Ken stood there nervously, not daring to utter a single word.
Outside the manor, crowds of people surged like waves, hesitating at the entrance.
"It's starting."
Ren had quietly appeared atop a high vantage point, calmly watching how things would unfold.
This was a test.
Ever since he saw Nami crying while holding Arlong's body, Ren had realized something important.
The people standing before him weren't flat stereotypes or archetypes—they were living, thinking individuals, each with their own desires and dreams.
And that meant countless questions would naturally arise.
If it were Luffy, he probably wouldn't have thought about any of this. He'd just follow his instincts and move forward.
The nature of Nika combined with the thrill of adventure would eventually forge them into a force of pure will.
But Ren was not Luffy.
One must know one's limits—if you lack the strength, don't delude yourself into thinking you can do everything.
Likewise, defeating Arlong and freeing Cocoyasi Village didn't entitle him to anyone's eternal loyalty.
Even from a purely moral standpoint, with or without Nami, Ren would've still gone after the Fishmen.
And that was precisely why he needed this test.
Nami's personality was simple to summarize—greedy for money, dreamt of drawing a map of the entire world, and when faced with danger, would beg for mercy to survive.
Nojiko's traits were less clear due to limited information; she was, after all, more of a "buy one, get one free" companion type.
Still, the fact that she chose to sail out with them said enough—she cared deeply for her only sister and longed to see the wider world.
Both of them, during the Mys Island incident, had shown a powerful desire for one thing:
To save those children.
Ren had no objections to that. How could a self-proclaimed "fun-seeker" say no to something like that?
So he agreed to Nami and Nojiko's request—and crushed every overpowered obstacle that stood in their way.
Now, the Shell Company was essentially powerless, and Ken would cooperate wholeheartedly just to survive.
With Zoro traveling alongside them, and Ren's explicit instructions in place, Nami could practically do whatever she wanted—no one would stop her.
In other words…
When it came to teamwork, Ren had already done everything within his power.
A captain's job was to create the foundation for his crew to fulfill their own wishes—to do his utmost to help them.
And what Ren wanted to know now was…
After Nami and Nojiko achieved their personal goals and reaped the rewards they desired, would they still think about the group—or about him?
If not, then everything was meaningless.
But if they would… then Ren would have found two crewmates he could truly trust.
That was the essence of this entire test.
Compared to that, whatever treasure the Shell Company might have hidden was utterly insignificant.
Ren needed money, yes—but only to become strong enough to control his own fate, not to become a slave to wealth.
No matter how large the vault's contents were, they could never shake that principle.
Otherwise, everything he stood for would crumble.
That was why he had never even asked how much money the vault contained.
And so—
Ren simply sat on the high ledge, watching everything below unfold. After about an hour, the Armor of Glory that covered him faded away.
He made a note of that—the armor's defense was extremely powerful.
Ordinary bullets and slashes were useless against it, and even a rocket launcher couldn't penetrate its shield.
If he'd had this ability back at Arlong Park, he wouldn't have needed to fear the cannons at all.
The best part was that the Armor of Glory and the "First Calabash Brother" template worked in perfect synergy—
A classic case of 1 + 1 > 2.
The only drawback? It made him too radiant—so much that it even affected the way he talked.
It felt wrong to say something that wasn't at least a little "cool."
Because honestly… the Armor of Glory looked amazing.
"It's just too damn expensive though," he muttered, exhaling softly. "Each Magic Crystal drawn costs a million Beli. The VIP roulette basically gives one crystal per spin—if I'm lucky, maybe two. Total money burner."
He sighed, checking his remaining funds.
[Chip Balance: 98 million]
He'd spent one million for a Magic Crystal… and another million for the Hulk's shorts.
And surprisingly, those shorts were actually useful.
They had an adaptive sizing feature, perfectly compatible with the "Giant Form" of his Calabash template.
No more awkward transformations followed by sudden nudity—problem solved.
By now, things below had become lively.
Apparently, there were plenty of people on Mys Island who had realized what was going on. They seized the chance created by Ren's assault to storm the Shell Company.
Finding it empty, they didn't scatter to loot everything in sight.
Instead, led by a man, they approached Nami and the others—apparently to negotiate.
Ren watched as Nojiko brought the rescued children to them.
The leader said something, knelt before Nami as if pleading, and then Nami and Nojiko whispered to each other.
In the end…
Large amounts of food were carried out from the Shell Company's warehouses—along with piles of treasure.
The islanders cheered wildly around the provisions.
That night, Mys Island turned into a carnival—tables laden with food and barrels of wine stretched across the streets like a festival.
Ren arched an eyebrow at the sight, then decided he'd seen enough and was ready to turn in for the night.
Just then—
Footsteps echoed up the narrow path behind him.
"Why are you here!?"
Nami came climbing up from below, panting, her orange shirt soaked with sweat.
Grumbling, she sat down beside Ren, propping her chin in her palm as she studied this man who felt both strange and familiar.
"You're done with everything?" Ren asked calmly.
"Yes," Nami replied. "We handed the children over to the village leader. He promised to raise them until adulthood, in exchange for the Shell Company's food and wealth."
"You trust them?"
"At least the leader knows how to restrain his people," she said. "He didn't let them take what wasn't theirs. Then he came to me and told me a lot."
"For example?"
"For one, they're planning to move to another uninhabited island—one the people of Mys had already scouted long ago. But out of fear and attachment to their homeland, they hesitated. To win the Shell Company's trust, they even disbanded their own guards… and that's what gave those bastards a chance to strike."
"If I help them," she continued softly, "they'll remember this kindness forever—and they've sworn to care for the disabled children as well."
Nami let out a quiet sigh. "So I agreed. Because you were right. We're just passersby. Maybe, in the end, nothing we do will truly change the world."
"But even if perfection is impossible, we can still do our best. You did your part… and so did I."
It was only in moments like this that Nami revealed her truest self—beyond greed, beyond deception.
"Careful, kind, emotionally driven, fiercely moral, sometimes soft but always capable."That was how Ren had once described Nami in his mind.
And now, seeing her here, he realized—
He had been right all along.
(End of Chapter)