Snapping out of their shock, the three princes hurried forward to take the massive trident from Ron.
They nodded vigorously in unison.
"Yes, we'll investigate right away!" their voices were firm. "Don't worry, Ron. We'll find that bastard's hideout!"
As her brothers rushed off with the weapon, Shirahoshi cautiously stepped out from behind Ron.
In truth, her gentle nature couldn't hide the fact that she was enormous, a beautiful giant who towered over everyone present.
"Ron-sama… thank you so much for saving me," she said, her voice soft and sincere, her large eyes shimmering with gratitude.
Ron smiled faintly, his gaze softening as he looked down at her.
"There's nothing to thank me for. I told you, no one is going to threaten you ever again."
Who wouldn't feel protective of such a kind and innocent soul?
The rest of the crew, however, were completely dumbfounded.
They stared at Ron as if he were a stranger, their eyes wide with disbelief.
"R-Ron… was that really you?" Ace stammered, his mouth hanging open.
The scene that had just unfolded was so far beyond his comprehension that his brain had temporarily short-circuited.
Jozu rubbed his eyes, half-convinced he was hallucinating.
"Ron, did your arm just… swell up like that?" he asked, looking to the others for a sane explanation he knew he wouldn't find.
Marco simply shook his head, muttering.
"That's not physically possible. It completely defies human anatomy."
The others were just as shocked.
They all knew their vice-captain wasn't a Devil Fruit user, so what had they just witnessed?
His arm had stretched and expanded like something out of a nightmare.
He had stopped the trident as effortlessly as swatting a fly, an attack that would have required considerable effort from even the strongest among them.
He hadn't even broken a sweat.
Could it be that their vice-captain was stronger than all of them combined?
Wait a minute… wasn't he a scientist?
Since when were scientists more powerful than seasoned warriors?
The thought was simply absurd.
"I think the vice-captain got even stronger…" one crewman remarked in a hushed, awestruck tone.
"Ridiculous," another pirate grumbled. "At this rate, I'm the weakest one on the whole ship!"
"Is this some kind of new technology? I want it."
"Could Vice-Captain Ron be from some rare, undiscovered race?"
"Maybe!"
Listening to their increasingly wild speculation, Ron scratched his head, feeling a bit helpless.
He knew this secret couldn't be kept forever, but explaining a power granted by a system wasn't exactly straightforward.
The ability felt somewhat similar to the Gum-Gum Fruit, but it wasn't the same, and he had no idea how to explain the difference.
Then, an idea hit him.
His eyes lit up as he organized his thoughts.
"Alright, stop guessing. It's not as crazy as you think."
The crew quieted down, though their faces were still etched with confusion.
Ron cleared his throat. "This ability isn't from a Devil Fruit, and it's not a new weapon. It's a martial arts technique called Life Return." He paused, seeing their bewildered expressions, and decided to elaborate.
"Life Return is an extremely advanced martial art. What you saw was just a small part of what it can do. Simply put, it allows me to consciously control every aspect of my body, granting me… special abilities."
It's the perfect cover story, Ron thought. It's basically what I did, just amplified to its absolute peak.
"Life Return?" Ace frowned.
The name sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.
"So it's Life Return… Unbelievable," Marco whispered, his face a mask of shock and reverence.
He clearly understood the weight of those words.
"Marco, you know what that is?" Jozu pressed eagerly. "Spit it out!"
All eyes turned to the phoenix.
Marco took a deep breath before explaining.
"'Life Return' is a legendary martial art, said to be the ultimate pinnacle of the Marine's Six Powers techniques."
He let that sink in before continuing. "It's rumored that masters of this skill can unlock their body's latent potential, allowing them to temporarily surpass their physical limits." Marco's gaze swept across the crew.
"You all know the Six Powers—Soru, Geppo, Tekkai, and the others."
Everyone nodded, their confusion slowly being replaced by understanding.
"But it's said there is a seventh, hidden technique that stands above them all," Marco declared, his voice firm.
"That technique is Life Return!"
His words hit the crew with the force of a cannonball.
Ron stood to the side, observing the scene with a faint, satisfied smile.
He knew that sometimes, the less you explained, the better.
It was easier to let people fill in the blanks with their own imagination.
After all, the conclusions they drew themselves would be far more convincing than any story he could tell.
As Marco finished speaking, a stunned silence fell over the crew.
He continued, his voice low and intense. "The technique of Life Return is exceedingly difficult to master. It's said that those who can wield it can extend their consciousness to every corner of their body, granting them abilities that defy logic. For example, by infusing their consciousness into their hair, they can make it extend and move at will, like countless tentacles. If those tentacles are then coated in Armament Haki, they become formidable weapons. It's an ability that is both unexpected and devastating in combat."
"It's not just external, either," Marco added. "Life Return can be applied to internal organs. By focusing on the stomach, a user can drastically enhance their digestive function, allowing them to absorb nutrients and recover stamina with incredible speed. For anyone in a prolonged battle, that kind of rapid energy replenishment is a game-changer."
He paused, his tone growing more serious. "But despite these benefits, mastering this skill is considered nearly impossible. In the entire Marine forces, the number of people who have truly mastered Life Return can be counted on one hand. The technique itself is incredibly complex, and it demands an inhuman level of physical fitness and mental control from the user."
After laying out the facts, Marco's eyes widened as the full implication hit him.
He stared at Ron in disbelief.
"Ron… have you really mastered Life Return?" His voice trembled slightly, overwhelmed by the revelation.
The moment the words left his mouth, Marco realized how foolish the question was.
The casually elongated arm, the massively expanded hand—those impossible feats were all the proof he needed.
Moreover, the level of control Ron had displayed was far beyond anything he'd ever heard of from the Marines.
The rest of the crew, though initially confused, began to grasp the meaning behind Marco's words.
Their expressions shifted from bewilderment to sheer awe.
A technique that allowed you to infuse your consciousness into any part of your body and grant it special abilities—it was as miraculous as eating a Devil Fruit.
Reverent gazes fell upon Ron.
A technique that almost no one in the entire World Government could master, yet their vice-captain had achieved it.
This wasn't just a display of strength—it was proof of his monstrous talent.
Faced with their amazement, Ron remained perfectly composed.
Marco's explanation is perfect, he thought.
It's a much better cover story than I could have come up with.
He simply nodded and admitted, "That's right. I had a breakthrough not long ago and it just… clicked."
His tone was so calm and natural it was as if he were discussing the weather.
Marco: "..."
The Crew: "..."
"Vice-Captain Ron isn't just a scientific genius—he's a martial arts prodigy, too!"
"Compared to him, I feel completely worthless!"
"I think I'm just a parasite of the sea!"
"Same here!"
The crew was utterly dejected, crushed by the sheer scale of Ron's talent.
"Ehehe, Ron-sama is so amazing!" Shirahoshi, however, praised him with pure, heartfelt joy.
"With you here, Shirahoshi will never be afraid again!"
"Until we find that guy's hideout, you'll stick with me," Ron said gently.
"Mhm!" Shirahoshi nodded obediently, her face brimming with a blissful smile.
"Ron-sama, can we look around? It's been so long since I've seen the beautiful scenery outside."
"Sure," Ron agreed. "I'll go with you."
*****
Fish-Man District
What was once a sanctuary for orphans had, over time, decayed into a gathering place for outlaws and radicals.
Here, Hody Jones had assembled a horde of Fish-Men, their hearts poisoned with a deep-seated hatred for humanity.
Even those who were neutral or held more favorable views of humans found themselves drawn into the powerful undertow of his resentment.
At this moment, Hody Jones stood before them, delivering an inflammatory speech.
He roared with an anger that seemed to shake the very water around them.
"Humans are the parasites of this world!" he bellowed, his voice raw with fury.
"They deserve nothing less than to be crushed beneath the feet of us Fish-Men, to be reduced to our slaves!"
Every word was like a match thrown on dry tinder, igniting a firestorm of resonance in the crowd.
The Fish-Men were transfixed, their eyes burning red and their faces twisted with rage.
"KILL ALL HUMANS!"
"EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM DESERVES TO DIE!"
Their voices merged into a terrifying wave of sound that washed over the entire district as they began sharing their own stories of suffering.
"This leg of mine was shattered by a trap set by humans!" a flying fish Fish-Man snarled.
"Damn them! My brothers were crippled by humans!" an octopus Fish-Man cried out, his voice thick with grief.
Hody Jones surveyed the scene, a grim satisfaction swelling in his chest.
He had successfully channeled their pain into a singular, burning hatred.
They had become his weapon, ready to be aimed at his command.
After dismissing the crowd, he remained behind, planning his next move.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
A slow, jarring round of applause erupted from the shadows behind him.
The sound echoed in the now-empty space, each clap dripping with mockery.
Hody Jones turned slowly, his gaze landing on the source.
There stood a short, wretched-looking man with shifty eyes and a sly smirk plastered on his face.
He had four legs but wore only one pair of pants, causing him to wobble unsteadily as he walked.
It was none other than Vander Decken IX.
"Hody Jones," the man cackled.
"I never thought a man like you would seek an alliance with me. Hahahaha!"
----------------------------
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