Although Ren treated Mock Town as his fishing ground, he remained exceedingly cautious about what happened there.
The mobilization of the Saruyama Alliance and the Shikigami meant he had re-entered his "strategist's vigilance" state.
Before long—
Under his near-omniscient intelligence network, he swiftly obtained firsthand information.
To his surprise, Mock Town was in utter chaos.
The number of forces gathered here was beyond imagination.
Ren began to move.
He strode into Mock Town as if no one existed around him.
His reliance was simple: Arcane Ring: Presence Reduction, a piece of equipment that once belonged to Nami before it was retired.
Because of its unique function, Ren had claimed it for himself.
With that and Invisibility, the chance of being discovered was nearly zero.
Nojiko and Vivi also began their own operations.
Vivi had joined Ren's crew only after the Alabasta incident—officially, the royal family had merely reported her as missing.
Her next public appearance had been during the battle on Skypiea.
To the outside world, she wasn't recognized as a member of Ren's group.
As for Nojiko, who had already shown herself before, she now possessed an Invisibility Cloak as well.
The Mana Crystal reserves she carried were enough to sustain its use for quite a while.
Thus—
The plan began.
Arrogance—
Or perhaps self-superiority.
Or, more precisely, the pride of a "senior" looking down upon a "junior."
Even battle-hardened veterans could hardly escape such emotions.
Humans were creatures of this sort.
And the world of One Piece was no exception.
Just as pirates of the New World scornfully called the first half of the Grand Line "Paradise."
Having traveled further and survived far harsher ordeals, even those who halted midway would still feel superior when looking back at newcomers.
That truth never changed.
Just like now—
"Arrogant fool… Cavendish, who gave you the courage?"
Vice Admiral Onigumo's face darkened, his black hair writhing like living tendrils as six blades—each at least of Wazamono grade—slid into his grasp.
Before him, a ghostly figure halted within the ranks of the Marines; only a split-second of substance preceded the belated gust that followed.
In the blink of an eye, the air filled with sprays of blood.
The crimson stained the deck, pooling beneath the fallen Marines until the entire foredeck of the warship was slick with red.
At least a hundred Marines now lay sprawled across the planks—
Eliciting raucous cheers from the pirate ship anchored nearby.
"Captain, you're amazing!"
"So cool!"
"I'll follow you for the rest of my life!"
Among them were even shrill female voices, tinged with obsession.
"Hmph."
The spotless nobleman flicked the blood from his rapier and cast a scornful glance past the Marine soldiers toward the Vice Admiral behind them.
"Just a Vice Admiral. Shouldn't I be the one asking who gave you the courage to covet my prey?"
He sneered. "Ren's head belongs to me! It's not your Marines' turn to touch him!"
At the mention of that long-standing hatred, Cavendish's handsome face contorted with fury.
"Perfect. Once I cut you down and carry your head with me to kill that bastard Ren, my fame will skyrocket across the seas!"
"Idiot."
Onigumo's voice was cold.
Just as veterans possessed their superiority, newcomers never lacked fools blind to their own weakness.
The Demon Pirates were one such example—and Cavendish before him was another.
No—at least Ren of the Demon Pirates had earned his renown by stepping over Crocodile's corpse.
Even the Yonko themselves had acknowledged him as a worthy opponent.
But this Cavendish? What was he compared to that?
"Naïve boy… let me show you what the world truly is."
Vice Admiral Onigumo drew two of his swords, advancing with deliberate calm.
The surrounding Marines instinctively backed away, giving their commander ample space.
In the next instant—
A thunderous explosion erupted!
Eight gleaming arcs of steel crisscrossed toward Cavendish!
Simultaneously, the warship's cannons fired, bombarding the Beautiful Pirates' ship.
Boom—!
Boom!
…
A fist smashed downward, distorting a man's face and twisting his muscles grotesquely.
That absolute violence shattered several white teeth in an instant, crushing the man to the floor with overwhelming force.
"Who else?!"
The icy voice reverberated through the tavern.
Ren leisurely withdrew his blood-stained fist, casting a glance toward the unconscious—or possibly pretending—bartender lying nearby.
His cold gaze swept across the trembling patrons of the small bar.
"A beautiful woman like her breaks a glass by accident… and you try to extort her for 'repayment in kind', even beating the owner unconscious?"
He raised his voice sharply, each word dripping with contempt.
"Is there still law?! Is there still jus~tice?!"
Pausing, Ren's tone turned razor-edged. "If anyone disagrees, stand up!"
No one spoke. The patrons only stared in terror at the man lying on the floor—and the dozen pirate-looking thugs strewn around him.
A pirate crew with a bounty of seven million Beli had been wiped out in less than a minute by this man alone.
If they had known earlier, they never would've joined the mockery.
And none had expected to run into this man here of all places.
Several patrons silently regretted their earlier arrogance—only for the next sound to make their hearts nearly stop.
Thud—!
Ren stepped down, crushing the pirate captain's head into the floor, then twisted his boot as if to grind in the lesson.
The muffled groans that followed sent chills down everyone's spines.
"Good," Ren said coolly. "It seems you all know who I am."
The patrons' heads lowered in unison.
The year they'd crossed paths with the 270-million-Beli super-pirate Demon Ren… who among them would have dared go drinking that day had they known?
Just then, a pitifully delicate green-haired girl stepped forward, looping her pale arms around Ren's, pressing his solid bicep against her generous chest.
The pressure was so firm that her thick glasses creaked audibly.
It must have been… quite the sensation.
The patrons thought so too, watching in envy—some even wishing they could trade places with that terrifying man.
"Lord Ren," the girl—Monet—pleaded softly, "please, let them go. I… I don't want to cause trouble for the owner."
Her voice, coupled with her beauty and trembling innocence, raised the persuasiveness of her act to perfection.
She played the part of a newcomer—taken in for her looks, harassed for her looks, and now rescued by a powerful stranger.
Lucky yet frightened, desperate to smooth things over.
The men in the tavern felt their hearts quiver at the sight.
Even Ren, "unsurprisingly," gave a warm smile. "Fine, since it's your wish, Mary, I'll let them go."
Of course, the lust in his eyes was plain as day, his gaze shamelessly tracing every curve of the green-haired beauty.
Yes—
That was what pirates were: greedy, lustful, reckless, and violent.
Ren embodied that image perfectly.
"Ah…"
Monet shivered "just right," trembling from head to toe.
Then, as if out of fear, she clung tighter, her ample chest enveloping his arm completely.
She must have been terrified, surely.
"Damn it…"
The male patrons' eyes turned green with envy.
To them, the final victor of the night was clearly this fearsome pirate.
At this rate, even if the old bartender woke up, he'd likely just stand outside the bedroom door, weeping as he listened to the noises within.
Men's depravity was universal.
Ren's face bore the same lecherous grin—until, like flipping a mask, it hardened into a snarl.
"You lot—take these fools and get out! The tavern's closed for today!"
"Y-yes… yes, sir!"
Despite their lust for the green-haired beauty, none dared defy him.
They hurriedly dragged the unconscious pirates away with practiced speed.
Scenes like this were commonplace in Mock Town, a pirate-infested cesspool.
The only difference this time was how beautiful the woman was—her figure sinfully enticing—
And how the man was none other than the legendary Demon Ren!
"Two hundred seventy million bounty… just knowing that might be worth a drink elsewhere," one drunkard thought wistfully.
In any case—
The tavern was soon empty save for three people: one unconscious, and one man and woman still standing.
"Lord Ren, please sit here. I'll prepare your drink."
Monet released his arm as if shocked, her cheeks flushed scarlet like ripe apples.
Yes—
For a woman of her background, a hint of innocence was only natural, right?
Her performance could fool any lust-drunk fool.
Monet was confident.
As expected, Ren seemed to take the bait, mistaking it for flirtation.
He nodded calmly, though the upward curl of his lips betrayed his thoughts.
"Please wait a moment."
Monet kept up her act, lowering her head bashfully as she hurried away.
Her steps stumbled slightly—perhaps from looking too low—eliciting an even hotter gaze behind her.
"Can't see her toes when she bows her head… truly a goddess among mortals," he thought.
The moment Monet and the unconscious bartender disappeared around the corner—
Ren's smirk deepened. With a flick of his fingers, an unremarkable coin dropped onto the table, covered discreetly by his sleeve.
Then, a black-and-gold card materialized in his palm, flipping lazily between his fingers.
Moments later, Monet returned carrying several barrels of ale.
Old Boro was nowhere to be seen—likely dumped somewhere in the kitchen.
Not that anyone cared about his whereabouts.
Setting the barrels beside the table, Monet resumed her act.
Attacking directly was impossible; she'd overheard the earlier pirates mention a Marine warship nearby.
It seemed they'd engaged another pirate crew.
So Monet would faithfully follow the Young Master's orders—playing the patient fisherman waiting for both sides to fall.
This fool has no idea what kind of trap he's walked into, she thought coldly.
Newcomers always think danger waits in predictable places… but for the Donquixote Family, the first half of the Grand Line truly is just a paradise.
Outwardly, she kept her docile, girlish demeanor.
At the very least, the man before her had begun drinking.
And when he noticed her gaze, he even offered what he thought was a charming smile.
(End of Chapter)