One Piece: I am Imu - Chapter 339: A Funeral Pyre Called Pride

Entering Tokyo in the bubble era, in this strange era, the only familiar ones are Matsuda Seiko, Nakamori Akina, Kudo Shizuka…

- Description from novelbuddy

At the heart of a wish lies an attempt at completion, a human desire to become our true and final selves. Wishes are fuelled by regrets and are bound eternally to the past, serving as approximations of what once was. We all experience regret and nostalgia, leading us to make wishes and find despair, but can we become our true selves despite this all?That's where the story of a girl who struggles to control her desires begins...Two souls sharing the same body and memory are living in Kyoto 2031. Tang-Ji Shizukesa, a girl who's grown up in her previous life with a hardcore passion for gaming, is now a bookworm in her new life who has no interest in video games. Along with her, Kazami and Hoyeon, the three childhood friends who separated 7 years ago due to an accident, have now been reunited again in a VRMMORPG game known as Dusk Protocol. The game has a unique combat system known as “Leere,” a physical manifestation of an individual soul that can be conjured into deadly weapons.As Tang-Ji navigates this virtual world, she confronts the echoes of her past and the dissonance between her former self and her present identity. How will she cope with the rediscovery of a life she thought she left behind? How will Kazami and Hoyeon react to the new Tang-Ji? In a world where reality is malleable and death is just a click of a button away, the boundaries between past and present blur, forcing everyone to grapple with the truth of who they truly are.Disclaimer: This novel contains explicit language, violence, racism, and sexual scenes. There are also scenes that deal with various traumas, from physical to emotional to mental.(THE CHARACTERS’ CIRCUMSTANCES , TRAITS, AND BELIEFS IN THIS NOVEL ARE ALL BASED ON A TRUE STORY.)

**This book is in the viral competition. Support me by adding to library, gifting power stones, and golden tickets**Perhaps out of mercy, Ava Whitlock found herself reborn before all the tragedies - before her public image was ruined, before her career ended, before her real family disowned her existence and she was brutally murdered by the fake daughter her family had.All Ava Whitlock ever wanted in her whole existence was to have a family of her own, one which adored her and reciprocated her love.Her adoptive family were abusive, and when her real wealthy family descended from heaven, Ava thought the universe finally answered her prayer. Her prominent family were the owner of the Whitlock's conglomerate, the largest conglomerate in Lebron City.She had three powerful brothers: Jerome, the general manager of the conglomerate; Noah, the director of the conglomerate's firm; and Caspian, the best software engineer in all of Lebron City.Ava thought she had it all, but what she never expected was that her real family wanted nothing to do with her. They saw her as an eye-sore who was here to claim the position of their fake daughter, and they made no attempt to hide that they preferred the fake daughter to their flesh and blood.On her death bed,Jerome, Ava's eldest brother asked, almost laughing, “Ava's at the point of death?”Her mother hissed before replying almost immediately, “Good. Let her rot.”“Why are we being informed about this?” Noah, Ava's second brother asked.“Ava is no longer part of the Whitlock household after the little stunt she pulled. It's sickening that she still bears my household's name legally, but don't call me even if she's dead,” her father said dryly.In this life, Ava had another mission. To stop her name from getting ruined publicly, and to earn her family's respect instead. She didn't care about her family's love anymore.But a lot of things changed in her new life that she didn't have answers to.How did she end up with three other guardian angels?! And why did they address her as their lovely little sister?! Also, how did she have a fiance in this new life who was dotting on her?

The footsteps sounded closer, and closer, and closer, until he faintly heard Siri's voice welcoming someone into the house, but before he could open his eyes to see who it was, he felt a large hand gripping his neck, his legs were locked tightly between much larger ones, and, he felt the cold metal of a gun placed directly on his...gun.Zeno quickly opened his eyes from instincts, ready to fight off his attacker, but the moment he did so, he was met with mesmerizing dark grey orbs, staring dangerously at him.The face of his attacker was too close, he couldn't make out his features, but he knew they were sharp, even from a closed look.He didn't bother fighting, he didn't want to lose his junior member down there, and his Nana still expected grandchildren from him. He couldn't disappoint her.“Who. Are. You?” The voice of his attacker was so deep, dark, and commanding.Zeno was a fighter, but he felt a chill run down his spine from the sound of the voice.The hand around Zeno's neck tightened, but he endured it, he was a fighter.Judging by his attacker's looks and actions of confidence, this was his boss.~~~After losing his parents and being faced with an unbelievable medical bill, Zeno Evander finds himself working as a Manny for a mysterious Billionaire, but it doesn't last long; after almost being killed by the Mafia billionaire, Zeno swore never to return to that place again.But after a week of escaping the Mafia billionaire, Zeno finds himself kidnapped and Blackmailed into signing a year's contract as the Mafia's Manny and bodyguard.Could Zeno escape his evil and monstrous boss? Or would he be consumed by him? Consumed by the forbidden passion he felt build up between them? Would he risk his life just to experience the burn of forbidden love?After the betrayal from his family, ex-wife, and friend five years ago, Sebastian Orion became a totally different being.He became cold, aloof, and dangerous as he rose to become the most feared Mafia king of the underworld, and everyone who heard his name shivered from fear.He distrusted everyone and hated any form of human relationships, building a thick wall around himself.But, not until his son's manny came into the picture.Zeno irritated him in every way, he hated the mere sight of his bodyguard and would have chosen to kill him if not for the sake of his son.Sebastian always tried to push Zeno away by treating him in the lowest way possible.But when the contract was coming to an end, were his feelings still the same? Or did he suddenly realize that it wasn't only his son that needed Zeno?~~~“What are you waiting for? Leave!” Sebastian snarled bitterly.He would have to speak with Butler Nicole to find out why he brought back this stupid clown to his house.He had just returned from yet another trip, just to find this nuisance in his house again.He hated Zeno so much; he was classless and looked extremely dangerous to be near his son; who knew if he was sent as a snitch by an enemy?“I'm sorry, boss, but I can't,” Zeno said and stood his ground.Leaving would mean he wanted his Nana to die; no, he'd rather stay here and take all punches that came his way; he was used to it.“What?!” Sebastian couldn't believe that such stupid people were still existing in the world.“I can't leave,” Zeno repeated.