In that moment
The entire Akatsuki collapsed to their knees in perfect unison, forming a straight line across the deck. Everyone glanced at one another, wide-eyed and speechless.
What a sight.
Kisame Hoshigaki: "Today… I finally understand what it means to stand before a god."
Uchiha Itachi: "There is always a sky beyond the sky, a man beyond the man. Before him, we're no more than ants."
Orochimaru: "That power… one can hardly bear to look at it directly."
Deidara: "So this… is what eternal art truly looks like?"
Sasori: "Even without my true body, he can still control me?"
Kakuzu: "This is far too terrifying…"
Hidan: "I actually feel like dying—literally."
Black Zetsu: "Even the Ōtsutsuki clan never possessed such power."
White Zetsu: "Whoa—okay, now I'm seriously scared. He's way too strong!"
Tobi: "Even I can't help trembling at this power…"
Konan: "Could he truly be… a god?"
Pain: "Correct. If he can make even me—Pain—bow my head, only a god could do so. He is the one true god."
…
In an instant, every member of Akatsuki remained kneeling, staring up at Tsuneo with eyes full of helplessness, disbelief—bordering on fear.
Only then
Tsuneo stretched lazily, letting out a long yawn. He rubbed his sleepy eyes, then smiled faintly.
"Alright, esteemed members of the Akatsuki… I assume you now understand the situation. Next, let me explain the rules."
He paused slightly, sweeping his gaze across the entire lineup of notorious villains before continuing:
"First—this world is known as the Great Pirate Era. Simply put, countless adventure crews set sail to conquer the seas. And we are one of them.
My name is Tsuneo.
On this ship, I am the captain. The rest of you are crew. A crew obeys its captain—unconditionally.
If you don't… well, you know exactly what happens."
"The Great Pirate Era, huh? Hahaha—Captain, after everything that just happened, do you think any of us would dare defy you?"
Though their expressions varied—arrogant, unruly, sinister—every member of Akatsuki let out an awkward laugh and nodded in agreement.
At this moment
Even kneeling,
Whether it was the Six Paths of Pain, Uchiha Itachi, or even the true mastermind Uchiha Obito hiding behind the scenes
How could they not nod?
"Second—I know every detail of your abilities. So I advise you all: do not attempt to ambush your captain.
In my eyes, you're just ants.
Ending you would be easier than crushing one.
However, I prefer to stay low-profile. I don't like trouble. So keep yourselves in check—don't go out causing chaos everywhere.
Understood?"
"Hahaha—low-profile, right? Captain, that might be a little difficult for us. But… we'll try our best to hold back!"
Tsuneo deliberately spoke with the poise of an aloof sage; once he finished, the entire Akatsuki nodded again—even if, for them, this was…
A bit difficult.
They were all top-tier monsters, after all.
Being high-profile was second nature.
Low-profile? Not so much.
But for Tsuneo, despite having obtained [Words-Become-Law], that power only worked on the crew aboard his ship.
Once he stepped outside
He was just an ordinary young man from Earth with zero combat ability. Any random pirate or marine could kill him instantly.
Even though
His Captain System came with a god-tier daily sign-in feature, guaranteeing a divine reward every day.
And his very first sign-in had already granted him [Words-Become-Law].
Incredible, right?
But
This was still only his first day using the system.
Look at all those protagonists in other novels—don't they all survive quietly for three, five… or even hundreds of years before rising to the top?
Tsuneo had just started.
Why rush?
Quietly signing in…
That was the true path.
That was why he needed to warn these uncontrollable super-villains beforehand—to make his stance very, very clear.
See? I'm terrifyingly strong.
But I prefer to stay low-key. So don't cause trouble for me. You know the consequences.
As long as he could survive peacefully—without storms, without danger, without any unexpected disasters—once he became truly powerful, then in this vast sea…
He could do whatever he wanted.
At this moment, after hearing Tsuneo's explanation, even these monstrous individuals—each a nightmare in their own world—couldn't help believing him completely.
The captain was indeed a transcendent being.
How could they not believe him?
His strength left no room for doubt.
"Third—since this is a pirate ship, everyone must have a role. We don't feed freeloaders here."
"Please command us as you see fit, Captain!"
"Good. With that attitude, things will go smoothly. Now, let me assign each of you your positions within our pirate crew."
…