"Anyone else want to try?"
Rei Ao turned his head to look at the guards around him.
His gaze was calm, yet it sent a chill down everyone's spine—like the look a god gives an ant, not even bothered enough to dirty his hands.
"S-Someone killed a Celestial Dragon! Run! An Admiral is coming!!!"
One guard threw down his weapon and bolted.
A chain reaction followed.
The second, the third… in less than five seconds, every guard had fled without a trace.
All that remained were weapons scattered across the floor, and the dead Celestial Dragon lodged in the hole in the wall.
Only then did Rei Ao turn toward the Boa sisters.
"It's okay now."
He crouched down, meeting Hancock at eye level.
"Can you stand?"
Hancock stared at him blankly, her mind still unable to process what had just happened.
Who… was this man?
Where did he come from?
Why… would he save us?
Countless questions spun in her head.
But in the end, she only managed one:
"Are you… a god?"
Rei Ao smiled.
"Not a god."
"Just someone here to make a deal with you."
He reached out and gently wiped the dust from her face, the motion so natural it felt like he'd done it a thousand times.
"My name is Rei Ao. I'm the owner of that chat group. From now on, you're safe."
As he spoke, he flicked a finger toward Sandersonia and Marigold.
Crack.
The hardened steel chains snapped on the spot, crumbling into powder. The two girls stared at him in a daze, their snake tails swaying uneasily.
"Devil Fruit users have a hard time controlling their first transformation."
Rei Ao studied their forms.
"But don't worry. I can teach you how to master your power."
He paused, then added:
"The Snake-Snake Fruit is actually very strong."
"Use it well, and no one will ever dare bully you again."
At those words, all three sisters lifted their heads at once.
For the first time, something called "hope" ignited in their eyes.
…
Inside the chat group.
Because Hancock's emotions were surging so violently, the video feed was choppy. Still, the members caught the key moments.
A white flash, a figure appearing out of nowhere, the Celestial Dragon getting blasted away—then the feed cut out.
Misaka Mikoto: "Was that a kid? Is this deal really okay?"
Tohru: "Rei Ao-sama is so cooooool!!!"
Saeko Busujima: "At a glance, that world seems chaotic. There's even slavery."
Yukinoshita Yukino: "Arbitrary imprisonment, threats at gunpoint, and slaves—an uncivilized barbaric society?"
Megumi Kato: "At least the newcomer's safe now."
The chat buzzed with discussion.
Then Rei Ao's message popped up.
Rei Ao: "@Hancock, @Kushina — you two newcomers, in short, the chat group can obtain my help through making a trade with me."
…
Konoha Forest
Kushina had watched the entire livestream.
Her shock was no less than anyone else's.
That man who appeared out of nowhere—Rei Ao—had displayed power far beyond anything she understood.
Not ninjutsu. Not taijutsu. Not even any known system of power.
And the way he saved people, like it was the most natural thing in the world…
"Is this guy… serious?"
she murmured.
Just then, Rei Ao @'d her.
After hesitating for a few seconds, she took a deep breath.
Uzumaki Kushina: "I don't need any help right now."
She paused.
Uzumaki Kushina: "But my grandmother died today. In Konoha… I have no family left."
As she typed that sentence, her eyes reddened again, but stubbornly she refused to let the tears fall.
Rei Ao's reply appeared almost instantly.
Rei Ao: "My condolences."
Miko Yotsuya: "Huh… the newcomer's relative passed away?"
Miko Yotsuya: "W-Well, at least everyone in the chat group can keep you company. You can think of us as family."
For some reason, warmth spread in Kushina's chest.
Stella: "That's right! Newbie, don't be sad! From now on we're all (cebh) your friends!"
Saeko Busujima: "I understand the pain of losing family, but those who live must keep moving forward."
Megumi Kato: "If you need to talk, you can always come to me."
One warm message after another rolled by.
Kushina watched, and at last, her tears still fell.
But this time, they weren't lonely tears.
They were the sound of something long frozen finally beginning to melt.
Uzumaki Kushina: "Thank you… everyone."
She wiped her tears and forced out an awkward smile.
Even though no one could see it.
…
A cell in Mary Geoise.
Rei Ao had already removed every restraint from the three sisters.
Hancock had changed into clean clothes Rei Ao took from his storage space.
A simple white dress—yet it made her look like a normal little girl, not a slave.
"How do we leave?"
she asked softly, holding tight to her two younger sisters.
"This is the World Government's territory. We can't escape… and you also… killed a Celestial Dragon."
"Relax. We're not going out the front door."
Rei Ao patted her small head, stood up, and brushed the dust from his hands.
"I'll open a portal and send you straight to somewhere safe."
As he spoke, he lifted his hand and sliced through the air.
Space tore open like cloth, forming a裂—on the other side was a sunlit beach, a blue ocean, and the faint outline of an island in the distance.
"That's…"
Hancock's eyes widened.
"Amazon Lily,"
Rei Ao explained.
Hancock's lips trembled.
She wanted to say something, but her throat tightened and no sound came out.
In the end, still holding her sisters' hands, she bowed deeply to Rei Ao.
"Thank you… truly… thank you so much…"
Tears fell onto the stone floor, splashing into tiny droplets—but this time they were warm tears.
Rei Ao gently patted her shoulder.
"Go on. Wait over there for me."
Hand in hand, the three sisters stepped into the tear in space.
Sunlight spilled over them, driving away every shadow.
Rei Ao watched them vanish, then closed the rift.
His eyes narrowed slightly, a smile curling at his lips.
"They're here? As expected of the Celestial Dragons' dogs—pretty quick."
He looked ahead.
A streak of golden light appeared, condensing into a man in a yellow suit, a white justice coat draped over his shoulders, and sunglasses on his face—an unpleasant-looking fellow.
A Navy Admiral—no, now it should be said, a Navy Vice Admiral—
Kizaru.
~~~
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