[Insert images of Bello Betty]
The summoning token pulsed warmly in Kael's palm, its light steady and patient, as if waiting for his resolve to catch up.
A familiar chime rang out in his mind.
Not loud.
Not urgent.
Certain.
The system interface unfolded before his eyes, translucent script hovering before his face.
[Active Summon Interface Initialised]
[Permanent Summoning Rules Confirmed:]
• Total Core Summons Available: 5
• Categories are fixed and irreversible
— 1 Soul Summon (Deceased)
— 1 Great Pirate Era Summon (Roger Era or Rocks Era, Prime State)
— 3 Current Era Summons
• Once a category is filled, it cannot be used again
• Cross-Verse Entities may appear as System Anomalies
— Do NOT occupy core slots
— Causes temporary physical and spiritual backlash proportional to strength
[Core Summons Remaining:]
— Deceased: 1
— Great Pirate Era: 1
— Current Era: 2
Kael exhaled slowly.
Good.
No loopholes. No infinite cheats. Every choice from here on out would matter.
The interface shifted.
[Current Era Summon Candidates:]
– Trafalgar D. Law, Surgeon of Death
– Belo Betty, Revolutionary Army, East Army Commander
– Nojiko, Cartographer, Cocoyasi Village
– Maki Zen'in, Cross-Verse Anomaly (Temporary)
Kael's gaze stopped on Nojiko's name.
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Memories surfaced unbidden. Salt air. Laughter. The girl who scolded him while smiling. A home that had survived when so many others had burned.
His fingers tightened.
"She deserves peace," he said quietly. "Not blood and cannons. Not the kind of life that takes more than it gives."
The system offered no response. It did not argue. It never did.
His eyes shifted, brow furrowing.
"Maki Zen'in?" Kael muttered, "She's not from this world."
[Confirmation: Cross-Verse Anomaly Detected]
[Clarification:]
Cross-Verse entities may appear until all core summoning slots are filled.
They do not count toward permanent slots.
They impose temporary debilitation on the host based on comparative strength.
Kael clicked his tongue. "So if I summon someone too strong, I could cripple myself."
[Correct.]
"Figures."
His gaze returned to the list, settling on one name.
Belo Betty. Kael murmured. "She has the fire to pump us up."
Yamato tilted her head. "The one with the fruit that can turn cowards into warriors? Smart pick, Captain. We'll need that edge."
[Summoning Confirmed.]
[Warning: Revolutionary Commander-Class Entity Detected.]
[Spiritual Load High.]
[Host will experience temporary fatigue post-summon.]
"I can handle it," Kael muttered.
The token flared.
The air cracked.
A thunderous shockwave of spiritual pressure tore through the coast, shaking the palm trees around Kael and Yamato. The Crimson Raiju rattled, as the air trembled. A portal of crimson flame and swirling shadows erupted before him. This energy felt like a pulse that made Kael's heart beat in a rhythm that demanded action.
From the portal stepped a woman of striking presence, tall and curvaceous, with wild purple hair framing a fierce, determined face. She wore a revealing top hat and jacket emblazoned with revolutionary symbols, her flag-spear gripped tightly in her hand. Confusion flashed in her teal eyes as she scanned the ship, the sea, and the two-horned figures before her.
"Where the hell am I?" Betty demanded, her voice sharp and commanding. "This isn't Baltigo. Who are you people?"
Kael stepped forward, his towering frame casting a shadow, and Bekka's broad sword hummed faintly at his back. "Easy there. I'm Raen D. Kael, captain of the Crimson Raiju. This is my first mate, Yamato. I summoned you to join us as the third member of our crew."
Betty's eyes narrowed, her grip on the spear tightening. "Summoned? Like some kind of cheap parlor trick? I'm a commander in the Revolutionary Army, not some pawn to be yanked around!" She raised her flag, the Kobu Kobu no Mi's power stirring faintly, ready to rally or repel.
Yamato chuckled, hefting Takeru. "Feisty. I like her already."
Kael raised his hands placatingly, his golden eyes steady. "Not a trick. A chance. I know of your fight. The Revolutionaries, Dragon, are taking down the Celestial scum. I lost my home to them, too. Does Aetheron Island ring a bell? The Holy Knights turned it into a hunting ground like God Valley. My parents died due to their sick game."
Betty's stance softened slightly, recognition flickering. "Aetheron… Yeah, I heard whispers. A Revolutionary outpost was wiped out. Wait, you survived that?"
Kael nodded grimly. "Now I'm building something to hit back. Not just survive or conquer. Your power, pumping up the weak into warriors? That's what we need. Freedom isn't handed out; it's seized. Join us, Betty. Be part of a crew that burns the old world down."
The air hung thick, the portal's residual flames flickering out. Betty studied him, then Yamato, two Oni hybrids radiating untamed strength. A slow smile spread across her face, fierce and approving. "A captain with horns and a dragon ship? Hell, why not? The Revos could use allies on the seas. Count me in, but if you go soft, I'll pump you up myself."
Kael laughed, extending a massive hand. "Deal. Welcome aboard, Belo Betty, our chief morale officer."
She clasped it firmly, her flag waving as if in salute.
[New Crew Member Acquired: Belo Betty – Chief Morale Officer]
[Hidden Quest Completed: Bolster the Crew]
[Rewards Granted: Enhanced Crew Synergy Perk (All crew gain +10% combat boost when fighting together) One Treasure Map (Leads to an ancient kingdom treasure house in East Blue)]
The Raiju seemed to hum in approval, sails billowed as if eager for the horizon. With Yamato's raw power, Betty's rallying spirit, and Kael's storm command, the crew was taking shape. But the seas were vast, and shadows loomed rival crews, Marine hunters, and the ghosts of Aetheron demanding vengeance.
Later that evening, the three of them gathered around the fire on the deck of the Crimson Raiju, the storm in the air still palpable as the night settled around them. Kael sat cross-legged, with a jug of sake in hand.
Yamato and Betty sat on either side of him.
Yamato spoke in a softer voice. "You remind me a lot of Ace. He used to brag about his two younger brothers, claiming they would shake up the world."
Kael's eyes lingered on the mist-choked horizon. "Yeah. That sounds like my big brother." He tapped the frayed red cloth around his wrist, a silent tribute to the man who had shaped his path.
Yamato's jaw tightened. "He was my only friend back in that hellhole."
Kael met her gaze. "You have us now, and I promise this crew will be the strongest family."
Betty studied him for a long moment. "So tell me, Captain. Are you chasing the One Piece?"
Kael lifted his jug of sake high, "No. That's my little brother's dream." His eyes hardened. "I'm here to make sure no one can stop him from reaching it."
His voice hardened with unyielding fire. "I don't want a kingdom. I don't want treasure. I want a family. One that no navy, no emperor, no goddamn World Government can ever touch again."
Yamato blinked, her eyes bright with understanding. She grinned widely. "Yeah, captain, I can follow that."
Betty's eyes swept over her new crew as she lifted her cup with a sly smile. "Family can be a dangerous thing to build on the sea. But it's one of the only things worth bleeding for."
Kael poured a measured amount of sake into their cups, and he drank what was left in the bottle.
"To new blood."
"To freedom."
"To family."
They clinked their cups together, the sound crisp as thunder.
"Kanpai!"
Kael raised his hand. "Our first stop will follow this map fragment."
Then, with a slow, dangerous smile, Kael began to sing. His voice was low, gravel-laced, carrying a tune older than the sea.
🎶 Yohohoho, Yohohoho…
Going to deliver Binks' Sake! 🎶
Yamato picked up the next line, her tone rough but heartfelt, and Betty followed suit, her voice rising like a call to arms.
🎶 Following the sea breeze! Riding on the waves!
Far across the salty deeps! The merry evening sun! 🎶
The song carried over the water, a pirate's lullaby, Kael heard by Shanks' crew when storms threatened and the horizon burned.