The restaurant was full, with cooks working at full capacity while a pirate crew occupied the entire space.
"BWAHAHAHA! Oi! Oi! Where's the fuckin' rum gone to?! I need that shit on the table at once!" he ordered to the waiter, who was already sweating buckets just standing.
The waiter flinched at the pirate shouting at him.
"WHAT?! WHY ARE YOU STANDING AROUND HERE STILL, BOY?! Get me the fuckin' rum, or I'll butcher you like a pig, alright?!" he threatened, reaching for his cutlass.
The waiter scrambled to the kitchen as quickly as he could, tripping over air.
"BWAHAHAHA!" The pirate laughed, clutching his stomach. "Get up, boy! You got a deathwish or something?" he asked, kicked the boy's heel hard enough for his entire body to jerk forward.
"S-sorry, sir," the waiter apologized as he stood up, before running to the kitchen.
The pirate captain was a mountain of a man with a scarred face and gold teeth. He slammed his fist on the table. Plates rattled and a wine glass fell to the floor and shattered. His crew burst out laughing. There were about twenty of them. They'd been terrorizing this part of Paradise for over a month now.
"Boss Garrick, you're gonna give the kid a heart attack!" one of his men said, raising his mug.
"Good! Teaches him respect!" Garrick shouted back with a wide grin. "Besides, we paid good money for this place tonight." He paused and scratched his chin. "Well, we will pay. Eventually. Maybe."
The crew laughed harder.
The restaurant owner stood in the corner. His hands were shaking and his face was pale. He'd tried to refuse them entry earlier. That got him a broken chair thrown at his head and a promise that next time it would be his neck.
The door opened.
A gust of wind blew in from outside. The hair on the back of their necks stood up for no reason at all, suddenly, at the sight of his figure.
The laughter stopped.
A boy stood in the doorway.
He looked about seventeen, maybe younger. He had silver-black hair, blowing in the wind. His eyes were gold, royal gold. He wore a ragged red cloak over mismatched armor. A dented steel pauldron on one shoulder. A cracked breastplate. Gauntlets that didn't match. And one single chipped katana.
He wasn't wearing shoes.
"A king must feel his land beneath him," the boy said quietly. Nobody had asked him anything.
Garrick's eye twitched. "Oi. Kid. The restaurant's closed. Private party. Get lost."
The boy didn't move. His golden eyes locked onto Garrick. The pirate captain's hand drifted toward his cutlass without him meaning to.
The boy smiled. It was a thin smile that looked peaceful and insane at the same time.
"Closed?" he repeated. "How strange. I didn't know my subjects needed permission to be in my throne room."
Nobody said anything.
One of Garrick's men snorted. "Your what now?"
The boy stepped inside. His bare feet made no sound on the wooden floor. As he walked forward, something appeared behind his head. A ring of glowing golden symbols that spun slowly in the air. None of them could read the symbols but looking at them felt wrong somehow.
"I am Renji," the boy said. "King of all that stands before Me. And you..."
He stopped walking. He tilted his head like he was listening to something no one else could hear.
"You are sitting in My Chancellor's seat."
Garrick stared at him. Then he burst out laughing. "BWAHAHAHA! You hear this brat?! He thinks he's a king!"
His crew joined in, slapping the tables and dying of laughter.
Renji didn't laugh. He didn't even blink. His smile just grew a little wider.
"You dare mock your sovereign?" he asked softly.
The laughter faltered. Not because of what he said. But because the air had changed. It felt heavier now. Thicker.
Garrick stopped laughing. His grin faded. "Listen here, you little shit. I don't know what kind of drugs you're on, but you got exactly three seconds to turn around and walk out that door before I gut you like a fish."
Renji's golden eyes glowed.
"Kneel."
Garrick's legs buckled. He caught himself on the table, breathing hard.
Around him, half his crew had the same look on their faces. Confused. Shaken. A few of the weaker ones were already on one knee, eyes wide with fear.
"What... what the hell did you just do?!" Garrick snarled.
Renji walked forward slowly.
"I gave My subject an order," Renji said calmly. "And you hesitated. That is treason."
He drew his sword. The blade was chipped and worn, but it gleamed like it had just been polished that morning.
"Treason," Renji continued, "is punishable by death."
Garrick's face went red. "You cocky little bastard!" He drew his cutlass and charged forward. "I'LL KILL YOU!"
Renji didn't move.
He just stood there. Watching. Waiting.
And then, just as Garrick's blade was about to reach him, Renji spoke again.
"Stop."
Garrick froze mid-swing. His entire body locked up like he'd been turned to stone. His eyes went wide. He tried to move. Tried to swing. Tried to do anything.
Nothing.
"Wh... what..."
Renji stepped to the side casually. He looked at Garrick like someone might look at a painting in a museum.
"Interesting," Renji murmured. "Your will is stronger than most. You're still conscious. Impressive."
He raised his sword.
"But not enough."
"BOSS!" one of the pirates screamed. The crew scrambled to their feet, drawing weapons.
Renji's eyes flicked toward them.
"Sit."
Ten of them dropped back into their chairs immediately. Their bodies moved against their will. They grabbed at the tables, trying to stand, but their legs wouldn't obey.
"What kind of Devil Fruit is this?!" one of them shouted.
Renji tilted his head. "Devil Fruit?" He smiled wider. "No. This is divine right."
He turned back to Garrick. The pirate captain was still frozen in place. Sweat poured down his face.
He swung.
The blade cut clean through Garrick's neck.
The head rolled across the floor and stopped at Renji's bare feet. He stared down at it for a moment, then kicked it aside like trash.
Blood pooled on the wooden floor.
Garrick's body slumped forward. Renji grabbed it by the collar and lifted it with one hand. The body was massive, but he threw it out the door like it weighed nothing. It crashed into the street outside with a heavy thud.
"Hmm... my dear subjects..." Renji called out, turning back to the crew. A wide smile spread across his face.
The pirates stared at him, scared.
"M-Monster!" one of them shouted.
Renji's smile faded.
"Monster?" he repeated quietly. He walked toward the pirate who'd spoken. "No. I am your King. And you..." He looked around the restaurant.
"You have desecrated My throne room."
He stopped in front of the pirate. The man tried to back away, but his body wouldn't move. He was frozen just like Garrick had been.
"P-Please," the pirate begged. "We'll leave. We'll pay for everything. Just let us go."
Renji tilted his head. "Leave?" He looked confused. "But the trial has already begun. You have been judged."
He raised his sword.
"Guilty."
The blade came down. It split the pirate's skull clean in half. Blood sprayed across the floor and splattered on the nearby tables. The body fell in two directions.
The restaurant erupted in screams.
"RUN!" someone shouted.
Half the crew bolted for the door. The other half charged at Renji with their weapons raised, screaming battle cries.
Renji didn't move from where he stood. He just watched them come.
"Stop."
Five of the charging pirates froze mid-run. Their feet locked to the floor. Their eyes went wide with terror as their bodies refused to obey them.
The others kept running. Three of them made it past Renji and reached the door.
"The doors are sealed."
The pirates grabbed the door handles and pulled. Nothing happened. They pulled harder. The doors wouldn't budge. It was like they were welded shut.
"What the hell?!" one of them screamed, slamming his shoulder against the door.
Behind them, Renji walked toward the five frozen pirates. His sword dragged along the floor, leaving a thin trail of blood.
"You destroyed this place," Renji said softly. "You terrorized the people who work here. You ate their food. Drank their wine. And you never intended to pay."
He stopped in front of the first frozen pirate. A young man with a mohawk and a nose ring.
"That," Renji continued, "is theft. Theft from the Crown."
He drove his sword through the pirate's chest. The blade went clean through and stuck into the wall behind him. The pirate's eyes rolled back. Blood poured from his mouth.
Renji pulled the sword out and moved to the next one.
"P-Please!" the pirate begged. Tears ran down his face. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
"Sorry?" Renji looked genuinely confused. "But you haven't asked for My forgiveness. You're simply sorry you were caught."
He swung horizontally. The blade cut through the pirate's stomach. Intestines spilled onto the floor. The man screamed and collapsed, clutching at his wound.
The three pirates at the door were still pulling and pushing, trying to break through. One of them gave up and turned around. He saw Renji moving methodically through the frozen crew members. Executing them one by one.
"SCREW THIS!" the pirate shouted. He grabbed a chair and threw it at the window.
The chair bounced off. The window didn't even crack.
"The windows are sealed."
The pirate spun around. Renji was looking directly at him now. The golden halo behind his head spun faster.
"There is no escape," Renji said. "This is a courtroom. The trial must be completed."
One of the pirates who'd been sitting at the table suddenly found he could move again. He grabbed a knife and threw it at Renji's back.
The knife stopped in mid-air. It hung there for a second, then fell to the floor with a clatter.
Renji didn't even turn around.
"Kneel."
The pirate's legs gave out. He slammed to his knees so hard the impact cracked the wooden floor. He tried to stand but couldn't. His body wouldn't listen.
Renji finished with the last frozen pirate. A quick stab through the throat. Then he turned and walked toward the ones at the door.
They backed away. One of them was crying. Another was praying to whatever god would listen.
"I'll give you a choice," Renji said, stopping a few feet away. "You may choose your execution. Quick and painless. Or slow and painful."
"You're insane!" one of them shouted.
Renji smiled. "Yes. His Majesty has been told that before."
He raised his sword and pointed it at the pirate who'd spoken. "You choose slow."
"WAIT, NO-"
"Bleed."
Cuts opened across the pirate's body. Hundreds of them. Thin slices appeared on his arms, his legs, his face, his chest. Blood poured from every wound. The pirate screamed and fell to his knees, pressing his hands against the cuts but there were too many.
The other two pirates watched in horror as their crewmate bled out on the floor. It took almost a minute. He was still screaming the whole time.
When it was over, Renji turned to them.
"And you two?"
"Q-Quick!" they both shouted at the same time. "Please, make it quick!"
Renji nodded. "A wise choice."
He moved fast. Two quick slashes. Both their heads fell before their bodies hit the ground.
Renji turned to survey the room. Twelve dead. Eight more still alive. Some were still frozen in place. Others were pressed against the walls, too terrified to move.
"My Court requires order," Renji said, addressing all of them. "You brought chaos. You disrespected My Chancellor." He gestured to the restaurant owner. "You harmed My servants." He pointed at the waiter. "And you defiled My hall."
He walked to the center of the room. Blood covered his bare feet. It squelched between his toes.
"The sentence," he said, "is death. For all of you."
"Please!" one of the pirates begged. "We didn't know! We didn't know this was your place!"
Renji looked at him. "Ignorance is not innocence."
He raised his sword toward the ceiling.
"Let the executions commence."
One by one, he went through the rest of them. Some he froze and stabbed. Some he made kneel and beheaded. One he pinned to the wall with chairs and tables that suddenly wouldn't move, then slowly ran his blade across the man's throat.
The restaurant owner and the waiter watched from the corner. They were too scared to run. Too scared to move. They just stood there, frozen by fear and by whatever power this boy had.
When it was over, twenty bodies lay scattered across the restaurant. Blood covered the floor. The walls. The tables.
Renji stood in the middle of it all. His red cloak was soaked with blood. His sword dripped onto the floor.
He looked around slowly. Then he turned to the restaurant owner.
"My apologies," Renji said, his voice soft and polite. "Your establishment has been sullied by the blood of traitors. I will ensure it is cleaned."
He snapped his fingers.
The bodies began to move. They slid across the floor on their own, dragging themselves toward the door. The door opened on its own. The bodies piled outside in the street.
The blood on the floor, the walls, the tables... it all began to disappear. Not cleaned. Just... fading. Like it was never there.
Within seconds, the restaurant looked normal again. No blood. No bodies. Just broken furniture and spilled food.
Renji sheathed his sword. He walked over to the restaurant owner, who flinched as he approached.
"Your name," Renji said.
"M-Marco," the owner stammered.
"Marco." Renji nodded. "You have served your King well tonight. You allowed My Court to convene here. For that, you have My gratitude."
He reached into his cloak and pulled out a small pouch. He placed it on the counter. It jingled with coins.
"For the damages," Renji said. "And for your silence."
Marco stared at the pouch. Then at Renji. "What... what are you?"
Renji smiled.
"I am Renji. King of all I survey."
He turned and walked toward the door. The golden halo behind his head faded away.
"Goodnight, My subjects. May you sleep well under My rule."
He stepped outside into the night. The door closed behind him.
Marco and the waiter stood in silence for a long moment. Then the waiter collapsed, his legs finally giving out.
Marco looked at the pouch of coins. Then, at the pile of bodies in the street.
"What the hell just happened?"
"I-I know him," the waiter said, slowly.
Marco turned to him, raising an eyebrow.
"'False King' Renji, bounty of 112 million berries!" he said, just shivering at the thought.
Marco's eyes went wide. "What?"
The waiter stumbled to his feet and leaned against the wall. His hands were still shaking. "I saw it in the newspaper. About two weeks ago. They ran a full story on him."
"What did it say?" Marco asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
The waiter swallowed hard. "He showed up at some small island in Paradise. Called it his kingdom. The people thought he was just some crazy kid at first. But then..." He paused, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Then he started using his power. Made the entire population kneel. Said they were his subjects now."
Marco stared at the bodies outside. "What happened?"
"The Marines sent a Captain. A guy named Hendricks, I think. Had a crew of fifty men. All armed. All trained." The waiter's voice cracked. "Renji killed them all. Every single one. The newspaper said he executed them in the town square. Made the villagers watch."
"Jesus..." Marco breathed.
"That's not even the worst part." The waiter looked at Marco with haunted eyes. "After he killed the Marines, he crowned himself King of the island. Declared it part of his empire. And the people..." He laughed, but there was no humor in it. "The people started to believe him. They actually started calling him their King."
Marco felt cold. "What?"
"His Devil Fruit does something to your mind. Makes you want to obey him. The newspaper called it brainwashing, but the Marines think it's worse than that. They think he actually changes what you believe is real."
"That's impossible," Marco said.
The waiter shook his head. "They put a bounty on him. 112 million berries. For a seventeen-year-old kid. You know how insane that is?"
Marco did. Most rookies in Paradise had bounties under 50 million. Hell, some veteran pirates didn't even reach 100 million.
"The article said he's from Dawn Island," the waiter continued. "But nobody knows for sure. He just appeared one day with that sword and that power. Started calling himself a King and..." He gestured at the street outside. "And doing this."
"How many people has he killed?" Marco asked.
The waiter was quiet for a moment. "The Marines stopped counting after three hundred."
Marco felt sick.
"They sent Vice Admiral Dalmatian after him last month," the waiter said. "You know what happened?"
"What?"
"Dalmatian couldn't find him. Said it was like Renji just vanished. One day, he's on an island declaring himself King, the next day he's gone."
Marco looked at the pouch of coins on the counter. Then, at the pile of bodies outside.
"Why did he come here?" Marco wondered aloud.
The waiter laughed bitterly. "Who knows? Maybe he was hungry. Maybe he heard the noise. Maybe..." He trailed off, then looked at Marco with wide eyes. "Maybe he actually thinks this is his territory now."
"Don't say that," Marco said quickly.
"Why not? You saw what he did. He called you his Chancellor. Called this place his throne room. What if he comes back?"
Marco hadn't thought about that. His stomach dropped.
The waiter pushed off the wall and walked toward the back door. "I'm leaving. Tonight. I'm getting on a ship and I'm going back to the East Blue, where it's safe."
"Wait," Marco said. "You can't just leave me here."
The waiter stopped at the door. He looked back at Marco with an expression that was half pity, half terror. "He gave you money. He called you his Chancellor. You're part of his kingdom now, whether you like it or not."
"That's not how it works!" Marco protested.
"Tell that to him." The waiter opened the door. "Good luck, Marco. You're gonna need it."
He left.
Marco stood alone in his restaurant. It was quiet now. Too quiet.
He walked slowly to the window and looked outside. The bodies were still there. Twenty dead pirates. All were killed by one boy in less than ten minutes.
In the distance, he could see a figure walking down the street. Red cloak. Silver-black hair. Bare feet.
Renji was humming something. A tune Marco didn't recognize.
As Marco watched, a group of drunk sailors stumbled out of a nearby tavern. They saw Renji, and one of them laughed.
"Hey, kid! Nice dress!"
The others joined in, mocking the red cloak.
Renji stopped walking.
He turned slowly to face them.
The golden halo appeared behind his head.
Marco quickly pulled the curtains shut. He didn't want to see what happened next.
But he heard the screaming.
It lasted for about thirty seconds. Then silence.
Marco sank to the floor, biting his tongue.
"What the hell just happened?" he whispered again.