Chapter 51: Rare Summoning! The Nihility and the Divine Shop!
"Lord Suzaku! Forgive my rudeness!"
Albedo's voice boomed through the cabin, vibrating against the wooden walls. She stopped her massive battle-axe mid-swing, the blade hovering mere inches from the intruder's pale neck. The wind pressure alone sliced a few strands of his jet-black hair, sending them drifting to the floor, yet the man did not even blink. He didn't flinch. He simply floated there, an entity of absolute stillness in the face of imminent decapitation.
Albedo's golden eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. Through the haze of her protective rage, she sensed it—the undeniable, spiritual tether connecting this stranger to her Lord.
It was the 'Subordinate Aura'. The same absolute soul-signature that bound her and Rem to Suzaku. It was unmistakable. It was absolute.
But it was also... cold. It felt like touching a void.
"Tch."
With a sound of grinding metal, her armor retracted into her skin. The pitch-black plates dissolved like liquid mercury, revealing her elegant white dress once more. She straightened her posture, though her wings remained flared in agitation.
She glared at the pale man floating in the center of the room. Her tone dripped with undisguised scrutiny and displeasure.
"Lord Suzaku... where did this insect come from? He exudes an aura of deathly silence. He smells like a grave that has been forgotten by time. Are you collecting corpses now?"
Seeing the tension thick enough to cut with a knife, Suzaku quickly stepped forward, smiling to smooth things over. He knew Albedo's jealousy was as potent as her loyalty.
"Albedo, don't be so rude. He is not an insect. He is a valuable asset."
He turned sideways and formally introduced the newcomer.
"This is Ulquiorra Cifer. He is our pirate crew's newest companion. A warrior from a world of spirits, representing the aspect of Nihility."
He then turned to the Arrancar.
"Ulquiorra, this is Albedo. She is the Guardian Overseer of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, and my unbreakable shield. We are all members of the Suzaku Pirates now. I expect you to coexist without killing each other. Infighting reduces efficiency."
Albedo snorted, crossing her arms under her chest, emphasizing her disdain. She looked him up and down, analyzing his threat level.
"Companion? Hmph. He looks like he has no soul. Look at that hole in his chest. He is broken goods. Can he even fight, or is he just a decoration?"
Ulquiorra was equally unresponsive to Albedo's hostility. He didn't blink. He didn't frown. He merely looked back at her with his hollow, emerald eyes, as if observing a stone on the road or a speck of dust floating in a sunbeam.
"Trash," Ulquiorra stated simply. His voice was flat, devoid of emotion, yet it carried a weight of absolute conviction.
Albedo's eyebrow twitched violently. A vein popped on her forehead. Her black wings flared out again, knocking a stack of books off Suzaku's desk.
"What did you say, you pallid freak?"
"You are loud," Ulquiorra continued, sliding his hands into the pockets of his white hakama. "Noise without meaning. Trash."
Suzaku started sweating. He looked at the two 'harmoniously' interacting individuals—Ulquiorra as cold as absolute zero, Albedo as volatile as an active volcano. Forcing them to be friends immediately was a pipe dream. He needed to separate them before they destroyed his cabin and potentially the ship.
"Albedo," he interjected quickly, stepping between them and raising his hands. "Take Ulquiorra out. Introduce him to Rem and Nami. Show him the ship. Let him understand our hierarchy and the layout of the Vermillion Wing. He needs to know where he sleeps and where the food is stored."
Upon hearing the word 'hierarchy', Albedo smirked cruelly. The idea of putting this new arrival in his place appealed to her. She bowed slightly to Suzaku.
"As you wish, Lord Suzaku! I will teach him his place. I will show him that in this crew, there is the Supreme One, and then there is the dirt."
She turned to Ulquiorra, her eyes cold. "Follow me... insect. Try not to float away."
Ulquiorra remained expressionless. He floated silently behind her, his boots hovering an inch above the floorboards.
The two left the room.
Click.
The moment the door closed, Suzaku slumped against it, exhaling a breath he didn't know he was holding. He wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead.
"Managing a harem of monsters is harder than fighting Admirals," he muttered.
Then, a grin split his face.
"BUT... JACKPOT!"
He eagerly pulled up the system interface again, his eyes burning with greed as he focused on Ulquiorra's magnificent stat panel. The holographic screen illuminated his face in blue light, detailing the power he now commanded.
[SYSTEM: SUBORDINATE STATUS]
[Name: Ulquiorra Cifer] [Origin: Bleach] [Rank: 4th Espada (Cuatro Espada)] [Aspect of Death: Nihility]
[ATTRIBUTES & HAKI]
[Physique: Legendary Grade]
Description: Possesses High-Speed Regeneration capable of restoring lost limbs and non-vital organs instantly. His Hierro (Iron Skin) is naturally denser than standard Armament Haki, making him impervious to most physical attacks.
[Armament Haki: Top-Tier]
Description: His natural Hierro has merged with the system's Haki mechanics, creating a passive, permanent layer of invisible armor that requires no activation time.
[Observation Haki: High-Tier]
Description: Derived from his Pesquisa. He can sense spiritual pressure, emotions, and intent across a massive radius with pinpoint accuracy. It functions like a sonar, mapping the entire battlefield instantly.
[Conqueror's Haki: High-Tier] Description: A unique variation called "Pressure of Emptiness." unlike standard Conqueror's Haki which dominates, this aura drains the target's will to live, inflicting deep psychological despair and spiritual crushing.
[SKILLS & ABILITIES]
[Sonído (Sound Ceremony)]
Effect: Ultra-high-speed movement that bypasses the limitations of Soru. It is silent and instantaneous, allowing for teleportation-like feats.
[Cero Oscuras (Black Zero)]
Effect: A black energy blast capable of vaporizing an island. It distorts space upon impact and bypasses standard energy defenses.
[Resurrección: Murciélago]
Effect: First Stage Release. Increases speed and power exponentially. Wings allow for supersonic flight.
[Segunda Etapa (Second Stage)]
Effect: The form he hid even from Aizen. Grants access to "Lanza del Relámpago" (Lance of Lightning), an attack with nuclear-level destructive capacity. Use with caution.
[Weapon: Murciélago] Effect: A katana formed from his own spiritual pressure. Slashes inflict energy tearing damage.
[Bond Level: Friendly] [Legendary Points Generated: 0]
"Strong!" Suzaku whispered, clenching his fist until it cracked. "This isn't just strong. This is broken! He's a walking nuke with regeneration!"
He imagined the tactical possibilities.
"Against a Logia user, Ulquiorra's Cero Oscuras could probably disrupt their elemental form purely through density. And his regeneration... he can take hits that would kill anyone else. He's the perfect tank-buster."
Another genuine Admiral-level combatant had joined. With Ulquiorra's regeneration covering the team's durability and his ranged firepower covering Albedo's melee focus, the crew was becoming a flawless machine.
"Ding~!"
A system notification chimed, sweet music to his ears.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[Bond Update Detected]
[Target: Ulquiorra Cifer]
[Analysis: The subject has acknowledged the Host's philosophy of "Finding Meaning in Chaos." He sees you as a catalyst for understanding the concept of the "Heart."]
[Result: Bond Level Increased: Friendly -> Close Friend!]
[REWARD GRANTED]
[Host's Armament Haki upgraded to Top-Tier!]
BOOM!
A vast, pure power surged from deep within Suzaku's body. It started in his marrow and flooded his veins like liquid steel.
"Guh!"
He gasped, falling to his knees as his muscles tightened involuntarily. It wasn't painful, but it was intense—a sensation of density being added to his very existence. His skin felt harder, denser. He could feel the Haki flowing through his meridians, thick and potent, like a second circulatory system.
He looked at his hand. He willed it.
Whoosh.
His arm turned a deep, glossy black instantly. It wasn't the matte black of basic hardening he was used to. It had a metallic, purple sheen to it—the sign of advanced density and mastery.
He flexed his fingers. The air groaned under the pressure.
"Haha!" Suzaku laughed, feeling the power coursing through him. "Top-tier Conqueror's Haki... and now Top-tier Armament Haki!"
He punched the air. A shockwave rattled the windows and shook the dust from the ceiling.
"Even if my Observation is still a bit lacking compared to someone like Katakuri... I've touched the threshold of an Admiral. I'm not just a rookie relying on a Mythical Zoan anymore. I can box with the big boys. I can hurt them."
He stood up, dusting off his pants.
"And I earned it all through 'hard work' and 'wisdom'!"
Suzaku's excitement hadn't completely subsided when he remembered the other notification he had received earlier.
[Shop Permission: Unlocked]
"Right. The shop."
With a thought, the interface shifted. A virtual store appeared, displaying three items on a rotating pedestal with a timer counting down: [29 Days : 23 Hours : 59 Minutes].
The items floated in the hologram, radiating mystery and power.
[MONTHLY SHOP ROTATION]
[ITEM 01: Contract of Retrospection] [Type: Consumable / Card] [Effect: Extracts a Devil Fruit power from a recently deceased user (must be used within 1 hour of death). The fruit respawns into a fruit held by the user.] [Price: 10,000 Legend Points]
"So expensive..." Suzaku instinctively clicked his tongue.
But then he thought about it deeply. He had personally experienced the effect of this card; the Golden Lion's Float-Float Fruit was obtained because of the beginner version of this item. Without it, Rem would be ground-bound, and they would have died at the hands of the Admirals.
"If I kill a powerful fruit user in the future... say, Enel with his Rumble-Rumble Fruit, or Crocodile with his Sand-Sand Fruit... without this card, the fruit would respawn somewhere random in the world. With this card, I can guarantee the loot."
He weighed the cost. 10,000 points was a lot, but the potential return was infinite.
"You get what you pay for. It can be of great use at critical moments, so this price... seems acceptable. It is an investment in power."
He suppressed the urge to buy immediately and looked at the next item.
The second item was also a card, ancient in style, with strange halos flowing around its edges.
[ITEM 02: Contract of Universal Attraction] [Type: Consumable / Card] [Effect: After use, it can summon another character or item with a strong karmic bond to a specific target already in the crew.] [Price: 2,000 Legendary Points]
"Associated summon?" Suzaku raised an eyebrow, initially unsure of its meaning.
But in just a moment, a thought flashed through his mind like lightning, making his eyes suddenly light up.
"Wait! If that's the case..."
He looked at the door where his crewmates had left.
"If I use this on Rem... could I summon Ram? Completing the maid duo would boost Rem's morale and combat efficiency significantly. Their synergy is legendary."
"If I use it on Albedo... surely I can't summon Ainz Ooal Gown, he would be too expensive. But maybe a World Item? Or another Floor Guardian? Shalltear? Cocytus?"
"If I use it on Nami... maybe her clima-tact upgrades? Or Zeus? No, Zeus is part of Big Mom's soul, that might be complicated."
He made up his mind almost instantly: he must acquire this item! It was a steal at 2,000 points. It was basically a discounted summon ticket with a high chance of synergy.
Suppressing his inner excitement, he looked at the last item.
They were two seemingly unremarkable metal stakes, dull gray, with indecipherable runes carved into their surfaces. They looked like surveyor tools, but they radiated a faint spatial distortion.
[ITEM 03: Spatial Anchor Points (Pair)] [Type: Strategic Tool] [Effect: Fix one stake at Location A. No matter the distance, as long as energy is injected into the other stake at Location B, a stable one-way teleportation gate can be established between the two.] [Duration: Lasts for several minutes upon activation.] [Cooldown: Several weeks.] [Price: 80,000 Legendary Points!]
"Can establish a stable teleportation gate?!"
Suzaku was first startled; this was simply a strategic divine artifact!
"Imagine the possibilities," he muttered, pacing the room. "We could set one up on a safe Sky Island. Then, we could raid Marineford, steal their treasures, and vanish instantly back to safety. Or set up a trade route between the New World and the East Blue. It would make us the most elusive crew in history."
"Whether for surprise attacks, retreats, or material allocation, it could play a role in turning the tide of a war."
But upon seeing the exorbitant price of eighty thousand, he immediately deflated.
"Damn! So expensive? They're robbing Legendary Points!"
His entire current fortune was only a little over forty thousand points; he couldn't even afford one.
Sighing helplessly, he noticed a small line of text at the bottom of the shop, explaining the mechanics.
[Refresh Rule: The item list refreshes once a month. Regardless of whether items are purchased or not, three new items will be randomly updated then.]
"So it's a monthly blind box..." Suzaku realized. "If I don't buy the good ones now, they might be gone forever. I can't bank points hoping for better items next month."
He no longer hesitated. The Anchors were out of reach, but the other two were essential.
With a thought, he tapped the purchase buttons.
"System, buy Item 1 and Item 2."
[Transaction Confirmed]
[Deducting Points...]
[Ding! Successfully purchased [Contract of Retrospection] x1, consumed 10,000 Legendary Points!]
[Ding! Successfully purchased [Contract of Universal Attraction] x1, consumed 2,000 Legendary Points!]
[Current remaining Legendary Points: 33,845 points!]
Light flashed in the room. Two cards materialized in front of him, hovering in the air. One depicted a swirling galaxy sucking in a soul, the other depicted a red thread of fate connecting two silhouettes.
They exuded mysterious fluctuations of energy.
Suzaku grabbed them, feeling their texture. They felt like power.
He looked at the cards quietly lying in his hand, then stored them safely into the system space.
"A good haul," Suzaku nodded with satisfaction. "Now, the crew is stronger, and I have a backup plan for the future."
[Akarin Note:
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