On the shore, a burning warship slowly sank into the sea.
"Woohoo!"
"Hahaha, that's what happens when you cross us!"
"The Black Cat Pirates are invincible!"
"Hail the Captain!"
The pirates roared with laughter as countless Navy corpses floated around them.
Standing on a broken plank, Kiba maintained a calm expression, showing no interest in joining the others' revelry.
**[Achievement conditions met. Your title has upgraded to "Pirate Backbone"]**
**[Pirate III achievement unlocked: Become the captain of a pirate crew]**
**Pirate Backbone**: Increases the efficiency of "plundering" and significantly boosts reputation accumulation within the pirate faction.
Becoming the third-in-command of the ship meant that Kiba's "Pirate" achievement could be further upgraded, but the next step required him to become the captain of the Black Cat Pirates.
This sounded extremely difficult, with almost no chance of success at the moment.
The "Pirate Captain" title could be put aside for now, so he decided to focus on completing another achievement mission, "Enemy of the Navy."
This achievement required him to personally kill ten Navy soldiers. With the recent battle, he had already met the conditions, granting him a new title.
**[Achievement conditions met. You have obtained the title "Enemy of the Navy"]**
**Enemy of the Navy**: Increases damage dealt to Navy members, with an initial faction favorability set to "Cold."
**[Enemy of the Navy II: Kill 3/50 Navy soldiers.]**
When fighting against the Navy faction, he could replace the "Pirate Backbone" title with this one. However, in normal circumstances, the "Pirate Backbone" title was more useful, as it allowed him to perform a "plundering" action after each battle.
For instance, after the recent skirmish, Kiba had looted an exceptional weapon from the corpse of a Navy Major.
- **Name**: Blade-patterned Tōshirō (Story Equipment)
- **Grade**: Epic
- **Category**: Sword
- **Attack Power**: 8-12
- **Durability**: 80/80
- **Attribute Enhancement**: Strength +4, Agility +2, Spirit +1
- **Usage Conditions**: None
- **Equipment Effects**: Soul Slash, Soul Steal
- **Origin**: One Piece
- **Equipment Evaluation**: Beware of its blade; it might sever your soul.
- **Soul Slash (Passive Skill)**: Deals true damage based on the number of kills.
- **Soul Steal (Passive Skill)**: Absorbs the souls of the deceased to mitigate incoming damage.
With powerful attacks, impressive attribute boosts, and two incredibly useful passive skills, this weapon could make its wielder stronger with each battle. However, being a piece of story equipment, it was useless to a Reincarnator like Kiba, who couldn't fully utilize its potential.
Otherwise, Kiba might have considered changing his path to explore whether close-combat attacks suited him.
"Master Jason." A young man approached enthusiastically, holding a bottle of fine wine looted from the Navy.
The young man's name was Paul, a recruit from the Black Cat Pirates during the last recruitment drive. Admiring Kiba's strength, Paul had willingly chosen to become the right-hand man of the third-in-command, following orders without hesitation.
Most importantly, Paul had incredible potential, making Kiba feel like he'd struck gold.
**[Paul (Swordsman): Strength 8, Constitution 14, Agility 10, Spirit 6, Perception 12, Trait: Heart's Eye]**
The damaged goggles could only display basic information, leaving the specifics of the "Heart's Eye" trait a mystery.
However, from his observations, Kiba noted that Paul always struck with lethal precision in battle, often finding the enemy's most vital weakness.
Given a suitable weapon, Paul's lethality would likely increase exponentially.
Taking out the cursed blade, Kiba unsheathed it slightly, and the eerie glow immediately captivated Paul.
"This... this seems to be a famous sword," the young man stammered, struggling to believe what he was seeing.
It wasn't until Kiba signaled several times that Paul, trembling, finally reached out to accept the weapon.
As Paul grasped the hilt, his trembling hands stilled instantly, and he became unnervingly calm—basic discipline for a swordsman.
Gently caressing the cursed blade, Paul, as a swordsman, understood the immense value of this gift.
He felt as if he had just joined a company, and the boss had handed him a bonus worth over 20 million dollars, saying, "I trust you to generate results for the company."
If not for his self-control, Paul might have knelt down on the spot to pledge his allegiance.
"No, I can't burden Master Jason. This is too dangerous," the young man muttered, fighting back his grief. He bowed deeply before turning and leaving.
As the young man walked away, Kiba received an unexpected notification.
**[Paul's Destiny Quest "Heart of Vengeance" triggered]**
**[Hint: Completing a story character's Destiny Quest allows you to invite them to become your follower.]**
"Follower?" Kiba mused, feeling a bit puzzled. This was another completely unfamiliar term, with no explanation in the newbie guide.
However, from the literal meaning, it seemed to suggest that story characters could somehow follow Reincarnators out of the story world.
Otherwise, the term "follower" would be quite misleading.
Watching Paul's retreating figure, a bold idea suddenly flashed through Kiba's mind.
Could certain main story characters also be recruited by Reincarnators?
"Never mind, I should focus on figuring out what this Destiny Quest is all about first."
**[Destiny Quest: Heart of Vengeance.]**
**[Step One: "The Truth": Find out the deep-seated hatred and fear buried in Paul's heart.]**
It seemed that this quest wasn't a simple, one-time task. Kiba would need to slowly unravel the past of the young swordsman.
Returning to the deck of the *Braku* ship, a muscular man suddenly blocked his path.
"Well, if it isn't Lucky Jason?"
This title had recently started circulating, used mockingly to suggest that Kiba had only become the third-in-command due to sheer luck.
It was childish behavior, something Kiba hadn't paid much attention to before. However, today, the man dared to challenge him directly.
"Do you think having Sam backing you means I won't dare touch you?" Kiba's cold smile sent a chill down the man's spine.
But orders were orders, and Sam had commanded him to provoke Kiba, no matter the cost.
"You—"
Before he could finish his sentence, a flash of a blade cut through the air.
Paul appeared, wielding the cursed Tōshirō, his eyes burning with rage that threatened to consume the muscular man completely.
Seeing this, Kiba realized he didn't need to step in. Paul was incredibly strong, and without employing all his skills, Kiba himself might struggle to handle him.
The muscular man was merely physically imposing and stood no chance against Paul, especially now that Paul wielded a cursed blade.
As expected, the fight ended within two minutes, with the challenger lying in a pool of blood, gravely injured.
"Don't let him die," Kiba's voice echoed across the deck as he slowly looked around. "Hang him up and let him bleed out. I want to watch him die slowly."
"Yes, sir." Paul nodded and swiftly set to work.
Such extreme cruelty sent a clear message to the other pirates: they would no longer underestimate the newly promoted third-in-command. From that day forward, they privately referred to him as "Brutal Jason."
That night, Kiba knocked on Paul's cabin door, and the two went to the deck to admire the half-dead man hanging from the mast. They made small talk, with Kiba casually asking about Paul's past.
Paul couldn't hold back any longer. Word by word, he recounted his tragic history.
His family had once been wealthy, with businesses spread across multiple islands. But one day, a high-ranking Navy officer set his sights on their fortune.
What followed was predictable: violent plundering that ultimately left Paul's family destitute and dead.
It wasn't just about the stolen wealth—the Navy officer had conspired with pirates to completely wipe out Paul's family.
Why did Paul go to sea?
He wanted to uncover the truth about that fateful day and find out who was responsible for his parents' deaths.
This investigation could be approached by either infiltrating the Navy or gathering information at sea. The choice was up to the Reincarnator.
**[Destiny Quest: Step One "The Truth" completed.]**
**[Step Two "The Clue": Discover the truth from that year. Perhaps you can start by investigating the Navy's 16th Branch.]**
"Wait, the Navy's 16th Branch?" Kiba suddenly recalled this place. It was mentioned in the East Blue Arc, where a certain Navy Captain made an appearance—specifically, the guy who looked like a rat.
This captain had colluded with Arlong, frequently taking bribes from the Arlong Pirates and turning a blind eye to their tyranny over 20 villages in the East Blue.
If anyone was likely the culprit, Captain Nezumi would be at the top of the list. And as for the pirate crew that massacred Paul's family, it was likely none other than the most terrifying force in the East Blue—Arlong.
This man, with a bounty of 20 million, was one of the few early bosses capable of suppressing the Straw Hat Pirates' top three fighters one after another.
Before heading to Alabasta, Arlong's crew was the strongest enemy the Straw Hat Pirates had encountered.
Such an enemy would be far more challenging than the Krieg Pirates. After all, Arlong was once a key member of the Sun Pirates, a force to be reckoned with.
Given the current situation, Kiba wasn't yet strong enough to defeat Arlong. For now, he would have to put this Destiny Quest on hold.
"In the future, when the opportunity arises, I'll help you uncover the truth," Kiba began to paint a picture of hope for Paul.
All his assumptions were speculative for now. There was no concrete conclusion yet—perhaps the culprit was just a small-time crook.
However, considering Paul's talents, Kiba knew the chances of that were slim. Otherwise, it wouldn't be deserving of the title "Destiny Quest."
"It seems I'll eventually have to face all the bosses in the East Blue."
Currently, he lacked the strength, so he would need to leverage the story's factions to achieve his goals. Perhaps the next time he entered the world, he could openly challenge Arlong and his crew.
"Tomorrow is the final deadline for the mission. The battles ahead will be even more intense."
In a scenario where factions clashed, the space would not allow them to live peacefully. Kiba had a strong feeling that he would soon encounter Reincarnators from the Navy faction.
(End of Chapter)