Of course—this was the conclusion Haredas had come to.
And it was the most reasonable one. Only that explanation could account for how every single book in this library was so detailed and complete.
If the knowledge had been extracted through coercion, even a genius could not have been taught so thoroughly.
After all, who knew what a "genius" might do with meteorology? They were scholars, not instructors!
Most crucially—Haredas had even seen the Weather Plantation. The seeds there were not something one could simply demand to obtain.
Without systematic teaching, it was impossible to cultivate them.
After all, how could one possibly grow a weather plant like Knot of the Tempest, which released violent gales when untied, without specialized knowledge? Each plant represented the painstaking research of at least ten weather scholars.
To such scholars, they would rather die than divulge their life's work to evildoers.
The same went for those books.
Nami was first bewildered, then nodded along thoughtfully.
But in truth,all of those books and seeds had been drawn by Ren from the Dimensional Roulette—and not just once.
If a plant accidentally died, he simply drew new seeds and replanted. If something seemed missing, Nami would ask Ren to draw again.
Normally, this kind of project required payment—even when her sister asked Ren to draw a simple kitchen utensil, she had to pay.
Though, of course, Nami herself had never paid a single coin.
Still,she soon realized that even with the "successor's halo" she carried, Haredas still didn't trust her—or rather, the crew behind her, led by Ren.
After all, André's earlier words still pricked like needles in his heart.
Betrayal did that—it fractured trust the moment it occurred. Even if the situation was entirely different, the wound lingered all the same.
Like how a kind man, once hurt by a deceitful woman, would struggle to trust anyone again.
Humans were simply that way.
Though this wasn't Haredas's first encounter with betrayal—he had seen such dramas unfold countless times, in every place that needed weather scholars to help endure natural disasters.
Thus,Weatheria's once-unconditional aid had gradually turned into a paid service.
Of course, as long as one's intentions were good, the scholars never charged more than their clients could bear.
But Ren's crew had appeared at an exceedingly delicate time. Even if they were from the Blue Sea, it was difficult for Haredas to place his faith in them.
He was willing to teach Nami—willing to remain aboard for now, repaying his debt of life through instruction.
But he refused to accompany Ren's crew to Weatheria.
Age had made him cautious.
Nami could only sigh helplessly—she had no way to fix this. Trust, after all, was hardest to earn at the beginning.
It was Urouge who noticed the problem and volunteered to step forward.
Unexpectedly,his name carried a certain renown across Sky Island civilization. Upon hearing it, Haredas immediately recited the monk's story.
The warlike ascetic who defied the gods—a monk who broke his vows in pursuit of battle.
But it was a favorable reputation.
Even Ren couldn't help glancing over in surprise.
Because aside from his love for battle, Urouge was known as an exceptionally kind monk.
Most of the time, he fought on the side of justice—and often clashed with the Sky Pirates.
That earned him a sliver of goodwill from Haredas, though not yet full trust.
Until, at a certain moment—Urouge, trying to prove that Ren's crew had no ties to the Sky Pirates and had truly come from the Blue Sea, said something unexpected:
"At the time, the people of Anka heard a thunderous sound, and saw a ship wrapped in a giant paw-shaped bubble crash down from the sky… so…"
Urouge's throat grew dry as he spoke,and Haredas, suddenly solemn, made him repeat the statement several times.
Nami, realizing something was wrong, joined in and described the situation in detail.
The moment she described Kuma—Haredas's attitude softened at once.
"If you can get Kuma to vouch for you, I'll believe you."
That stubborn old man had said it plainly.
When the message reached Ren, he was taken aback.
After all—what did Bartholomew Kuma have to do with any of this?
Ren pondered deeply, and then realized a crucial point.
Kuma's Paw-Paw Fruit required a specific coordinate to send people accurately to a destination.
And it was known that Weatheria drifted freely on the wind, without any fixed position.
So—how had Kuma managed to send Nami precisely there in the original timeline?
And why, at that time, had Haredas so readily accepted her as a student—even to the point of practically feeding her knowledge by the spoonful?
A pirate who fell from the sky, no matter how charming, shouldn't have been trusted so easily.
Even with remarkable talent, it should have taken more than that.
The answer, judging from Haredas's reaction, was simple.
Kuma had visited Weatheria before—and shared a deep friendship with its weather scholars.
He had likely contacted them before the Sabaody Archipelago incident.
With that, everything fell into place.
Once Ren realized this,his solution was simple:
He called Kuma through the Den Den Mushi, explained his reasoning and request, and asked for his help to build a bridge of trust.
In return, he wrote off Bonney's entire debt.
But what Ren asked of Kuma wasn't to leverage friendship and force cooperation—only to confirm that his group had no ties to the Sky Pirates,and that their meeting was truly coincidental.
A simple request—hardly worth five hundred million Beli.
Yet Ren had his own motives. Those who only measured every deal by profit could never build real relationships.
He wanted to earn Kuma's genuine friendship—and perhaps more.
After all, who wouldn't envy the mobility granted by the Paw-Paw Fruit?
Even borrowing it once would be amazing.
Kuma, of course, didn't refuse. Partly out of respect for the Revolutionary Army's request, and partly because of the care Bonney had received.
And so, after a half-hour call between Haredas and Kuma, everything fell neatly into place.
"Is this truly what you wish for?"
In the meeting room, Haredas held a cup of hot tea, gazing thoughtfully at the true owner of the Enlightenment.
Ren had spoken with complete sincerity.
"Yes. If this ship can be refitted, it will be of great use to us."
Ren nodded earnestly.
When it came to true technical talent, he was always sincere.
Knowledge was its own kind of power,and those who wielded it deserved respect.
It was like that old story he'd once heard:
"Drawing a single line—$1.
Knowing where to draw it—$9,999."
If Weatheria's weather scholars were willing to help him refit his ship, Ren could finally overcome the weaknesses in his lightning system—and grow far stronger.
After all, when one couldn't easily increase the power of lightning itself, its destructive capacity depended entirely on scale.
Back in Alabasta, his "Divine Punishment" strike against Crocodile had drawn on every lightning charge in the clouds above Rainbase, yet produced a beam only fifty meters wide.
Devastating, yes—but time-consuming to form.
After a long silence, Haredas drained his tea. Ren rose to refill it—only to have his wrist suddenly seized.
The old man's eyes burned with intensity.
"I'll agree—but only on one condition."
"Which is?"
"Promise me… never to turn your storms upon the innocent."
"Civilians are not my enemies."
"...I hope so."
Haredas stared at him for a long moment before releasing his grip.
Ren refilled the cup, setting it gently before the old man.
"Thank you," he said with a smile, "for believing again, even after everything."
"No," Haredas shook his head. "I don't believe you.
I believe her—that girl. Her gift is unlike anything I've ever seen.
Following you is a waste of potential, but I'm a scholar, not a tyrant. I won't twist her will.
And I certainly won't transfer her worth to you. I trust you only because of Kuma."
He sat up straight, face solemn once more.
"If Kuma says you're not evil, then I'll take his word for it.
Anyone deemed not evil by him—even if their values differ from ours—cannot be all bad.
But know this: Weatheria isn't ruled by me alone. Cooperation will require the others' consent.
For now, help rescue my comrades and escort us back to Weatheria. If the deal falls through, I'll personally pay your compensation."
"The opponents are just the Sky Pirate Alliance, correct?"
"I'm not entirely sure," Haredas admitted, "but if it's more than that, I'll raise the payment. And if our cooperation succeeds—there'll be no payment at all. What I owe you will be built into your new ship."
Ren thought briefly—then smiled.
"Deal."
"Deal."
They shook hands firmly. Then, Haredas's stern expression softened.
"If there's nothing else, I'll go find Nami. Her understanding of botany is atrocious—if I don't correct her soon, she'll waste the few seeds we have left."
When the old man left,everyone but Nami gathered in the room—including Robin and Karasu.
Ren outlined the situation, then looked to Robin.
"The two of you will stay aboard the Enlightenment. If anything uncontrollable happens—treat it as if I invoked my agreement with the Revolutionaries.
In other words—Karasu, you'll step in. As for what counts as 'uncontrollable,' I'll leave that to your judgment."
"Aren't you worried I'll act too freely?" Karasu asked, surprised.
Ren's answer was simple:
"There's always tomorrow."
Indeed—for someone like the Revolutionary Army, who aimed to overthrow the World Government, Ren's information was far more valuable than a single "favor."
People like him—standing on the opposite side of the World Government—were natural allies to cultivate, not to exploit and discard.
It was only logical to think long-term.
Ren looked around the room.
"Besides, compared to vague promises,what I have right now matters most."
"That's disgustingly sentimental, Ren," Zoro snorted—though a faint grin tugged at his mouth.
Following this captain really wasn't a bad choice. He didn't even need to think—just fight alongside him.
If only his crewmates would stop teasing him about "getting lost"…He was starting to worry it might actually be true.
Compared to Zoro, Nojiko's response was straightforward—she raised a thumbs-up.
"We think you're important too, Ren!"
"Me too!" Vivi added, nodding eagerly, not entirely sure why, but feeling that it was the right thing to say.
"How wonderful…"
From the corner of the couch, Robin murmured softly. Her eyes shimmered with quiet envy.
She had never known companionship like this before. Even those who hadn't used her as a toolhad eventually abandoned her to save themselves from the Marines.
Karasu was silent. He wanted to say something—to build rapport. But he couldn't.
Because the Revolutionary Army wasn't built that way. "Never abandoning anyone" was a burden too heavy to bear. Some sacrifices always had to be made.
"Alright," Ren said at last, rising. "Now use those captured Sky Pirates for combat drills. Get used to fighting them."
The captured pirates' fates were sealed—training fodder for the crew. With that, the meeting ended.
Ren then headed up to the third-floor cabin.
The Anka Sky Island had paid one hundred million Beli in compensation—all of which he immediately deposited into the Dimensional Roulette.
His current balance shimmered before his eyes:
{Roulette Balance: 300,000,000 Beli}
"Three Golden Spins… should be enough to get what I need."
Ren examined the glowing interface, then gathered a pile of components for the coming battle.
The war against the Sky Pirate Alliance would be dangerous.
Their numbers exceeded two thousand—and their weaponry was fearsome.
Divine Punishment Type I, various shell-based arms—their firepower rivaled no Blue Sea pirate crew.
Among Ren's group, only Vivi possessed a Devil Fruit.
Her ability ignored physical attacks, yes—but she would still need to beware the cloud-sea, and the Sky Pirates' unique fighting style.
They moved through the air as easily as breathing, riding skyboards and air-skates.
One moment of weakness could be fatal.
And the rest of the crew… even Zoro eyed the Divine Punishment cannon with unease.
Ren preferred stability to risk.
So—he would create distractions. Fodder soldiers. Or better yet…undying war units.
"It's time to form the first version of the army system!"
Ren gathered the items he'd prepared—including several Iron Knights.
Then he began the ritual.
As always, he started with a Sea Offering, tossing in a few Dials.
[Sea Offering… Success!]
[A marvelous construction—but usable only once.]
[Fulfillment—Activated!]
"So… common curiosities only work once, but useful items can be offered repeatedly, huh?"
His thoughts raced. Then came the double spin—Gold and Silver.
The twin wheels spun together, releasing twelve brilliant beams of light.
{Acquired – Red Queen Core}
{Acquired – Heavy Exosuit}
{Acquired – Campfire}
{Acquired – Camp…}
When the glow faded, what hovered before him was a suit of armor encased in light.
A mechanical warrior's body—its angles sharp, its plating cold and severe.
In short—it looked extremely cool.
The interface flickered open.
[MU-2 Heavy Exosuit · Defensive Type]
Origin: Ling Cage
Type: Mechanical Exoskeleton
Effect: Requires professional operation. Alloy plating easily resists bullets and explosions. Equipped with a 500-round heavy machine gun and a riot shield, it is a deadly weapon on the battlefield.
Cost: Power Module
A bit limited in function,but more than enough as filler.
Next, he opened a small box.
[Red Queen Core]
Origin: Resident Evil
Type: High Technology
Effect: A powerful artificial intelligence requiring vast computational support. Provides immense processing power for hacking, analysis, and infiltration. The AI "Red Queen" surpasses human intellect—but lacks creativity.
Cost: Machine Units
"Perfect. That covers the weakest link."
Ren surveyed his surroundings and tallied the setup:
"Energy module—Permanent Campfire Energy (Silver Roulette), Magic Circle: Thunder Draw Crystal.
Troop module—Magic Circle: Angel of Glory, Iron Knights, MU-2 Exosuit.
Command module—Red Queen Core, Redstone Intelligence Core.
Communication— String Phone Without a String and Den Den Mushi network.
Weaponry—Romantic Turret: Pumpkin, Divine Punishment Type I.
Extras:
① Omni-Vision Device,
② War Hawk Magic Crystal,
③ Enchanting Table System."
He reviewed it all one last time.
Should he synthesize it now?
After the Sky Island arc, he'd surely gain huge profits—he could reinvest then.
But if he thought that way forever, he'd never see the fruits of his army system take shape.
The point was to cover weaknesses now.
And the current setup was more than adequate.
Ren made his decision. He loaded everything into the Barracks Module.
As each component merged, the module grew rapidly—until it had to be moved to the ship's foredeck.
A deep hum filled the skies, echoing across the cloud sea, drawing flocks of massive sky beasts.
Zoro cut them down effortlessly.
An hour later, seated cross-legged on the deck, Ren opened his eyes as the interface appeared before him:
[Glory Angel – In Position!]
(End of Chapter)