A few days later, the Marine warship returned to Amazon Lily.
Austin was sitting on the throne in Hancock's palace, holding the Empress in his arms. He began to review the rewards and gains he had secured from the Battle of Marineford.
[Ding! You have killed the future Four Emperor, Blackbeard. You have gained 5,800 Origin Points!]
**[Title: Four Emperor Slayer]:** *Can even an ordinary pirate dare to call himself a King? Kill four Pirate Emperors to prove who the true King is!*
**[Quest Rewards:** 10,000 Origin Points, 10 Silver Summoning Tickets!]
[Ding! Congratulations on killing two of the Four Emperors and obtaining the [Four Emperor Slayer] title! Your rewards have been doubled: 20,000 Origin Points, 20 Silver Summoning Tickets, and 1 Yami Yami no Mi (Dark-Dark Fruit)!]
*Note: For every future Emperor you slay, the reward will double again.*
[Ding! You have eliminated the future Four Emperor and his entire crew. You have gained a total of 15,300 Origin Points!]
Austin was surprised. He hadn't expected that killing Blackbeard—even before he officially ascended to the rank of Emperor—would count toward the Four Emperor slayer rewards. And to think he actually obtained the Dark-Dark Fruit, the very power Blackbeard had spent decades obsessing over. What a stroke of luck!
Austin's total Origin Points reached 64,305.
With the 17,600 points from killing Whitebeard, the 41,100 points from wiping out the Blackbeard Pirates, and the points from Grimmjow's previous massacre, Austin had accumulated over 64,000 Origin Points from the Summit War alone.
Enough for another Platinum-level summon!
He had set out on a journey, conquered the Empress, and witnessed the greatest war in the world—and he had come out with massive gains.
"This trip was definitely worth it," Austin said with a smile.
However, after experiencing such large-scale warfare, he found himself growing a bit weary of the fighting. As for cleaning up the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates or the other Emperors' territories, he decided to leave that to his Espada Legion. With so many powerful Espadas at his command, they were more than capable of crushing any force left behind by the Four Emperors.
How can one be a true King if he has to do everything himself?
He realized that being a "lazy king" was a much better lifestyle. With his summoning ability, his forces would only grow stronger. It was time to let his subordinates handle the busy work while he focused on enjoying his life with his companions.
"Alright, time for a summoning session," Austin thought, eyes gleaming with anticipation.
The scenery around him shifted into the familiar cosmic star-field. Four different colored planets hung in the sky, with the platinum-gold planet being the most majestic.
"System, use all twenty Silver Summoning Tickets!"
[Ding! Summoning in progress...]
[Ding! You have received: 2 Gillian-class Menos Grande, Primary Fire Resistance, Yuanhong Sword, Pikachu, 10 Senzu Beans, 2 Adjuchas-class Menos Grande, 50 Soul Essences, a jar of mustard, 5,000 low-level Hollows, and a Third Seat Officer!]
Austin stared at the results, dumbfounded. *Seriously?* he thought, rubbing his forehead. *Can we get something actually useful?* However, seeing the Adjuchas and Harribel's three lieutenants among the rewards, he felt a bit better. Harribel would surely be pleased to see them.
"Now that the small stuff is out of the way, it's time for the Platinum Summons!"
[Ding! You have spent 50,000 Origin Points for ten consecutive Platinum Summons!]
[Ding! Summoning in progress...]
[Ding! Congratulations, you have obtained the [Ice Queen, Esdeath]!]
Austin's eyes widened. *Esdeath from Akame ga Kill?* He grinned. This alone made the gamble worth it!
[Ding! You have obtained: Devil's Energy Potion, Third Espada [Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck] and her subordinates, First Espada [Coyote Starrk] and his subordinate, 1,000 Resource Points, Knight of the Underworld Training Technique, [Deidara], 100 Hidden Mist Chunin, Mizukage [Terumi Mei], and 20 Pure Soul Crystals.]
"Esdeath," Austin whispered. She was arguably one of the most popular female characters in anime. He had a singular goal in mind: to assemble an elite Royal Guard made up of all his favorite female characters. That wasn't too much to ask, right?
He decided to save his remaining 15,305 points for later. He returned to the palace hall.
Hancock had just awakened. Seeing Austin, she rushed into his arms with a worried expression. "Austin! Where did you go? I thought you had left me!"
Austin smiled and patted her head. "Don't worry, I wouldn't leave Amazon Lily without telling you."
"Good..." Hancock clutched her heart, her face flushing crimson.
Austin raised his hand and snapped his fingers. Several portals materialized, and figures began to emerge. At the entrance, one hundred Hidden Mist ninjas knelt in unison. From other portals, Deidara appeared looking confused, followed by Terumi Mei, Nelliel with her lieutenants, and Starrk.
Finally, the sound of heels clicking on the floor echoed through the hall. Esdeath stepped out—clad in her signature white military uniform, short skirt, and cap, her sword hanging at her side.
"Coyote Starrk, Lilynette," they bowed.
"Deidara," he chimed in.
"Terumi Mei," she added.
"We pledge our absolute loyalty to you, Your Majesty!"
Everyone except Esdeath knelt. Hancock watched in shock, her eyes wide as she saw the sheer power radiating from the newcomers—especially the blue-haired woman who exuded a chilling aura of death.
"You may all rise," Austin said, leaning back on his throne with a charming smile.
Esdeath's eyes locked onto Austin. Her heart skipped a beat. His smile was so captivating that she couldn't take her eyes off him.
*So handsome,* she thought.
Without hesitation, Esdeath walked forward, bypassing the others, and stood directly before the throne. "Are you my King?" she asked, a small, genuine smile appearing on her face. "I like you. How about we start a romance?"
She reached out, her fingers gently lifting Austin's chin.
The room fell into stunned silence. Hancock's face turned from pale to a furious shade of red. "How dare you, you insolent woman! Do you wish to challenge me for Lord Austin's affection?!"
Hancock glared at her, her aura flaring with hostility. Esdeath glanced at her, her expression turning ice-cold. "Who are you?" she asked indifferently. "Do you want a duel? Don't blame me if you die."
"Enough, Hancock," Austin interjected calmly. "And Esdeath, don't provoke her."
Austin sighed, looking at his two beautiful subordinates. He knew that if a fight broke out, Hancock would be at a disadvantage—Hancock was strong, but Esdeath was currently at Tier 6.