The Thousand Sunny didn't slow until the archipelago was nothing but smoke on the horizon.
Sails strained against the wind, ropes humming with tension as the ship cut hard through the waves. Franky moved like a man possessed, tools flashing as he reinforced damaged sections of the hull. Usopp hovered nearby, half-helping, half-panicking.
"I'm just saying," Usopp rambled, "if they can just DROP OUT OF THE SKY, maybe we should invest in anti-sky stuff!"
"That's not a thing," Nami snapped, eyes locked forward as she rode the helm like it owed her money.
Ren leaned against the mast, breathing steady but deep. Every muscle ached. Not the clean pain of training—but the sharp reminder that Cipher Pol hadn't come to test limits.
They'd come prepared.
Sanji flicked a lighter shut and exhaled smoke. "They were aiming for you," he said flatly, eyes on Ren. "From the start."
Ren nodded. "I know."
Luffy sat cross-legged on the deck, staring at his fists like he was replaying the fight in his head. "They were annoying," he decided. "Next time I'll hit harder."
"Next time?" Usopp squeaked.
Zoro cracked open one eye from where he lay sprawled near the rail. "There's always a next time."
That wasn't reassurance.
Robin crouched near the damaged section of the dockside-facing hull, fingers brushing along scorched wood. "They disengaged too cleanly," she said softly. "As if retreat was expected."
Ren's eyes narrowed.
"Franky," he said. "Can you scan the hull?"
Franky paused mid-repair, visor lowering. "Already am, bro. And… yeah. That's not damage."
He tapped a section just above the waterline.
Embedded deep in the wood was something small. Black. Smooth. Almost organic.
Ren stepped closer.
It pulsed.
A faint click echoed across the deck.
Everyone froze.
The object split open like an eye.
A tiny Den Den Mushi face surfaced, its shell etched with sharp, unfamiliar markings. Its eyes opened slowly—too slowly.
Then it spoke.
Not in a shout.
Not in a threat.
In a calm, almost curious tone.
"Ren D. Vale."
The sound of the voice made Ren's chest tighten.
"You don't understand what you are yet," the voice continued. "But you will."
Nami's grip tightened on the wheel. "Franky—"
Too late.
The Den Den Mushi's eyes shifted, scanning.
"The Straw Hat crew has accelerated your deviation," the voice said. "That will be… corrected."
Luffy stood up.
"Hey," he said sharply. "You talking about my crew?"
Silence.
Then the Den Den Mushi smiled.
"Observation ongoing," it said. "Do not run."
Click.
The device went dead.
For a moment, only the sound of the sea remained.
Ren stared at the inert shell, pulse steady, expression unreadable.
Inside him, the System stirred violently for the first time since he'd joined the crew.
Not pressure.
Not refinement.
A warning.
End of Chapter Twelve
The Thousand Sunny sailed on under a cloudless sky, unaware that something unseen was now measuring every mile it crossed.
Ren D. Vale finally understood one thing clearly.
The world wasn't just watching anymore.
It was following.
Author's Note:
Daily updates are officially live. From here on, each chapter will end with a hook — no brakes. If you're enjoying the story and want tomorrow's chapter guaranteed, drop a comment and send some Power Stones. Things are about to escalate fast.