Chapter 147: Queen Esdeath!
The dazzling light of the summoning circle reached its peak intensity before shattering into countless particles of magical energy.
As the brilliance faded, a bone-chilling cold instantly swept through the captain's quarters of the Vermillion Wing. It wasn't a natural cold; it was a spiritual frost that seemed to freeze the very moisture in the air. A thin layer of white frost began to creep along the steel walls, cracking and hissing as it expanded.
In the center of the fading circle, a figure stood tall and imposing.
She possessed waterfall-like blue hair that cascaded down to her waist, shimmering like a frozen river. Her skin was fairer than the freshest snow, flawless and pale, yet radiating a terrifying vitality. Her features were exquisite, as if an artist had carved them from ice and snow, blending extreme beauty with extreme danger.
She wore a pristine white general's uniform with black accents, a long-sleeved military jacket, and a scarf that flowed behind her. On her chest, the mark of the Teigu lay hidden, the source of her devastating power.
However, the most striking feature was her eyes.
Ice-blue eyes. They were deep, captivating, and terrifying. They seemed to contain an endless winter, a blizzard that never ceased, and an absolute authority that demanded submission from all living things.
She slowly opened those eyes. Her long eyelashes fluttered, brushing away the remnants of the summoning light.
She surveyed the unfamiliar room. Her gaze swept over the steel furniture, the magi-tech equipment, and the view of the ocean outside the porthole. Her expression carried a hint of scrutiny and unconcealed disdain for the unknown.
"Is this..."
Her red lips parted slightly, her voice cool and pleasant, like the chiming of wind chimes in a winter storm. Yet, beneath the beauty of the tone, there was a bone-deep aloofness and arrogance.
"...the new hunting ground?"
She didn't ask where she was. She didn't ask who summoned her. She only cared if there was prey.
"Men who fail to satisfy my training... are truly sickening. I hope this place offers better sport than the last."
Esdeath!
Suzaku, standing a few meters away, felt his heart leap in his chest.
It was actually her!
The Empire's strongest General. The Great General of the Empire. The user of the Demon's Extract. The ultimate S-Queen!
The pressure radiating from her was palpable. It wasn't Haki, but it was a killing intent so refined it felt physical.
Just then, Esdeath's gaze fell upon the only man standing directly in front of her.
She tilted her head slightly, her military cap casting a shadow over her eyes. She had expected to see expressions of fear, shock, or confusion—the usual reactions of men who stood before her.
Instead, she saw something else.
Suzaku stood there with his hands in his pockets. He possessed an impeccably handsome face that wore a calm, appreciative, and even slightly playful smile.
This man... showed no fear.
Not only was he unafraid, but his eyes looked as if he were admiring an extremely dangerous yet priceless collectible. He looked at her not as a monster to be feared, but as a masterpiece to be appreciated.
"Oh?"
Interesting!
A genuine flicker of approval and interest flashed across Esdeath's ice-blue eyes. The corner of her mouth twitched upward.
The strong should possess the composure of the strong. If he had knelt or trembled, she might have frozen him instantly just to clear the view. But this man seemed worthy of standing before her.
"Welcome aboard my ship, General Esdeath," Suzaku smiled and spoke first, his voice steady and welcoming.
He didn't waste time with explanations. He knew Esdeath's personality; she valued efficiency and strength, not talk.
At the same time, with a thought, he communicated with the System.
"System, inject the [OP World Universal Memory] package directly into her mind. Let's skip the orientation lecture."
[Command received. Loading "Novice Package: Worldview & Power System"... Initiating transfer.]
An invisible stream of data surged from Suzaku, bridging the gap between them and entering Esdeath's consciousness.
Esdeath blinked. Her hand instinctively went to the rapier at her waist, but she paused as the information flooded her mind.
A massive stream of information instantly flooded Esdeath's brain.
It wasn't just words; it was concepts, images, and the "rules" of this reality.
The Great Pirate Era!
She saw the vast oceans, the Grand Line, and the New World.
She saw the Marines, the absolute justice that sought to control the chaos.
She saw the World Government, the hidden rulers.
She saw the Devil Fruits, mystical powers that rivaled the Teigu of her world.
And most importantly, she saw the Yonko—the Four Emperors who ruled the seas like gods. She felt the concept of "Haki" and the idea that in this world, individual strength could overturn nations.
A completely new worldview, filled with war, powerful individuals, and absolute chaos, slowly unfolded before her!
After a brief silence, the room seemed to get colder.
The scrutiny in Esdeath's eyes completely transformed. The boredom vanished. In its place was a fervent, terrifying excitement!
Her pupils dilated. Her breathing hitched slightly.
This was a world... wider, more chaotic, and possessing more powerful individuals than her original one! In her old world, the rebellion was annoying. Here? The entire world was a battlefield.
"Excellent!"
The curve of her lips became dangerous and alluring. A sadistic blush dusted her pale cheeks.
"Since I am here, the rules of this world should be written by the strong. The weak deserve to be trampled, and the strong deserve to rule. This philosophy applies everywhere, it seems."
Esdeath took a step forward, leaving the magic circle.
Click. Click.
Her white high heels clicked crisply and forcefully on the wooden floor, echoing in the silent room.
She stopped in front of Suzaku, looking him in the eye. She gave a standard, sharp military salute, her ice-blue eyes burning with unprecedented battle intent.
"You are the Captain of this pirate ship, correct! I have received the knowledge of my role."
She lowered her hand, resting it on her hip.
"Whether it's the Marines or pirates... if a world-sweeping war is needed, this Queen is happy to take care of it for you! Just point me in the direction of the strongest enemy, and I will freeze them into eternity."
Suzaku chuckled, nodding in satisfaction. As expected of Esdeath. No hesitation, just a desire for conquest.
However, he raised a hand.
"Wait a moment, Esdeath."
Suzaku waved a hand dismissively at the Ice Queen behind him without turning around. His tone was relaxed, treating the terrifying General like an old friend.
"I just need to finish this one thing. I have one more summons to perform. Then I'll take you to meet my crew. There are some people on board you might find... interesting."
Esdeath raised an eyebrow.
"Hmph, a grown man dawdling!"
Esdeath's red lips curled into a smile, but surprisingly, she wasn't angry. In the Empire, anyone making her wait would be torture victims. But here, facing this mysterious Captain who plucked her from her world, she felt a strange patience.
She crossed her arms, accentuating her figure, and leaned against a metal pillar. Her ice-blue eyes curiously surveyed the steel-filled room.
"However, this Queen is in a good mood today. This new world pleases me. So, you may continue with your work."
Her gaze swept over every detail of the room—the rivets on the walls, the strange glowing lights of the magi-tech.
"The industrial standard is acceptable," she mused aloud. "I just wonder if the so-called powerhouses of this world—these 'Admirals' and 'Emperors'—can truly satisfy me... or if they will break as easily as the rest."
Suzaku had no time to deal with the Queen's musings right now.
His entire focus was once again immersed in the sea of uncertainty that was the lottery draw! The thrill of the gacha was calling him.
He had 50,000 Legend Points remaining. It was enough for one more high-tier pull.
"System! Once more!"
Suzaku took a deep breath.
"Fifty thousand Legend Points. Rare Grade Summon! Give me something good!"
[Confirming consumption of 50,000 Legend Points for "Rare Grade"... Summoning initiated!]
The room, which was still cold from Esdeath's arrival, suddenly underwent another drastic change.
This time, there was no holy white light. There was no freezing frost.
Quite the opposite.
In the location where Esdeath had appeared—the center of the magic circle—the light didn't brighten; it died.
A mass of pitch-black, ink-like shadow spread without warning. It started as a pool on the floor, bubbling and boiling like tar. It resembled a black hole that had materialized out of thin air, defying the laws of physics.
It greedily devoured all surrounding light; the intense darkness seemed to even suck in the room's illumination, making the magi-tech lamps flicker and dim.
The atmosphere shifted from "Cold" to "Ominous."
Esdeath, leaning against the pillar, narrowed her eyes. Her hand twitched towards her rapier again. She sensed something... unnatural. Not powerful in the raw sense, but strange.
One... two... three breaths.
Within that extreme darkness, the pool of shadow began to rise. It defied gravity, pulling itself upward into a three-dimensional form.
An equally pitch-black, humanoid silhouette, seemingly composed of pure shadow and malice, silently stood up.
It had no skin, no flesh. It was a silhouette brought to life.
It wore tight, dark night clothes that seemed part of its body. A black mask obscured its face, leaving only two glowing red eyes visible. Its arms were crossed over its chest in a posture of absolute discipline.
It quietly knelt on one knee, bowing its head to Suzaku, as if waiting there for its master's command!
And then... that was it!
The shadow ceased moving. The darkness stabilized.
The large magic circle, costing 50,000 points, had only summoned this one, seemingly somewhat frail "grunt"?
"?"
Suzaku frowned, his heart sinking slightly.
He looked at the kneeling ninja. It looked cool, sure. It looked like a ninja. But compared to Esdeath, Madara, or Hashirama? It looked like cannon fodder.
"What is going on?" Suzaku muttered.
"Fifty thousand Legend Points for a mere soldier? A generic ninja?"
Was this the legendary "Thank you for playing"? Had his luck finally run out after pulling the Ice Queen?
Esdeath, standing nearby, cast a scrutinizing glance at the kneeling shadow. She walked over, her heels clicking, and looked down at it.
"Weak," she declared flatly.
She let out a dismissive snort.
"It has no heartbeat. It has no fear. But it lacks raw power. Clearly, a character of this caliber is beneath my notice. Captain, is this the 'interesting' crew you promised?"
Suzaku ignored her taunt. He knew the System rarely gave absolute trash for that price. There had to be a catch.
He immediately sank his consciousness into the system panel to check the details!
[System Analysis Initiated...]
[Summoned Entity: Shadow Legion (Ninja Corps)]
[Source: Jackie Chan Adventures / Solo Leveling (Conceptual Fusion)]
[Master: Suzaku Yareon! Commands are absolute! Obedience is paramount!]
[Description: An army of shadows from another world, absolutely loyal shadow soldiers. They possess the characteristics of the Shadowkhan but the mechanics of a Shadow Monarch's army.]
[Unique Traits: They can hide in any shadow, are immune to most physical attacks (Logia-like intangibility to non-Haki/Magic attacks), and move silently.]
[Abilities: Shadow Shuttling, Infinite Regeneration! (As long as shadows exist, the legion cannot be truly destroyed; if dispersed, they can quickly reassemble in the Shadow Kingdom/Master's Shadow)]
[Restriction: Maximum summon limit is 150 individuals simultaneously! (Upgradeable)]
"Wait a minute..."
Suzaku read the description again.
"This appearance... this ability... the Shadow Legion?!"
Suzaku's eyes instantly lit up! The disappointment vanished, replaced by a strategic gleam.
Wasn't this the cannon fodder army that villains in that classic cartoon dreamed of possessing? And combined with the regeneration mechanics of a Shadow Monarch?
He looked closely at the kneeling figure. The system thoughtfully labeled the troop type.
It wasn't the "Razor Corps" that wielded stab blades instead of hands. Nor was it the "Night Bat Corps" that could fly.
Instead, it was the most basic, versatile, and numerous type: the Ninja Corps (Genin Shadow). Composed of ghost shadow soldiers who excelled in martial arts and shurikenjutsu.
"This thing... was incredibly useful!"
Suzaku rubbed his chin, his mind racing with possibilities.
Sure, their individual combat strength might not be high compared to a Yonko or an Admiral. They might get one-shot by a serious attack.
But their elusive movement and near-immortal characteristics changed the game.
"Infinite regeneration," Suzaku whispered. "Immune to normal physical attacks."
This was enough to drive any army lacking large-scale destructive capabilities or Haki to despair! Against the endless swarms of Marine soldiers or the thousands of weak pirates in a Yonko's crew, these shadows were invincible.
"This is great; the basic combat power is maxed out."
"From now on, my crew won't even need to get their hands dirty in group fights. Why should Madara or Esdeath waste energy killing random pirates when the shadows can do it?"
Suzaku's mouth curved into a huge grin!
He looked at the shadow ninja.
"Stand up."
The shadow ninja rose instantly, silent as the grave.
"Speaking of which..." Suzaku wondered aloud, "when these ninjas turn into shadows, where do their katanas and shuriken go? Does the Shadow Kingdom have a dedicated armory? Or are the weapons made of shadow too?"
Although there was a restriction limiting the number that could appear at one time to 150 individuals, that was 150 elite, unkillable assassins.
And the shadow soldiers could not speak, preventing complex communication and allowing them only to execute simple, clear instructions!
But these minor flaws did not overshadow the overall excellence!
Suzaku nodded in satisfaction.
With this [Shadow Legion] as his foundational combat force, the Vermillion Wing finally had a "crew" in the traditional sense.
Regular Marine soldiers or small-fry pirate crews were just serving themselves up, no matter how many arrived!
"Esdeath," Suzaku said, turning to the Queen. "Don't look down on them. They are immortal. And they are perfect for handling the trash that isn't worth your ice."
Esdeath raised an eyebrow, looking at the shadow again. "Immortal trash is still trash... but useful trash. Fine. I accept them as servants."
Suzaku laughed. These fifty thousand Legend Points were incredibly well spent!
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