Bonney hesitated for a moment, ultimately keeping the truth about her relationship with Kuma to herself.
They had only just met, after all. Although she sensed that Ren wasn't a bad person, she wasn't foolish enough to lay all her cards on the table immediately.
"I just have business with him," she stated vaguely.
Ren didn't press her. He knew that as they spent more time together, she would eventually tell him on her own.
In this timeline, Luffy and the others haven't caused a ruckus at Enies Lobby yet. We're still a fair distance away from the Thriller Bark incident. Finding Kuma right now might be a bit of a challenge.
"Well then! I look forward to working with you!" Bonney grinned, extending her right hand toward Ren.
Ren blinked, looking at her with a peculiar expression. "You... aren't planning to follow me around indefinitely, are you?"
"Of course I am! We've formed an alliance!" Bonney nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world. In her mind, an alliance meant staying together for the foreseeable future.
Secretly, she was delighted. With a powerhouse who can defeat an Admiral leading the way, it'll be even harder for the World Government to catch me!
Getting a top-tier bodyguard for the price of one mystery fruit—it was all going according to plan!
Hahahaha!
Ren saw right through her self-satisfied grin and felt a wave of exasperation.
I really just got played, didn't I?And she used a fruit that hasn't even been identified yet as the buy-in?
To be honest, if it weren't for his "original series filter" making him sympathetic toward her, Bonney would have been sliced into decorative pieces by now.
"Fine. Follow if you want. But you're responsible for your own food."
Bonney's fruit was the Toshi Toshi no Mi (Age-Age Fruit). Currently, she could transform people into old timers, children, or youths. Her current appearance as a mature "big sister" was merely a product of her power. In reality, she was just a girl in her early teens.
Two seagulls flew overhead, crying out.
Three days had passed since Ren and Bonney formed their alliance on Burks Island. Despite the initial "no free meals" rule, the two crews had bonded quickly, and Bonney had long since tossed that restriction out the window.
"Mmm~~ This old guy's cooking is incredible!"
"Hahaha! Glad you like it, little Bonney!"
Under the shade of the trees, the two crews were enjoying a lively banquet.
For some reason, Garp hadn't shown up to cause trouble yet. They had been stationary for days, and the Navy had shown zero reaction. Law felt the Navy was "brewing something big" and kept urging Ren to leave the island.
"I know, I know. We're leaving as soon as we finish this plate!"
"You really are a nag!" Bonney muttered while shoveling food into her mouth, criticizing Law for being "too cowardly."
Law, maintaining his "cool and aloof" persona, didn't deign to argue with her. Once he was full, he went straight to the ship to prep for departure.
Shortly after, the group returned to their vessels. The two ships set sail together, heading back out into the vast blue.
"Hina, how much further to the Sabaody Archipelago?" Ren asked.
"About three days of sailing."
"Three days, huh..."
Nearby, Bonney shouted from her pink ship, "Are you heading to the New World? Given your current situation, Sabaody isn't exactly a safe haven."
Ren had attacked the Heavenly Tribute and beaten an Admiral. Rumor had it Aokiji was still in a coma. While it was just a rumor, the fact that Aokiji had vanished from public view for so long made it feel like an undeniable truth.
Bonney suddenly asked, "By the way, why did you attack the Heavenly Tribute anyway?"
Attacking that cargo was equivalent to tearing a chunk of flesh off the World Government's body. It guaranteed a lifetime of relentless pursuit. Plus, he'd killed a Celestial Dragon; he was effectively a marked man for the rest of his life.
Ren leaned against the railing, gazing at the sky. "It wasn't us looking for trouble. They were the ones who started it."
"Oh? Tell me the details!" Bonney's curiosity was piqued. She leaned over the side, eager for the "insider scoop."
"Basically... it went like this... and then that happened."
Ren took a sip of the drink Hina handed him and shook his head helplessly. "Why did they have to push me? I really just wanted to be an ordinary traveler."
His crew members all rolled their eyes simultaneously.
Didn't the Captain say something about finding 'Pure Gold' for immortality?Ambition is written all over his face, isn't it?
After hearing Ren's story, Bonney huffed indignantly. "I knew it was those World Government bastards. The news really is unreliable!"
"Morgans' news can be somewhat reliable occasionally. That bird leaks a lot of truths," Ren noted with a chuckle.
"Who's Morgans? Never heard of him."
Ren went silent. He realized he might have overestimated Bonney's life experience. Right, she was only about twelve or thirteen—maybe a year or two older than his Ninja-world self. In the Pirate world, that age...
Well, she isn't exactly a child anymore. Is Bonney just a bit of an idiot?
As Bonney was laughing, she suddenly felt a wave of "malice." She shivered and looked around warily, but found no obvious source.
An illusion? No! A woman's sixth sense is never wrong!
Biu~
As Bonney was looking around, a faint whistle came from the sky.
Krillin swung his blade, sending out a slash that cleaved an incoming cannonball in two. He narrowed his eyes, looking into the distance.
A Marine warship with a distinctive dog-head prow was rapidly closing in on them.
"Garp's back again."
"Wonder what the old man wants this time."
"He's seventy years old! He should just retire already!" Ren shouted toward the distant Garp.
A moment later, Garp's indignant voice roared across the water: "You brat! I'm only seventy! I'm in the prime of my life!"
"Seventy isn't the prime of anyone's life! Even a Saiyan is an old-timer by seventy!"
"What 'Saiyan'?! I'm a proper human being!"
Whew-whew!
Garp grabbed two cannonballs and hurled them at Ren with pinpoint accuracy! Ren was ready; he drew his blade and sliced the projectiles into scrap metal.
BOOM! BOOM!
As the explosions cleared, Ren yelled to Bonney, "Time to run! That old man won't go easy on you just because you're a pretty girl!"
"I know that!" Bonney barked at her panicked crew. "Turn the ship! Follow Ren and run!"
On the other side, Garp roared to his men, "Pursue them! We're capturing Ren today!"
"Yes, Vice Admiral!"
The Marines sprang into action with practiced efficiency. Among them, the lowly chore-boy Kobywas working the hardest! Wherever a hand was needed, Koby was there. Consequently, the crew on Garp's ship thought rather highly of the boy.
Aside from Koby, Garp had brought several other recruits along: the golden-haired girls Hibari and Kujaku, and the boys Grus and Helmeppo. These were all descendants of high-ranking Marine officials who had reached the age to join up.
If Luffy hadn't run off to become a pirate, Luffy would likely be in Koby's position right now. After all, if Luffy hadn't started his journey, he never would have met Koby, who might still be serving under Alvida.
The reason Ren had enjoyed a peaceful vacation on the island for a few days was simply because Garp had gone back to pick up these rookies. Now that they were settled, Garp was eager to resume the chase for the "most heinous" Ren!