Ren's actions were always built on complete intelligence. Because of that, he could often predict how events would unfold to a certain degree.
For example, this entire radical plan's success depended on Crocodile's own arrogance.
However—
Ren was never so conceited as to believe that his predictions would always succeed. He had prepared a backup plan.
That plan was the Enlightenment's Submarine Mode.
[Submarine Mode]
When the number of bound souls aboard the Flying Dutchman exceeds 100, deep-sea submersion becomes available.
By harnessing deep ocean currents, the ship can travel underwater. During this process, the environment inside the Flying Dutchman remains unchanged.
After destroying Whiskey Peak and redirecting the Enlightenment toward its next target, Ren returned to the third deck to prepare for another draw.
Whiskey Peak's total profit came to eight million Beli; part of the treasure had been distributed among Nami, Nojiko, and Zoro.
The rest—added to his original savings—finally totaled ten million chips.
As the Silver Roulette began to spin, a burst of light shot forth.
{Item obtained — Soul Trap}
"Perfect. That's exactly what I needed."
Ren opened the glowing interface to check the details.
[Soul Trap]
Origin: Magical Dimension
Type: Magic
Effect: Consumes one Mana Crystal to deploy a hundred-meter-wide Soul Capturing Array centered on the caster, lasting thirty minutes. When any living creature dies within the array, its emerging soul is captured and condensed into a glowing orb around the caster. If not sealed within a container shortly after, the soul orb will break free and revert to its original form.
Note: This spell works only on ordinary souls. It has no effect on empowered or divine souls.
Cost:Mana Crystal
Remark 1:"Your life and death are mine to decide!"
Remark 2:Avoid repeated use to prevent detection by high-level entities such as Underworld Lords or Reapers.
"That's it. I only need a hundred souls for the next cleansing operation… that'll be enough to activate Submarine Mode."
Still, the remark caught his attention. "So this world might really have gods of death after all…"
He recalled Zoro's near-death vision in the original timeline, as well as subtle details in Brook's accounts.
He couldn't be sure they were real—but he knew one thing: he didn't want unnecessary trouble.
A hundred souls would suffice. That would awaken the Enlightenment's ability to dive beneath the sea.
After all, every Devil Fruit user feared the ocean. If Crocodile unexpectedly attacked, Ren would activate the Bubble Coating Machine, cover the ship in a protective bubble, and dive deep to escape through the sea itself.
All he needed now were those hundred souls.
And the employees of Baroque Works would surely be "happy" to help him achieve that.
By the time the Enlightenment headed toward the designated battlefield, its Submarine Mode was already primed for activation.
As luck—or misfortune—would have it, they encountered a rather "normal" example of Grand Line weather.
First came the blizzard.
In Ren's past life, a red warning for blizzards meant over 15 millimeters of snow in six hours.
Here, it snowed 32 millimeters in just one hour.
Within that single hour of sailing, snow on deck already reached boot-depth.
This wasn't a red warning—it was a "dig or die" scenario. If they didn't clear the snow, the ship would soon be buried alive.
The Iron Knights roared as they shoveled snow with their greatswords, dumping it overboard into the endless white sea.
Nojiko used the Pseudo–Dragon Talisman to burn away stubborn ice with controlled flames, melting it into water that streamed off the sides.
Igaram, Bonney, and Vivi shoveled the deck tirelessly.
Zoro, of course, was the most intense—wielding three shovels at once, like some human snowplow.
"What the hell kind of weather is this?! It just won't stop snowing!"
Bundled in a down coat, Nami glared helplessly at the endless white flakes.
"This is the Grand Line," Vivi panted, dumping a shovel-load of snow overboard. "You really haven't seen this before?"
"Guess we've just been lucky."
Ren dropped down from the third deck, where he had finished clearing the top layer of snow.
"At this rate, the plants in the plantation will all die!"
Nami's worry deepened—only to vanish as she sensed another atmospheric shift.
A flash lit up the horizon—followed by thunder.
Moments later, the blizzard turned to a howling storm. Bitter wind lashed rain and sleet against the ship.
And it wasn't just wind this time.
"What is this cursed place!?" Nami screamed, clutching her head. "It was sunny hours ago, then a sudden blizzard—now gales and maybe even a downpour next! How can the weather be this insane?!"
"Perfectly normal," Vivi replied, leaning on her shovel for breath. "Here, you can't trust the wind, the clouds, or even the sea. The only thing worth trusting is your Log Pose or Eternal Pose."
"Really…"
Before Nami could finish, the storm shifted again—this time into hail.
Massive hailstones the size of human heads rained down like cannonballs.
"Hey, hey!"
Zoro swung his shovels, deflecting the falling hail. But there were too many—dozens more crashed toward the deck.
Ren sighed. "Troublesome… Guess it's time to test the new feature."
Without hesitation, he activated the Bubble Coating Machine.
A massive translucent bubble expanded from the ship's mainmast, enveloping the entire Enlightenment in seconds.
Then—he triggered Submarine Mode.
The overcast sky grew darker still. On deck, faint pale shapes began flickering into existence—twisted, ghostly silhouettes.
"Wh-what is that!? G-Ghosts!?"
Nami's pupils shook as she instinctively dove into Ren's arms—just as Vivi, pale as a sheet, claimed the other half of that space.
"Wh-why are there spirits on the ship!?" Vivi whimpered, clutching Ren's collar.
Zoro rolled his eyes. "Tch, your wills are too fragile. They're just ghosts." He glanced at Ren. "So this is your 'new feature,' huh?"
"Yeah… though I didn't expect this part," Ren admitted.
The pale figures jumped off the deck—and then the Enlightenment lurched.
The bow dipped sharply, plunging into the sea like a dragon diving home.
Splash!
A muffled boom echoed as the stern vanished beneath the waves.
Rain and hail were left far above; silence swallowed everything.
"So we're… under the sea!?"
"The Bubble Coating… it worked!?"
Nami and Vivi's astonishment mirrored each other as Ren simply stood firm.
Hmm. Different textures on each side, he noted wryly.
Sunlight disappeared entirely, replaced by the soft glow filtering from above.
"The world beneath the sea…"
Zoro leaned over the railing in fascination. Igaram instinctively held his breath.
It felt like crossing a wormhole into a parallel blue world.
Strange, shimmering fish swam past the bubble coating as coral formations loomed above, like inverted forests blooming over their heads.
Depth: 100 meters.
There was no pressure at all; the bubble shield kept seawater firmly outside.
The trapped air inside would last about an hour.
Ren also sensed something strange—his consciousness was now faintly linked to the Enlightenment itself.
Through that connection, he could see the hundred pale souls bound to the hull—waiting silently for their captain's orders.
With a thought, the ship began to move through the depths.
"So this is the new function?"
Nami, finally recovering, shot a sidelong look at Vivi—then stepped on Ren's foot to make him yelp, forcing both girls to step away in embarrassment.
Careless, Vivi… you can't let your guard down around this guy! she thought, retreating quickly.
Ren only shrugged helplessly and turned his focus to studying Submarine Mode.
The principle was simple: the hundred souls provided downward and propulsive force, though maneuvering was slower than sailing on the surface.
Still, control could even be transferred to Nami.
According to her analysis, once underwater, the Enlightenment could use its Giant World Map and her natural navigation talent to locate nearby ocean currents for high-speed movement.
Aside from the limited oxygen, it was practically a perfect submarine.
However, after an hour, the mode would deactivate.
The souls exhausted their energy and could no longer maintain descent.
Meaning—one use every twenty-four hours, roughly.
Perhaps, with more souls, that cooldown could shorten.
Still, Ren wasn't foolish enough to test it recklessly—especially after that ominous warning about attracting Reapers.
When Submarine Mode ended, the Enlightenment resurfaced. The bubble coating remained intact, reducing external pressure—including buoyant force.
Though convenient, Ren noted the coating seemed weaker than those crafted by professional coaters at Sabaody Archipelago.
"Maybe it's the weather… or something else," he muttered, deciding not to overthink it.
At least it still functioned—far from Sabaody's special climate. That alone was a success.
"Zoro, pop the bubble. Resume surface sailing."
"Got it."
After surfacing, the Enlightenment continued its voyage toward the predetermined battlefield—Darwin Island, just half a day's sail from Alabasta.
The island was a common resupply point along several trade routes.
Ren hadn't hidden his ship's size, course, or even Bonney's presence.
Anyone observant enough could easily deduce his next stop: Darwin Island.
So when the Enlightenment approached those waters, the sea looked deceptively calm.
Merchant ships drifted nearby, seemingly ordinary.
After all, Grand Line weather was perilous—overturned ships were not uncommon.
Yet Alabasta was a wealthy kingdom; sea trade brought immense profits. Wherever there's profit, merchants follow.
Everything appeared… normal.
But Ren saw the truth.
Through his Shikigami, a phantom head rose inside one of the merchant ships—activating shared vision.
And there he saw them—Baroque Works agents, excitedly talking about earning glory.
Clearly, these were only the outer sentries meant to block escape. The real danger awaited on the island.
Not that Ren cared.
He only needed confirmation that Baroque Works had arrived.
Their presence meant the plan had succeeded.
Everyone knew Baroque Works operated in secrecy—none but Nico Robin knew that Crocodile was their true leader.
He had built this shadow network precisely because any slip-up could expose his dual identity as Alabasta's "hero," the Desert King Crocodile.
If the crimes of Baroque Works were ever tied to him, he could never seize the throne—nor fulfill his long-cherished dream:
To uncover the location of the ancient weapon Pluton!
Thus, when Baroque Works moved, Crocodile himself never appeared.
If he had, Ren would've already seen a plume of yellow sand rising from the island.
"The plan worked. Nico Robin seized her chance perfectly."
Ren concluded as he unfurled a complex Thunderstorm Magic Array.
Thanks to his earlier preparations, he still had enough Mana Crystals for two more uses.
Three luminous circles materialized around him—beneath his feet, at his waist, and above his head—each etched with intricate runes.
Five crystals crumbled to dust in his palms, flooding the air with raw magical energy.
The patterns ignited in brilliant light until all three arrays pulsed as one.
Thunderstorm — Charged.
Battle — Begin!
(End of Chapter)