The boat was small, badly balanced, and never meant to leave the safety of the East Blue.
Ren realized that the moment Windmill Village disappeared behind him.
The shoreline thinned into a pale smear before vanishing completely, swallowed by the horizon. The familiar smells of land faded, replaced by salt and wind. Ren adjusted the sail without thinking, his body already compensating for the boat's flaws as if it had done this a hundred times before.
He didn't look back.
The sea was calm at first, almost polite. Gentle waves rocked the hull, sunlight glittering across the surface like it was trying to lull him into a false sense of safety. Ren sat near the stern, one hand steadying the tiller, the other resting loosely near his sword.
By midday, the wind changed.
Not violently—just enough.
The boat leaned too far to one side. Wood creaked under pressure. Ren shifted his weight, jaw tightening as the sea tested him, pushing harder with each passing wave. He worked in silence, adjusting the sail, bailing water, forcing his breathing to stay even.
Then the wave struck wrong.
The hull dipped sharply, water crashing over the side. Ren's foot slipped, pain flaring up his ribs as the boat slammed down. For a moment, the world narrowed to pressure, salt, and the sharp thud of his heartbeat.
He could feel it then.
Not fear.
Focus.
Something inside him tightened, compressed, as if all the wasted motion in his body was being stripped away. The sensation was invasive and sharp—like a blade pressed against his thoughts—followed by sudden clarity.
Refinement available.
The words didn't echo. They didn't demand attention. They simply existed, heavy and absolute.
Ren exhaled through clenched teeth.
"About time," he muttered.
He moved differently after that. Not stronger. Not faster. Just cleaner. Every adjustment took less effort. Every breath came easier. He stopped fighting the sea and began to ride it instead, letting the boat rise and fall naturally with the waves.
The storm passed as quietly as it had come.
The ocean settled, smooth and uncaring, as if nothing had happened at all.
Ren leaned against the mast, soaked and bruised, and laughed softly at the open sky.
"Still alive," he said. "Good."
The next morning, smoke rose on the horizon.
A ship lay anchored near a small island, its hull scarred and poorly maintained. The flag fluttering above it was unfamiliar—crudely stitched, confidence without discipline. Pirates. The careless kind.
Ren considered steering wide.
His stomach answered for him.
He approached openly.
They noticed him too late.
Steel rang once. Ren took a blade across the shoulder and ignored it, stepping inside another swing and knocking the breath from his opponent. He didn't overwhelm them. He didn't dominate the fight. He endured it. When it was over, the pirates scattered, shouting about monsters and cursed men, leaving behind food, water, and a cracked but functional log pose.
Ren didn't chase them.
He sat at the edge of the island afterward, rinsing blood from his hands as the log pose needle twitched, then slowly settled into a steady direction.
Nearby voices drifted from a ramshackle tavern.
"—swear I heard Red-Haired Shanks was moving again."
Ren froze.
"East Blue side," another voice said. "World's getting noisy."
Ren's lips curved upward.
"So you're still out there," he murmured.
He returned to his boat, secured his supplies, and adjusted the sail. The wind caught immediately, pulling him forward as if the sea itself had already decided.
Somewhere ahead, a boy was growing into something dangerous.
Ren D. Vale laughed quietly and let the current take him.
End of Chapter Two
Ren watched the island fade behind him until it disappeared completely. The log pose rested steady in his palm, its needle unwavering, pointing toward a future that no longer felt distant.
The sea rolled beneath his boat, patient and endless.
Ren rested a hand on the hilt of his sword.
"Alright," he said to the open water. "Let's see where this goes."
The sail filled.
The boat moved forward.
Author's Note:
If you're enjoying the story so far, please consider leaving a comment and dropping some Power Stones! Your support directly motivates more frequent updates and helps this story grow. Thank you for reading, and I'll see you in the next chapter.