After thinking it through, Ren finally gave his answer.
"Merely working together, cooperating, or being hired doesn't meet my expectations.
It's true that I never intended to actually gather all ten billion Beli.
But I certainly didn't expect the total to stop at only three point nine billion.
If I were just taking you in as a subordinate, a fighter for hire, you wouldn't be worth that much.
The gap is six point one billion—equivalent to the bounty of a Yonko.
And I'm not the kind of person who shirks responsibility.
If I take you in under my command, I'd still have to train you, mold you into someone useful. That would also require investment."
A cold, straightforward reply.
But Vivi didn't despair, because she knew—if Ren spoke that way, he would soon offer a solution he considered acceptable.
"Please… tell me. I'm willing to pay any price."
Vivi gathered her courage, staring straight into Ren's crimson eyes.
"You."
Ren's answer was blunt and concise.
"M-me? But I already said I'd agree to anything!"
At first, Vivi looked confused—then realization dawned on her. Her beautiful blue eyes widened in shock.
Well, this was indeed Ren's style.
"Your body, your heart, and even your soul. That's a price I can accept."
Ren's tone was direct.
Since things had come this far, he didn't feel like dancing around the point anymore.
To be honest, he'd always had some affection for the original characters of the story—Zoro, Nami, and yes, Vivi too.
There was a kind of filter in his heart that kept him from going too far.
Of course, that was from a personal and selfish perspective.
From the standpoint of practicality and team interest, however—Vivi, who had the extreme luck to eat the Suna Suna no Mi, certainly possessed the potential worth cultivating.
Within the Imaginary Chamber, Crocodile's soul was still sealed.
If old Croc was willing to guide Vivi, her growth would be frighteningly fast.
And as for her character, Ren was confident that once she became a companion, betrayal would be nearly impossible.
Moreover, there was another factor—her status.
The royal family of Alabasta, the Nefertari family, once belonged to a lineage that could have become Celestial Dragons.
After the first king went to Mary Geoise, the king's younger brother succeeded the throne back in Alabasta.
That connection might not mean much now, but it revealed a key truth—
Essentially, the Nefertari family once stood on the same side as the Celestial Dragons.
Otherwise, the first king wouldn't have gone to Mary Geoise in the first place.
They had been allies.
And that was where things became strange.
The Poneglyphs—the historical tablets—were objects that the World Government deemed forbidden, things to be collected and sealed away.
Some recorded the locations of the Ancient Weapons, but more importantly, they documented the events of the Void Century.
Ohara had been wiped out precisely because its scholars had sought to uncover those forbidden truths.
The World Government had ordered their annihilation via a Buster Call.
In other words, the rulers of Mary Geoise would never allow the Void Century's secrets to be exposed.
And yet, the Nefertari family—who had once been on the same side—were secretly protecting a Poneglyph.
From the story, it was clear this stone had been passed down through generations, not discovered later.
In the original timeline, King Cobra himself knew its location and had obeyed the ancestral decree to guard it in secret.
That was a major contradiction.
The Nefertari family's actions ran directly counter to their supposed allegiance.
They protected something the Celestial Dragons sought to destroy—
A stone that even recorded the location of Pluton, the Ancient Weapon.
That contradiction was what Ren could not ignore.
And it wasn't the only reason behind his decision.
Another lay in a manga.
After confirming he could draw from the "One Piece" manga itself through his Roulette, Ren had tried his luck.
But fortune wasn't limitless.
Even with a wish, he only obtained one volume—containing barely a dozen chapters.
Still, those chapters revealed critical information.
They contained glimpses about the Five Elders and even Imu.
In those shadowed depictions, Imu's obsession with Vivi stood out—an unsettling desire, though the reason remained unclear.
Ren didn't know why, but that obsession, paired with the Nefertari contradiction, spelled danger.
And if the enemy wanted something, there was no way he'd hand it over.
That much was certain.
Of course, all of this reasoning remained hidden behind his simple one-word answer—"You."
Even he knew these thoughts were just ways to convince himself.
Vivi hesitated briefly, then nodded firmly. "Alright!"
Ren raised an eyebrow. "So quick to agree? Do you even understand what that means?
It means that even if I order you to your death, or visit your room in the middle of the night, you'd have no right to resist."
"I… I know. But I also believe… you wouldn't do something like that."
Vivi shrank back slightly, her voice soft but steady.
"Heh. When you realize you're wrong, it'll be too late to regret it."
Ren rolled his eyes, then said, "So you're sure about this?"
"Yes."
"Good. The innermost room on the third floor is yours. You've got one day to settle your affairs.
I don't want King Cobra showing up demanding I return his daughter. Understand?"
After dismissing Vivi, Ren turned toward the balcony.
At some point, a massive figure had appeared there, quietly watching him.
The man was towering and broad, wearing a white trapezoidal hat mottled with brown spots, with two bear ears on top and rimless glasses on his face.
On his neck, the mark "PX-0" was tattooed.
He had black woolly hair, a black coat printed with a crosshair pattern, and enormous hands whose palms resembled bear paws.
A book labeled "BIBLE" was tucked beneath his arm.
"You're not coming in, Bartholomew Kuma?"
Ren stood and opened the balcony door.
The Warlord of the Sea entered without hesitation and sat calmly on the couch.
After a few moments of silent observation, he spoke. "Thank you."
"I have my own reasons, Mr. Kuma."
"Even so, thank you."
"Understood."
Ren sat across from him, his gaze steady. "I assume the Revolutionary Army has already contacted you."
"Yes. But to become a Warlord of the Sea, your current reputation still seems… insufficient."
Kuma's voice was far gentler than his appearance suggested.
"The death of Crocodile seems to have been suppressed within Alabasta for now—the World Government hasn't noticed.
But the Warlords are required to maintain regular communication, to ensure none of them cause too much trouble.
It's mostly a formality, but it's enough to confirm life or death."
"I never intended to keep it hidden forever. Once I've finished tying up loose ends, I'll ignite this news across the world."
Ren was completely candid.
Robin had already begun preparing reports—the truth about Crocodile's death could only be suppressed for so long.
"I see. Then I'll help you."
Kuma bowed his head slightly. "This is a token of gratitude—for what you did for Bonney.
As for her debt, I'll make sure it's repaid soon."
"That's fine by me. But I'm not just aiming for the Warlord title—I have another deal in mind.
Tell me, have you heard of Skypiea? The White Sea, seven thousand meters above sea level, and the White-White Sea, at ten thousand meters.
There's an island there called Angel Island, located directly above Mock Town on the Grand Line."
Ren's tone was deliberate.
"I want to go there. I can pay one hundred million Beli—deduct it from Bonney's debt.
But the trip might need to wait a few days."
"Alright."
Kuma nodded and handed Ren a Den Den Mushi number.
He would stay in Alabasta for now, until everything here was done.
After Kuma departed, Ren slumped onto the couch in thought.
You could understand the whole picture from a single glimpse.
From Kuma's attitude alone, it was clear he genuinely appreciated Ren's care for Bonney.
Even though what Ren did wasn't necessarily a good thing for Kuma himself.
Thinking it through—
If Kuma could come all the way here to see Ren, would seeing Bonney really be that difficult?
Bonney's biggest problem was that the Sorbet Kingdom had been taken over by the World Government under the pretense of "treatment."
But now, Bonney was a pirate captain.
With Kuma's mobility and the Revolutionary Army's intelligence network, finding her shouldn't be hard at all.
'Is there something I don't know?'
'Maybe the World Government is holding something over him?'
'That would make sense… very much in line with their methods.'
Ren made his judgment and then went below deck.
Vivi was already busily moving her luggage into her new room, with Mr. Hound, the captive reporter, helping her.
The journalist, restrained by Ren for a while now, had been bored out of his mind.
After all, holding onto a world-shaking scoop without being allowed to publish it was torture.
As a reporter of the World Economic Journal, being muzzled by Ren was agony.
He was under strict speech prohibition—a nightmare for any journalist.
So when he saw Vivi, the beautiful princess, moving in, he naturally jumped at the chance to help.
But when Ren appeared, Hound quickly turned polite, waving off Vivi's offer of help and fawningly approaching Ren.
"Mr. Ren, when can I release the article?"
"Soon. Within the next few days."
Ren watched Vivi fumble with her luggage and sighed, summoning an Iron Knight to assist her.
Then he took Hound aside to finish the final verification process.
Once everything was confirmed, Ren returned the Den Den Mushi to him, allowing contact with the World Economic Journal.
The time had come.
It was finally time to set off for the next stage—
And first on the list… was to ignite the explosive headline of Crocodile's death!
(End of Chapter)