Ace's complete recovery stunned everyone watching.
A bean—just a single, seemingly ordinary bean—had brought a man back from the brink of death!
Such a miraculous object could only be described as a divine fetish. There was simply no other explanation.
Once the shock wore off, all eyes turned to Krillin.
Who was this mysterious man with such a magical item? Where had he come from? Could such artifacts really now be found on the seas?
"Ace! This is amazing—I'm so glad you're okay!" Luffy shouted joyfully.
No one was happier than Luffy to see Ace alive and well. He threw himself at his brother, wrapping him in a tight hug. The warmth returning to Ace's body made Luffy's heart tremble. He had thought Ace was gone forever… but now—he was back!
"It's really you... Ace!" Luffy clung tightly, his voice shaking with emotion.
Ace, still dazed, blinked at his younger brother. "Luffy… what the hell just happened? What's going on?"
His last memory had been of death creeping in—his consciousness fading, his body failing. But now, he felt completely healed. Not a trace of his previous injuries remained. It was like waking from a nightmare into a dream.
A dry cough interrupted the emotional reunion.
"Ahem. Employer, your mission to save Ace has been completed. I hope you're satisfied?" Krillin said politely, trying to remind them of the task.
Luffy snapped out of his emotional haze. "Oh! Oh—yes! Satisfied! Very satisfied!"
He turned to Krillin with eyes full of gratitude, nodding repeatedly. He couldn't have been more satisfied if he tried. Krillin had saved Ace—how could he not be thankful?
However, Luffy quickly noticed something strange.
"Wait a second… why do you sound just like me?" Luffy asked, tilting his head in confusion.
Earlier, all his focus had been on Ace. But now that he was calmer, he realized Krillin's voice was nearly identical to his own.
Krillin blinked, seemingly surprised too. "Huh. You're right. I was wondering the same thing. Maybe it's just a coincidence?"
He shrugged it off, though he too found it odd.
Meanwhile, Jack—the leader of the cosmic thugs group—watched the scene with a chuckle.
Of course their voices sounded the same. They were dubbed by the same voice actor, after all! What an amusing meta-joke. From that perspective, maybe it really was destiny that Krillin ended up taking on this mission.
"If you're satisfied, please don't forget to give me a five-star review," Krillin said casually.
"Five-star review?" Luffy echoed, not understanding.
Just then, a surge of information suddenly entered his mind. It was data about the Cosmic Thugs Group—how they operated, and what kind of services they offered.
Luffy's eyes widened in realization.
This mysterious group accepted missions from all across the multiverse—not just limited to beating up bad guys or fighting wars. They could be hired for a variety of tasks, from protecting someone to… rescuing loved ones from death itself, apparently.
And after completing a mission, the employer was expected to rate the thug's performance. Their payment? Something valuable to them, offered in exchange.
Fortunately, the group didn't actually steal the item offered—rather, they made a copy with the employer's consent. The original item would remain intact. It was a rather humane system.
Of course, Luffy didn't care about any of that.
Even if it hadn't been a copy—even if the real item had to be taken—he would still have handed it over without hesitation, as long as Ace was safe.
Without further thought, Luffy selected the Rubber-Rubber Fruit ability as his reward offering. It was his most precious power, and he offered it willingly.
"Ding! Congratulations to Thug Krillin for completing the mission and earning 200,000 points!"
"Congratulations to Thug Krillin for receiving a five-star rating and gaining one lottery chance!"
These two announcements echoed in the minds of all the group members. For the Cosmic Thugs, it was standard procedure.
But Jack, the group leader, saw something else appear before him.
"Congratulations to Thug Krillin for earning 200,000 points! As the group owner, you've earned a commission: 20,000 points."
"It is detected that the group owner's points have surpassed 10,000. Would you like to spend 10,000 points to unlock the Group Mall?"
Jack's eyes lit up.
"Huh? So as the group leader, I get 10% of whatever my members earn? That's... honestly a pretty nice perk."
He pretended to be humble. "Oh… that feels a little shameless."
But there wasn't a trace of embarrassment on his face.
As the group owner, earning a small cut of the members' missions seemed more than fair to him.
Naturally, when prompted to open the Group Mall, Jack confirmed immediately.
What was the point of having amazing items in the mall if no one could buy them? With the mall open, group members could finally use their hard-earned points to purchase powerful artifacts, skills, and abilities from all over the cosmos.
"Ding! The group mall has been activated. All members can now spend points to purchase goods!"
---
Group Chat Explodes
Beerus: "Oh? The group mall is open now? Perfect! I've been eyeing the Power of Destruction in there for ages!"
Whis: "Lord Beerus, if I may remind you… you currently have zero points."
Beerus: "Tch. I'll just take more missions then. It won't be long before I can afford it!"
Goku (Son Wukong): "Wow! Are the items in the mall really strong? Are they super expensive?"
Vegeta: "Kakarot, shut up, you brainless moron! You don't even understand numbers!"
Krillin: "Hahaha! I got 200,000 points and a lottery spin? Maybe I'll win something crazy!"
Jack: "With the mall open, everyone should make full use of it. This is just the beginning. Soon, our group will be able to take on even greater missions."
---
Thus, with the group mall now accessible and the first major mission successfully completed, the Cosmic Thugs Group entered a new era.
The world—no, the multiverse—was about to feel their presence in ways no one could have predicted.
And at the heart of it all stood Jack, quietly managing the gears of fate, smiling as the chaos unfolded around him.
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