Bang bang...
Boom...boom...
Time kept passing.
By noon, when the sun was high, the entire ruined island was covered with charred craters, completely devastated.
Raging fires burned, thick smoke billowing upward.
From afar, countless animals, large and small, could be seen migrating in massive groups, fleeing toward the other chain of islands.
And as the cause of it all—
On this island, Ren continued testing his newly acquired phantom beast ability.
Exhausted and drenched in sweat, he lay on the ground with his arms spread wide.
A satisfied smile appeared on his face.
"Hehe..."
His laughter grew, from small to loud.
Gradually, he laughed wildly.
"Haha...hahaha..."
Ren could not contain his excitement.
He was now one hundred percent certain.
His ability from the Ryu Ryu no Mi · Mythical Zoan · Model: Galmorath was absolutely no less powerful than Kaido's Fish‑Fish Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Azure Dragon form.
The powers of Mythical Zoans, beyond the immense physical boosts of ordinary animals and ancient species, always came with incredible supernatural abilities.
Kaido's Azure Dragon form could summon wind and rain, command fire, storms, thunder, and lightning.
The Human‑Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Buddha form of Sengoku the Buddha allowed him to transform into a giant golden Buddha, with immense defense and devastating shockwaves.
And Ren's transformation into the most powerful Elder Dragons from the Monster Hunter universe was equally overwhelming.
He was certain it granted him strength, speed, attack power, defense, resistance, endurance, and even flight—on par with those legendary monsters.
In both his human‑beast form and full beast form, he was invulnerable to blades, resistant to bullets, cannons, and ordinary weapons.
His vitality was extraordinary.
No matter how badly injured, he could recover in the shortest time.
It was nearly equal to Kaido's Azure Dragon form, not inferior at all.
Moreover, Elder Dragons were said to embody calamity and awe, driving away evil and reshaping the world itself.
Poisons and curses posed no threat to him.
He was immune to toxins and could ignore sinister abilities like curses.
Over time, his body would continue to strengthen subtly.
If Ren's potential was great enough, and he trained relentlessly, one day—even without using his powers—his human body alone would reach the level of being invulnerable, nearly impossible to kill, like Kaido the Beast.
Perhaps he could even surpass him, becoming the new "strongest creature on land, sea, and air."
It was not impossible.
And Ren was Lunarian.
His race possessed the terrifying ability to survive in any natural environment.
As a clan once revered as gods, their talents were no joke.
When the flame behind them burned, their defense increased greatly, rendering damage ineffective.
When the flame extinguished, their defense weakened, but their attack power surged.
Though Lunarian abilities were not limitless, combined with the Ryu Ryu no Mi · Mythical Zoan · Model: Galmorath, Ren's defense reached terrifying levels.
It would not be long before the title of strongest creature truly changed hands.
Unlike Kaido, Ren's powers were different.
His roar could transform into thunder, but he did not command storms or rainfall.
Instead, his Elder Dragon form was born to control flames, and its mastery of fire and heat far surpassed the Azure Dragon.
Even newly awakened, Ren could turn the earth into magma.
He could bathe in molten rock without pressure.
Some Mythical Zoans retained auxiliary powers even in human form.
Marco the Phoenix, wielder of the Bird‑Bird Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Phoenix model, could use regenerative flames in human form to heal allies.
Ren's Elder Dragon form was similar.
Even without elementalization, in human form he could command flames as easily as a Burning Fruit user, with terrifying temperatures.
It fit perfectly with his Lunarian heritage, born to control fire.
The synergy was unimaginable—far beyond simple addition.
Ren could already sense it.
The Ryu Ryu no Mi · Mythical Zoan · Model: Galmorath surely held other strange abilities yet to be discovered.
But he had only just acquired it.
More powers would reveal themselves with time.
...
"Roar..."
"Wow!..."
At the coast, waves rolled.
A ferocious Sea King, tens of meters long, emerged to hunt.
It had already been struck by a sharp slash—its head split open.
The massive body crashed into the sea, splashing water high.
Soon, it lost all breath of life.
The cut was clean, blood pouring out.
"Call..."
Above the rough sea, a tall figure stepped into the air.
Ren seized the bloody Sea King and hurled it toward the shore.
Bang...
The ground collapsed, debris flying.
The colossal beast, weighing countless tons, smashed onto the coast, raising smoke and dust.
Snap, snap...
Smoke rose underfoot.
Ren descended with moon steps, landing steadily on the shore.
In his hands, he held a razor‑sharp sword.
Its blade was slightly curved, just over a meter long.
The white steel gleamed with jagged red lines, shining coldly.
The sword resembled a chrysanthemum.
Its hilt was wrapped in red and black string.
At his waist hung a dark red scabbard, adorned with exquisite patterns and inlaid gems.
Anyone knowledgeable in swords would be shocked.
This was one of the twenty‑one Great Grade blades—Akayuki no Tsurugi (赤雪の剣).
It was one of the few relics left to Ren after his Lunarian father's death.
"Sure enough, even without shifting into Beast Form or Human‑Beast Form, my body has already begun to change under the influence of the Ryu Ryu no Mi · Mythical Zoan · Model: Galmorath…"
"Whether physical fitness, strength, speed, or reflexes, everything has improved invisibly."
The gleaming blade suddenly turned black, coated in Armament Haki.
Ren gazed at Akayuki no Tsurugi, now a temporary black sword.
"Not only my swordsmanship… but even my Haki has grown stronger," he murmured.
He could feel it—his body was completely different from before.
His endurance and resistance alone were incomparable to the past.
His basic combat power had risen dramatically.
Even his Haki had advanced.
"Huh...huh..."
The flames were blazing.
Fiery breath.
It was unbearably hot.
Sea King meat was constantly being grilled there.
"Crack... crack..."
The fire flickered.
The aroma of roasted meat began to fill the air.
Golden oil dripped down, making the flames burn even more intensely.
In truth, if it weren't for ensuring the flavor of the grilled meat, Ren could have cooked it instantly with his high temperatures—no effort required at all.
"Now, although I have mastered Observation Haki, I have also begun to wield Armament Haki, and I've learned the techniques of coating and hardening…"
"My swordsmanship can already be considered entry into the palace. Thanks to my father's tireless teachings when I was young, I grasped the Breath of All Things early. By thirteen, I had already reached the realm of 'cutting iron' and mastered flying slashes. My swordsmanship is far beyond Zoro's, who is still immature at this stage."
"If I include my Devil Fruit ability, even against an elite Vice Admiral of Marine Headquarters, I would surely win! But compared to the true monsters of the sea, I am still far behind."
The strong firelight swayed.
Beside the fire, Ren casually flipped the barbecue.
His eyes wandered as he stared into the bonfire, lost in thought.
He was seriously considering the path ahead after leaving the Straw Hat Pirates.
Since childhood, he had practiced swordsmanship under the guidance of his father, a master swordsman. For years, he trained relentlessly, even diving into the depths to battle ferocious Sea Beasts and Sea Kings.
By the time he set out alone—one man, one sword, one raft—sailing from the seas bordering the Calm Belt, he was already a true swordsman.
His strength surpassed that of the Straw Hat crew.
What Ren regretted was that his Lunarian father, though a Haki user, had learned it through endless battles and killings, never systematized, and died before he could teach him properly.
After joining the Straw Hats and crossing Reverse Mountain into the Grand Line, Ren sought guidance from Crocus, the lighthouse keeper and former doctor of the Roger Pirates.
Under Crocus's generous instruction, Ren quickly awakened the latent Armament Haki within himself and grew familiar with its power.
In recent days, he had trained without pause, becoming skilled in its use.
"Yet, although I have mastered Armament Haki, I am still far from reaching its advanced forms…"
"Compared to my Observation Haki, awakened early and honed through years of training, Armament is still only at its beginning."
Ren calculated carefully.
He was not satisfied with his current strength.
He wondered if his true talent lay in Observation Haki.
Since going to sea, his Observation had grown immensely—through battles against Crocodile, Eneru, and other powerful foes.
He felt he was on the verge of a breakthrough, one step away from entering unknown territory.
As for Conqueror's Haki, he had awakened it long ago.
Growing up on a desert island near the Calm Belt, surrounded by terrifying Sea Beasts and Sea Kings, Ren had been forced to squeeze every ounce of his potential to survive.
Through desperate training and countless battles, he had unintentionally awakened Conqueror's Haki.
But his mastery was crude.
He could only stun the weak.
Against the truly strong, it posed no threat.
"It's not enough. I must become stronger!"
Ren clenched his fists.
Ambition burned in his eyes.
He thought of the storm soon to engulf the world—the murderous new era approaching.
Never content with mediocrity, he felt urgency gnawing at him.
Time waits for no one.
If he missed this chance, he would be reduced to a mere foil in history.
He bore no resentment toward the Straw Hats.
Anger? Unwillingness? Perhaps.
Grudges? Disappointment? Maybe a little.
But now he had let go.
His path was not lowly.
Everyone had different personalities and ideals. It was better to part ways early.
But as a new pirate, they were now competitors.
If they stood in his way, he would show no mercy.
"To improve strength step by step requires long accumulation…"
Ren frowned, muttering to himself.
"Fruit abilities take time to develop. As for Haki and swordsmanship, the only way to break through quickly is to fight strong opponents constantly. That must be part of my training plan…"
"But there is another method—unconventional. Just as becoming a Devil Fruit user grants power, borrowing magical treasures can also bring leaps in strength."
His heart stirred.
He grabbed his luggage and rummaged carefully.
"I remember…the pair of golden horns on Crown Island contain extraordinary power…"
A permanent log pose appeared in his hand.
Its label read: Crown Island.
"Fortunately, back in Alabasta, I learned how to craft recording pointers and made a permanent one for Crown Island!"
...