Chapter 670: Cooperation, Constraints in Formation!
Warm blood slid down Ace's arm.
As it did, the rage in his eyes slowly drained away.
"Puff…"
Ace yanked his hand back on instinct and stared at the blood smeared across his skin, disbelief written all over his face.
Then he looked up.
Roger's hand was raised, reaching toward him.
"Y you…"
Why did you not dodge?
Ace seized Roger's hand, panic flashing across his features.
In that instant, Ace felt Roger's emotions for the first time.
That kind of feeling…
That kind of weight…
"Why…?" Ace choked out.
"Because… this is what I owe you."
Roger barely managed to gather his last breath. He forced a smile, speaking quickly, as if afraid time would cut him off.
"Since you don't agree with what I said… then use your way."
Blood splattered again.
Ace froze, then panicked even harder.
"Big brother!"
"Big brother, I…"
"I see."
Before Ace could finish, Ryuunosuke was already there.
A terrifying surge of energy poured from his palm and rushed straight into Roger's body.
"Mm?"
Ryuunosuke's eyes narrowed.
"Lilith, you moved a little too fast, did you not?"
He had meant to heal Roger himself, but when his power circulated through Roger's body, he immediately realized what had already happened.
Lilith's energy was already inside, repairing the damage.
Organs were regenerating at a visible pace.
If it continued like this, Roger would recover, but it would still take time.
Lilith stood as well, smiling.
"Sometimes, a person's regret can be undone."
"And the greatest fortune is having the chance to mend a relationship when you finally want to."
"I hope what I did won't affect our cooperation?"
For some reason, seeing that smile made Ryuunosuke feel at ease.
At the very least, it was not the arrogance and ruthlessness he had seen before.
It made him even more certain that coming here today had been the right call.
"It won't affect anything," Ryuunosuke said.
Then he turned to Ace.
"Ace, are you alright?"
"If you still haven't vented your anger, go beat him up."
"You can ask him what happened back then."
"But don't do anything you'll regret."
"Understood, brother."
Ace exhaled slowly, his shoulders loosening.
"I understand what I want now."
"And I vented all my dissatisfaction with that last strike."
"The rest…"
He glanced at Roger, then looked away.
"That's for Mom to forgive."
"When that time comes, I won't need to worry about anything."
After saying that, Ace walked over to Luffy and Sabo and sat down beside them.
"This kid…"
Ryuunosuke shook his head, then raised his hand again.
"Life Essence."
He extracted pure life essence and sent it directly into Roger's body.
Roger's breathing steadied almost immediately.
His chest rose and fell in a calmer rhythm.
Only then did Ryuunosuke sit back down and face Lilith again.
"Miss Lilith, shall we talk cooperation?"
"Why should I choose you instead of Adam?"
"The core logic seems the same either way."
He spoke plainly.
If Ryuunosuke chose Adam, Jay would be included on that side.
But if he cooperated with Lilith, Jay could become an additional enemy.
So even if Ryuunosuke believed Lilith, that did not automatically mean he had to work with her.
"I can give up the Seed of God," Lilith said. "But Adam cannot."
"Because he intends to give Eve a complete life."
"A life different from his own."
"Eve…"
Hearing that name, Ryuunosuke's expression turned thoughtful.
His first encounter with Jay had been at Eve's root.
Now that thread had surfaced again.
"Eve, as a part of Adam's body, cannot truly merge with him," Lilith continued.
"Adam's Evictors are essentially followers he created using the same method I used."
"Adam's true strength, besides his own power, comes from his children."
"The children he and Eve produced…"
Ryuunosuke's worldview nearly cracked.
In myth, Eve was created from Adam's rib, and the two lived together and had children.
Fairy tales made it sound beautiful, as if every child would be wise and blessed.
But the way Lilith said it made one thing clear.
This was not a happy story.
Otherwise, none of what came after would have happened.
Ryuunosuke took a moment, organizing the information, then asked again.
"So, Miss Lilith, do you have any concrete plan for this cooperation?"
"No," Lilith replied without hesitation.
"If we cooperate, everything will follow Captain Ryuunosuke's wishes."
"If there is anything I can do to help, tell me, and I will cooperate to the best of my ability."
That attitude was almost surreal.
This was the same Lilith who once stood above everyone, high and mighty.
The same Lilith who had used a projection to try and drag Ryuunosuke into becoming one of her Guardians.
"In that case, I'll begin preparations."
Ryuunosuke lifted a hand.
"I'm willing to believe what you said, but I need to establish a constraint and an oath with you."
The air darkened instantly.
Space itself dimmed, as if the world had been wrapped in a veil.
A sealing aura spread outward.
Behind Ryuunosuke, countless gold and silver chains began to appear, filling the darkness like a storm of metal.
"This is…"
Lilith's pupils tightened.
Ryuunosuke spoke calmly, not wasting a second.
"Right now, I'm speaking to you soul to soul."
"What you see here, Ace and the others cannot see."
"This is my absolute space."
He looked her straight in the eye.
"Think carefully. Once the constraint and oath are formed, it won't be easy to break free."
They did not have time to waste.
With Jay outside, it was like standing next to a ticking bomb.
Ryuunosuke had already been inside for almost half a day.
If he stayed too long, trouble could easily erupt.
Lilith extended her hand, expression steady.
"Do it."
"Is this the 'constraint and oath' you used before?"
"You used something like it on Sevien, didn't you?"
"It was removed by them back then."
"Almost the same," Ryuunosuke said, "but improved."
He brought his hand down.
"Ryuunosuke. Lilith. Constraint and oath."
"Form."
The chains rattled violently, their sound echoing through the absolute space.
Then they twisted together, entwining as if they were becoming one.
Ryuunosuke's voice turned colder.
"Miss Lilith, during our cooperation, it doesn't matter whether you betray me or I betray you."
"The one who breaks it will have their life stripped away."
"Taken from the very root."
"I hope you understand."
With those words, the darkness peeled back.
The world returned to normal.
The chains vanished, leaving no trace behind.
Lilith nodded, accepting it without hesitation.
"I understand."
Then she looked at Ryuunosuke, more eager than before.
"So, what's our first step?"
Compared to Ryuunosuke, Lilith wanted this to end even more.
She was tired.