[157] The Ruins[1]

[2400 Words]

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[The New World]

[Unknown Island]

The vast sea is never short of uninhabited islands, especially in a place like the Grand Line—or more precisely, the New World.

On one of these numerous islands, a mysterious darkness seemed to engulf everything in sight.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!"

An enraged scream echoed, belonging to a sinister-looking man whose madness was evident. He cursed and smashed everything in his path, yet his anger only seemed to grow.

"Argh! This can't be happening! My power! The Quake-Quake Fruit, my power!" He struck the ground, leaving a deep crater, but this act failed to soothe the infamous pirate, the former Warlord, Blackbeard Marshall D. Teach.

"Captain Teach has been losing his temper easily these days…"

One of the men hiding on the island and observing Teach's rampage spoke. They were none other than members of his newly formed crew.

"Sigh... I don't know what his plan was, but its failure hit him hard", said Lafitte, the brain of the Blackbeard Pirates.

Hearing Lafitte's words, the crew members fell silent, especially Shiryu of the Rain, the infamous Impel Down traitor.

'Pathetic…' A subtle look of disdain appeared on Shiryu's face as he glanced at Teach, who was beginning to calm down again.

'Let's just see how far he gets…'

With those thoughts, Shiryu exhaled smoke from his cigarette and gazed at the blue sky.

'Ah, what a peaceful day...'

-----

[Iron Jaw Island]

This island seemed like a natural battlefield brimming with ferocity and mystery. It was surrounded by a series of jagged black mountains resembling the teeth of a massive jaw, giving it the name Iron Jaw.

These sharp rocky peaks rose high into the sky, appearing as though they were guarding the island, deterring any intruders.

Upon entering the island, the crew encountered rugged terrain filled with massive boulders and deep ravines. The ground was black and cracked, as if scorched by immense heat that left indelible marks. Scattered across the harsh plains were corroded remains of gigantic skeletons belonging to unknown creatures, their rust adding an eerie glow, as though they were relics of an ancient battle.

The forest at the heart of the island was peculiar, with twisted trees and rigid, metallic-like branches glinting in a dark gray hue. With every step, the sound of wind whistling through the rocks echoed like a distant wail, enhancing the island's haunting atmosphere.

[Image here]

"The ruins should be somewhere around here…" Ren muttered as he wandered across the island with his crew.

"Captain, the island labeled God Valley on this map should be submerged, as you said earlier. And Iron Jaw Island is really gloomy, so why not head directly there?" Nami spoke calmly as she walked beside Ren.

"That's what I initially thought when I left you on Sky Bloom Island. But look at what happened there... Repeating mistakes is just plain stupidity."

Ren smirked sarcastically, placing a hand on Nami's shoulder and pulling her closer.

"Ah~," a soft moan escaped the mischievous navigator's lips, but a smile soon adorned her face. "That's true... Let's go treasure hunting, girls~!"

"Treasure?! I'm so excited!" Shirahoshi beamed with childlike enthusiasm that contrasted with her mature physique as she threw herself toward Nami.

"Sigh... Get back here, you little rascal!", Mikita yelled fiercely at Shirahoshi, who had left her side as soon as she heard the words "treasure hunt."

"Fufufu~ Looks like you're really enjoying yourself, Mikita," Robin chuckled lightly from the side.

"Kyahaha~ Well, I can't deny that." Mikita laughed with her usual mischievous grin.

"Captain~ I'm going to hunt some beasts with Kaya. Leila, want to join us?"

Vivi appeared before Ren and informed him of her plans with a gentle smile.

Before Ren could reply, a soft voice interrupted, "I plan to stay by my brother's side for a while. Sorry, girls… Let's do it another time~."

It was Leila, who never strayed far from Ren, who spoke.

"Hmm, no problem," Kaya and Vivi nodded before heading off.

"You want to stay with me? That's sweet." Ren looked at his blue-haired sister and smiled gently.

"Oh? You don't want me around anymore?" She feigned a sad expression.

"Of course not." He wrapped his arms around her smaller frame, feeling the softness of her waist.

Standing at nearly 188 centimeters (6 feet 2 inches), Leila was petite compared to him.

Feeling his hand on her body, warmth spread through her, making her blush deeply as she covered her mouth to stifle a moan.

Fortunately for her, the other girls had gone off in different groups, leaving only her and her brother alone in the area.

"Ah~ S-Stop it, brother... Your touch feels strange~ Ahhn~…"

Despite her protests, Ren ignored her, prompting her to puff her cheeks in annoyance.

"This trip is going to be fun…" Ren smiled at her as they made their way toward the island's western shore.

There, Ren felt something calling out to him.

-----

"These creatures are strange. The world is truly full of wonders…"

Kaya sighed as she observed the creatures walking on all fours. Their heads resembled snakes, they had eagle-like wings, and their claws were akin to those of a mantis.

"It's been a while since I stretched. Let me handle this~," Zala declared confidently, eyeing the creatures with a bold grin. She had accompanied Kaia and Shirahoshi on this outing.

*ROAR!*

The strange beasts seemed provoked and charged toward Zala with their claws poised to strike, aiming to tear her apart.

But the girl was far from defenseless. Using the powers of the Spike-Spike Fruit (Toge Toge no Mi), her body transformed into a spiked ball. Sharp spikes jutted out from her entire body.

"Stinger Hedgehog!"

*Whoosh!*

Zala rolled at incredible speed despite being in a ball-like shape. She barreled into the beasts, which screeched in pain as her sharp spikes pierced their flesh.

Within seconds, all the beasts were defeated.

"I used to be content with this Devil Fruit... but now..." Zala sighed, thinking about the powerful abilities the rest of the crew had gained.

For instance, Kaia, who was with her and Shirahoshi now.

Despite her appearance as a gentle doctor, the blonde girl could take down a Vice Admiral if she tried hard enough!

Zala began pondering the idea of asking Ren for a new Devil Fruit.

And what would the price be? A slight blush crept onto her face, as if she were thinking of something indecent.

Thankfully, a voice interrupted her thoughts. "You were amazing, Zala."

"That's right," Vivi added.

Zala turned to Kaia and Vivi, who were praising her kindly, and soon found herself chatting with them again.

-----

Meanwhile, the larger group, consisting of Nami, Nojiko, Robin, Bell-mere, Mikita, and Shirahoshi, were busy with other tasks.

Kalifa, as usual, wasn't with them. She had stayed by Ren's side.

"I found something!" Shirahoshi's voice rang out, drawing the others' attention.

"Is that... a treasure chest?" Nami looked at Shirahoshi in surprise. She had only suggested a treasure hunt to lure Shirahoshi along, but the mermaid had actually found something!

"Let me check it out," Nami said, taking the chest and inspecting it closely. It was covered in rust, dust, and dirt, with decayed, weathered wood.

A small, rusty lock kept the chest sealed.

Nami didn't need a key. Under the curious eyes of the others, she grabbed the lock and snapped it open.

*Snap!*

*Creak...*

The chest opened, revealing its contents.

The chest was relatively small, so it wasn't filled with much gold. Nami felt a brief pang of disappointment.

But then she thought, maybe there was something better than gold? A Devil Fruit, perhaps?

"..."

Inside the chest was a piece of paper. Nami pulled it out and read the words written on it.

Luckily, it was in the world's common language.

"You've been fooled, traveler. No treasure here."

"..."

The group fell into an eerie silence after Nami read the note aloud.

Veins bulged on Nami's forehead as her expression turned ferocious, scaring even Shirahoshi.

She raised the chest high in the air, and then...

*ZZZZZZT!!*

Lightning surged from her hand, melting the chest and tearing through the atmosphere.

"...."

"Well~ let's continue our journey~," Nami said with a forced smile, turning to the others.

"Oh... okay..." Nojiko was the first to respond, holding back her laughter as she looked at her sister.

"Next time, I'll find a real treasure!" Shirahoshi declared with determination, clenching her fist.

"Sure, sure~ Let's keep moving," Robin said, maintaining her usual calm demeanor.

And so, after an event that infuriated Nami and amused the others, they continued their journey.

-----

"Captain, are you saying... we need to dive into the sea?" Kalifa asked Ren, her tone filled with surprise.

"Yes... The sound is coming from below. There's no doubt these are the ruins of the Valley of the Gods, submerged beneath the ocean."

Ren's gaze didn't waver from the sea as he held both Leila and Kalifa by their waists.

Kalifa was on his right, and Leila on his left.

Luckily for them—or perhaps unluckily—he wasn't using his "Divine Massage" technique at the moment, as he was focused on their objective.

"I'll go alone to investigate and confirm if our target is down there. Meanwhile, contact the others and have them come here," Ren ordered as he released the two women, leaving them on the shore.

"Understood, Captain!" Kalifa responded with a serious nod.

"Stay safe, brother," Leila said, her usual concern evident as she wished for his safety.

*Splash~!*

Ren dove into the sea. Despite being a Devil Fruit user, he felt no noticeable effects or weakness from the ocean water.

'It seems to be coming from this direction...'

He focused on the "Voice of All Things" and followed the source of the sound. It wasn't a human language per se, but rather an incomprehensible "murmuring."

If it had been an actual language, Ren would have understood it. However, it felt more like incoherent rambling—similar to what he'd encountered with the giant crab from the island before.

Thanks to his immense physical strength, Ren managed to swim at speeds tens of times faster than the best swimmers of his old world, undeterred by the water pressure at this depth.

Small fish scattered in all directions upon seeing this strange human swimming freely and with unmatched speed. Even sharks and sea beasts felt fear, suppressed by his overwhelming aura.

However, not all creatures were afraid to face him. Some fierce and brave sea monsters blocked his path, but they quickly collapsed unconscious as Ren unleashed a wave of Conqueror's Haki, appearing as a storm of black lightning raging through the depths.

'This is a good opportunity to test the underwater breathing skill...' The thought crossed his mind, and in the next moment, magical gills appeared on both sides of his neck.

These gills were perfectly positioned, directly connected to his bloodstream, minimizing the distance oxygen traveled to reach his cells. Additionally, their design reduced friction while swimming, ensuring a continuous flow of water through them.

Ren felt a bit strange using this skill for the first time, but he quickly adapted. Humans, by nature, possess an incredible ability to adapt to even the most unnatural changes.

As Ren continued swimming into the depths, he began noticing changes in his surroundings. The waters grew more mysterious and calm, as if something unseen was watching his movements. Approaching this underwater realm, where light gradually faded, he finally saw what he was searching for.

Ruins!

The sunken island, now reduced to mere remnants beneath the sea, consisted of ancient rocks and crumbled walls. A small part of the island still resisted the passage of time and the relentless water pressure, while most of it had sunk deep into the ocean, lying in the embrace of the sea that had swallowed its history.

As he neared, Ren cast a scrutinizing gaze over what remained of this forgotten place. It appeared to hold secrets of the legendary battle that once took place here, as though time itself had frozen in this location.

Discovering this place wasn't easy. The area was littered with decayed corpses and scattered skeletal remains.

'The sound is closer than ever...'

Ren kept moving forward, his legs propelling him through the water. He paid no mind to his drenched clothes—after all, with a mere thought, he could restore them, but they'd only get wet again. So, what was the point?

Returning to the main matter, Ren pinpointed the source of the sound and reached another part of these submerged ruins.

There were crumbling stone walls and broken columns, covered in algae and coral reefs.

The atmosphere was eerie and filled with mystery. Shadows dominated the waters, and sunlight failed to reach this hidden spot in the sea's depths, amplifying the sense of isolation and dread.

Among the ruins, human skeletons lay scattered, as if remnants of a forgotten, catastrophic battle.

[ Image here]

But the grotesque and savage sight of hundreds of skeletal remains wasn't what shocked Ren.

What stunned him was what lay amidst this chaotic scene.

There, a lifeless human "corpse" floated motionless, surrounded by a sinister black aura, pulsating quietly like a heart beating with dark energy.

Above the corpse hovered a large, ominous black fruit, defying the water's grip.

When Ren laid eyes on this fruit, a thought crossed his mind: A Devil Fruit...? But its size...

The fruit was marked with intricate patterns and emitted a faint, dark glow. The surrounding water seemed slightly disturbed by its fearsome aura.

[ Image here]

The entire scene looked like a tableau drawn from a myth, sunken and forgotten in the depths of the sea.

The voice Ren had been hearing since stepping onto Iron Jaw Island abruptly changed into coherent words:

"You there... I see you... Come closer... Release me... Release me, and I shall destroy the world... Release me..."

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To be continued....

Who...?