"Summon!"
Oguro shouted eagerly.
A dazzling purple star appeared before him, far brighter and larger than the one that had brought forth Hanatarō Yamada. Within its glow, faint streaks of golden light flickered like divine sparks.
As expected of a vice-captain… even the summoning effects are on another level!
Soon, the radiance faded, and a figure in a black shihakushō stepped out from the light—Rukia Kuchiki.
"Vice-Captain of the 13th Division, Rukia Kuchiki, pays respects to the Soul King!"
Raised in the noble Kuchiki family, her every movement carried a calm grace and elegance.
Oguro nodded in satisfaction. "Rise."
"Go find the town mayor and tell him to prepare a ship for me. Ōura will stay behind and manage things here. You and Hanatarō Yamada will accompany me to sea."
"Yes!" Rukia responded crisply and departed at once.
With a combat-proficient vice-captain like Rukia by his side, Oguro could finally put some of his long-term plans into motion ahead of schedule.
Once she was gone, he opened his system interface.
Host: Seth Oguro
Identity: Soul King
Divine Kingdom Template: Soul Society
Kingdom Level: 1
Territory: Paparoco Island
Population: 5,631
Abilities: Spiritual Pressure (Normal), Swordsmanship (Normal), Hand-to-Hand (Beginner), Shunpo (Normal), Kidō (Normal)
Zanpakutō: Gen (Awakened: Hōzukimaru, Sode no Shirayuki)
Subordinates: Rukia Kuchiki (Epic), Hanatarō Yamada (Epic), Ōura (Rare), plus 24 Common-ranked members
Achievement Points: 1,038
As expected from summoning a vice-captain, his Zanjutsu, Kidō, and Shunpo had all advanced to Normal level. Only Hakuda remained at Beginner.
Now, Oguro was at least a qualified Shinigami by Soul Society's standards!
Half a day later, Rukia returned. "Reporting, Lord Soul King, the ship is ready! We can set sail anytime."
Oguro nodded and followed her to the harbor.
It was a small cargo ship the town used for trade—slow, but sturdy and safe.
"Lord Oguro, would you like me to assign a few sailors to accompany you?" the town mayor asked nervously.
He had assumed Oguro's forces consisted only of Hanatarō and Ōura. When Rukia appeared, her noble bearing and quiet authority had left him shaken.
A true aristocrat. A noble among nobles.
And she served under Oguro… that alone erased any doubt about Oguro's claim as the island's lord.
"No need," Oguro waved dismissively. "This trip concerns private matters."
He didn't want too many people knowing what he was planning.
At first, his excitement was hard to contain—it was, after all, his first time sailing. But after days surrounded by nothing but endless blue ocean, his enthusiasm quickly vanished. He turned his focus to training, pounding away at a stone slab he'd brought aboard, honing his Armament Haki.
He could feel it—he was close to a breakthrough.
One day, while he was hammering the stone with concentrated Haki, Hanatarō suddenly shouted from the helm, "Lord Soul King! I can see Cocoyasi Village ahead!"
"Finally."
Oguro exhaled and put down the stone. Rukia stepped up immediately, handing him a clean towel.
He looked toward the distant island now coming into view, eyes gleaming slightly.
Cocoyasi Village… Nami's hometown.
At this point in time, it should still be under the tyrannical rule of the Arlong Pirates.
The current year was Sea Circle Calendar 1521.
According to the timeline, next year Luffy would arrive to free the village.
But Oguro had no intention of waiting for the future Pirate King.
For one simple reason—he planned to recruit Nami himself.
In a world like this, especially the Grand Line where weather itself defied logic, a skilled navigator was invaluable.
If he intended to build an unparalleled divine kingdom and eventually set foot on the Grand Line, he would absolutely need someone like Nami.
As for the future Pirate King—sure, the guy acted like an idiot most of the time, but he was the world's chosen child of destiny. Even without Nami, he'd still find a way to sail through the seas unharmed.
After all, one of his crewmates—green-haired and terminally lost—could wander the New World on sheer dumb luck alone.
Unbelievable.
The cargo ship soon docked at Cocoyasi's port.
A man in a police cap approached them. "Excuse me, what brings you all to Cocoyasi Village?"
Oguro recognized him immediately—Genzo, the village policeman, and a father figure to Nami.
"Greetings. I am Oguro. I came to Cocoyasi to replenish supplies. Do you have anyone selling fruit? Preferably oranges."
Though his appearance was still a bit youthful, his regal bearing—enhanced by the Soul King's ceremonial cloak—made Genzo avert his gaze instinctively.
"I'm Genzo, the local police chief! There's indeed a family selling oranges in the village, but…"
Before he could finish, a lively voice cut in.
"My family sells oranges! And ours are the best in the whole village! Come to our house!"
A girl with short orange hair suddenly dashed over, her eyes sparkling as she enthusiastically pitched her goods.
Oguro's lips curved slightly.
Nami—just as he expected.
He had specifically mentioned oranges, knowing it would lead Genzo to her home. But it seemed she had saved him the trouble herself.
"In that case," Oguro said smoothly, "let's go to your house."
Genzo didn't object. He'd always looked out for Nami and her sister, so naturally, he wouldn't stand in their way.
Nami led the group toward her home, occasionally sneaking glances at Oguro along the way.
Don't get the wrong idea—she wasn't interested in his looks. Her eyes were glued to the exquisite cloak he was wearing.
The Soul King's ceremonial mantle—crafted by the system itself, flawless in both material and design.
"If I could sell that cloak," Nami thought, eyes gleaming, "it'd be worth a fortune!"
Because of her deal with Arlong, she was constantly racing to gather the 100 million Berries needed to buy back her village's freedom.
If she could steal that cloak, her goal would be met in an instant.
Oguro noticed the glint in her eyes and smiled inwardly.
Perfect.
He'd worn this cloak on purpose, knowing she wouldn't be able to resist the temptation.
Once she took the bait, he'd have the perfect excuse to intervene in Cocoyasi Village's affairs—and deal with the Arlong Pirates himself.
At Nami's house, a tall woman with blue hair came out to greet them—Nojiko.
"Nojiko! I brought some customers! They came to buy our oranges!" Nami said brightly.
Delighted, Nojiko led them into the orange grove and started picking the best fruit herself.
Meanwhile, Nami quietly slipped away.
There was no need to guess what she was up to.
Sure enough, after about an hour or two, she reappeared, beaming sweetly at Oguro.
"Young master, it's rare for us to have a guest like you. Why don't you stay and have dinner with us?"