"Holy shit, is he cheating!?"
"How is that even possible!?"
"Did some fourth- or fifth-tier big shot sneak in!?"
The three explorers aboard the ship cried out in shock. They simply couldn't comprehend what they were seeing.
After all, to reach the top tier of the Second Rank, they could already be considered moderately experienced within the Space. They had a decent understanding of the rules by which the Space deployed explorers.
A super–large derived world like One Piece was only fully reset once every very long period. The specific rule seemed to be that if no one cleared it, the world would reset once the "story" reached its ending.
This was a freshly reset One Piece world. They were the very first batch of explorers to enter it, meaning the world was still in a pure, natural, unpolluted state.
Under such circumstances, the Space would never deploy high-tier explorers to steamroll the world. The first batch would only be selected from Ranks 1 to 3—there would be absolutely no rule-breaking monsters.
Among them, Rank Two explorers made up the majority, with very few Rank One or Rank Three explorers.
But even Rank Three explorers were, at best, just slightly bigger fish in the New World. They couldn't stir up much trouble. In a place like the Beasts Pirates, they'd be lucky to make it as a Headliner.
So what exactly was going on with this Kurosaki Rei!?
This was an All-Star, for crying out loud—and as the fourth All-Star, he'd even been given the title Calamity of Heaven. The sheer coincidence alone was enough to shock them to the core.
Nearly 800 million Beli in bounty—was this even fair!?
They'd fought tooth and nail in the North Blue for so long, only reaching around thirty million. And yet, an explorer had already reached the hundred-million tier and become one of the Beasts Pirates' Four Calamities.
"Is he from our side, or from the other side?"
One of the Divine Space explorers said anxiously.
"Who cares?" the leader rolled his eyes. "We're not going to the New World anyway. Let the monsters slaughter each other there. Whoever wants to play with a cheat like that can go ahead."
In his mind, this was absolutely cheating. Forget about Kurosaki Rei's personal strength—just the fact that he was the Fourth Calamity of the Beasts Pirates meant no one in their right mind would provoke him.
If a fight broke out, there'd be no such thing as martial honor. He'd just call people over and beat you with numbers—how were you supposed to play that game?
At the same time, explorers all over the world received updates to their own bounties. And after seeing Kurosaki Rei's wanted poster, they too revealed expressions of shock.
Those Rank Three explorers who had only just begun to gain a foothold in the New World fell silent upon seeing it. Some elite Rank Two explorers who had barely worked up the courage to enter the New World immediately developed second thoughts after seeing Kurosaki Rei's face.
Everyone thought roughly the same thing:
How the hell are we supposed to play this?
Can't afford to offend him. Absolutely can't. Best to avoid him at all costs.
...
The New World, on an Autumn Island.
"Don't—don't kill me! I can hand over my inheritance—!"
A Divine Space explorer with a third eye on his forehead begged for mercy. But before he could finish speaking, pitch-black spots crawled over his body, turning him completely black.
When his last bit of life faded away, he collapsed to the ground with terror frozen on his face, leaving behind only a Deadman's Chest.
A petite woman stood beneath a red maple tree, watching the scene. Her body was wrapped in layers of black bandages, giving her an eerie appearance.
After the Divine Space explorer died, she calmly walked over and bent down to pick up the chest.
This was already the fifth Divine Space explorer she'd hunted since entering the world. It had nothing to do with hatred—only利益 and stance.
A world contention battle between the Terminus Space and the Divine Space would soon begin. The Botanical Garden's vice-captain had given the order: eliminate as many high-level Divine Space explorers as possible.
Just as Black Lily picked up the Deadman's Chest, her danger alert went berserk. Her enhanced close-combat skills saved her life, allowing her to instantly shift and evade a strike from behind and above.
She turned, her expression grave, staring at the man squatting on a tree trunk, smiling as he looked at her.
The man wore a white suit and golden earrings. He had dazzling blond hair, and on his forehead was the same third eye— a racial trait unique to the Divine Space.
"So even a Rank Three isn't your match?"
He smiled as he spoke, raising his gloved hand and making Black Lily's scalp tingle with danger.
Boom—
After a brief exchange, the smoke cleared, leaving scattered bloodstains on the ground.
The man in the white suit adjusted his hairstyle.
"She's quite good at running. As expected of a special individual. So… should I chase her down, or keep farming bloodlines?"
Already far away and sailing out to sea, Black Lily leaned against the mast, treating her wounds with a solemn expression.
She had seen that man standing at the port, smiling and waving at her. In response, she'd raised her middle finger.
Only after the ship disappeared into the wind did her mind relax slightly.
"Looks like the other side's thinking the same thing. A troublesome character indeed…"
She knew exactly who that man was.
He was Shen Quan, a Rank Two "explorer" who had recently risen to fame in the Divine Space—and after entering this world, his strength had grown even more terrifying.
With most Rank Three explorers here having only just entered that tier, Shen Quan was likely the strongest explorer in this world.
Even so, doubt still lingered in her heart.
Why was he so strong?
After entering the world, she herself had obtained many benefits. Her attributes had already broken through the Rank Two limit. Yet Shen Quan's performance was even more outrageous.
Based on the intelligence she had, he shouldn't have possessed such strength. Even eating a Devil Fruit in the One Piece world shouldn't result in such a massive boost.
He was completely abnormal.
Just as she frowned in thought, a News Coo flew overhead. Black Lily raised her hand, and for some unknown reason, the seagull suddenly stopped mid-flight and fell from the sky.
She picked up the wanted posters and glanced through them. Her current bounty was 90 million Beli—not especially high in terms of side-quest rewards. She felt she still needed to work harder.
Then, while flipping through, she froze when she saw a familiar face.
"Prison Demon?"
...
While the One Piece world churned with undercurrents, Kurosaki Rei remained completely unaware of the turmoil outside.
Lately, he'd been busy helping with Wano's infrastructure, thoroughly enjoying himself.
Of course, he hadn't neglected his training. In addition to sparring with Yamato daily, his elevated status allowed him to occasionally seek guidance from "Teacher Kaido" when Kaido was in a good mood.
And well—Teacher Kaido's reputation as a gold-medal instructor truly wasn't exaggerated.
After several rounds of "club-based education," Kurosaki Rei's Armament Haki and Observation Haki advanced at breakneck speed. If he had eaten a Devil Fruit, he felt that even his Devil Fruit ability might have improved significantly.
Beyond skills, Kurosaki Rei's attributes also grew rapidly thanks to his daily "binge eating" combined with his passive cultivation techniques.
After finishing lunch, Kurosaki Rei glanced at his current attributes.
[Pioneer No. 008, your base attributes (including equipment and title bonuses):]
Constitution: 49 (+5)
Strength: 42 (+5)
Agility: 42 (+5)
Spirit: 48 (+8)
Charisma: 5
Luck: 2
In just two months, his attributes had undergone earth-shaking changes—the result of multiple factors working together.
Life Return–style consumption, absorption through his Spiritual Pressure cultivation method, daily physical training, and high-pressure sparring-based refinement.
If he activated all his states now, he could easily one-shot 99.99% of Rank Two explorers, and even newly advanced Rank Three explorers wouldn't be safe.
Even if he went out to sea alone, he'd already count as a heavyweight in the New World—at the very least, Headliner-level.
And if he leveraged the power of the Beasts Pirates?
Then he could basically walk sideways through the New World.
Aside from the other three All-Stars—whom he couldn't command—everyone else in the Beasts Pirates fell under his authority. Very few explorers could afford to clash with him head-on.
Since entering the Terminus Space, this was the first time Kurosaki Rei truly experienced the joy of having a powerful backer.
Backed by Yonko Kaido, with authority in his hands, there were very few things in the New World he couldn't do.
Kaido also showed no dissatisfaction with Kurosaki Rei not eating a Devil Fruit. In fact, after Kurosaki Rei expressed his hope to obtain a stronger Mythical Zoan, Kaido even sent people out to search for one.
Kurosaki Rei's reason was simple: he felt the Allosaurus Fruit didn't suit him, and that Haki was the true path of kings. He was currently focusing on cultivating Haki. Kaido was very pleased to hear that—after all, it was exactly his own belief.
Of course, Kaido wasn't stingy. Even if Kurosaki Rei didn't eat it, he wouldn't take the fruit back. It was a reward and already Kurosaki Rei's personal property. If Kurosaki Rei chose not to eat it, he could give it to a trusted subordinate later—Kaido wouldn't interfere.
"Lord Rei."
Fukurokuju's voice interrupted Kurosaki Rei's thoughts.
"What is it?"
Kurosaki Rei set down his bowl. He was already full.
Fukurokuju respectfully presented a stack of wanted posters. He had become increasingly obedient these days.
"These were received at the port. There's one with your name on it."
"From the Marines?"
Kurosaki Rei took them curiously and flipped through. The bounties of the Beasts Pirates' officers had all been raised.
When he reached his own page, Kurosaki Rei couldn't help but marvel at the World Government's intelligence network.
He'd never left Wano, and for the past two months he'd been working entirely behind closed doors. Kaido hadn't even publicly announced the addition of a new All-Star.
Yet the description on the wanted poster was frighteningly accurate.
Fourth All-Star — Calamity of Heaven, Kurosaki Rei.
"The bounty's pretty high…"
Kurosaki Rei smiled. Compared to the other All-Stars with bounties exceeding a billion, his might seem average—but this was his first bounty.
In the One Piece world, first bounties were set very conservatively. When Luffy entered the Grand Line, his true strength far exceeded 30 million, but since it was his first bounty, its symbolic value was much higher.
The Beasts Pirates' Three Calamities hadn't started with billion-plus bounties either. They rose over time, through reputation and achievements, as Marine Headquarters kept adjusting them.
Moreover, bounties weren't determined purely by combat power.
They were the Marines' assessment of threat level.
In Marine Headquarters' eyes, Kurosaki Rei himself might not be the strongest fighter—but he posed an enormous threat to the world. Hence, his bounty was set high.
Just like how Nico Robin had a 79 million bounty at only eight years old—not because she was strong, but because she could read Poneglyphs and threatened the World Government.
At present, the World Government likely believed that Kurosaki Rei was helping Kaido "get things done," and that his influence was already significant—hence such a high first bounty.
The moment Kurosaki Rei obtained his wanted poster, a new side quest triggered.
[Side Quest: Making a Name on the Seas]
Quest Description:
As a pirate, your bounty represents both strength and reputation. Please increase your bounty as much as possible and become a renowned pirate of the seas. Based on your bounty amount, the Pioneer will receive rewards in stages.
Difficulty: Easy ~ Certain Death
Rewards:
Below 10 million Beli: 10,000 Terminus Coins10–30 million Beli: 30,000 Terminus Coins30 million–100 million Beli: Medium Inheritance Crystal ×1100–300 million Beli: Medium Inheritance Crystal ×3300–600 million Beli: Special Title Reward, +6 Free Attribute Points600 million–1 billion Beli: Random Devil Fruit Chest1–2 billion Beli: Conqueror's Haki Aptitude AwakeningAbove 2 billion Beli: Surprise reward upon return settlement
Failure Penalty: None
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