The sea stretched endlessly in every direction.
Blue sky above. Blue water below. No land. No sails.
Ren lay half-conscious on a broken wooden plank, his body rocking gently with the waves. His lips were cracked, his throat burned, and his stomach felt like it was eating itself from the inside.
I'm… still alive?
That thought alone felt unreal.
Just hours ago—or days, he couldn't tell—he had been somewhere else entirely. Another world. Another life. Then darkness, pain, and suddenly… this sea.
Ren forced himself to sit up, gripping the plank to keep from falling back into the water. His clothes were soaked, torn at the edges, and completely unfamiliar. More importantly—
"No food… no water…"
His voice came out hoarse.
He scanned the horizon again, hoping—begging—for anything. A ship. An island. Even a monster would at least mean he wasn't alone.
The Sea answered him with silence.
Time passed slowly. Too slowly.
Ren's vision blurred at the edges as the sun climbed higher. Hunger gnawed at him, and thirst was worse—each breath tasting of salt and heat. His body felt weak, but something deep inside him refused to let go completely.
Then—
A shadow crossed the water.
Ren blinked hard, forcing his eyes to focus.
"…A ship?"
At first, he thought it was a mirage. But the shadow grew larger, sharper, and undeniably real. A sleek vessel cut through the waves with practiced ease, its hull dark and elegant, sails bearing a strange emblem—a skull marked with a snake motif.
Ren's heart slammed against his ribs.
Pirates.
Before he could decide whether that was good or bad, the ship turned—clearly changing course toward him.
"Shit…"
Oars dipped into the water. The ship slowed, looming over him like a predator circling wounded prey.
Voices rang out from above—sharp, commanding, unmistakably female.
"Someone's drifting there!"
"A man?"
Ren barely had time to react before ropes splashed into the sea around him. Figures leapt down with impossible grace, landing on the water itself for a brief moment before pulling him closer to the ship.
His panic surged.
Several women surrounded him, weapons already drawn—bows, spears, blades—all aimed directly at his throat.
"Don't move," one of them snapped.
Ren raised his hands immediately, palms open, heart pounding so loudly he was sure they could hear it.
"W-Wait! I'm not— I'm not attacking!"
They didn't lower their weapons.
"This is Kuja territory," another said coldly. "Men are forbidden."
Ren swallowed. Kuja?
The word rang a bell in his mind, followed by a terrifying realization.
Kuja… Amazon Lily… One Piece.
Before he could process that fully, one of the warriors lunged.
Ren reacted purely on instinct.
He twisted, barely avoiding the spear as it sliced through the air where his neck had been. He didn't strike back—couldn't. Instead, he raised his arms defensively, stumbling across the plank as he tried to keep distance.
"I said stop!" he shouted, announce bleeding into his voice. "I don't want to fight!"
Another arrow flew. Ren ducked, the shaft grazing his hair.
His movements were clumsy, desperate—blocking, dodging, retreating. No counterattacks. No aggression. Just survival.
The Kuja warriors paused, eyes narrowing.
"He's not attacking."
"Is this some kind of trick?"
Ren dropped to one knee, breathing hard. His body shook—not from fear alone, but exhaustion.
"I'm starving," he said honestly. "And lost. I don't even know where I am."
Silence fell.
Then footsteps echoed from the deck above.
The air itself seemed to change.
"All this noise," a calm, regal voice said. "Explain."
The Kuja warriors immediately knelt.
"Lady Hancock."
Ren slowly looked up.
She descended the steps with effortless grace, long black hair flowing behind her like silk. Her posture was perfect, her expression cool and unreadable. Beauty so overwhelming it felt unreal—almost painful to look at.
Boa Hancock.
Even exhausted, even half-starved, Ren knew who stood before him.
Her sharp eyes settled on him, studying him like an insect… then like a curiosity.
"This man," a warrior said, "was found drifting at sea. He dodged our attacks but did not strike back."
Hancock tilted her head slightly. "A man who refuses to attack Kuja warriors?"
Her gaze locked onto Ren.
"Well?" she asked. "Speak."
Ren forced himself to stand, wobbling slightly before steadying himself.
"My name is Ren," he said. "I don't know how I got here. I woke up on the sea with nothing. I swear on my life—I mean no harm."
Hancock stared at him for a long moment.
Then, unexpectedly, she noticed his hands.
They were trembling.
Not from desire.
Not from arrogance.
From hunger.
"…You are telling the truth," she said quietly.
The warriors looked shocked.
"You may lower your weapons," Hancock ordered.
Reluctantly, they obeyed.
Ren let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
Hancock stepped closer, her shadow falling over him.
"A man drifting alone in the Grand Line does not survive by luck alone," she said. "You are either very foolish… or very interesting."
Her lips curved into the faintest smile.
"For now," she continued, "you will come aboard my ship."
Ren met her gaze, equal parts relief and uncertainty flooding his chest.
"…Thank you."
Boa Hancock turned away.
"Do not misunderstand," she said coolly. "This is not mercy."
But as the Kuja ship resumed its journey, Ren couldn't shake the feeling that his fate had just changed forever.
And this time—
He was no longer drifting alone.
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