They were things she had never encountered before.
But now, after just entering the Grand Line, she had already come across two of them—would the future really be any less strange?
The answer was obvious.
Bonney knew she was weak. But Dery and the others were even weaker.
To repay Kuma's kindness, those fishermen from her home kingdom had already done their utmost.
She was grateful—yet she also knew the road ahead was one they could no longer walk with her.
This defeat had ended without grave consequences… but what about the next one?
Bonney knew the answer all too well. And so, she accepted the other captain's so-called "deal."
Taking advantage of his current need for her, she arranged for Dery and the others to be left on the next island.
At least… they wouldn't die in front of her eyes.
As for what came after—that would be another story.
If things went south, she was ready to run.
Of course, that would only be after Dery and the others were safe.
So, Bonney said those words with unwavering resolve.
"Is that so?"
Dery seemed to realize something. He gave a bitter smile and fell silent.
The rest of the Bonney Pirates wore the same expression—a mix of helplessness and sorrow behind their smiles.
They were still too weak.
"All right," Bonney finally said, "what was your name again?"
"Ren."
"Good. I'll tag along with you—but you heard what he said, didn't you? My constitution's… special. I eat a lot more than most people.
I'm not asking to be stuffed, but you'd better not starve me half to death either."
Bonney fixed her gaze on Ren, her tone uncertain.
She knew exactly how monstrous her appetite was.
"Fine. Eat as much as you need," Ren replied after a moment's thought.
He wasn't inclined to make things hard for her.
Turning toward Zoro and Nojiko, he pointed to the Bonney Pirates' ship. "Go bring back all the treasure from that ship. Don't touch anything else. Stay alert."
Bonney twitched at the corner of her mouth but said nothing.
She simply found a corner, sat cross-legged, and stared blankly into space.
"When they get back," Ren told Dery and the others, "you'll return to your ship. Follow us until we reach the next island—then you go your own way."
"Yes, sir," Dery replied quietly.
Ren then turned to Nami. "Follow the Log Pose. We're heading for Whiskey Peak."
"Got it."
Nami glanced at Bonney, her eyes filled with envy as they fell on the girl's surprisingly mature figure.
That girl was really nine years old?
Was her development that behind—
Ren ignored Nami's wandering thoughts. While keeping an eye on Dery's crew, he ran through his own calculations.
Running into Bonney out at sea had been a coincidence…
But that didn't stop him from recognizing the potential advantage.
First—Bonney had set sail in search of Kuma. And for some unknown reason, the Marines wouldn't arrest her.
The most likely explanation: Kuma had made some kind of deal with the World Government.
That meant Bonney was important to him.
Killing her would bring huge trouble—just look at how the Red-Haired Pirates reacted when someone disturbed the East Blue.
And besides,
Kuma himself was even more dangerous to Ren.
The Warlords of the Sea were in a special position—the Navy wouldn't obstruct Kuma's actions.
And with the Paw-Paw Fruit, he possessed terrifying mobility.
Even faking his own death wouldn't save Ren from that.
Unless he hid for life under a false name—but there was no need for that.
Still, Ren wasn't so generous as to just let Bonney and her crew go.
He decided instead to profit from her.
Right now, Ren's primary goal was making money; his secondary goal—becoming one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
If his plan to defeat or even kill Crocodile worked out,
Ren would indeed gain enormous fame—but that alone might not be enough to earn a government invitation.
He needed a mediator—someone to recommend him to the World Government.
Kuma was the best candidate for that.
With Bonney in his hands,
Ren could explain the situation, then trade her safety for Kuma's recommendation.
As for how to contact Kuma—
Ren's current idea was to find a way to reach the Revolutionary Army.
Conveniently,
his upcoming mission in Alabasta required their help.
So that's how it lines up, Ren thought. I need Vivi's card first. Through the royal family, I can reach the Revolutionaries.
The outline of a plan began forming in his mind.
Yes—he didn't intend to take down Crocodile alone. In the original timeline, Luffy had exploited pure luck to beat him.
But people tended to forget: at Marineford, Crocodile's performance had been exceptional.
He scorned Doflamingo, fought Mihawk and Akainu, and even shifted the tides of battle at key moments.
There was a theory behind this.
Those who lost their dreams and willpower weakened rapidly—strength, appearance, even Haki would fade.
For example, Oda once drew an alternate future where Nami, having failed her dream, became an old crone—but in the version where her dream came true, she remained beautiful even into her fifties.
Haki training was said to follow a similar principle.
Still—
those were fan interpretations, not canon rules.
Ren couldn't afford to gamble on wishful thinking.
Fortunately, Alabasta had two cards the Revolutionary Army deeply cared about: Nico Robin—and the Poneglyph that recorded the location of the ancient weapon, Pluton.
Together, those would be enough to attract a high-ranking Revolutionary officer. They could handle the fight—while Ren took the credit.
Everyone wins, right?
As for the loser… well, Crocodile wouldn't be around to complain.
As Ren pondered, Zoro and Nojiko returned carrying two large chests. To ensure the captain's "meal fund,"
Bonney's crew had painstakingly converted most of their treasure into Beli—so she could eat anytime, anywhere.
Only a small portion remained unexchanged.
According to Dery, they'd seized it from another pirate ship while fleeing the Navy.
But now—
it was all Ren's loot.
The treasure was worth eight million; the Beli totaled twelve million.
After taking the spoils, Ren ordered Dery's crew back to their ship, keeping a safe distance from the Enlightenment.
Notably, Zoro had considered destroying their ship's cannons but decided against it, recalling the field repulsion property of Ren's Field Generator.
He left them as an early-warning system instead.
If the Bonney Pirates tried anything funny—the next sound they heard would be their cannon firing, followed by eternal regret.
Ren didn't comment.
He simply divided the loot—Nami, Nojiko, and Zoro each received a share.
The rest went into the crew's common fund.
As for himself—he deposited the twelve million and told Zoro to keep an eye on Bonney before heading up to the third deck.
To do what?
Naturally—draw from the roulette!
He flicked open his Lucky Lighter, lit a cigarette, and invoked the blessing of the Goddess of Fortune!
The Silver Roulette spun—until a ray of light burst forth.
[Obtained: Low-Concentration Seastone Handcuffs]
A pair of handcuffs and a bronze key appeared in Ren's hand.
The holographic interface updated immediately:
[Low-Concentration Seastone Handcuffs]
Origin: One Piece Dimension
Type: Restraint Item
Effect: Though containing only a small amount of Seastone, they can still suppress a Devil Fruit user's powers. Retains limited physical mobility. Extremely durable—only the matching key can unlock them.
Obviously, these were meant for Bonney.
He didn't plan to cuff both hands—but one at least.
Human hearts were fickle; this was just insurance.
With that done, Ren glanced at his Dimensional Roulette balance: 4,000,000 chips remaining.
"Let's try a small spin—see how lucky I am today."
He chose the VIP Roulette, and two rays of light shot out—leaving him stunned.
[Obtained: One Piece Manga]
[Obtained: One Piece Manga]
"…What?"
Ren blinked. Two books had appeared in his hands.
He flipped them open—familiar black-and-white art, unmistakably the One Piece manga itself.
He never imagined he'd pull something like this.
Does this mean… I can play the prophet now?
Ren chuckled wryly but still read through both volumes carefully.
Though short, they contained future content he hadn't seen before.
At least he confirmed one thing:
Bonney really was nine years old—and Crocodile was indeed a troublesome foe.
Wait… Buggy, the guy I killed with one shot, became a Yonko?
Bounty: 3,189,000,000 Beli?!
Ren's mouth twitched. He could hardly imagine Buggy as an Emperor of the Sea.
Had he… accidentally erased a future great man?
And—
"Crocodile's bounty was 1,965,000,000 Beli?"
Ren rubbed his temples, relieved he hadn't underestimated the man. His plan to let the Revolutionaries handle that "sand crocodile" was sounding better by the second.
Even if pride was Crocodile's weakness, that didn't make him easy prey.
Ren slipped the two manga volumes into his Four-Dimensional Chrysanthemum, then picked up the Seastone cuffs.
Judging by the description, they were like the ones Luffy wore in Wano—limiting Devil Fruit power without draining too much strength.
So—
before she could react, Bonney found herself suddenly handcuffed, her body weakening at once.
"What are you doing!?" she cried, panicked and furious, trying to use her ability—only to find it useless.
"Low-concentration Seastone cuffs," Ren explained calmly. "Very sturdy. Suppresses Devil Fruit powers and reduces physical strength.
Don't worry—it's just a precaution."
He tossed the key into his Four-Dimensional Chrysanthemum and continued, "I have to guard against deception. I don't mind taking risks myself—but I can't endanger my crew.
Besides, I only cuffed one hand."
"…"
Bonney's face darkened, but she held her tongue.
Now that the cuffs were on, arguing was pointless.
Just then, Nojiko's voice came from the stairwell: "Dinner's ready!"
(End of Chapter)