Souls deeply entangled?
Oguro looked puzzled.
After the system's explanation, it made sense: because Freud had long used his Devil Fruit powers to control the other two, the demonic souls residing in their fruits had intertwined, creating the possibility of fusion.
This was a one-in-a-million exception.
"Do I even need to think? Of course, I want the higher-tier reward!"
At Oguro's command, the system forcibly fused the three souls together.
Ding!
[Absorption complete! Host may exchange for one golden legendary lottery ticket. Exchange now?]
This result didn't surprise Oguro.
Freud's Devil Fruit was already top-tier. Even without a golden legendary lottery ticket, it was an excellent reward.
Fusing it with the other two strong Devil Fruits made a golden legendary lottery ticket practically guaranteed.
"System, draw from the golden legendary pool!"
The war was over, might as well lift my spirits with a lottery draw!
A familiar starry sky appeared, and a massive golden star streaked toward Oguro.
His heart thumped with excitement.
He knew the system's quirks, the bigger and brighter the star, the stronger the character obtained.
"This star is huge… Which Shinigami could it be? Could it be a captain commander?"
Boom!
The star exploded into countless fragments, forming a dazzling golden card.
On it was a man with glasses, brown hair falling over his forehead, a gentle smile on his face.
Name: Aizen Sosuke
Zanpakuto: Kyoka Suigetsu
Spiritual Pressure: Super captain-class
Position: 5th Division Captain
Oguro's gaze locked onto the card.
Aizen Sosuke!
The big boss!
The "Super Captain-Class" label made his blood boil with excitement.
Damn it, who else could compete?
Oguro nearly wanted to rush straight to the New World and show the so-called Four Emperors what real power looked like.
"No, no… can't get carried away! Who knows if Imu or the World Government still has hidden trump cards?"
He struggled to calm himself, then summoned Aizen Sosuke.
The refined figure appeared before Oguro.
Before dropping his disguise, Aizen had always presented this approachable, genial demeanor, making him extremely likable.
"Aizen Sosuke, at your service, Soul King!"
Although in the original story he had aimed to rule from above and overthrow the Soul King, under the system's modifications, his loyalty to Oguro was maxed out.
Seeing Aizen bow respectfully, Oguro suddenly asked.
"Sosuke… do you want to stand above all?"
Aizen shivered.
Though his loyalty to Oguro had been systemically reinforced, his original aspiration to "stand above all" had not been erased.
He immediately bowed his head low. "The Soul King alone is the one above all. How could I dare overstep?"
Oguro chuckled. "Me standing at the top and you standing above all aren't mutually exclusive!"
Aizen's eyes flickered, beginning to understand Oguro's meaning.
Oguro continued, "Your talent is one in a million among all Shinigami.
As long as you complete the missions I assign, I can take you to the Soul King's palace and let you see what it's like to stand above all!"
With words laid out like that, Aizen would understand immediately.
Bow deep, he said passionately, "I will complete every task assigned by the Soul King! I will not disappoint you!"
Oguro nodded with satisfaction. "Follow me for now. Your missions will be given after this matter is settled."
"Yes!"
Aizen followed Oguro obediently, like a devoted bodyguard.
...
Royal Capital
The rebellion had mostly been quelled.
Although the ministers Kalifa recruited weren't particularly high-ranking, they were quick to act and immediately found the most reputable Left Chancellor in the palace.
Having him appease the civilians worked as expected.
A few tried to exploit the chaos, but when Yoruichi and the others displayed their power, these opportunists were caught before even making a ripple.
Now, everyone gathered in the palace to discuss cleaning up the mess.
Almost the entire royal family was dead.
Only two toddlers remained, both under three years old.
They didn't even bear the Furant surname. Managing the kingdom was out of the question.
At this point, the ministers Kalifa had recruited suggested letting the Holy Holy Spirit Empire take over the Flant Kingdom.
"This time, the royal family faced catastrophe, and the Holy Holy Spirit Empire helped us survive. With their strength, they can protect our kingdom from other nations' aggression."
"Now that the Soul King of the Holy Holy Spirit Empire is in the capital, he can directly oversee the situation."
As soon as they spoke, loyal ministers of the royal family vehemently opposed the idea.
"No! The royal bloodline still exists. How can we let outsiders take control? This is treason!"
The argument erupted instantly, escalating into a verbal battle.
"Your so-called righteousness… Meanwhile, you manipulate the child to the throne, control the administration, and act as true usurpers! Their hearts are detestable!"
It was basically name-calling. Everyone could play the same game.
The scene devolved into two sides shouting at each other.
...
"Enough of this noise!"
A cold voice accompanied by a crushing spiritual pressure cut through the commotion.
The ministers, red-faced and gesticulating moments ago, instantly fell silent, cold sweat running down their backs.
Even high-ranking ministers were mere mortals; a Shinigami's spiritual pressure was on a completely different level.
Oguro strode in calmly.
Aizen Sosuke remained outside for now—not suitable to meet outsiders yet.
"Soul King!"
Yoruichi and the others, who had been watching the scene, bowed to Oguro.
The recruited ministers also greeted him with proper etiquette for an outsider.
Only the stubborn few spoke out, harshly questioning him.
"Soul King, dare I ask—have you come to annex the Furant Kingdom?"
Oguro glanced at them with a hint of disdain.
"And if I said yes, what could you do?"
At this, the minister's face turned crimson.
Given the current state of the Furant Kingdom, even ignoring the previously displayed abilities of Yoruichi and the others, over 90% of the army had been destroyed in the internal prince conflict.
Though not entirely annihilated, fewer than a hundred troops remained combat-effective.
If Oguro truly wanted to act, they had no means of resistance.
***
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