"HOW DOES THIS EVEN WORK?!" (A-chan)
The group of four were in a recording studio that was newly equipped with the [VIRTUAL DOMAIN], just a floor below the CEO and Chief offices.
Sora was excitingly typing on the main computer, spawning various items in the room. Chief was right next to her, supervising and making sure she didn't break anything. A-chan intensely poked the chairs and bed that dropped from nowhere, still questioning its origins.
As for Yagoo? He was stuck under the bed when it suddenly landed on top of him. Luckily, Chief configured it at the last second and the bed was as light as a marshmallow. However, the bed was a bit too large so Yagoo still couldn't move.
"Mph mph MMMPPPPH MPH MPH!" (Yagoo)
"So you press here since it registered on the room now, and you can adjust it. For now, just make it float up a bit." (Chief)
"Okay....like this?" (Sora)
The bed slightly moved up and Yagoo was about to roll himself to the side, breathing a sigh of relief.
"Haaaaaa.....I nearly got suffocated there." (Yagoo)
"Treat it as a lesson to avoid the space when modifications are taking place."
A-chan perked up at the warning and quickly walked out of the perimeter. Yagoo was still tired and crawled out of the way.
"So, why are we using this?" Sora asked as she was modifying the bed to suit her familiar size and texture. A-chan was assisting as she was more familiar with the details of Sora's preferences.
"Because of your sensitive identities, it would be difficult to practice performances in small stages as it could alert your presence and attract too much attention. We don't want the trouble since you are just becoming an idol, so Yagoo improvised to start your career online before taking the stage. This way, potential pursuers can't sense you on the other side of the screen and you can get a semi-feeling of working as an idol." (Chief)
"How would that work?" (A-chan)
"Livestreaming. It's like recording a video but live and towards a real audience. I'll show you videos examples of these streamers such as Kizuna Ai and Hatsune Miku." (Yagoo)
"Are they popular now?" (Chief)
"? Of course they are! They recently gained some traction during the start of the year and are quite popular. Fans even speculated if they are real since all they do are online interactions." (Yagoo)
"Huh, I haven't received a report about them from Alice-chan in quite a while. I'll ask about it." (Chief)
"?"
"Don't worry about it. Anyway, Yagoo's idea is very feasible for the set of circumstances and the equipment and this room has been designed for Sora-san."
Sora and A-chan looked surprised by the generosity of such a large room just for her job. The streaming studio was quite big for a workspace, which was around the size of a one-bedroom apartment.
"For me?" (Sora)
"Yeah, you'll be streaming and using this space for whatever activities you wish. We'll inform other employees that it is your private streaming studio to avoid distractions during your streams and personal ID Cards for secure access. We also have spare dance studios and recording studios that you can use for training." (Chief)
Sora hesitantly raised her hand,
"Um, Am I going to live here as well?" (Sora)
"? This is your workspace, we allocated a room for you to live in the dorms." (Chief)
"Then why is the space so big then?" (Sora)
"This space is normal for work." (Chief)
"No, it is way too generous." A-chan objected.
"Indeed, you even gave small office spaces for every employee in the company. It would have just been fine with just a small cubicle. (Yagoo)
"Oh well, I already gave the benefits, can't take them back." (Chief)
Yagoo had a very troubled face as he was thinking about the changes to the standards of their company.
"I feel very sick thinking about the end-of-year reports I need to make." (Yagoo)
"Just ask Alice-chan to do it, she'll handle it." (Chief)
"And make my wife mad by talking to another woman? I would rather deal with paperwork than face the wrath of Chise."
"Even though you were just talking to Sora-san and A-san."
"....I'll just make up some excuse about them being idols and new colleagues. Please help me when Chise hunts me down."
"I'll reluctantly make a promise to help you."
"Thanks."
"So, I will be streaming in this room? I don't see those complex devices that have numerous screens and weird slabs and those cameras appear too far away to record anything." (Sora)
"Sora is referencing the computers and monitors, we are used to other pieces of technology." (A-chan)
"Other pieces? I can't think of anything else other than PCs in a regular household. Is it a foreigner thing?" (Yagoo)
"You used to use fax machines." (Chief)
"We don't talk about that." (Yagoo)
Sora and A-chan were relieved that Yagoo didn't question their foreign identities, Chief took care of the paperwork and made fake information on their papers. No one questioned the legitimacy of the details and Chief even gave them passports and various identity documents to deal with future complications.
"When do we start training?" (Sora)
"Hold your horses, we'll first settle you down to arranging your stream to your preferences and then sort out your living quarters. A tour is also crucial to understand your workspace and getting to know your colleagues. For now, let me help you build the PCs for the stream, you can start adding furniture." (Chief)
"Yes, Chief-san!" (Sora)
"No need to be so formal." (Chief)
"Hai!" (Sora)
"...." (Chief)
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The basic streaming room with a couple of plain windows was transformed into a cosy abode of Sora's streaming room. A neat bed blanketed with cosy sheets and soft pillows, a study desk behind for her casual activities, a large closet for her future clothes, a grand piano for her regular practices and warm curtains for the window to lighten up the room. This little spot was designated into the furthest left corner to face the streaming set-up and suited her needs of being cosy, cute, proper and prim. The rest of the room was free-reign, adding other appliances while forgetting that she had her own dorm room afterwards. A kitchen, oven, fridge and similar appliances were lined up to a free wall with an organised set of dining tables and chairs, all decorated with her favourite colour of pink with a soft accent of light blue. A large 75" TV was placed in a vacant space with a soft pink kotatsu with three fluffy beanbags for seats.
===A/N: This room designing is totally going to bite me in the ass in the future! I can feel it! Also, deciding to address this [VIRTUAL DOMAIN] deal so I don't forget. It is restricted in the perimeter but everything will still have mass and feel or act in whatever way it is imagined. Live animals and people can't be replicated (without certain programs, ask Alice-chan about it) but food can still exist to be made and fill up a person's stomach. How does this work? The Domain is connected to Chief's [INVENTORY] and converts all requested items through energy and matter, which Chief (avid hoarder and collector) has plenty of. We can't have these [VIRTUAL DOMAINS] just magically make things out of thin air so I had to make a solution for the long term when more of our idols join Hololive. Don't ask me how I'm going to make Haachama's tarantula dishes, I'll leave that to Chief. ===
Sora was sitting blissfully on a pink beanbag, letting it engulf her into a soft daydream. She was done with furnishing her workspace and patiently waited for Chief to finish working on her PC. He was deeply concentrated on the set-up, occasionally holding a tool that appeared and disappeared as they pleased.
She stared at the Chief for a bit before sinking her head deeper into the beanbag. Sora looked at the warm ceiling, reminiscing about her travels before arriving at this point.
'To think I would land here to be an idol. It feels so vague and dreamy...' (Sora)
Sora removed her hairpin and fiddled with it as she was thinking of its connections.
'Is Chief the one? But why would a God be on the Earth Plane when the Thief has claimed the Plane as his hunting grounds? At the very least, we are safe and perhaps enjoy 'youth' as Father has described.' (Sora)
CLICK! CLAP CLAP!
Sora glanced over to see the Chief finishing the set-up and clapped his hands to get rid of any dust.
"Is it done, Chief-san?"
"Yeah, I need to set up the accounts and other programs to assist with your streaming but for now, we'll just get you to practice and learn performance skills through empty streams. It's good to practice the fundamentals and not jump for a live performance, even if we have the fund to produce one every day."
"Yes, Chief-san."
However, Sora believed that it would be a piece of cake as she belonged to the Kaguya Family. Her family was founded on being escorts and working their way up to be one of the Spiritual Plane's powerhouses. Their fundamental skills of dancing, singing and seducing were still ongoing to this day and she aced all those lessons back at home.
Sora hopped off her beanbag and was excited about her upcoming idol lessons.
"What do you think about my arrangements?" Sora asked as she showed off the room. Chief paid no attention to the room earlier as he was solely concentrating on working on the PC.
He glanced around the newly decorated room and displayed an intrigued expression.
"Very cosy and homely. Suits you very well, Sora." (Chief)
"Thank you, Chief-san." (Sora)
"However, why is there a bunch of talismans in the corner?" (Chief)
In a corner of the room, there was an ominous dark pile of paper talismans with a new one floating down to the stack every few seconds. Chief looked over at the main control computer, witnessing a drooling maniacal A-chan.
Her face was very close to the screen and her glasses were shaded with a dark tint. Her hands were working nonstop while muttering nonsense with an open mouth.
"-can then be turned into a Light Shield Barrier. If I copy the same pre-sets and alter the elements, I can make 10-no 100 different elemental resistances and paste them all over Sora-sama. It'll be a perfect defence! I can see them pasted all over her body with absolute protection after I make a whole warehouse of them. I can also do Reflect talismans, even Instant Teleport talismans. This technology is so powerful and I get to use it just by looking after Sora-sama, which I already do with joy. I should make-" (A-chan)
Sora sneaked close to Chief and whispered in his ear.
"She was helping me with the furniture for a bit and wanted to test something out. Now, she looks like a mad scientist." (Sora)
"You shouldn't say such things to your best friend and manager." (Chief)
"Sorry, she just reminds me of someone acting like that. Any way to stop her?" (Sora)
"Watch." (Chief)
Chief grabbed a handful of talismans and walked towards the possessed A-chan. With a swipe of his hand, the talismans were thrown towards A-chan. Sensing foreign objects coming towards her direction, A-chan got out of the stupor and pulled out a scroll, unravelling and ready to intercept the incoming attacks. The talismans grew sharp and travelled fast, only to disintegrate as soon as they left the domain.
A-chan was surprised and only just realised that the Chief was wasting her supply of talismans, growing mad with her losses.
"Chief-san, what are you doing?" (A-chan)
"Demonstrations." (Chief)
"Demonstrations? You are just wasting my papers for Sora-sama." (A-chan)
"I thought I mentioned this earlier, you can't use them."
".....Huh? But I just tested them out and they work just fine."
"Yes, but they will disappear as soon as you leave the perimeter. Here."
Chief walked over to the operating computer and commanded the pile of talismans to rush towards them. It rushed to the duo like a paper dragon, all crumbling right after they passed the line and terrified A-chan.
"See." (Chief)
A-chan stood near the computer for quite a bit and slowly processed the information, finally remembering the earlier instructions from Chief and quietly wept frustrating tears.
"....I can't believe I wasted my time making useless talismans. It's like having to read horror stories with Sora-sama." (A-chan)
"A-chan, we should have a look at these things called 'horror movies'. I heard they are a visual representation for some of our favourite books." (Sora)
"...Sora-sama, please spare me." (A-chan)
"Call me Sora, I told you to drop the honorifics." (Sora)
As Sora was searching for horror movies on the new TV, Chief glanced around and found a person missing.
"Where did Yagoo go?"
"Yagoo-san said he had a call to make so he left the room. I offered to make a soundproof closet but he was adamant about leaving."
[TRUE SIGHT]
Chief scanned the building and saw Yagoo just outside the streamer room, looking angsty and nervous.
"What happened?" Chief asked when he went outside and looked at the scared Yagoo.
"....I just did Chise's daily call." (Yagoo)
"And?" (Chief)
"....I told her about the new idols."
"You could have lied."
"I can't lie to my wife, you know that."
"...."
[LOCK]
CLICK!
Chief walked back into the room and the door clicked. Yagoo panicked and tried to open the door but to no avail. He rapidly started to bang on the door, hoping to come inside.
"Chief, PLEASE! LET ME IN! LET ME IN!"
"I shouldn't get in the way of a lovey-dovey couple. Have a lovely time, there's a spare bedroom in your office."
"PLEASE, SHE'S COMING AND I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO HAVE MY SLEEP TONIGHT!"
"YAGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I KNOW YOU ARE HERE! I HAVE YOUR SCENT! COME OVER HERE!" (Chise)
A growl echoed from the bottom floor and rhythmic rushed steps started to pace closer and closer to their floor.
'Wow, she knows where to go even without a map. Chise must have a built-in Yagoo radar.' (Chief)
"PLEASE! OPEN THE DOOR! I'LL DO ANYTHING, PLEASE LET ME IN!" (Yagoo)
"I don't want our door being broken on the first day we signed our idols. That sounds like a bad omen." (Chief)
"PLEASE, CHIEF! I BEG YO-" (Yagoo)
A dark shadow spear-tackled Yagoo from across the hall and pinned him to the ground, holding him down and smacking her lips onto his.
'...Feisty and possessive. Alice-chan was like that in one of the [RUNS] as well.' (Chief)
"You can't run from me, Yagoo. You said I was the only one in your eyes." (Chise)
Yagoo was whimpering as Chise quickly tied his hands and legs so he couldn't run away. Her hazel eyes had dangerous hearts in the centre, accompanied by a big sinister grin.
"Chief, I will borrow Yagoo for a bit." (Chise)
"Take your time, there is a spare room in his office. He'll tell you where it is." (Chief)
"MmmphmphpmhhmmmmphMMMMM!" (Yagoo)
"Let's go Yagoo, lead the way." (Chise)
Contrary to Chise's demands, she started to drag the immobilised Yagoo towards the elevators. His eyes were full of distraught as he kept on looking at Chief.
"Remember to use protection, Chise" Chief waved as the door proceeded to close with the couple inside.
"Don't worry, I won't," the wife smiled as the door closed.
'...Wonder when was the last time I had a lover? Before or after she removed them? Not too important to ask Alice-chan so I shouldn't bother.' (Chief)
[UNLOCK]
He unlocked the door and checked the time with his watch, it was approaching 6 o'clock.
'I should show their dorms so they can sleep for the night.' (Chief)
Chief turned around, only to find Sora and A-chan behind his shoulders. They were watching the couple fight as well and displayed different reactions. Sora had a slight blush to compliment her soft pink eyes and attempted to look more reserved by using her hands to cover the lower half of her face. However, A-chan was horrified with a frightened gaze as she cautiously looked at the elevator doors, hoping they wouldn't open again.
"So that is love..." Sora muttered.
A-chan recoiled back in horror at Sora's understanding and quickly tried to correct her friend.
"That is definitely not love! Isn't that right, Chief-san?" (A-chan)
"...I wouldn't say for sure but that might be their own way of expressing their love for each other." (Chief)
"....We won't get hunted by her, right?" (A-chan)
"Oh, you'll be fine. Yagoo will deal with that. Let me show you your apartment dorms, we already placed basic necessities inside so you can just add your preferences afterwards. It's too late for you ladies to go shopping anyway." (Chief)
"Can't we just sleep here? I made it soft and comfy to live here." (Sora)
"You still need a bathroom and private space since Yagoo and I can still go into the streaming room with our cards. Of course, you two are the only other people with access but it is good to be cautious." (Chief)
"Awww. Wait! Do we also have this virtual space in our apartments as well?" (Sora)
"Of course not, it is not good to be in a room consisting of virtual items. You need to relax in a physical room to balance things out." (Chief)
""Okay, Chief-san."" (Sora & A-chan)
"Let's go and look for a nearby restaurant since we haven't eaten anything yet." (Chief)
They exited the building and got to take a look around the surrounding district, before deciding to eat at a family diner called Yamamoto's Canteen.
Using [EAVESDROP], an eerie little eye with a teardrop appeared in Yagoo's office. There was no one inside and the bedroom door in the corner was shut. While not able to observe anything, the miserable cries of Yagoo were heard. Whether those screams were of pain or pleasure, Chief did not want to find out and he dispelled the skill, just concentrated on eating his grilled salmon.
'How did I solve this with Alice-chan before?....I might need to go back to [MEMORY LANE] again.' (Chief)
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{Little Segment}
(Sabaody Archipelago Arc)
The auction house was in an uproar as Luffy, Law and Kid went outside to confront the Marines. Most of the Straw Hat crew were getting prepared to have an all-out fight, especially after hearing that an Admiral was coming after Luffy punched the living daylights out of the snobby Saint Charlos. Except for Chief.
He was still in his seat, staring at the collapsed Celestial Dragon in the midst of the broken chairs.
'I might as well do it, now is a pretty decent time.' (Chief)
[TELEPATHY]
"Zoro. Sanji." (Chief)
The two of his crewmates turned around after being called, both being serious based on the Chief's address. This was one of the few times Chief actually said their names and it made them very nervous. The duo walked over to the Chief as the rest of the crew were too busy involving themselves in the commotion. Only Robin and Brook took notice that the duo weren't participating in the hectic fight and were talking with the Chief.
"Can you two take care of the crew for me?" Chief flatly stated as he sternly looked at the duo.
Zoro and Sanji squinted at the seriousness the Chief displayed. They had no space to breathe or think about the heavy question.
""Of course!"" the two clenched their fist across their chest, ""We'll take care of them.""
Chief smirked and wandered his eyes towards the unconscious noble.
"Thanks, take care." (Chief)
They raised their eyebrows after hearing the Chief's reply before seeing him appear above the collapsed Saint Charlos.
Two masked figures appeared between the Chief and the noble, concerned and got ready to protect their boss. It was CP0, agents directly under the World Nobles and were in charge of protecting Saint Charlos.
"Stop. This is as far as you are allowed to get close to the Saint." (CP0)
"Fuck off."
SHING!
His pole unleashed its first crescent blade ever since he joined the crew and instantly beheaded the two agents. They didn't have time to react, underestimating a rookie pirate, only to panic after recognising the blade.
"No, it can't be...." (CP0)
Their bodies were quickly collected with [INVENTORY] and Chief took one more glance at the Saint before grabbing his collar and dragging him along.
Zoro and Sanji were shocked and angry. They have never seen the blade and the quick disposal of the agents meant that he never took their fights seriously whenever they trained. The Chief and duo didn't talk as he passed them and walked towards the front of the auction house.
Chief arrived and saw the big slaughter of Marine fodder. He glanced around and saw Luffy punch a Vice-Admiral in the face.
"Luffy." (Chief)
The captain turned around instantly after realising it was Chief's voice.
"Shishishi! You finally said my name! That means you are officially joining my crew." (Luffy)
"I'm leaving." (Chief)
"....What?"
"I'm leaving the crew."
"What?! Why?!"
The rest of the Straw Hat were shocked about the sudden leaving of one of their crewmates, Sanji and Zoro remained stern and squinting. There was something off with their Chief, the duo just couldn't put their finger on the issue.
"No! You aren't allowed to leave the crew!" Luffy decided to be aggressive, thinking it might work.
"Then I'm deserting, betraying the crew. I'm going back to my old identity." (Chief)
Chief tossed the Celestial Dragon in front of him, giving a clear view for the Pirates, Marines and journalists.
[GATE]
His face went blank, and new sets of clothes coiled and wrapped around him. His scythe grew, adding more spikes and twists along the handle. He took out an Aragami Face Visor and put it on, spreading a dangerous aura to anyone that looked at the Chief with his glowing red eyes.
"T-t-tthat's him!" (Marine Mob A)
"He's back!" (Marine Mob B)
"We got to report this! Who knew he was hiding in the Straw Hat Crew?!" (Journalist A)
"He's leaving them so is he on his own again?! We need to find out!" (Journalist B)
SHING! THUD!
The Chief brought down his scythe like a guillotine and beheaded Saint Charlos, bringing silence in the crowd and they watched the head roll about.
"The name's Tatsu Nezu," the Chief said in a monotone voice, "You might remember me as 'The Grim Reaper'. Hope you are ready again."
He then turned around towards the wide-eyed Luffy, who was angrier of Chief leaving than the dangerous escalating situation of killing a World Noble.
"See you later, Monkey D. Luffy."
All yeah it's all coming together