One Piece: The Living Devil

Chapter 768: Time to Head Out

"Your guess isn't wrong."

Shutara's petite body curled up in Rosse's broad embrace, her fair legs spread apart. Her chest rose and fell slightly, and her voice carried a hint of hoarseness and weakness from just having been played with, "What's strongest about him isn't those techniques he learned from our world at all, but the immense power that already exists within his body. It's just that up until now, no one in Soul Society has been able to push him to the point where he needs to use his trump cards."

"Not even the Soul King can do it?"

Hikifune Kirio folded her arms across her chest, making her already magnificent curves look even more breathtaking.

Her beautiful eyes shifted, full of curiosity.

If even the Soul King couldn't do it, then she could really lie flat and slack off without worry.

'Wait, actually, I am already lying flat.'

As a pure research fanatic, the more unfathomable Rosse's strength was, the more excited she felt. This was an unprecedented, perfect research subject.

"He might not be as strong as the complete Soul King at his peak, but that one up there now, cut down into a limbless ornament, is no longer his match."

Shutara leaned against Rosse's firm chest, slightly lifting her misty eyes, unwillingly glancing at the man's deep, handsome profile.

No matter how much humiliation and denial churned inside her, Rosse's strength was right there.

As the person who had the most intimate contact with him over the past few years, she understood better than anyone what kind of terrifying power lay dormant beneath that body.

Compared to when he imprisoned her before, Rosse was even stronger now.

It was a kind of pressure from a life level that had almost completed its transformation, only a step away from transcendence, far beyond that old man Hyosube Ichibe by who knows how many times.

"He's actually that strong? Then in your original world, were you the strongest too?"

Hikifune Kirio's eyes lit up instantly.

Those eyes filled with curiosity began to scan Rosse up and down without restraint, as if looking at a rare treasure.

Since the person himself was right here, instead of asking Shutara, who looked half-dead in his arms, it was better to ask Rosse directly.

"You guess."

Rosse leaned back against the throne, his slender fingers idly playing with Shutara's loose hair, a teasing smile curling at the corner of his lips.

"Oh, I'm not guessing. Captain-Commander, how about this, I'll make some interesting little tools for you, and you tell me the truth, deal?"

Hikifune Kirio stepped forward, her eyes shining with undisguised fanatic light.

"Hikifune Kirio!"

Shutara suddenly turned her head, gritting her teeth as she glared at her former friend.

She had already given up on herself, that was why she endured the humiliation and revealed these trump card details, hoping it would give Hikifune and the others some chance to respond later.

Who would have thought Hikifune wouldn't appreciate it at all, and would even try to sell herself out completely, wading into this muddy water without any bottom line, just to satisfy her twisted thirst for knowledge.

"Hey now, don't look at me like that. Soul Society is about to collapse anyway. Since it's hopeless sooner or later, why not embrace the new world together?"

Hikifune Kirio shrugged indifferently and casually recounted the particle collapse theory she had observed earlier.

Shutara froze, then immediately turned a suspicious gaze toward Rosse, "Are you sure what you're saying isn't some lie this bastard made up to tame you?"

"I wish he was just fooling me, but his current attitude makes it obvious he doesn't care whether Soul Society lives or dies."

Hikifune Kirio spread her hands, her tone unusually clear and rational:

"And to be honest, I really can't think of any reason for him to go to such trouble to fool me. Just to trick me for this bit of rotten flesh? With his strength, as long as he's willing to get on my experiment table, he can do whatever he wants."

"You! You're completely beyond saving, shameless!"

Shutara's pale cheeks flushed with a sickly red from anger as she spat out her contempt at Hikifune.

But deep down, she had to admit Hikifune was right.

With the absolute dominance Rosse displayed, there was no need at all to deceive Hikifune.

"And you, in that state, still have the nerve to talk about me?"

Hikifune Kirio chuckled and shot back a disdainful look without holding back.

At least she was standing here properly dressed, presentable, and free.

On the other hand, Shutara, once she left the soothing touch of Rosse's hand, her small body began to tremble again with uncontrollable spasms.

Who was truly beyond saving was obvious at a glance.

"Bastard! If you're still my friend, then think of a way to save me!"

Shutara glared at Hikifune with reddened eyes, feeling like Hikifune was talking big without understanding the pain, 'If you have the guts, come experience this torment yourself, where your soul refuses to submit but your body betrays you.'

"If you're willing to obediently beg me, I could be merciful and let the two of you switch roles."

Rosse suddenly leaned down slightly, his warm breath brushing against Shutara's sensitive ear, his voice low and magnetic.

Though his voice wasn't loud, it was clear enough for both of them to hear in the empty hall.

"Hm?"

Shutara's pupils shrank sharply, a flash of light bursting in her eyes.

Her pride, etched into her bones, would never allow her to wag her tail and beg Rosse, but Hikifune didn't know the inside story.

'If I can use this chance to get out and quiet this woman down...'

However, before she could finish playing out that perfect plan in her mind, a fragrant breeze suddenly rushed toward her.

Hikifune Kirio smiled, her red lips slightly raised. Her tall, full-figured body moved like a nimble leopard, instantly crossing dozens of meters and landing steadily in front of the throne.

"Master~ please, take Shutara out for a walk. I'm really looking forward to seeing how you walk your pet."

Not only did Hikifune show no awareness of resisting, she even took the initiative to stretch out her hands and hug Rosse's free arm.

She deliberately pulled his arm into her embrace, that astonishing softness pressing tightly against him, even rubbing against it a couple of times with a hint of mischief, her upturned radiant face full of anticipation.

"Hikifune Kirio... you! Have you lost your mind?"

Seeing this scene with her own eyes, Shutara was completely stunned, her mind going blank.

'What the hell is going on?'

'Ain't I supposed to be the one begging to switch roles? Why did Hikifune stick herself to him first!'

'And you, a woman who usually only knows research, when did you learn to act like one of those seductive vixens from the Human World?'

"Sure."

Unexpectedly, Rosse smiled casually, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes as he agreed without hesitation.

"No!"

Shutara was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, shaking her head desperately, even trying to struggle out of Rosse's arms.

To become a pet and follow these two around Hueco Mundo?

That would be ten thousand times worse than being killed outright!

"Then beg me once, and I'll let you walk with us later."

Rosse easily pressed down the restless petite body in his arms with one large hand. With a slight press of his fingers, Shutara instantly went limp at the waist.

He looked down at her with a smile, his eyes full of teasing.

Shutara bit her lower lip hard, almost drawing blood.

Her chest heaved violently, her mind screaming for her to give in. Just say one plea, and she could avoid endless humiliation.

She opened her mouth, but her voice seemed stuck in her throat, her eyes filled with unbearable struggle and shame.

"Mas—"

She only managed half a syllable before the pride carved into her bones could no longer bear it.

Tears of humiliation forced their way out from the corners of her eyes. She shook her head frantically like a rattle drum, her voice breaking with a sob, "No, no! I can't say it! You bastard! If you've got the guts, just kill me now!"

"What's the fun in killing you? Master, how about I hold the pet's leash for you, and in exchange, give me a few drops of your blood for research?"

Hikifune Kirio didn't care about Shutara's breakdown at all. She tilted her head up with a smile, her eyes sparkling as she stared at Rosse.

"Only for research here. And you must eat this," Rosse glanced at Hikifune with a meaningful look.

With a casual flip of his hand, he tossed a fruit covered in spiral patterns to her.

"What's this?"

Hikifune Kirio caught it curiously.

The fruit was heavy, its appearance strange, like some unknown creation.

She held it in her palm, examining it carefully from a researcher's perspective, then her expression sharpened.

She could clearly feel a very unique power emanating from the fruit.

That power was completely different from the spirit particles of Soul Society, yet the sense of rules contained within it was no weaker.

"Munch-Munch Fruit. A Paramecia-type ability. It can devour anything and turn it into part of the body. If developed further, it could theoretically absorb all energy in this world," Rosse explained with a smile.

The fruit's original owner should have been Wapol, but Wapol and his father had already gone into early retirement in the Holy Land.

Drum Island was now his logistics base for training doctors, and there was no way he'd leave such a promising fruit to those two useless people.

By comparison, this fruit was surprisingly suitable for Hikifune Kirio, who was obsessed with devouring and transformation.

"Hehe! Then I won't hold back."

Hikifune Kirio didn't hesitate at all. She didn't even bother asking if there were side effects. She opened her red lips and bit into the Devil Fruit.

"Blegh!"

After just one chew, her bright face instantly twisted, and she let out an extremely loud retch.

"This tastes awful! It's like rotten sewage mixed with stinky socks and left to ferment for three years…"

While gagging, she forced herself to swallow the flesh, already muttering nonstop, "This isn't just a simple taste stimulation. It should be a rejection reaction between the fruit's internal rule-based power and the eater's body, projecting an unbearable taste through the nervous system. In other words, no matter how unusual or tolerant someone's palate is, it can precisely simulate the most disgusting flavor in the eater's subconscious."

Compared to the natives of the pirate world who only knew to complain about the taste, Hikifune's professionalism was almost terrifying. She had already begun analyzing its internal logic after just one bite.

"You're the first to put it that way. Thinking about it now, that does make sense."

A hint of surprise flashed in Rosse's eyes as he nodded thoughtfully.

That Devil Fruits tasted bad was common knowledge in the pirate world, like the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. No one had ever really questioned why.

Hikifune's explanation offered a completely new perspective on this underlying phenomenon.

"So do you have more fruits like this? I think I can study its energy conversion mechanism further!"

Hikifune Kirio closed her eyes, sensing the rapid transformation of her cells and the instinctive devouring ability that had suddenly appeared.

When she opened them again, they shone so brightly they seemed to glow.

Her research core was originally spiritual pressure cuisine, studying how to transfer spiritual pressure and abilities into food so people could consume it for direct enhancement.

The Devil Fruit she had just eaten, while its immediate boost wasn't as strong as her specially made spiritual pressure food, had an upper limit and rule-based structure that surpassed it by countless dimensions.

This was practically the ultimate direction of her lifelong research!

"I'll give you more later. For now, it's time to fulfill what I just promised you, and take our pet out for a walk," Rosse smiled and stood up.

"Rosse! Hikifune Kirio! You two bastards!"

Shutara let out a despairing scream.

Overwhelmed by shame and anger, she opened her mouth and bit down hard on Rosse's thick arm.

However, her action was clearly futile.

With Rosse's terrifying physical strength, that bite didn't even leave a mark.

He didn't even frown, simply lifting her up by the back of her neck like a kitten with one hand.

Click!

A crisp metallic clasp sounded.

A silver collar engraved with exquisite patterns fitted perfectly around Shutara's slender, fair neck.

At the same time, the semi-transparent gauze she had been wearing instantly disappeared, replaced by her original dignified Zero Division uniform.

If not for the faint stains still on her delicate face, and the way she clung to Rosse's arm like an enraged little beast, biting down without letting go, Hikifune might have thought that the proud, defiant Shutara had returned.

But unfortunately, as long as that gleaming silver collar was there, it was clear she could never go back.

Her friend's fate did stir a trace of pity, but with a brand-new world and top-tier research material right in front of her, Hikifune Kirio had no intention of missing it.

Besides, wasn't this all Shutara's own fault for being stubborn and refusing to give in?

She hadn't seen Rosse lay a hand on her, the obedient new employee, at all.

Thinking this, Hikifune Kirio curled her lips in faint amusement, stepped forward, and naturally took hold of the silver chain extending from the collar.

"Let's go, time to head out!"

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