"Well, that was a real 'surprise'."
Staring at Tao Pai Pai, his third alter ego, Ray felt a strange mix of emotions.
Sure, he didn't exactly like the guy — there was something disturbingly perverse about Tao Pai Pai — but he couldn't deny his terrifying power. The man could literally kill with a flower petal or a falling leaf.
Even though, after the arrival of the Saiyans in Dragon Ball, Tao Pai Pai's combat ability became somewhat laughable, context was everything. Back when the story was still grounded on Earth, Tao Pai Pai was among the most powerful martial artists alive — few could rival him.
He wasn't called the "Number One Killer Under Heaven" for nothing.
In the middle arcs of Dragon Ball, he might not have been impressive anymore, but from the perspective of ordinary people, Tao Pai Pai was basically a superhuman. He could throw a stone pillar across thousands of kilometres — faster than a commercial airliner.
His power was far beyond that of Kuro. In the world of One Piece, Tao Pai Pai would easily be on the level of a Shichibukai. No doubt about it: he deserved to be ranked Silver.
Ray had long wondered how big the gap really was between Bronze and Silver alter egos.
Comparing Tao Pai Pai and Kuro, he had to admit — the difference was bigger than he'd imagined.
Initially, based on Kuro's level, Ray guessed a Silver alter ego might be around the level of a vice-admiral in One Piece. But now? That estimate seemed naive.
Ray hadn't expected to awaken any overpowered personality this time — the odds were tiny.
His goal was simply to get alter egos that complemented Kuro's weaknesses.
In that sense, Deadshot was exactly what he'd hoped for.
Sure, Deadshot wasn't a hand-to-hand combat specialist — at most, he had the skills of an elite soldier, still within human limits. If he had to fight Kuro barehanded, Kuro would wipe the floor with him.
But Deadshot had one thing going for him: an insane mastery of firearms. The man was a human weapon. "Gun and man as one" wasn't a metaphor in his case.
Perfect accuracy was just the baseline.
Deadshot could shoot blind and still hit his target. He could even make bullets bend mid-flight, curving around obstacles to strike from impossible angles.
That's why he held the crown as DC's top marksman.
So yes, in a fistfight, Kuro could take him out. But give Deadshot a high-powered sniper rifle and enough distance? He could drop ten Kuros without blinking.
Ray had long been frustrated by Kuro's limitations in ranged combat. In a battlefield full of bullets and chaos, silent footsteps weren't enough.
Having a gunslinger like Deadshot on hand was a massive strategic advantage.
Even if the third alter ego turned out to be a dud, Deadshot alone would've made this worthwhile.
But Tao Pai Pai made Deadshot seem… underwhelming.
"Guess there's no point drawing more Bronze-level cards for now…"
Ray murmured to himself after comparing the two newest alter egos.
Originally, he'd wanted to fix Kuro's combat blind spots. Now, that seemed unnecessary.
Honestly, unlocking a Silver-level alter ego from just three Bronze draws felt unreal.
With enough exploration points left to buy two more Bronze cards, Ray didn't believe for a second he'd get lucky again. He knew better than to push it.
He wasn't cursed, sure, but he wasn't a god of luck either.
And if those cards only gave him more Bronzes, they'd be of little use now — especially with Tao Pai Pai on his side.
So he chose to save his remaining points for a future Silver draw.
For now, these three alter egos gave him more than enough firepower.
"Well then — as always, time to run a few tests."
Ray decided to try switching to the new alter egos to see if the transition felt similar to when he used Kuro.
Five minutes later, Ray collapsed onto the bed, gasping for air.
His mind was spinning with one thought:
What the hell just happened?!
Everything had gone smoothly when he activated Deadshot. He'd moved freely, felt no unusual strain — much lighter than when he used Kuro. He figured that made sense: Deadshot didn't rely on brute force. His style was stealth, ambush, precision — not physical endurance.
Unfortunately, without a gun on hand, Ray couldn't truly test Deadshot's shooting skills.
After getting a feel for the personality, he switched back to himself — then tried Tao Pai Pai.
And that's when things went sideways.
The moment he switched, even without doing anything intense — just some light warm-up, getting a taste of the sheer power and resilience of a top-tier martial artist in the Dragon Ball world — he felt a wave of dizziness crash over him.
Sensing something wrong, Ray immediately reverted to his primary self.
And instantly felt drained.
Completely, utterly drained. Like he'd just run a marathon in heavy armour. Even standing upright was too much. All he wanted was to fall asleep — right there, right then.
But he resisted the pull of unconsciousness, forcing himself to stay awake and consult the system's beginner guide.
He vaguely remembered a section on alter ego time limits — but had skimmed it at the time, dismissing it as too long-winded.
His field tests had led him to believe that the longer he used a persona, the more stamina it consumed. But now, it was clear — his understanding had been incomplete.