Chapter 40 A Weak Flame
"Who exactly are you?"
Horo flung the wine glass in his hand aside and abruptly stood up. He was extremely tall, close to 3 meters, and the 2 scantily clad women beside him wisely retreated the moment they sensed danger.
"Were you sent by that bastard Rocks?" Horo roared, but he quickly rejected the thought. He had only defeated a group of Rocks' followers that afternoon, and there was no way they could have arrived this fast.
When Ren offered no response, Horo's anger overwhelmed his confusion and faint unease. He suddenly realized there was no reason for fear at all—he was an invincible Logia user.
"If you won't answer, then just die!" he sneered.
Flames flickered through his hair, igniting instantly, yet he did not act at once. If even the captain had to personally handle everything, what was the point of having subordinates?
"Men, kill him! No—capture him!" Horo grinned viciously. "He's valuable goods. Sell him to the slave hunters and we'll make a fortune!"
The pirates erupted in excitement.
The Nightfire Pirates had long been involved in slave-hunting in the first half of the Grand Line. They had crushed many pirate crews, captured prisoners, and sold them to slave traders at Sabaody Archipelago for massive profits.
Even broken merchandise found buyers. Someone like Ren would undoubtedly interest many nobles.
"You're all truly disgusting."
Ren calmly swept his gaze across them, undisguised disgust on his face. These scum deserved far worse than death.
If Wano Country had already built factories, he would have sent them back to mine until they died.
Factories were inevitable, but before that, Ren still needed to solve the problem of pollution. Ideally, there would be a Devil Fruit capable of purification.
The pirates closed in.
Those with firearms spread out on the outer ring, while the swordsmen charged forward without hesitation.
Ren did not move.
He merely raised his eyes slightly.
In an instant, an invisible pressure burst forth from his body. For a moment, Ren seemed to transform into a terrifying beast, his cold gaze locking onto these already pitiful men.
Their minds went blank.
"Thump—"
Before any of them could get within 1 meter of Ren, they collapsed as if struck by an unseen force.
This was Haoshoku Haki.
Ren's Conqueror's Haki had awakened after the completion of the Daimyo's Mansion in Kuri. Sitting atop the high tower and gazing down upon all of Kuri, he had felt how small the world truly was—and awakened it.
Horo, who had never witnessed Haki, had no idea what had happened. He only saw his men roll their eyes and fall one after another without even being touched.
In truth, had Ren not deliberately excluded him from the range, Horo would already be lying among the cannon fodder.
"Damn it… a Devil Fruit user?" Horo clenched his teeth. "Some kind of mental attack?"
There were countless bizarre Devil Fruit abilities. In his mind, anything he couldn't understand had to be a Devil Fruit.
In a sense, he wasn't entirely wrong.
Horo's expression darkened. If it truly was a mental-type ability, even a Logia might not be immune.
"Who are you?" he demanded. "Why are you targeting me? We don't have any grudges… or are you really sent by Rocks?"
"How amusing," Ren sneered. "Pirates talking about grudges?"
"Did the civilians you slaughtered have any grudges against you?"
He took a step forward.
"Unfortunately for you, I just decided to become a Pirate Hunter."
Horo's heart sank. He knew his luck had run out.
"So you want my head for the bounty?" he roared. "Then die first!"
"2,000 degrees—Flame Serpent!"
Dull yellow flames erupted violently from his body. A massive serpent of fire burst forth, opening its jaws as it lunged straight at Ren.
2,000 degrees was hot enough to melt stone.
Although flame users were common in the New World, to the point where people joked that even dogs wouldn't eat the Mera Mera no Mi, most flames were barely hotter than burning wood.
The flames of the Mera Mera no Mi were on a completely different level.
Yet in Ren's eyes, this blazing fire was meaningless.
He didn't even move his feet.
With a casual wave of his arm, an icy current surged outward. Seawater around the pirate ship froze instantly, and the violent heat of the Flame Serpent was completely absorbed.
By the time it reached Ren, it was nothing more than empty spectacle.
The flames danced around him, failing to scorch even the corner of his clothes. Horo had exerted himself only to create visual effects.
"Such weak flames."
Ren stepped forward, walking through the fire.
For the first time in his life, Horo felt genuine fear.
He involuntarily stumbled backward, cold sweat streaming down his face.
"An ice-attribute Devil Fruit?" he gasped. "A Logia… just like me?"
Fire was supposed to suppress ice.
Yet in that exchange, he had been utterly crushed.
Terror gripped him. The man before him was far beyond his ability to handle, yet he still didn't want to die.
After a brief struggle, he forced himself to speak.
"How about we stop here?" Horo said hoarsely. "Even if I can't beat you, you can't subdue me either. I'm a Logia user—you can't harm me."
"You want money, right?" he hurried on. "Some of those useless guys have bounties. Take them and turn them in!"
"All the treasure on the ship is yours. I won't contest it!"
He tried to smile, but his face was already stiff with fear.
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