"Ding! Please hold on, Host!"
The ethereal system prompt echoed once more. Luo Yu's eyes lit up as he watched the treasure chest slowly open within his consciousness space, a flicker of delight flashing across his face.
"Ding! Congratulations, Host! You have obtained Dark Magic!"
"Ding! Congratulations, Host! You have received a Fusion Card!"
Two dazzling beams of golden light burst forth.
In the end, only a pitch-black book radiating a dense aura of darkness and a golden-forged card remained, floating silently in the void.
Staring at the book and card before him, Luo Yu blinked in surprise.
These aren't your usual murder tools, are they?
Is this Jesus trying to steer me toward the path of righteousness?
He rubbed the tip of his nose and reached out.
The moment his fingers touched them, the information from the magic book and fusion card surged into his consciousness at lightning speed.
As the massive stream of data poured in, Luo Yu's mind buzzed. In an instant, he understood everything about the two items, and his eyes gleamed with excitement.
He glanced at the black book now manifested in his hand. If he remembered correctly…
This was the Dark Magic Grimoire of Yami Sukehiro, captain of the Black Bulls from the Clover Kingdom in the world of Roaring Empire.
It contained the countless spells Yami had mastered by repeatedly pushing past his limits.
A hybrid mage skilled in both swordsmanship and ki, Yami was more aptly described as a Magic Swordsman.
He could transform darkness into slashes, tear through space, and cross dimensions with devastating force.
His lightning-fast Iaido strikes were so swift that even the top boss—the Gravity Devil of the Dark Triad—couldn't react in time.
In the world of Roaring Empire, he was practically a half-cheat existence.
After his battle with Jack, Luo Yu had already felt his arsenal of finishing moves was lacking.
He never expected that opening a golden treasure chest this time would yield such a game-breaking jackpot.
It perfectly patched the gaps in his swordsmanship and ability integration.
If he could fully master Yami's Dark Magic, Luo Yu was certain his power would skyrocket—far beyond a simple one-plus-one.
Whew.
He exhaled deeply, suppressing the excitement in his chest.
Then he turned his gaze to the golden Fusion Card in his hand.
If he wasn't mistaken, this card bore an uncanny resemblance to the Monster Fusion Cards from Yu-Gi-Oh!.
It could fuse two abilities into one.
No—more precisely, it could imbue one of Luo Yu's powers with the ability to fuse.
Once used, the card's effect would be irreversible.
That meant this Fusion Card was a one-time-use item.
After activation, the chosen power would permanently gain fusion properties, allowing it to merge with Luo Yu's other abilities.
Staring at such a unique effect, Luo Yu couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.
If this card had unlimited uses, he wouldn't hesitate to experiment and see what kind of power combos he could create.
Unfortunately, it was a consumable. If he used it wrong, who knew if he'd ever get another?
With that sobering thought, Luo Yu pondered for a moment before deciding to set the card aside for now.
He'd wait until inspiration struck before using it.
"Admiral Luo Yu, you're finally awake! After you clocked out yesterday, Vice Admiral Tsuru sent a mission update. Admiral Kizaru will be taking your place to negotiate with Blackbeard Teach," Ain said, panting as she hurried over with a stack of mission files.
"Kizaru-senpai is replacing me?" Luo Yu raised an eyebrow. "What about the 20 million Berries bounty we agreed on?"
"Admiral Luo Yu, you don't need to worry," Ain said with a wry smile. "Fleet Admiral Sengoku anticipated you'd demand full compensation. He approved the payout even though you're off the mission."
She had initially doubted that Luo Yu would care about a mere 20 million Berries.
After all, he'd just taken down Drought Jack—a bounty worth a full billion.
But clearly, she had underestimated Admiral Luo Yu's obsession with performance metrics and bonuses.
Glancing back at the still-unconscious Jack and Ulti, Ain found herself oddly charmed by Luo Yu's ruthless, bonus-driven combat style. She couldn't help but pump her little fists in admiration.
"Heehee… oops."
"What's with that look? You seem a little too excited. Oh right, payday just hit. That is something to celebrate," Luo Yu said, glancing back at her.
Ain's cheeks flushed bright red. She hadn't realized she was smiling like a giddy schoolgirl. Faced with Luo Yu's salary logic, she could only nod along in flustered agreement.
"Admiral Luo Yu! We've got a situation! A massive raft is heading our way. Based on wind and speed, it'll reach us in fifteen minutes!"
A lookout shouted down from the mast, visibly panicked.
Ain's expression shifted. She was about to climb the lookout tower to confirm when Luo Yu raised a hand to stop her.
"No need to panic. It's not Kaido. That guy would never make such a cheap entrance."
Luo Yu took a swig of liquor and squinted toward the horizon.
As the massive raft came into view, its pirate flag fluttering in the wind, he muttered:
"It's Blackbeard Teach. Didn't expect him to come knocking himself. He must be pretty confident about this deal."
"Oh, and tell him—deal's off. I'm on vacation."
Deal's off because he's on vacation?
Ain and the surrounding Marines froze.
Only Luo Yu would be so nonchalant about Blackbeard Teach—a man who dared to kill Whitebeard himself.
No—if Blackbeard came with a price tag attached, maybe Luo Yu would've treated him differently.
But now that Kizaru had taken over the mission, Luo Yu was effectively on forced leave.
Meanwhile, seven or eight nautical miles from Usshai Island…
On a crude, oversized raft, Blackbeard and his crew stood on deck, grinning at the white-robed figure before them.
"Heh heh… Didn't expect CP0's intel to be this useful. No wonder the big players on the seas flinch at your name," Blackbeard said, chomping on a cherry pie.
"But I'm curious—why hand over all this intel on the Navy's Fourth Admiral?"
"Don't forget, we're pirates. Even if we become Warlords someday, that won't change."
As his words fell, every gaze turned toward Spandine.
Even Ace—tied up like a dumpling—glared at him with disgust.
As a member of the Whitebeard Pirates, nothing irked him more than traitors stabbing their own in the back.