Ron remained as calm as ever, as if everything—the arrival of CP9, Nami's desperate plea, Shiki's theatrical intervention, and the government's hasty retreat—had unfolded exactly as he expected.
He glanced at Nami.
"The contract is sealed. Remember your promise."
Nami, still on her knees, nodded, a flicker of new, steely determination in her eyes.
"I understand. I will fulfill my promise."
Shiki, his good deed for Ron complete, strode over, his fawning smile back in place.
"Ron," he asked in a low, conspiratorial voice, "what do we do next?"
Ron gazed up at the magnificent, chaotic cluster of floating islands, a slight, appraising curve forming at the corner of his lips.
He did not answer Shiki's question immediately.
After a moment of thought, he spoke, his voice carrying the clear, precise tone of an architect.
"The distance between the islands on each layer is a bit too far. Bring them closer, tighten the formation. As for the distance between the layers, increase it. A hundred meters between each tier will suffice." He then added, "Also, gather all of those ferocious beasts you've been breeding onto one, centralized island. And summon all the residents, your subordinates, as well."
Shiki looked somewhat confused and couldn't help but ask.
"Ron, what use are those ants? My crew are fighters, not..."
"They will be trained," Ron cut him off, his voice flat.
"Trained to receive outsiders, to handle logistics, to manage the trade that will happen here."
"..."
Shiki understood.
Ron wasn't just building a fortress; he was building a business.
"Ron, if that's all," Shiki said, suddenly puffing his chest out, "my subordinates can handle it. I have men for that."
"???"
Ron gave Shiki a surprised, almost amused look and patted his shoulder.
"Don't rush. You are the closest to me, a key part of my personal security. Keep your people close. They will be of great use later, for more... direct... tasks."
Shiki was instantly overjoyed.
'Personal security! A key part!'
He'd been promoted from a simple bodyguard to an inner-circle retainer!
As Ron continued explaining the complex logistical tasks to a now-eager Shiki, the two women nearby were utterly stunned.
Nami's heart pounded like a drum, her gaze fixed intently on Shiki's figure.
Her mind was roiling with uncontainable turmoil.
'Earlier, CP9, the government's elite assassins, were frozen in place by a single command from that man. Is this what true power is like?'
Without even lifting a finger, just his thunderous reputation and a casual threat, he had made them retreat in fear.
Her eyes involuntarily shifted to Ron, the man who always wore that faint, unreadable smile.
That someone as powerful, as legendary as Shiki, was willingly serving this young man… it left her deeply, profoundly shocked once again.
'Ron… just what kind of power and secrets is he hiding?'
Meanwhile, Robin stood quietly to the side, her expression complex and profound.
The scene before her stirred a bitter, indescribable feeling in her heart.
She had once believed that the Straw Hat crew was the home she had finally found after a lifetime of wandering.
Yet now, everything, their entire struggle, seemed so fragile, so insignificant, under the overwhelming presence of men like Shiki and Ron.
Her gaze drifted toward Ron, that mysterious and powerful man.
'Could it be', she thought, a strange, unwelcome idea forming, 'that he is the final destination I've been searching for all along? A power that doesn't run, but makes others run?'
Her heart was filled with confusion and uncertainty, as if she stood at a crossroads of fate.
At that moment, Shiki caught sight of the two women out of the corner of his eye and curled his lips disdainfully.
He turned back to Ron, his tone laced with the contempt of a bygone era.
"Ron, I don't mean to criticize you, but a young man in your position should learn moderation. They're just two moderately attractive women. Empty shells with no real use." He then glanced at Robin.
"Though, I suppose she has some value, being able to read a phonegylph and all."
Shiki's words cut like icy blades, piercing both women's pride.
Nami and Robin instantly turned pale, but they offered no rebuttal, silently lowering their heads while a new, unyielding resolve kindled within them.
Ron just smiled faintly, then, with a speed that Shiki couldn't even register, flicked his forehead with his finger.
"Ouch!"
Shiki cried out in pain, clutching his head, yet he dared not retaliate.
"Shut your mouth," Ron said, his smile gone, "and finish what I just assigned you."
"Yes, yes, of course, Ron!" Shiki hastily complied, rubbing his still-throbbing head as he subtly retreated two steps, inwardly grumbling.
'That brat's strength is formidable! Did he use Armament Haki for a simple flick?!'
Ron's gaze shifted from Shiki to settle on Nami.
His eyes remained profound and cold, not with malice, but with the detached air of an appraiser, as if he were studying a precious flawed artifact.
Nami grew uncomfortable under his scrutiny, instinctively lowering her head while a faint unease stirred within.
She didn't know what decision he would make next, but her intuition warned it might irrevocably alter her destiny.
Without further explanation, Ron slowly retrieved a pale, azure-blue Devil Fruit from his robe.
Its surface was covered in mysterious, scale-like spiral patterns, and it emitted a faint, electric glow that seemed to contain boundless power.
He extended the fruit toward Nami, his tone calm yet leaving no room for refusal.
"Eat it."
Nami stared blankly at the fruit, her mind suddenly roiling with turmoil.
"A-a Devil Fruit?" she stammered. "This is too valuable! I've heard even ordinary ones sell for hundreds of millions of Berries on the black market!"
Then, she cautiously looked at Ron and inquired.
"What… what fruit is this?"
Ron replied indifferently, as if stating the obvious. "The Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Zoan type, Model: Azure Dragon."
His words struck Nami like a bolt of pure lightning, exploding in her mind.
Her pupils constricted sharply, her body trembling involuntarily.
'Azure Dragon? '
The legendary Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit… was right here, in her hands.
Her heart swelled with a shock so profound she felt dizzy, as if trapped in an absurd, impossible dream.
"This... this is really the Azure Dragon Fruit?" Nami's voice trembled, her gaze locked on the fruit, terrified it might vanish.
Ron nodded, his tone still perfectly composed.
"Correct. Eat it. You will become my personal mount from now on."
"Mount?" Nami stared blankly, then a bitter, wry smile touched her lips.
She hadn't expected that.
But upon reflection, since she already belonged to Ron, what was the difference? Being a 'mount' who could transform into a legendary dragon seemed infinitely better than being a helpless navigator.
Moreover, this fruit's power could completely transform her, grant her a strength she could never have dreamed of.
The Azure Dragon Fruit.
And Ron was just… giving it to her.
This casual, unbelievable generosity.
"Why… why are you giving me such a precious fruit?" she couldn't help but ask.
"For convenience," Ron replied, not elaborating.
He then added calmly, "And this is a perfect-grade Devil Fruit."
"Perfect-grade?" Nami was taken aback, puzzled by the unfamiliar term.
She had never heard of Devil Fruits having "grades."
Just then, Shiki, having finished his orders, approached from the side, a wide, almost jealous grin on his face.
"Jihahaha! Little girl, you've hit the jackpot! A 'perfect-grade' fruit is a treasure among treasures!"