Chapter 308: The Fifteenth Partner (Part 2)
New World, a certain island.
A steel warship with a reflective metallic sheen was docked here.
In a forest filled with the sounds of chirping birds, Eric was drawing a summoning circle. The intricate patterns were slowly taking shape, with crimson lines giving off the scent of a demonic contract, gradually closing in.
Sitting on a tree branch, Deidara was lazily playing with mud.
Artoria held a thin pancake in both hands, the crisp sound of her chewing even louder than the birds' songs.
Akame and Kurome each sucked on a lollipop, the sucking sounds ringing out.
"..." Eric 's wrist froze, almost making a mistake in his drawing.
"Finally done," he muttered. Bending over to draw was quite a physical task, and Eric moved his sore waist back and forth. Fortunately, he only needed to trace the lines that others couldn't see. Otherwise, with Eric 's poor drawing skills, the system would probably Dragon him by the collar and scold him for not attending art class.
He placed the Line-Line Fruit into the summoning circle, and his companions immediately became alert.
"Those wandering in the Sea of Death, obey my pardon! Appear now—!"
"Ugh, Brother-in-law, those words are a bit cringy..."
"Pfft." Eric was caught off guard by a knife.
A black whirlwind surrounded the array, and the crimson lines glowed a deep scarlet. The two tones intermingled, releasing a chilling aura.
As the whirlwind dissipated and the glow faded, a man wearing a black cloak stood before them.
"Yo." Deidara suddenly became lively. He recognized the newcomer as a fellow countryman, immediately greeting him: "Kakuzu, I heard you were defeated by the Nine-Tails Kingchuriki? How exactly did you die? Hmm?"
With a carefree and teasing tone, Deidara's final "hmm" was enough for Kakuzu to instantly recognize who was Speaking.
"Deidara?" Kakuzu lowered his head and stared at his right hand, asking, "What exactly is going on?"
"Well..." Deidara tapped his head with his finger and carefully phrased his words. "You should know that you died at the hands of the Nine-Tails Kingchuriki and Kakashi, right?"
"Ah~" Kakuzu admitted and deduced, "That jutsu—was indeed terrifying. But Speaking of which, you must have died too... probably from an explosion."
Deidara shuddered at Kakuzu's words, immediately protesting loudly: "I became art through death! I left a wound on that land with an explosion like no other ever before!"
"That land?" Kakuzu keenly noticed a flaw and frowned, asking, "Where is this?"
Deidara yelled, "Listen to me, will you?!"
"So, are these people your new companions?" Kakuzu had already noticed Eric and the others. They neither attacked nor spoke, simply observing Deidara and Kakuzu's conversation.
Since they were not enemies, Kakuzu could only temporarily conclude that they weren't hostile. Whether they were allies or not was still to be determined, and he would have to dig for new information, starting with his old companion, Deidara.
"Yeah," Deidara shrugged and explained, "You were summoned here specifically by Captain Eric ."
"Captain Eric ?" Kakuzu repeated, asking in a low voice, "What exactly do you want me here for, having summoned the dead me?"
'The presence of pain means there is a physical body. This isn't a Reanimation, but a real resurrection,' Kakuzu thought, secretly pinching his left hand hidden in his sleeve. 'The killing intent I just felt wasn't restrained, proving the mind isn't controlled.'
'However—' Kakuzu scanned the women around Eric . 'Although their movements weren't obvious, they did reach for their weapons when the killing intent was released. They are all powerful...'
"Don't be so tense," Eric smiled, spreading his hands to show no ill intent, and directly offered, "I'm recruiting new members, and you've got some good skills. Just like Deidara, why don't you join the Dawn Pirates?"
Name: Kakuzu
Physique: Seven Stars
Martial Arts: Seven Stars
Ninjutsu: Eight Stars
Chakra: Seven Stars
Armament Haki: 0
Observation Haki: Three Stars
Devil Fruit: Five and a Half Stars
Bond Level: 1 (Regular Friend)
Skills: Earth Grudge Fear Mode, Earth Grudge Fear: Nature Mask, Secret Technique: Heart Extraction (Since pirates in this world don't have chakra, I've made it something that can be replenished at will), Earth Grudge Fear: Stitching, Five Nature Transformation Techniques
Comprehensive Combat Power: Seven Stars
Notes: Can extract and store a still-beating heart to extend life. Strong, with mastery of Lightning, Wind, Fire, Earth, and Water chakra, but defeated by Kakashi and Naruto.
Kakuzu, with his black mask, spoke in a flat, emotionless voice, "What do you want me to do?"
"You like money, right?" Eric grinned. "This world has plenty of bounty criminals. From now on, you'll be the financial officer of the Dawn Pirates!"
"Oh?" Kakuzu pondered the additional information about pirate world customs. "You want me to become a bounty hunter? To capture those wanted pirates?"
"Exactly," Eric grinned. "You just need to turn in half of the bounty you collect, and the rest is yours to keep."
Eric chuckled, "How about that? Better than the treatment you had in the Akame, right?"
Kakuzu immediately replied, "I'm willing to join the Dawn Pirates."
Ding... Kakuzu's favorability has increased significantly, and his bond level has risen from 1 (Regular Friend) to 2 (Close Friend), earning 1 Bond Point.
Eric couldn't help but think to himself, 'You're too money-hungry!'
Deidara also mocked, "Hey, Kakuzu, you switched sides pretty quickly."
"Don't even talk," Kakuzu shot back, "Aren't you the same?"
"I was willing to self-destruct, planning to take Sasuke down with me! Though it's a pity I didn't kill him in the end. Hmm..."
"I also fought the Nine-Tails Kingchuriki and Kakashi, sacrificing five lives," Kakuzu coldly glanced at him. "I've completed plenty of tasks the Akame assigned to me, and now I only care about money."
"How cold," Deidara shrugged. "Before I joined the Dawn Pirates, I had a fight with Captain Eric ."
"You lost miserably, right?"
"Ha!" Deidara's eyes widened, and he waved a fist at Kakuzu. "You want to fight?!"
"Sure, let me teach you a lesson, you little explosion freak." Kakuzu, with his vast battle experience, having survived through years of brutal wars, wasn't afraid of fighting a kid.
"Enough, Deidara, Kakuzu," Eric intervened. He turned to Kakuzu and said, "You only have one heart now, don't you? You should hurry and fill in the remaining four."
Kakuzu, not lacking in intelligence, decided to give the new boss some face. "I'll finish filling in my heart first, then come back to fight you."
Suddenly, he remembered something and stopped, asking, "Do you know what happened to Hidan?"
"Dead, right?" Deidara wasn't sure. "He disappeared along with you."
Eric answered for him, "Although he didn't die, it's almost the same. Hidan's body was blown to pieces, leaving only his head still talking. He's now buried alive in a deep hole."
"Is that so?" Kakuzu cursed under his breath. "That idiot couldn't even defeat a Konoha brat, and he ruined one of my hearts. Damn cultist!"
"Kakuzu, you and Hidan had a really good relationship."
"Say one more disgusting thing, and I'll use your heart to fill the remaining one!"
(END CHAPTER)
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