DXD
The day of the Rating Game against Riser had finally arrived.
Issei and his team had endured grueling training—designed by experts from the Heroes Chat Group—which pushed them to the brink of insanity.
He was sure that he was completely normal, but for some reason, everyone disagreed with that notion. Even his maid had once commented,
"You're just… unique, my lord. It's part of your charm."
Rias had changed.
Through countless simulated battles, she had been tested to her limits in the virtual world, experiencing death over and over again.
The result?
Cold, sharp, ruthless.
There was no trace of hesitation in her crimson eyes as she looked over her team.
Now, they moved as hunters through the replica of Kuoh Academy.
Rias went straight for Riser.
Akeno went for the Queen.
The others spread out, hunting like wolves in the dark.
And Issei?
He was ready.
This was the moment he had been waiting for.
"Finally, I can show my true strength. Let's get our game on, Ddraig!"
His bet with Riser was simple:
If Issei's team won, Riser would give up three of his servants.
If Riser won, Issei would become his loyal dog.
A foolish gamble.
"Sad little birdie didn't know who he was dealing with."
Now, it was time to prove it.
Issei moved silently, his presence vanishing as he prowled through the battlefield.
He had already locked onto his first prey—
Two twin cat girls, Ni and Li, both clad in tight, revealing school uniforms that accentuated their curves.
"What a feast for these hungry eyes…"
Issei appeared behind Ni like a phantom, wrapping his arms around her before she even realized what had happened.
She struggled.
But he didn't let go.
"I am very interested in you two," he whispered into her ear, enjoying her shivers.
"So please, surrender."
"Let Ni go, Nya!" Li hissed, her ears twitching in warning.
Issei chuckled darkly.
"How cute. You think this is a battle?"
A small energy ball formed in his palm.
Before Li could react—
BOOM!
The attack struck her chest, sending her crashing through the administrative building.
Issei turned back to Ni, his fingers trailing down her waist.
"I like girls who give me a challenge, but I can't show you mercy."
She struggled harder, clawing at him, enhancing her strength with chakra.
It was useless.
Issei's armored hand pierced through her heart, his fingers clutching the fading warmth of her life.
Ni gasped, eyes wide in disbelief.
She collapsed.
Issei sighed.
"What a tragedy. I really hate hurting beautiful girls."
But there was no time for mourning.
Li had recovered.
Fury burned in her eyes as she lunged forward, claws glowing with energy.
Issei met her attack with ease, catching her by the throat.
A swift punch to the neck sent her sprawling—
A final kick crushed her resistance.
Another piece removed from the board.
"You fiend!"
A new voice rang out.
Issei turned to see a tall girl in knight's armor, wielding a broadsword.
He grinned.
"Oho? A new challenger?"
Karlamine.
The girl charged, her sword flashing as she swung with deadly precision.
Issei blocked the strike with his gauntlet, deflecting the force away, and countered with a swift punch to her side.
Karlamine stumbled back, but threw a dagger mid-step.
Issei dodged effortlessly.
She followed up with a fierce slash, the air around it burning from sheer speed.
Issei narrowly avoided it, feeling the heat graze his cheek.
"Not bad, not bad at all."
This girl was strong.
Not just physically, but in spirit.
He liked that.
"You've got skill, girl. What's your name?"
"Karlamine," she said, steadying herself.
"And you? You're stronger than I expected… I thought you were just a pervert."
Issei laughed.
"Thanks. I have a proposal. Why don't you join me?"
She blinked.
"I can make you stronger. I'll help you become a better swordswoman, and I'll even provide top-tier equipment."
Her eyes flickered, showing the briefest hesitation.
But she still attacked.
Issei smirked, parrying and blocking each of her strikes.
He countered with quick jabs, testing her endurance, watching how she moved.
Finally, he decided to end it.
"We'll talk later."
With a sudden burst of speed, he closed the distance and struck her chest with a palm strike—
Followed by an energy blast.
It pierced through her heart.
Karlamine's eyes widened in shock.
She collapsed.
Issei sighed, cracking his knuckles.
"Oopsie. You were too slow."
A fireball came flying toward him.
Issei blocked it effortlessly, looking up to see—
A short blonde girl, her small frame wrapped in shining armor.
"You… monster!" she hissed, her fists clenching in rage.
Issei grinned, his eyes scanning her form.
"Lolis aren't so bad either…"
One Piece:
Alabasta was celebrating.
The tyranny and corruption that had plagued the land had been purged.
The king, now wiser, listened to the demands of the people, guiding the country toward a brighter future.
But Luffy—
Luffy sat atop the palace, his usual carefree grin absent, replaced by something else.
Conflict.
He had always dreamed of freedom.
He had wanted to give it to everyone.
Yet now, he was beginning to understand something—
Absolute freedom meant people were also free to do evil.
His hands tightened on his knees.
"I was too naive..."
Supervised freedom.
That's what he was enforcing.
He didn't know if it was right or wrong.
But when he saw people submit, when they obeyed his will without question—
It did something to him.
A strange feeling, crawling in his veins like a virus.
"I guess this is what they call the corruption of the soul."
Luffy chuckled, the thought both amusing and unsettling.
His mind drifted back to the battle with Crocodile.
A powerful foe.
Tactical. Ruthless. Experienced.
Yet, Luffy had won.
Not just because of his training—
But because of the Nature Energy Pill.
With it, his senses had sharpened, his body overflowed with power.
Crocodile never stood a chance.
Luffy had broken his body, pummeled him until his bones cracked, until the proud warlord lay beneath his feet, powerless.
That expression—
That look of defeat, of helplessness—
It had stirred something inside him.
It felt… good.
That realization had shaken him.
"Am I changing?"
He shook his head.
No.
He had always been this way.
He was just finally noticing it.
As planned, Luffy had established a shadow group within Alabasta.
The King was part of it.
He had never imagined a kingdom would be his.
But here he was.
A monarch in the shadows.
A ruler without a throne.
"Maybe… by the end of it, I'll be ruling the whole world."
The thought made him smile.
Luffy had stopped fighting it.
Stopped resisting Naruto's influence.
Naruto had helped him.
Had shown him things he never would have understood on his own.
So he accepted it.
With a grin, he stood up—
And jumped down toward the celebration below.
Tonight, he would enjoy himself.
And tomorrow…
He would continue his journey to the top.
Alabasta was alive with celebration.
The kingdom had been saved, and the people were letting loose after years of turmoil. Music filled the streets, fireworks lit up the sky, and the scent of roasted meat, sweet fruits, and strong drinks lingered in the air.
In the middle of it all, Naruto sat with the Straw Hat Pirates, enjoying the party.
Naruto and Luffy sat across from each other, a mountain of food between them.
Luffy grinned, mouth full of meat. "Naruto, you're pretty strong, but can you eat faster than me?"
Naruto smirked, picking up a huge chunk of roast meat. "You're challenging the guy who could out-eat a whole village?"
Zoro took a sip of sake. "This is going to be dumb."
Sanji exhaled smoke. "Just don't waste the food, idiots."
Chopper cheered. "Go, Naruto! Go, Luffy!"
Robin chuckled. "This should be entertaining."
The battle began.
Meat disappeared at lightning speed. Luffy's arms stretched, grabbing multiple plates, while Naruto used shadow clones to outpace him.
"THAT'S CHEATING, NARUTO!" Luffy yelled.
Naruto smirked. "All's fair in love and food, Luffy!"
The table was shaking. Plates stacked up. People gathered to watch.
And then—
BOOM.
Luffy and Naruto collapsed, bloated and full.
"I… can't… move…" Luffy groaned.
Naruto patted his stomach. "Yeah… I think I won."
Luffy weakly pointed. "You still left food…"
Sanji kicked them both. "THEN STOP WASTING IT!"
The party roared with laughter.
Zoro cracked his knuckles. "Alright, Uzumaki. You ate like a monster, but can you drink like one?"
Naruto grinned. "I've taken on sake-drinking monks before. Bring it."
They slammed cups together and started drinking.
One cup. Two. Five. Ten.
Sanji smirked. "Zoro's gonna crush him."
Robin sipped her wine. "I wouldn't be so sure."
After thirty cups, Zoro's face was slightly flushed. Naruto?
Completely normal.
Zoro squinted. "You're cheating."
Naruto laughed. "Nah, just got experience."
After fifty cups, Zoro swayed.
After seventy, he slumped over, snoring.
Chopper gasped. "ZORO LOST?!"
Usopp shook Naruto's hand. "You have my respect, man."
Naruto smirked. "Eh, he just needs practice."
Zoro mumbled in his sleep. "Damn fox…"
Sanji flicked his cigarette. "So, Naruto, I heard you've got a lot of girls in your life."
Naruto grinned. "Yeah, you could say that."
Sanji leaned in, eyes serious. "What's the secret? How do you get girls to like you?"
Naruto scratched his head. "Uh… just be yourself?"
Sanji gasped. "LIES."
Naruto laughed. "I dunno, man, maybe try not simping too hard?"
Sanji looked like he was stabbed. "That's impossible."
Robin giggled while Nami rolled her eyes. "Sanji, take notes."
Sanji clutched his chest. "So cruel, Nami-swaaan!"
Naruto patted his shoulder. "Hey, at least you cook good food. That's a big plus."
Sanji sighed. "You're right. I'll just cook my way into a woman's heart."
Naruto gave him a thumbs-up. "There you go."
Usopp pointed dramatically. "Naruto, I challenge you to a contest of epic tales!"
Naruto smirked. "Alright, long-nose. Hit me."
Usopp grinned. "Once, I fought off fifty sea kings with nothing but a slingshot and my incredible skills!"
Naruto nodded. "Nice. I once convinced a immortal that ramen was better than divine punishment."
Usopp gasped. "Impossible."
Naruto smirked. "True story."
The battle continued.
Usopp told of giant giants. Naruto told of fighting an actual moon alien.
Usopp spoke of legendary sniping skills. Naruto spoke of dodging lasers while eating ramen.
By the end, Usopp was shaking.
"You… you're good."
Naruto patted his shoulder. "You too, buddy."
Usopp sniffled. "We shall meet again in battle, my friend."
Naruto saluted. "Looking forward to it."
As the night calmed, Naruto and Luffy sat on the palace rooftop, looking at the stars.
Luffy grinned. "You're fun, Naruto."
Naruto chuckled. "You too, Luffy."
Luffy stretched his arms. "You're strong. You should join my crew."
Naruto laughed. "Tempting, but I've got my own stuff to do."
Luffy grinned. "Yeah, I get that."
A comfortable silence settled.
Then—
Luffy turned to Naruto.
"Hey, are we friends?"
Naruto smiled. "Of course, Luffy."
Luffy laughed. "Good. 'Cause I think you're awesome."
Naruto smirked. "Same here, future Pirate King."
The party raged below them, but in that moment, under the Alabasta night sky, two kindred spirits just sat and enjoyed the freedom of the world.
Once the party had finished, Naruto met up with Ace. Naruto looked at Ace, his expression calm yet absolute.
"You will be captured and killed by the Marines because of Blackbeard. Stop following him."
The words struck like lightning.
Luffy's eyes widened, his whole body freezing as a deep-rooted terror clawed its way into his heart.
A terror he had felt before.
A memory that didn't exist in this world—but one that burned in his soul.
The death of his other brother.
Ace was startled by Luffy's reaction, but he quickly stepped forward, placing a firm hand on Luffy's shoulder.
"Relax. I won't die."
But Luffy's hands tightened into fists.
He stared into Ace's eyes, demanding an answer.
"Tell me you won't follow him."
Ace was shocked by the sheer seriousness in Luffy's voice.
This wasn't like him.
Something about this moment felt… off.
But Ace trusted his little brother.
With a sigh, he nodded.
"Okay, I'll report back to my captain. I won't follow Teach."
Luffy exhaled, relief washing over him.
But Naruto wasn't done.
"Luffy, buy an escape plan for Ace and your crew—just in case."
He patted Luffy's head, then vanished, his presence spreading like a silent storm.
Luffy immediately pulled out his phone and began browsing.
Escape Plan 1:Fly in a straight line away from the enemy.Escape Plan 2:Fly while spinning.Escape Plan 3:Fly in a zigzag manner.Escape Plan 4:Fly while rotating and in a zigzag manner at extreme speeds to ensure escape.Escape Plan 5:Fly while rotating and in a zigzag manner at extreme speeds to ensure escape while leaving behind stardust.Escape Plan 6:Teleportation through a large beam for dramatic effect.
Luffy only had enough points for one.
His eyes gleamed as he selected Plan 4.
A ball of light formed in his hand.
With a smile that hid something deeper, he passed it to Ace.
"Take this."
The light entered Ace's body, merging with his soul.
Ace grinned, patting Luffy's head.
"Okay, Luffy. I'll be careful, so don't take it to heart."
He hugged his little brother, his usual carefree laugh filling the air.
Luffy's smile didn't waver.
But inside—
Something was changing.
The threat of death.
The memories buried within.
The truth that this world could still take away those he loved.
His heart… was no longer the same.