"Um…" The next day.
In the morning, the sun shone brightly.
Carina woke from her drowsy state.
Covering her slightly groggy head, she was surprised to find herself inside a cave.
Hurriedly checking her surroundings, she noticed Ren's treasures and luggage neatly set aside.
She subconsciously stepped outside.
"Ren…"
Facing the rising sun, she saw him—sweating profusely as he trained, his figure tall and imposing.
Carina's eyes lit up, though surprise flickered within her.
Did he truly work this hard?
No wonder, though younger than her by a year, he possessed such astonishing strength.
"Carina, you're awake…"
Ren's upper body came into view.
He was already deep into his training, sweat dripping down his frame.
His bronze muscles were sharply defined, coiling like horned dragons across his body.
Yet there was no exaggeration, no forced bulk like a bodybuilder's.
His proportions were flawless.
Invisibly, his body radiated explosive power, like a beast disguised in human form.
Tall and imposing, his face no longer bore the marks of decadence—the stubble had long been shaved away, restoring his original handsome features.
Young, energetic, and high-spirited.
Strikingly handsome.
Like walking hormones, exuding a masculine aura that could charm countless women.
And indeed, that was exactly the case.
Though Ren was now a vicious and notorious pirate, the seas were never short of women who cared little for reputation and followed appearances instead.
Many female admirers were captivated by his looks, obsessed with him, always keeping track of his movements. Rumors even spread that a support group for Ren had formed in certain regions.
Every time a new arrest warrant for the "Butcher" Ren was issued, or newspapers published his photo, they were snatched up by swarms of young women.
Even posters nailed to town bulletin boards vanished in the blink of an eye, torn down by frenzied fans who treasured them in secret.
"Yesterday… I think I fainted for no reason after you went berserk…" Carina said softly, her eyes filled with concern. "Ren, are you alright?"
She still remembered vividly the pain and madness that had consumed him.
Fear and unease lingered—she worried he might lose control like that again.
"Don't worry. The power of the Golden Crown has fused perfectly with my Devil Fruit—the Mythical Zoan, Black Dragon form."
Ren halted his training, reached out, and gently touched Carina's head with a smile.
"And I'm sorry… you were knocked unconscious by the Conqueror's Haki I released yesterday."
"But when I saw you sleeping so peacefully, I didn't wake you."
"That's good…"
Carina exhaled in relief at his words.
Carina was immediately relieved.
She looked at Ren in disbelief: "Wait a minute… was that the domineering aura you mentioned yesterday? It actually knocked me out from such a long distance…"
When Ren had introduced her to the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates earlier, he explained the power of Haki—mainly Observation Haki, Armament Haki, and Conqueror's Haki.
It was said that Armament Haki was the only force capable of harming those with natural Devil Fruit abilities.
Observation Haki could predict an enemy's movements like a prophet, even glimpsing the immediate future.
Conqueror's Haki, however, was different. It was innate, a gift granted to only one in a million.
It symbolized the qualifications of a king.
"So incredible… Ren, you really have that kind of potential!"
Carina's eyes sparkled with amazement as she gazed at him.
That indescribable power was truly overwhelming.
Her decision to join him had been the right one.
Looking at Ren's flawless physique, Carina discreetly wiped away imaginary saliva from the corner of her mouth.
Not to mention—he was undeniably handsome.
Yet what caught her off guard was the peculiar sight of a wing-shaped black tattoo etched across Ren's back.
"Okay, let's not talk about this for now…"
Ren smiled, without the slightest trace of pride.
Ren reached out and pinched Carina's smooth cheeks, still soft with baby fat, and asked: "Are you hungry? Go wash up first, I'll prepare breakfast… After we eat, we'll set off again!"
"Don't pinch my face, I'm not a child…"
Carina wrinkled her nose, dissatisfied, and slapped Ren's hand away.
At the same time, curiosity flickered in her eyes. "Then… where are we going next?"
Ren looked at her with a smile. "If I told you I was going to join the Beasts Pirates, would you still be willing to follow me?"
As a user of the Mythical Zoan Ryu Ryu no mi Model: Galmorath, Ren had already set his sights on surpassing Kaido—the so-called "strongest creature in sea, land, and air."
To reach that goal, he had devised a bold adjustment to his original plan.
Building a force from scratch would be far too slow.
It was impossible to surpass entrenched powers in a short time. The world was divided among kings who had ruled and expanded for decades, commanding immense military strength and vast influence.
And above them loomed the World Government, which had ruled the seas for eight centuries—an unfathomable behemoth with deep foundations.
Therefore, Ren would not waste time wandering the first half of the Grand Line.
Instead, he intended to gather a handful of trustworthy companions with true potential, then head straight into the New World.
There… he would join the Beasts Pirates.
At first, he would rely on Kaido's shadow, letting the towering Beast Emperor draw the world's attention.
But beneath that cover, Ren would quietly expand his own strength, laying eggs within the shell of Kaido's empire.
And when the time was right, he would devour the Beasts Pirates from within—secretly developing, expanding, and accumulating power until his reign was undeniable.
At the same time, Ren knew he could avoid the suppression of the World Government and the other "Four Emperors." His first priority was to quickly accumulate strength and grow.
After all, without true power as a foundation, any force was nothing more than a castle in the air, a bubble in the water.
But if one only possessed raw strength without the support of a vast organization, even finding the legendary treasure ONE·PIECE would mean little. You might stand out among countless pirates, but you would only become another Gol D. Roger.
Aside from earning the title of "Pirate King," Roger had gained nothing.
Though celebrated as the man who embodied strength, wealth, and prestige, in the end he could not even protect his wife and child.
It was, in truth, a little ridiculous.
Ren was different from Straw Hat Luffy, who naively believed the Pirate King was the freest man on the seas.
Ren was unwilling to be ordinary. Ambitious, pragmatic, and driven, he sought more than adventure.
Thrilling journeys were still essential, but he had no desire to be Pirate King.
What he wanted was to become King of the Sea.
What he wanted was to be the true king of the world.
"Eh? Join the Beasts Pirates?"
Carina's voice trembled with shock. "Isn't that Kaido's crew—the Four Emperor of the New World?"
She was skilled at gathering intelligence.
Though before meeting Ren she had not truly understood the scale of power in this ocean, she already had a general grasp of the Grand Line's intricate forces.
The Beasts Pirates were among the most notorious in the New World.
Even the Navy Headquarters could not easily subdue them.
Their captain, Kaido, was hailed as the strongest creature across land, sea, and air.
Ren himself had admitted he was still far from reaching the level of such monsters.
Through him, Carina could imagine how terrifying the Four Emperors truly were.
"It's nice to enjoy the shade under a big tree," Ren said with a smile, his eyes gleaming with meaning.
"Gulp…"
Carina swallowed nervously.
She was no innocent girl unfamiliar with the world.
Ren was young, brimming with energy, and carried the qualifications of a king.
If he truly intended to join the Beasts Pirates, he would never remain a mere subordinate.
She raised her small hands timidly and asked in a soft voice: "Can I still quit?"
"Of course… no."
Ren chuckled.
He reached out and ruffled Carina's messy purple hair.
His tone was more serious than ever before, and with an unwavering smile he said: "Don't worry, I will protect you to the death!"
The piercing eyes that met Carina's gaze seemed to carry a power that could not be denied.
Deep in her heart, she felt an inexplicable stir. She had always been clever and cautious, never one to trust easily.
But for the first time, Carina subconsciously chose to believe in someone else.
"Then… I'll leave my little life to you…" Carina whispered sadly.
It was over—she had boarded a pirate ship by mistake.