[158] The Ruins[2]

[2200 Words]

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"You there... I see you... Come here... Release me... Release me... Release me, and I will destroy the world... Release me..."

The voice was clear to Ren, even in the depths of the ocean—a voice brimming with malice and evil, pulsating with an insatiable thirst for blood.

It was... magnificent.

'How strange... A Devil Fruit of this size releasing its powers at the bottom of the sea...'

The thought echoed in Ren's mind as the scene before him grew increasingly unsettling. First, Devil Fruits weren't supposed to be this massive. Second, the black aura enveloping it wasn't a mere illusion; he could feel it distinctly—it was the undeniable power of a Devil Fruit.

"Release me... Release me, and I'll reward you with all the treasures of the world... Come on..."

The ominous voice echoed once again in the water, laden with temptation and promises that even a child could sense were lies, hiding malicious intent beneath the surface.

Ren's gaze focused on the strange corpse, which appeared to be slowly regenerating, drawing energy from the massive floating fruit above it.

He had a suspicion about the identity of this disfigured corpse, but unfortunately, he couldn't voice his thoughts. Human voices were inaudible underwater due to the density difference between air and water, rendering vocal cords ineffective.

But in his heart, he could say the name:

'Rocks D. Xebec.'

A name erased from history—a name the World Government worked tirelessly to bury. The man who once terrified the seas and captained the strongest creatures aboard his ship. The leader of the Rocks Pirates: Rocks D. Xebec.

'From the moment I saw "God Valley" marked on that treasure map, I knew it would somehow relate to him... But this exceeds my expectations a bit.'

What was this? Resurrection or healing? Ren wasn't entirely sure, but he leaned toward the former.

It was said that Rocks D. Xebec died during his battle against Garp and Roger, and the island of God Valley vanished along with him. What would Sengoku and Garp's expressions be if they learned that the ancient monster who once terrorized the seas was still alive, plotting his return?

'Their reactions would be priceless... Rehahaha...'

He laughed inwardly, but his expression turned cold when he sensed the killing intent emanating from the corpse wrapped in the black glow.

"Release me... Come closer... Hurry...!!"

Ren hid his smirk and began swimming toward the corpse and the giant fruit. The sinister voice grew more excited, as if it could see Ren approaching.

"Yes, yes... That's right... Come closer... Come to me..."

"Xehahahahahahah!!"

A maniacal laugh escaped as Ren's body reached the corpse. In the next instant, a hand formed of black energy shot toward him.

"HUH?!"

A startled sound escaped from the corpse as the black hand was caught and held firmly.

Who else but Ren? He had coated his entire arm in Armament Haki and stopped the sudden attack effortlessly.

'A mere dead man acting so high and mighty, huh? Death truly is the enemy of all living beings. Just look at your state now.' Ren sighed mentally, then made his next move.

.

"Broken World."

.

"Newgate's Fruit... H-how... In the sea... I-it's impossible...!!"

*Crack~!*

*Shatter~!*

Ren ignored the words of the corpse, which was somehow capable of speech. Perhaps it was just a lingering soul awaiting the completion of a new body crafted by the bizarre Devil Fruit, or maybe it was simply healing—but Ren didn't care.

What he cared about was the giant Devil Fruit.

He wanted it.

He knew it had to be something extraordinary, given Rocks D. Xebec's current state. He wasn't interested in extracting information.

Miss System would tell him everything about it anyway, wouldn't she?

He'd grown quite reliant on Miss System, perhaps from the start. How else could he have reached this level of power in just a few months?

Yes, his hard work and relentless training played a part, but effort alone wasn't enough. The system's rewards were like magic—a shortcut through time, effort, pain, sweat, and tears.

*Crack~!*

*Roar~!*

The ocean waters fractured in a terrifying spectacle, creating massive waves in the depths. Fish of all sizes and species panicked and fled, seeking shelter from the bizarre phenomenon.

"No!!! Don't do this!!! Don't destroy the fruits of my decades of labor!!! No, Bastard!!!"

Ren paid no heed to the enraged, maddened voice. Moving swiftly and elegantly, he grabbed the corpse cloaked in darkness.

'This...' Ren raised an eyebrow in mild surprise at the sight of the corpse.

It was a man who appeared middle-aged, with wrinkles that hinted he'd once been old but was now... growing younger?

'Is this because of the fruit?'

The thought made him even greedier.

'I want it.'

That was his only thought now.

When a pirate desires something, they get it—or rather, they take it—whether by force or not. Such were pirates: a group of thieves driven by their greedy hearts' desires.

This was what it meant to live freely.

It wasn't poetic or romantic as depicted in the original work. Instead, it was logical; after all, it was a show for 13-year-olds.

Clearing unnecessary thoughts from his mind, he glanced coldly at the man struggling desperately within his grasp.

*Crack!*

He didn't exert much force; it wasn't necessary.

The sound of bones being crushed echoed, and the resistance from the old man ceased entirely.

He was dead.

Rocks D. Xebec, who once had grand ambitions to fulfill, was interrupted and killed in a comical, pitiful manner deep beneath the sea.

Ren didn't care much about the corpse but stored it in The Infinity Space, just to ensure nothing went wrong.

The fact that the body could enter The Infinity Space confirmed that Rocks D. Xebec was truly dead.

It was impossible to deceive something provided by the system, one of its core features, no less.

[That is indeed impossible, Master. The power of the system is something you'll never comprehend. Hmph! Hmph~!]

'Yeah, yeah…' Ren replied. Miss System's words, though arrogant, were true.

'Now, let's see what to do with this fruit.' He approached the Devil Fruit, which had changed following Rocks' death.

Its previously dark, ominous aura was gone. Perhaps the absence of the body that had been with it for decades unsettled it—if the fruit had any awareness, that is.

However, Ren doubted it did. It wasn't a mythical Zoan, after all.

*Whoosh!*

A strange sound emerged from the ruins as the fruit began spinning oddly and erratically. With each spin, it shrank in size.

Within seconds, the fruit had returned to the standard size of Devil Fruits!

Immediately after this, the fruit began to float toward the surface.

'Like I'd let you!'

Ren smiled greedily and grabbed the fruit. It resisted slightly at first, but the struggle quickly ceased when Ren unleashed Conqueror's Haki in the form of destructive black lightning.

He attempted to store the fruit in The Infinity Space and succeeded.

'Miss System, does this fruit not have a soul?'

[Master, it has a will but cannot be considered a living being.]

'I see… So anything lacking a soul can be stored, regardless of its will or other peculiarities…'

After pondering for a few moments, Ren resumed swimming and exploring the ruins.

Why was he doing this? Well… naturally, to claim the sunken treasures!

It's said that God Valley was a gathering place for the Celestial Dragons, which is why Rocks D. Xebec targeted it at the height of his power. There should be countless treasures submerged with the island, right?

Even if it was mere fan theory, Ren's photographic memory recalled everything.

It was also widely known, even in his past life, that the ocean depths contained billions of dollars' worth of items lost due to shipwrecks.

Over half a million shipping containers sink annually into the seas!

Of course, the percentage wouldn't be as high in this world… but there had to be something.

Ren continued swimming, and soon, new ruins appeared deep within the ocean, like echoes from a bygone era.

The tilted stone pillars were covered in marine moss, as if time itself tried to conceal them. But the chests resting in the middle of the plaza stole all of Ren's attention.

He had finally found them—gold and jewels, an abundance of them!

There was a main treasure chest, large and adorned with raised carvings on its edges, depicting a dragon with sharp teeth guarding its contents.

Its lid was open—or rather, broken. Inside, gold coins sparkled, their dazzling glow telling tales of extravagant lives etched onto their surfaces.

Among the coins, precious gemstones of emerald and ruby hues shimmered, casting mesmerizing reflections in every direction. Gentle water currents made them sway as if they were dancing.

Nearby, smaller chests were neatly arranged, secured with rusty locks. Despite their age, the locks seemed sturdy, as if challenging anyone who dared to approach. Some of these locks were broken, revealing more treasures: overturned golden goblets, diamond-encrusted crowns, and daggers with pearl-adorned hilts.

Small fish gathered around the treasures, perhaps seeking food—or merely attracted by the gleam of gold in this dark part of the ocean.

The muddy sand surrounding the chests was scattered with lost coins, as if the treasures were overflowing.

In the background stood a stone statue of a mysterious sea creature, half dragon and half seahorse. Its eyes, though made of stone, seemed to pierce through Ren, giving him an eerie feeling.

[Image Here]

When Ren touched the treasure chests, a blue light emerged from his hand. With every touch, the chests disappeared from the place they had rested for decades, as if they had never been there.

'I'm rich!' he thought, suppressing his excitement. There were dozens of chests filled with gold and treasures worth billions of berries!

As expected from the Celestial Dragons!

'I must thank them later... Rehahaha!'

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[On the surface]

"The captain hasn't returned yet…" Kalifa glanced downward, her restrained worry evident.

She wasn't alone with Leila; all the crew members had gathered as well.

"Let's go after him!" Leila said firmly. It had been over 20 minutes since Ren had left them.

"Calm down, girls… The captain told us to wait for him." Robin looked around calmly at the crew, sensing the tension in the air as she tried to reassure them.

"Fufufu~ Why all the drama? Have you forgotten the captain's strength?" Nojiko chuckled as she sat on a nearby rock, cleaning her pistol with a white cloth.

"That's right! Ren-sama is very strong. He could defeat a really big dragon!" Shirahoshi shared Nojiko's confidence, though her trembling legs betrayed her nervousness.

Hearing Nojiko's words, the girls couldn't help but nod.

Yes, their captain was indeed powerful, but now he was deep underwater. Though he wouldn't be affected by the curse of seawater...

A woman's heart is complex; even if the person they care about is invincible, they would still worry for them.

Ren, however, didn't plan to keep them waiting much longer.

*Splash~!*

"!!"

The loud sound from below immediately drew the attention of all the girls.

It didn't take them long to recognize who had emerged.

"Captain!" Zala was the first to shout.

Shirahoshi rushed toward him and threw herself into his arms. "Ren-sama!"

A small smile appeared on Leila's face. "Welcome back, brother."

"Fufu, see? He's not hurt; in fact, he looks better than ever," Nojiko said as she stood up, her pistol vanishing as if by magic.

Hearing Nojiko's comment, Nami smirked slyly. "Hmph, don't act like you weren't worried, Nojiko. I can see your fingers trembling!"

"Nami!!" Embarrassed, Nojiko wanted to smack her mischievous sister.

"Fufufu~ How cute. Sibling quarrels, huh?" Robin, who was near Ren, commented as she observed the interaction between the two girls.

"Let me check if you're injured anywhere, Captain." Kaya adjusted her glasses and approached him, even though it was clear he was in perfect health.

"I apologize, Captain. As your secretary, I shouldn't have left your side." Mikita's voice was filled with guilt.

"..."

Ren looked at all this with a stoic expression, but the next moment, a smile appeared on his face.

Sigh... "It seems I made you worry for no reason, huh?"

Hearing his words, Vivi, who had remained silent until then, replied, "Yes, they were all very worried~."

"Don't act like you were any different from us!" Nami didn't hesitate to expose her.

"Well, girls, there's no need to argue~" Before Ren could stop them, Bell-mere intervened.

The woman looked at Ren with a strange gaze before saying, "Welcome back, Ren-san."

After a brief chat with the girls, Ren glanced at Elsama, hovering above Iron Jaw Island, and nodded toward Nami.

Nami seemed to understand what he wanted, and in the next moment, the ship began to descend toward them.

"Alright, girls… it's time to go home!!"

"OOOOWWWWHHHHHHH!!"

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To be continued....

-The second Volume is about to end.