Chapter 3 – Pay-to-Win System? More Like a Scam!
Akira's face remained expressionless.
Carrying the unconscious woman—one even taller than himself—he walked steadily through the ruins.
His pace was calm, unhurried. Pirates all around instinctively moved aside, clearing a wide path for him.
Their eyes followed him with a mixture of awe, envy, and perverse amusement—half in admiration, half in pity.
Three years ago, Akira had become the Fourth Commander.
Now he was declared Kaido's son-in-law—and more than that, named the future heir to the Beasts Pirates.
A human… rising far too quickly.
"Jack the Drought" stood by the edge of the hall, glancing from Akira to the unconscious Yamato.
His mouth opened as if to speak, then shut again. In the end, he said nothing.
Meanwhile, "Queen the Plague" squinted his beady eyes, his round face tightening as a sly grin spread across it.
"Mufuhuhuhu…" He chuckled softly, clearly entertained by the chaos unfolding before him.
Akira's gaze eventually drifted toward King the Wildfire.
King stood near a shattered stone pillar, his black wings folded neatly behind his back.
A dark mask covered his face, concealing any emotion—but through the narrow slit of his visor, a complicated light flickered in his eyes.
King was Kaido's most loyal subordinate.
And because of that loyalty—he disliked Akira.
How could he ever respect a mere human, a man who'd climbed this high on brains and strength alone?
A man without a Zoan form, without Oni blood, whose loyalty to Kaido was still questionable.
And now that man was to become part of Kaido's family.
King's silence itself was pressure enough.
But Akira ignored it completely.
He walked straight ahead, carrying Yamato away from the hall of destruction.
— — —
Medical Ward, Onigashima
This was one of the few places on the island that remained clean and quiet.
Naturally so—because it had once been under Akira's direct supervision.
As long as he was in charge, this section would never fall into the same filth as the Gifters' quarters.
The moment he appeared in the doorway, several doctors—men and women in white coats, their bodies twisted with traces of beast mutations—rushed forward in alarm.
They immediately moved to lift Yamato from his arms and began treatment at once.
Using both surgical skill and the healing abilities of Devil Fruit users, they worked tirelessly.
Before long, Yamato was wheeled out again, her entire body wrapped in thick bandages.
Seeing her battered condition, Akira exhaled quietly and shook his head.
"If Kaido really becomes a grandfather," he murmured, "his grandchild will definitely grow up to be another 'monster' like her."
"Akira-sama!"
One of the doctors called out nervously. "Lady Yamato requires intensive care. We—"
"Everyone out," Akira interrupted flatly.
His tone wasn't loud—but carried absolute authority.
"But, Akira-sama!" the lead doctor protested anxiously. "Her injuries are severe! Lord Kaido's attack—"
"I said out."
His voice hardened, calm but freezing. "Do you not understand orders?"
"From this moment on, I—her official fiancé—will supervise and treat her personally."
The instant the word fiancé left his mouth, all color drained from their faces.
None dared to object further.
As the Beasts Pirates' future vice-captain, who would risk angering him?
Especially when Akira's reputation for vengeance was infamous throughout the crew.
"Understood, Akira-sama!"
They bowed in unison and hurried out.
Akira shut the heavy door behind them—
Boom!
The metallic door clanged shut, sealing the room in complete silence.
Finally, peace.
He sighed with relief.
Stepping beside the bed, he laid Yamato's massive frame down with a single motion.
Clang!
The metal bed rattled violently under the impact.
"Good grief… she's heavy," Akira muttered. "But, well… her size explains it."
He pulled up a chair and sat beside the bed.
The room was quiet, save for Yamato's steady breathing.
Her usual Oni mask had shattered during the fight, revealing the face beneath—undeniably beautiful.
To be honest, she was stunning.
Long, silvery-white hair shimmered down her back; the twin crimson horns atop her head added a strange, exotic charm.
If one ignored the fact that she was nearly three meters tall—
and that she could kill a dinosaur with a single blow—
and that she was obsessed with calling herself Kozuki Oden…
Then yes, she was indeed a beautiful woman.
Unfortunately, her lips were now stained with blood—
the result of Conqueror of Three Worlds: Ragnaraku, Kaido's merciless strike.
He hadn't held back at all.
Even against his own daughter, Kaido fought as if facing an enemy.
If he ever finds out I'm planning to escape, Akira thought grimly, he'll probably turn me into dust.
He stared silently at Yamato's face for a while.
Then his thoughts drifted—back to himself.
Escape.
That word had been engraved in his soul for eighteen years.
It was the only goal he had ever lived for.
He knew better than anyone—
the Beasts Pirates were a sinking ship, just waiting to go under.
Kaido, the "Strongest Creature in the World," would lose.
And the man who would defeat him… was none other than Monkey D. Luffy.
From the intel he'd gathered, Luffy's name was already rising in East Blue.
Two years from now—at most—Onigashima would be reduced to rubble by that boy's hands.
And when that day came… what would become of him?
As a member of the Beasts Pirates, even as a commander, he'd be captured, executed, or thrown into Impel Down.
That was why he had to flee.
Before tonight, his plan had been flawless.
He would take his fortune and the loyal subordinates he'd built over eighteen years—establish a new base in safer seas, slowly amass strength—
and one day rise high enough to challenge even Imu, the World's true ruler.
Or perhaps he'd eliminate the "protagonists" like Luffy early on—destroy them before they grew too strong, or even recruit them under his own flag.
But now… everything had collapsed.
Kaido's sudden marriage decree had flipped his entire plan upside down.
Yet, in a twisted way… a new door had opened.
By becoming part of Kaido's family, he could now reach the core of the Beasts Pirates' power.
"If I think about it carefully," Akira murmured, "maybe it's not too late to rewrite the script."
"With my influence now, maybe I can steer this world's course myself."
He ruffled his hair in frustration.
Could he really abandon it all?
The blood, sweat, and years he'd poured into climbing this far?
His title as Fourth Commander.
His personal network of spies.
His land, ships, and treasures—
Not to mention the thirty billion Berries he'd quietly embezzled and hidden from Kaido himself.
If he ran now, he'd lose everything.
He'd fall from the peak… to a nameless fugitive.
The cost was far too steep.
"Besides…" His eyes sharpened.
[System.]
He called out in his mind.
At once, the translucent blue panel reappeared before him.
Tonight's biggest surprise wasn't Kaido's forced marriage—
but this mysterious system that had arrived eighteen years late.
Perhaps… his only hope of flipping the Beasts Pirates' doomed destiny.
[Armor of Will – Passive Skill]
For every ten seconds of battle, one layer of Will Core is accumulated.
Upon full release, the user's physical power permanently increases.
The longer the battle, the stronger the body—no limit!
Akira's breathing quickened slightly.
The longer the fight, the stronger he became.
The essence of this power was combat—
facing the world's true titans head-on.
And what was the Beasts Pirates, if not the ultimate battlefield of the New World?
Kaido.
King, Queen, Jack.
Pirates and Marines constantly clashing without end.
For his system, this place was the perfect paradise for growth.
If he fled to East Blue… who would he fight?
Don Krieg? Arlong?
Creatures he could obliterate with a single punch?
They weren't even worthy opponents.
This ability, by its very nature, bound him permanently to the Beasts Pirates—
and to the New World itself.
Akira's gaze shifted to the second reward.
[Divine Manifestation Technique – Stage One: Doubles the user's body size and grants proportional physical power!]
Once, the biggest reason Akira refused this marriage had been painfully simple—
the height difference.
He could never accept marrying a woman so much taller and broader than him.
But now…
If he stood two meters tall and doubled that to four…
while Yamato was only about three meters…
A strange, almost amused smile tugged at the corner of Akira's lips.
From this angle…
maybe the marriage wasn't entirely bad?
" Tch."
He lightly tapped his forehead.
"System, I was genuinely uninterested before, but why give me two overpowered things like these, huh?"
He drew in a slow breath.
And in that instant, his thoughts cleared.
The escape plan—officially canceled.
What was "escape," anyway?
It was running away.
It was weakness.
The choice of a loser.
Now he had a system.
He had the greatest training environment in the world.
He even had Kaido—the strongest creature alive—as an endless sparring partner.
Why should he flee?
The correct move was to stay.
Use his position as Kaido's son-in-law.
Exploit the massive resources of the Beasts Pirates.
And within the next two years—before Luffy's arrival—
train like a madman.
Fight nonstop.
Become a monster greater than any other.
Two years from now…
who would be toppling whom might no longer be so certain.
As that realization sank in, the tension in his body slowly melted away.
Eighteen years of stress and fear evaporated in a single breath.
Now, with a new purpose in life, he had only one priority—
get stronger.
His eyes returned to the glowing blue panel.
At the bottom, the garish golden button pulsed invitingly.
[First Top-Up Package!]
"The beginner pack's already opened… so what does this 'first top-up' even mean?"
The moment he wondered, new text appeared before his eyes.
[Make your first recharge of 100 million Berries to receive an exclusive bonus!]
Akira's brow furrowed.
"One hundred million Berries?"
[Special Notice: With your first top-up of 100 million Berries, you'll gain a 100% Critical Attribute bonus!]
His pupils shrank sharply.
"Critical Attribute?!"
He immediately opened the detailed description.
[Critical Attribute: All physical attacks deal double damage!]
Boom!
His mind buzzed.
Every attack… doubled?
That meant every punch, every strike infused with Armament Haki, every sword swing—
all of it would hit twice as hard!
The boost was overwhelming—simple, brutal, absolute.
Akira's heart pounded faster.
"One hundred million Berries…"
He pulled up his status screen.
[Assets: 3 billion Berries]
That was the fruit of eighteen years of work—
the funds he'd saved for his escape plan, to found a new empire once he left Kaido.
Had this system appeared a minute earlier, he would've cried blood at the thought of spending a hundred million.
But now, having decided to stay—
money that couldn't become power was nothing but worthless paper.
"All physical attacks… double power…"
His gaze blazed.
"System, I'm doing it! Top-up now—one hundred million Berries!"
He almost shouted the words.
[Ding!]
On the screen, the golden package burst open in a flare of dazzling light.
Warm radiance enveloped his body.
He could feel new energy coursing through every muscle.
In the [Talent] section of the panel, a new line appeared:
[100% Critical (Passive): All physical attacks deal double damage.]
Success.
Akira clenched his fist.
His body hadn't changed visibly, but he knew—
from this moment on, every blow he delivered would carry twice the force.
At the same time, the number at the bottom of the panel shifted.
[Assets: 3 billion → 2.9 billion Berries]
Akira froze.
"…Huh?"
He blinked several times.
"Did it just… actually deduct 100 million?"
He'd thought the "Assets" section was merely a stat display.
But no—the system had literally withdrawn the money!
Shouldn't there have been a process?
A transfer? Some confirmation?
Instead, the balance dropped instantly.
"System," he muttered in disbelief, "where did you even take that money from? Don't tell me you ransacked my stash under the bed!"
[Ding!]
The system's cold, mechanical tone rang out.
[System has automatically linked to all assets registered under Host's name, including cash, deposits, property, shares, and bonds.]
[Funds totaling 100 million Berries have been withdrawn from your active account at World Bank.]
[If liquid assets are insufficient, the system will automatically auction Host's property.]
Akira's eyes widened in horror.
This system didn't just know he had a bank account—
it knew the exact balance!
And it could pull money straight from it!
"You… what kind of shameless system are you?!"
A stabbing pain hit his chest.
That was a hundred million Berries—
money he'd risked his life embezzling over the years—
gone, just like that!
But the ache lasted only three seconds.
When he looked back at the panel, the golden letters of [100% Critical] gleamed back at him.
A faint smile spread across his face.
"One hundred million Berries for a permanent passive that doubles all physical attacks…"
"That's a massive profit."
Confidence surged through him again.
He scrolled through the rest of the interface—and then he found it.
The system's true core.
A gigantic spinning wheel appeared, glowing softly in mid-air.
It was divided into five radiant sections:
[Item Draw]
[Talent Draw]
[Attribute Draw]
[Technique Draw]
[Bloodline Draw]
Akira's breath quickened.
Items?
Could that mean Devil Fruits?
Or perhaps one of the Twelve Supreme Grade Swords?
Or even weapons from another world?
And if "Attribute" could already give him Critical,
then what would happen with Strength, Speed, or Endurance?
He rubbed his palms together, eyes gleaming.
"This is it… the first step toward true power."
His gaze dropped to the small caption beneath the wheel.
[Item Draw – 100 million Berries per spin]
[Talent Draw – 100 million Berries per spin]
[Attribute Draw – 100 million Berries per spin]
[Technique Draw – 100 million Berries per spin]
[Bloodline Draw – 100 million Berries per spin]
Akira's smile froze.
"…How much?"
He rubbed his eyes and looked again.
The text hadn't changed.
[100 million Berries per spin]
"..."
The muscles on his face twitched violently.
"Are you a system or a pirate thief?!"
He nearly shouted inside his mind.
One hundred million Berries for a single draw?!
This wasn't Pay-to-Win—this was Pay-to-Cry!
He glanced at his asset display again.
[Assets: 2.9 billion Berries]
Just a few minutes ago, that number had made him feel like the richest man in the world.
Now… it only meant twenty-nine spins.
"Damn system…"
He gritted his teeth, jaw trembling.
Eighteen years of danger, blood, and sweat—
every bribe, every heist, every ounce of risk—
all of it could vanish in days at this rate.
And yet, his eyes stayed fixed on the three golden buttons before him.
His hands trembled—not from fear, but from a strange, electric thrill bubbling in his chest.
His blood boiled.
The gambler's instinct within him stirred awake.
"Should I…" he whispered, eyes reflecting the golden glow of the spinning wheel,
"…try just once?"
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Read ahead and support the story on Patreon:
🔗 patreon.com/FaaanzKun
✅ 10+ chapters ahead of WebNovel
✅ 2 new chapters every day (Monday–Saturday), exclusive on Patreon
🌙 Note: Sunday is a rest day, so there will be no updates tomorrow. Regular uploads resume as usual on Monday.
Thank you all so much for your amazing support 💖
Your encouragement keeps this story alive and growing stronger every single day! 🌟
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —