Shirou's Thirty Million Avatars

"For example, if I kept killing people, fighting, and drifting at sea, I'd probably grow up to be a brute like Acunologiya."

"But if I lived in comfort, learning etiquette and knowledge, I'd surely become a handsome noble."

"And if I gorged myself every day without ever exercising, I'd end up as a potbellied fatso."

Hancock stared blankly at Shirou, unable to utter a word.

After a long pause, she murmured to herself:

"True, if you don't watch your lifestyle, you'll definitely get fat later on."

"So, what do you need from me? Removing their tattoos?"

"We came to thank you. I'm so grateful for your help... I thought I'd never see them again in this life."

As Hancock finished speaking, her two sisters dropped to their knees with a thud, speaking humbly:

"Thank you for your help!"

"Get up! Don't keep kneeling—you're free now."

"Yes."

Shirou glanced between the two and sighed inwardly.

As Hancock's sisters, they probably weren't bad-looking originally, but after eating Devil Fruits, they'd turned into grotesque shapes.

Luckily, this world was full of bizarre creatures, so they didn't stand out too much.

If this were his past life, girls turned into monsters by researchers would have no choice but death.

"Hancock, I'm setting sail tomorrow. Since you're working for me, stay here as the vice-chairman."

"Yes! And the chairman is...?"

"The chairman needs both strength and sharp wits, so Acunologiya will take the role."

"Mr. Acunologiya?"

Hancock looked at Shirou in confusion, thinking:

Isn't that just you? Why turn into that form and use a fake name like Acunologiya?

"Why do you turn into that form?"

"You mean Acunologiya? Because his appearance is more intimidating. When fighting or negotiating, facing someone like him, opponents will tremble in fear. But facing me, they might not even bother to strike."

"Is Mr. Acunologiya your clone?"

"That's right, haven't you seen it before?"

Shirou chuckled lightly and began forming hand seals:

"Like this—Water Clone Jutsu!"

Instantly!

Five eight-year-old Shirou boys materialized out of thin air in the room.

"Mimicry—Acunologiya."

The next moment, all five clones transformed into the form of Black Dragon Shirou.

The real Acunologiya didn't look like this, and the height was completely different. As Shirou said, this was what Shirou Kotomine would look like grown up, with some resemblance to Celestial Dragon Shirou.

"While the clones exist, I can't control their bodies or know their thoughts. But when they disperse, all memories and feelings return to my main body."

"So, when dealing with him from now on, treat him as another me."

"Water Clone Jutsu—Release!"

The five clones vanished at once, leaving only Shirou and the three Hancock sisters in the room.

"So that's how it is..."

Hancock pondered, feeling she understood a little, yet not quite.

"How long can your clone, Mr. Acunologiya, last?"

"A year or two, no problem."

"Whoa... amazing!"

He'd just split into five clones—if each had the power to easily defeat Fisher Tiger, even the Four Emperors might be no match.

In that instant, Hancock glimpsed a future where the Adventurer's Guild spread across the world, replacing the Marines and pirates, ushering in a brilliant new era.

"How old are you?"

"Eight years and nine months, almost nine."

"Hmm..."

At nine, she was still running around playing on Amazon Lily.

"Are you setting sail to build more Adventurer's Guilds?"

"My clone will handle that. I'm going to survey specialty products and local customs worldwide to prepare for founding a trading company, and also to see this world with my own eyes."

Shirou paused, then remarked with emotion:

"Ever since I was born, I've stayed at home and never once stepped outside. The world I know is only Mary Geoise, newspapers, and stories told by others."

"They say the weather at sea is unpredictable, and you often run into Sea Kings. They say there are countless vicious pirates on the ocean who'll kill and burn over nothing. They say there are breathtaking sights and countless strange races out there..."

"But I've never seen any of this with my own eyes. So I want to go and see everything this world has to offer."

Hancock stared blankly at him. She had never met anyone like him before.

Celestial Dragons—stupid as pigs, cruel and violent. Pirates—crude and filthy, yet bold and ambitious. Marines—righteous at heart, but greedy to the core...

But this man before her—call him arrogant, yet he treated everyone the same. Call him cold, yet he could laugh and chat with people.

He was, without a doubt, special. A unique existence in the entire world.

Like a god who had fallen into the mortal realm—aloof, detached, yet tinged with the childishness of his age.

"I... can I come with you too? On the sea voyage."

"No." Shirou shook his head with a smile. "You're too weak. If I take you out to sea, I'd have to protect you."

"B-but... those maids on the ship—they're even worse than me."

"If they die, I'd be sad for an hour at most. But you're different."

"Wah...!" Hancock flinched, a blush creeping onto her face.

"If you die, I'd be sad for a day or two."

"That's so mean! At least make it a few more days!"

"Hahaha... then work hard to get stronger! My clone is right here—if you want to improve your two-color Haki or train in the Six Powers, just go to him."

"Yes! I'll definitely catch up, no matter what."

Chapter 40: Don't Come Any Closer

Chapter 40 Section: Don't Come Any Closer

Sailing on the sea turned out to be more boring than expected. Before they knew it, a week had passed.

They encountered plenty of pirates, but most were green newcomers.

Every time, some pirate would excitedly leap onto the deck, trying to board for a fight, only to be casually taken out by CP0 members or Vice Admiral Borsalino before they could even make a move.

Another night, inside the White Mist Space, several Shirous gathered together.

"Any news on the Imitation Fruit yet?"

"How could it be that fast? I've already had the CP Organization searching as hard as they can, with phone calls pressing them several times a day. And you, Tohsaka—you've been slacking off on your reading lately, haven't you?"

"Haha... like you said, there's plenty of time."

As they spoke, the surrounding white mist suddenly thickened, visibility dropping sharply.

In an instant, only the ground beneath their feet remained free of the fog.

"What's going on?" Celestial Dragon Shirou muttered.

"Maybe a newcomer's coming."

Slime Shirou chuckled softly.

No sooner had he spoken than a shout rang out from the distance:

"Who's over there? Anyone there? Help!!"

"Where is this? Is anyone here?"

As the thick mist gradually receded, two newcomers appeared before them.

The boy on the left looked about sixteen or seventeen, wearing a T-shirt and shorts—clearly from a modern society.

He was around 190 cm tall, with a neat short haircut, and his face was about 50% similar to Shirou Kotomine—basically a scaled-up version of Shirou.

The boy on the right was a little over 170 cm, even more handsome than Shirou Kotomine, like a Shirou with a beauty filter permanently on.

He wore a beige pajama set, slippers on his feet, and held a phone in game mode—also clearly a modern person.

"Welcome, newcomers! Come on, shake hands."

"Ah... oh, sure."

Pajama Shirou extended his right hand and shook Coachman Shirou's.

T-Shirt Shirou, on the other hand, frowned and stepped back, avoiding Slime Shirou's outstretched hand.

"Ohh...! The golden finger's finally here! I didn't think I'd—"

Before Pajama Shirou could finish, he tripped over nothing, crashing straight into Slime Shirou and pressing tightly against him.

"What are you doing?" Slime Shirou instantly reverted from Rimuru to slime form, dodging his attack. "You've already shared all our strength—how did you still fall? You're not doing this on purpose, are you?"

"How could I be? I'm not a pervert!"

Pajama Shirou stood up with a sigh.

"Can't help it. I've always had bad luck since I was a kid—I trip in all sorts of places for no reason. I thought having all your power would change that, but nope, not even a bit."

Coachman Shirou, who had just finished shaking his hand and sorting through the new memories, said irritably:

"You're basically getting a bargain and then acting smug, aren't you? Groping all kinds of pretty girls every day—you pervert!"

"That's completely unavoidable! And it's not groping at all—it's just bad luck. Try getting slapped around every day and see how you like it?"

Pajama Shirou's surname was Tsukimi, his given name still Shirou, and he lived in a very ordinary world, leading a life like a light novel protagonist.

Specifically, he often tripped and fell flat near girls, and every time he fell, due to unavoidable circumstances, his hand or face would end up pressed against some part of their body.

The slime bounced up and down on the ground a few times, asking in surprise:

"What about me? I'm clearly gender-neutral, so why do you still fall next to me?"

"Obviously, his passive skill Divine Fall treats you as female." Celestial Dragon Shirou let out a light laugh, but as soon as the words left his mouth, he suddenly realized a problem. "Wait a minute! This crappy skill isn't going to be shared, is it?"

At that, the several Shirous all took a step back in unison, staring at Divine Fall Tsukimi Shirou with strange looks.

"Why not give it a try? I'll transform into Rimuru's form, and you, Slime, turn into male Shirou and walk around me." Celestial Dragon Shirou suggested.

"Alright, here I go!"

The two transformed simultaneously and circled each other several times.

When they found that Slime Shirou in male Shirou's form didn't fall, everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.

"Looks like this, like Rimuru's Great Sage, isn't a skill that can be shared."

"Good, good. I really don't want to earn the title of pervert with a Divine Fall."

"This skill is just too nasty! Even the kindest person with this skill wouldn't have a good reputation."

With that, Celestial Dragon Shirou paused, then turned to another newcomer, T-Shirt Shirou.

"What about you? What's your situation? After listening this long, you probably get what's going on, right? Just shake hands, and you'll instantly share all memories and power."

This time, T-Shirt Shirou stumbled back several steps, frantically dodging Celestial Dragon Shirou's outstretched hand.