Chapter 31: 31: Silent Newcomer
[Orochimaru: Heh, as long as you're satisfied. I'll choose Paper Art and Moonwalk.]
Orochimaru's choices didn't surprise Kizaru. The Navy's Six Powers, refined by countless marines, are near-perfect foundational combat techniques.
However, no matter how perfect they are, they remain basic techniques. To grow stronger, one needs to develop moves tailored to themselves.
For someone of Orochimaru's level, offensive moves like Tempest Kick and Finger Pistol are practically useless, and techniques like Iron Body and Shave don't necessarily surpass Earth Release Hardening or the Body Flicker Technique.
Only functional moves like Paper Art and Moonwalk could pique Orochimaru's interest, though primarily out of curiosity for research rather than for improving combat strength.
[Kizaru: Paper Art and Moonwalk, huh? Solid choices. I'll organize the materials and send them over soon.]
[Random person who wants to cling to Luo Feng's leg: The Navy's Six Powers, huh? Once I pay off my debts to Kizaru-sama, I'll definitely get Moonwalk just for fun.]
[Kizaru: Hmm, you can always borrow more, you know~]
[Random person who wants to cling to Luo Feng's leg: No, no, I already owe a lot. Let me pay off my existing debts first.]
The random knew his limits. Kizaru's generosity wasn't an excuse to overstep. While Kizaru might not care about someone insignificant like him, a less forgiving big shot could hold a grudge. That could lead to trouble down the line.
[Kobayashi: The newcomer still isn't speaking… Such a shame. I was hoping to learn about a new world.]
[Random person who wants to cling to Luo Feng's leg: Kobayashi, you can ask me if you're curious! While I can't share personal details, I can give a general introduction to the newcomer's world.]
[Ai Haibara: How rare. Even a blockhead like the "police dog" has grown a bit.]
[Random person who wants to cling to Luo Feng's leg: Why am I a blockhead! If it weren't for this whole transmigration thing, I could've at least gotten into college with a bachelor's degree!]
[Ai Haibara: Oh, is that so? Let's put it in terms you might understand. When I earned dual PhDs in physics and biochemistry at sixteen, then Princeton doctorates in mathematics and medicine at seventeen, and began leading APTX4869's research at eighteen…]
[Random person who wants to cling to Luo Feng's leg: I'm a blockhead! I bow to the academic god!]
[Kobayashi: As a slacker, I'm trembling in fear. Haibara-san, that's incredible!]
[Fubuki: As expected of Ai-chan, a complete and overwhelming victory!]
[Orochimaru: Heh, Haibara truly is talented...]
[Ai Haibara: Now can you tell us? What's the newcomer's story?]
In the World of Detective Conan, late at night, Ai Haibara was still typing away at her computer, the sound of keystrokes echoing through the quiet room. A faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
Though she often acted snarky and sharp-tongued in the group chat, in truth, Ai Haibara had grown quite fond of the chaotic bunch in the group.
Otherwise, given her personality, she wouldn't spend so much time interacting in the chat. Her physical transformation into a child didn't mean her mental maturity had regressed.
"...I'll have to ask Fubuki to help me buy a more advanced computer next time!"
Her good mood evaporated in an instant as her computer suddenly froze while she was updating some files.
---
[Random person who wants to cling to Luo Feng's leg: How should I put it… does your world have superhero comics? Ever heard of Batman? Well… think of Stark as a playboy version of Batman.]
[Kobayashi: No, we don't have that, but it sounds like he's a good guy, right? That's a relief. I was worried a villain might join the group one day. That'd feel… strange.]
[Fubuki: …Wait, doesn't someone like Orochimaru count as a villain?]
[Random person who wants to cling to Luo Feng's leg: Not yet, right? I remember Orochimaru-sama mentioned before that in his world, the Third Ninja War isn't even over yet.]
[Random person who wants to cling to Luo Feng's leg: Right now, Orochimaru-sama is a war hero defending his village. He's even running for Hokage… Oh, Hokage is basically the leader of the Hidden Leaf Village.]
[Kizaru: That's right, everyone in the group is a good person. For example, I proudly carry the banner of justice as a Marine!]
[Ai Haibara: That's unfortunate. I certainly don't think of myself as a good person...]
---
After some casual chatting in the group, Kizaru set his drink down and stretched lazily before getting up from his beach chair. Before he could say anything, a maid had already brought him the latest newspaper along with a cold drink and some snacks.
"Anything interesting in the news lately?"
Kizaru asked as he took a sip of the cold drink, then reached for the newspaper.
Since arriving at Amazon Lily, most of his time had been spent teaching the island's warriors how to refine chakra and practice Lightning Release combat techniques. Along the way, he had also helped Blood Demon Rock undergo a bit of a transformation.
The rest of his time had been spent idly mingling with Hancock. Three days had passed in the blink of an eye. After being thoroughly defeated by Kizaru, Hancock had temporarily stopped pestering him, giving him the leisure to turn his attention to other matters.
"What kind of 'interesting' do you mean, sir?"
The maid hesitated, a cautious expression crossing her face as she spoke carefully.
Working under Hancock was anything but easy or pleasant. Even though, thanks to Kizaru's presence, Hancock no longer casually turned them into stone, failing to satisfy Kizaru might leave them without even that option.
With Hancock's temper, she might just throw them to the snakes to be devoured.
"Never mind. I doubt it's anything important. You're dismissed."
Noticing the maid's nervous demeanor, Kizaru waved her off casually and turned his attention to the newspaper.
However, before he could fully enjoy his leisurely morning, the same maid came rushing back, holding a Den Den Mushi in her arms.
"Kizaru-sama, there's a call from Marine Headquarters…"
The maid spoke nervously. As Kizaru picked up the receiver, he gave her a look, signaling her to step away.
While he wasn't particularly worried about leaking secrets, as a Marine Admiral, maintaining appearances was still necessary.
"Moshi moshi, this is Kizaru…"
With a sense of foreboding, Kizaru answered the call. If they were reaching out to him at this time, it was unlikely to be good news.
"This is Sengoku. How's the task of recruiting the Warlords of the Sea going, Kizaru?"
The voice on the other end belonged to Fleet Admiral Sengoku. Hearing it, Kizaru subtly rolled his eyes.
"Ahem… It's going quite smoothly. So far, the Pirate Empress, Bartholomew Kuma, and Dracule Mihawk have all agreed to join. If nothing unexpected happens, Doflamingo should accept as well. That leaves Gecko Moria and Jinbei…"
Kizaru replied with confidence, every word he spoke true and without the slightest hint of deception.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone