Time rewound to the moment right after Ren's victory.
Aboard the battleship, Mondes had just finished a bloody suppression—executing over a dozen rebellious marines in succession.
After reclaiming command, he immediately dispatched men to keep watch on Arlong Park.
Then, alone, he entered the captain's quarters and dialed a number through his Den Den Mushi.
Smoker of Loguetown—A fool blinded by justice.A man with a brilliant future ahead, yet obsessed with enforcing his warped sense of "justice," so much so that he was eventually reassigned to that backwater town.
Still, one couldn't deny—he was strong.
Most East Blue pirates met their end at Loguetown, for that was where a Logia user awaited them.And Mondes needed Smoker as his insurance.
Loguetown was far away. It would take time for him to arrive.
Until then, Mondes would try to handle things on his own.If he succeeded, everything would go according to plan.
At worst, he'd apologize to Smoker later.
After all, wasn't that what "good men" were for—being used?
If he failed…he just had to hold out until Smoker got there!
"Are you sure about this? Why haven't you called for reinforcements from the branch?"
Hearing the questioning tone from the Den Den Mushi, Mondes quickly replied,"The enemy's a Devil Fruit user—he can turn invisible! We can't deal with him at all. The local branch is powerless too.So I thought of you. The late Captain Nezumi always praised you as the most righteous marine in the East Blue."
"Spare me the flattery. I'm heading out now. It's 6 p.m.—if I hurry, I can reach you by tomorrow morning."
In Loguetown, Smoker pushed open his window, hung up, and his lower body turned into smoke.
"Tashigi!"
"Sir!"
A beautiful female marine rushed in through the door.
"I'll be away for a while. You're in charge of the town."
Without further explanation, Smoker leapt straight out the window—white smoke billowing behind him, propelling him through the sky.
"Eh? Wait—wait!"Tashigi dashed to the window and leaned out, watching his silhouette vanish into the clouds.
That direction… toward the Baratie? Could something have happened there?
"Honestly, he always charges out without thinking!" she muttered, closing the window and ordering Loguetown into lockdown.
With the strongest marine gone, the pirates here would surely grow restless!
By the time Ren had finished tidying everything up, the sun was already high.
After a nap, Nami came over to invite them to eat at Genzo's place—since her own home was gone.
"Breakfast? Sure."
Ren agreed easily, stepping up onto the sunlit ruins, basking in the morning glow.
The sea breeze. The waves. The sunlight. The warship—wait…Warship!?
"Fire! Blast that bastard to hell!"
Mondes's roar echoed across the deck.More than a dozen fortress-like cannons unleashed their fury at once!
Hundreds of cannonballs thundered toward the bay, raining down on the ruins below.
The air shrieked with the sharp, dense whistling of incoming shells—like a summer downpour of death!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Explosions erupted across the ruins, pillars of fire and smoke rising one after another, never ceasing for a second.
In truth—it really was endless.Mondes never intended to face the Devil Fruit user head-on. His first and only order was to empty the entire ammunition stockpile!
When poor, fight hand-to-hand.When rich, blow them to hell.
Unfortunately for Ren, naval warships happened to be among the most heavily armed vessels on the sea.
The rhythmic roar of cannon fire filled the air, wave after wave of explosions tearing through the landscape like divine wrath descending upon the world.
In such a hellish storm, no one could possibly counterattack effectively.
Ren was no exception.
As soon as the bombardment began, realizing he couldn't escape the blast radius, he retreated underground into Arlong's treasure cellar.
Arlong had built this vault solidly—it could withstand normal cannon fire, at least for a while.
Aboard the battleship,Mondes listened to a subordinate's report.
"Sir, we still have over two thousand shells in reserve! But at this rate, they'll only last about half an hour. The gun turrets can't handle continuous fire much longer either."
The gunnery chief reported truthfully.
"Focus the bombardment where that man was last seen! Rotate the turrets, maintain the assault—I want at least two hours of continuous shelling!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Also—have the landing unit prepare to move in. Once the bombardment ends, advance immediately. Capture everyone suspicious. Kill anyone who resists!"
Standing on the deck, Mondes felt a rush of triumph.
He was doing everything right.This was the day his career would skyrocket!
No matter what—he couldn't lose.He'd already won big.
"It's the Navy!?"
Deep in the cellar, Nami clenched her teeth. "Not last year, not the year before—but the moment Arlong's gang falls, they finally show up? So this is their so-called 'justice'? What a glorious, hypocritical justice!"
Zoro gave a small nod, his expression dark.Pirates were villains, yes—but the Marines were hardly saints.
"When they hold the power to define justice, they can twist it however they like," Ren sighed, deciding to wait until the bombardment stopped before retaliating.
Charging out now would just get him blown to pieces.
But half an hour passed…then an hour…then an hour and a half.
The shelling weakened slightly but never ceased—and the explosions were still shaking the ground above them.
The cellar entrance had long since collapsed.
The entire ruin had been shaved down by half a meter under the relentless bombardment.No bunker could withstand that forever.
"Do these marines think cannonballs are free!?"
Ren had no choice but to turn his attention to the Dimensional Roulette.Arlong's treasure hoard contained 100 million Beli—mostly in cash equivalents.
It had taken him a while to sort everything; even Chester's nine inventory slots were completely full.
[Chip Balance: 108,000,000]
Ten spins on the Silver Roulette…If the prizes were even average tier—something like passive regeneration—then the Silver Roulette wouldn't disappoint.
Still… it all comes down to luck.
Ren pulled out his Lucky Lighter and a cigarette, lighting up as he started the draw.
The roulette shimmered—ten beams of light shot out.
[Obtained: Enchanting Table]
[Obtained: Diamond Shovel – Unbreaking II, Efficiency III]
[Obtained: Replica – Cursed Blade Thousand Edge]
[Obtained: Ender Pearl ×7]
[Obtained: Marine Haki Training Manual]
[Obtained: Premium Succubus Waterbed]
[Obtained: Silverfall Dagger]
[Obtained: Armor of Glory]
[Obtained: Flintlock – Ambition]
[Obtained: Anvil]
When the draw ended, the once-empty cellar was suddenly filled with an assortment of strange objects.Most eye-catching among them—a massive, luxurious waterbed adorned with scandalous designs that could make one blush at a glance.
"W–what is that!?"
Nami instantly realized what those decorations implied; her ears turned crimson.
"It's Ren's Devil Fruit ability," Zoro said calmly. "He can spend Beli to materialize all sorts of things."
He didn't notice that Nami's shock was entirely directed at that particular bed.
For Zoro, a man whose heart held no women—only swords—such details were meaningless.
Still… if Ren could summon this much stuff, maybe he could summon a chef too?Those strange rations they'd been eating were edible, but for someone like Zoro, he could tell they lacked… something vital.
(End of Chapter)