After finding a suitable target, he deliberately let others bully him—then appeared as the savior.
Once he learned the details, he immediately pretended he had already avenged the victim.
And thus, he trapped the poor soul firmly in his grasp.
He even planned to make her his wife.
A perfectly calculated act of deceit and manipulation.
But then again…
He knew Old Pineapple, but not the woman.
Old Pineapple wasn't a good man, but he wasn't evil to the bone either.
In any case,
Falling into his hands was better than ending up with pirates—better than being tortured, sold, and living a fate worse than death.
In this world, that was the truth:For those who lost family protection,
On the Grand Line, without anyone to shield you—
"Tragedy" was the only word left for your ending.
In the distance, Old Pineapple was busy protecting the "helpless" young woman from a group of drunkards.
From where Mont Blanc Cricket stood, he could see the faint glow of dependence rising in that girl's golden eyes.
No doubt,it was only a matter of time before Old Pineapple had her wrapped around his finger. After all, the man wouldn't be able to run a bar here if he wasn't dangerous in his own right.
The drunks probably knew that too. They just wanted to flirt, to take what little advantage they could, and played along.
"How dull. What's so good about women anyway?"
Cricket found it increasingly boring. With a tired look, he tossed some money on the table and turned to leave.
All joy seemed to belong to others. He had only the cold, lifeless sea… and the Saruyama Alliance.
As for descendants? Forget it.
If he couldn't lift the family curse himself, there was no need to make his children bear it.
After Cricket left, a green-haired girl holding a washbasin began cleaning the tables.
As she lowered her head, her golden eyes flickered with a cold light.
This old man is getting annoying, but I still need his information.
According to Pica, plenty of pirates who encountered Onigumo's warship have been wiped out.
I even met a few lucky survivors myself.
What a hassle. Can't that guy named Ren just show up and die already?
Monet was in a foul mood that day.
And at that moment, the perverted Old Pineapple shuffled over again, wearing his usual lovestruck expression.
"Mo-Mo, you did great today. Go rest now."
"Thank you, b…boss," Monet's expression instantly changed to one of innocent charm.
She didn't like acting that way—but Pica had more authority than her. That damn Sugar had totally thrown her under the bus.
Maybe it was age, or maybe too much secondhand "dog food," but Cricket couldn't sleep that night.
He finally decided to go for a night swim—to practice some deep diving.
He believed the City of Gold might very well rest somewhere deep beneath the waves.He just hadn't found it yet.
Dive, surface. Dive, surface. Dive—bonk!
Thunk—!
A loud thud rippled across the water beside the Waver.
Clinging to the side of his small ship, Cricket looked around in confusion. Since when had another ship appeared here?
On deck, Ren tilted his head, locking eyes with the curly-haired man before him.
"…You trying to scam us for money?"
Scam your head!
Cricket's face darkened. "Who are you people? Where did you even come from?!"
"From above. We flew down, so you probably didn't notice."
Sas peered at the man curiously. "And what are you doing here in the middle of the night?"
"Swimming. This ocean doesn't belong to you."
After thinking a moment, Cricket climbed aboard the strangely built vessel.
He immediately noticed a glowing bubble attached to a mast—or perhaps to a thread-like cable.
What the hell is this? A bubble… with fire inside?
And how did it appear without him sensing a thing?
"Let's talk," Ren interrupted his thoughts, gesturing toward the cabin. "Four of us in total. Get us a room."
"…?"
Cricket's face darkened, his fists tightening. "We just met, I don't even know you, and you expect me to house you? Kid, this is Mock Town, not your home. If you're half-asleep, go—"
"Don't you want to know where the City of Gold—Shandora—is?"
That one line silenced the argument completely.
"Apologies."
Ten minutes later, Cricket solemnly poured drinks for Ren and his group.
"I was rude earlier. This is my best rum."
"Thanks," Ren said calmly, not touching the cup.
Nojiko and Vivi, meanwhile, looked around curiously at the messy surroundings.
"What's going on?"
"Guests?"
"Not sure, but we'll have to clear some rooms for them."
"Damn it, it's crowded enough already!"
Members of the Saruyama Alliance scrambled sleepily to make space.
Nearby, the ape brothers—Masira and Shoujou—stared fixedly at a small stone fragment on the table.
It was a piece of rubble taken from the ruins of Shandora on Upper Yard. The carvings on it seemed oddly familiar to them.
"Could this really be from that place?"
"No idea."
"Boss, didn't your ancestors leave anything behind?"
"Shut up! I'm looking!"
After serving the drinks, Cricket anxiously dug through a stack of old notes passed down by his forefathers.
The Mont Blanc family's cursed reputation had haunted them for four hundred years. Naturally, others like Cricket had tried to uncover the truth of Shandora.
Thus, journals and records about the City of Gold had been preserved across generations.
Eventually, Cricket managed to confirm a match—then hurried straight to Ren.
"How do you know about Shandora? Where did you get that stone? And—"
Ren silenced him with a gesture.
The Thunder Spirit leapt from his inventory, spreading a web of lightning through the room.
In the glow of crackling electricity,Ren smiled warmly. "You want answers? Then let's make a deal.
You provide manpower—and I'll tell you everything."
"…Deal?"
Cricket's hair stood on end from the static. He had sensed something was off about this man from the start—but he hadn't expected this turn.
Before he could finish his sentence, Masira and Shoujou flipped the table in panic.
"Boss, he's an enemy! Let's crush him!"
"Boss, leave it to us!"
The rest of the Saruyama Alliance followed suit in chaos.
But then—
Boom!
Violent lightning flashed across the cabin for only a few seconds. When it faded, everyone who had attacked was down, fainted, smoke curling from their mouths.
Ren hadn't killed them—but the shock was heavy enough to put them out of commission.
"Don't hurt them!"Cricket froze, his instincts screaming not to move.
He couldn't win this.This man was clearly a Devil Fruit user!
Ren shrugged, dispersing the remaining lightning. "Relax. I just need eyes in Mock Town—to keep me updated.
And for the record, I really do know where Shandora lies. I've been there myself."
"So this is a trade, not coercion.You're free to decline if you wish."
"…"
Cricket glanced at the charred bodies around him and twitched a smile. "Fine. I'll accept.
But if you want manpower, at least let me treat them first."
"Sure."
Ren nodded, then watched in mild amazement at how resilient the people of this world were.
That kind of electrical voltage—in his previous life, even Mike Tyson would be in the ICU.
Yet these so-called "grunts" just wrapped themselves in bandages and got back up.
To show goodwill, Ren even handed out a few Health Potions.
Cricket didn't dare refuse. Once his men were stabilized, they began the negotiation.
The deal was simple: Ren offered information about Shandora in exchange for the Saruyama Alliance acting as his eyes and ears in Mock Town.
They'd just gather intel—nothing more.
As down payment, Ren gave Cricket a photo of Shandora's ruins.
In truth, it was something Robin had put together as a reconstruction. Ren simply borrowed—no, shared—it.
When Cricket saw the photo, his eyes went wide.
His ancestor had once drawn an image of Shandora, and though it looked different, the structure matched perfectly.
Thus,the Saruyama Alliance became Ren's informants.
Meanwhile, Ren's Shikigami spread across Mock Town like silent watchers.
Far out at sea, a Marine warship anchored by a port.
Vice Admiral Onigumo frowned as his Den Den Mushi call ended.
Kuzan's coming here? Why? Ren shouldn't have any ties to him…Strange. A full Admiral—especially the laziest one—just "passing by"?
He hung up the receiver with a twitch of his hair, then summoned a messenger.
"Tomorrow morning, send a reconnaissance team into Mock Town to monitor the situation.
If that brat appears, notify me immediately.
Even if we must destroy the entire island, that menace must not be allowed to grow any further!"
Compared to the Marines' aggression, Pica—lurking deep underground—was far more composed.
He watched Monet handle that idiotic bartender, satisfied that his humiliation at Sugar's hands had been soothed by a bit of vengeance.
Then he sank into the earth, spreading his power.
Paramecia-Type: Stone-Stone Fruit.
That was Pica's Devil Fruit.
It allowed him to freely move through anything made of stone and merge with it, absorbing its hardness, mass, and texture as his own.
Thus,Pica could become a colossal stone giant.
Anything made of stone fell under his control. He could reshape the terrain, alter the architecture—bend the island itself to his will.
When he transformed,his size and strength multiplied dramatically, limited only by his own power.
He could also merge with buildings and rock formations, manipulating them as extensions of his body. Even if his massive form was struck down, it didn't matter—because his true body was hidden deep within.
Breaking the stone shell achieved nothing;only destroying Pica himself would end his power.
And as one of the highest-ranking officers in the Donquixote Family, Pica possessed enough might to control an entire island.
Which meant—from the moment he stepped foot on Mock Town, the whole island was already within his reach.
If the Demon Pirates dared to appear, he could crush them instantly.
Overwhelming power—that was why Pica had come here so confidently.
After all, a 270 million bounty might sound impressive, but against someone like him? Impossible.
Just a bunch of rookies from the Blues who happened to beat Crocodile by luck.
In Pica's plan, his role was simple—cleanup. Find them, trap them, destroy them.
All reconnaissance and minor work? That was Monet's job.
As a Logia-type user of the Snow-Snow Fruit, Monet could turn her body into snow and ice, generate blizzards, and reform instantly after being shattered.
She could even glide through snow and create violent snowstorms with her wings. Aside from heat and fire, she had few weaknesses.
For scouting missions, she's perfect, Pica thought as his power extended through the earth.
That girl's acting is flawless. Even an unplanned encounter would fool those Demon Pirates into lowering their guard.
When that happens, one signal from her—and I'll crush them all!
Confident in his plan, Pica continued his preparations underground.
As for Doflamingo's orders, he'd obey them. But if the Marines were too slow—then it would be his turn to act.
(End of Chapter)