World's fist, coated in Armament Haki, smashed towards Renault's temple.
Clearly, he intended to end the battle quickly.
"Renault, you're dead!!!"
Looking at Renault, who stood completely still, World's face lit up with wild ecstasy. In his view, it must be because his speed was too fast; Renault couldn't capture his attack trajectory and could only stand there waiting for death.
"I thought you were actually tough!!"
World, growing more frenzied, mustered all his strength and threw a full-force punch directly at his target.
"Truly foolish confidence."
Renault turned his body slightly, facing World head-on.
This sudden scene caused World's pupils to contract sharply. Looking at Renault's scornful gaze and the slight upturn of the corner of his mouth, a chill shot straight from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
But the arrow had already left the bow; there was no turning back.
"Naive!!" Renault slowly spat out the word. He extended his palm and effortlessly blocked World's Armament Haki-clad fist.
"This... How is this possible!!!"
With his attack failing, World's body was completely exposed in front of Renault. He increased his strength in disbelief, but he still couldn't move Renault an inch.
"I gave you a chance, but now... you can just die!!"
"Bastard!!!"
World pushed off with his toes, executing several backflips in a row to put distance between himself and Renault.
"Can you escape?!"
Just as he was secretly breathing a sigh of relief, the sound of death ringing in his ears made his eyes widen once again.
Renault pressed forward, closing in instantly.
"Hado Ken!!" (Wave Motion Fist / Surge Fist)
Renault let out a loud shout. Surging, vast Armament Haki rippled around his body, instantly amplifying the power of his move.
A fist condensed with high-density Armament Haki struck World squarely on the head.
Crack—
Accompanied by the sound of bone fracturing, World's body froze in place instantly. His raised arm dropped limply to his side.
Powerful energy pierced through his body, and a visible shockwave flew out toward the dense forest in the distance.
Bang!Bang—
Rows of ancient trees were hit and collapsed with a roar, the destruction stretching for hundreds of meters. Birds and beasts scattered in terror.
"Brother!!!"
"Cough, cough, cough..."
ByrnJack, hiding in the shadows, saw this scene and let out a roar of grief. In his extreme agitation, he coughed up a mouthful of blood.
"Brother!!!"
ByrnJack stumbled out from behind the rock, staggering forward as blood dripped constantly from the corner of his mouth, staining the ground red.
Thud.
In his haste, he tripped over a stone, and his cane was flung away.
ByrnJack paid it no mind, as if he hadn't noticed at all. His gaze remained fixed on World as he used his hands to crawl towards him.
"Bro... ther..." World, with only one breath left, looked at ByrnJack. He opened his mouth, but in the end, no sound came out.
One could only vaguely make out the shape of his mouth trying to say the word 'Brother.'
The next second, World could no longer hold on. With a thud, he collapsed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust, and breathed his last.
"Brother..."
ByrnJack, who had used every ounce of his strength to crawl to World's side, reached out with trembling hands to close World's eyelids.
With no strength left, he could only press his face against World's large palm, curling his body into World's embrace.
"It's all me... I'm the one who harmed you!!!"
Tears mixed with blood, constantly wetting the ground.
Seeing this scene, Renault frowned but didn't act immediately.
The urgent matter right now was to reclaim the More-More Fruit. He controlled the Golden Ark to come before him.
"System, consume all Luck Points and make the More-More Fruit respawn in front of me!!!"
As soon as his voice fell, the system's cold notification sound followed immediately.
[50 Luck Points fully deducted. More-More Fruit respawning... Respawn probability: 50%!]
[Please wait patiently, Host.]
Renault clenched his fists. Whether it worked or not depended on this moment.
Back in Elbaf, his luck had been explosive; consuming 20 Luck Points had made the Soul-Soul Fruit respawn right in front of him. Now, with a 50/50 chance, he refused to believe his luck was that bad.
Time ticked by, minute by minute. Hajrudin, unsurprisingly, finished off the remaining pirates. Those guys were all bark and no bite; they couldn't even last a move or two against Hajrudin.
Renault's gaze swept over the fruits on the Golden Ark one by one. Having experienced this before, he wasn't impatient.
Soon, his wandering gaze stopped abruptly on one particular fruit.
All the surrounding fruits remained unchanged, but on the surface of this one, strange spiral patterns began to emerge.
"Success!!" Seeing the spiral patterns appear, Renault finally breathed a sigh of relief.
It had to be said, unless it was 100% Luck Points, there was always an element of gambling. Fortunately, his luck wasn't bad.
After the initial change, the fruit quickly transformed into a Devil Fruit.
The More-More Fruit had respawned!!!
"Captain, is this...?!!"
Hajrudin, who had never seen this before, rubbed his eyes vigorously, his pupils filled with disbelief.
Although he knew Renault had many secrets, killing a Devil Fruit user and making their fruit respawn right in front of him was still mind-boggling.
"Good thing I didn't eat them all." Hajrudin secretly rejoiced, looking at the pile of fruit that was nearly half gone.
[Congratulations Host, you have obtained the Great Sea Treasure, Paramecia type: More-More Fruit.][Obtained 500,000 Navigation Points!][Obtained 20 Luck Points!]
The system's notification confirmed to Renault that the Devil Fruit before him was indeed the More-More Fruit.
"Hajrudin, this is World's More-More Fruit. It's yours now."
Renault said this and then walked toward ByrnJack.
"Mine???"
"Thank you, Captain!"
Struck by the surprise, Hajrudin's reaction was a beat slow.
He had witnessed the power of the More-More Fruit with his own eyes: increasing strength by 100 times, speed by 100 times, power by 100 times!!
Relying on his formidable Giant physique and powerful dual Haki, plus the assistance of the More-More Fruit, his strength could infinitely approach that of a Marine Admiral.
The Giant race was known as the strongest nation. Whether it was the legendary Jorul and Jarul who once dominated the seas, or the current captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates, Brogy and Dorry, they all possessed formidable strength and famous reputations in the New World.
But the only shortcoming was that there were no true apex powerhouses among the Giants.
(Note: "Apex powerhouses" here refers to top-tier legends like the Yonko or Marine Admirals, not just first-rate fighters.)
Now, Hajrudin possessed the foundation to become a top-tier powerhouse. Once he developed the More-More Fruit to its limit, he might truly join those ranks.
Impatient, Hajrudin didn't hesitate and took a bite.
"Ugh—"
"Tastes like sh*t!!"
...
Renault quietly watched ByrnJack, who was curled up beside World, muttering to himself.
To be honest, in terms of brotherly affection, it was indeed touching.
ByrnJack, although a sickly weakling with zero combat power, was never abandoned by World. World took ByrnJack out to sea, seeking medical treatment while traveling the ocean to fulfill their dreams.
Of course, ByrnJack wasn't useless. As the strategist of the pirate crew, he was responsible for planning and avoiding risks for World. The two complemented each other and made a name for themselves in the New World.
But Renault felt no compassion for the ByrnJack before him.
Although ByrnJack hadn't killed anyone personally, countless people had died tragically at World's hands under his instigation. Perhaps some deserved it, but surely there were innocents among them.
Anyone who could make a name for themselves in the crisis-ridden New World—who among them wasn't covered in blood?!
Seeming to sense Renault's gaze, ByrnJack slowly closed his eyes, his voice calm: "Kill me."
World was dead; he couldn't go on living. Neither physically nor mentally.
"Let's go, Hajrudin!!"
Renault waved his hand, beckoning Hajrudin, who was familiarizing himself with the power of the More-More Fruit.
"Coming, Captain." Hajrudin activated 10x speed and whooshed onto the Golden Ark instantly.
The Golden Ark slowly rose into the air and then flew away from the sea area.
"Captain, what about him??" Hajrudin glanced at ByrnJack below and asked hesitantly.
Rumble...Rumble—
Just as his voice fell, bolts of silver lightning the thickness of rice bowls crashed down violently. Avoiding ByrnJack himself, they struck the island around the two brothers.
The hard ground crumbled as easily as tofu. The terrifying lightning strike forcefully tore a small chunk of the island away from the main landmass.
The separated piece shattered into rocks, seawater rushed in, and the debris sank to the bottom of the ocean.
ByrnJack tightly gripped World's hand, a faint smile slowly appearing at the corner of his mouth.
Boom. ... ...
Whoosh—
The Golden Ark's speed increased sharply. With the Jet Dials firing at full power, it streaked across the sky like a meteor.
Kingdom of Cast.
By the time Renault returned, it was already approaching evening, just after dinner.
"Hajrudin, let's spar sometime and see who's stronger!"
Learning that Hajrudin had eaten the More-More Fruit, Jace's hands immediately started itching for a fight.
Within the entire pirate crew, he couldn't beat Renault or Linlin. Flame Flower was roughly equal to him in strength, but out of consideration for Renault, he always held back somewhat when sparring with her, which wasn't very satisfying. The others weren't his match at all and didn't even spark his desire to fight.
But now things were different. Hajrudin, possessing the More-More Fruit, definitely had the power to fight him.
Hajrudin had a powerful physique and strong mastery of dual Haki, but speed was his weakness. Now, with the More-More Fruit, he could increase his speed up to a hundred times, perfectly compensating for that shortcoming. If the two of them fought, the outcome would be uncertain.
"Sure, I want to try it out too." The honest-faced Hajrudin scratched his head and agreed.
"Mamamamahaha... The strength of our pirate crew has increased again! This calls for a celebration!!"
"If those Marines or that bastard named Rocks dare to come, we'll send them flying!!"
A delighted Linlin raised her pink fist triumphantly.
"Linlin, don't be so optimistic. Rogue, any news today??"
The New World was showing signs of impending turmoil; sometimes there was explosive news almost every day.
"No, Captain. There hasn't been any movement from Rocks, whom you asked me to pay special attention to."
"I've extended the surveillance range by another few dozen nautical miles. Once anyone approaches this sea area, someone will notify us immediately."
Currently, Cast was surrounded by wolves. The Marines and Rocks were eyeing them covetously; they had to be on guard.
"I wonder what that guy Rocks is planning."
Renault rubbed his chin, unable to figure it out. However, he was certain of one thing: since he had rejected Rocks, Rocks would make a move against him sooner or later. It was only a matter of time. Perhaps Rocks was already preparing, or maybe he was delayed by other matters.
"Rogue, send people to keep an eye on the movements of Rocks and the Marines. Once they show any intention of deploying troops toward the Kingdom of Cast, notify me immediately."
Hearing the implication in his words, Rogue nodded but asked in confusion:
"Captain, are you going out?!!"
"That's right." Renault nodded.
Now that the More-More Fruit was secured, the next goal was to go to Wano Country to forge swords.
Although Cast was calm right now, he knew this was the calm before the storm. Before the storm hit, he had to use every means possible to increase their strength.
"Linlin, come with me to Wano Country tomorrow."
"Wano Country?? What kind of place is that?!!"
Linlin, who was only interested in eating, knew very little about the New World.
Rogue took the initiative to explain to Linlin: "Wano Country is an isolationist nation. It's rich in Seastone, and there are many world-renowned swordsmiths there."
"Captain, are you taking Linlin there to forge swords?!!"
Rogue had a guess in his heart.
"Correct."
To forge an exclusive Supreme Grade Sword, both the shape and dimensions of the blade had to be tailored to the user's needs and habits; carelessness was not an option. Since no one could replace the user in this process, he had to take Linlin to Wano Country himself.
"Okay." Linlin, not particularly interested in the details, simply agreed. As long as she could follow Renault, she would go anywhere.
"Captain, if you're away during this time, what if Rocks and the Marines...?!" Rogue looked troubled, showing faint worry.
Renault and Linlin were the number one and number two powerhouses of the pirate crew. If both left Cast and the enemy realized it, they might take advantage of the opening to invade. The consequences would be unimaginable.
Moreover, most of their crew's strength had already been exposed. If the enemy came next time, their lineup would definitely be even more terrifying.
"Don't worry. I won't stay in Wano Country for too long. Once the blade templates are decided, Linlin will stay there to wait, and I will rush back immediately."
This matter was critical; he wouldn't trust anyone else with it.
"Is that so?" Renault's answer dispelled Rogue's doubts.
"Linlin, go back and prepare. We set off early tomorrow morning!"
The night passed without incident.
... ...
The Next Day.
Besides Linlin, Renault also brought along a submarine and ten elite soldiers.
Accompanied by flashes of lightning, the Golden Ark left the sea area of the Kingdom of Cast once again.
Since the Golden Ark flew at an altitude of 10,000 meters, Renault wasn't afraid of being discovered. Speeding to the limit, the journey was unobstructed!
This time, he flew for several days. When he saw the spiraling currents rising from the sea below, Renault knew they had finally arrived at Wano Country.
"Brother, is this Wano Country??"
Snuggled in Renault's arms, Linlin followed his gaze.
The sea below was churning with giant waves, whirlpool after whirlpool. Even the sky seemed different from other places.
"This is it. Let's go down!"
With the Golden Ark, there was naturally no need to enter Wano Country using the dangerous traditional method (climbing the waterfalls with koi fish).
After finding a place to hide the Golden Ark, Renault led Linlin and the guards into a town in Wano Country.
"Everyone is tired from the journey."
"Today, I'll take you to see the local customs and culture of Wano Country. We'll handle business tomorrow."
To avoid causing unnecessary panic due to Linlin's massive size, Renault had specifically asked her to use Life Return (Seimei Kikan) to shrink her body. Although she was still much taller than a normal person, it wasn't as exaggerated as before.
"Brother, is this really necessary?? Being this small is so uncomfortable." Linlin pouted unhappily. Except for when she was doing that with Renault, she really didn't like changing her body size.
"Wano Country is an isolationist nation that doesn't communicate with the outside world. Suddenly having such a huge giant appear would attract unwanted attention."
Renault was here to find someone to forge swords; he didn't want to invite trouble for no reason. If a conflict broke out, his sword-forging plan would go up in smoke.
But sometimes, even if you don't want trouble, trouble comes knocking on your door.
While they were strolling around, several men wearing kimono with katana at their waists walked towards them with clear purpose.
Watching the samurai approach, Renault slapped his forehead, suddenly realizing his mistake.
He had only thought about body size, but everyone in Wano Country wore kimono. Their clothes looked extremely out of place here. One glance was enough to tell they weren't from Wano.
Several samurai stepped forward and made a gesture of invitation: "Everyone, the Shogun wishes to see you!"
...