With Ope Ope no Mi in Multiverse

As Najenda finished speaking, Lubbock, the green-haired member of Night Raid, was the first to act. Instantly, his Imperial Arm, Cross Tail, unleashed a web of threads that quickly surrounded Daniel Davis, tightening as they began to constrict him.

Cross Tail was a versatile Imperial Arm, capable of attack, defense, sensing, trapping, and controlling opponents. It had been crucial in previous battles, like when Lubbock used it to take down two of the Rakshasa Demons despite being outmatched in physical strength.

In the past, Daniel might have admired such an Imperial Arm for its intricacy, but now, he had outgrown it. After all, he could replicate similar abilities using Nen threads.

As the threads closed in on him from all directions, Daniel raised his right hand, conjuring a simple green bamboo stick in his palm. With a swift motion, he swung the stick, and the tightening threads were instantly drawn to it. Lubbock's face twisted in surprise as his threads betrayed him, now wrapped around the bamboo stick. With another flick of the stick, Lubbock was yanked forward, flying toward Daniel at high speed.

Thud.

The bamboo stick struck Lubbock square in the chest, sending him flying back several meters.

"Lubbock!" Seeing Lubbock dispatched so quickly, Bulat, clad in his Incursio armor, charged at Daniel, brandishing his specialized weapon, the Red Rakshasa halberd.

At the same time, Susanoo, Najenda's biological Imperial Arm, darted to catch Lubbock before he could hit the ground.

Meanwhile, Akame, gripping her Murasame, approached from the opposite side, aiming to strike Daniel with a lethal blow. Najenda's initial plan might have been to capture Daniel, but after seeing Lubbock's defeat, Akame decided it was too dangerous to leave him alive.

In Night Raid, if the goal was to capture someone alive, Akame typically wouldn't be sent in. Her Murasame was an Imperial Arm designed for killing, not capturing.

Smack. Smack.

With two quick, crisp sounds, both Bulat and Akame, who were closing in on Daniel from opposite sides, felt a powerful force strike their wrists and chests. The impact sent them both flying backward with the same force they had used to attack, their weapons slipping from their grasps.

"Akame, Bulat, Susanoo!" In the blink of an eye, three of Night Raid's top Imperial Arms users had been defeated, leaving Najenda with a grim expression. She called out to her comrades, her voice filled with concern. Responding to her, Susanoo's form blurred momentarily, and in an instant, he reappeared holding both Akame and Bulat in his arms.

The Yata Mirror, one of Susanoo's abilities, allowed for high-speed movement, similar to the powers of Kizaru from the One Piece world. Though the names of the abilities were the same—Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, Yata Mirror, and Yasakani no Magatama—the power they held was far less formidable.

"Murasame... What a curious weapon," Daniel mused as he held Akame's sword, seemingly unaffected by the blade's curse.

Imperial Arms users and their weapons were a unique bond. Most Imperial Arms required compatibility with their user, and for some, their full potential could only be unlocked by someone who was perfectly suited to them. Akame, Esdeath, and Lubbock were all examples of people who could tap into their weapon's hidden potential.

"You seem surprised that I can wield Murasame," Daniel remarked, noticing the shock on Akame's face.

Murasame was a top-tier Imperial Arm that would curse and kill anyone who wasn't its rightful owner. Akame had witnessed this herself when a member of the Rakshasa Demons tried to wield it and paid with his life. Even her former mentor, Gozuki, who had once trained the Empire's elite assassins, had met his end when he underestimated Murasame's curse and was bested by Akame.

Yet, for Daniel, these concerns were trivial. His soul's power was so overwhelming that it allowed him to wield any Imperial Arm, barring the Supreme Imperial Arm. He even held Honest's Erastone, an Imperial Arm capable of destroying other Imperial Arms.

"Susanoo, hold them off," Najenda ordered, her mind racing as she considered their options. Despite their best efforts, Daniel had overwhelmed them with ease, leaving her with little choice but to consider retreat.

"Enough, you can go now," Daniel said suddenly, tossing Murasame back to Akame and kicking Bulat's Red Rakshasa halberd back toward him.

"What are you playing at?" Najenda demanded, confused by Daniel's actions.

"It's simple—I think it would be a waste to kill you. The Empire is about to undergo a rebirth, and I want you to be part of it," Daniel replied, waving dismissively at Najenda to signal that they should leave.

Though Najenda had whispered her plan to Susanoo, Daniel had overheard it. He knew that to activate one of Susanoo's ultimate abilities, Yasakani no Magatama, Najenda would have to sacrifice a third of her life force. As someone Daniel had pegged to lead the new government, she was too valuable to waste in a fight.

"Let's go," Najenda ordered, though she remained wary of Daniel's motives. Whatever his reasons, she recognized when to retreat, especially with an enemy so clearly out of their league.

After the Night Raid team retreated, Daniel waited for a few moments before speaking again. "You can come out now."

"Vice-Captain, what are you planning?" Run asked as he emerged from the trees.

"What am I planning? You heard it all—I'm going to take over the Empire," Daniel said, not bothering to hide his intentions from Run, who had been eavesdropping.

"And the Captain is in on this too?" Run asked, though he already suspected the truth.

"You're smart enough to have figured that out already," Daniel replied.

"But why? Why go through all of this?" Run pressed. Among the members of the Jaegers, Run was one of the more thoughtful and politically minded individuals, having hoped to reform the Empire from within. His participation in the Jaegers was part of a broader strategy to influence change.

"The Empire is beyond saving," Daniel said bluntly. "Your idea of reforming it from the inside is admirable but unrealistic."

Run's idealism was misguided, much like that of many of the Empire's civil servants. The corruption was too deep-rooted for incremental changes to make a difference.

"I'll leave the cleanup to you. Oh, and Boros's body is over there—take it back with you," Daniel instructed as he prepared to leave.

"Aren't you worried I'll betray you?" Run called after him.

"Betray us? Who do you think the Emperor, Honest, or General Budo would trust more—me or you?" Daniel asked over his shoulder, not bothering to turn around.

"You're right," Run muttered to himself, a bitter smile crossing his face. Given Esdeath's standing in the Empire, any attempt by him to expose her would likely result in his own demise rather than hers.

"Leone, are you alright?" Najenda and the rest of Night Raid quickly regrouped with Leone, who had been severely injured—her arms broken, her legs twisted, and her body covered in blood.

"I'm fine. I just didn't expect her to self-destruct," Leone replied, her tone dismissive despite her grievous injuries. With her Imperial Arm, Lionelle, Leone could recover from almost any wound within a day, thanks to its ultimate ability, The King of Beasts Never Dies.

"Lubbock."

"I'm on it," Lubbock said, immediately using his Imperial Arm to reattach Leone's severed limbs. While Cross Tail's healing ability was limited, it was effective on Leone.

"How did it go on your end? Did you take care of that bastard?" Leone asked.

"Dr. Stylish is dead, but there's more to discuss when we get back to base," Najenda said. What should have been a victory for Night Raid had turned into something far more complicated due to Daniel's interference.

As they debriefed, the team realized that Daniel had deliberately held back. He could have easily killed them, but he chose not to.

"Where's the Captain? After everything that's happened, why hasn't she shown up?" Back at the Jaegers' headquarters, Will finally snapped after the funeral for Dr. Stylish, Seiryu, and Boros. Although he hadn't particularly liked any of them, they were still his comrades.

"The Captain's busy. I've already informed her about the situation," Daniel replied nonchalantly, ignoring Will's outburst.

"By the way, take a look at these," Daniel added, tossing a stack of documents onto the table before standing up to leave.

"This place is well hidden," Daniel remarked as he arrived at one of Dr. Stylish's research facilities in a remote valley outside the northern outskirts of the capital. Dr. Stylish, despite his malevolence, had an undeniable talent for finding secluded spots to conduct his experiments. 

The Empire had generously funded Dr. Stylish, providing him with numerous research facilities, several of which were located near the capital.

"An enhancement serum... This one looks promising," Daniel said as he sifted through various

 experimental compounds. One of the serums caught his eye—it enhanced physical strength without severe side effects, a serum frequently used by Shura. Alongside it, he discovered valuable data on biological modifications, including the work done on Seiryu and the dangerous species.

In his quest to create weapons that rivaled the power of the Imperial Arms, Dr. Stylish had made significant progress. Although his work on Seiryu wasn't perfect, it was a formidable achievement.

"Disgusting," Daniel muttered as he uncovered records of Dr. Stylish's atrocities. Any doubt he had about killing Dr. Stylish evaporated as he read about the thousands of innocent civilians sacrificed in the name of science. The decaying corpses in the lab's depths were a grim testament to the horrors committed here. Dr. Stylish was a scientist whose genius only amplified the devastation he wrought.

"Sorry," Daniel murmured as he entered a large chamber filled with captive dangerous species. With a heavy heart, he drew his twin swords, Xuanjian and Baijian, and slaughtered the creatures in one swift motion.

These creatures, created through Dr. Stylish's experiments, were intended as weapons for the Empire's military. Dr. Stylish had already made significant strides in developing an army of artificially bred dangerous species. 

Daniel had considered using these creatures to create a Philosopher's Stone, but he abandoned the idea, unwilling to desecrate the souls of the innocent humans whose lives had been sacrificed to create them.

Not that he needed to—Daniel had already collected enough Philosopher's Stones in this world. The souls of the Empire's corrupt nobility had been more than sufficient for his purposes.

"Is this really true?" Back at the Night Raid base, Najenda and her team pored over the documents Daniel had given them, their initial disbelief turning into a grim silence as they read.

"How could such people be part of the Revolutionary Army?" Leone exclaimed, her anger barely contained.

"Leone, Boss probably didn't know about this, and we have to remember that these documents came from an enemy. It could be a trap," Lubbock cautioned, supported by Bulat, who nodded in agreement.

"I'll take this up with the higher-ups in the Revolutionary Army. We need to get to the bottom of this," Najenda sighed, the weight of the situation bearing down on her. As a former general of the Empire, Najenda understood the political landscape all too well. If these allegations were true, it could fracture Night Raid and severely undermine the Revolutionary Army's cause, especially with Akame, their ace against Esdeath, potentially losing faith.

The presence of someone like Daniel, with strength possibly surpassing even Esdeath's, only complicated matters further.

"Support Anningdao." With time running out, the Jaegers received their next mission: to head to Jorok, a city in the eastern part of the Empire.

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