Chapter 152: [151] Mysterious Legacy[1]
Chapter 152: [151] Mysterious Legacy[1]
[3000 Words]
[The Grand Line, Paradise]
[Sabaody Archipelago]
This well-known island had recently started to regain its tranquility, as Admiral Kizaru had returned to headquarters after finding no trace of the culprit who had slain the Celestial Dragon.
However, he had killed and captured many pirates in the meantime.
In the eyes of the general public, this was a very positive response from the Navy and the World Government after such a shocking incident. The death and imprisonment of thousands of pirates meant greater stability and a safer life for many.
But the World Government didn't feel the same way.
To them, the Celestial Dragon was priceless; the deaths of millions of ordinary people wouldn't affect the mood of these "divine" dragons.
With the gradual return of peace to the Sabaody Archipelago, pirates once again dared to venture to the island.
If Kizaru were still here, not a single one of them would dare set foot on this island.
*Crunch~!*
*Chew~!*
*Sip~!*
*Gulp-!*
In a crowded corner of one of Sabaody's taverns, Jewelry Bonney was engrossed in an enormous feast, drawing the attention of everyone around her.
The young woman appeared to be in her twenties, with long pink hair draped over her shoulders, adding a bold touch that matched her sharp purple eyes.
Her attire consisted of a small tilted hat atop her head and a leather jacket over a torn shirt- an outfit that reflected her free and unrestrained life as a pirate.
The sounds of her constant chewing filled the room, and she kept ordering more dishes. Plates piled up before her, as if she hadn't eaten in days.
She tore into the meat ravenously, devouring it non-stop, with a pile of bones and empty shells beside her.
"This... this is insane..."
The bartender stood in awe, watching the young woman eat as if she'd never seen food before. When he delayed, Bonney banged her fist on the table angrily, shouting, "Where's the food? Didn't you hear my order?!"
Her face was fierce, and she seemed to be in a foul mood, with a serious, intimidating look in her eyes.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" Bonney devoured her food with reckless abandon, cursing and swearing as though she were venting her anger and sorrow through eating.
Those around her avoided looking directly at her, even her crew members; some were amazed, while others were frightened. Her reputation as a Supernova and a well-known pirate kept everyone from daring to provoke her.
'Is he really gone...?' she thought to herself, recalling the scene she had witnessed a few days ago when she watched the War of the Best.
Those machines called Pacifistas... that shape... there was no doubt it was clear... her father was really dead.
"Goddammit!" Though she looked like an adult, she was, in fact, just a ten-year-old girl this year... She wanted to cry, and she did cry. No one dared say a word, avoiding her out of fear. 'I need to change my plan...' she thought, considering her next best option. Should she form a pirate alliance? This idea crossed her mind for a few seconds as she weighed the likelihood and benefits of such a move, wondering if it would help her achieve her goal.
Her objective was clear: to avenge her father, Bartholomew Kuma. Her hatred for the World Government burned in her heart with every bitter memory. This wasn't merely a desire for simple revenge; it was a battle to free her father from his grim fate. Kuma, who had suffered under government manipulation, had been turned into a human weapon due to Dr. Vegapunk's experiments, leaving him unable to reclaim his freedom.
She finally stopped eating, then looked at the various pirate posters pinned to the tavern walls.
Wanted posters were something pirates took pride in; the higher the bounty, the stronger the individual-or so it usually seemed.
"But that's not entirely true..." She looked at one particular poster that everyone either intentionally or unintentionally avoided. Bounty hunters wouldn't dare mess with him, and other pirates feared him.
Only a few in this world didn't fear him. He was beyond Bonney's reach, and she had no illusions about forming an alliance with him. What could she possibly offer him? Well, she did have something to bargain with... information she'd gathered about the World Government, her sworn enemy.
"You idiot, do you know how to reach the Black Death?" Bonney shouted at one of her crew members.
The person in question was startled, but he quickly restrained his fear and answered in a shaky voice, knowing how terrifying his captain could be when angered.
"Th-They say that the Warlord Black Death has started a major recruitment drive in recent days... and that his base is located in Alabasta." Bonney heard his response, and her eyes lit up
with a sharp gleam.
"Recruiting, huh..."
[The Grand Line, New World]
A ship bearing a pirate flag sped toward a mysterious island looming on the horizon.
It was none other than the Elsama, which had stopped flying and descended into the water. would boring the pirate ship never touched the water, would it? "Captain! We're near the Devil's Range Archipelago!" Nami shouted excitedly to Ren, who was lounging on a beach chair.
He was shirtless, his perfectly sculpted muscles reflecting the sunlight streaming down from the open sky. He wore blue shorts that matched his hair color.
Mikita was sitting on his lap, her shorter frame nestled comfortably against his. Her fingers moved across his toned chest and abs.
Ignoring Mikita's gentle touch, he looked toward the navigator, who seemed a bit jealous, and replied, "Prepare to dock, everyone."
The first island they reached in the New World was Sky Bloom Island-an uninhabited island of breathtaking natural beauty.
As Elsama neared Sky Bloom Island, the horizon started to change mysteriously. The island appeared bathed in a hazy aura, reflecting soft shades of pink and blue that illuminated the sky like a magical painting.
The air was filled with the scent of unique flowers, emanating from vast fields that covered the island in hues of purple and white, giving it the name "Sky Bloom."
"So beautiful! So this is the beauty of the outside world!" Shirahoshi gazed at the island before them with sparkling eyes, and even her mother, Otohime, observed everything from the pendant around her daughter's neck.
"Captain, will we stay here for a while? I want to explore the island to see if there's anything interesting," Robin stood in front of Ren, close enough for him to catch her delightful scent. He pulled her closer, wrapped an arm around her slender waist, and nodded, "Do as you like, but be cautious. I heard the sounds of some creatures-not too strong, but caution is always
wise."
"Mmhmm," she nodded lovingly and quickly kissed him, leaving Shirahoshi blushing, then jumped onto the island.
The rest soon followed her; every member of the crew had joined him on this adventure.
As the women landed on the island, they noticed the ground was covered with a soft layer of grass, with enormous flowers in otherworldly shapes, as if remnants from an ancient world or mysterious creatures inhabited the island.
Among the flowers were tall rocks that looked like statues, naturally carved by wind and time,
forming shapes of animals and strange faces.
[Sky Bloom Island Image]
"Nojiko, if you get a chance to try out your new weapon, don't hesitate," Ren reminded his blue-haired first love gently while holding her soft form.
Nojiko let out a pleased sigh, then smiled at his words, her mind drifting to her new weapon.
"Yes, Falcon was good, but I'm confident this one will be stronger. I'm looking forward to
testing it-"
"Come on, Nojiko~!" Nami called from a distance, waiting for her sister. She wasn't alone; Bell-mere stood beside her, a faint blush on her face, likely from witnessing the tender scene
between Ren and Nojiko.
"Coming." Nojiko winked at Ren before leaping toward her sister and Bell-mere.
"Captain, are you not coming?" Mikita was still with him, along with Kalifa, who had stood silently like a statue the whole time.
"I'm heading to the next island. There's something more important I'm after, and I don't sense anything particularly exciting on that island." He paused, then added, "I would love to try some of the food and resources from this island, though, so I'll count on you for that." Sky Bloom Island looked lively, so he was curious about its cuisine.
Since his body had grown stronger and reached S-rank, his appetite had become bigger than ever.
"Understood, Captain. *Kiss*! Bye~" Mikita didn't forget to savor his lips one last time before heading onto the island.
"You're not going...?" Ren looked at Kalifa, who remained motionless, ignoring her unusual
expression after seeing him kissed by Mikita so passionately.
"I'm your secretary, so it's my duty to-"
"Understood, understood," Ren sighed, knowing she would say this, as she had many times
before, so he left her with him.
Elsama began moving once more, bypassing Sky Bloom Island. This time, there were only two
people aboard: Ren and his beautiful blonde secretary.
[Ten minutes later]
Elsama was faster than any ship in this world, both on water and in the air, and five minutes was enough for it to leave Sky Bloom Island's vicinity and reach Ren's next destination.
The three islands near the Devil's Range Archipelago weren't far from each other to begin
with.
"Strange, I hear a sound unlike anything I've heard on this island before," Ren narrowed his
eyes.
"A strange sound? Like what?" Kalifa asked, her combat senses on high alert. "It's like a sinister whisper..." Ren wasn't anxious. He was powerful-while not the strongest, he was confident that if he ever needed to flee, hardly anyone could stop him. "Let's dock here and see what's happening," Ren said, his eyes filled with excitement. Kalifa
nodded in agreement, and Ren stopped Elsama, then they both disembarked onto the island known as Mirage Laguna.
The island seemed like a reflection from another world. At its center was a tranquil lake
mirroring the sky perfectly, making the entire island look like a mirage floating in the middle
of the sea.
The island's edges were lined with transparent crystals that sparkled in rainbow colors under
the sun, casting shifting lights that made it hard to see the terrain clearly, as soft sand
appeared and disappeared with every step.
[Mirage Laguna Island Image]
Inside the island, there was an eerie forest of intertwined trees, with semi-transparent leaves
concealing what lay beyond.
"The sound is coming from those trees..." Ren, holding Kalifa's hand, focused on the giant
tree growing in the lake's center.
"I'm even starting to feel something strange here." Under normal circumstances, Kalifa
would have felt nervous, as she had never ventured into the New World before, but by Ren's
side, it was impossible for her to feel fear.
*Whoosh!*
Suddenly, without warning, numerous branches lunged at the pair, the only man and woman
on the island.
"!!!"
Kalifa was startled but didn't hesitate to teleport several times through dimensional rifts she created, reappearing dozens of meters away from her original position.
"That was Armament Haki!" she muttered in shock, eyeing the deep holes left by the dozens
of thick branches.
The attackers were none other than the trees themselves, which previously appeared
ordinary!
Now, an ominous aura enveloped them as a terrifying face took shape, glaring with an evil
look and sharp, wooden teeth that seemed capable of tearing into someone's very soul.
[sinister living trees Image]n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
"Living trees with Armament Haki...!" Ren observed with interest as the dozens of trees stared at him intently.
"Leave... invaders... die... attack... protect..."
This was the voice of the trees, which previously had only sounded like ominous whispers to Ren. Perhaps now that he was closer, he could understand them, or maybe the trees hadn't noticed him before and had only been whispering out of habit. He wasn't sure, but he found it
fascinating.
"Protect what?" Ren asked the trees, with Kalifa watching them intently. She knew he had a
special ability to hear the voices of all living things, so she wasn't surprised and observed the trees with interest.
"It seems they can't move freely; all they can do is attack from a distance using their
branches..." she calmly analyzed.
.
•
"Distortion Ball."
She looked at the Haki-covered roots charging toward her quickly and launched her attack.
*BOOM!!!*
A thunderous noise echoed across the island.
But the sound didn't come from Kalifa's Distortion Sphere; it was the blue-haired pirate
himself tearing through the air with his Devil Fruit power, imitating the late Whitebeard.
While Ren had initially been dealing with the trees' attempts to crush him and slice him into pieces, he began to feel the situation was getting tiresome. The attacks kept coming from every direction, with twisted branches closing in on him at a blistering speed, as if they were
beasts with a mind of their own.
At first, Ren wanted to avoid rushing things and attempted to communicate with the trees,
but it was pointless-they weren't intelligent enough to engage in normal conversation, or at least that's what he guessed.
"Let's see what this island is hiding after I destroy it..." Ren muttered, his gaze full of
determination.
In a moment, the ground beneath him lifted, and his body surged with a massive quake-like
energy, a brilliant blue-white glow enveloping him.
*Crack~!!*
The area exploded with the impact of his Tremor Fruit power, causing the entire island to
tremble violently.
*Shatter~!!*
The quake he unleashed was so powerful that even the trees began to snap and fall, while
rocks broke apart, and the ground shook fiercely. Even the surrounding sea began to churn, with waves rising unnaturally high as if responding to Ren's challenge.
•
"Broken World!"
He unleashed waves of immense power that surged across the island. Every part of Mirage
Laguna shook and cracked as if nature itself was in agony under the onslaught. The main tree
with the menacing face shook violently, its branches snapping and collapsing. Its face emitted a horrific screech, as though it was admitting defeat.
"Must... Protect... Death To Invaders..." The voice grew more frantic and sorrowful. In a moment
of desperation, the tree separated from its deep roots beneath the lake and began to
transform into something stronger.
The previously towering tree morphed into a wooden beast with two legs and a terrifying
face. Numerous branches extended from its back as it trembled from the ongoing quake, but it
didn't hesitate to lunge at Ren.
[Wooden Beast Image]
The wooden monster aimed its sharp claw, moving at inhuman speed, toward Ren's much
smaller figure in comparison.
As Ren turned to face the wooden monster, it was already upon him, its twisted branches
extending to form a massive net encircling him.
*Whoosh!*
*Rustle!*
*Whoosh!*
With incredible speed and skill, Ren began dodging the relentless attacks, moving smoothly
between the interwoven branches that tried to close around him.
The scene looked like a fierce, unyielding dance; every move from the wooden beast grew
sharper and more varied, as if it was evolving during the fight. "Leaving your roots means certain death..." Ren muttered as he dodged the dozens of branches attempting to slice him and sever his head.
"But as long as your roots remain, you'll just be reborn, won't you?" He smiled as a plan
started to take shape in his mind, but the beast didn't respond. Instead, it roared ferociously
and prepared a new attack. *Screeeeeeechhhh!!*
Its roar was beastly and deafening, forcing Kalifa to cover her ears with Armament Haki. She was sitting atop a pile of shattered trees, watching the current battle with great interest. "What strength it possesses..." Even she was impressed by the tree's power in this monstrous form, though she remained confident she would win, despite the added difficulty. Away from Kalifa, in a split second, the wooden beast drove its roots into the ground with
tremendous force, causing violent tremors. Massive trunks erupted from the ground beneath
Ren's feet, trying to restrain his movement.
"Heeh~"
Realizing he needed to move quickly, Ren leapt high into the air, using Moonwalk to avoid the
wooden claws that sought to tear him apart.
But the monster wasn't done; its branches retracted briefly, then swiftly reformed into
enormous, muscular limbs, and, in a rapid motion, struck at Ren from every direction.
*Bam!*
*Bam!*
*Bam!*
The attacks were so quick and powerful that the ground where the wooden fists landed shattered, leaving a deep crater. But Ren stayed alert, using Observation Haki to read the beast's moves, dodging each blow with the slightest motion.
"Let's finish this now."
He began gathering his strength, channeling his Devil Fruit's power once more, unleashing a massive quake that struck the monster, causing the ground beneath it to crack and splinter. The creature's body split, and some branches broke off, but it still didn't fall. On the contrary,
it seemed the attack only fueled its anger.
*Screeeeeeechhhh!!*
Realizing it needed every ounce of strength to defeat this opponent, the monster gathered its energy, rising again to execute its final move. "Hmmm?" Ren watched the creature's actions with interest.
All of its branches merged into a single massive, dark arm that glowed with an ominous aura, enveloped in a dense mist that intensified the terrifying sight. The colossal arm lifted, prepared to strike with all its might.
Ren closed his eyes for a fraction of a second, sensing the massive attack headed toward him. Then he opened his eyes, gathering a massive quake's energy in his fist. Calmly, he launched himself toward the monster, dodging the gigantic strike at the last moment before aiming his
punch directly at the monster's core.
*Crack~!!*
His blow collided with the beast powerfully, sending shockwaves through its wooden body, splitting it in two.
The explosion echoed across the island, and the creature's body shattered into scattered
pieces, its broken branches turning to ash that drifted into the air. With this resounding blast,
the once-raging beast fell silent, its painful, unwilling growl fading into nothingness.
To be continued....
A short OC Ark has begun, Thoughts?