The Grandmaster Strategist - Volume 5, Chapter 39: Enemies Meet on a Narrow Path

Noel likes his world quiet, clean, and perfectly organized. He’s the kind of guy who alphabetizes his books, avoids eye contact, and considers a wild night one where he reads past midnight. Drama? Not his thing. Parties? Pass. Sharing a dorm with a chaotic stranger? Just another obstacle to endure—hopefully, temporarily.Enter Luca: flirtatious, chaotic, and chronically shirtless. A walking disaster with too many admirers and not enough awareness, he leaves messes—and broken hearts—wherever he goes. Loud, reckless, and charming, he’s everything Noel can’t stand… and somehow, everything he can’t stop noticing.What starts as a clash of lifestyles soon turns into late-night conversations, innocent pranks, and lingering stares. Somewhere between eye rolls and shared ramen, their rivalry begins to blur—until even Noel can’t deny his quiet little world feels empty without Luca.Noel wonders why his heart skips a beat whenever Luca’s near. And Luca? He’s realizing the one person who doesn’t fall for his charm might be the only one who truly sees him.Falling in love was never part of the roommate agreement—but hearts don’t follow house rules.---Vibes & Tropes:Grumpy x SunshineForced ProximityMutual Pining & Slow BurnSass, Snark, and Secret SoftnessMovie nights, pranks, cuddles, and the accidental love story

【Follow the Ship】【I'm a Marine on My Own】【System】Ike thought he could convince Luffy to give up being a pirate, but instead, he ended up joining the Straw Hat crew. To make things even more awkward, he awakened the Justice Marine System—but luckily, he had a letter from Garp appointing him as a Private Marine. This meant that all the good deeds done by the Straw Hat Pirates would count as achievements for the Private Marines.Arlong: “So what if the Straw Hats defeated me? It’s not like I’m wanted.”Ike: “Huh? We’re a Private Marine crew. We just fly the Jolly Roger, but we’re not pirates. Why would we be wanted? One call, and the bounty is gone.”Crocodile: “The Straw Hats are in Alabasta. Why isn’t the Marine arresting them?”Marine officials: “Huh? They’re Private Marines, not pirates.”World Government: “The Straw Hat Pirates destroyed Enies Lobby! Arrest them immediately!”Ike: “Who said that? It was clearly that idiot Spandam who pressed the Golden Den Den Mushi, and the Buster Call wiped out Enies Lobby. Our Private Marines were just there to eliminate Spandam—the real culprit behind the destruction.”

Ge Xiu is a nefarious star criminal. After being arrested, according to the Interstellar Supreme Law, he will face two choices: either serve a sentence of 1156 years in black prison or enter countless virtual worlds and become a miserable person who is tortured and abused all his life. How much he suffers is how much his sentence can be reduced. Ge Xiu chose the second one without hesitation.

So… The trial surveillance system stared dumbfounded at the Former•Interstellar Most•Wanted•Criminal•Currently•Weak•Poor Ge Xiu in the virtual world, punching the empire, kicking the Federation, overthrowing oppression and building a new world. Then he turned his head to the camera and cried: “I’ve had a miserable life, really.”

“…” The surveillance system that was about to explode of anger: “Like hell I’d believe you!”

“Boss, are you crazy about money?”

“You sell me this mixed-haired husky for 500,000?”

The pretty ponytail girl is holding a husky cub with exceptionally intelligent eyes in her arms, looking at Lin Ye as if she were looking at a heinous profiteer.

“Miss, I have to solemnly declare that it——is not a mixed-haired husky!”

“Don’t scare me!”

“Start straight, it has the blood of the hell three-headed dog, and its potential is endless.”

The girl was a little intimidated by Lin Ye.

But after thinking about it, this statement was too nonsense, and immediately Lu Lilu said angrily:

“Really? I don’t believe it!”

Lin Ye hooked his fingers at the husky in the girl’s arms:

“Little guy, come down and give your future master the whole job!”

“Walk!”

“Aww~”

With a howl, the girl was horrified to find that a fist-sized fireball spewed out of the little husky’s mouth.

——

Many years later, Lin Ye, who was named the “Father of the Blue Star Royal Beast”, said in an interview:

“Everything in the story begins with a mixed-haired husky.”

At the same time, in a villa, a certain big red dog with three heads sneezed, and then howled twice at the TV in front of him—”Wow!

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