Lia's shadow blade hovered three seconds above the Seastone rope before finally dropping.
It wasn't because she was hesitating, Renzo's domain was still active.
Each centimeter closer the blade moved toward the Seastone, it was like trying to cut through thick honey. The dark aura coating its edge faded, and the sharpness that could easily slice through steel now couldn't even cut through the rope's fibers.
"Damn it!"
Lia gritted her teeth and poured Armament Haki into the blade. Its edge took on a glossy black sheen, finally leaving a faint mark on the rope.
"Garon, just a bit longer! I'll have you free soon!"
Garon lay slumped against the sand, his chest heaving violently.
The Seastone's suppression made him weak all over, but hearing Lia's voice, he forced his muscles to tighten again, he could feel the heat beneath his armored skin, a sign his Devil Fruit power was being forcefully awakened.
If he could just break free from the ropes, he could use his heavy armor to resist Renzo's domain and let Lia strike from the side.
"Hurry! That lazy bastard's moving!"
Garon roared, glaring at Renzo.
And indeed, Renzo moved.
He'd been leaning against a coconut tree for half a minute, watching the two struggle. Finally, he sighed, they were taking too long.
Untying ropes, teaming up, ambushing… The whole routine was more troublesome than dealing with ten small pirate crews.
"Don't bother."
Renzo walked slowly toward them, the hem of his bathrobe sweeping over their shadows. "Even if you break the rope, you still won't beat me."
As soon as he said that, he pointed at Lia's shadow blade and muttered his ability's command. "Don't be so tense, loosen up."
In an instant, the shadow blade lost its Armament Haki coating, its strength drained. With a dull thud, it fell into the sand and dispersed.
Lia stumbled back, eyes wide with disbelief.
Her Devil Fruit ability, which she could normally summon with ease, even against Vice Admirals, now felt like it was sealed inside her. It was as if more than half her strength had been sucked out of her body.
"What… what did you do to my power?!"
Her voice trembled.
Never in the New World had her shadows failed her like this. But in front of this "lazy" marine, she couldn't even control them.
Renzo didn't answer. He turned to Garon.
During that brief distraction, Garon had managed to grind one Seastone rope apart using the jagged edge of his armor. His right arm was finally free.
He lunged forward and swung his fist at Renzo. The steel armor whooshed through the air, this was even stronger than when he'd struck the hot spring pool earlier. It was his last shot; if this punch failed, he'd be spent.
"Watch out!" Potts shouted, diving toward Renzo, trying to push him away. But the domain's heaviness made his legs sluggish; he could only watch as the steel fist approached.
Sanji gripped his chef's knife, ready to intervene with his Diable Jambe.
But before anyone could move, Renzo merely raised his hand slightly.
Garon's punch stopped, not because it was blocked, but because it simply slowed.
The gleam of his armored knuckles dulled; every inch forward was like dragging a thousand tons of metal.
Garon's face turned red, veins bulging on his forehead, but no matter how hard he strained, his fist wouldn't move another centimeter. The full might of Renzo's domain weighed upon it, turning his all-out attack into a slow-motion gesture.
"This… this can't be happening!" Garon gasped, eyes wide with disbelief.
He could feel the pressure creeping into his body, not just halting his attack, but seeping into his muscles, stiffening them, making even breathing hard.
Seeing him pinned, Lia pulled out a dagger, not her shadow blade this time, but a real Seastone dagger she kept for fighting other Devil Fruit users.
She circled behind Renzo while his focus was on Garon and thrust the dagger toward his back. "Die!"
It was her final chance.
Seastone suppressed abilities; if she could stab him just once, no matter how strange his power was, he'd be powerless.
Sanji saw it clearly and shouted, "Behind you!"
He tried to rush forward, but he was still too slow.
Renzo, however, didn't even turn around.
He simply said, in his usual unhurried tone, "Don't rush. Take a break."
Lia's body froze instantly. The dagger halted in midair, her arm suddenly heavy as stone; even her fingers couldn't move.
She felt an invisible pressure envelop her whole body, making even the smallest movement exhausting.
"Why… why does it even work on a real knife…?" she muttered weakly, her voice fading.
The dagger slipped from her hand and stuck upright in the sand.
Renzo finally turned around, gazing at the two pirates collapsed at his feet. At last, it was quiet.
Garon's steel fist still hung in the air, but unmoving. Lia leaned weakly against a coconut tree, her eyes vacant, too drained even to stand.
These two New World pirates, both notorious names, were utterly powerless within his Domain of Absolute Sloth.
"Potts," Renzo called lazily.
"Bring another Seastone rope and tie her up too."
"Yes, sir!" Potts scrambled off toward the ship. His heart was still pounding from the earlier fight, but seeing Renzo unharmed made him breathe again.
He knew it; the Commodore's ability never failed.
Sanji walked up beside Renzo, eyeing the subdued pirates. "These two sure have rotten luck; anyone else, they might have been defeated."
"Would've been troublesome if they did."
Renzo leaned against the tree again, pulling out a half-eaten strawberry mochi from his pocket and taking a bite. "If they'd actually managed to hit me, I'd have to waste time healing… can't even nap properly then."
Garon and Lia trembled with fury, but they were too weak to retort.
Only now did they truly understand, they were never Renzo's equals. Not because they lacked strength, but because his ability countered theirs perfectly.
Garon's brute power relied on motion. Lia's shadow techniques depended on speed.
And Renzo's domain made movement itself unbearably difficult.
Potts soon returned with another Seastone rope and carefully tied Lia up.
Lia didn't resist. She only glared at Renzo, her eyes burning with unwillingness. "Who are you really? Why does the Marine have someone with your kind of power?"
Renzo chewed his mochi and answered flatly, "Marine Commodore Renzo. As for my power… you don't need to know."
He wasn't in the mood for chit-chat. The priority now was to contact Kizaru, get him here quickly to take these two troublemakers away.
The longer they stayed, the more bothersome it would be if other pirates showed up.
"Where's Kizaru? Oh right… forgot to call him."
Renzo sighed, taking the Den Den Mushi from Potts and dialing.
The snail connected after a few rings, and Kizaru's drawling voice came through:
"Ohh~ Commodore Renzo~ What's up? I'm just sunbathing on HQ's roof~"
"There are two troublesome guys here," Renzo said casually.
"'Iron Spine' Garon, bounty 450 million. 'Silver Blade' Lia, bounty 480 million. I've subdued them both on Warmwave Island. Come pick them up for Impel Down."
There was silence for a few seconds, then Kizaru's tone brightened, amused. "Ohh~ so impressive~ You, of all people, actually took down two New World pirates? You're not pulling my leg, are you~?"
"Not kidding." Renzo glanced down at the two bound figures.
"They're right beside me. If you don't come soon and they recover, they'll wreck this island, don't say I didn't warn you."
Kizaru's tone changed immediately. "Now, now~ Let's not do that~ I haven't even tried the hot springs there yet~ I'll be right over! Oh, and I heard you got a new cook~ I want molten chocolate cake~"
"Sanji made moss mousse from the hot springs," Renzo replied.
"Even better! I'm on my way~"
The line went dead.
Renzo set the Den Den Mushi aside and exhaled in relief.
Once Kizaru arrived, these two nuisances would be gone, and he could rebuild his shade tent for a proper nap.
Garon and Lia both went pale at the mention of "Kizaru."
They'd heard plenty of stories in the New World, a Marine Admiral, wielder of the Glint-Glint Fruit, fast beyond comprehension, his strength overwhelming.
If Kizaru was coming to take them to Impel Down, there'd be no escape.
"You can't hand us over to him!" Garon shouted hoarsely. "We're pirates of the New World! If you hand us over, our crew will never let you go!"
"Your crew?" Renzo gave him a bored look. "If they come, I don't mind tying a few more."
Garon opened his mouth again, but Lia stopped him.
She shook her head, despair clouding her eyes. "Don't bother. We can't beat him, or Kizaru."
She knew it was over.
This Marine named Renzo… his power was terrifyingly strange, and now he'd summoned an Admiral.
This time, they were truly done for.
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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