"This is a spatial Imperial Arm?" Esdeath exclaimed in astonishment as she stepped through the golden portal, arriving in the Imperial capital. Her eyes were fixed on Daniel Davis, clearly shocked. It was no surprise that Esdeath was so amazed—out of the forty-eight Imperial Arms, there was only one known to have spatial abilities: the Shambhala Dimensional Formation. However, Esdeath had seen Shambhala before, and she was certain that what Daniel used was not Shambhala, which only deepened her surprise.
Due to her limited understanding, Esdeath attributed Daniel's powers to an Imperial Arm, as all extraordinary abilities in this world were generally linked to these mystical artifacts.
"This isn't an Imperial Arm," Daniel replied, not bothering to explain the true nature of the portal he had used. There were things Esdeath wouldn't comprehend at this point, but in time, she would come to understand them naturally.
"Let's go."
The two soon parted ways; Esdeath headed to the palace to report, while Daniel had no interest in accompanying her. As Esdeath approached the palace gates, she was quickly recognized. The soldiers guarding the palace straightened up even more, their faces showing admiration for the famed general.
Before long, the order came from the young emperor, summoning Esdeath. The young emperor was particularly fond of this general who had fought tirelessly for the Empire.
"Hmm, what kind of Devil Fruit would suit Esdeath? Giving her the Sand-Sand Fruit seems like a bit of a waste," Daniel mused as Esdeath made her way to the palace. He pondered which Devil Fruit to pair with Esdeath. While the Sand-Sand Fruit would significantly boost her abilities, adding sand to her existing ice powers seemed inefficient.
More abilities didn't necessarily equate to better results. For someone like Esdeath, focusing on her ice abilities could allow her to reach greater heights, unlike Daniel, who had the extensive training system of Kamar-Taj to rely on.
When it came to energy attributes, the Kamar-Taj system had an extremely high energy potential, even enabling the use of alchemy—a feat impossible with chi or nen.
"The Ice-Ice Fruit would be perfect for Esdeath, but…" Daniel thought, considering Admiral Aokiji's fruit. However, the idea of killing Aokiji to obtain his abilities didn't sit well with Daniel. If it were Akainu, the decision would be much easier.
Among the three Admirals, Aokiji was the most upright, and Daniel wasn't inclined to harm him unless absolutely necessary.
"Here's the list of candidates for the Jaegers," Esdeath said upon her return, handing Daniel the list of members for the newly-formed Jaeger unit. Although the idea for the Jaegers had been proposed by Daniel through his influence over the minister, it had gained widespread support among the capital's elite.
With the continued attacks from Night Raid, and Daniel's previous actions being attributed to Night Raid, the Empire's upper echelon was desperate for a powerful force to protect them.
Thus, the Jaegers, a team composed entirely of Imperial Arm users, were born. Despite the Empire's corruption, it still had a few loyal and capable leaders—General Budo being one, and another being the naval general stationed on the eastern coast.
The eastern region was the most stable area in the Empire, with the Revolutionary Army's influence weakest there, largely due to the efforts of this old general.
One of the key members of the Jaegers was a strong Imperial Arm user from the east named Wave, who wielded the armor-type Imperial Arm Grand Chariot, similar to Brand's Grand Chariot. While Grand Chariot lacked some of the unique abilities of Grand Chariot, its overall performance was superior.
Daniel remembered Wave well. In many ways, Wave resembled Tatsumi more than the actual protagonist—both were born in similar circumstances and were driven by a strong sense of justice.
"God's Hand, Yatsufusa, and Murasame—these are some impressive Imperial Arms," Daniel remarked, glancing through the list of names.
Among the list, the God's Hand stood out as a remarkable tool for researchers, amplifying the precision of finger movements by hundreds of times. Dr. Stylish, with its aid, had invented numerous things and even modified Imperial Arms, such as transforming Seryu and her Imperial Arm Hekatonkheires into a weapon with ten powerful forms.
Daniel had been interested in God's Hand since learning of its existence. Similarly, the unique abilities of Kurome's Yatsufusa, which allowed the user to control up to eight powerful corpses—including Danger Beasts—intrigued him. In the right hands, Yatsufusa could be extremely formidable.
Kurome's lack of raw strength was the only thing preventing her from using Yatsufusa to its full potential. If she could have slain some of the strongest Super Danger Beasts from the four forbidden regions, she might have been a match for Esdeath herself.
However, Yatsufusa came with significant drawbacks—it required a tremendous amount of physical and mental energy to control the corpses, a burden Kurome struggled with.
For Daniel, such limitations were irrelevant. More importantly, he could acquire even stronger corpses from the world of One Piece, where not only humans but also other creatures held immense power.
Consider, for example, Luffy's Fourth Gear, developed during his two-year training by mimicking the mighty apes on the island. There was also the baboon on Mihawk's island, wielding a black blade similar to Mihawk's own, who was also a formidable fighter.
And let's not forget the powerful prisoners in Impel Down. Daniel could easily assemble eight strong corpses to wield under Yatsufusa's control.
After finalizing the list of Jaegers, Esdeath issued the summons for the selected members to report to the capital as quickly as possible.
Aside from Seryu, who was already in the capital, the others were spread out and would need some time to arrive.
Daniel didn't wait in the capital for them. Taking this opportunity, he left for the Empire's eastern region, heading towards Burke City, home to the Empire's Imperial Fist Temple.
The Imperial Fist Temple was the largest and most powerful training ground in the Empire, consistently producing a significant number of elite fighters. Its disciples had established dojos across the Empire.
However, like the Empire itself, the Imperial Fist Temple had decayed over the millennia. Once one of the two greatest schools in the Empire, alongside the Oberberg School, its martial arts techniques were widely respected.
These two schools were once the primary forces against the Danger Beasts. The world of Akame ga Kill was exceedingly dangerous, filled with numerous powerful Danger Beasts. The first emperor had ordered the creation of the forty-eight Imperial Arms not only to strengthen the Empire but also to combat these beasts.
The sheer power of the Imperial Arms hinted at the immense strength and danger posed by these creatures. Back then, the Empire, the Imperial Fist Temple, and the Oberberg School had made great sacrifices to eliminate many of the most dangerous beasts.
Take the Shambhala Dimensional Formation, for instance. The Danger Beast it was created from had the ability to teleport freely through space. Its downfall was its low intelligence, making it vulnerable to ambush. Imagine trying to hunt down Daniel with his abilities—it would be impossible, as he could escape without a trace.
Unfortunately, after successfully creating the forty-eight Imperial Arms, the first emperor turned on his allies. The Imperial Fist Temple quickly pledged loyalty to the Empire, saving itself, but the Oberberg School wasn't so fortunate. Having lost many of its top fighters in the battles against the Super Danger Beasts, it was weakened and eventually reduced to a mere assassin's guild.
By now, the Oberberg School had almost faded into history, with its last leader being slain by Akame. The Imperial Arm Creep, which the school had held for generations, was also destroyed. Chelsea might be the last remaining practitioner of its techniques.
Though her strength was modest, Chelsea was indeed a disciple of the Oberberg School. However, she relied more on her Gaia Foundation Imperial Arm for her high success rate in assassinations, avoiding the rigorous training that would have made her a stronger fighter.
The first emperor and the Imperial Fist Temple had paid a price for their betrayal—several powerful Imperial Arms were destroyed by the Oberberg School, and they lost another, Creep, which was taken by the school's leader.
Creep was an insect-type Danger Beast with the ability to reproduce various insects with different powers. It was an extraordinarily powerful Imperial Arm, second only to Esdeath's Ice Imperial Arm.
If not for the peculiar personality of the last leader of the Oberberg School, Merald, Akame might never have defected to the Revolutionary Army. It was Merald who showed Akame the Empire's dark side, changing her allegiance, though he eventually died by her hand.
"What a wasteful display of wealth," Daniel muttered as he approached the grandiose headquarters of the Imperial Fist Temple, located on a mountainside outside Burke City. He shook his head in disapproval. It was no wonder the temple had declined over the generations; such opulence was hardly conducive to rigorous training.
Once the temple had been at the forefront of the fight against Danger Beasts, but now it had degenerated into little more than a tool of the Empire's corrupt elite.
Daniel didn't immediately attack the temple. Though he planned to destroy it eventually, he first intended to uncover its secrets.
"The Kraken?" Daniel soon discovered the secret behind the training of the temple's top warriors, the Four Rakshasa Dem
ons. In the mountains behind the temple, the temple's leaders had imprisoned a Super Danger Beast, the Kraken, known for its unique abilities. The temple's elite drank a special broth made from the Kraken's body and other ingredients to enhance their strength.
This broth was considered a highly valuable resource within the temple, reserved exclusively for its leaders.
"What a remarkable substance. They didn't even share it with Esdeath—it seems she never truly became part of the Empire's inner circle."
Imperial Arms were incredibly powerful, and the Four Rakshasa Demons were capable of fighting against Imperial Arm users with just their physical prowess. Had they not been so arrogant and careless, they wouldn't have been killed by Lubbock's Imperial Arm.
In terms of sheer strength, few Imperial Arm users could single-handedly defeat the Four Rakshasa Demons.
"With this substance, Esdeath's training in the Rokushiki techniques will progress much faster. It'll also be highly valuable in the Qin's Moon world."
"It seems everyone's here now. From today, I'll be your captain," Esdeath declared, removing the white mask from her face after knocking down a few challengers in the capital's security forces' meeting room.
"General Esdeath!" Wave, who had just been sparring with Esdeath, quickly stood up, his expression full of respect. The other members also rose to their feet, recognizing her legendary reputation.
Esdeath had entered the room masked, wanting to test the strength of these Imperial Arm users. Aside from Dr. Stylish and Run, the others had been swiftly subdued by her.
"Seryu, she's a troublesome one," Daniel thought with some exasperation as he looked at the girl with long brown hair tied in a ponytail.
Seryu was a justice-obsessed fanatic, to the point of being twisted. Compared to her, Akainu seemed almost reasonable. Seryu was currently consumed by hatred for Night Raid due to the death of her mentor, Oka. Ironically, the one who had actually killed Oka was Daniel himself.
"This is your vice-captain," Esdeath introduced Daniel to the group before leading them to the garden, where she had prepared a banquet to celebrate the formation of the Jaegers.
"Boruto…he's quite an interesting character," Daniel thought as he observed the man dressed in a fireproof suit and mask.
Boruto was a member of the Empire's Burn Unit, wielding the flame-throwing Imperial Arm Infernal Heat. He was fiercely loyal to the Empire, but tragically, not long after his death, his wife and daughter were brutally murdered by Syura.
"Hello, vice-captain," Run greeted Daniel, approaching him with a glass of wine.
"Hello," Daniel replied with a smile.
"Vice-captain, what did the captain mean when she mentioned 'purging the Empire of its corruption'?" Run asked casually, though his eyes betrayed a deeper curiosity.
"What else could it mean? Exactly what it sounds like," Daniel replied softly, offering Run a slight nod before walking over to Esdeath.
Run watched Daniel and Esdeath with a thoughtful expression.
"What's next on the agenda? Are we going to start right away?" Esdeath asked quietly as Daniel joined her.
"We'll move once someone returns," Daniel replied.
"Who?"
"Syura, the one with the Shambhala Imperial Arm. I don't want him escaping."
"Syura? He'll return."
"With the Revolutionary Army about to siege the capital, he'll definitely be back."
"Justice Devil Drill!" Seryu's shrill voice echoed through the forest as her Imperial Arm, Koro, clamped its jaws onto her right arm. As Koro released its grip, Seryu's arm transformed into a massive drill, which she used to tear through a group of bandits, shredding them to pieces. Despite the gruesome sight, Seryu seemed more exhilarated than disturbed.
"Inferno Torrent!" Boruto and the other members of the Jaegers unleashed their Imperial Arms as well, attacking a group of bandits and robbers hiding in a remote area west of the capital.
The Empire's decay had reached even the outskirts of the capital, where lawlessness had taken root.
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