"Use the SS-tier random ability ticket."
Adrian thumbed the last SS ability ticket and whispered to the system. A second later the familiar chime sounded in his head.
"Ding! SS-tier random ability ticket used successfully."
"Ding! Congratulations, host — acquired: Magic (Cataclysm-tier)!"
The system's voice faded. Adrian immediately felt a new force awaken inside him alongside his reiatsu. It swelled fast — in minutes it rose to match his spiritual pressure, a second pillar of power he could now call on.
"Magic?" Adrian blinked, curious at first; then the system supplied the short explanation.
[Magic: from the Black Clover world — a supernatural energy that exists in both the world and living bodies. Mages consume mana to cast spells.]
Adrian grinned. "Lucky, or did the system rig the draw?" he muttered. Either way, he wouldn't refuse a power that fit what he needed.
A dry system reply interrupted him: "Ding! Random draws are fully random. The system does not intervene. Drawing a world's energy slightly increases the chance of drawing other items from the same world, but the Host's acquisition of 'Magic' was pure luck." The system sounded earnest — and a bit defensive.
Adrian snorted. "Relax, system. I was only teasing." He moved on.
"System, use the SS-tier random henchman ticket." He flicked the last SS henchman coupon into the void.
"Ding! SS-tier random henchman ticket used successfully."
"Ding! Congratulations, host — acquired: Senju Hashirama (Cataclysm-tier)!"
A figure manifested before Adrian. The Shark Ship's deck rippled as someone materialized — and Uchiha Madara lost his composure for the first time since joining: he vanished in an instant and stood before the newcomer with a wild shout.
"Hashi-rama!!" Madara howled.
"Madara!!" Hashirama answered with an infectious laugh — and the two slammed palms as old comrades reunited.
Their reunion was loud and affectionate. Even in this strange crew, their friendship was something beyond loyalty — the kind of bond that made everyone else feel oddly warm and a little out of place. Adrian watched them grin like idiots for a second and then cleared his throat.
"Since you two know each other, Hashirama — find a room on the Shark Ship and stay there. From now on, just call me 'Boss'." Adrian said.
"Yes, Boss." Hashirama replied crisply, then hopped onto the Shark Ship with Madara at his side.
That finished the use of all three SS tickets. The haul was ridiculous. Adrian felt the thrill — if the extortion of Garp and the Navy went well, an SS+++ rating couldn't be far off.
Meanwhile, Nami and Nojiko were at the helm, whispering conspiratorially.
"Nojiko, I thought it over. If Adrian becomes my brother-in-law, I wouldn't mind." Nami confided, eyes glittering. She'd watched Adrian's duel with Mihawk and had been utterly convinced. The man's power made the idea of fleeing the crew laughable — with strength like his, there was nowhere to run anyway. With that reality, Nami's plan changed: better settle in and play the long game.
Nojiko froze. "Nami, you're not usually like this." She blinked. She'd only been aboard a short while, but already her life had been turned upside down. The new cook — a prodigy — had taken her station, Dazsuki had been promoted to maid, and Nojiko's own role on the ship had been marginalized. She was edging toward uselessness, and Nami's matchmaking felt like a survival tactic more than romance.
"Look at Dazsuki," Nami nudged. "She's already cozy with Adrian. If you don't make a move, he'll notice her first."
Nojiko bristled. "Nami, you're being ridiculous. Dazsuki hates pirates — she's only doing what she's forced to do. Adrian wouldn't want her. He's not the type."
"You don't know that," Nami said, blunt. "If Adrian chooses someone, do you really think she'd refuse? You should act." Nami was blunt and mercenary — she'd spent eight years at sea scheming for a single fortune. She knew how to leverage a situation.
Nojiko's face tightened. She wanted Adrian; she'd had a soft spot for him since she first noticed him. But fear and caution held her back. Now, with Dazsuki seemingly taking every opportunity, Nojiko felt herself cornered. Nami kept prodding; in the end she planted the idea like a seed.
That night the Merry drifted on under a lattice of pale stars. Time passed and eventually, while the crew slept or pretended to, a small figure tiptoed down the corridor toward Adrian's cabin. She had no idea she'd already been observed — the crew pretended not to see, not out of mercy but because they didn't want to interrupt the boss's business. Men slept with their senses shut and pretended to be deaf. Nami, sharing the same room as Nojiko, had already woken and smiled secretly at the sight: her ploy was working faster than she expected.
Nojiko moved like a nervous shadow — half thrill, half dread — until she reached Adrian's door. She had steeled herself to make her play. Outside, the ship's night breathed and sighed. Inside, Adrian had sealed his room with reiatsu. Whatever happened within those walls would not leak out.
By morning the whole ship had already been roused. The sun was high and lazy. Nami watched from the doorway, feigning nonchalance as she waited. Nojiko did not emerge at once — a sign, Nami guessed, that her sister had gotten farther than she expected.
When Nojiko finally stepped out, her face carried sleep and honeyed embarrassment. She'd been exhausted after last night; whatever had taken place had left her pleasantly tired. She woke in Adrian's arms and had, for a long moment, only the drowsy wonder of a new reality. When she opened her eyes and realized she was being watched, she buried her face in the blanket, cheeks aflame.
"You're a little late to be shy," Adrian teased, gazing down, amusement soft in his voice. Nojiko flushed harder and shrank into the covers.
"It's your fault," she murmured, voice half hiding. But inside she was delighted: the gamble had paid off. She had gone from ordinary crew member to, unofficially, the boss's big sister — a protector and, more importantly, a position that guaranteed food, clothes, and status in a world of hungry rogues.
Adrian reached into his pocket and produced a devil fruit patterned with a spiral blossom. He set it on the blanket between them.
"This is a Devil Fruit," he said. "Eat it and you'll get superhuman abilities. This one is a Paramecia-type — the Slip-Slip Fruit. Whoever eats it will have incredibly smooth, flawless skin. Among Devil Fruits, it's said to have a beautifying effect — even the plain could become stunning."
He paused, savoring Nojiko's curiosity. Then he added casually, "Of course, Devil Fruits have side effects. You'll lose your ability to swim." He smiled wryly at the inevitable trade-off.
Nojiko didn't hesitate. She snatched it up and bit in with greedy determination. It tasted awful — a choking, foul tang that made her retch — but she clamped her jaw and swallowed it whole. If this fruit truly transformed ugliness into beauty, she wanted the full effect, not a half measure.
"Ugh!" she gagged after finishing. The taste nearly undid her, but she clung to her resolve. She'd come this far.
Outside, the ship went about its business. The crew made no comment; the world had shifted under Nojiko's small act and would never be the same for her.
Adrian watched her with something like fond amusement. Around him, the crew shifted toward a new future — stronger henchmen, new powers, the House of Time and Spirit tucked away in system-space, and a million reputation points sitting like a promise. The game had only begun.
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