Muscular shrugged.
Truthfully, he didn't care whether All For One was good or evil.
What interested him was simpler.
How could he make his Quirk stronger?
What kind of "fruits" had All For One harvested?
And what benefits could he gain by joining Shigaraki's organization?
Good or evil had nothing to do with him.
Profit was far more attractive.
Seeing the boredom on Muscular's face, Shigaraki immediately understood.
Since he had already explained enough about Quirk cultivation, there was no need to keep circling the same topic.
So he changed the subject.
This time, he moved to the question Muscular actually cared about.
"All right."
"I've told you almost everything you need to know."
"So now…"
"Give me your answer."
Muscular's lowered hand opened and closed.
One moment, it clenched into a fist.
The next, it loosened again.
Before he realized it, sweat had gathered in his palm.
He was hesitating.
Should he join Shigaraki's organization?
Logically speaking, after learning that All For One would not interfere with Destiny's internal affairs or randomly steal members' Quirks, Muscular's biggest concern had already been resolved.
He should have accepted.
But this was still a choice that would affect his future.
Even someone like him had to think carefully.
Shigaraki did not rush him.
After all, he was recruiting a future subordinate, not picking up some disposable experiment.
A little patience was necessary.
Besides, he believed Muscular would eventually make the right choice.
Because Muscular had no reason to refuse.
After a while, Muscular finally raised his head.
"If I join you…"
"Can I really become stronger?"
"And can I truly obtain more powerful Quirks?"
"Of course."
Shigaraki smiled and raised a finger.
"I already told you."
"Teacher has at least nine Quirks on the same level as Sen'gen's."
"And I don't mind telling you this either."
"Most of those powerful Quirks still don't have owners."
"They are fully matured fruits."
"Once used, they can grant power equal to their original owners."
"When that happens, your strength will naturally rise to another level."
"After all, one plus one doesn't simply equal two."
"As for the fruits that haven't been harvested yet, or haven't been used yet…"
"There are even more."
"Teacher has lived for a very long time."
"Who knows how many Quirks he has accumulated over the years?"
"And all of those fruits are stored in Teacher's inventory."
"The number is enormous."
"In other words…"
"You will have many opportunities."
"As long as you work seriously."
As he spoke, Shigaraki extended his hand toward Muscular and looked straight at him.
"I've given you my answer."
"So…"
"Will you join us?"
"Destiny is still short on people."
"If you're willing, after joining, you can form a team with Sen'gen."
Muscular looked at the hand stretched out before him.
Then he looked at Shigaraki, whose expression seemed almost sincere.
"As long as I join, I'll have the chance to become stronger."
"And I might obtain powerful Quirks I could never have gotten in my lifetime."
He grinned.
"That really is a pretty good employee benefit."
"Looks like I don't have a reason to refuse."
Shigaraki smiled in satisfaction.
He was pleased that he had not misjudged Muscular.
He was also pleased that Destiny had gained another member.
One step closer to completing his mission.
"Congratulations on making the right choice."
He held out his hand steadily.
"Then…"
"Welcome to Destiny."
While Shigaraki successfully recruited a new member, All Might and the others had already left N City Police Headquarters with a large group of elites, moving according to Tsukauchi's plan.
Since Best Jeanist and All Might were the main forces of the operation, they walked together.
Several officers and ordinary Pro Heroes followed nearby as support.
But as they moved, All Might couldn't shake a strange feeling.
Something was wrong.
It was as if he had forgotten something important.
After glancing around carefully, he finally realized what it was.
Another top-hero group that should have departed with them was missing.
Edgeshot and Kamui Woods were nowhere to be seen.
Before All Might could ask, Best Jeanist noticed his expression and spoke first.
"For some reason, I've had a bad feeling since the meeting."
"As if something about the situation was off."
"So I asked Edgeshot and Kamui Woods to move one step ahead of us."
All Might froze slightly.
In truth, he had felt the same thing.
Ever since the meeting, he had sensed something strange, as though someone had been watching them.
But no matter how carefully he listened, he couldn't detect anyone eavesdropping.
At the time, he had assumed it was only his imagination.
But now, Best Jeanist had felt the same unease.
One person might be mistaken.
Two people feeling it at the same time was different.
Which meant that feeling during the meeting might have been real.
Someone might truly have been watching them.
Their plan might already be exposed.
Thinking of that, All Might immediately gave Best Jeanist a thumbs-up.
"Nice work!"
No matter what, Best Jeanist's decision might disrupt the enemy's plan.
It deserved praise.
Best Jeanist only nodded calmly.
He said nothing more.
This was simply what he should have done.
Seeing that, All Might also stopped talking and focused on the battle ahead.
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