The system panel flickered, listing three suffocating paths to promotion.
[To break through to the domain of the gods, one of the following conditions must be met:]
[1) Money Power (Recommended): Consume 10,000,000 Violation Points. The system will directly grant you enlightenment for a painless ascension.]
[2) Archaeologist: Find and come into contact with the core origins of the three Ancient Weapons and analyze their rule-based power.]
[3) Great Adventurer: Reach the final island "Laugh Tale," touch the "Great Treasure" left by Joy Boy, and complete the resonance of will spanning eight hundred years.]
After reading these three options, Tatsuki fell silent.
Three minutes later.
He crushed the cigarette butt into the solid gold ashtray, letting out a suppressed, cold sneer.
'Ten million? Why don't you just go rob someone?'
Tatsuki was amused by the absurdity. He had schemed and manipulated, making Roger a fool, making Rayleigh cry, and playing the entire World Government and Marineford like a fiddle, only to barely scrape together over a million.
And now this system opens its mouth for ten million?
If he chose the first way, at this rate of earning points, he'd have to beat up every member of the Gorosei and blow up Mary Geoise just to make the count.
As for the second and third...
Tatsuki sneered and leaned back into his chair.
Shirahoshi is probably still a liquid right now, maybe even still in the queue inside her father's body.
Pluton is buried deep beneath Wano Country.
Uranus is most likely in Imu's hands.
None of them are easy to deal with.
As for Laugh Tale?
Roger, that riddler, wouldn't speak no matter what.
"You're forcing my hand."
Tatsuki rubbed his throbbing temples, but the corners of his lips gradually curled up into a dangerous and crazed arc.
"It seems that trying to be an Admiral peacefully won't save up for a future. To touch the domain of the gods, I must completely flip the table of this world."
"I need to cause trouble."
"Big trouble."
But isn't this a coincidence?
It matches his professional expertise.
With that thought, Tatsuki's frustration vanished.
The road must be walked step by step.
Since the ten-million mark is temporarily out of reach, I'll spend the remaining "pocket change" to improve my ability to cause trouble.
After all, as a Marine scum with a healthy gambling habit, seeing hundreds of thousands in the account balance without spending it was more painful than killing him.
'System, bring up [Lottery].'
Tatsuki rubbed his hands, a gambler's characteristic fervor appearing on his face.
Buzz!
The blue light screen on his retina instantly transformed, and a massive wheel emitting neon brilliance emerged. The wheel was densely engraved with various rewards from countless worlds.
[Rumble-Rumble Fruit]
[Gate of Babylon]
[Eight Inner Gates]
Countless rewards flashed before his eyes.
Of course, there was also the [Thank You for Playing] that occupied 2% of the wheel's area.
Tatsuki glanced at his remaining Violation Points balance: 895,000.
This kind of awkward number is the most annoying.
'Going all-in is a form of wisdom, and even more so, a virtue.'
'Invest five hundred thousand Violation Points for ten spins.'
[Command received, 500,000 Violation Points deducted.]
The wheel spun rapidly with brilliant flowing light, the pointer jumping frantically.
First spin.
[Ding! Congratulations on obtaining: Top-tier Cuban cigars that can never be finished (System Special Edition: Infinite Refill).]
"..."
A refined cigar box appeared out of thin air in Tatsuki's hand, his eyes twitching.
"Fine, although it's useless, at least I'll save on tobacco money from now on. That's reasonable."
The wheel turned again.
[Ding! Congratulations on obtaining: Item: Momonosuke Must Die Trial Card (After use, deals 100% True Damage to Kozuki Momonosuke).]
"Good stuff. Save it for later." Tatsuki's eyes lit up.
[Ding! Thank you for playing.]
[Ding! Congratulations on obtaining: Blueprint: Improved Treasure Tree Adam Keel Structure.]
"Not bad, I can use the G-5 Branch warships to ram the Red Line in the future."
[Ding! Congratulations on obtaining: High-quality Meito x5.]
[Ding! Congratulations on obtaining: Complete Set of Vivre Card Production Techniques.]
[Ding! Congratulations on obtaining: Charm-Charm Fruit.]
...
A series of notification sounds rang out, mostly practical but not stunning items, or purely fun props.
Seeing the spins coming to an end, Tatsuki's heart rate gradually accelerated.
Five hundred thousand! That's the hard-earned money he got from selling the Pirate King!
'Give me something solid, System.'
As if hearing his heart's cry, on the final spin, the originally multicolored light suddenly converged, turning into an eerie, deep, and ominous blood-red pillar of light, exploding in Tatsuki's mind.
[Ding!!!]
[Great Success! Dimensional Barrier shattered!]
[Congratulations Host, for obtaining the strongest mental-type ultimate technique from another dimension!]
[Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan: Kotoamatsukami!]
[Note: This ability originates from the supreme dojutsu of Shisui in 'Naruto'.]
[Effect: Can invade the target's mental world and permanently modify their will without being detected. Once the technique is cast, the target will be at your beck and call and firmly believe it is their own "true heart".]
[Restriction (System Modified): No need for a cooldown of over a decade, can consume 1,000 Violation Points to offset one year of cooldown. Cannot modify the will of powerhouses in the domain of the gods, but can cause an instantaneous mental blank.]
Clatter.
The cigar Tatsuki had just taken out dropped onto the desk. He froze in place, his pupils shrinking violently.
Kotoamatsukami?
The one hailed as the "Strongest Genjutsu"?
Tatsuki slowly closed his eyes and ocular power surged into his optic nerves like a tide.
When he opened his eyes again, deep within them, a flash of eerie crimson flickered, and the four-bladed shuriken pattern faintly emerged.
An invisible mental pressure swept out, colder than Conqueror's Haki, striking directly at the soul.
"This thing is simply tailor-made for a 'just Marine' like me."
For an ambitious person determined to jump back and forth between the Marines, Pirates, and World Government to fleece the most wool, pure destructive power was far less elegant and efficient than control.
Fighting and killing is so uncivilized.
With this, many outrageous operations he didn't dare think about before can now be put on the agenda.
For example... having Kong take the initiative to step down and firmly believe it's for the future of the Marines?
Or perhaps, making that "King of Loans" who controls the world's economy willingly hand over the keys to the vault?
Even...
Tatsuki's gaze passed through the window, looking toward the distant top of the Red Line, that high-and-mighty Holy Land.
If one of the Gorosei were to suddenly have a "discovery of conscience" at a critical moment and support the Marines' independence from the World Government...
"Hehe... Hehehehe!"
In the dim room, the new Admiral covered his forehead and let out a low laugh.
These five hundred thousand points were more than just worth it.
It's a massive profit!