Starting with One Piece, a Multiverse Simulation

However, she appointed Wood as the interim commander, and Wood was indeed capable of the job, but she overlooked something else.

That means Wood's previous persona was completely incapable of controlling Leone and her group of problem children!

Putting aside seniority and ability, Wood, like Lubbock, is only fifteen years old, making him one of the youngest members of the Night Raid.

Mine, Tatsumi, and Akame, who are about the same age as him, are fine, but Leone, who is naturally carefree and much older than them, is someone Wood really can't control.

Previously, Brand and Hill could mediate between the two, but now that Najenda is gone, Leone is undoubtedly the leader of Night Raid.

For the first two days after Najenda left, Leone could still bear the loneliness, but given her active nature, two days was already her limit.

On the third day, she suggested going to the capital to gather intelligence. Even if the enemy officially went to war, it would be good to know about the enemy's Imperial Arms users in advance.

Lubbock and Akame almost always obeyed Najenda's orders, so Leone's persuasion was ineffective.

However, Mine and Tatsumi were somewhat tempted. Mine was still troubled by what happened to Sheele, so she wanted to go to the capital to go shopping and clear her mind.

As for Tatsumi, he was very concerned about information about the Imperial Arms users. Since neither he nor Leone were wanted by the Empire, he believed that if they acted carefully, they should be able to bring back useful information.

Wood's title of acting commander was basically nominal, and the voting system continued as before after Najendan left.

Leone, Tatsumi, and Mine already have three votes, so even if Wood voices his opposition, it seems to be of no use.

"In that case, Leone, Tatsumi, and Mine will go to the capital to gather intelligence this time. Lubbock and Akame, you two will stay behind at the base."

"Let's stick to our usual two-person team system. Mine and I will be in one team, and Leone and Tatsumi will be in the other."

There's a reason for this grouping: Leone and Tatsumi both have good mobility, so even if they encounter danger, they should have enough ability to escape.

Mine has the worst mobility, and her physical abilities are not much better than those of an average girl, so she must act with Wood, who is the strongest.

This way, even if they encounter any danger, Wood will be able to carry Mine and quickly escape the battlefield.

"Wood, are you out of your mind? You're actually going to go along with their nonsense?!"

Upon hearing Wood's words, Lubbock was the first to object. Najenda was his goddess, so he naturally chose to obey Najenda's orders, believing that they should hold the stronghold and wait for Najenda to return with reinforcements.

"Well, you'll never be defeated if you know yourself and your enemy. Besides, do you think it would be of any use to them even if I stopped them?"

Rather than waiting for them to act secretly behind our backs, it's better to carefully plan ahead to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control.

Chapter 417 Esdeath's Criteria for Choosing a Partner

"Moreover, although Leone is impulsive, she is not stupid; she can keep her temper in check."

She and Tatsumi are not on the Empire's wanted list, so as long as they don't do anything wrong, they should be safe.

Furthermore, we won't gain anything by simply sitting here at the base. Rather than keeping our minds constantly tense, it's better to relax when necessary.

Since Wood had already said that, what else could Lubbock say? Indeed, he understood Leone and the others' personalities.

Each member of Night Raid has a very distinct personality. Under normal circumstances, only the BOSS can keep everyone in check. If it were someone else, even someone as strong as Wood, it probably wouldn't work.

Meanwhile, in the Imperial Capital, during the two days that Najenda returned to the Revolutionary Army headquarters, Esdeath, the Empire's strongest general, also returned to the Imperial Capital and went to the Royal Palace to meet the young Emperor.

Unlike General Bud's blind loyalty, Esdeath didn't actually care who became emperor of the empire.

Even though she could see that the ministers were the true rulers of the empire, and the young emperor was merely a puppet, she remained completely unmoved.

Esdeath's philosophy was that "only the strong survive," and clearly the young emperor was not strong, so he could only become a plaything in the hands of his ministers.

Esdeath's loyalty was only to the Empire, not to any particular emperor, so she remained indifferent to the puppet emperor.

As long as the ministers don't do anything stupid to cause her trouble, Esdeath is too lazy to bother with such a fat piece of meat. What she likes is fighting and killing, not scheming and intrigue.

From this perspective, it must be said that the minister was quite perceptive, never contradicting Esdeath and even fulfilling all her requests.

"You've worked hard to suppress the alien races this time, Lord Esdeath. Besides the Imperial Arms users from various Imperial forces that you were supposed to gather, do you have any other requests?"

"Whatever your request, I will do my best to fulfill it as a reward for your great victory."

The one who spoke was the young emperor sitting on the throne, but his words were all pre-arranged by the ministers standing beside the throne tearing pieces of meat.

"In that case, I do have a wish, which is to get married."

Upon hearing Esdeath's request, the young emperor's already expressionless face became even more stunned.

Because Esdeath's request was completely different from the script the minister had given him, the young emperor was now at a loss, unsure whether to agree to Esdeath's demands.

As the minister had previously stated, Esdeath's triumphant return should be rewarded in a way that fulfills her every request.

Regardless of whether the other party wants treasure, territory, or even control of the army, you should try your best to satisfy them.

The minister knew Esdeath well; with her strength, if she truly coveted power, the entire empire would have fallen into her hands long ago.

Esdeath, however, did not do that. She only wanted to fight and had little interest in power or other things. This is why the ministers were so tolerant of Esdeath.

On one hand, Esdeath's combat power is too strong, and he has no way to deal with her. On the other hand, since Esdeath has no ambition, what's the point of letting her hold military power? She will just become a weapon in his hands.

It was for this reason that the ministers instructed the young emperor to grant Esdeath any request she might make today.

However, Esdeath's request to get married was clearly unexpected by the minister.

It was neither treasure, nor territory, nor military power, which was different from what had been agreed upon before, so the young emperor looked to his ministers for help.

Even the most powerful and shrewd ministers were surprised that Esdeath, who had killed countless people, would make such a request. He was so astonished that he dropped the meat in his hand.

Fortunately, the minister was thick-skinned enough to quickly regain his composure. He wiped his greasy mouth with his sleeve and casually said, "Your Majesty, General Esdeath has rendered meritorious service to the Empire. I believe that Your Majesty should grant this small request."

Your subject suggests that you immediately issue an order to summon all eligible and handsome men in the Empire for General Esdeath to choose from… and that they should all be given to General Esdeath.”

What men pursue in their lives is nothing more than money, power, and women. It seems that even a strong woman like Esdeath is not immune to this.

However, this actually relieved the ministers, as Esdeath's previous lack of desire made it difficult for them to take action.

But now that we know Esdeath has this kind of taste, things will be much easier from now on.

"I think you may have misunderstood, Minister. What I want is a normal love affair that leads to marriage, not some so-called gigolo."

Seeing Esdeath's displeased gaze, the minister hadn't expected that his flattery would backfire so badly, so he quickly gestured to the young emperor to speak up and smooth things over.

"General Esdeath, please don't be angry. The minister is just concerned about you."

"Then may I ask, General Esdeath, what kind of marriage partner do you desire?"

Upon hearing the young emperor's question, Esdeath withdrew her gaze, then said with a look of longing, "Regarding my marriage partner, I have the following requirements..."

1. No matter what else matters, the most important thing is to value the possibilities of the future. I hope to train myself with the goal of becoming a general.

2. Has courage. Someone who can hunt dangerous species with me even empty-handed.

3. Like me, people who grew up in border areas instead of in the imperial capital.

4. Be younger than me, so that I can dominate you.

5. Ideally, someone with a pure and innocent smile.

Upon hearing Esdeath's five demands, the young emperor and his minister were stunned once again.

Esdeath's criteria for choosing a partner are quite different from those of ordinary women.

She doesn't require the other person to be rich or powerful, nor does she require them to be good-looking. Instead, she requires them to be courageous, have dreams, be younger than her, and be from the countryside!

The minister originally wanted to recommend his own son, but Esdeath's several requests effectively blocked almost all the nobles in the capital.

"General Esdeath, I can understand the first four requirements to some extent, and if we search around, we should be able to find quite a few people like that in the capital."

But your fifth requirement, "a person with a pure smile"... what exactly does that mean?

The young emperor was somewhat perplexed. There are many kinds of smiles, but he genuinely didn't know what a "pure smile" was or how to define it.

Therefore, he wanted to ask Esdeath if this fifth requirement could be relaxed a bit.

"No! Having a 'pure smile' is the most important thing."

Since Your Majesty cannot fulfill my request, how about granting me the right to search and select within the capital myself?

With the ministers' nodding approval, the young emperor readily granted Esdeath this right and issued a decree stating that Esdeath had no right to refuse anyone she fancied, as long as they were from his empire.

"General Esdeath, the matter concerning the border has come to an end. Now, could we discuss the situation in the capital?"

I'm sure you know why His Majesty summoned you back to the capital so urgently this time.

The night raids are becoming increasingly rampant, and the large number of nobles who have died on the dragon ship are beginning to shake the foundation of the minister. Therefore, he now only wants to get rid of the hateful "night raids" as soon as possible!

"The assassination organization that killed my 'Three Beast Warriors'? It's said that the assassination organization was founded by Najenda."

Najenda, a talented individual with a passionate heart yet capable of fighting calmly, along with the boy beside her, it's no surprise that they were able to defeat Rival and the others.

I asked you, Minister, to gather the Imperial Arms users for me. Did you fulfill your request?

When Najenda was mentioned, Esdeath thought of the boy wielding a long sword. Looking down at the scar on her collarbone, Esdeath's face revealed a fierce fighting spirit.

"We'll see each other again soon, Wood!"

After bidding farewell to the young emperor, Esdeath was led by guards to a room where several people had been waiting for some time.

Among them were burly men, little girls constantly snacking, elegant handsome men, inexperienced teenagers, and scientists who looked like madmen.

These people are the elite subordinates that the minister helped Esdeath gather from various units of the Empire, and they are all Imperial Arms users!

The black-haired girl who kept eating snacks was named Kurome. She was Akame's younger sister and had an appearance that was almost identical to Akame's. Both of them belonged to the Empire's assassination agency, and Kurome's personality was even more bloodthirsty than her older sister Akame's.

Outside of mission periods, Kurome is a nerdy and innocent girl with no emotions, and her Imperial Arm is called "March of the Dead: Hachifusa".

Will, formerly a member of the Imperial Navy, is a black-haired young man with a personality somewhat similar to Tatsumi's, both being good at making sarcastic remarks and acting cute, and both being from the countryside.