Death—
It was something distant, a thing no one ever truly experiences until it comes.
Life is fair in that way; no matter one's wealth or power, everyone only gets one.When death arrives, it brings the end — total and absolute.
You come with nothing, you leave with nothing.That is the final curtain.
So even though Ren had activated the Totem of Undying, when facing death itself, a sliver of unease still lingered in his heart.
He had truly experienced something that, until now, had existed only in his memories — death. The way it came might have differed, but that same despair and emptiness that devours all meaning...That was death.
Yet Ren hadn't sunk too deep into that abyss.Because some people die — and yet live on.
That's right. Him.
The Totem of Undying's effect triggered at the very brink, pulling him away before death claimed him completely.
It was a power that transcended life and death itself — a "deathless escape. "Everything he carried followed him back…
Except the shattered trident. After all, "deathless drop immunity" was not the same as an equipment save state.
When Ren's eyes fluttered open, color flooded back into his world. The first thing he saw was a familiar yet foreign ceiling.
Familiar — because, in the memories of his body's previous owner Keya, this was what she saw every morning upon waking. Foreign — because Ren never imagined he would actually resurrect here.
But thinking about it… where else would make more sense than this place, when his usual respawn bed had been destroyed?
The origin point of everything — the town under Marine Branch 16.
"How interesting."
Ren lay quietly, staring at the ceiling, not moving an inch.
Not because of any aftereffects — he simply wanted to rest, to let things settle.
He didn't rush to contact Nami or Zoro. He knew they'd be devastated and furious over his "death."
But that, too, was part of the plan.
Zoro's question had forced him to clarify his own answer:To reshape the world through his will — to mold it into the shape he desired.
A simple dream, perhaps, but logic told him it was far from easy.
To achieve it, he needed more than just power. He needed companions who would truly stand beside him.
Yet strictly speaking... Nami, Nojiko, and Zoro were not that kind of companions.
Nami went to sea to chart the world. Her dream had always been her maps. She followed Ren because she had no better option at the time — because of their bet and her debt. Back then, at best, she merely depended on him. Maybe felt some gratitude.
The "evil man" impression she'd first had of him had long faded, replaced by better feelings over time.
But if one were to be brutally honest, she probably just thought, "Following him isn't so bad." Even now, that bond likely remained at the level of "We're crewmates."
Nojiko went to sea for her own reasons — to see the world, and to protect her sister. She'd always had a good impression of Ren — he did end the Arlong incident, after all.But that impression, too, wasn't rooted in belief or shared ideals. It was simply "He's a good one to follow."
And Zoro...He left to become the world's greatest swordsman. He fought Mihawk back at Baratie, and even in defeat, never once wavered from that dream. As for his feelings toward Ren, they were probably closer to "I owe him too much not to repay it."
In other words, from a cold and utilitarian perspective—None of the three followed him because they believed in his ideals or him. They all had their own reasons — they just happened to share a ship.
So Ren decided to change his original plan.Originally, he'd intended to contact them right after reviving. Now? He chose silence.
Partly out of fatigue, yes. But mostly, he wanted to let the situation ferment.
Sooner or later, during their next conversation, Nami and Nojiko would learn about his ideals. That would be the foundation.
Then their reactions would decide the rest.
Humans are complex creatures.But there's one constant truth — people only realize what something means to them after losing it.
A few days of silence would be enough for the three to confront that truth. After that, he'd reach out — stir the waters a bit. Then he'd see who would leave, who would come, and who would become his true companion.
After all...He hadn't done nothing.
He'd supported Nami's dream, investing greatly in it.He'd also "invested" in Nojiko, albeit less — but the sisters were a pair.And Zoro? The one most indebted of all.
During both the Mys Island and Mihawk incidents, he had respected their wishes and fought beside them.As a leader, he had done plenty.
Now, it was up to fate — or perhaps, people's hearts.
Ever since Nami wept in his arms after the Arlong incident, Ren had stopped viewing his companions as "fictional characters."They were real, living people — and deserved to be treated as such.
Those who think themselves clever enough to control everything... are the truly foolish ones.
As for the risk his silence might bring—Ren trusted Zoro would uphold his "final wish," restraining Nami and Nojiko's grief-driven impulses.
"Then I'll just stay put for now."
After a long while, Ren finally sat up.
Keya's house had clearly been searched by Marines — a mess everywhere, furniture missing.Probably "borrowed" by the neighbors.
Not that he cared much.
He reached into the Four-Dimensional Chrysanthemum, pulling out the Black Den Den Mushi Wristwatch and strapping it on. He kept it running around the clock.
Nami had found suitable feed for Den Den Mushi before; Ren had some of it stored, enough for two weeks.
The reason was simple: Marine Branch 16 was right next door.If something big happened in the East Blue, there'd be Den Den Mushi transmissions — and he could eavesdrop using his black one.
Then Ren settled down at Keya's house, spending his "silence days" not in idleness, but training.
He avoided making too much noise, so he quietly opened a secret manual.
Protective Qi Barrier was defensive — he didn't lack defense right now.
Flying Bird Gate · Phantom Wing Flight, however, seemed promising.
Then came the problem: He couldn't understand the damn thing.
"Damn it, who writes manuals this cryptically?"
With a helpless sigh, Ren opened the Dimensional Roulette to check his resources.
Silver Roulette Spins: 55
Chip Balance: 40 million
"Given how many times I'll need to learn things like this, I might as well use the roulette for a shortcut. After all, I've just survived a death tribulation from Red-Hair — my luck should be peaking."
He thought for a moment, then drew out the Lucky Lighter from the Chrysanthemum.
With a flick, the flame caught the cigarette — and the Goddess of Fortune's Blessing activated.
The Silver Roulette spun rapidly, flashing four streaks of light.
{Obtained — Cognitive Conversion: Knowledge}
{Obtained — Medical & Martial Knowledge Infusion Machine}
{Obtained — Inventory Expansion Scroll}
{Obtained — Backpack Expansion Scroll}
Quite the peculiar batch of prizes.
Ren eyed the tiny scrolls with interest.
[Inventory Expansion Scroll]
Origin: Game Dimension
Type: Rule-Based Item
Effect: Grants 3 additional item slots capable of storing equipment-type items.
Consumption: None
"Additional slots? I don't even have a normal inventory to start with..."Ren twitched his lips, then checked the next one.
[Backpack Expansion Scroll]
Origin: Game Dimension
Type: Rule-Based Item
Effect: Used on space-type items or abilities to expand their capacity. The amount of expansion depends on scroll power and current size ratio.
Consumption: None
Now that was useful.
His Gáe Bolg was currently stored in Chester's mouth because its size exceeded his current storage capacity of one cubic meter.
This could fix that problem.
The next item shimmered with faint blue light — a helmet.
[Medical & Martial Knowledge Infusion Machine]
Origin:Scissor Seven – Country of Stu
Type: Technological Device
Effect: Developed by the Stu Nation's High Research Institute to rapidly transmit Xuanwu Nation's martial and medical arts directly into the human brain.Primarily used on "test subjects" for efficient skill transfer — helping them quickly master martial knowledge before becoming certified research "targets."
Consumption: Mental Energy
"Damn... research consumables?!"
Ren was speechless. Still — undeniably useful. At least he wouldn't be staring at manuals like an idiot anymore.
The final one was a skill item.
[Cognitive Conversion: Knowledge]
Origin: Unknown Dimension
Type: Weak Concept Rewrite
Effect: Transforms incomprehensible academic text into descriptions optimized for the user's understanding.
Consumption: None
It did seem designed to pair with the infusion machine — though the description was a bit vague.
Ren decided not to activate it yet.Instead, he used the small scroll directly.
The scroll shattered, vanishing from sight — and suddenly, he could feel three empty slots in his mind.Invisible and intangible, yet perfectly interactive.
He picked up the Replica · Cursed Blade Thousand Edge, which had been preserved by the "no-drop on death" effect.
With a thought, the blade vanished into one of the slots.Another thought — and it reappeared in his hand.
"Interesting."
He smirked, then emptied out the contents of the Four-Dimensional Chrysanthemum, before using the Backpack Expansion Scroll.
The spatial flower shrank briefly — then expanded anew.Its capacity had grown from one cubic meter to four.
Limited, yes — but considering the market price of ten million Beli per scroll, and that it expanded space itself...Not a bad deal at all.
(End of Chapter)