Rem.
The wind died down. The red lightning vanished.
Suzaku looked at his hands. They weren't trembling. They were steady as rocks.
He checked his status panel again.
[Conqueror's Haki: Intermediate Rank]
Incredible, Suzaku thought, clenching his fist. Most people start with unconscious blasts. I've jumped directly to the Intermediate Rank, where I can distinguish between friend and foe.
He looked up at Rem, who was looking at him with a mixture of awe and confusion.
"Are you alright, Rem?"
"Rem is fine," she said, her voice slightly breathless. "But for a moment... Suzaku-sama felt... terrifying. Like a Demon Lord."
Suzaku smiled, the golden glint in his eyes slowly fading back to brown.
"Not a Demon Lord," he corrected gently. "A King."
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