In the East Blue—
Beside the Baratie restaurant, the Pipi Shrimp was moored near a small island.
Nami stood at the bow, holding a 10x10 square board in her hands.Her beautiful eyes were fixed on it, tracing the shifting currents and subtle patterns that even she had never noticed before.
"Useful?"
Ren asked casually, his hair ruffled by the sea breeze as he watched Nami's barely contained excitement.
The board in her hands was the same one he'd drawn in the lottery earlier:
[Giant World Map]
Origin: Minecraft
Type: Rule-based Item
Effect: Crafted by combining multiple base maps into one ultimate composite map. It records all terrain traversed by its holder — rivers, mountains, seas — and can be zoomed, annotated, and modified at will. Functions include: directional accuracy, compass calibration, landmark placement, and beacon markers that reveal one's own position.
Cost: None
From the description alone, it was a perfect match for Nami's nature.
So Ren had gifted it to her without hesitation.
"Of course it's useful! It automatically records the surrounding ocean currents and terrain! It's limited to the nearby area, sure, but it can—"
Nami kept chattering, completely entranced by the miraculous artifact.
Her admiration for Ren's mysterious Devil Fruit powers grew deeper with every new thing she witnessed — the weapons, the Magical Clima-Tact, and now even a map that bent the laws of reality.
Her captain was like a walking treasure trove, constantly pulling miracles out of nowhere.
Meanwhile, Nojiko sat nearby, repeatedly inspecting the Dragon's Breath Cannon — the weapon Ren had handed her once it became obsolete.
She didn't need to fight; Ren simply wanted to ensure she could protect herself.
Haste makes waste.
Nami and Nojiko had both advanced rapidly under Ren's guidance, but strength without composure was meaningless.
At the stern, Zoro slowly wiped his beloved blades, his sharp eyes taking in everything around him.
He couldn't help but sigh — Ren's Devil Fruit ability truly was convenient. But that was all.
He was still an outsider, and he owed Ren too much already.
A mere three months as a hired guard had earned him not just his life, but a gift like Ryuen and even instruction in the Thunder Breathing Technique.
Especially the latter—Zoro could feel the surge in his power, the transformation within.
That method of refining one's inner energy with such meticulous precision—No matter where it came from, it was secret art.
Yet Ren had shared it so casually.
Even someone as prideful as Zoro, who didn't care about sect boundaries, knew he owed a great debt.So, though their three-month agreement was nearing its end, he said nothing.
He couldn't open that mouth.
Better to watch and see where this goes, he thought, sheathing Ryuen and drawing another sword to polish.
The crew seemed idle, but in truth, they were waiting—
Waiting for the Krieg Pirates to move.
Pirates were no Marines; even in large fleets, order was rare.
So the Pipi Shrimp and several other vessels lingered on the outskirts, watching the situation unfold.
Baratie was a renowned floating restaurant, attracting countless visitors each day. But none of the guests wanted any part in a battle.
By now, the surrounding sea had been completely encircled by Krieg's fleet. Perhaps wary of damaging Baratie's logbook, they hadn't opened fire yet—But the fighting had already begun.
Krieg hadn't come to talk. His first volley blasted Baratie's flag to pieces.
The vast sea had turned into a battlefield.
Baratie itself, shaped like a giant fish, had twin figureheads at its prow and stern.
To protect its interior from damage, the restaurant could transform into a combat configuration — the legendary "Fish Fin Arena."
Now, the massive fins had fully unfolded.
Armed combat chefs swarmed across the deck while the guests hid inside the cabins.
At the center of the battlefield, a man with golden hair and curled eyebrows glared coldly at the armored brute before him.
"Ha ha ha! I told you — just surrender already!"
The man encased in shields, Pearl, laughed, slamming his shield-covered fists together.
Sanji's furious kicks struck, but couldn't break his defense.
"Don Krieg's patience is running thin. He's been generous — twenty minutes to kneel and surrender. You've got five left."
Pearl's mocking voice grated on everyone's nerves, but Sanji ignored him, studying the man's movements and searching for flaws.
Behind him, Zeff's weathered eyes stayed fixed on the sea. Dozens of warships had formed a semicircle around Baratie, with the Dreadnaught Sabre gleaming at the center of the formation.
Smaller pirate ships cruised the perimeter, their flags marking their allegiance.
The warlord of the East Blue, commander of a massive armada— Don Krieg!
Why attack me? Zeff thought grimly. There's no profit here worth this display.
But Krieg hadn't sent word, only an envoy with one demand: surrender in twenty minutes.
No negotiation. No explanation.
Now, as the final minutes ticked away, Zeff could no longer hold back. He grabbed the restless Sanji and stepped forward.
"What do you want?" he growled.
"You don't need to know. Just kneel before Don Krieg."
Pearl's grin widened, utterly dismissive.
They were the Krieg Pirates, after all!
"Bastard! You think I'll just roll over because you said so? Tell your damn Krieg to come out here—I'll kick him to hell myself!"
Sanji's fury exploded, his eyes blazing.
They'd come out of nowhere, destroyed the restaurant's flag, ruined meals mid-service, and terrified their guests.
He hadn't killed this fool yet only because the man's armor was too thick!
"Shut it, Sanji. I'll handle this."
Zeff's expression darkened as he shoved Sanji aside. "I don't care what you want — but let the guests go. They've got nothing to do with this."
"Ha?"
Pearl burst into laughter. "Are you stupid? Those guests are our payday! Anyone rich enough to dine at Baratie is worth a ransom! You think we'll let them go just because you asked?"
He sneered, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder. "Four minutes left! Kneel or die!"
Zeff said nothing. He pulled Sanji back and barked to his men.
"Paddy! Carne! Bring out the Sabagashira I! Get ready for battle! We're not letting Krieg kidnap our guests!"
"Yes, sir!"
The battle-hungry chefs roared in response. Five thousand men? Dozens of ships? So what!
Every chef here had once been a pirate.
Anyone who dared stop them from cooking—would never eat again!
"Hmph. Idiots."
Pearl scoffed, watching Baratie's preparations with open disdain.
Even if they mobilized every cook on board, they had barely two hundred fighters.He had thousands.
If not for Krieg's caution over the logbook, he'd have already leveled the ship.
But Pearl said nothing more, simply waiting, savoring the moment.
With Gin away, this was his stage. Without battle, how could he shine? His captain would become Pirate King—If he didn't grow stronger, he'd be left behind!
And so—
The battle between the Krieg Pirates and the Baratie Combat Chefs began four minutes later.
The first wave consisted of Krieg's vassal rookies, while the veterans watched from the warships, laughing as though it were sport.
Five thousand against two hundred—victory was certain.
Or so they thought.
Unnoticed by all, the Pipi Shrimp drifted closer to the storm.
"What idiot's sailing toward that mess?!"
A nearby merchant captain shouted in disbelief, his own ship already turning away.
The others fled as well. To them, Baratie was doomed.
Ren stood at the bow, his voice calm amid the chaos.
"Time to join the fray. Baratie's power is limited — but in the end, it's all the same. Heads will roll."
He lifted his hand. Five Mana Crystals turned to dust between his fingers and scattered into the wind.
Thunderstorm — Charge!
Three radiant magic circles bloomed—one beneath his feet, one at his waist, and one above his head.
Raw mana surged into them, their intricate patterns glowing brighter and brighter until all three blazed like miniature suns.
Thunderstorm — Charge Complete!
"Bear witness—to the day of thunder!"
Ren pointed toward the Dreadnaught Sabre, targeting the area around it.
His power stirred the skies. What began as faint disturbance snowballed into a cataclysmic shift.
White clouds darkened, replaced by thick, roiling thunderheads.The world dimmed.
Winds howled. Waves churned. Then came the first icy raindrops.
"Rain?"
Krieg glanced up in surprise—only to see it turn to a torrential downpour within seconds.
He felt a chill of foreboding. But it was already too late.
A silver serpent of lightning slithered across the heavens, followed by the roar of thunder.
The storm had come.
Thunderstorm — Descend!
From his distant black throne, a sharp-eyed man — gaze as piercing as a hawk's — looked up toward the sudden tempest and the wall of ships blocking the sea ahead.
A storm of fate had begun.
(End of Chapter)