"You're… Keya?"
Genzo instantly recognized Ren, who was carrying the severed head of Captain Nezumi. His eyes reddened as a wave of emotion hit him. "How many more sacrifices must we make before the dawn of hope finally comes?"
"?"
A question mark practically floated above Ren's head as he stopped, utterly confused.
Genzo seemed lost in his own assumptions, his expression overly dramatic. "Doing this will definitely draw the Marines here… but you'll be wanted by them too, won't you?"
"No. You're overthinking it. I'll handle Arlong myself."
Ren quickly caught on to what Genzo was imagining and shook his head, walking off with Nezumi's head in hand.
He had no intention of chatting with the villagers of Cocoyasi Village. In fact, the less connected they were, the better.
First of all, Keya was merely his predecessor's identity—he was a replacement.
Second, if he got too close to them, they could easily be implicated by the Marines.
That was why Zoro had been the one to protect Nami and Nojiko.
"…"
Watching Ren's back as he departed, Genzo and the gathered villagers bowed deeply, tears glimmering in their eyes.
No matter what, the nightmare of the Arlong Pirates would soon come to an end.
After all, Captain Nezumi was dead here.
Ren strode briskly toward the orange grove, still maintaining the Third Calabash Brother's template and his boosted aura.
The template hadn't consumed any energy—it would only disappear if he switched it manually. In essence, it had already become part of his own physique and talent.
And in Ren's eyes, the "template switching" requirement was actually a blessing.
After all, he might draw other Calabash Brother templates in the future, and with multiple templates… he could consider merging them all into one.
"Yo, done already?"
Zoro spotted Ren from afar and waved casually.
"Yeah. Zoro, go bring Chester here."
"Got it."
Zoro nodded and left; Chester had been left waiting some distance away.
"This place reeks of Marines."
Ren dropped Captain Nezumi's head on the ground and frowned at the orange grove that had been reduced to a wasteland.
His gaze then shifted toward Nami and Nojiko.
"You were right," Nojiko murmured, holding Nami in her arms while clutching a half-withered orange sapling. Her expression was a complex mix of relief and grief as she looked at Ren.
"You two were simply too naïve," Ren sighed, crouching before the sisters. "But it's fine now. The man who desecrated your orange grove has already paid with his head. Consider it vengeance for your trees."
"You killed a Marine? Aren't you afraid of being hunted by the Navy?" Nojiko frowned, tossing the sapling aside and shaking Nami awake.
The latter blinked groggily, eyes red from crying. The moment her gaze fell on Captain Nezumi's severed head, she froze—then locked her eyes on Ren.
"If not for him," Ren said coldly, "Arlong wouldn't have been able to terrorize this place for so many years and remain untouched."
Then he turned his attention to Nami. "You lost. Will you honor our wager?"
Nami stayed silent for a moment before tremblingly asking, "Will you… kill Arlong?"
"That's why I'm here."
Ren pointed toward the desolate hill in the distance. "My family lies buried there. They deserve an answer. And a blood debt… can only be repaid in blood."
"Fine!"
Nami suddenly stood, grabbing Ren by the collar. Her tear-streaked face was filled with hatred and determination. "If you can kill Arlong—I'll be yours!"
She had nothing left to lose, only a desperate wish for someone to end her lifelong nightmare.
"Then—as you wish. And as I wish."
Ren rose to his feet, eyes fixed on the direction of Arlong Park. He could almost see Arlong's smug grin, certain of his invincibility.
The fish-man hadn't even bothered sending a single underling to check on the disturbance.
"Heading out now?" Zoro returned, leading Chester and handing him the Eye Bone. "That racket must've alerted the Arlong Pirates by now. If we don't move fast, we'll lose our advantage."
"No, Arlong will stay out of it. He'll keep himself spotless—he still needs Nami to work for him."
Ren shook his head and headed toward Nami's house in the orange grove.
The time had come—for another spin.
Hopefully, Captain Nezumi's "sacrifice" would bring him a bountiful harvest.
Inside the small house,the Dimensional Roulette began to spin—seventy-six times in total.
{Chip Balance: 95,000,000} → {Chip Balance: 19,000,000}
Brilliant light filled the room, rewards cascading like a waterfall.
{Obtained – Boots of Swiftness}
{Obtained – Health Potion x2}
{Obtained – Silver Scale Chestplate}
{Obtained – Teleportation Marker}
{Obtained – Bed}
{Obtained – Explosive Tag x7}
{Obtained – Enchanted Book: Frost Walker}
The cabin was soon cluttered with newly spawned prizes.
Ren quickly sorted through the lower-value items:
Health Potion x20, Invisibility Potion x7, Explosive Tag x77, Desert Eagle Mag x7, Dragon's Breath Drum x4.
All of them were practical. Clearly, fate's waves were in his favor—after slaying Captain Nezumi and provoking the Marines, fortune had begun to smile upon him.
He then turned his attention to the unfamiliar prizes.
[Boots of Swiftness]
Origin: Runeterra
Type: Magical Equipment
Effect: Automatically resizes to the wearer's feet. Stores kinetic energy from every step and releases it in full on the next step.
Consumption: Durability
"Huh?"
Ren picked up the dark yellow boots, square-edged and metallic, with intricate mechanical parts built into the design.
After examining them, he swapped his own shoes for the new pair.Testing could wait until later.
[Teleportation Marker]
Origin: Magical Dimension
Type: Spell
Effect: Binds to a marked location. After a 3-second channel, teleports the user within a 3-kilometer radius.
Consumption: Mana Crystal
"Nice. Perfect for retreat or quick repositioning. But… what's a Mana Crystal supposed to be?"
Ren frowned, puzzled, but quickly brushed it off.
Given his "Child of Fortune" trait, he'd probably draw some Mana Crystals soon enough anyway.
He continued examining the rest: a small bed, a silver chestplate, and a book.
[Bed]
Origin: Minecraft
Type: Low-Dimensional Rule Artifact
Effect: When placed, grants a wool-wood bed. Allows instant sleep, skips nighttime, and resets the respawn point.
Consumption: None
[Enchanted Book: Frost Walker]
Origin: Minecraft
Type: Low-Dimensional Rule Artifact
Effect: Used with an anvil to imbue footwear with Frost Walker, freezing water into ice within several meters.
Consumption: None
[Silver Scale Chestplate]
Origin: World of Warcraft
Type: Armor
Effect: Automatically resizes to fit the wearer. Provides the defensive strength of steel armor.
Consumption: Durability
Note: "Silver Scale Chestplate—two gold a piece."
A huge haul.
That was Ren's first thought. But what caught his attention most was the final spin's jackpot.
"Dimensional Roulette—one last spin!"
Here it comes.
Here it comes indeed.
(End of Chapter)