Boom!
Ranga leapt from the surface of the sea, landing with a thunderous crash on the deck of the Moby Dick. The sheer impact shook the entire ship violently.
"Who dares to provoke the Whitebeard Pirates?!"
"Sorry! Sorry! Ranga didn't mean to! Ugh, Ranga, I told you not to jump so high!" Rimuru quickly let go of the clump of fur he had been clinging to and gave Ranga a scolding glare. "We're here to say hello, not pick a fight! Be more careful next time, alright?"
"(Whimper)… Master…" Ranga whimpered, clearly feeling wronged. He hadn't done it on purpose.
"There, there… I'm not mad at you." Rimuru reached out and patted Ranga gently to soothe him.
The moment Rimuru spoke, Ranga immediately perked up. "Yes, Master!" His tail began spinning like a propeller in excitement.
While Rimuru was comforting Ranga, the members of the Whitebeard Pirates stood frozen, expressions blank. Even Whitebeard himself was visibly surprised. Through his keen Observation Haki, he could sense a terrifyingly powerful energy within the seemingly frail, blue-haired girl. No—he instinctively knew she wasn't ordinary. The pressure emanating from her was immense. And that wolf—he could feel the threat it posed.
When did such a monster appear on the seas? Whitebeard wondered.
"Hey, kid! Do you even know where you are?" one of the crew shouted toward Rimuru.
"Kid?" Rimuru's eye twitched. I'm a fully grown adult, thank you very much. Taking a deep breath, she decided to be the bigger slime—er, person. No need to argue with random henchmen. She turned her gaze toward the imposing man seated ahead.
"Whoa! The real Whitebeard!"
Her eyes sparkled as she stared straight at him.
"You make it sound like you've seen me dead before, brat," Whitebeard joked, his gaze locking with hers.
He had seen countless people in his life, but never had he seen eyes like those—pure, clear, and radiant, like a newborn untainted by the world. There was something inexplicably disarming about them.
"⊙⊙! That's not what I meant!" Rimuru quickly waved her hands. "I mean… I guess I have seen you dead, technically, but that doesn't count, right? Like, how do I even explain this…"
"Gurararara… forget it! Don't overthink it." Whitebeard chuckled, watching Rimuru fumble with her words.
"You really don't care that you're supposed to die?" Rimuru asked, genuinely surprised.
"Kid, every man must face death eventually. But a man who sails these seas—how can he fear something like that? I'm Whitebeard. Not even the gods can kill me so easily!" he declared boldly, raising his oversized sake bowl and chugging from it.
"That's right! Pops will never die! We won't be defeated!" the pirates around him cheered enthusiastically.
That's the Whitebeard I admire! Rimuru thought, smiling warmly.
So cute… thought more than a few of the pirates, their faces going pink as they watched her grin.
"What's your name?" Whitebeard finally asked, setting down his sake.
"I'm Rimuru Tempest! I'm a good slime!" she beamed. "Also, I'm a Demon Lord!"
"Demon Lord? A good slime?" Whitebeard gave her a long stare. "What kind of messed up combo is that? What even is a slime? A Demon Lord that's a slime? Are you trying to make your enemies laugh to death?"
"Excuse me? What's that supposed to mean? Why can't I be a Demon Lord?" Rimuru's cheeks puffed out in frustration. This is discrimination! Just because I'm squishy doesn't mean I can't rule with an iron will!
"Hey, I've read books, alright? Demon Lords are supposed to be fierce, muscular, and evil!" Whitebeard teased. "With your looks, you're more like a… Moe Lord!"
Rimuru suddenly remembered Milim, Ramiris, and the other Demon Lords. Okay, maybe he wasn't entirely wrong…
"I am a Demon Lord!" she growled through gritted teeth.
"Alright, alright, you're a Demon Lord," Whitebeard chuckled. "Such a cuuuute Demon Lord. So tell me, Your Majesty—what brings you here?"
He's doing it on purpose. He's totally messing with me! Rimuru's face twitched. And people say Whitebeard's this serious, stoic guy… What a load of crap! He's just an old troll!
"Pfft…" The whole ship trembled with stifled laughter. A few pirates even burst out giggling.
Rimuru's eye twitched again. How dare—wait a minute…
"Ranga-chan! It's one thing for them to laugh, but you?! Why are you laughing too?!" Rimuru turned to see Ranga grinning like a fool, and that was the last straw.
"Whatever! Whitebeard, where are you guys headed, anyway?" Rimuru huffed, trying to change the topic.
Unexpectedly, Whitebeard's expression grew somber.
"We're going to send off a dear friend… Gol D. Roger."
"Nani?!" ⊙▽⊙
Rimuru's jaw dropped.
I just landed… and we're already diving straight into the heart of One Piece history?!