Multiversal Recruitment

Days later, they set sail from Jaya without any trouble, well-guided through the Grand Line thanks to their fish-man navigator who knew exactly how to handle the weather and find good routes through the unpredictable seas.

Salazar stared at the horizon. His clothes had changed to something more fitting for a captain. He treated himself to a white shirt with a necklace, topped with a sleeveless, light trench coat with golden embroidery. His thin, wrinkled black pants remained, as did his boots.

He stood at the front of the ship, arms crossed, looking out at the vast sea. A warm breeze hit his face, making him smile in peace.

"Do you think I look good?" he asked the wind, but quickly noticed his companion standing behind him, arms crossed, having approached silently.

"You still look like a dumbass," she replied indifferently, with a subtle mocking smile that showed the trust between them.

"Your words wound my heart, you know?" he turned around, touching his chest, though his smile never left his face.

"As if I'd believe that. So, where are we going now?" she asked, arms still crossed, curious.

"For now, we'll follow the classic pirate trajectory. We're already in the Grand Line, so we can skip that part... but honestly, I don't feel confident enough to head into the New World just yet," he said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

Kaina raised her eyebrows and remained silent while Salazar stopped thinking and gave a relaxed smile.

"The best thing is to sail while I recruit new crewmates and we learn Haki. Because without it, even here, it'll be tough to survive."

"I get it. But by 'recruiting'... do you mean like what you did with me?"

"Yeah. Going to another world."

"I still don't get that weird power of yours."

"Neither do I, but don't look a gifted horse in the mouth... or something like that," he muttered to himself. Kaina sighed, saying nothing.

"When do you plan to do it?"

"Right now."

[Would you like to spin the recruitment roulette?]

Yes / No

(Do it)

He ordered mentally, ignoring Kaina, who looked at him with irritation and a comical vein pulsing on her forehead from being ignored while talking.

[Understood. Spinning roulette...]

Once again, millions of options flashed before his eyes at a speed too fast to follow. Some made him smile, others not so much.

Until it stopped. What he saw left a neutral taste in his mouth. Not good, not bad... mostly resignation.

[Ding... Congratulations, Host!]

World selected for recruitment: Arcane (League of Legends)

"Are you going to tell me why your expression keeps changing every five seconds?" asked an impatient sniper, one eye twitching in irritation at the way Salazar's face passed through several phases before settling into a mix of disappointment and contemplation.

"Well... I don't exactly control which world I go to. And the one I got is full of deeply traumatized people," he said with a sigh, while Kaina tilted her head with a question mark.

"Plus, the only person I can think of to bring onto the ship isn't exactly the calmest in the world..." he pictured a maniac standing on a missile, with two giant braids and a love for guns.

"But she is a genius," he smiled again, starting to think about the benefits of recruiting her.

"You lost me again."

"Don't worry, I'm talking to myself." He waved it off while Kaina facepalmed and walked away, muttering,

"Why do I even bother with an idiot?"

[Would you like to use your passage to Arcane?]

Yes / No

Watching Kaina walk away, he wondered if he could bring her with him. The system replied as always.

[Affirmative. The host must be in physical contact with the person they want to bring.]

"I see..." Hand on his chin and eyes closed, he considered taking Kaina along.

"I don't think so. With my current abilities, I can manage in a world like Arcane. It's not overly powerful..." he reasoned, analyzing the danger level.

"Of course, unless I run into the Herald and his Glorious Evolution. If I land in that mess, I'm out," he said aloud, silently promising himself that if he saw a single machine with a messiah complex, he'd bail immediately.

Without bothering to notify Kaina, he focused on the system and selected "Yes."

[Warning, Host. Since a companion remains in the current world, time will not pause, but it will pass more slowly. Do you wish to continue?]

"Looks like I will have to tell her," scratching his head, he went to find Kaina, passing by his crew who were training hard, motivated by having seen their captain training a few days ago.

---

"So... you're leaving for a few days to bring someone else?"

"Yup. My way of growing stronger is through my companions. Speaking of which, I'll bring you back some gifts."

"Is that your way of asking for permission?"

"I'm not asking. I'm informing. You'll have to take care of the ship in my absence. Head to North Blue via Calm Belt. Being in one of the Four Blues is safer for now, and since the ship has sea prism stone, it'll be easy to go back and forth from the Grand Line," he instructed, arms crossed with a smile. Kaina said nothing but looked at him quietly before turning her gaze away.

"Take care, okay? Don't do anything reckless like when you came looking for me," she said in a worried tone, a bit nostalgic, avoiding eye contact while Salazar smiled softly.

"Back then I was desperate. You were my hope. And now, I have you," he said, stepping closer and gently raising her chin so she'd meet his eyes. He stroked her cheek affectionately.

Kaina didn't expect that, but she didn't pull away. She looked at him with a faint blush due to his kind smile.

Unsure of what to do or say, she grabbed his wrist and lowered his hand, sighing as she tried to calm her heart.

"I know you'll be fine... but I can't help fearing the unknown... so... be careful," she said softly, calmer now but still looking down. Salazar smiled, satisfied.

"Alright. I'll be back in three or four days, if I'm right. You take care too. Where you're staying is more dangerous than where I'm going."

"Hmph, you're not wrong," she replied with a smirk, finally raising her gaze. They both smiled warmly.

"Ugh," Salazar grunted from a sudden hit to his stomach that made him bend slightly, clutching the spot. He looked at the culprit in confusion.

Kaina placed a hand on her hip and looked down at him with a smug smile.

"Don't touch me like that without asking first," she said while walking past him casually, as Salazar blinked with a question mark above his head.

"I thought we were having a moment... oh well," he said, standing up and scratching his head with a carefree smile.

He opened his system panel again. The same message was still there.

[Would you like to use your passage to Arcane?]

Yes / No

"Use it," he replied firmly, closing his eyes.

He vanished, but the world kept turning. The waves still moved across the vast ocean, and the wind continued pushing the ship's sails forward.

---

A faint light appeared at the top of a building in a dark Piltover, just before dawn. From that light emerged Salazar, opening his eyes with curiosity, looking around in wonder.

"Arcane, huh... a world of trauma and corruption. Doesn't feel too different from home," he smirked ironically and chuckled, walking toward the edge to look down.

Since it was early, the streetlamps were still lit, but there weren't many people around.

"I wonder what time period I'm in..." he thought aloud—just as a massive streak of blue smoke and fire zipped across the sky toward a central building.

"Well, that answers that," he said with arms crossed, watching the missile crash into its target, creating a huge explosion that tore apart much of the majestic structure.

People started pouring out of their homes, shocked by the noise and destruction.

"What's going on?!"

"Did someone attack the council?!"

"It's a terrorist attack!"

He heard all this and more as Piltover quickly filled with chaos. Salazar took the opportunity to leap off the building gracefully, unnoticed, blending into the crowd.

He walked aimlessly, hands in his pockets, eyes closed contemplatively, bumping into several people he ignored completely.

Opening his eyes with a frown, he turned and walked in the opposite direction of everyone else.

"Still no Observation Haki. How annoying," he muttered, snatching a cup of coffee from a random passerby who shouted at him, but he ignored it, sipping calmly while looking at his system panel.

[Remaining Time: 143:55:29]

"They gave me 24 more hours?" he thought with a raised eyebrow, then shrugged.

"Better for me. Though I do wonder where the blue version of Harley Quinn is... or maybe Harley is the clown version of Jinx? Debate for another day," he said, sipping again from the coffee he had "acquired" completely legally, heading toward the city's underbelly without sticking around to watch the aftermath.

"I wonder what would happen if I ever made those two meet... If I ever go to the DC Universe, I'll make it happen. That would be glorious," he mused with a playful smile, tossing the cup aside and shoving his hands in his pockets as he stared at a large bridge that looked like it led straight to hell.

And maybe it did.

---

So yeah... now you know which world I picked.

Go ahead and guess what's next.

Jinx or Harley Quinn? Smash or pass?

Lmao.