Shirou smiled and paid it no mind.
Then he turned his gaze to the two girls across from him and said seriously,
"Hancock, Irene, what do you think an adventurer is?"
"A job? No, adventurers are free!"
"Once you accept a quest, you must complete it. But even if you fail to complete it, there will be no punishment."
"After registering as an adventurer, it doesn't matter if you never accept a quest and merely keep your name on the roster."
"If you have difficulties, you can simply go to the guild and post a quest. It has nothing to do with whether you are an adventurer."
"Does becoming an adventurer mean you have to stay in one place? No, adventurers are free. They can go wherever they want."
"Of course, the Adventurer's Guild currently has only this one headquarters. But in the future, the guild will surely spread across the world like Marine Bases."
"At that time, every adventurer will be able to accept quests at any branch, travel the world, and go anywhere they wish."
"Now that you have completed the initial quest, you are free as well!"
"So, if you want to leave, just set sail normally. There is no need for any concern."
"Adventurers are the symbol of freedom."
Borsalino at the next table suddenly interjected,
"Wouldn't complete freedom make them no different from Pirates?"
"Of course they are different! Pirates commit evil deeds, while adventurers possess the most basic moral bottom line of a human being." Shirou paused. "And those bottom lines are engraved upon the gates of the Adventurer's Guild."
"That really is..."
Borsalino chuckled softly but did not finish his sentence.
This really is stealing the Marines' work.
More free than the Marines, yet unlike Pirates without any bottom line—was this what adventurers were?
If it could truly be done, the Marines would indeed be greatly affected. Fleet Admiral Sora's concerns were correct.
However, the Gorosei surely could see that. Why had they agreed?
Was it simply because the one making the proposal was a Celestial Dragon?
"Didn't you say you were going on a Four Seas Pilgrimage? It looks like you intend to stay at the Sabaody Archipelago for a long time."
"No, things here are already on track. We'll set sail tomorrow and begin the Four Seas Pilgrimage."
Leaving behind an avatar with a one-year shelf life would be enough.
"Oh...? Where to?"
"Jaya Island, Mock Town."
Back then, Shirou had hesitated for a long time between the Snow-Snow Fruit and the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
But in the end, he chose the Snow-Snow Fruit, which might be developed to gain the ability to freeze time and space.
The power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit needed no explanation. Whether developed in the direction of electromagnetism or natural lightning, it could become extremely powerful.
He might not use the Rumble-Rumble Fruit himself, but he could not afford not to have it.
Learn, Tohsaka
Chapter 37: Learn, Tohsaka
He was leaving?
And judging by the sound of it, he did not seem to intend to bring her and Irene along.
Realizing this, Hancock's heart began to waver.
According to him, adventurers were free.
That meant she was no longer a slave. She was already free and could go anywhere.
Even if she returned home, no one would stop her.
But what about her two younger sisters? They were still suffering in Mary Geoise.
"I... I can't leave."
Shirou looked at her in surprise, then smiled and said,
"Just as I said, adventurers are the symbol of freedom. Whatever you want to do and wherever you want to go are entirely up to you."
"I... please help me."
Hancock lowered her head. Her voice was incomparably low, and tears unconsciously streamed down her face.
"What is it?"
"Please save my two younger sisters."
So that was it!
Shirou suddenly understood. No wonder she had not left.
"Where are your sisters?"
"Earlier, I was lost in a bet and sent here, but my sisters are still over there."
"Didn't they leave with Fisher Tiger and the others?"
"No."
"It's not impossible to help you, but what will you offer as payment? Don't tell me you expect me to help you for free."
"I..."
Hancock fell silent for a moment.
If he had been ten years older, even if he were only fourteen or fifteen, she could have tried offering her body in exchange.
But he was merely an eight-year-old child, not yet at the age where he would be interested in women.
Armament Haki? The secret arts of Amazon Lily?
As a Celestial Dragon, he surely lacked none of the things she knew.
"What if I work in exchange? You want to expand the Adventurer's Guild, so you must be short on manpower. Besides being an adventurer, I can also take on management work."
"Deal!"
Shirou chuckled, took out a Den Den Mushi, and began contacting Butler Hyman.
"Young Master, please give your orders."
"Do you know Hancock?"
"I'll look into it immediately."
Seeing this, Hancock hurriedly said,
"The name I usually use is Hannie."
"So it was you!" Butler Hyman on the other end of the Den Den Mushi could not help muttering her name. "Hannie, I remember you. The master won you back in a bet not long ago."
"Hyman, since you remember her, that makes things easy." Shirou pondered for a moment. "She has two younger sisters still over there who have not come here. Find a way to buy them back."
"Yes, Young Master!"
After hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Shirou looked at Hancock again.
From those memories of the original story, she seemed to care deeply about the slave mark on her back.
"Hancock, now that you are free, do you need me to remove the mark on your back?"
At that moment, Hancock suddenly felt like crying.
"Can you? How would you do it?"
"It's simple. With my secret technique." Shirou smiled faintly. "It doesn't look like you have any appetite, so let's go. We'll head back and remove your mark. The same goes for Irene."
The secret technique was simple: use an ice blade to painlessly shave away the skin on their backs, then use the Slime's own Recovery Potion.
The undiluted Recovery Potion was extremely effective. It could even reattach severed limbs, so healing a wound without leaving a scar was a trivial matter.
"Yes! Thank you very much." Irene hurriedly stood up.
"Thank you..."
This time, Hancock could no longer hold back her tears.
Another night, Celestial Dragon Shirou had just entered the White Mist Space when he noticed a petite Blue-haired Beauty staring intently at him.
"Is there a newcomer? Why did you change sex? To prevent my mind from being contaminated, stay a little farther away from me."
The Blue-haired Beauty was visibly stunned for a moment, then puffed out her cheeks in irritation.
"It's me! It's me!"
As she spoke, her body suddenly shrank and turned into a Slime.
"Eh... eh...!? Why did you become a woman?"
"No, I didn't! Slimes have always been neutral and sexless! You've read the original story, so you should know that, right?"
"It's been nearly twenty years. Who could remember that clearly? Besides, you aren't the original Rimuru, are you? Didn't you make any changes?"
"I wanted to, but after swallowing Shizue, I lost consciousness. Great Sage handled everything, so I had no control over it at all."
"You should just discard skills with such strong autonomy. What use are they?"
"If it were you, would you discard Great Sage?"
"No!" Celestial Dragon Shirou answered without the slightest hesitation.
"Then why are you saying that?"
"Why do I feel like your behavior has become more girlish?"
"Has it? Maybe your impression is being distorted by my appearance and figure."
"Shizue had such a good foundation. Come, shake hands!"
"Oh... Things are developing quite well on your side. At this rate, the Adventurer's Guild will soon spread throughout the Four Seas."
"It's still too early."
As they spoke, Celestial Dragon Shirou released her hand and activated a skill—
"Mimicry—Blue-haired Beauty!"
In an instant, he changed from an eight-year-old boy into the Blue-haired Beauty's form.
"Not a beauty! Neutral, neutral! You should at least call it Slime King Form."
"Next time for sure, haha..."
As the two spoke, the other Shirous gradually arrived as well to attend the daily gathering.
"Waaah... Why are there two beautiful girls now? Aqua?"
"How could that be? Don't shout Aqua just because you see blue hair! It's me, the Slime!"
"You didn't save Shizue?"
"I couldn't save her. I'll keep her inside me for now. When more newcomers arrive in the future, we'll see if there is an opportunity."
After bickering for a while, Celestial Dragon Shirou turned his gaze to Tohsaka Shirou and said with a smiling face,
"Tohsaka, do me a favor."
"What favor?" Tohsaka Shirou was startled by the smile on his face and involuntarily took a step back.
But the Slime King's appearance was simply too cute. Once he calmed down, he felt that it was not actually frightening.
"I plan to overthrow the World Government, and the most important second step is to establish my own Revolutionary Army."
"Oh... That sounds good. Go for it."
"But..."
Before you continue