Cavendish, who had been lying on the ground, gripped the hilt of Durandal tightly. In the next instant, both he and the Western rapier vanished.
When he reappeared, he was already less than ten meters from Ren.
It took only a single flicker—a blink of an eye.
At least two hundred meters per second… so that's his real speed.
Just as Ren was about to move, an even greater pressure surged from behind, like a tsunami roaring from the mountains.
A massive shadow—like a towering mountain—loomed over the sword-wielding Cavendish. A sharp whine cut through the air.
"You dare draw killing intent? Against my benefactor?"
Kuma's cold gaze dropped upon him, his old-style glasses hiding his eyes.
But the pressure that swept out from him filled the air like black and crimson lightning, flooding several hundred meters around.
The pressure was merely a byproduct of that lightning—
Conqueror's Haki!
Conqueror's Haki? Impossible!
Ren's pupils constricted in disbelief, though his attention remained locked on Cavendish, who seemed about to strike.
Yet—
Cavendish did not attack. Instead, he froze in place, unmoving.
Kuma's Haki wasn't enough to knock out a madman as unhinged as this.
Would they fight? Wasn't Cavendish's second persona completely irrational?
If Kuma misjudged and killed him by accident, that would be a disaster—
Clang—!
While Ren was still considering it, Cavendish suddenly released his grip. Durandal fell to the ground with a metallic ring.
Then, without hesitation, he lay down flat, his expression turning calm—and even began snoring.
Ren: "???"
No… Cavendish's second personality isn't brainless. But… this choice? When he knows he can't win, he just gives up and lets the main personality take over?
Ren's face twitched. He didn't know whether to laugh or sigh.
He glanced at the unmoving Kuma and grew even more speechless.
Then—
A thoroughly bewildered Cavendish woke up, pain coursing through his body.
He looked around instinctively and realized he had moved nearly a hundred meters.
There was nothing around him. When he looked up, Ren was standing before him, brow slightly furrowed.
Was I defeated? Damn it! You useless fool!
Cavendish froze for a second, then immediately grasped what had happened.
He didn't know the details, but his second persona had taken over while he was unconscious—and vanished again within a second.
And that persona… was far stronger than him.
Which meant—
"I… lost?"
Cavendish sat down in disbelief, his face full of refusal.
Ren looked toward Kuma.
Kuma lowered his head apologetically, like a child who'd done something wrong.
After intimidating Cavendish, he quietly returned to where he had been sitting.
His expression was complicated.
Ren thought for a moment, then decided not to correct the misunderstanding. He stepped toward Cavendish."You lost. Or would you prefer best two out of three?"
"No! I'm not the type who can't accept defeat!"
Cavendish jumped up, grimacing but stubbornly standing tall. "Loss is loss.Since you really defeated Onigumo, then losing to you isn't unacceptable."
"Even if it means working for me for ten years?"
"Ten years is ten years!"
He hesitated briefly, then muttered in a smaller voice, "But I'm destined to become a dazzling superstar. Ten years is fine, but I can't publicly be your underling, you get it? This world needs me—to become the brightest guiding light upon the sea!"
"Don't worry. I won't make you my lackey. You'll shine even brighter than before."
Ren patted him on the shoulder with a knowing smile.
Cavendish slumped, waving dejectedly before trudging to the island's edge to sulk.
He lost. But what could he do? A loss is a loss.
If he broke his promise now, wouldn't that make him an ungrateful, dishonorable man?
Now what do I do…Cavendish left, heavy with gloom.
Ren turned to his companions.
Clearly, the weakest of them—Sas—was sitting pale-faced on the deck of the Weather Ship.
Not because his willpower was stronger, but because he had been the farthest from the Haki blast.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine. That was just…"
"A Conqueror's Haki surge. It wasn't meant to happen."
"Got it. I'll be fine after a rest."
"And you two?"
Ren turned to Vivi and Nojiko, who had been near the edge of the shockwave.
Unexpectedly, both women had held out—though their faces were pale.
"I'm fine," Nojiko said softly. "I've been through worse. Compared to that, I've grown a lot."
"I-I'm fine too. I thought I couldn't hold on… but then I thought of you, and suddenly… I could stand."
Vivi stammered through the words, her porcelain cheeks burning crimson.
But it was the truth—just missing one detail.
She had seen that Nojiko hadn't fainted and, unwilling to disappoint Ren, grit her teeth and endured. And somehow… she'd endured the Conqueror's pressure.
"I see. You did well."
Ren's gaze softened, uncertain if Vivi's words had a hidden meaning.
Still, meeting those expectant blue eyes, he couldn't help reaching out to ruffle her silky azure hair.
"Ahem." Nojiko cleared her throat gently and stepped forward.
Not to interrupt—just to signal that she wanted her turn too.
Ren smiled helplessly and patted her short hair as well.
After dealing with them, he went straight to Kuma.
"Sorry for interrupting your duel. His killing intent flared too suddenly—I thought…"
"It's fine. The result is the same, and that's enough."
"Good."
"Just now—was that…?"
Ren's tone carried curiosity. He knew Kuma had never possessed Conqueror's Haki. Even after his body had been transformed into a cyborg, there had been no sign of it.
Conqueror's Haki was innate—almost impossible to awaken without intense guidance.
"Conqueror's Haki… I suppose it just awakened."
Kuma's expression was complicated, almost troubled. "I know what awakening it usually means. But I've never had the ambition to dominate the world, nor have I sought to rule others. I just… in that instant, wanted to destroy anything that might endanger Bonney. Even if—"
"Even if?"
"Even if it meant burning the entire world!"
Kuma clenched his fists, his thick lenses reflecting a fire-like glint.
For Bonney—for the people—he had sacrificed everything.
Because the one he offered up was himself.
But if he ever had to choose between Bonney and everyone else…He didn't know what he would do.
Yet the very fact that Bonney alone could weigh against everyone else—was already an answer.
Black and crimson lightning flickered again, though smaller in scale this time.
Kuma's voice weakened.
"I just… I don't know if I'll regret ever getting close to them. If not for me, maybe they'd only have suffered small misfortunes. They wouldn't have been targeted by the World Government—wouldn't have become sacrifices because I broke my promise."
Ren steadied himself with a flicker of movement, shrugging off the faint pressure wave.
The awakening is unstable—his emotions trigger it. About my level of control. But terrifying nonetheless. This is Bartholomew Kuma.If he masters Conqueror's coating, he could fight Kuzan for days!
Ren quickly came to his conclusion and sat down before Kuma, returning to his calm composure.
"Kuma, even good people don't think like you. You're too kind—so kind that even your good deeds turn against you. If you hadn't been so kind to begin with, the World Government would never have noticed those people. Because they'd see no value in pursuing them—it would've been pointless, even foolish."
"...Yes."
Kuma was silent for a while, then nodded faintly.
He couldn't deny it.
"Then maybe try this—seek help from others. From me… or from the Revolutionary Army. This world doesn't belong entirely to the World Government. People like me exist. So do countless revolutionaries. Not everything bends to the Government's will."
Ren patted Kuma's leg—his shoulder was too high to reach.
"I think I can help you. Maybe not now, but someday. Right now, I just hope you can confirm whether the future I saw is mistaken."
"?"
Kuma raised his head, confused.
"The future isn't fixed."
Ren—having resumed his role as the prophet—shrugged. "Just as changing the present changes the future, what I saw isn't absolute. So awakening Conqueror's Haki is a good thing. It means you've already made your choice—or at least, your heart has. If you truly intend to fight the World Government, learning Conqueror's coating will be a great aid.
As for those who might be harmed because of you—If you trust me, I can help ensure that dreadful future never comes to pass."
"You… have a way?"
Kuma looked as if he wanted to reach out, to grab Ren's hand.
But he froze mid-motion, hesitating.
He'd already troubled Ren enough—should he really ask for more?
"I don't have it now," Ren said softly, "but I'm a prophet, remember? For a prophet, nothing is ever truly impossible."
He quietly placed his hand into Kuma's open palm.
"Don't fear. Don't waver. Let go of your confusion. If you don't know where to go… then entrust me with the guidance of your soul.
I'll let you see—see the reality that leads to that terrible future. But I'll also let you see the future where your fears are undone.
Don't worry about burdening me. This isn't kindness—it's a fair trade.
All I ask in return… is that in the future—or a future even further away—when I declare war upon the World Government, you stand with me."
Without hesitation, Ren bared his ambition.
(End of Chapter)