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Ding! Zhang Sanfeng has issued a mission request, inviting @Kizaru to his world. Accept?
[Accept / Decline]
Ding! Zhang Sanfeng has issued a mission request, inviting @Passerby Who Wants to Hug Luo Feng's Leg to his world. Accept?
[Accept / Decline]
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As the group chat system dinged repeatedly, invitations appeared before the eyes of mbers across various worlds.
Already used to this, Kizaru imdiately accepted. A flash of white light filled his vision—and the first thing he saw was a dignified old Daoist with an ethereal aura and childlike features, who showed a brief flash of surprise at the sight of him before quickly regaining composure.
Behind the old man stood a pink-cheeked little Daoist novice. The mont the white light appeared and a towering "immortal" over three ters tall stepped out, the boy shrieked in fright.
"Pleased to et you, Grandmaster Zhang. Happy 100th birthday."
Kizaru gave the boy a glance before focusing on the elder, handing over a small wrapped box containing a wooden hairpin inlaid with pure gold.
"Thank you. To have such an esteed guest grace Wudang—what an honor…"
Because more group mbers were arriving shortly, the old Daoist simply smiled and nodded, accepting the gift personally before handing it off to the young novice behind him.
Before Kizaru could say anything, more white lights flared up across the clearing as the remaining chat group mbers arrived one after another.
Fubuki had co along with Kizaru, of course, so there was no need to introduce her. Standing just barely taller than Kizaru's knee was Ai Haibara.
Maybe it was the transition from 2D to 3D, but she didn't look as stylized or "chibi" as Kizaru had expected. In fact, at a glance, she actually resembled Tatsumaki a fair bit.
Noticing Kizaru's gaze, Fubuki casually stepped forward to greet her close friend—seemingly unintentionally blocking his line of sight in the process.
"Master Kizaru! We finally et! It's —Passerby!"
The Passerby from the Swallowed Star world wasted no ti searching the crowd for the one he owed so much to. If it hadn't been for Kizaru's kindness in gifting him a Zoan-type Devil Fruit back then, he never would've made it this far.
Even now, the bulk of his strength ca from mastering the powers of that Zoan-type Ancient Ape Fruit—specifically, the Gigantopithecus form.
"Oh, it's you… hmm, you don't look that bad…"
Kizaru looked him up and down. The guy had once lanted in the chat group that the fruit's side effects were making him look more and more like an actual gorilla—even his old friends were having trouble recognizing him.
But to Kizaru, the resemblance wasn't as exaggerated as he'd made it sound—maybe 60 to 70% ape-like, tops…
"Really?! I knew it wasn't that bad!"
Tears of relief welled up in Passerby's eyes. Kizaru's ridiculously handso face carried more than enough credibility—his words were reassuring even to soone with major self-esteem issues.
"Nice to et you, Kizaru-kun. I'm Orochimaru."
Erging from the white light in his Akatsuki robes and a conical hat, Orochimaru let his gaze sweep across the group. The mont his eyes landed on Kizaru, his pupils narrowed slightly.
He'd long known that Kizaru was powerful. He'd even gathered plenty of intel from Feathered Serpent and Manda about their impressions of the man. But eting him in person—Orochimaru realized he had still underestimated this Navy Admiral he'd never encountered before.
That prickling sense of danger along his spine… it was even more intense than the ti he'd faced Hanzo the Salamander or the Third Raikage in his youth.
"Mm. Pleased to et you."
Kizaru smiled as he spoke, the easygoing air around him forming a sharp contrast with Passerby, who had already shrunk behind him in a panic.
"Passerby-kun seems a bit afraid of ?"
Orochimaru had clearly noticed. Compared to the imnse threat he felt from Kizaru, Passerby radiated a much more approachable energy.
In Orochimaru's eyes, Passerby was a walking treasure trove of intelligence. Not only was he well-versed in the secrets of the Shinobi world, he also had vast knowledge of countless other worlds.
In a multi-dinsional group like this one, the value of the intel Passerby held was beyond asure. If given the choice, Orochimaru would gladly trade over a hundred of Konoha's top intelligence operatives just to get his hands on him.
"Uh… Lord Orochimaru, could you maybe tone down the intensity of that stare? You're kinda looking at like you want to strap to a table and dissect …"
Passerby chuckled awkwardly and poked his head out—still determined to keep his distance from Orochimaru.
That's the value of a strong public image. Even though Passerby knew Orochimaru didn't actually an him harm, he still panicked every ti they crossed paths.
If it weren't for Kizaru being such a reliable backer, Passerby probably wouldn't have even dared to show his face in front of Orochimaru.
Noticing this, Kizaru gave Passerby a aningful look. The guy wasn't as simple as he liked to act. For example, even now, he hadn't shared much concrete intel about the Swallowed Star world in the group.
And the only person he'd ever allowed into his world was Kizaru—soone clearly aligned with the "justice" camp. As for risky types like Orochimaru, Passerby would probably rather die than give them a shot.
By comparison, Esdeath was a true daredevil. She had let Kizaru into the Aka ga Kill world almost right after joining the group. If Kizaru had any ill intentions, things could've gone sideways real fast.
"Master Zhang! I ca to see you—wishing you blessings as vast as the East Sea and a life as long as the Southern Mountains!"
Avoiding further interaction with Orochimaru, Passerby made a beeline for Zhang Sanfeng, flashing a bootlicker's smile as he offered his respects.
If the Devil Fruit from Kizaru was his ticket to fortune, then the martial arts Zhang Sanfeng had taught him were his first true treasure.
And as a transmigrator, Passerby had nothing but reverence for the legendary Zhang Sanfeng—one of the rare figures in wuxia said to have reached immortal cultivation.
"Thank you, young friend."
Zhang Sanfeng smiled kindly. He didn't so much as flinch at Passerby's ape-like appearance. The sa couldn't be said for the little Daoist behind him, who clung tightly to his master's sleeve, clearly terrified that the "gorilla monster" might suddenly open its massive jaws and devour him.
"Whoa! What a cute little guy~ Master Zhang, what's this kid's na?"
Passerby, completely unaware of the effect he had on the poor child, was instantly smitten by the boy's delicate, rosy-cheeked features. He crouched down, wanting to talk with the adorable little kid.
"This is Qingshu. Co greet Senior Passerby."
Zhang Sanfeng smiled and gently patted his great-grand-disciple's head.
But as soon as he said the na, the expression on Passerby's face froze.
Zhang Sanfeng's eyes narrowed slightly. He didn't say anything, but as a man of experience, he took note of the odd reaction. He made a ntal note to quietly check later if there was sothing unusual about Qingshu.
"Hey everyone! Nice to et you—I'm Kobayashi!"
Another figure appeared in a flash of white light—a woman in glasses with a slightly tomboyish aura, waving enthusiastically at the group.
Because of the varying ti flows in different worlds, even those who traveled at the "sa" mont might still arrive at staggered intervals.
"I'm Passerby. That's Master Kizaru and Hell Fubuki over there. This little one is Haibara…"
Still recovering from the earlier shock of seeing Song Qingshu at Zhang Sanfeng's side, Passerby quickly resud his friendly role, helping Kobayashi—who clearly didn't recognize everyone—get acquainted.
"Whoa! Ai-chan is so cute! Kawaii~!"
Before Passerby could finish introducing Orochimaru or Zhang Sanfeng, Kobayashi had already lunged at Haibara Ai, wrapping her arms around the little girl's unamused face and rubbing her cheeks enthusiastically.
Even though Haibara looked like a 7- or 8-year-old girl, her calm, mature aura—courtesy of her adult mind—made her seem like a grown-up trapped in a child's body. That contrast only made her more irresistibly adorable.
"Get off ! And didn't you say your pet dragon was coming too?!"
Haibara Ai grumpily pushed Kobayashi away. As a scientist, she had long been curious about the dragon maid Kobayashi kept at ho. Unfortunately, stuck behind a chat group interface, she'd never had a chance to properly study what this so-called dragon was really about.
"Oh, right! Everyone, make so space—Tohru's arriving in her dragon form!"
Kobayashi suddenly rembered her promise to Tohru: she was supposed to bring her over imdiately. Who knows what kind of chaos Tohru might cause if left alone?
Both Kizaru and Orochimaru cooperated smoothly, stepping aside to make room—they were just as curious about Kobayashi's household dragon as everyone else.
Soon, with a burst of blinding white light, a massive dragon several stories tall materialized before them.
Compared to her cute 2D chibi appearance, the 3D version of Tohru looked way more fierce and imposing. Even Zhang Sanfeng couldn't help feeling uneasy.
He knew she probably didn't an any harm, but if a creature like this ever ran wild, he—who had technically "invited" her here—wouldn't be able to dodge responsibility.
Zhang Sanfeng, who had always shown little interest in the bizarre phenona of the chat group, was suddenly struck by a thought: he needed to grow stronger.
For a martial arts master who had been unrivaled in his world for decades, even thinking that was jaw-dropping.
But no matter how profound one's martial arts might be, they were aningless against the superhuman—or outright non-human—beings in the chat group. Even his most treasured Taiji techniques couldn't possibly threaten soone like Kizaru, who was practically a god or demon in comparison.
"Kobayashi, can I change back now?"
Tohru's regal, pale-gold eyes swept over the group before finally settling on the unassuming Kobayashi.
The next second, she couldn't hold back any longer. Before she t Kobayashi, she always lived in her full dragon form, but these days she was far more used to being a dragon maid. Staying in dragon form actually felt kind of awkward now.
"Of course you can!"
Kobayashi had also not seen this version of Tohru in a while and was briefly stunned, but quickly snapped out of it.
"Ta-da! Hello everyone—I'm Kobayashi's maid, just call Tohru!"
Before everyone's eyes, the giant dragon quickly shrank into a woman wearing a maid outfit, complete with horns and a long tail—none other than the dragon maid, Tohru.
Gone was the overwhelming dragon aura; now she was just an energetic maid, happily wagging her tail and greeting the group.
If it weren't for the horns, the tail, and that impossible figure, no one would have ever guessed this cheerful maid had just been a terrifying dragon seconds ago.
"Ugh… I'm so jealous. I want a dragon maid too…"
Off to the side, Passerby was practically drooling. In 3D, Tohru was a total knockout—warm, bubbly, and beautiful. Her horns and tail only added a unique exotic charm. Even Kizaru's internal "hot girl radar" had kicked in automatically the mont she transford.
"Eh? The gorilla can talk?"
Tohru glanced at Passerby and asked with genuine surprise, "Huh? The gorilla can talk?"
In the world she ca from, there were no gorillas, and even in Kobayashi's world, only humans spoke. So when she first saw Passerby, she thought he looked just like one of those gorillas she'd seen on TV, the kind from the zoo.
"You jerk! Look closer—I'm human!"
Passerby was fuming, nearly ready to throw hands—then rembered she was a dragon, and promptly decided he wasn't that mad.
"How does that even work? Going from that huge form to… this small?"
Haibara Ai studied Tohru's tail with intense curiosity. She was very interested in how the tail functioned, how it even grew in the first place.
But considering the other party was a full-blown dragon, no matter how curious she was, she held herself back.
"Hey! You guys really beat here by that much?!"
Just as Tohru finished transforming into her dragon maid form, another burst of white light flashed—and out stepped Tony Stark, clad in his Iron Man suit.
"You're late, Tony."
Kizaru smiled as he bumped fists with Iron Man. They got along fairly well, and technically speaking, Kizaru was even a minor shareholder in Stark Industries.
"No, no, no. Mr. Stark never arrives late—he arrives precisely when the party's about to peak!"
Tony wagged his finger, brimming with his usual flair. No matter the gathering, a Stark never missed the spotlight. The mont he arrived was, by definition, when things really started.
"Master Zhang is celebrating his hundredth birthday, Tony. Let's skip the party talk. The old man probably can't handle that kind of excitent."
Kizaru had a sneaking suspicion that Tony was planning to stir things up. If this guy tried throwing a pool party on Mount Wudang, Zhang Sanfeng might just throw him off the mountain.
"Co on, this is a centennial birthday! How many people in the world make it to a hundred? Not throwing a proper celebration would be a total waste!"
Tony Stark was baffled. If he lived to be a hundred, he'd absolutely throw a week-long party with a hundred bikini models—and he'd host it right next to the graves of his biggest haters, just to piss them off so badly they'd pop the lids off their coffins.
"Dear Mr. Stark… not everyone—ahem—not everyone shares your love for pool parties."
Kizaru honestly didn't know how to explain it. To Zhang Sanfeng, a pool party probably sounded no different than those dual cultivation sects or sothing.
If Tony actually set sothing like that up, even if Zhang Sanfeng didn't say a word, the Wudang Sect might get branded as a bunch of degenerate heretics by the entire martial arts world.
°°°
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