Reno kept his eyes on the sky, but his Observation Haki had already sensed Shiki's arrival.
He simply chose not to react.
With a legendary pirate of this caliber, sometimes pretending ignorance was the safer choice.
"A demon."
Reno lifted his head. His violet eyes met Shiki's gaze steadily.
Shiki paused.
Ash fell from his cigar onto the deck.
Two seconds later, he burst into thunderous laughter.
"Jahahahaha!"
"A demon?"
"Does such a race even exist?"
He circled Reno, scrutinizing the black wings and curved horns.
"Well, this sea is full of strange races. I suppose a demon wouldn't be impossible."
He stopped in front of Reno and exhaled smoke slowly.
"Kid, want to sail with me?"
"I'm far stronger than Charlotte Linlin."
"I'm afraid that won't work, Mr. Shiki," Reno replied calmly.
Shiki's eyes sharpened.
"Are you looking down on me?"
"Not at all. It's because I'm Linlin's husband."
Shiki nearly spat out his cigar.
"Husband?"
"Jahahahaha! What nonsense are you talking about?"
He laughed so hard his golden hair shook wildly.
"Kid! A man should chase the horizon! What's the point of staying locked in a woman's cabin?"
"Even if that woman is Charlotte Linlin!"
"What kind of man hides on a woman's ship?"
Reno smiled faintly.
"Mr. Shiki, did you see Linlin's Nine-Tailed Fox ability earlier?"
The laughter stopped abruptly.
"I was just wondering… could that woman really be a Soul-Soul Fruit user?"
Shiki narrowed his eyes, a dangerous glint flashing in his gaze.
"How could she possibly possess a second Devil Fruit power?"
"I already did it."
Reno said calmly.
"What!"
Shiki's expression shifted instantly. His pupils trembled violently.
Boom!
A terrifying surge of Conqueror's Haki erupted from Shiki. Black-and-red lightning crackled through the air, instantly enveloping the entire ship.
The pirates on deck didn't even have time to scream. Their eyes rolled back, one by one, as they collapsed to the floor.
The aura carried overwhelming destructive power, pressing down on Reno.
It felt as though a massive mountain bore down on him. Breathing became difficult.
Damn it.
This Conqueror's Haki was far stronger than Linlin's.
So this… is the power of the Golden Lion.
A deafening roar then split the sky.
"Shiki!"
Boom!
A figure fell from above, landing forcefully between Reno and Shiki.
The shockwave pushed both men back several steps.
As the dust settled, Linlin reverted to her Nine-Tailed Fox form, shielding Reno.
Her face was smeared with blood, obviously injured by Rocks during their earlier clash. She had been distracted, but the wounds healed almost instantly.
"He is mine, Shiki!"
Linlin's voice trembled with both anger and possessiveness.
Seeing Linlin return, Shiki retracted his Conqueror's Haki. His stern expression softened.
"I mean no harm toward him, Charlotte Linlin," he said, pointing at Reno.
"I just want to understand what happened."
"Did that Nine-Tailed Fox ability really originate from this boy?"
At that moment, several figures descended from the sky, landing on the deck.
Whitebeard held his naginata, laughing heartily.
"I want to know too!"
Marlin, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, squinted, while Ganzu adjusted his glasses.
Meanwhile, Stussy's gaze never left Reno's face.
Finally, Rocks himself descended.
The moment he landed, the ship sank several inches under his weight.
"So, Charlotte Linlin," Rocks said, his voice deep and authoritative.
"What exactly is going on with your powers?"
"How can you possess a second Devil Fruit ability?"
"You can even take my form, imitate my actions?"
All eyes were on Linlin now.
Charlotte Linlin deliberately remained silent, turning to Reno instead.
Reno took a deep breath and stepped forward from behind her.
He stood in front of Linlin, his violet eyes sweeping over everyone present.
Whitebeard, Shiki, Oden, Stussy… and the man who declared himself destined to be the King of the World, Rocks D. Xebec.
Then, he spread his black wings behind him. A blood-red aura shimmered eerily in the sunlight.
"This is my innate racial trait," Reno said, his voice quiet but crystal clear to all present.
"Demonization."
"As long as a Devil Fruit exists, I can transform a designated person into a special demon corresponding to that fruit."
"They don't just gain the fruit's abilities they become true demons."
"And…"
Reno paused, studying the shocked expressions around him, then delivered the most critical revelation.
"They no longer fear seawater or Sea-Prism Stone."
"Even if they've already eaten a Devil Fruit."
As his words settled, the deck fell into a stunned silence.
Gurararara…
Whitebeard Newgate's low chuckle broke the stillness.
But the veins in his arm bulged as he gripped his naginata. For the first time, a spark of desire flickered in his eyes something even he hadn't noticed.
Even without wind, Shiki's golden hair swayed. He stared at Reno, eyes burning with fervor and greed.
Stussy was astonished. She snapped her fan shut, her chest trembling along with it.
Even Rocks' expression shifted to one of surprise.
No fear of the sea or Sea-Prism Stone… this was every Devil Fruit user's dream.
"Kid…"
Shiki's voice trembled slightly.
"Are you serious?"
Reno did not answer immediately. He looked at Linlin.
"Isn't she the best proof right here?"
All eyes turned to Linlin.
Charlotte Linlin grinned, showing her two sharp canines, and summoned Zeus.
"Of course it's real!"
"This lady can now use both the Soul-Soul Fruit and the Nine-Tailed Fox powers!"
Everyone on deck stared at the still-sentient Zeus, then sank into silence.
All eyes turned to Reno. A storm of emotions surged in their minds.
This demon… possessed such terrifying abilities.
At that moment, Rocks moved.
He strode toward Reno, each step radiating unparalleled pressure.
Linlin instinctively positioned herself in front of Reno, but Rocks waved a hand.
"Rest assured, Charlotte Linlin."
"I will not harm him."
Rocks stopped before Reno, looking down from above.
"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Rocks. I will become the King of the World."
"What is your name?"
But the rest of the text shifts into author's note and fan acknowledgments.