Inside the Afterlife Bar, David and the others returned to their seats.
After witnessing what had happened outside, both V and Rogue's perception of David had completely shifted.
Only now did they fully understand why David had stepped outside without hesitation to confront the Tiger Claws.
It wasn't recklessness.
It wasn't arrogance.
And it certainly wasn't about pride.
It was because he had the strength to back it up.
When faced with absolute power, any threat becomes meaningless.
"David! How the hell did you do that?!"
As soon as they sat down, Rebecca leaned forward with wide, eager eyes, unable to contain her curiosity.
"¡Hermano! That was insane!" Jack added, his grin stretching from ear to ear. "V, you saw that, right? That's the charm of our boy David! I'm tellin' ya, our crew's gonna become legends in Night City—mark my words!"
Unlike Jack and Rebecca, who practically radiated excitement, V sat beside them with a calm, analytical expression.
Her eyes scanned David up and down, though disbelief lingered beneath her cool demeanor. After a pause, she asked, "David… If I had to guess, you're using some kind of advanced prosthetic—something electromagnetic, right?"
"Controlling metal weapons like that… it has to be cyberware."
Her gaze sharpened as she added, "Am I right?"
At her words, the excitement around the table shifted to curiosity as Jack, Rebecca, and Rogue all turned their attention toward David.
"Well… you're not wrong," David replied after a brief pause, shrugging with a faint smile. "It's pretty similar to what electromagnetic prosthetics can do."
Honestly, he hadn't expected V to figure it out so quickly—or at least get that close. She definitely wasn't just another merc. Her knowledge and insight ran deeper than most.
Of course, she could only guess based on what she'd seen. David's true abilities wChapter 69: David's Ability Is Exposed—V Applies to Join the Team!
Inside the Afterlife Bar, David and the others returned to their seats.
After witnessing what had happened outside, both V and Rogue's perception of David had completely shifted.
Only now did they fully understand why David had stepped outside without hesitation to confront the Tiger Claws.
It wasn't recklessness.
It wasn't arrogance.
And it certainly wasn't about pride.
It was because he had the strength to back it up.
When faced with absolute power, any threat becomes meaningless.
"David! How the hell did you do that?!"
As soon as they sat down, Rebecca leaned forward with wide, eager eyes, unable to contain her curiosity.
"¡Hermano! That was insane!" Jack added, his grin stretching from ear to ear. "V, you saw that, right? That's the charm of our boy David! I'm tellin' ya, our crew's gonna become legends in Night City—mark my words!"
Unlike Jack and Rebecca, who practically radiated excitement, V sat beside them with a calm, analytical expression.
Her eyes scanned David up and down, though disbelief lingered beneath her cool demeanor. After a pause, she asked, "David… If I had to guess, you're using some kind of advanced prosthetic—something electromagnetic, right?"
"Controlling metal weapons like that… it has to be cyberware."
Her gaze sharpened as she added, "Am I right?"
At her words, the excitement around the table shifted to curiosity as Jack, Rebecca, and Rogue all turned their attention toward David.
"Well… you're not wrong," David replied after a brief pause, shrugging with a faint smile. "It's pretty similar to what electromagnetic prosthetics can do."
Honestly, he hadn't expected V to figure it out so quickly—or at least get that close. She definitely wasn't just another merc. Her knowledge and insight ran deeper than most.
Of course, she could only guess based on what she'd seen. David's true abilities were beyond anything cyberware could replicate.
"No way! You've got implants?" Jack asked, stepping forward and rolling up David's sleeves to check. His grin faded to confusion as he found nothing—no implant ports, no cybernetic seams, not even the faint scarring left behind by surgery.
"Wait a sec… You don't even have a neural port behind your ear. How the hell can you use implants without any slots?" Rebecca added, tilting her head as she inspected David like a curious cat.
David chuckled and waved them off. "Come on, now. Just because you can't see 'em doesn't mean they're not there." He leaned back with a carefree grin. "This is what makes me special, I guess."
Of course, there was no point in explaining that his abilities came from a Devil Fruit. After all, no one in Night City had ever heard of such a thing—it'd just sound like a fairy tale.
"Control metal without implants?" Rogue muttered, her eyes narrowing slightly. After a moment, she shook her head with a wry smile. "Unbelievable. You're full of surprises, David."
"But you know what?" She raised her glass and took a sip of whiskey. "Doesn't matter how you do it. You're not my enemy—and you're a damn good employee. That's good enough for me."
Compared to Rogue's laid-back attitude, V's eyes gleamed with curiosity. She leaned forward slightly, tapping her fingers against the table.
"No cyberware and no visible implants… Could it be genetic?" she asked, her voice low but sharp with interest. "A mutation caused by biotech, maybe?"
David's gaze flicked toward her, brow furrowed slightly.
V didn't miss the shift in his expression. "Our department at Arasaka's Counterintelligence Division found traces of genetic modification experiments in biotech companies' classified networks. We never managed to crack the full files, but…" She paused, then added, "That kind of tech is still highly experimental—and top secret."
Her words cast a brief chill over the group.
Jack's smile faded into a scowl. "Damn corpo scum… Who knows how many poor bastards they're using as guinea pigs for that kinda stuff."
"Didn't they just get busted for some shady experiments recently?" Rebecca asked, tilting her head. "Wouldn't they be shut down after that?"
"Hah. You're still too naive, kid." V smirked, shaking her head. "Investigations mean nothing. As long as they've got enough eddies, they can sweep anything under the rug."
She looked back at David, her gaze questioning.
"Relax," David said casually. "I've got nothing to do with biotech. My ability's more like… a natural talent, you could say."
Jack immediately latched onto that. "¡Dios mío! So it is some kinda mystical Eastern energy!" He clapped David on the back, eyes shining with excitement. "Bro, with your powers, we could conquer the whole damn city—hell, maybe the whole world!"
V raised an eyebrow at Jack's exaggeration, but the thought clearly struck a chord. After all, considering what David could do, was it really that far-fetched?
Rebecca, meanwhile, rested her chin in her hands, her eyes distant as she murmured, "A bigger world outside Night City, huh…"
"Well, hey! Why don't you ditch your old crew and roll with us?" Jack suggested with a grin. "We'll show ya the whole damn world!"
Rebecca shot him a deadpan glare. "Dream on, you lug."
The table burst into laughter, the tension from earlier quickly fading.
As the laughter died down, V's expression turned thoughtful. After a moment, she looked at David and said seriously, "David… I know I'm still working for Arasaka, but I'd like to join your crew—as a reserve member."
Her words caught everyone off guard. Even Rogue raised an eyebrow.
"Maybe I can't go on missions with you guys, but I can provide intel, weapons, and any data you need from the inside. What do you think?"
David didn't even hesitate. "Sounds good to me."
Having someone with V's skills and connections on their side would be a huge advantage.
V nodded, a faint smile tugging at her lips as if she'd just made a decision she'd been considering for a long time.
Rogue, meanwhile, watched the scene unfold with a glimmer of something like hope in her eyes.
Years ago, she'd watched Johnny Silverhand fight a losing battle against the system—a battle that ended in heartbreak and betrayal.
But now, sitting at this table with David and the others…
This time, things felt different.
This time, maybe they had a real shot.
Not just at surviving in Night City—
But at changing it.
Maybe even conquering it.
ere beyond anything cyberware could replicate.
"No way! You've got implants?" Jack asked, stepping forward and rolling up David's sleeves to check. His grin faded to confusion as he found nothing—no implant ports, no cybernetic seams, not even the faint scarring left behind by surgery.
"Wait a sec… You don't even have a neural port behind your ear. How the hell can you use implants without any slots?" Rebecca added, tilting her head as she inspected David like a curious cat.
David chuckled and waved them off. "Come on, now. Just because you can't see 'em doesn't mean they're not there." He leaned back with a carefree grin. "This is what makes me special, I guess."
Of course, there was no point in explaining that his abilities came from a Devil Fruit. After all, no one in Night City had ever heard of such a thing—it'd just sound like a fairy tale.
"Control metal without implants?" Rogue muttered, her eyes narrowing slightly. After a moment, she shook her head with a wry smile. "Unbelievable. You're full of surprises, David."
"But you know what?" She raised her glass and took a sip of whiskey. "Doesn't matter how you do it. You're not my enemy—and you're a damn good employee. That's good enough for me."
Compared to Rogue's laid-back attitude, V's eyes gleamed with curiosity. She leaned forward slightly, tapping her fingers against the table.
"No cyberware and no visible implants… Could it be genetic?" she asked, her voice low but sharp with interest. "A mutation caused by biotech, maybe?"
David's gaze flicked toward her, brow furrowed slightly.
V didn't miss the shift in his expression. "Our department at Arasaka's Counterintelligence Division found traces of genetic modification experiments in biotech companies' classified networks. We never managed to crack the full files, but…" She paused, then added, "That kind of tech is still highly experimental—and top secret."
Her words cast a brief chill over the group.
Jack's smile faded into a scowl. "Damn corpo scum… Who knows how many poor bastards they're using as guinea pigs for that kinda stuff."
"Didn't they just get busted for some shady experiments recently?" Rebecca asked, tilting her head. "Wouldn't they be shut down after that?"
"Hah. You're still too naive, kid." V smirked, shaking her head. "Investigations mean nothing. As long as they've got enough eddies, they can sweep anything under the rug."
She looked back at David, her gaze questioning.
"Relax," David said casually. "I've got nothing to do with biotech. My ability's more like… a natural talent, you could say."
Jack immediately latched onto that. "¡Dios mío! So it is some kinda mystical Eastern energy!" He clapped David on the back, eyes shining with excitement. "Bro, with your powers, we could conquer the whole damn city—hell, maybe the whole world!"
V raised an eyebrow at Jack's exaggeration, but the thought clearly struck a chord. After all, considering what David could do, was it really that far-fetched?
Rebecca, meanwhile, rested her chin in her hands, her eyes distant as she murmured, "A bigger world outside Night City, huh…"
"Well, hey! Why don't you ditch your old crew and roll with us?" Jack suggested with a grin. "We'll show ya the whole damn world!"
Rebecca shot him a deadpan glare. "Dream on, you lug."
The table burst into laughter, the tension from earlier quickly fading.
As the laughter died down, V's expression turned thoughtful. After a moment, she looked at David and said seriously, "David… I know I'm still working for Arasaka, but I'd like to join your crew—as a reserve member."
Her words caught everyone off guard. Even Rogue raised an eyebrow.
"Maybe I can't go on missions with you guys, but I can provide intel, weapons, and any data you need from the inside. What do you think?"
David didn't even hesitate. "Sounds good to me."
Having someone with V's skills and connections on their side would be a huge advantage.
V nodded, a faint smile tugging at her lips as if she'd just made a decision she'd been considering for a long time.
Rogue, meanwhile, watched the scene unfold with a glimmer of something like hope in her eyes.
Years ago, she'd watched Johnny Silverhand fight a losing battle against the system—a battle that ended in heartbreak and betrayal.
But now, sitting at this table with David and the others…
This time, things felt different.
This time, maybe they had a real shot.
Not just at surviving in Night City—
But at changing it.
Maybe even conquering it.
___________________________________
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