Trader In The World Of Pirates!!!

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After dinner, dusk settled in.

The city gradually quieted down after a bustling day, and faint moonlight trickled from the sky, though it couldn't compare to the brightness inside the house.

In Tsuna's bedroom...

Tsuna sat cross-legged at his small study table, barely a few dozen centimeters high. Several textbooks lay scattered across it, and in the middle of them, a crumpled test paper with a score of 7 stood out.

Normally, Tsuna would've quickly hidden such a terrible test score out of embarrassment.

But right now, as he stared at the shirtless man in front of him and the baby-sized figure in a pristine suit, his brain was too scrambled to care!

"So... what exactly is going on!?" Tsuna cried out, clutching his head in frustration under the intense gazes of Reborn and Ace.

Before dinner, Tsuna might have still believed Ace was just a weirdly dressed tutor.

But after watching him devour a mountain of fried rice, bigger than his own body, Tsuna would be a fool to think Ace was anything close to normal!

Completely bewildered, Tsuna had no idea why his life had suddenly taken such a strange turn.

Meanwhile, Reborn curiously glanced at Ace from the corner of his eye.

From his observations, Ace didn't seem to possess any substantial power.

Yet, there was an undeniable dangerous aura surrounding him.

As the former world's strongest assassin, Reborn would never doubt his instincts. This was the reason he, someone who usually thrived on light-hearted banter, remained unusually quiet.

On the other hand, Ace, who was completely clueless about everything, laughed boisterously with the confidence of a seasoned performer:

"Hahaha… So, you must be Mrs. Sawada's son, Tsuna!"

"Nice to meet you, I'm your family tutor."

Even though they had already met at the dinner table, Ace had completely forgotten, having been too engrossed in savoring Nana's cooking.

"Tutor!?" Tsuna's eyes darted between Ace and Reborn.

"So, which one of you is the real tutor!?"

"Huh?!"

At Tsuna's question, Ace and Reborn locked eyes, and for a moment, a spark seemed to pass between them.

Simultaneously, they both slapped their chests and exclaimed:

"Of course, it's me!" ×2

Ace, with a mission at hand, wasn't about to back down, and Reborn, tasked with training Tsuna, wasn't going to yield either.

The room fell into an awkward silence.

But then...

Ace, who had just confidently declared himself the tutor, suddenly softened his tone. Scratching the back of his head with an apologetic smile, he asked:

"By the way, what exactly 'is' a tutor?"

"...?!"

Tsuna nearly choked in disbelief.

He was 'certain' now!

This shirtless man, who looked only a little older than him, had to be a complete fraud!

Tsuna immediately turned his pleading gaze toward Reborn, hoping the baby assassin would expose Ace's lie.

After all, Reborn, with his endless arsenal of weapons like pistols, surely had the power to reveal Ace's true identity!

But much to Tsuna's surprise, the opposite happened.

Instead of confronting Ace, Reborn calmly pulled out a cup of black tea from who-knows-where and took a leisurely sip.

Then, without skipping a beat, he explained:

"A tutor is a teacher who provides private lessons at home after school."

Why had Reborn suddenly become so patient?

The answer was simple—he had already sized Ace up during their brief exchange and concluded that Ace wasn't a threat.

Reborn also guessed that the dangerous aura around Ace was likely due to some special, innate trait.

Though Ace's origins were still unclear, Reborn was intrigued by the idea of keeping him around Tsuna. Something interesting was bound to happen...

A mischievous smile played on Reborn's baby-like face as he looked down thoughtfully.

Ace, satisfied with Reborn's explanation, nodded enthusiastically.

"Oh!"

But then, without missing a beat, Ace shamelessly asked another question:

"Uh, so... what exactly 'is' school?"

"..."

Reborn's hand froze mid-sip.

After a long pause, he responded, his voice calm but laced with exasperation:

"A school is a place where many people gather to learn and grow together. Different teachers are there to guide students through their lessons."

"And tutors," he added, "are teachers who help students after school hours."

"Oh!" Ace exclaimed, his face lighting up in sudden comprehension.

  "So the school turns out to be the gym!!!"

  "I understand!"

  "This..."

  Reborn was silent again.

  He had reason to doubt that the man beside him might have an IQ... even lower than the good-for-nothing Tsuna?

At that moment, Tsuna, the so-called good-for-nothing in Reborn's eyes, was completely dumbfounded.

He couldn't understand why what should have been a conflict between rivals had suddenly turned into such a harmonious scene.

But just then...

Ace suddenly clapped his hands, snapping Tsuna out of his daze.

With a confident smile, Ace announced, "It's decided! From now on, I'll be Tsuna's tutor!"

"Wait! Wait, wait, wait!" Tsuna blurted out in confusion, frantically waving his hands. "Uh... Ace-sensei, are you sure you can even 'be' a tutor?"

Recalling Ace's earlier behavior, Tsuna seriously doubted that someone who didn't even know what a school or tutor was could teach him anything. Especially after witnessing Ace's enormous appetite at dinner... Tsuna grew more convinced that Ace just wanted an excuse to stay at his house for free meals.

However, Ace laughed heartily in response to Tsuna's doubts. 

"Haha, of course! I'm only tutoring you after school! No worries, I've got it covered!"

With that, Ace gave Tsuna a thumbs-up, flashing a bright grin that would've looked heroic under any other circumstances.

But Tsuna could only manage an awkward expression.

Faced with Ace's overwhelming confidence, Tsuna's timid nature got the better of him. He slouched in defeat, his hands resting on the table.

At that moment, Reborn chimed in, his voice sharp yet playful: 

"And don't forget about me!"

"I've been entrusted by the Vongola family's Ninth Boss to train you into an outstanding Vongola leader!"

"Huh? So... you're part of the mafia?" Ace's eyes lit up upon hearing Reborn's introduction. He extended a polite greeting: "Nice to meet you! I'm a pirate!"

But then, Ace's expression hardened, a fiery determination flashing in his eyes. 

"And... I won't let you turn Tsuna into a mafia boss!"

"With me as his tutor, Tsuna will become the world's greatest pirate!"

Ace declared this boldly, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

In his mind, a tutor was someone who continued to train others after their basic lessons were over. Naturally, his mission from the Transdimensional System was to guide Tsuna's practice after school. That made Tsuna half his apprentice already!

And since 'he' was doing the training, there was no way Tsuna would become a mafia member—such a lowly profession!

In Ace's worldview, only those who couldn't survive on the seas would seek refuge in the mafia. Most mafia gangs, once they'd risen in power, would still end up heading out to sea as pirates. The difference in prestige between the two paths was obvious!

Having made up his mind, Ace turned to Tsuna and exclaimed, "Alright, Tsuna! Time waits for no one! Dinner's settled, so let's go outside and start training!"

"When we get a ship, I'll train you to become the world's best pirate!"

Ace was about to drag Tsuna outside to begin their training when suddenly, a dark green pistol appeared, blocking his path.

"Hold on!" 

Reborn leapt gracefully onto a cabinet by the door, his gun now pointed on Ace.

Though his face was calm, the atmosphere suddenly grew icy, as if an overwhelming pressure had descended.

"Tsuna carries the blood of the Vongola's First Boss," Reborn said coldly. "I will ensure he becomes an exemplary leader of the Vongola!"

"Oh?" Ace grinned.

"In that case, there's nothing left to say. Let's settle this!"

Ace quickly reached to his waist and pulled out a Poké Ball containing his new friend Growlithe.

His grin widened. "Let's see whose strength speaks louder!"

Despite his powers being diminished by the world's will, Ace remained confident. After all, his Growlithe could undergo MEGA evolution, Gigantamax, bond evolution, and even Z-moves. He had more than enough strength to put up a fight!

And besides, no one would actually die in this battle.

Ace had never been afraid of Garp as a child—there was no way he'd fear a baby, no matter how strange!

???

As the two stood on the verge of a clash, Tsuna once again found himself completely lost in confusion.

"What… what's going on!?"

Tsuna looked at the two in confusion, about to say something to defuse the tense situation. But before he could speak, Reborn suddenly smiled.

"Just what I wanted!" he said.

'Bang!'

A bullet shot out from Reborn's transformed pistol.

Ace's eyes narrowed! Even without his former strength, his keen battle instincts allowed him to dodge the bullet by the narrowest margin, just beside his head.

So, he's not an ordinary person after all!

A spark flashed in Reborn's big, innocent-looking eyes.

At that moment, a red light suddenly burst from the Poké Ball in Ace's hand. A brownish-red figure appeared by his side.

"Growlithe, use Ember!"

Since the first shot had already been fired, Ace wasn't about to hold back.

Unfortunately, Growlithe, who was only level 5, only knew two attack moves: Ember and the genetic skill Double Kick. Still, this Pokémon, personally given to Ace by Leo, was no ordinary one! Growlithe's potential was no less than that of Ace's Charizard—maybe even greater!

Fiery energy quickly gathered in Growlithe's mouth. The next second, a blazing flame shot toward Reborn.

"Huh?"

Reborn was momentarily surprised by the sudden appearance of Growlithe. But as the flames rushed toward him, the gun in his hand transformed once more, now into a large water cannon.

"Pah—" 

Reborn made a playful face and mimicked the sound of a spraying water gun.

And then, something remarkable happened.

The transformed water cannon shot out a powerful stream of water that collided with the flames mid-air.

'Whoosh—!'

In an instant, thick white steam filled the cozy room, covering everything.

"That was fast!" Ace grinned, his eyes sparkling as he witnessed Reborn's technique.

The moment Reborn used his transformed weapon, Ace's exploration progress instantly increased by one percent! This confirmed it—these must be the abilities unique to this world.

Though Ace couldn't fully grasp Reborn's methods, he was intrigued by the way the baby fought. He smiled, ready to command Growlithe to intensify the attack...

But suddenly, a new message flashed in his mind.

[Ding! Exploration Tip: Collaborate with Reborn to train Sawada Tsunayoshi into an excellent leader of the Vongola Tenth Generation.]

"Uh… what?"

Ace's hand froze mid-air, his expression turning slightly awkward.

Meanwhile, Tsuna, who had been gasping for air in the thick steam, hurried over to the window, flinging it open and poking his head outside. The cool breeze quickly cleared out most of the mist inside the room.

"I'm dying! It's way too hot!" Tsuna gasped, finally taking in fresh air.

He was exhausted.

Everything seemed hopeless.

Why…?

Why could a baby's pet lizard turn into a gun and fire bullets?

And why…?

Why could some weird ball summon a fire-breathing puppy?

Is this some kind of world distortion? Or am I just completely ignorant?

At this point, Tsuna's mind was a mess. He was beginning to give up on understanding it all. And with the realization that these two were now his tutors, Tsuna had a premonition that his future life was going to be 'very' "colorful"…

——

"No more fighting!" Ace suddenly called out, withdrawing Growlithe and raising his hands with a cheerful smile.

Although Ace wanted to experience the powers of this world firsthand, he was just an ordinary person now. Even if he fought, it wouldn't bring him much satisfaction… So, after considering it for a moment, he decided to drop the matter.

Reborn, on the other hand, was puzzled by Ace's sudden retreat.

"Huh?"

Ace walked up to him with a bright smile, extending his hand. 

"On second thought, I don't think there's anything wrong with Tsuna becoming the leader of the mafia."

"In that case, let's work together to make Tsuna the world's number one mafia boss!"

A man should know when to adapt!

Since the system told him to go in this direction, Ace would put in his best effort. Of course, words like "excellent" and "outstanding" were conveniently ignored by him.

If you're going to aim, aim big!

If you don't even dare to set the goal of being the world's best, how can you claim to be working hard to complete the mission?

This was Ace's philosophy when it came to tasks issued by the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce. But as it turned out, this thinking aligned perfectly with Reborn's goals!

While Vongola was powerful and one of the top mafia organizations in the world, no one had ever dared to claim the title of the world's number one mafia.

This was the first time Reborn had met someone even crazier than himself!

Sensing the genuine ambition behind Ace's words, Reborn hesitated for a moment before breaking into a cute yet strange smile. He reached out his tiny hand, clasped Ace's much larger one, and smiled.

"Happy cooperation!"

"Happy cooperation!"

The two hands—one large, one small—shook firmly, sealing the deal.

  …

  …

Night.

Under the silent glow of the moon, two figures jogged down the deserted street.

"Huff… Huff… I… I can't go on, Ace-sensei!" 

"I… I need a break…"

Tsuna, dressed in a tracksuit, was panting heavily as he ran on the empty street. At this point, he had forgotten why he was even there, why he had started running in the first place.

The only thing he remembered was that after Ace and Reborn had shaken hands and made peace, Reborn had promptly fallen asleep in 'his' bed—like a baby, no less. And as if that wasn't enough, he had set up multiple booby traps around the bed. The kind that would blow up the entire house if anyone touched them!

Ace, on the other hand, had pulled Tsuna aside and immediately started exercising indoors.

Not just any random exercises…

But a grueling routine consisting of 100 squats, 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, and, to top it all off, a 10KM long-distance run!

It was cruel!

The submissive Tsuna, forced to keep up with Ace, somehow managed to finish all the indoor exercises. By the time he was done, it was already 11:00 PM—they had started at 5:30! He tried to use the excuse of needing to study to take a break, but Ace wasn't having it. Instead, he dragged Tsuna out the door for the 10KM run.

Tsuna felt like he'd done an entire year's worth of exercise in just one day.

Still panting, he looked ahead. When Ace heard Tsuna's weak voice, he too was panting, but turned back with a bright smile.

"Come on, Tsuna!" 

"You've only got 1KM left to hit the 10KM goal! Just push a little more!"

"If you keep going, there's nothing you can't accomplish!" 

"Of course…" Ace added, grinning mischievously, "If you're really struggling, I could always ask Growlithe to give you a little encouragement from behind!"

"…"

Tsuna suddenly fell silent.

He desperately wanted Ace to check his own conscience—was 'that' really what he considered "encouragement"!?

The mere thought of a fire-breathing "devil dog" chasing him from behind sent a shiver down Tsuna's spine. He immediately replied, gasping for breath:

"No… No… That's… really not necessary…"

But just then, the fear of being scorched by flames actually stirred something within Tsuna. Somehow, some unknown strength surged through his body, forcing him to run like a zombie once again.

Under the moonlit sky, the two figures moved slowly alongside the river.

At that moment, neither of them noticed…

High above, a small baby with a strange parachute was silently following them, watching closely—no, observing Ace with intense focus.