[135] Unexpected

[3400 Words]

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"My dream is...is To unify this world under my grip!"

Ren spoke this line in a calm tone, as though it was nothing at all.

Mikita and Kalifa heard his words clearly. For a fleeting moment, they doubted their hearing, thinking perhaps they were hallucinating. But that moment of doubt lasted only a split second before giving way to shock.

Absolute shock. For the first time, Mikita and Kalifa understood their captain's dream—and it was more than just difficult... No, one could simply call it impossible.

But then, memories of their captain's miracles resurfaced. The simplest example: reviving the dead. Wasn't that impossible too? And yet, Ren had managed it, hadn't he? So… perhaps… perhaps he really could achieve this dream.

Mikita, as Ren's woman and someone who trusted him more than herself, was the first to believe he would realize his dream. In her heart, Ren was a source of miracles. Control and rule over the world? Her man could absolutely do it!

As for Kalifa, despite the intense shock coursing through her, she had a feeling—a conviction that he could do it. The man before her… could actually bring down the World Government, a regime fortified by eight centuries of power and history.

These thoughts flickered through Mikita's and Kalifa's minds in mere seconds. Externally, Shakky froze at Ren's response, while Rayleigh regarded him with calm eyes.

"Are you aware that saying such things could get you killed, boy?" Rayleigh finally spoke, looking at Ren with a new level of respect.

'His ambition surpasses my expectations!' Rayleigh thought to himself, sensing the looming storm—one powerful enough to sweep away everything in its path.

"Perhaps you're right. But… failure only means death. Nothing too grand, right?" Ren smiled as a cigarette materialized in his hand. He lit it with a small flame from his right eye and began smoking.

'A devil fruit ability?' Rayleigh Though internally.

"Fuuuh… Does my answer satisfy you?" Ren exhaled a thick plume of smoke, his gaze locking onto the Dark King, who was silent, lost in thought.

His words seemed to pull the old man from his thoughts. Rayleigh looked back and asked frankly, "Just how far are you willing to go to achieve this dream?"

'These questions… Is he testing my personality or what?' Ren wondered, narrowing his eyes. His previously calm expression shifted, and the cigarette in his hand crumbled to dust.

"How far? Rehahaha… Are you certain you want the answer to that question?" His tone turned icy, and Shakky's eyes narrowed as she looked at Rayleigh seated beside her.

Rayleigh, still unfazed, continued to gaze at the blue-haired man. "Yes, I'm Sure," he replied without hesitation, his demeanor transforming from a peaceful old man to a legendary, fearsome pirate.

Ren's smile broadened at Rayleigh's unwavering response, and he uttered chilling words: "If I can't rule this world, I'll destroy it. It's as simple as that!"

"!!!!"

The expressions of Mikita, Kalifa, and Shakky shifted to shock. For the first two, they now understood the full extent of their captain's madness.

'Is he insane...' Shakky thought, her gaze on Ren now more cautious than ever.

'The captain really… is beyond prediction,' Kalifa murmured, though the faint smile on her face showed a fondness for his madness.

'As expected of the captain… no, my man. I wouldn't mind if he destroyed this rotten world and built a better one.' Mikita thought, and as an outlaw herself, Ren's words barely fazed her.

"You're dangerous."

The girls' thoughts were interrupted by a deep voice. It was Rayleigh, studying Ren with a look that no longer held the previous neutrality.

Ren remained indifferent to Rayleigh's chilly tone, regarding him with amusement. "And what will you do about it? Do you really wish to fight here and reveal your presence on Sabaody Archipelago to the Marines? That would be unfortunate… This bar is quite lovely, and I'd hate to see it ruined… or its owner… killed."

"!!!!"

"You…!" Rayleigh stood, releasing a powerful wave of Conqueror's Haki toward Ren and the women behind him. But the blue-haired pirate merely smiled back at Rayleigh's fury.

In the next moment, a surge of black Conqueror's Haki shot toward Rayleigh and Shakky. The latter retreated behind Rayleigh, who shielded her with his own Haki, while Ren similarly protected the women standing behind him.

*Bzzzzz~!*

*Crash~!*

*Crack~!*

Glasses shattered, tables and chairs splintered, and countless whiskey and wine bottles tumbled to the floor as the two forces of Conqueror's Haki collided, each striving to subdue the other.

"You've really aged, Dark King Rayleigh!" Ren sneered at the old man, maintaining his struggle against the opposing Haki. Though his mastery was only moderate, he wouldn't be easily overpowered—even as Rayleigh's seasoned Haki pressed back against his own.

"You and your tongue… tsk." Rayleigh looked at Ren with noticeable annoyance, and in the next moment, he ceased using his Conqueror's Haki as he noticed the damage in the bar. Ren did the same.

The previous noise vanished as if it had never existed. The two characters stared at each other while Shakky, Mikita, and Kalifa observed them with watchful eyes.

Shakuyaku: "...."

The woman was certainly angry about the ruckus, but Rayleigh had something more important to do.

"Your previous words... I hope they were just a joke." He looked at Ren with a serious expression, then pondered briefly before continuing, "Your ambition is far too great; you remind me of an ancient monster, a human beast that perished long ago. Believe me, such a selfish dream will end in a miserable fate, just like that person." A nostalgic look crossed Rayleigh's face as he mentioned this.

'Is he referring to Rocks D. Xebec?' Ren did not react but gazed at Rayleigh again and replied, "Everyone has their own ambitions, so I don't think it's wise to interfere in people's dreams. Don't you think?"

"You're right, but… this world already has a savior waiting for it, and it's not someone who rules with an iron fist... and I don't think it's you, Ren. The savior of this world is cheerful, unlike you." Rayleigh recalled his conversation with Shanks long ago and felt curious about the young man he mentioned. Why hadn't he appeared in Sabaody with his crew yet? This puzzled Rayleigh.

On Ren's side, his lips twitched in sarcasm. Of course, he knew whom Rayleigh was referring to. He wondered what Rayleigh would think if he learned what had happened to Luffy... There was no doubt the old man might directly attack him if that were the case.

Knowing Rayleigh's character, he was aware that the old man could overlook the death of his captain's son, disregard Hachi's death, and anything else, but he couldn't ignore something terrible happening to the "Bearer of Roger's Will" and "The Liberator of this World."

Fortunately for Ren, Rayleigh didn't know anything yet. Once he found out what had happened to Luffy and how it affected his mindset, he might become an enemy to the old man and be forced to kill him.

"I see... If you have nothing else to add, I'll take my leave now." Ren didn't seem angered by Rayleigh's dismissive words about his dream, where he stated that this world was already taken care of, and there was no need for his dream of uniting it.

Rayleigh appeared surprised by Ren's reaction, which made him truly realize the danger of the person in front of him. He maintained his composure even after deliberately belittling his dream... Those who possess Conqueror's Haki hate nothing more than seeing their dreams scoffed at... So why wasn't he reacting?

Rayleigh found no answer to this question even after Ren and the girls moved toward the bar's exit, having already put on their hoods to conceal their faces.

"Wait! What about the damages you caused?" Shakky, who was smoking a cigarette, looked at Ren with a flat expression and demanded her payment.

Ren paused and glanced at Shakky before smiling, "I already paid for our drinks... As for the damages, if you want compensation, come find me in Alabasta."

"Pfttt..!" Mikita tried to suppress her laughter but failed, while even the usually professional Kalifa chuckled beneath her black cloak.

"You...!" The veins bulged on Shakuyaku's forehead, a clear sign of her anger, as she glared at Ren in annoyance.

Rayleigh, on the other hand, had a strange look on his face... Was this brat flirting with Shakky-chan?

Ren had no idea what Rayleigh was thinking. He looked at him and spoke, "It was truly enjoyable meeting you and chatting,The Dark King . We may meet again... then it will be up to you to decide how our relationship will be. Remember, when the time comes, choose wisely."

*Creek~*

In the next moment, only Rayleigh and Shakuyaku remained in the bar, which was currently in disarray.

"Tsk... arrogant brat!" Shakky complained angrily and quickly lit another cigarette to calm her nerves.

But unlike her, Rayleigh returned to his soft couch and lowered his head, seeming to be lost in thought. This state continued for a few minutes before he let out a long sigh.

"Sigh..."

"This era is heading toward chaos. Perhaps I should talk to Shanks; it's been a while since I last spoke with him."

....

At Grove 18.

Three figures cloaked in black were hastily walking through the lawless neighborhoods, ignoring the pirates and thieves who looked at them with curiosity.

"The trees have roots deep in the ocean... Our world is truly magnificent." Nami said softly as her delicate white hand gently touched the mangrove wood.

"Fufufu~ Maybe we can see the roots of these trees when we dive to the ocean floor on our way to Fish-Man Island?" Robin wondered curiously. She had previously read a book about mangrove trees that could grow to great heights underwater and live for thousands of years. She was incredibly curious about these trees, and now she finally had the chance to see one with her own eyes.

"By the way, it's time to meet Captain Ren and the others; an hour has passed, as you know."

Nojiko spoke to them quietly but with an urgent tone.

"What? Did you miss your lover that quickly, Nojiko?" Nami laughed and teased her sister.

Seeing Nami's behavior, Nojiko didn't get angry. On the contrary, she looked at her with a small smile on her face. Unfortunately, this smile was hidden because her face was covered. "That's right~ I wish I could spend all the time in this world with Ren~"

"You—"

"Sigh… Here we go again..." Just as Nami was about to respond, Robin sighed and tried to ease the tension between the two girls.

While the girls were laughing and joking with each other, their eyes suddenly narrowed, and they looked behind them.

"You three, the This god demands to see your faces, and... why aren't you kneeling?"

The source of the voice was behind them, and the girls recognized it thanks to their Observation Haki.

"Damn Celestial Dragon…" Nami muttered coldly under her breath, audible only to Nojiko and Robin, then turned to glare at the ugly man who was looking at them blankly.

This Celestial Dragon, like the rest of his kind, was dressed in brilliant white attire, resembling an arrogant astronaut, adorned with shiny buttons indicating his high status. His large glass helmet encased his head, giving him an impervious look, breathing only the filtered air that he thought kept him away from the common people.

He held a shiny small gun in his hand, entirely made of gold, revealing the extent of this stupid pig's extravagance.

His silver gloves covered his chubby hands as he stood firmly on the ground, surrounded by an air of innate arrogance, making those around him feel that he did not belong to this underworld but to a higher class—the class of Celestial Dragons, the gods.

The girls looked and saw a complete line of people kneeling in fear, and surprisingly, many pirates were also kneeling in fear, not daring to make a single sound. They also saw several dead bodies—men, women,—who seemed to have been shot in vital areas.

"Kneel, you animals! Kneel before me, Saint Leonious Supremia! Liohahahaha!"

The disgusting laughter of the Celestial Dragon echoed throughout Grove 18, but no one dared to make a sound.

Surrounding Saint Leonious Supremia were five men in black clothing, members of Cipher Pol responsible for protecting the Celestial Dragons , and there was some slaves in the ground.

"You, you stupid dog, kill those three; they refuse to kneel before me, and that annoys me." Saint Leonious spoke with annoyance, pointing at one of the agents dressed in a suit and black glasses.

"Yes, my lord!" the agent replied coldly, then disappeared from his spot and reappeared in front of Nojiko, aiming his finger imbued with Haki at her heart.

"!!!"

His expression froze when he felt the imminent danger; his spine trembled in fear. He wanted to retreat, but it was too late.

*Swish~!*

Nami quickly drew her sword and cut towards the cold-looking agent—well, his face wasn't cold anymore, anyway.

*Splash!*

Under the terrified gazes of everyone, the agent was split in two and fell to the ground dead, his blood pouring onto the ground.

"Y-You, you dog slave! How dare you die without my permission?! And you, the other slave, how dare you kill my servant—" Saint Leonious Supremia shouted like a raging pig, but he could no longer speak as he felt someone behind him.

"Look who we have here… a troublesome Celestial Pig… Hmm." A cold voice spoke from behind him, making Saint Leonious Supremia, the proud, majestic, and noble Celestial Dragon, feel fear. But soon, that feeling was suppressed and replaced with anger and madness.

"I am Leonious Supremia! I am a god! How can I fear just a mere human slave?! You, guards! Kill everyone who breathes here and then kill yourselves… or don't kill yourselves; otherwise, how will I return to the Holy Land? Liohahaha, well, I'll be merciful and let you kill yourselves when you return me to the Holy Land." The Celestial Dragon began to talk to himself like a fool, but he soon noticed that the guards were not responding to him.

In fact, he was still staring at Nojiko, Nami, and Robin, never turning around. Why should he? They should come to him to kneel before him; mere humans should be honored to see his divine form, shouldn't that be a privilege?

"Hey, you slave guards, why aren't you listening—"

Saint Leonious Supremia turned his body and looked behind him while speaking, but his eyes widened in shock at the current scene.

He was looking at dozens of corpses; the pirates who had been kneeling before him were all dead, as were his guards, lying on the ground without a trace of life and with deep wounds on their bodies.

"As expected from a Celestial Dragon... your stupidity amazes me." Ren spoke in a tone loud enough for Saint Leonious Supremia to hear.

Ren's figure was concealed beneath his cloak, accompanied by his crew members. A cold smile crept onto his face as he extended his hand toward the terrified Celestial Dragon.

"You—you! Lowly human, what do you intend to do to this god—" Saint Leonious was silenced by the forceful blow from Ren's fist. Without a moment's hesitation, a white tremor of energy erupted from his hand, crushing the Celestial Dragon's skull.

*Crack~!*

The small earthquake was precisely focused, targeting only the Celestial Dragon's head. In the next instant, his head was reduced to a paste of flesh and blood.

Ren discarded the lifeless body onto the ground as if tossing aside a dead dog, then turned to Kalifa and the others, who were in shock.

"Take us back to Elsama before the admiral arrives." Ren's tone was calm and devoid of any fear.

Kalifa snapped out of her daze regarding what had just occurred and looked at Ren with newfound respect. She quickly composed herself and replied, "A-at your command, Captain!"

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"Cosmic Travel."

.

As soon as she uttered those words, a silver aura burst forth around Kalifa, extending like a small whirlwind that enveloped her body. It gradually expanded to include everyone—Ren, Mikita, Robin, Nami, and Nojiko. From within this shimmering aura, a light resembling stardust emerged, sparkling in silver and interwoven with deep purple threads, as if they were witnessing a piece of another dimension pulsating with life.

As the aura's power intensified, the ground beneath their feet began to fade slowly, as if it were disappearing into a dark abyss. Everyone felt as though they were detaching from reality, their bodies light as if weightless, drifting in a strange sensation between dream and reality.

Earlier, Ren had requested Kalifa to create a "focal point" in Elsama for the instant transfer experiment, and what was unfolding now was the result.

In a fleeting moment, they found themselves surrounded by a horizon of sparkling colors and twinkling starry whirlwinds, resembling a journey through space itself. The surrounding space was saturated with vibrant shades of blue, silver, and purple, dancing like galaxies swimming peacefully in a cold void. A mysterious sensation of delicate vibrations coursed through their bodies, as if they were gliding rapidly through the universe, yet everything felt strangely serene.

Ren took a deep breath, contemplating, 'Is this outer space? No, that doesn't make sense... perhaps it's part of the spatial corridor?' He sensed that Kalifa had an answer to this enigmatic question.

By the way, Ren was capable of intercepting this process using his Haki, owing to the fact that Kalifa's would need to be at least at the same level as him to resist his intervention in the instant transfer.

Meanwhile, Nami felt a slight dizziness and whispered, "So this is the feeling of instant transfer..." while Nojiko experienced mild dizziness but managed to maintain her balance amid this cosmic journey.

Robin felt greater dizziness but, with a calm demeanor, gazed at the horizon around them and whispered in admiration, "It's an incredible power… it allows us to see the world from a different perspective." Her words faded into the vastness.

Suddenly, the light surrounding them began to shift as if receding, and as the silver glow diminished, they felt solid ground beneath their feet once more. The air around them was warm, contrasting sharply with the coldness of the dark space. They opened their eyes to find themselves on the deck of the ship Elsama, floating high among the clouds.

Moments of astonishment lingered before Mikita caught her breath and remarked, looking slightly dizzy, "This transfer… feels like flying through the void of space filled with stars... a sensation that is both enchanting and terrifying at the same time."

Kalifa, breathing heavily after her exertion, smiled faintly and said, "It wasn't easy, but it was worth every bit of effort."

Ren smiled calmly after removing his cloak and looked at Kalifa, speaking reassuringly, "Well done, Kalifa. When you become stronger and gain Haki, this skill will improve significantly, and you won't feel as fatigued after using it."

"Thank you, Captain!" Kalifa replied with an enthusiastic smile.

Robin gazed at Ren with a look filled with wonder and awe, saying, "Still I can't believe what happened down there..." she recalled the image of the Celestial Dragon who had been killed earlier.

The other girls who remained aboard Elsama approached the returning group, curiosity evident on their faces. One of them asked, "What happened down there, Robin?"

Ren glanced at Kalifa, signaling her to share the details. She began recounting the story from their arrival at Grove 13 up to the thrilling incident at Grove 18.

As she narrated the events, shock spread across the girls' faces with each sentence. Nami, Nojiko, and Robin were astonished by Ren and his crew's encounter with the Dark King, Rayleigh.

However, upon mentioning the recent incident—the killing of the Celestial Dragon—

The girls fell into a profound shock, realizing for the first time the audacity and madness of their captain.

Meanwhile, Elsama glided gracefully into the depths of the sea, creating a thin barrier to protect itself from the water as it headed toward Fish-Man Island with pride and speed.

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To be continued...

Question:Should I revise the first chapters because they are full of spelling mistakes?