Cherreads

Chapter 152 - Chapter 152: Fraudhawk

At first, Jaeger thought he was just like the protagonist of Campione — a lucky man who could gain incredible powers simply by killing the heretic gods.

But when he took a closer look at the newly acquired Noble Phantasms, he noticed something odd.

They weren't all from Bullet.

Instead, he'd obtained four different Noble Phantasms — each corresponding not only to Bullet, but also to Red-Haired Shanks, Clown Buggy, and even his fellow Celestial Dragon, Doflamingo.

"…Huh? Why are these three dead?"

Jaeger blinked, confused. He had been planning to kill Shanks and Buggy — eventually but he hadn't even moved a finger yet.

Thinking back, realization slowly dawned on him.

Those three were all defeated earlier by Yamato and Karuizawa Kei… and were seriously injured.

"...Don't tell me… they got caught in the aftermath of my fight with Bullet?"

That one punch had nearly knocked Kaido — the so-called "physical monster" — unconscious, even when he actively resisted it with his body.

So for the severely wounded Shanks, Buggy, and Doflamingo to die in the blast?

Totally reasonable. Unlucky, but reasonable.

"Tch. I almost lost three Noble Phantasms without realizing it..."

Jaeger shook his head, slightly annoyed — not at their deaths, but at the fact that the Hand of Hermes nearly skipped registering them because his power completely overwhelmed theirs.

He glanced through the descriptions of the newly acquired treasures — and his eyes immediately lit up.

This time, he'd truly hit the jackpot.

Of the four, Doflamingo's Noble Phantasm was barely useful — more of a "fun gimmick" than a real power but the other three?

They were game changers.

Unlike Weather Report, which looked flashy but didn't enhance his core stats, these new Noble Phantasms directly improved his survivability and vitality — the only real gaps left in his otherwise monstrous build.

With Bullet's death, the terrifying pressure and residual shockwaves of Jaeger's punch finally began to fade.

"Ugh... for a second there, I thought I was going to die..."

Yamato and Gion staggered toward Jaeger, pale-faced, eyes misty — as if silently accusing him of not holding back at all.

A few meters away, Kaido rose awkwardly from the rubble, his once-pristine physique covered in dirt and tiny debris. Though it wasn't a serious injury for him, he looked thoroughly humiliated.

"Idiot," Akainu muttered, unharmed thanks to turning his body into magma to dodge the blast.

"You really thought you could tank the Saint's punch just because you have the mythical Zoan devil fruit? That arrogance just got you flattened, didn't it?"

Kaido's face darkened. He wanted to argue... but honestly, he agreed. That was embarrassing.

Meanwhile, Scathach gracefully dispelled the barrier of runes protecting her, and Karuizawa returned to her human form, stepping out of her lightning-Logia shell.

She looked at the cracked sky and devastated ice field and muttered,

"Why do I feel like Saint Jaeger is getting stronger every minute?"

She turned to Scathach.

"Wasn't he originally more focused on Noble Phantasms than physical power?"

[Chat Group — World Broadcast]

Uchiha Miyuki: "That's the effect of Otsutsuki Progenitor blood! A clan of universal parasites that swallow planets. I'd believe it even if they were also Saiyans!"

Luo Hao: "Indeed. Since Jaeger fused with the Otsutsuki progenitor's blood, his very lifeform has evolved. His strength now surpasses most gods, even without pure destructive force."

Eriri Sawamura: "Bloodline scaling... a classic trope in every power fantasy."

Scathach: "I see. So this chat group's lottery system truly is blessed. I'll definitely draw again after completing this mission."

Uchiha Miyuki: "The Naruto and Boruto settings are just ridiculous. Even with power creep in One Piece, it's still more grounded. Devil Fruits are probably the only real SSR drop from this world."

Scathach: "I'd like to try my hand at drawing a Devil Fruit too. Maybe I'll ask Luo Hao to enhance it afterward."

Luo Hao: "Gladly. Leave it to me!"

Uchiha Miyuki: "This mission is nearly over now. Is His Highness Jaeger going to finish off Crocodile?"

Jaeger: "Not unless necessary. Based on experience, he'll likely drop a sand-type offensive Noble Phantasm — not worth the trouble."

Kasumigaoka Utaha: "Hmph. Why do I feel like His Highness is getting cockier with every battle? Don't tell me you scored a ridiculously strong Noble Phantasm again?"

Jaeger: "Correct. I received three powerful Noble Phantasms — well, four in total. One's useless, but I'll reveal the good ones first."

Jaeger: [Image] [Image] [Image]

The group paused.

In the screenshots, three new Noble Phantasms shone with ominous brilliance.

"Falling Apart": A self-defense Noble Phantasm akin to Hercules' Twelve Labors. The user can disassemble into billions of molecules, effectively achieving an advanced form of elementalization. Even if fatally injured, as long as one molecule survives, the user can reform instantly.

"Overlord Soul": A soul-type treasure. Grants immortality of the soul and infinite spiritual energy. Even if the physical body is destroyed, the user can persist indefinitely in spiritual form.

"Puppet Silk Thread": A castrated but enhanced version of Doflamingo's String-String Fruit. Allows complete control over others as puppets — far superior in manipulation, but lacking in versatility.

Uchiha Miyuki: "This is broken! That's basically Kesha's sacred body and the Type moon third magic... the soul materialisation, combined!"

Miyuki (continued): "Wait... you said you got FOUR Noble Phantasms from that one fight? Does that mean... Shanks, Buggy, and Doflamingo are REALLY dead!?"

Jaeger: "Yep. Caught in the aftershock. Unlucky for them, lucky for me."

Scathach: "Absurd… With those two Noble Phantasm alone, Jaeger is basically unkillable. His power level just leapt forward by miles."

Jibril: "Hmph. Then what's the mysterious fourth Noble Phantasm? If it came from Bullet, could it be his fruit ability?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha: "… 'Fusion', huh."

Eriri Sawamura: "I—I'm sorry, I just thought of something dirty."

Luo Hao: "The puppet thread is the truly dangerous one. One wrong move, and Jaeger could puppet us all… hehehe…"

Kocho Shinobu: "Saint Jaeger would never do such a thing!"

Tohsaka Sakura: "That's right! If it's for Jaeger-nii, I don't need any threads. I'll do anything…"

Uchiha Miyuki: "S-Sakura-chan! That's illegal!"

Jaeger: "…"

Esdeath: "Tch. Forget that. Just show us the fourth Noble Phantasm already, Jaeger."

Luo Hao: "Agreed! It must be something visible — it has to be powerful if you're going to demonstrate it live."

Scathach: "You know… it's strange. Noble Phantasms are supposed to represent the legends or accomplishments of a heroic spirit… but here we are, watching living legends be turned into treasures. Jaeger's 'Hand of Hermes' doesn't just defeat legends — it usurps them. Even most chief gods can't do that."

Uchiha Miyuki: "Exactly! Hermes must come from a higher-mythic plane. A truly ancient tier."

Miyuki (continued): "Oh, oh! Jaeger! Crocodile's back again! Quick — turn him back into a beautiful woman! I want to see!"

Eriri Sawamura: "A violent gangster girl with sharp eyes? Honestly… I'm curious too."

Returning to his normal form from logia state, Crocodile stared blankly at the shattered ice field in the sky.

There wasn't even a trace of Bullet left. He had witnessed it with his own eyes — Bullet was obliterated with a single punch.

The land, sea, and sky all fractured under that one strike.

Was this Celestial Dragon, Saint Jaeger... even human?

If it weren't for his Logia-type ability letting him turn into sand, Crocodile was certain he would've been seriously injured — or worse — in that terrifying explosion.

He didn't have the reflexes of someone like Mihawk to dodge it, either.

"I finally get it now…"

Mihawk, who had also barely avoided the shockwave, sighed as he sheathed his black blade.

"This is why the Celestial Dragons have ruled the world for a thousand years. As expected of the man I chose to serve as a sword slave."

"Wait, you're really serious about becoming that Celestial Dragon's slave?"

Crocodile scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"You've become quite the attractive swordswoman now. Saint Jaeger is a world-famous playboy. Be careful — you might end up being… consumed and discarded."

Mihawk paused. His face twisted in disgust… before he actually considered it.

"…If that's what it takes to get closer to the sword called gods Avoid, then I wouldn't mind."

"…Eh?"

Crocodile blinked.

Jaeger, who had just arrived nearby, froze mid-step.

He looked at Mihawk with complicated emotions.

She had become a stunning woman — no doubt but just knowing that soul inside was once Mihawk... made him feel viscerally uneasy.

Say no to gay men. Start with me.

"Relax," Jaeger said grimly. "I like pure women. I won't do anything to you."

As the awkward laughter around them faded, he turned serious once more.

"You can choose. Stay in the Holy Land, go to the Navy, or head to Wano. Oh and do you want me to turn you back into a man?"

Mihawk hesitated for a moment. Then, in a rare moment of softness, she murmured:

"…I've grown fond of this body."

Both Jaeger and Crocodile looked at her in surprise as she continued,

"My strength's decreased slightly, which only means I need to sharpen my swordsmanship even more. So for now… I'll stay like this."

Jaeger nodded slowly.

"Whatever makes you happy."

Turning to Crocodile with a sly smile, Jaeger asked:

"What about you? Want to be a man? A woman? A slave? A pirate?"

"Hah?! Of course I want to be a—"

Crocodile started to snap back but then stopped. He looked at Jaeger's golden, divinely radiant eyes, the oppressive aura like sunlight and moonlight fused.

His legs trembled. His body froze.

His instincts screamed at him.

If I say the wrong thing… I'll die.

Not just die — I'll be obliterated. Like Bullet or perhaps even worse.

Even though his Observation Haki wasn't particularly strong, in that moment, Crocodile felt like he'd just glimpsed his own death.

"Then… there's only one answer!"

Quicksand swirled around him dramatically — but instead of attacking, Crocodile dropped to one knee and bowed his head.

"I pledge my loyalty to you, Saint Jaeger!"

"…."

Mihawk rolled her eyes on the side.

What was with the sand special effects? You're surrendering, not summoning a guardian beast.

Everyone in the chat group burst into laughter at the contrast between the once-proud Warlord and his current groveling posture.

Jaeger chuckled. "A wise choice."

He raised a hand, sending out a divine light similar to the one he had used on Mihawk earlier.

In an instant, Crocodile's injuries healed. Then, under everyone's stunned gaze, his body began to transform — curves blossomed, height adjusted, sharpness softened into allure.

In mere seconds, Crocodile had become a tall, commanding beauty with a sultry gangster-sister aura.

"Wait a sec!"

Gion's eyes widened in shock. "You look… familiar? Are you—?!"

She gasped, covering her mouth.

"Crocodale!? You're that vice admiral from my navy days! One of the navy's top beauties! I thought you died on a pirate-hunting mission!"

"Ugh, Gion. Still as clueless as ever."

The newly transformed Crocodale rolled her eyes.

"Of course I faked my death. I defected on purpose."

Jaeger raised an eyebrow. "So this is the mysterious secret Ivankov knew about, huh?"

He looked her up and down, intrigued.

"Not only did you change your gender, but you betrayed the navy too. Aren't you worried about retaliation?"

"Please."

Crocodile puffed on her cigar and spoke confidently:

"I fell in love with the Sand-Sand Fruit's Logia powers. So I killed Vice Admiral Karl in secret, stole his fruit, and defected. I've been living as a man ever since."

"WHAT!?"

Akainu suddenly burst onto the scene, glaring daggers at her.

"You killed Karl?! You betrayed the Navy and joined the pirates!?"

"So what if I did?"

Crocodile met his glare without flinching.

"You're one to talk, Sakazuki. You sacrificed your own comrades more than once for your twisted sense of 'justice'. You gonna lecture me?"

She smirked provocatively.

"Besides… I now serve Saint Jaeger. You really think you can touch me?"

"You—!"

Akainu's fists burned with restrained fury, magma bubbling beneath his gloves.

"If it weren't for Saint Jaeger… I'd reduce you to ash right now."

But he didn't move.

He clenched his jaw and stood there, teeth grinding in frustration.

Gion, watching from the side, was stunned.

He actually held back? The ruthless Admiral Akainu — listening to someone else? Just how deep is his loyalty to Jaeger?

[Chat Group]

Yamamoto Mei: "I always suspected Crocodile was a woman, but I didn't expect her to be a former marine! That's wild!"

Uchiha Miyuki: "Same! And why does she look so damn good as a woman? I swear she wasn't even a pretty boy before!"

Sawamura Eriri: "Gangster girl! Navy traitor! This character design is gonna sell out artbooks fast!"

Kasumigaoka Utaha: "…Now the real question is: would His Highness Jaeger actually do that kind of thing with Crocodile or should I say crocodale?"

•••

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