The remnants of the Sovereignty strike tore through the air, heading straight for Rocks.
"Dammit!!"
Rocks' heart hammered against his ribs. With no time to think, he instantly condensed a solid suit of Haki armor around his body.
BOOM!
Just as he crossed his arms in a defensive stance, the Sovereignty slammed into him.
"AAAGH!!!"
Rocks let out a guttural, demonic shriek. The agonizing sound echoed across the sea, sending chills down the spines of everyone listening.
Gulp... Gulp...
On the massive pirate ship, the sound of thousands of pirates gasping for air rose in unison. Their eyes were wide, pupils dilated with pure disbelief.
"Boss Rocks... lost?!"
The phrase hit the crowd like a massive boulder dropped into a still lake, sending ripples of shock through the ranks.
"Holy crap!!!" "The Boss actually lost?!" "How is this possible? How could Rocks lose to Renault? I don't believe it!!" "It has to be fake, right?!" "Renault, that absolute bastard!!"
Within the Rocks Pirates, aside from a few like Shiki and Whitebeard who only gave Rocks lip service, the majority of the crew followed him with absolute conviction. They truly viewed him as the future Hegemon of the Seas! They believed that by following him, they would eventually crush the Marines and overthrow the World Government. Aside from the Government itself, they considered no one else a worthy opponent.
But now?
Rocks had actually lost to Renault? Renault was a top-tier powerhouse, yes, but... no matter how they looked at it, he wasn't supposed to be the one standing at the end!
"Shut your mouths!!" Seeing the crew's confidence in Rocks wavering, Captain John instantly unleashed a powerful aura that weighed down on everyone.
Like a bucket of cold water to the head, the pirates finally settled down, though they remained dejected, their faces masks of disappointment.
"Go pick up the Captain!" Whitebeard commanded immediately.
...
While one side mourned, the other celebrated!
"Hahahaha! I knew it had to be the Boss! To hell with Rocks!!" "Exactly! The Boss is the strongest!" "That said, Rocks' strength was no joke. To push the Boss that far is a feat in itself." "So what? He's still just a loser who fell to my brother!" "Hahaha... True enough. Let's go. Let's get over there and take a look!"
Rogue steered the Totto Land ship, accelerating toward the desolate island.
...
At the center of the island.
The aftershocks of the battle slowly dissipated. The island, already fractured, had completely split apart under the final blow.
SPLASH!CRASH!
Giant fragments of stone fell into the ocean, sending plumes of water high into the air. Within moments, more than half the island had sunk. Seawater began to pour in, and it was only a matter of time before the rest vanished beneath the waves.
After that final strike, Renault's face was deathly pale. His breath was shallow, and his right arm, still clutching Zanhai, trembled slightly. Since his battle with Garp, this was the first time in five years he had unleashed every single one of his methods in combat! He had focused every ability he possessed into Zanhai to release that final strike.
Had it been anyone but Rocks, they would have been sent to the afterlife long ago. Renault ignored his weakened state and kept his eyes fixed forward.
"RENAULT!!!!"
A roar like that of a hellish demon rang out. Rocks stumbled out of the smoke and dust. He looked battered and disheveled; his clothes were reduced to rags, and a trail of blood leaked from his mouth. His Medusa-like hair hung loosely, matted with blood.
"Renault..." Rocks repeated the name under his breath.
Cough!
Renault was about to raise his blade again, but he saw Rocks cough up a spray of blood that stained the ground at his feet. Only then did Renault finally allow himself to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Boss!!" "Captain Rocks!!"
Whitebeard, Shiki, and a swarm of pirate lackeys rushed over, forming a protective wall in front of Rocks. Simultaneously, Linlin, Jace, and the others arrived at Renault's side, guarding him.
"Hahahaha... Hahahahaha!"
Before Renault could speak, Rocks suddenly threw his head back and laughed toward the sky. The laughter aggravated his injuries, causing him to cough up more blood, but he ignored it. He waved away the pirates standing in front of him.
"Renault, you won this battle. I admit defeat!" "I, Rocks, can afford to lose!!" "Take the person you want!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, everyone's eyes turned toward the side, landing on the teenage Kaido, who stood there awkwardly clutching his mace. Under the intense, multi-layered gazes of all these titans, Kaido felt like he was sitting on needles. His legs trembled slightly—he didn't know whether to stay or go!
He could only offer a sheepish smile to his old crew, then another sheepish smile to his future one.
"What are you smiling at?! Get out of here!" Unable to contain his frustration, Captain John kicked him squarely in the rear, sending him flying.
Despite being kicked, Kaido was more relieved than angry. In this situation, a kick was practically a helping hand. As expected of the Boss, always looking out for the little guy. Thanks, Boss! Bye, Boss!
Upon reaching Renault's side, Kaido conscientiously retreated to the back and remained silent. Linlin and Jace spared him a brief, frowning glance before turning away.
"Renault," Rocks said, his voice dropping low. "Our time will come again!!"
"Let's move!"
After dropping a threat that now carried very little weight, Rocks led his followers and departed from the area. Watching Rocks' retreating back, Renault's lips curled into a playful, mocking arc.
Our time will come again?You probably don't have many years left to live!
"The island is about to sink. Let's go!"
The moment everyone stepped onto the deck of the Totto Land:
CRASH—!
With a thunderous roar, the entire island vanished into the sea, leaving not a single trace behind.
...
The next day, on the deck of the Totto Land.
Jace, Linlin, Black Shadow, Ledfield, Rupert, and the others sat in a row, their eyes fixed squarely on the teenage Kaido, who stood before them like a prisoner awaiting sentencing. Under the intense scrutiny of so many powerhouses, Kaido awkwardly adjusted his posture repeatedly.
"Boss, do you know this kid?" "Is there something special about him?" "Aside from being big, I don't see anything impressive!"
The crew members whispered among themselves. Having been with Renault for a long time, they knew his character well; he never made a deal that didn't turn a profit. Since he had passed up the significantly more powerful Golden Lion and Whitebeard to choose Kaido—a choice that surprised everyone—there had to be a reason.
It was just that... they really couldn't see what was so special about him. Was that mace he was holding some kind of Supreme Grade weapon?
"You'll find out soon enough," Renault said calmly. "Move back, all of you. Don't scare him."
"Kaido. I don't care about your past. From this moment on, you are a member of the Renault Pirates. You are my comrade, understand?"
"Comrade...?" Kaido murmured. He gulped, looking at Renault in disbelief.
Who was Renault? He was the monster who had just defeated Rocks! The strongest pirate on the seas! And him? He was just some "small fry" with a bounty of a few tens of millions. A titan like this wanted to be comrades with him?
"What? You aren't willing to be my brother's comrade?!" Seeing Kaido's lack of response, Linlin rolled up her sleeves and stomped over to him. She raised a fist, looking ready to strike.
"I'm willing! I'm willing!"
Kaido wouldn't dare say no, and besides, this was a massive stroke of luck. He had simply been too overwhelmed by the excitement to react.
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ONEPIECE My Crewmates Are All God-Tier! (152 Chapters, Ongoing)
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"Captain!!" Kaido shouted immediately.
"Good." Renault nodded with a smile. "Train hard. In a few years, I'll find a powerful Devil Fruit for you."
"Thank you, Captain!"
Though he didn't know why Renault valued him so much, Kaido wasn't about to question such favor from a legend.
[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for successfully recruiting Kaido! Calculating potential...][Potential Assessment: S-Rank! Rewarding 500,000 Navigation Points!]
The system notification rang out right on cue. Renault, long accustomed to this, remained unfazed. It was exactly as he expected. To date, only Linlin had reached the highest S+ rank. Kaido, Ledfield, and Jace were all S-rank. Black Shadow, Hajrudin, Flame Flower, and Brook were A+. Rogue, Longbread, and Rupert were A.
In his crew, the lowest potential was A-rank—meaning everyone had at least the potential of a Marine Vice Admiral. Who else could boast such a lineup? Of course, since Longbread was a chef and Rupert was a shipwright, Renault didn't demand extreme combat power from them. Currently, they were around the level of a Marine Rear Admiral—enough to protect themselves.
"Boss, Rocks has some skill, but he couldn't even beat you. To think he dreams of overthrowing the World Government and becoming the Hegemon of the Seas? What a joke!" Jace scoffed, recalling yesterday's fight.
"Exactly! My brother is so amazing, that seat belongs to him!" Linlin said affectionately, hugging Renault's arm.
"Rocks' strength is not as simple as you think." Renault shook his head, not sharing their optimism. He had won, but he had used certain advantages—specifically his immunity to the Dark-Dark Fruit's gravity. He could also confirm that Rocks hadn't obtained a second fruit yet; otherwise, he would have used it.
"Master of the World, huh...?" Renault frowned as he thought.
According to the timeline, the God Valley Incident was only a few years away. During that battle, Garp and Roger would join forces to defeat Rocks. With Rocks' death, the dream of world domination would shatter, and the Rocks Pirates would collapse.
"Boss, if you want to overthrow the World Government and become the World Master, we will definitely help you!" Black Shadow, ever the observant one, spoke up immediately.
"That's right, Captain!!" "Count us in!"
Renault looked at his crew and slowly shook his head. "With our current strength, we cannot challenge the World Government. Putting aside whether we could beat them, even if we did, how could we maintain the stability of the seas with just us? It would lead to true chaos."
He knew that if he simply wiped out the Marines and the Government, countless pirates would swarm the oceans to pillage and burn. Millions of civilians would be displaced, suffering endless misery. He was a pirate, but that wasn't the world he wanted. The common people were innocent. If he ignored their lives, how would he be any different from a Celestial Dragon?
"It seems that seat isn't so easy to take."
"Boss, if you have a plan, just say it. We support you completely!"
"Good!" Renault looked at everyone, his expression turning grave. "I do have a plan. From now on, the Renault Pirates will 'break into pieces' and act separately!"
"Break into pieces? What do you mean?" Jace and the others looked at each other in confusion.
"If we want to overthrow the Government and truly rule this sea, we must make a series of preparations. This includes building an intelligence network, an army, developing technology, and gaining allies!"
Though the crew didn't fully understand the complexity, they nodded in awe.
"Black Shadow!" Renault called out.
"Boss, I'm here!"
"Didn't you want to become the world's number one assassin? I'm going to fulfill that for you. Choose one of the four seas—East, West, South, or North—whichever you think is best. I want you to build an Underground Assassin's Guild there."
"In fifteen years, I want your guild to span all four seas. In thirty years, I want it to cover the Grand Line and the New World. And after thirty years, I expect you to be the true King of Assassins!"
"Of course, you handle the timing, but the faster the better!"
BOOM—
Renault's words made Black Shadow's scalp tingle with excitement. Becoming the world's greatest assassin was a dream he had mentioned to Renault back at the House of Lambs, but he hadn't brought it up since joining the crew. He never expected Renault to remember it after all these years.
"Don't worry, Boss! I guarantee the mission will be completed!!" Black Shadow said with iron determination.
Renault nodded and continued: "Ledfield, Brook—the two of you will assist Black Shadow. Shadow, consult with Ledfield on all major decisions."
Renault knew Ledfield wasn't interested in management, so Black Shadow would handle the coordination. As for Brook, he was going along purely because of Ledfield; wherever Brook went, Ledfield followed like a shadow.
"Rest assured, Captain. I will provide full support," Ledfield nodded.
"Yohohohoho! This sounds like quite a challenge!!" Brook laughed.
"I didn't expect we'd be leaving so soon. Well, before I go, would you two lovely ladies mind letting me have a peek at your pan—"
"GET LOST!!!"
BAM!
The crowd: (눈_눈) Kaido: "What kind of show is this?!"
"And one more thing," Reyno continued, his expression turning serious. "Unless it's an absolute emergency, you must never reveal your true identities. Do your best to stay off the radar of the Marines and the World Government!"
This wasn't particularly difficult for Black Shadow. Given his powers from the Coal-Coal Fruit (Mei Mei no Mi), he could alter his appearance at will.
"Don't worry, Boss. We'll be careful!"
"You don't need to worry about funding, either. I'll provide all the initial expenses," Reyno added.
Currently, Hajrudin had developed his Mo Mo no Mi (More-More Fruit) powers to a hundredfold amplification. The gold stored in the system warehouse had reached a staggering tens of trillions! There were also several trillion worth of diamonds. This wealth was more than enough to sustain them for a very long time.
Of course, Reyno had no intention of just sitting idly and watching his resources dwindle.
"Roger, Jess!"
"Captain!" "Boss!"
"What I need you two to do is establish a Merchant Guild across the Four Seas, the Grand Line, and the New World. Collect as much gold and diamonds as possible—the more, the better!"
"Use various methods, but try not to draw attention. If you can buy it directly, offer them five to ten percent above the market price in Berries. You can also act as moneylenders—let them repay their debts in gold and diamonds in exchange for lower interest rates."
"..."
By gathering gold and diamonds from all six regions, even a small portion of the total would dwarf the treasures found on Skypiea. Once they applied the hundredfold amplification of the More-More Fruit to that haul, they would have a true money-making machine.
Reyno had already tested it: the More-More Fruit's power couldn't be used twice on the same piece of gold. If it could, he wouldn't have to go through all this trouble.