Chapter 51 – To Sea
Ron sat quietly, looking at Shakky and Gloriosa sleeping beside him.
A smile was on his face, but his mind was chaotic.
"Why did I start thinking like a typical harem protagonist?"
"I always hated those kinds of characters, yet here I was acting like them."
"Why do I need other women when I have two who love me so much?"
Ron kept asking himself the same question.
Looking at the peaceful sleeping faces of Shakky and Gloriosa, Ron felt guilty.
"What a hypocrite I am."
"When I read those harem novels, I cursed the protagonists for collecting girls, and here I was constantly thinking of doing the same."
"What's the difference between me and them?"
The overwhelming guilt swallowed him whole.
His eyes grew moist.
"A fucking hypocritical bastard, that's what I am."
He looked at Gloriosa and Shakky.
"I promise you two."
"I won't be like that again."
"You two chose to love me, so I will love only you."
He muttered inwardly while stroking their heads.
Shakky and Gloriosa cuddled closer to him like lazy cats.
Ron chuckled softly.
"I won't be blinded by my lust again."
"I promise."
---
A few hours later—
Shakky and Gloriosa stirred awake with sleepy yawns.
The moment they saw Ron, both immediately hugged him.
"No going back to sleep again," Gloriosa said.
Ron hugged them back.
"Of course."
"So, how was your adventure while I was asleep?"
"It seems you found it."
Shakky and Gloriosa grinned.
"Of course we did."
Both flicked the earrings hanging from their ears.
"It took us two whole years even after knowing where it might be resting," Shakky said.
Ron nodded.
"Well, the sea is huge."
"So, did you meet them?"
"The father and daughter?"
"Yeah."
Gloriosa nodded.
"Can't believe they lived so close to the world yet never found it."
"We helped them escape the Sea King's stomach and left them in a small kingdom near Clover Kingdom."
"He wanted to cure his daughter's illness and live a quiet life, so we didn't press him any further."
Shakky sighed.
"Though having such a great scientist would have been useful."
Ron laughed and kissed her cheek.
"Well, let them live normally."
"They spent centuries trapped inside a Sea King's stomach after all."
"And we got the Pure Gold we needed."
"So it's fine."
Shakky smiled.
"Well, we still have some leftover after forging the earrings."
"You can store it."
"Who knows if we'll need it in the future?"
Ron nodded.
"Good idea."
"Oi!"
Gloriosa pouted.
"You two are being lovey-dovey right in front of me."
Ron and Shakky immediately burst into laughter.
"BWAHAHAHAHA!"
"Hahaha!"
Gloriosa puffed her cheeks.
---
After calming down, Shakky looked at Ron.
"So, what are we going to do next?"
Ron grinned.
"We're going to Wano."
"And conquer it."
Shakky and Gloriosa blinked.
Ron continued casually.
"Then Gloriosa will move Noah while carrying the Fish-Men."
"We'll relocate them to the Inland sea surrounding Wano."
"That way I'll fulfill my promise to Neptune."
"Giving Fish-Man the freedom to live under the sun."
Silence.
Then—
Shakky and Gloriosa looked at each other.
And laughed.
"Hahaha!"
"Well, what were we even expecting from you?" Shakky giggled.
"Of course it has to be something ridiculously outrageous," Gloriosa muttered.
Ron chuckled.
"Well?"
"You in?"
Both women grinned.
"Of course."
The three laughed together.
---
Later—
Neptune arrived.
"You called me?"
Ron nodded.
"We'll be going to the New World."
"Once the new home for the Fish-Men is ready, I'll come back and take Noah to fulfill its purpose."
Neptune froze.
Then his face lit up.
"I'll do absolutely everything in my power to help you!"
"Just tell me if you need anything."
Ron grinned.
"Well, I need a coated ship."
Neptune laughed loudly.
"Hahaha!"
"Consider it done."
Then he paused.
"So when are you leaving?"
"As soon as the ship is ready."
Neptune blinked.
"That early?"
Ron smiled.
"I've stayed here long enough."
"It's time the sea welcomed its Chaos Emperor."
"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
His laughter echoed through the palace.
---
A few days later—
The ship was prepared.
After saying their goodbyes, Ron, Gloriosa, and Shakky departed Fish-Man Island.
Their destination—
Wano.
The Land of Samurai.
---
SPLASH!!!
The moment their coated ship surfaced into the New World—
The news spread.
The instant Ron's new bounty poster had been released, countless spies had begun monitoring the entrance to the New World.
Now those reports were finally arriving.
---
On a massive whale-like ship—
The Moby Dick.
A towering man stood on the deck while holding his naginata.
Newgate looked at the newspaper and grinned.
"Gurararara!"
"So my brother is finally back at sea."
Around him, his crew gathered.
Many of them were curious.
This was the man Pops always talked about.
"The Chaos Emperor?"
"So that's him?"
"He looks terrifying."
"His bounty is insane."
Newgate laughed.
"Gurararara!"
"Boys!"
"Change course!"
"Let's go meet our Chaos Emperor!"
The crew cheered.
"OOOOHHHHHH!!!"
Newgate's grin widened.
"Wonder if he's gotten stronger."
"Gurararara!"
"I'll have to test him myself."
"Hope you haven't grown weaker, brother."
His eyes burned with battle lust.
---
Meanwhile—
At a temporary Beast Pirates base—
Kaido received the same news.
"WORORORORORO!"
"So he's already here?"
"King!"
"Queen!"
"Prepare the ship!"
"Let's go meet that bastard!"
BOOOM!!!
His Conqueror's Haki erupted violently.
Unlike the original timeline—
This Kaido was different.
Ron had personally helped train him during their time in the Rocks Pirates.
Even after Rocks' crew disbanded, Kaido continued challenging powerful pirate crews and Marines.
He was captured multiple times.
Escaped multiple times.
Fought Newgate.
Fought Roger.
Fought countless powerful enemies.
Though many of those fights ended with him being beaten—
Or, as Kaido liked to call it—
"Training."
He had already learned Advanced Armament Haki.
Though Advanced Observation and Advanced Conqueror's remained beyond his grasp.
"Understood, Lord Kaido," King replied.
King was different too.
He no longer wore a mask to hide his face.
With the Suzaku Devil Fruit, his flames had become stronger and far more destructive.
He had awakened both Armament and Observation Haki.
His Armament was already nearing the advanced stage.
Even his aura had changed.
Nearby—
Queen nearly jumped.
"Oi! Oi! Oi!"
"Are we seriously going to meet that abomination?!"
At this time, Queen was still relatively young.
Having eaten the Ancient Zoan Ryu Ryu no Mi, Model: Brachiosaurus.
His strength wasn't weak.
But compared to Kaido and King—
There was still a noticeable gap.
Kaido laughed.
"WORORORORORO!"
"Don't worry too much, Queen."
"It's just a greeting."
Queen's eye twitched.
That somehow made him even more worried.
---
Elsewhere—
A ship sailed through the New World.
Roger stood at the bow.
The newspaper fluttered in his hand.
"So he's back."
Beside him stood Gaban.
"What do you say?" Roger asked.
His expression was unreadable.
Gaban shrugged.
"You're the captain."
"We'll follow your orders."
Rayleigh rubbed his forehead.
"Those idiots."
He looked around the ship.
The crew still held a grudge against Ron for taking Shakky.
Truthfully—
Rayleigh had been angry too.
But eventually he accepted it.
After all, Shakky had made her own choice.
Even so—
A small part of him still couldn't completely let it go.
Roger suddenly grinned.
A dangerous smile appeared on his face.
"Alright, boys!"
"Let's go greet that bastard!"
"OOOOHHHHHH!!!"
The entire crew roared.
Excitement exploded across the ship.
---
Meanwhile—
Far away in Mary Geoise.
Inside the Room of Authority.
The Gorosei sat around the table.
One seat remained empty.
Saturn's seat.
A constant reminder.
St. Nesturo looked grimly at the documents.
"So he's back."
The others looked equally unhappy.
St. Topman Warcury sighed.
"Forget him."
"Let him do whatever he wants."
"We're powerless against him."
"Only Lord Imu can fight him."
"But because of Saturn's death, remaining outside the Holy Land, and using so much power... Lord Imu is still recovering."
St. Mars sighed.
"Yeah. If Lord Imu take action personally again the seal might brake." The mention of it made everyone go silent.
"That's all we can do."
"After all, that abomination carries the blood of the Great One."
"His growth rate is even more exaggerated."
Peater silently nodded.
"As long as we don't have a way to kill him, we can't act against him."
The remaining four nodded.
The room fell silent.
Far away—
The sea stirred.
The strongest monsters of the era were already moving.
Newgate.
Kaido.
Roger.
And now—
Ron.
The New World itself seemed to tremble in anticipation.
The Chaos Emperor had returned.
And the sea was about to become far more chaotic.
TO BE CONTINUED...