Chapter 319: Unity of Man and Vessel

That face genuinely scared the living daylights out of him. Looking around, Drake stiffened—Buggy was truly standing right beside the Demon Warder.

What in the world was going on?!

"You'd better thank the man properly," the System said, its chubby, round body hopping down from the miniature armchair as it strutted on tiny legs, speaking with the airs of a grumpy elder. "Just a moment ago, he dragged a massive sack of treasure right over. I converted it straight into Demon Ward Stones to bolster the Demon Warder."

Drake's cheek twitched. It was the first time he had ever seen the System look so utterly comical, leaving him momentarily at a loss for words.

The damned System had been infuriating just moments prior. If Drake weren't suppressing the fierce urge to tear it to shreds on the spot, he would have let loose a storm of curses by now.

"Alright! Now you can test the Unity of Man and Vessel state!" The System swung its tiny paw, brimming with excitement.

Still stewing in irritation, Drake froze.

"Huh?"

Unity of Man and Vessel?!

The System raised its gaze, an insidious smirk pulling at its lips. "Naturally. How else do you expect to defeat that monster?"

"With your current baseline strength?"

"Well..." Drake found himself momentarily unable to refute the point, asking instead, "I haven't unlocked the Unity of Man and Vessel state yet—you didn't forget that, did you?"

Looking at the System's scheming expression, Drake's eyelid twitched. Was this little menace plotting another way to swindle him?

"Let me ask you: was the pressure you just endured excruciating?"

"Do you even need to ask?" Drake snapped. He had practically stepped one foot into the underworld, dancing on the razor's edge of the Reaper's patience.

One wrong move and he would have been thoroughly dead and cold.

Yet this damned System was still making snide remarks.

"Hmph, did you think I went into this unprepared? Since I said I'd help you take down this enemy, I naturally deliver on my word," the System proclaimed loftily. "Do you feel anything different right now?"

"Different?" Drake examined himself carefully, tuning into every sensation across his body.

Gurgle... rumble...

"Ah... hahaha..."

A flush of embarrassment crept onto Drake's face as he nodded. "I'm definitely starving."

Having endured such extreme physical strain for so long, his body's reserves were severely drained; feeling famished was only natural.

"You idiot!" The System stumbled, nearly face-planting onto the floor. "Did I ask about your stomach?! I'm talking about your connection to the Demon Warder—the connection!!"

"Uh..." Drake froze, immediately shooting the System a glare. "Could you speak plainly for once? Spit it all out in one breath instead of playing mysterious!"

To cover his embarrassment, Drake shot the System another dirty look before focusing on the neural link.

His expression shifted instantly. "What is this feeling...?"

Where his vision turned was precisely where the Demon Warder's optical array focused. This time, he couldn't sense a single seam or delay.

During the previous combat mode, operating the vessel had felt like piloting a machine. Now, it was completely integrated into his own flesh and blood, indivisible and whole.

The Demon Warder was him, and he was the Demon Warder.

He had never experienced such absolute clarity—a seamless state where the vessel moved purely with his intent.

"System, how is this possible?" Drake was genuinely astounded.

Like this, victory might actually be within reach!

"Heh heh..." The System planted both paws on its hips, puffing out its chest with immense pride. "Did you think I made you endure all that agony for nothing?"

"Sharing joy and sorrow, advancing and retreating as one, living and dying together! Those are the foundational criteria for achieving the Unity of Man and Vessel."

"That crushing load wasn't borne by you alone. The Demon Warder was enduring that extreme pressure right alongside you. The longer you held out, the less strain it had to bear."

"In other words, your previous display earned the absolute recognition of the Demon Warder, satisfying the prerequisite conditions for Unity." With that, the System crooked a tiny finger toward Drake. "That's the long and short of it—all my masterpiece. Come on, where's my thank you?"

Meanwhile, Drake had drifted into a quiet trance. Staring blankly at his open palm, he murmured softly, "Bearing the burden together..."

"Living and dying as one!"

"So... you were never just a tool... Demon Warder, I'm truly sorry. I never paid enough attention to you before..."

"Today, let's fight side by side!"

"My... trusted companion!"

His gaze seemed fixed on his own hand, yet he was actually looking directly at the colossal arm of the Demon Warder. That seamless resonance allowed him to feel the vessel's consciousness clearly.

It was forgiveness, joy, exuberance, and roaring excitement!

He clenched his fist.

CRACKLE!

Dense spiderwebs of spatial fractures instantly rippled around the Demon Warder's fist, several of them tearing open into genuine dimensional rifts.

"This power..." Drake's pupils shrank. Generating such destructive force without even exerting his full strength was astounding.

"No need to look so shocked. The strength you wield now isn't just your own—it carries the full weight of the Demon Warder," the System noted.

Drake centered himself, feeling his current state reach an unprecedented peak.

Turning toward the System, he said softly, "Thank you."

Facing away, the System stiffened slightly, its expression shifting. Yet it masked its reaction masterfully, turning around with a look of pure disgust.

"Tch, who needs your thanks? I was just bored and killing time," it said, waving a paw dismissively. "If you don't make your move soon, your brothers' sacrifices will have been in vain."

"Sacrifices?!" Drake blinked, completely bewildered.

"You don't know? Right, you were practically comatose earlier. Take a look outside and see for yourself."

Drake directed his focus beyond the barrier. The surrounding battlefield remained eerie and quiet, but Ace, Sabo, and Luffy were all lying motionless across the stone floor.

"Luffy..."

"Ace! Sabo!"

"How did this happen?!" The sight struck Drake like a physical blow. They had been perfectly fine just moments ago—how had they ended up like this in such a short span of time?!

"Drake! Here's the treasure you wanted!" Weitian suddenly materialized before the Demon Warder.

Her eyes slightly reddened, Weitian held a bulging sack tightly in her grip. Glimmering gemstones peeked through the fabric, their radiant luster making their exorbitant value obvious at a glance.

This was what she had secured from the World Nobles—or rather, what the three of them had plundered together.

"Let me tell you something, Drake! If you fail to obliterate that monster in the sky, I will never forgive you!" With that, Weitian hurled the heavy sack toward him, grabbed Buggy's detached ankle, and shot straight toward the ground below. "Let's go!"

Watching the sack sail through the air, Drake caught it on pure instinct, his mind entirely blank.

He couldn't make heads or tails of the situation. What on earth had happened during the few minutes he was unconscious? Why was Weitian so furious?

And what did she mean by I will never forgive you?

`[System Quest: As the ultimate brother-protecting fanatic, your sworn brothers have been gravely wounded before your very eyes, their lives hanging in the balance. What... will you do? Difficulty: Ultimate!]`

What will I do?

Does this mean I have free rein to handle this my own way?