The Pipi Shrimp had, without question, sunk to the bottom of the sea. Fortunately, the most valuable things aboard were already stored safely inside Chester's mouth.
After all, the ship was too small—there wasn't room for much. And since they hadn't seen the East Blue as particularly dangerous, they had grown complacent. Naturally, Chester became their makeshift storage room.
But Nami and Nojiko weren't so lucky. Aside from the money they carried on them, most of their belongings had gone down with the ship.
Yet at this moment, neither had the heart to care.
After learning that Ren had drawn the wrath of a Yonko upon the East Blue because of the incident on Quint Island, Nami fell into a long, heavy silence.
Nojiko, watching as an older sister, could tell—Nami was blaming herself.
If not for the events on Mys Island, they might never have crossed paths with the Buggy Pirates… and the Red-Haired Pirates might never have appeared.
But everyone knew such reasoning was meaningless.
Blaming one person for a shared mistake didn't make sense.
Neither Zoro nor Nojiko would ever do that. But Nami was kind—too kind.
And because of that kindness, she blamed herself.
"It's okay. This isn't your fault alone."
Nojiko hugged her sister close. Zoro silently stepped back a little, the three of them huddled together inside a small transparent glass pod.
Outside, 007—the seal—bobbled happily through the waves. The joys and sorrows of humans never connected… much less with a seal.
After a day of travel, they reached the waters near Loguetown.
They found an uninhabited island—not large, but good enough as a temporary resting place.
"Orh orh!"
Having completed its mission, 007 demanded a reward. But Nami and Nojiko were too downhearted to notice.
Zoro, however, looked as calm as ever. He fed the creature some fish, remembering how Ren had done the same. It was also Zoro who had reminded Nojiko to use the scroll earlier.
Rolling up his pants, Zoro stood ankle-deep in seawater, tossing lifeless fish into 007's mouth.
When he finished, he picked up the scroll 007 had used to return and frowned, gazing back toward the direction they had come from.
He could still feel a chill in the air—cold enough to make the temperature drop a few degrees.
Even from this far away, it's still affecting the air? That's got to be the Marine Admiral Aokiji—Kuzan. What a terrifying man. Those people… they really are among the strongest in the world.
He recalled the moment they had tried to leave Loguetown, only to see the world around them turn into an icy wasteland. It was like witnessing a natural disaster.
Even the sea had frozen over, stretching endlessly into the horizon.
From a few Marines' terrified whispers, they learned that a Yonko had clashed with a Marine Admiral.
That kind of thing happened—but never here. Never in the weakest of the Four Seas.
And so, the newsbirds of the East Blue rushed out extra editions—headline news that shook not just the East Blue, but the entire world.
But none of that mattered to the three stranded survivors now. Their captain was gone.
Dead—and horribly so.
They had seen it through the spyglass with their own eyes. Not even a body remained.
That was why Nami and Nojiko were in such despair.
Still, Zoro shook his head. He didn't believe Ren was the type to make careless promises.
He went ashore, gathered sticks and stones, and built a small campfire. After cleaning the fish, he skewered and roasted them.
When they were ready, he called the two sisters over.
"Come eat."
He handed them each a roasted fish.
"You're not even a little sad?"
Nami hesitated, her voice trembling as she accepted the food. "Or are you planning to leave now that Ren's… gone?"
"Nami, don't say that," Nojiko scolded softly.
But Zoro only shook his head, expression calm. "Do you really think someone with Ren's power would die that easily?"
"Emotionally or logically, he's dead," Nami muttered, her eyes red and glassy, tears threatening to fall again.
No one could have predicted the arrival of a Yonko—that much was true. Otherwise, Ren never would have brought her and Nojiko to Loguetown.
He never would've docked the Pipi Shrimp there.
Perhaps he'd been ready to fight strong enemies, but that Red-Haired man… that was beyond even his calculations.
No matter how powerful a Devil Fruit user was, she'd seen it herself—Ren was cut into a mist of blood, his body completely gone.
"But he said it himself—he'll be fine," Zoro said with a faint smile.
"Zoro-san, why do I feel like you—an outsider—believe in him even more than we do?"
Nojiko couldn't help asking. His conviction was strange… and contagious. It stirred a faint hope in her chest.
What if…What if Ren really was still alive?
"I believe a man like him wouldn't die in a small sea like the East Blue. If you must know why… let's call it trust—trust between men."
He chuckled softly. "Didn't I tell you what he said before he left? I know he doesn't make empty promises."
Zoro remembered the look on Ren's face when he turned back—his aura rising like an unbroken flame.
"Maybe he did it to protect us," Nami said quietly, lowering her head again. "Maybe he chose to bear everything alone."
Compared to Nojiko, her bond with Ren was far more complicated.
"I thought of that too," Zoro said, handing her another skewer of fish. "But when I saw him leave, his expression and aura weren't those of a man resigned to death. It was like he'd been waiting for this moment all along—like he was performing on a stage he'd long prepared for."
"Ha! He turned into a cloud of blood! How the hell can anyone come back from that!?"
Nami snapped, her grief bleeding into anger.
Nojiko quickly restrained her.
The campfire crackled in silence for a long moment.
Finally, Nojiko spoke again. "Zoro-san, what are you planning to do now? In a few days, the three-month term will be up."
"I'm not leaving. I promised him I'd protect you both. And he trusted me to do that."
He spoke evenly, taking another bite of fish. "Until he returns, I'll protect you."
"I see… so if Ren comes back, you'll leave then?" Nojiko pressed gently.
"I don't know."
"Don't know?"
"Yeah. I owe him too much."
Zoro sighed. "So I asked him something—what his real goal was."
"When? While you were waiting outside? Did he tell you?"
"Yes."
"So what was it? What was Ren's final wish?"
Nami suddenly looked up, wiping her tears, eyes serious. "Tell me. If he's really gone, I'll honor him—continue his will and keep adventuring."
"He's not dead," Zoro repeated firmly, then looked at her with an unreadable smile. "But even if he were—you couldn't carry on his dream. You're not strong enough."
"What?"
Nami's face darkened immediately. "I'm not weak! Did you forget my lightning!?"
"That lightning came from Ren."
"—!"
Like a balloon losing air, Nami instantly deflated.
"So what was his dream?" Nojiko asked. "You said you owed him. Why ask about that?"
"Because it's not something I can repay in months—or even years."
Zoro's gaze turned distant. "Repaying kindness is my creed. But sacrificing strength or my path to becoming the world's greatest swordsman? That's not me.
"After witnessing Mihawk's power, I realized how far I still have to go. But maybe… I don't have to walk that path alone."
"You mean…" Nojiko stared in surprise.
"Ren's dream is vast—so vast it can hold Nami's dream of charting the world… and mine, to become the greatest swordsman alive. Maybe following you two isn't such a bad thing."
He smirked faintly, eyes glinting in the firelight. "I don't hate any of this—not you, not him, not the things we've been through."
"When I met Mihawk, Ren gave me the chance to fulfill my lifelong wish—to fight him head-on.
"I lost, yes. But that's on me.
"So now, I'll help Ren fulfill his wish.
"If his goal is to reshape the world, how could he do it without the support of the future world's greatest swordsman?"
As he spoke, Zoro's mind drifted back to Loguetown—to Ren turning back, walking alone toward the Red-Haired Emperor.
And that fierce cry that still echoed in his head:
"Born fearless—fight to the very end!"
Whether Ren had a plan or not, he lived up to every word of it.
Zoro, who had known the same kind of struggle, realized that if he couldn't repay his debts… he'd entrust his own dream—and his life—to Ren instead.
A man like that would never betray his faith.
"So you really think he's alive?" Nami asked softly, her eyes misty once more.
"Keep an eye on the papers," Zoro said as he stood up. "When that guy resurfaces, the world will know. Also, watch the Den Den Mushi. He'll call."
Then he walked over to a large rock near the campfire, lay down—and within minutes, he was asleep.
Nami and Nojiko exchanged glances.
He believed in Ren more than either of them did—so much so that their own doubts began to waver.
In truth, if they hadn't seen Ren die with their own eyes, they too would have believed he could never die so easily.
But… how could someone turn into a mist of blood and come back?
"Sis… do you think it's possible?" Nami whispered.
"I don't know," Nojiko sighed. "I've never seen Zoro-san so sure of anything. Let's hope he's right."
"Yeah… I hope Ren's still alive."
(End of Chapter)