Chester still had a fortune worth six hundred million Beli stashed in his belly, though converting it into actual currency would take some time.
Under his command, the Pipi Shrimp set sail toward a prosperous, non–World Government–affiliated region of the East Blue.
During the journey, the Arlong Pirates' treasure would be liquidated and redistributed.
Of course, trouble was inevitable.
But Ren wasn't afraid—he'd simply cut his way through it!
Cocoyasi Village
The battle at Arlong Park hadn't spread here. The villagers quietly stayed inside their homes, pretending nothing had happened.
After all, they never went near the Fish-Men's territory when fishing anyway. Better to act ignorant and stay alive.
Still, a few curious souls ventured out to investigate.
They said the sea was littered with the corpses of Marines and the shattered remains of a Marine warship.
A massive sea beast lay sprawled across the wreckage, dead—its body grotesquely swollen, as if it had burst from within. Wisps of smoke still rose from its wounds.
It was strange, yes, but no one mourned the dead.
To the villagers, neither side were good people—the Marines of the Sixteenth Branch or the Arlong Pirates' sea monsters.
Dead was dead.
Two days later, when fisherman Genzo went out to sea, he pulled up what he thought was a corpse—someone lying face-down on a chunk of broken deck, still wearing a Marine's coat.
But when they hauled him aboard, they realized he was still alive.
After much debate, and only after Genzo swore the man wasn't from the Sixteenth Branch, they agreed to bring him ashore and house him outside the village.
Three days later, Smoker awoke.
Upon recovering, he listened grimly as Genzo told him the whole truth—how the Sixteenth Branch had colluded with the Arlong Pirates, allowing them to exploit more than twenty villages to build their so-called "Fish-Man Empire" on land.
If not for Ren and the others, Arlong's nightmare would have gone on indefinitely.
Genzo confessed that if things had dragged on any longer, he would have worked himself to death and ended up buried on that barren hill.
"There will be an explanation for this," Smoker said solemnly at the time—only to earn a scoffing laugh from Genzo.
"I just hope someone knows the truth, that it won't end with your Marines claiming you 'eliminated the Arlong Pirates for the good of the world,'" Genzo sneered. "And then saying your brave men were wiped out by some treacherous trio."
That was when Smoker learned the truth: the Navy had already sealed the narrative.
The official report said the Marine warship had capsized, nearly a thousand soldiers perished, and only a handful survived.
The branch commander was said to have been decapitated, his head missing.
Everything was explained away.
From the few survivors who'd "miraculously escaped," the story became this:
The Marines had bravely attacked the Arlong Pirates, suffering heavy losses but ultimately triumphing—only to be ambushed by an evil group afterward and annihilated.
"Smoker?" they'd said when asked later. "Who's that? Never heard of him!"
And the proof was right there before Smoker's eyes—three newspapers and the bounty posters printed within them:
Demon God Ren
Bounty: 100 Beli → 4,000,000 Beli
Suspected Devil Fruit user. Carves through battlefields with unstoppable force, as fearsome as a demon god.After attacking the Marines, he seized the Arlong Pirates' treasure, estimated at one billion Beli.
Pirate Hunter – Roronoa Zoro
Bounty: 3,000,000 Beli
Once a bounty hunter, but in a moment of greed, he attacked the Marines alongside Demon God Ren, committing unspeakable atrocities.
Cat Burglar – Nami
Bounty: 100,000 Beli
Former officer of the Arlong Pirates, noncombatant, suspected traitor.
These were official bounty notices, issued and priced by the Navy.
But Smoker noticed something—the paper wasn't World Economy News, the global publication, but rather a large private newspaper from the East Blue.
If it were an official Navy release, there wouldn't be so much commentary attached.
So this was private influence.
"The paper's backed by an officer from the Sixteenth Branch," Genzo explained bitterly. "Your Marines dumped the blame on those three and are now hunting them down. How are you going to justify that?"
His tone was complicated. "If I hadn't heard of your name—'White Hunter'—and seen your face in the papers, I'd never have saved you. There aren't many good Marines left."
Smoker opened his mouth but hesitated. Finally, he said, "I'll do everything I can to uncover the truth. But… they are pirates now."
"Heh. Whatever you say."
Genzo left with the paper in hand, ignoring Smoker's silence.
Back in the village, he cut out Nami's picture and pinned it to his wall. After staring for a long while, he chuckled.
"They didn't even draw her right."
Then he took Ren's bounty poster to the hill outside the village and sat beside Keya's parents' graves.
"Your boy's made something of himself," he murmured. "Though he's walking a path of no return, this world's Marines are worse than pirates."
He sighed softly. "Let him go. Anyone who can say 'justice delayed isn't justice' deserves to chase his own truth. We'll just watch from afar."
"The kid's got something burning inside him—a fire."
The wind whistled over the graves, as if whispering its agreement.
Ren's adventure continued.
The six hundred million Beli fortune was no small sum, and the world of One Piece was made of scattered islands with limited economies.
Within ten days, the Pipi Shrimp visited six or seven islands, managing to cash out about two hundred million Beli in total.
That was the limit.
Even so, they attracted waves of greedy pirates along the way—but Ren crushed them all.
Now, at this very moment, Ren stood solemnly before the Mazu Golden Idol, freshly bathed and incense burning.
What's that? Guan Yu?
That guy had already failed him once. For a five-million-Beli draw, Guan Yu had given him some rather questionable items—strange, risqué trinkets that made both Nami and Nojiko look at him funny for days, ruining his reputation.
So, Guan Yu was banished—his offerings unceremoniously dumped in Zoro's room.
Ren knew that because of his "Fate's Chosen Tidebreaker" trait, the roulette often gave him things matching his desires. He also knew he was the one to blame for harboring such worldly thoughts… but humans are nothing if not hypocritical.
So, Guan Yu was out.
Now it was Mazu's turn.
Praying to Mazu on the open sea—what could be more appropriate?
No problems here!
Everything ready, Ren hid his colorful adult comics and opened the shimmering Dimensional Roulette.
{Remaining Chips: 200,000,000}
He struck a match with his silver lighter, lighting a cigarette.
Luck of the Goddess activated.
The multicolored wheel spun rapidly, releasing ten streaks of light.
{Draw Result – Sword Heart}
{Draw Result – Breath of Thunder}
{Draw Result – Eye of the Herald: Permanent}
{Draw Result – Explosive Tags ×1 Crate}
{Draw Result – Enchanted Book: Loyalty ×3}
{Draw Result – Enchanted Book: Riptide ×2}
{Draw Result – Enchanted Book: Channeling Lightning ×2}
{Draw Result – Anvil ×7}
(End of Chapter)