'You've done something bad. Maybe the outcome will be good… no, that would be hypocritical.
Good is good, bad is bad. What's done is done.
You can regret it, feel ashamed, feel guilty—but you can't lie to yourself and pretend it never happened.
That would be deceit—using the guise of "foresight," revealing only part of the truth to gain the benefit you desire.'
Ren's eyes flickered as his fist quietly tightened.
He reflected on what he'd done, realizing that, to Kuma, he had become a villain.
But he also knew that—for the sake of the ideal—it was the best choice.
He had chosen to benefit himself at the cost of another.
That was the essence of what he had just done.
At that moment—
The sound of rapid footsteps echoed through the area. A battered, dust-covered Cavendish appeared at full speed.
The moment he saw the six-winged angel form before him, his dazed expression instantly turned into envy.
Damn it…
How could someone look that handsome?! That halo, that armor, that golden glow—if that were on him, wouldn't he have the entire world swooning at his feet?!
But—
Confusion quickly overpowered jealousy.
No, not "confusion"—he had just barely escaped being buried at the bottom of the sea!
Cavendish skidded to a stop before Ren, shouting,
"Hey, hey! Was that a volcano erupting just now—or an earthquake?!"
"No," Ren replied calmly. "Kuma lost control of his emotions for a moment and caused… a little accident."
"Kuma lost control?"
Cavendish froze for a beat, then glanced at the massive bear sitting on the ground, calculating something. His gaze wandered across the shattered surroundings—and his jaw dropped.
This entire island… had been reduced to one-twentieth its original size!
He really wanted to jab a finger at Ren's face and yell, Are you kidding me?!
Just seconds ago, that entire island had vanished from one strike?
"Who else could've done it?" Ren said flatly. "You think it was me? Or do you see any sign of a natural disaster around?"
Cavendish blinked, scanning the wreckage. "Well… not really."
He fell into thought.
If Ren had this kind of power—no, that couldn't be right. It had to be Kuma.
Ren was just a younger upstart, a rookie!
No way he could possess that kind of might.
He'd prove it soon enough—once he defeated Ren himself.
But still… was Kuma really that powerful?!
That single palm had sent him flying across the sea. He'd been sulking, thinking he'd been careless—but now?
That wasn't carelessness.
That was madness.
If Kuma's "loss of control" could nearly sink an island, then if he fought seriously, wouldn't he become a natural disaster himself?!
Cavendish suddenly felt lucky to still be breathing.
Wait a second!
The so-called "Pirate Prince" realized something wasn't right.
If all Warlords of the Sea are on that level, then the Ren who defeated Crocodile…
His expression stiffened. That bet he'd made suddenly felt a bit too hasty.
No, no, no—it must've been because Crocodile was weak! There are differences among pirates, right? So the Warlords can't all be the same level either!
Unable to accept inferiority, Cavendish quickly found an excuse to soothe himself.
He forced his heart to settle back down.
Then—
"Let's fight," Ren said suddenly, his tone casual but provocative. "You seem to have recovered well enough."
It worked perfectly.
Cavendish's face darkened instantly as he drew Durandal, the gleaming rapier slicing the air.
"Fine! I've got plenty of rage to burn! Since you're asking for it, don't blame me for picking on someone who just got caught in Kuma's accident!"
He put heavy emphasis on accident, as if reminding Ren not to overdo it.
That blast just now had wrecked him even from afar—how could Ren have escaped unscathed?
Besides, the others around here all seemed like Logia-types… but this guy clearly wasn't. His strange tricks had to be from a Paramecia-type Fruit.
As long as I prepare properly, victory is mine!
The two soon moved to an open clearing to avoid collateral damage.
"How should we start?" Cavendish asked.
"Let's flip a coin," Ren said, pulling one out casually.
A coin—nothing more.Except… it was from Gambler's Misfortune.
"When it hits the ground, that's the signal."
Cavendish eyed the unfamiliar currency but didn't care, gripping Durandal tightly.
"Just so you know," Ren added with a faint smile, "it really was me who defeated Vice Admiral Onigumo."
"What—?" Cavendish's eyes widened.
"You've been curious, haven't you? There's your answer. So you'd better take this fight seriously."
His tone dropped low. "Fight me as if it's to the death. After all, you're a man who lost to Onigumo—and he's someone I defeated.
So… let your other self come out. Your second personality, right?"
"!!"
A flicker of hesitation and conflict crossed Cavendish's face—but it vanished in a snarl of defiance.
"Don't think I'll fall for your lies, Ren! I don't need him. I can beat you myself! I'll show you just how vast this world really is!"
He crouched low, eyes locked firmly on the coin.
Every muscle in his body tensed.
Then—
His eyes widened in shock.
Ren hadn't flicked the coin yet—he'd instead pulled out a black-and-gold card.
Trait: Twelve Hours.
A second Ren stepped out from behind the first, retrieving a pair of earrings from the air.
He placed one on his ear—and the duplicate wore the other.
Their figures blurred—then merged into one.
In the Dimensional Roulette, Ren's light screen exploded upward, stats refreshing wildly.
[Strength: B] [Agility: B] [Constitution: B]
Triple-B attributes—comparable to a Marine Vice Admiral or even the giant warriors of Little Garden.
And Cavendish's physical ability was roughly on that same level.
What kind of trick is this?! His aura just skyrocketed—did my Observation Haki mess up?!
Cavendish's pupils shrank.
He'd always assumed Ren wasn't that strong because his Observation Haki said otherwise.
But now, that presence… had changed completely.
If Ren had felt like a kitten before—now he was a tiger ready to devour him whole.
Instinctively, black metallic Armament Haki coiled around Durandal.
The coin flicked. Cling!
It hit the ground.
Misfortune activated.
Whoosh—!
A white ripple burst outward.
Cavendish vanished, moving faster than the eye could track—his blade flashing like lightning.
The power of a hundred-million-Beli pirate surged forth—his speed rivaling the Soru of elite Marine officers.
At least 150 meters per second!
A killing wind howled across the clearing, invisible to sight yet sharp enough to cut.
The sword keened—a piercing shriek of steel.
Cavendish's crimson eyes gleamed as he lunged.
The six-winged angel before him didn't even move.
He simply stood there—completely still.
…!
Cavendish's foot brushed the coin.
For just a heartbeat he hesitated—then thrust Durandal forward without mercy.
The blade pierced through—direct hit!
"Hmph. Don't know how your aura suddenly got stronger, but I still win."
He grinned arrogantly. "Don't worry, I avoided your vitals. You'll be—"
His words froze.
The six-winged angel's form flickered the instant his blade touched.
A burst of starlight surged toward him!
Ren's body turned into pure light and darted forward.
The sword passed harmlessly through his translucent form—while Ren appeared behind him in the next instant.
Reaching back, his fingers hooked behind Cavendish's neck, gripping his still-smiling face—
—and with a savage motion, he kicked the back of Cavendish's knees and slammed his head straight into the ground.
BOOM!
The earth quaked violently, cracks spiderwebbing outward for dozens of meters.
Half of Cavendish's body sank a meter deep into the crater, his pupils scattering from the impact.
Ren released his grip and clenched his fist. Lightning sparked to life.
Thunder Spear materialized, coiling around his hands—alongside the deep purple hue of Armament Haki.
He thrust downward.
Black-violet lightning exploded outward like a forest of writhing serpents, wrapping around Cavendish's body.
Fist Technique: Thunder Serpent!
Crackling thunder filled the air.
The furious light reflected in Cavendish's eyes as heat scorched the air, filling it with the stench of ozone.
Armament Haki fused with lightning, amplifying the attack's might even further.
Damn… Armament Haki… I can't—! The second personality—he'll—kill him…
BOOOOM!
Cavendish tried to speak, but his voice was drowned beneath the roar of thunder.
Lightning as thick as his wrist slithered across his body, branding him mercilessly with electric fury.
The patches of skin not covered by Haki charred instantly, blistering with the smell of burnt flesh.
Only when his eyes rolled back and his body went limp did the storm finally subside.
The glow faded.
Ren exhaled softly, withdrawing his hand as the Thunder Spear unraveled into streams of energy that danced around him like living dragons.
'A technique similar to Logia elementalization… not bad in practice.
With Haki involved, opponents lower their guard more easily.
Using Gambler's Misfortune to manipulate in-battle outcomes—it's quite effective when the stakes are high.
As for Fist Technique: Thunder Serpent, it fuses Haki with lightning to tremendous effect…
But it's hard to control. You have to keep Haki flowing constantly to maintain coverage over the serpent.
If the duration drags out, I could lose the connection.
Still… if I master Flowing Haki and combine it with electricity—it could evolve into something extraordinary.'
Within moments, he'd already analyzed and internalized everything learned from the fight.
On the scorched ground—
Inside the several-meter-deep crater left by the strike—
Cavendish's motionless, charred body suddenly twitched.
Then his expression twisted violently.
A murderous aura burst upward like a blade, slicing the air around them.
'So… it's coming.'
Ren's eyes narrowed slightly.
Lightning exploded at a distance as he stepped back—retreating over a hundred meters in an instant.
(End of Chapter)