On the deck of the Navy 16th Branch warship.
Rear Admiral Sephiroth looked over Kuro, Zango, and the Catman Brothers, one by one.
He stroked his chin, his voice laced with amusement.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Why did you attack me just now?"
Silence.
"You won't tell me, will you? Then let me guess… You disguised yourselves as a fishing boat, approached under the pretense of illness… Could it be you took a fancy to my warship and wanted to snatch it? Besides pirates, who else would dare?"
Four faces stared back, silent.
Sephiroth chuckled. He waved a hand toward the scar-faced soldier beside him.
"Check if these four have any wanted posters."
"Yes, sir!"
The soldier hurried into the cabin and returned with a stack of East Blue bounty sheets. He flipped through them twice, then snapped to attention.
"Reporting, Rear Admiral Sephiroth. No photos match."
"Oh? So they're rookie pirates. Just starting out, with no fame at all."
Sephiroth's tone was playful, his eyes faintly contemptuous.
Under that gaze, Kuro's pride burned. He hadn't even succeeded yet. His very first venture as a pirate had smashed straight into a steel wall.
But the gap in their strength was a chasm. All thought of resistance died.
He gritted his teeth, voice low. "Kill me or cut me. Do as you please."
"Quite the tough guy."
Sephiroth's smile widened. He drew the butcher knife from his waist, swiped the air to open a spatial pocket, and pulled out a Python Revolver.
It was an old backup weapon, from before he'd favored dual swords. He'd even developed a shooting technique for it, meant to fool low-level Observation Haki users.
A pity, really. After the butcher knife ate the Door-Door Fruit and he obtained the black blade Autumn Water, the revolver had been tossed into a warehouse to gather dust.
Today, he'd remembered it.
"How about a game? Russian Roulette. Very exciting. Very fun."
Sephiroth flicked the revolver open, showed Kuro the six chambers, and plucked out five bullets.
"Simple rules. I point this at your forehead, then mine. We take turns. You don't dodge. Whoever gets hit loses. You win, I let all four of you go. You lose, all four of you die. Well? Dare to play?"
He smiled, spinning the cylinder.
Kuro saw no escape. His life wasn't his own. Refuse, and he'd certainly die. Play, and there was a thread of hope.
He nodded. "Fine. I'll gamble with you."
"Good. I'll go first."
Still smiling, Sephiroth raised the revolver, pressed the muzzle to his own forehead, and slowly pulled the trigger.
*Click.*
The cylinder turned. No shot.
First chamber, empty.
Next, Sephiroth raised the gun and pressed it to Kuro's brow. "This one might kill you. Any last words?"
Kuro took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "No. Shoot."
*Click.*
Second chamber, empty.
Upon hearing the sound of the revolver's trigger being pulled and the empty click that followed, a wave of relief washed through Kuro.
The brush of death lingered on his skin. Even prepared for it, fear still coiled in his heart.
"Your turn!"
Kuro opened his eyes. The silver-haired man stood before him, waiting to pull the trigger again.
"Oh dear! Two shots fired. Now the third… a one-in-four chance of death."
Rear Admiral Sephiroth wore a mask of tension. He pressed the revolver to his own temple and pulled the trigger.
*Click.*
The third shot was empty.
"Oh-ho! Lucky!...Lucky!"
Sephiroth beamed, then placed the revolver before Kuro's nose. The dark muzzle stared back at him.
"A one-in-three chance now… Any regrets in this life? Do you regret going to sea? Becoming a pirate?"
"..."
Kuro fell silent. Hesitation and self-doubt washed over him.
Why *did* I go to sea? Why become a pirate?
If I hadn't, I wouldn't be here.
But I'm strong. Dozens, hundreds of men are no match for me. To live as an ordinary person…
It would be suffocating.
I wanted a chance to prove myself. An ordinary life was never meant for me.
Kuro sighed softly, muttering to himself.
"Dying now… I'd feel too unsatisfied. Shoot."
*Click.*
The fourth shot was empty.
Death's shadow receded. A wave of relief, dizzying and sharp, crashed over him. He realized, with sudden clarity, how much he wanted to live.
"Tsk tsk tsk! Is this your luck or my misfortune? A one-in-two chance now."
Rear Admiral Sephiroth studied the revolver in his hand, muttering for a long moment.
"Hey! Want to raise the stakes?"
"Raise what?" Kuro asked, confused.
"If… *if* you win this gamble, I'll give you the warship. If you lose, I'll give you your life. From then on, your life belongs to me. You become my subordinate. Honestly. What do you say?"
Kuro went silent again. The idea of serving anyone chafed.
But…
After those two empty chambers, a fierce, clawing desire to survive had taken root.
His life had been too mundane. He wanted it to be more.
Fine. If this shot's empty, the next one will kill me. Better to serve this man than die here.
Someone like him—that strength, that nerve—he's not meant to be ordinary.
Following him… my life will finally be interesting.
"Okay," Kuro said. "I promise. You win, I'm your man from today."
"Deal."
Saying this, Rear Admiral Sephiroth raised the revolver, aimed it at his own temple, and pulled the trigger.
*Click.*
The fifth shot was empty.
"Hahaha…! Kuro, it seems you're mine now!"
Sephiroth laughed. He raised the revolver in his right hand and aimed at a white seagull flying past the warship.
*Bang!*
The bullet tore from the barrel, struck the seagull's head, and blew it apart. The corpse plummeted into the sea.
That single action erased Kuro's last doubt.
For a moment, he'd wondered if it was all a trick—an illusion, an empty cylinder.
Now, the doubt was gone. He accepted it. He accepted Rear Admiral Sephiroth as his boss.
However…
What Kuro didn't know was that there is a power in this world called Observation Haki that can foresee the future.
Rear Admiral Sephiroth had activated his future sight the moment he began spinning the revolver's cylinder, deliberately aligning the bullet for the sixth shot.
He'd gone to such lengths to recruit Kuro for one reason…
Frank's commendable leadership during the Pollock Island incident—his efforts to rescue wounded G5 soldiers and evacuate civilians—had prevented countless casualties.
Marineford rewarded that service with a double promotion, bumping Frank from Lieutenant Commander straight to Colonel.
Sephiroth was a Commodore. Frank was now a Colonel. With only a single rank between them, Frank could no longer serve as his deputy…
Oh, Sengoku would probably indulge him if he insisted.
But…
Sephiroth estimated he'd retire in a few years. Frank had followed him for so long; it was time to secure the man's future.
Frank had no connections and no real strength. Colonel was essentially his ceiling. Maybe in a decade or two, he could ride seniority to a Commodoreship.
So, on Sephiroth's recommendation, Frank transferred directly into the Staff Office.
There, earning merit was harder, but the post was stable. Minimal pirate combat. A much lower mortality rate…
When Frank had been around, Sephiroth dumped all his paperwork on him. It saved the Rear Admiral a mountain of tedium.
Now, however…
With no capable deputy, a messy pile of duties kept landing on his desk. It was deeply annoying.
Sephiroth had picked through the Navy's 16th Branch, that motley crew, and still couldn't find a suitable replacement.
And then, as if on cue, Kuro delivered himself right to the doorstep.
He remembered Kuro's epithet from the original timeline: "Hundred Plans." A rare intelligent mind in a pirate world overstuffed with idiots.
Such a promising, valuable tool… it would be a shame not to use it to its fullest.
Now, someone in the office will finally handle those document mountains!
Those tedious tasks are far away from me again!...Rear Admiral Sephiroth thought happily, putting away the revolver before leaning back into his sun lounger to resume his bath in the light.