(Please add it to your Library! Please send Power Stones! Thank you!)
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"What!? The ones who attacked Yamamoto-kun and Gokudera-kun are actually escaped prisoners!?"
"What… what's going on!?"
"How did it come to this!?"
In the hospital, standing at the entrance of Takeshi's room, Tsuna's face was frozen in shock. He stared at Reborn in disbelief, then slowly crouched down, burying his face in his hands, running them through his hair in frustration.
Despite Tsuna's confusion, Reborn still had a calm smile. Reaching into his coat, he pulled out a finely crafted envelope.
"While it's unclear why those people targeted you…"
Reborn held out the envelope. "You've received a letter."
"A letter?" Tsuna blinked in confusion. "From who?"
Reborn's smile deepened as he glanced down. "From the Ninth Generation of Vongola."
"???"
"The Ninth Vongola Boss!? Why would he send me a letter!?"
With confusion all over his face, Tsuna gingerly took the envelope from Reborn's hand. He carefully opened it along the edge. Inside was a letter written with a quill, and the words became clear:
[To Vongola's Jūdaime Generation, I hear from Reborn that you are growing well. Now, it's time for you to take the next step.]
[I hereby issue you an order: swiftly capture the escaped prisoners led by Mukuro Rokudo and rescue the hostages they've taken.]
[Good luck.]
[Also, if you refuse, you will be considered a traitor to Vongola and… executed with full force.]
"...This… this..."
As Tsuna's eyes scanned the final sentence, his legs gave out, trembling uncontrollably.
"But… this has nothing to do with me…"
Helpless tears started to well up in Tsuna's eyes, contrasting sharply with Reborn's amused expression.
At this point, Tsuna's mindset was still stuck in the peaceful life of school. He had yet to grasp the weight of being designated as Vongola's Jūdaime Boss.
But it didn't matter.
Because his two mentors were there to help him take that crucial step.
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"Is this the place?"
At Kokuyo Junior High Gang, Ace stood in awe, his face showing surprise as he looked over the devastated surroundings.
Cracked staircases, ruined buildings, and campus facilities that were damaged beyond repair stretched out before him.
Having grown accustomed to peaceful scenes in his travels, Ace felt a bit uneasy returning to the war-torn landscape of Kokuyo Junior High Gang.
"Peace really does make people soft."
He couldn't help but chuckle to himself, recalling how he once set fire to an entire town in Big Mom's territory before jumping through time.
"Well then..."
"The man named Mukuro Rokudo that Sir Leo mentioned must be the leader of these guys, right?"
Ace glanced at the badly injured and unconscious Chikusa in his hand, anticipation lighting up his face.
Just moments ago, Ace had received new orders from Leo…
The Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce had completed its preliminary assessment of this world.
In other words, though Ace's exploration mission was only 20% complete, it was now nearing its conclusion.
According to the reports from his investigative team, the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce had named this world [Hitman Reborn] and rated it as [D].
Ace didn't know if the name was a nod to his mission, which involved him with Reborn, or if the higher-ups of the Chamber of Commerce had chosen it randomly.
But after receiving the memory inheritance from Leo, Ace understood something important…
In the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce, worlds rated [E] or lower were considered worthless, and the Chamber of Commerce wouldn't bother including them.
A [D]-ranked world, however, had some value, but not enough to warrant development. These worlds were included by the Chamber, then left to their own devices.
A [C]-ranked world indicated that it had potential power worth nurturing. With development and transformation, it could evolve into a more robust and powerful world.
A [B]-ranked world held even greater potential and would likely be assigned to an executive from the Chamber of Commerce. Specialists would be dispatched to thoroughly evaluate and transform such worlds.
Moreover, creatures from a [B]-level world were eligible to join the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce.
The pirate world where Ace came from was actually rated [B].
Leo, the dimensional businessman, was a professional dispatched to transform that world.
When Ace first learned this, he was deeply moved by the revelation.
He was fortunate to have been born in a [B]-ranked world; otherwise, he wouldn't have had the chance to break free from its confines and become an investigator for the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce.
As for [A]-ranked worlds — they represented the pinnacle of civilization and power!
In such worlds, there were beings who could obliterate entire planets with a mere flick of their hand.
Each of them was a terrifyingly powerful existence!
Ace, who had only recently gained the ability to destroy islands, couldn't even begin to fathom the strength of such individuals.
But as someone who had joined the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce, Ace knew that if he completed the Chamber's tasks and helped Leo explore new worlds...
Someday, he too would reach that level of power!
[A]-level is not the highest world rating.
According to the information Ace had learned, there is an even higher level: [S]!
However, since Ace's current clearance level was too low, he wasn't yet qualified to understand what an [S]-level world really was. The only thing he knew for sure, thanks to Leo's helpful explanations, was that many mid- to high-ranking members of the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce actually came from [S]-level worlds — including Leo himself!
When Ace first learned this, he was deeply confused. The flood of inherited memories shattered everything he had known in his twenty plus life, forcing him to accept a grander and more complex worldview.
Thankfully, Ace had now fully embraced this new reality. His heart was filled with excitement and joy. He was grateful that he had met the right person at the right time. Looking back, Ace suspected it was his small act of kindness toward Leo when he first arrived in the pirate world that earned him this miraculous opportunity.
For that, Ace felt nothing but endless gratitude toward Leo and boundless enthusiasm for the rare opportunity he had been given. He was determined to prove himself worthy of this chance.
"If I can get this world's rating upgraded to [C], then Brother Leo will definitely take notice of my efforts in transforming it..."
Ace murmured quietly, as if speaking to himself.
During his conversation with Leo, Ace had received a crucial hint: the Chamber's ratings for worlds weren't set in stone. If a world could demonstrate more potential and power, it could be re-evaluated at any time. A previously unremarkable [D]-level world could rise to the next tier.
That was the primary reason why the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce included worlds rated [D] or lower. As long as the world didn't collapse, investigators from these worlds had the right to initiate changes.
"Now, it all depends on whether the leader of this world can demonstrate enough power to satisfy the Chamber's system..."
Ace sighed thoughtfully, lifting the unconscious Chikusa.
Just moments ago, Leo had temporarily granted Ace some of the privileges of a dimensional trader. In other words, as an investigator, Ace now had the ability to conduct equivalent exchanges with the inhabitants of this world, just like a dimensional merchant. Facilitating growth within a world would help it mature.
After receiving this new directive from Leo, Ace became determined to ensure the world's advancement.
"Let's do this, Ace!"
Cheering himself on internally, Ace activated his Haki of Observation and began exploring the entirety of Kokuyo Junior High Gang.
——
Meanwhile, in the space between worlds, Leo was observing Ace's every move through a special function of his own. Watching Ace in action, Leo clicked his tongue and smiled slightly to himself.
"Seems like the story I made up on the spot was convincing enough. No holes in it."
After all, the entire concept of the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce was something Leo had invented on a whim. Ace's theories about rankings and world levels were merely Leo's way of amusing himself while Ace was wasting time in the "Hitman Reborn."
Leo had created this system for one reason: to give Ace the ability to trade across dimensions, so he could assess the potential of the Hitman Reborn and see if it was fit for the introduction of Pokémon.
Even though this was all just a convenient excuse, Leo wasn't ready to abandon the world-level evaluation framework. He was preparing for the future. When the scope of his operations grew and the number of his subordinates increased, a structured system would be essential.
After all, their actions could easily alter the fate of entire worlds, determining the survival of countless lives. Setting up rules in advance was necessary.
Based on the nature of the Hitman Reborn, it was clear that Pokémon couldn't be integrated on the same large scale as in the pirate world. Only underground organizations like the mafia might be able to purchase a few Pokémon.
But gangsters were ruthless. Who knew what they would do with Pokémon powers? Besides, Leo doubted whether they could even afford such creatures.
That's why he had rated the Hitman Reborn as [D].
Ace had once questioned the reason behind the world's low rating. He didn't understand why the Chamber would rate a world with magical items like the "Ten-Year Bazooka" as merely [D].
Leo's explanation was simple: for many of the senior members of the Chamber, the concept of time and space no longer held the same meaning. For such beings, ten years might pass in the blink of an eye.
Thus, a weapon fixed to a specific timeframe of "ten years" had its limitations.
After hearing that, Ace was so awestruck by the thought of such powerful beings that he gave up questioning the Chamber's decisions.
Watching Ace walk into the dilapidated school building, Leo smiled expectantly.
"Work hard, Ace."
"Let's see how much power this world has for trade..."
...
...
Hitman Reborn World
Kokuyo Junior High Gang.
Ace, who was walking along in his Observation Haki, soon discovered something unusual in the teaching building.
He suddenly grinned and looked at the shadow beside him.
He saw a crappy little old man there at some point.
Behind the little old man, there were two strange-looking figures.
The two figures looked exactly the same, like alien creatures. Except for a few miscellaneous hairs on the top of their heads, they had no hair on their bodies. Their eyes were empty, and their bodies were twisted abnormally.
"Hey, you are this guy's accomplice, right?"
When he saw the visitor, Ace immediately put away all his thoughts, showed a bright smile like the sun, and greeted the little old man.
However...
"Accomplice?"
"Di hee hee hee hee..."
The little old man let out a strange and uncomfortable laugh, and then said:
"Although I am just a professional killer hired by Mukuro Rokudo, I can still be considered an accomplice of the guy in your hand."
"Oh?"
Ace nodded and smiled.
"In that case, he happened to be seriously injured. You took me to see your boss!"
"I have something I want to discuss with your boss."
"Di hee hee hee..."
The little old man smiled weirdly again: "Want to see our boss? Let's wait until you can survive to talk about that kind of thing!"
"You are the tutor of Vongola's Jūdaime generation, right!? Although no specific information about you has been found, as long as we capture you, then we will have more confidence to deal with Vongola's Judaiime! Di hehe hehe..."
"So your target is really Tsuna."
"So, Tsuna is your real target," Ace remarked casually, still smiling.
"But I think you've misunderstood. I'm not here on Tsuna's behalf. In fact, I might be bringing you a new opportunity."
He threw a quick, seemingly innocent glance at the old man.
However...
The old man, clearly not interested in negotiating, twisted his expression into a grotesque grin and extended his hand.
"You can spout your nonsense after you're captured!"
"Bloody Twins, attack!"
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
The two alien-like assassins, prepared for battle, leaped into the air, their long, sharp claws growing like spears, tearing through the air toward Ace.
"Sigh, really..."
Ace sighed, tapping his sun hat with a touch of frustration. "Why can't we ever have a peaceful chat?"
"When someone is trading with Brother Leo's people, they were much more polite..."
"So, I guess I still have to show strength first, right?"
Boom!
Suddenly, Ace's expression shifted from friendly to deadly serious. His eyes were cold, brimming with icy intent. A crushing aura burst from his body, slamming toward the twin killers like an overwhelming tidal wave.
Whoosh!
A gust of wind tore through the scene, blowing the hat off the little old man, revealing his pale, thinning hair.
But the Bloody Twins, poised to strike, froze mid-air, their bodies locked in their attack stance, completely motionless.
"Wha—what's happening!?" the old man gasped, panic spreading across his face. "You two, attack! Now!"
But...
Under his desperate orders, the alien assassins merely twitched before collapsing to the ground in perfect unison.
"W-what... what's going on?" the old man stammered, utterly shocked.
At that moment, Ace casually strolled forward, stopping just in front of him. His gaze was deep and vast, like the night sky, and he smiled warmly once more.
"Now," Ace said softly, "can we have a proper conversation?"