Ren didn't respond again. He only felt a faint sense of disappointment about the current situation.
Unsurprisingly, Zoro would leave once his time was up.
He wasn't Luffy—he didn't have that kind of infectious charisma or that strange, natural ability to bond with others despite being socially awkward.
Nor was Zoro in the same desperate situation he'd been in during the original story.
That's why he couldn't become Ren's companion.
Still… I have the Dimensional Roulette. The future's full of possibilities.
Ren quickly comforted himself and began checking his Dimensional Roulette interface.
Nothing else had changed—only his chip balance was different.
{Chip Balance: 2,300,000}
Of that, 700,000 was leftover from previous draws, 1,000,000 was the payment Captain Saren had promised, and the remaining 600,000 came from the loot taken off the pirates and the miscellaneous goods he'd sold for Beli.
Short term, things look good. The Navy's Sixteenth Branch doesn't seem to have put a bounty on me yet.But long term, trouble's inevitable. The Fish-Men have their eyes on me.The Arlong Pirates' bounty is a problem—I'll need to find a way to take them down.Partly for revenge on behalf of my original body… and partly because I just can't stand them.
Ren lit a cigarette using his silver lighter as he pondered.
If things went smoothly, they'd arrive at Cuckoo Island this afternoon. Thanks to Captain Saren's connections, Ren would be able to sell off his spoils there.
But once the trade was done, it was obvious they'd go their separate ways.
When Ren had brought this up earlier that morning, he could swear Saren's eyes had practically sparkled—clearly, the man couldn't wait to get rid of them.
Considering how chaotic the One Piece world was, even with Zoro as his escort, danger was inevitable.And the threat from the Fish-Men, along with the bounty they carried, meant that bounty hunters might already be on the lookout.
So Ren decided—it was time for another spin.
Let's begin. Hopefully the goddess of luck will be a little fairer today.
He lit his cigarette. Both his Lucky Lighter and the Blessing of the Goddess of Fortune triggered simultaneously.
Without hesitation, Ren used the VIP Roulette ten times.
One million chips vanished instantly, and bright lights flared from the spinning, multicolored wheel.
…
Zoro, who had been resting with his eyes closed, cracked one open—only to see items materializing one after another around Ren.
It was sudden, yet somehow looked completely natural, as if those objects had always been there.
An ability user? What a strange power.
He shut his eyes again, deciding not to pry into his employer's secrets. Better that way for both of them.
Meanwhile, Ren fell into deep thought.
Was the Roulette hinting that he should deal with Captain Nezumi's rats?Of the eight items that appeared on the ground, more than half were rat poison.
The rest were strange trinkets—underwear, nose-pickers, some suspicious "power" pills.Obviously, all junk fillers.
But mixed in among them were two skill scrolls.
One million for two skills… actually, that's not bad at all.
A light screen flashed before Ren's eyes as the newly acquired skills appeared.
[Magic Trick: Crosshair]
Origin: Magical Dimension
Type: Skill
Effect: After activation, a phantom crosshair appears within a hundred-meter field of view. When using ranged weapons, it provides trajectory prediction—where the crosshair points, the bullet lands.
(PS: One screen, one black marker, one crosshair—yep, that's me, the blind-sniping war god!)
Cost: Stamina
"The goddess of luck really delivered this time!"
Ren's eyes lit up. Finally—no more "human outline" jokes whenever he missed his shots.
The ability to calculate impact points through a crosshair was perfect for him right now.His marksmanship was… let's just say, unrefined. Within three to five meters, he could still hit something.Beyond seven meters? It all came down to luck.
Whoever the unluckier one was—him or the enemy—would decide who fell first.
Then, the second skill appeared.
[Buff: Blessing of Arrow Avoidance]
Origin:Fate/Zero
Type: Skill
Effect: Upon activation, turbulent air currents form around the user, granting three instances of arrow-avoidance defense. When struck by ranged attacks, the airflow deflects the incoming projectiles.
(PS: "I bet there's no bullet in that gun!" What? You say I'm cheating? Yeah—and what about it?)
Cost: Stamina
Blessing of Arrow Avoidance—from Fate/Zero?
But this version seemed… different. The original didn't use air currents for deflection, nor did it have a three-use limit.
Maybe it's like the Desire Compass—it's a downgraded version because of the roulette's tier?Ren quickly made that deduction, then smiled.
Even if weakened, this skill was exactly what he'd been hoping for.
Flintlocks had always been a lingering threat to him.Now, with three guaranteed bullet deflections, he could finally breathe easier.
"Not bad at all."
Ren ended the draw with satisfaction and glanced at his balance.
{Chip Balance: 1,300,000}
He began calculating his future gains.
First was the sale of loot—worth about 8 million Beli.Then a chest of gold coins Captain Saren had estimated could fetch nearly 10 million Beli, possibly more if market demand was good.The third was a bag of gems, valued around 5 million Beli.
Ren considered holding onto those gems, though. He couldn't spend everything on the roulette.He'd eventually need to buy a ship and recruit crew members—those things took money.
I'll think about that later. But the fourth jackpot… that one's going to be huge. I can feel it.
He was eighty spins away from his fourth jackpot.Ten spins cost a million Beli—so he'd need around 8 million more to reach it.
For now, his chips weren't enough. Better to wait until his funds arrived before spinning again.Always good to have some reserve for emergencies.
Ren got up and tidied the mess of items on the floor, keeping only what might be useful.Everything else went out the window—literally.
Cuckoo Island
July 15, Sea Circle Calendar 1519
Location: The Docks
The Gus smoothly arrived at the island's only port.The noble youths aboard didn't disembark—it wasn't their destination.
Ren, Zoro, and a timid Koby stayed on board as well—the trade was about to begin.
The first deal took place at dusk. The merchant guild staff cautiously placed multiple restrictions on Alvida.Ren even spotted a bomb collar—the kind normally only seen at the Sabaody Archipelago.
Not long after, the transaction was complete.
Alvida was dragged away screaming, while her pirate ship was taken over by the merchant guild staff working with the Gus.Then, Captain Saren personally handed a thick leather suitcase to Ren.
Eight million Beli—paid in full.
Meanwhile, Becks strutted about proudly, parading the chain that bound Alvida as if it were a trophy symbolizing his noble status.
(End of Chapter)