Chapter 75 — When Two Worlds Touch
S.C. 1510 — Early December
Foosha Village → Hidden Island
The forest path was unusually lively that morning. Birds darted between branches, sunlight cut through the leaves, and the distant sound of Luffy yelling at someone echoed faintly.
Ren adjusted the strap of his satchel as he walked, Zemo trotting beside him with his usual fox swagger.
They were headed toward the pier when a small whirlwind slammed into Ren's side.
"REN! REN!"
Ren staggered back.
There was only one small creature in Foosha who tackled with the force of a cannonball.
Luffy.
The boy bounced back and beamed up at him.
He was missing a shoe, covered in leaves, and holding an angry crab in his hand.
"LOOK! I FOUND A MONSTER!"
The crab pinched him.
"OW! BAD MONSTER!"
Ren sighed. "Luffy… that's a crab."
"It attacked me first!"
Zemo barked in agreement with the crab.
"Where's your shoe?" Ren asked.
Luffy looked down at his feet. "Oh."
"Oh," Ren repeated flatly.
He turned to leave when Luffy caught his sleeve.
"Ren! Where are you going?"
"Somewhere quiet."
"Can I come!?"
"Absolutely not."
"Awwww!"
Ren paused. For a moment he considered it. Luffy didn't have enough sense to keep secrets. If he saw the island, he'd probably march into Makino's bar shouting:
"I FOUND REN'S SECRET BASE!"
So Ren kneeled and patted Luffy's head.
"I'll play with you later, okay? Don't follow me today."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
Luffy smiled, satisfied, and sprinted off to fight a tree.
Ren exhaled.
Two worlds touched for a moment: the normal Foosha life full of noise and warmth… and Ren's hidden path full of quiet planning.
He wondered how long he could keep both.
The Quiet Sea and the Hidden Shore
Ren pushed the small boat into the water. Zemo hopped in first, curling up at the bow.
As they drifted away from the village, the sounds of Foosha faded—the shouts, laughter, Luffy's distant battle cries.
Silence replaced them.
The island appeared ahead, half-hidden by rock and mist.
Zemo's ears perked. He loved this place. A place without fishermen yelling or Luffy trying to ride him like a horse.
Ren slowed his rowing.
As the boat touched sand, he stepped out and inhaled deeply.
Here, he wasn't the quiet kid from the bar.
Here, he wasn't just part of the village routine.
Here, he was someone building toward a future.
When Two Worlds Touch — Inside Ren
Ren walked up the slope to the cliffside entrance—his future base.
He touched the rough stone.
"This is one world," he murmured.
The world he was building in silence:
tools
materials
chambers
science
secrets
plans
the future
But another world existed too—the world of Foosha Village:
Luffy's chaos
Makino's kindness
villagers' trust
warmth
simple days
Two worlds.
Different.
Yet both mattered to him.
He knelt and placed his hand over the soil.
"I need power," he whispered. "Because someday… those two worlds are going to collide."
Zemo brushed against him as if agreeing.
Inside the Cliff — And Inside Ren's Resolve
Ren stepped into the chamber, lantern stone glowing faintly.
The island chamber was still small, still rough—but real.
You could walk into it, breathe in it, imagine a future in it.
Ren brushed his fingers over a crack in the floor.
"Salt production needs scaling… crates need refining… tools need improving…"
His voice trailed off.
He thought of the fisherman who joked about Ren opening a shop.
He thought of overhearing merchants complaining about prices inside Makino's bar.
He thought about Gray Terminal—people scraping for scraps of metal just to survive.
A merchant group.
A structure.
A network.
A way to earn without bowing to nobles.
A way to protect without fists.
A way to build something lasting.
Ren stood tall, determination growing.
"I can connect these worlds," he said softly. "But I need strength too. My own."
Zemo pressed his forehead to Ren's knee, as if making a vow with him.
Closing the Chapter
Ren walked out of the chamber and looked toward the distant village.
Somewhere far away, Luffy was probably yelling at a goat.
Ren smiled faintly.
Two worlds:
One noisy, bright, full of life.
One quiet, hidden, building toward something greater.
They were separate now.
But one day…
They would touch again.
End of Chapter 75