Chapter 11+12 - Preview of One Piece: Reincarnated as Rimuru Tempest

Chapter 11: Nojiko Joins the Crew! The Rat's Fleet Attacks!

...

Nami's dream was a whirlwind of memories. She saw Bell-mère, her mother, her smile warm and bright. She saw herself as a child, playing on the beach with Bell-mère and Nojiko, her sister. Laughter echoed in the dream, a stark contrast to the horror that followed. 

Ugly, brutal fish-men stormed their village, tearing her family apart. Bell-mère… gone. Nami forced to work for her mother's killer for eight agonizing years.

Then, a figure emerged from the darkness—a handsome man, almost godlike, pulling her from despair. In that moment, she would have given him anything, even her life.

Nami's eyes snapped open. The familiar ceiling above brought her back to reality. Was it all just a dream?

Rimuru!

She scrambled out of bed, heart pounding, and threw open the door. A feast was underway outside, laughter and music filling the air. But that wasn't what she was looking for. She needed to see him.

"Oh, you're awake?" Rimuru's familiar voice, laced with amusement, washed over her. Relief flooded Nami. It hadn't been a dream.

He held out a small, round object. "Want one? Takoyaki. I made them myself."

"Yes!" Nami beamed, snatching the takoyaki and devouring it in a few bites. She proceeded to inhale the rest of Rimuru's takoyaki, leaving him staring with a bemused expression.

"Slow down, Nami. There's plenty more where that came from."

"Captain…" one of the crew approached Rimuru, whispering, "We found a hidden room in the park wreckage. Tons of treasure! At least… a hundred million Berries!"

"A hundred million?!"

Berries. Nami's kryptonite.

Her eyes locked onto the crewman, practically sparkling with excitement. The poor guy shuddered. This woman was not to be trifled with. One wrong move, and you'd be sleeping with the fishes.

Rimuru chuckled at Nami's unabashed greed. "From now on, report these minor matters to the captain's wife. She'll handle it."

"Thank you, Rimuru-sama!" Nami squealed, planting a kiss on Rimuru's cheek. The display of affection made Nojiko, watching from afar, feel a pang of something she couldn't quite name. She should be happy for Nami, finding a powerful, kind, and handsome husband. But… there was a twinge of envy. And something else, something confusing…

"Rimuru-sama, to you!" Nojiko raised her glass, forcing a smile. "Please take care of Nami. She has many good qualities, but she's… a bit obsessed with money. Don't mind her."

A bit? Rimuru thought, hiding a smile.

Genzo, unlike Nojiko, was practically bouncing with joy. His face flushed with drink, he kept trying to toast Rimuru, oblivious to the fact that Rimuru had already gained Alcohol Immunity from a single sip. Ordinary liquor had no effect on him. Genzo, on the other hand, was well on his way to oblivion.

"Don't worry, Genzo," Rimuru said, placing a hand on Nojiko's shoulder. "But I won't be taking just Nami. I think Nojiko will be joining us too." He looked at Nojiko, his golden eyes serious. "Nojiko, will you come with me?"

"Huh?" Genzo blinked, swaying on his feet. He raised his glass with a drunken laugh. "Triple celebration! No, wait, with Arlong gone, it's quadruple! Don't worry, If she doesn't want to go, we'll tie her up and carry her onto the ship!" He hiccuped and promptly passed out.

"I will!" Nojiko blurted out before she could even think. She was terrified Rimuru would change his mind.

<><><><>

[Congratulations! Nojiko has joined the Devouring Empire!]

Name: Nojiko Origin

World: One Piece

Overall Potential: N

Position: First Position Vacant / Imperial Concubine

[Alert! Dimensional Lottery x1 acquired! Use Dimensional Lottery? YES/NO...]

<><><><>

Without hesitation, Rimuru assigned Nojiko to the Combat Maid position. After all, the point of collecting women was to have them serve him. To rule the world and have beautiful women at his beck and call - that was the dream!

He then clicked on the lottery.

The wheel spun, the pointer finally stopping on Items.

[Hipokute Herb!]

The Hipokute Herb! A fundamental ingredient for healing potions in his own world. A high-purity potion made from this herb could even regenerate lost limbs. It was a true panacea.

[Alert! Devour the Hipokute Herb? Devouring will unlock a new skill!]

Seriously? Rimuru didn't hesitate.

[YES!]

[Devouring and analyzing Hipokute Herb… Congratulations! You have acquired the unique skill: Healing Magic!] 

[Healing Magic: Heals all diseases and injuries except death! Can be used externally or to create high-purity healing potions by consuming Magicules!]

As Rimuru explored his new skill, his Observation Haki, extended to its maximum range, detected three Marine ships—two small, one medium—approaching from ten kilometers out.

Speak of the devil… or rather, the rat. They were slow.

Beside him, Ranga, who had been happily gorging himself on meat, lifted his head, sensing the approaching enemy.

“Excuse me, ladies. Duty calls. Seems a few rats have come to play.” Rimuru hopped onto Ranga's back.

With a single, effortless leap, they vanished from sight, leaving the villagers staring in awe.

...

Chapter 12: Imperial Warships! After-Party Fun with Sisters

...

On the lead Marine ship, a man with prominent front teeth and a "Justice" cape peered through his telescope at the brightly lit Cocoyasi Village.

“Unbelievable. The invincible Arlong Pirates defeated. What a waste. Such a profitable cash cow…” Lieutenant Rat mumbled, lowering his telescope. 

He was Captain Nezumi's second-in-command, and he'd personally profited from Arlong's reign of terror. It was their 16th Branch that had allowed Arlong to operate freely in the East Blue for so many years. The loss of such a lucrative source of bribes stung.

“Lieutenant Rat, target within firing range! Cannons loaded and ready!”

Rat waved a hand dismissively. “Target Cocoyasi Village. Three rounds!”

“Aye, sir!”

The Marines below showed no hesitation in aiming their cannons at a village full of unarmed civilians. They didn’t notice the storm clouds gathering above.

Boom!

The expected cannon fire never came. Instead, two blinding flashes of lightning struck the smaller Marine ships, tearing them apart in fiery explosions.

“What the—?! What happened?!” The surviving ship rocked violently. Rat nearly lost his footing.

“Help! We’re under attack!”

“Fish-men! It’s the fish-men! But how…?”

Screams echoed from the deck. Rat scrambled for his flintlock pistol, aiming towards the unseen enemy.

A flash of lightning illuminated the attackers. Rat’s eyes widened in horror.

“Impossible! You’re supposed to be dead!”

“Hahaha! You lowly humans haven't kicked the bucket yet, so why should I rush off to meet my maker?” ‘Arlong’ grinned, revealing rows of sharp teeth. He towered over Rat, a monstrous figure bathed in lightning.

Terror paralyzed Rat. He fumbled with his pistol, then blurted out, “Wait! We're here on Captain Nezumi’s orders to help you deal with the pirates!”

“Shark On Darts!”

Before Rat could finish, ‘Arlong’ transformed into a living torpedo, his saw-like nose piercing through Rat's body. Death was instantaneous.

Lieutenant Rat died bewildered. The intel had clearly stated Arlong was dead. And why would Arlong attack him? Wasn't he afraid of the Marines reporting this to headquarters?

If he had lived, he would have seen ‘Arlong’ melt and reshape into a blue-haired young man.

Rimuru had chosen to disguise himself as Arlong. He wasn't ready to reveal his true self to the Marines just yet.

"Don't kill me! We surrender!"

"Lieutenant Rat ordered us to fire! We had no choice!"

The surviving Marines, seeing their leader dead and their ships destroyed, dropped their weapons and begged for mercy. They were pathetic. Spineless.

"Hmph. Cowards," Ranga sneered, his lip curling in disdain. "Typical Marines. Bullies who prey on the weak."

"Some are just misguided dogs, following orders," Rimuru said, his voice calm but edged with a hint of steel. "The rest... are wolves in sheep's clothing." He absorbed the surrendering Marines into his guild. Another ship acquired.

The Marine vessel, even a mid-sized one, was far superior to the pirate ship in terms of weaponry and capacity. It was a shame this was the best the East Blue branch had to offer. Rimuru dreamed of capturing one of those massive warships used in Buster Calls and replicating an entire fleet with [Predator]

"Was that the Marines? Are you alright?" Nojiko rushed over, concern etched on her face.

Rimuru nodded. "Three ships. They're… dealt with."

"Three?!" Nami, though confident in Rimuru's abilities, felt a surge of anger. "Those Marines… scum of the earth. Never around when you need them, but the moment Arlong's gone, they crawl out of the woodwork!"

The villagers echoed her sentiments.

"They were in cahoots with Arlong! Crooks, the lot of them!"

"Three warships! They had the power to stop Arlong all along! They're no better than pirates!"

"Don't worry, Rimuru-sama! If any other Marines come asking, we won't breathe a word! We'll say Arlong did it!"

The villagers’ hatred for the Marines was as strong as their hatred for Arlong. After all, it was the Marines' corruption that had allowed Arlong to terrorize them for eight years. They had a common enemy.

The celebration ended with most of the village passed out drunk. Only the women and children remained sober, helping the men home. Nojiko, observing Rimuru's seemingly unaffected state, asked, “You… you drank all that and you’re fine?”

"Of course. I can hold my liquor." Rimuru winked, putting an arm around Nami, who peeled an orange and fed him a slice.

Seeing their intimacy, Nojiko felt a pang of awkwardness. "I… I should probably go," she mumbled. "I feel like a third wheel."

"A third wheel?" Rimuru chuckled, pulling Nojiko into a hug. "Nojiko, you're one of my women now. Come on, let's go back to my room… together."

Nojiko's heart pounded in her chest. “But… you have Nami…”

Rimuru shook his head, a playful glint in his eyes. “In this world, even landlords have multiple wives. Emperors have harems of three thousand!"

"A man's desires are power, wealth, strength, and beautiful women. I have the first three. You two… are my fourth."

To Nojiko's surprise, Nami chimed in, "He's right, sis. It's better to join him now than later when he has a whole harem! Besides," she added with a wink, "I can't handle him all by myself."

'I can’t handle him'. Nami thought back to the previous night. Every time she tried to ‘punish’ Rimuru for his teasing, she ended up… well, let's just say things didn't go as planned. He was surprisingly… resilient.

Seeing Nami’s encouragement, Nojiko gave in to her own desires. She had always felt a connection with Rimuru, something beyond gratitude.

Rimuru, with a beautiful woman on each arm, headed towards Nojiko’s house in the mountains, ready to enjoy the spoils of victory… and the company of two lovely sisters.

Nojiko, anticipating what was to come, blushed furiously. Nami, acting like a seasoned veteran, offered advice and encouragement, much to Nojiko’s initial embarrassment and eventual amusement.

The thought that Rimuru could alter one's body, coupled with a glance at Nami’s… enhanced physique, filled Nojiko with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.

The next morning, Rimuru, ever the pragmatist, roused everyone early. Captain Nezumi was still out there, and Rimuru had no intention of letting him escape.

After analyzing the captured Marine ship, he created a giant slime clone that engulfed the pirate vessel. To the astonishment of the villagers, the slime then ‘regurgitated’ a brand-new, upgraded Marine ship.

Rimuru, simply designated them Ship No. 1 and Ship No. 2. Though identical in appearance to standard Marine ships, Rimuru had enhanced their every aspect, making them capable of challenging even larger warships.

<><><><>

[Imperial Medium Warship / Steam Paddle Steamer] 

Origin World: One Piece

Firepower: 4 x Triple-Barreled Main Cannons, 24 x Secondary Cannons

Power Source: Wind, Steam, Magic

<><><><>

The Jolly Roger was replaced with a new emblem: two crossed swords with a blue slime in the center. It symbolized conquest and devouring—the essence of his growing empire.

Nami and Nojiko, clad in maid outfits, watched Rimuru with a mixture of exhaustion and awe. The man hadn't slept a wink all night, yet he was brimming with energy. If not for Rimuru enhancing their physical abilities, and his strategic use of… interesting techniques, they wouldn’t be able to stand, let alone walk.

“Rimuru-sama,” Nami whined, leaning against the railing, “aren’t you tired?”

"Yeah, Rimuru," Nojiko added, emboldened by their shared experience. "Can't we leave a little later? I barely slept!"

Rimuru smirked. “That Captain Nezumi, is still out there. If we don’t leave now, he might escape. Don't you want to… deal with him?”

The mention of Nezumi sobered them up. He was, after Arlong, the man most responsible for Cocoyasi Village's suffering.

Nami and Nojiko exchanged a look. Revenge was a powerful motivator. They quietly followed Rimuru onto the ship. At least there were comfortable beds on board.

"Wait! Rimuru-sama!"

"Please wait!"

As the ships prepared to depart, shouts echoed from the shore. The villagers had come to see them off, carrying three large chests.

"Rimuru-sama!" Genzo called out. "This is the money you left behind! We can't accept it! It's our thanks for defeating Arlong!"

"Peace and safety are more valuable than any treasure! Please, take it! You need it more than we do!" The villagers insisted.

Tears welled up in Nami and Nojiko’s eyes. Even Rimuru felt a pang of genuine emotion. The chests contained two hundred million Berries—Arlong’s ill-gotten gains and Nami’s hard-earned savings. It was enough to provide for Cocoyasi Village for generations.

These people possessed extraordinary hearts.

Rimuru leaped onto the shore, storing the chests in his Stomach. “I’ll protect Nami and Nojiko. You take care of yourselves.”

Genzo grinned. "Don't you worry about us! We're tough!"

Rimuru nodded, returning to the ship. The sails unfurled, catching the wind. As the two warships set course for the open sea, a new chapter began. The Devouring Empire was on the move.