Trader In The World Of Pirates!!!

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"Sawada Tsunayoshi?"

"Sawada Tsunayoshi!?"

"..."

'Bang!'

In the quiet morning classroom, the young female teacher slammed her textbook onto the desk. Her patience wearing thin, she roared like an enraged lion at Tsuna, who was dozing off in his seat.

"SA-WA-DA-TSU-NA-YO-SHI!!!"

"If you're so tired, go home and sleep there! This is a school, not your personal nap room!" 

"You think this is your home!?"

The teacher's angry outburst was enough to send a gust of wind rushing past Tsuna's face, instantly waking him from his daze.

"Huh? Ah... yes! Sorry!" Tsuna stammered, rubbing his eyes and standing up hastily, still half-asleep.

Seeing that Tsuna at least had the decency to apologize, the teacher decided not to push it further. She shot him a sharp look, then walked back to the podium.

It was then that Tsuna noticed a silver-haired boy standing at the front of the class.

His attention was immediately drawn to the unfamiliar student, but as soon as he locked eyes with him, Tsuna felt a cold shiver run down his spine, as if he'd been bitten by a snake.

"What... what's going on!?"

The intensity in the new student's gaze made Tsuna uneasy, filling him with a strange sense of foreboding.

Just yesterday, after being dragged through a 10KM run under Ace's supervision, Tsuna didn't get home until nearly 4AM. Not long after he had finally collapsed into bed, Reborn woke him up with his infamous electric shock method, forcing him to stumble his way to class, half-awake. 

Since it wasn't the homeroom teacher's class, Tsuna figured he could sneak in a quick nap. But to his dismay, the homeroom teacher returned unexpectedly due to the arrival of a new student.

As if that wasn't bad enough, what happened next left Tsuna completely stunned.

...

"Everyone, this is Hayato Gokudera, a transfer student from Italy. Starting today, he will be your classmate."

"Hayato-san, there's an empty seat near the back. Please go ahead and take it."

The teacher introduced the new student calmly, but the air around Hayato was anything but calm. With a cold, distant expression, the silver-haired boy walked slowly toward Tsuna's desk.

"Eh..."

Seeing the fierce look on Hayato's face, Tsuna felt a sudden wave of anxiety. Despite his unease, he smiled awkwardly, hoping to make a good impression.

"Uh... hi there…"

But before he could say anything more, Hayato's expression turned even darker, and without warning, he kicked Tsuna square in the face.

'BANG!'

Amid the shocked gasps of the entire class, Tsuna was sent flying from his seat, his desk and chair crashing to the floor along with him.

"...!?"

"What… what just happened!?"

Dazed and confused, Tsuna could barely comprehend why the new student had attacked him so violently.

...

Meanwhile, outside in the school corridor, Ace—disguised as a janitor—had been keeping an eye on his apprentice. The moment he saw Tsuna get kicked, his brow furrowed in concern.

Turning to Reborn, who was somehow also disguised as a janitor (and unrecognizable to everyone despite being a baby), Ace asked in a puzzled tone:

"Hey, Reborn, why is Tsuna still just sitting around in class? They're not even practicing yet!"

Ace had been keeping close tabs on Tsuna's progress due to the system tasks he had to complete. Yesterday's simple training had left Tsuna utterly exhausted, and Ace knew it was going to be a long and difficult journey to turn him into the mafia boss recognized by the system.

Fortunately, Ace was nothing if not confident.

Today, he had followed Tsuna to school to see what kind of training the institution had to offer, hoping to develop a new training plan based on what he observed.

However…

In response to Ace's question, Reborn wiped away a bead of sweat from his forehead, clearly not knowing what to say.

In his lifetime, Reborn had always been the one making others sweat. But ever since meeting Ace, he felt like he had met his match—a force of nature that could neutralize even his own cunning. It was like watching a complete fool bring chaos wherever he went, effortlessly neutralizing any of Reborn's plans.

If Reborn hadn't had the foresight to prepare janitor uniforms, Ace might have made headlines tomorrow for all the wrong reasons.

'"Exhibitionist Breaks into School Grounds, Injures Several Security Guards, and Escapes!"'

Recalling the near-disaster he had just avoided, Reborn shook his head and answered Ace's question.

"Training at school isn't just about physical exercise," Reborn explained patiently. 

"Here, Tsuna and the others are expected to learn advanced knowledge from around the world and undergo systematic education."

After only a short time spent with Ace, Reborn had already figured out the key to dealing with him. It wasn't that Ace was entirely ignorant of modern society—he wasn't clueless. It was just that his understanding of the present was… limited, at best.

And once Reborn realized this, he knew exactly how to handle Ace.

But...

Despite everything, Ace still remained an enigma to Reborn.

The previous night, Reborn had watched in disbelief as Ace not only trained Tsuna but also seemed to grow stronger himself. If Ace's combat strength had been at 50% when Reborn first met him, after just a brief training session, it had already doubled to 100%.

While this level of strength was still insignificant to Reborn, what shocked him was that Ace's power kept growing, as if it knew no limits. 

This mysterious man had suddenly appeared, claiming he would train Tsuna alongside Reborn. But what was his true goal? From an angle Ace couldn't see, Reborn's eyes gleamed with curiosity.

...

The kicking incident in the morning class was quickly forgotten by everyone—except, of course, for Tsuna, the victim. None of the other students seemed to care why Hayato had kicked him out of nowhere.

In a dazed state, Tsuna barely made it to the end of the morning recess. Just as he was about to find a quiet spot to catch up on the sleep he'd missed the night before, he felt a strong hand clap down on his shoulder.

"Hey, Tsuna! You're up today!"

"Huh?" Tsuna jumped, startled. He turned to see who was speaking.

Behind him stood Takeshi Yamamoto, a classmate full of energy and charm, flashing a bright smile.

"Y-Yamamoto-kun?" Tsuna stammered, confused.

Yamamoto Takeshi was one of Namimori Middle School's star students, a key player on the baseball team. With his athletic build and easygoing personality, he was popular with both the guys and the girls.

"What's going on?" Tsuna asked, puzzled by Takeshi's sudden approach.

Still smiling, Takeshi patted Tsuna's shoulder again and said, "It's about the game today! You're playing as a substitute!"

"Eh?!"

"Yeah, you've got this, Tsuna!" Takeshi said confidently. 

"We'll be counting on you for today's volleyball game!"

Several of the other players chimed in, nodding in agreement.

Tsuna's performance at the dojo yesterday had impressed them all, so they were brimming with confidence that he'd do well in the match. 

But Tsuna was stunned. 

"V-Volleyball game?!" he thought to himself. 

"Why haven't I heard about this?"

Wait a minute—he suddenly remembered. That morning, when Reborn had jolted him awake, he had mumbled something about a volleyball match. Tsuna had been too groggy to pay attention at the time.

"Oh no! They're seriously expecting me to play?! But... I don't know anything about volleyball!" Tsuna panicked internally.

Then a thought struck him—'Reborn!' 

If Reborn could shoot him with another one of those special bullets like yesterday, he might have a chance to pull off something miraculous.

With that in mind, Tsuna quickly excused himself from Takeshi and the others, then dashed out of the classroom.

...

In the school corridors, Tsuna ran around frantically, searching for Reborn like a headless chicken. He figured the little hitman had to be watching him from somewhere nearby.

"Where is he? Where could he be?" Tsuna muttered to himself, twisting his neck in every direction, scanning the faces of everyone he passed.

Suddenly—

"Ah!"

Distracted by his search, Tsuna didn't see where he was going and crashed straight into a janitor, falling to the ground.

"S-Sorry! I'm so sorry!!" Tsuna stammered, his natural timidity kicking in as he scrambled to apologize.

But then, a voice that felt like it came straight from a nightmare echoed in his ears.

"Hey, Tsuna, done with school already? Then why don't we start training again?"

"..." Tsuna froze on the spot.

His body went rigid, like an old, rusted machine. Slowly, he raised his head to see the freckled face in front of him, and a wave of dread hit him like a ton of bricks.

"A-Ace-sensei?!"

Tsuna's expression shifted from shock to sheer terror as he stared at Ace, who grinned down at him.

"No, no, no!!!" Tsuna shouted, waving his hands frantically. "School's not over yet! No training, please!! I can't take it!!"

Standing beside Ace, perched on his shoulder, was Reborn, also disguised in a janitor's uniform. He smiled mischievously and greeted Tsuna with a wave.

"Hey there, Tsuna."

"Reborn!?" Tsuna exclaimed, relief washing over his face. 

Seeing Reborn was like spotting a lifeline in the middle of a storm. His expression shifted from fear to a mix of hope and exasperation.

Recalling the moment when his classmates had just praised him, Tsuna stood up and quickly explained the situation regarding the volleyball match to Reborn...

He asked Reborn to shoot him again with the 'Dying Will Shot' during the game.

(VIZ translation: Deathperation Will Shot)

But then...

Tsuna learned, to his horror, that the 'Dying Will Shot' could only be used when someone was truly prepared to die, driven by a deep conviction to achieve something. Otherwise, the shot would simply cause the person hit to die peacefully.

Hearing this explanation, Tsuna's face immediately fell.

Resigned to the idea that he would likely fail miserably on the volleyball court, he dejectedly made his way to the gym.

...

Meanwhile...

"Dying Will Shot?"

Ace's eyes lit up with curiosity. This was the first time he had heard the term. Looking at Reborn perched on his shoulder, he asked, "Reborn, what exactly is this 'Dying Will Shot'? Can I take a look?"

Reborn pondered for a moment before nodding—after all, it wasn't some closely guarded secret. With a small gesture, a red bullet magically appeared between Reborn's tiny fingers.

Ace took the 'Dying Will bullet' with interest, as Reborn, ever the tutor, began to explain:

"This is a special bullet passed down by the Vongola family. Anyone hit in the head by this bullet will be resurrected if they have a dying wish to fulfil. They'll return to life, fueled by that desire, to fight to the death in order to accomplish it."

"And during this 'Death Mode', they gain immense combat power."

"I see..." Ace murmured after listening to the explanation.

However...

Ace's attention wasn't entirely on Reborn's words. Instead, his focus was drawn to a special screen that had appeared next to the 'Dying Will Bullet':

Name: 'Dying Will Bullet' 

Source: [Unknown] 

Effect: [Classified] 

Appraisal Value: 10 points 

—Investigator Ace, would you like to record this item in the Transdimensional Compendium?

...

This was the first time Ace had encountered an item in this world that triggered a prompt from his system.

After becoming an investigator for the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce, Ace had been given extensive knowledge about the system's inner workings and the source of various powers. So, he understood that the 'Dying Will Bullet', marked by the system, was something special...

It was on par with Devil Fruits, famous swords, and scientific inventions from the pirate world! An extraordinary item that transcended the value of money, religion, or any conventional material!

"Add it!" Ace thought silently.

As soon as he heard the system's [Recording Complete] notification, a broad smile spread across his face.

By recording any item in the Transdimensional Compendium, it became available for purchase by all members and clients of the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce!

In other words...

Ace—'Investigator Ace'—had just successfully added a new item for sale in the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce! 

Though it was only a small item worth 10 points, it was a significant achievement for Ace and the Chamber of Commerce as a whole.

It marked a new milestone in his journey—a small step for the Chamber of Commerce, but a giant leap for him in this new world!

...

After regaining his composure, Ace handed the 'Dying Will Bullet' back to Reborn.

Reborn, eyeing him curiously, saw Ace grinning like a fool.

'The Vongola family, huh?' Ace thought to himself.

If he recalled correctly, the Vongola was the mafia family that Reborn had mentioned, and they wanted Tsuna to become the 10th boss. In other words, by training Tsuna, Ace could establish a close connection with the Vongola family through his role as Tsuna's mentor.

If something as small as the 'Dying Will Bullet' could be evaluated by the system...

There must be countless other treasures within the Vongola family!

The thought alone filled Ace with renewed determination.

"It seems Tsuna's training will need to be even stricter!" Ace mused.

To carry out Sir Leo's mission more effectively...

'Tsuna, you're in for a tough time ahead!'