Kuma's mobility was as swift as ever.
Before long, he arrived at the deserted island where Ren was located, then delivered Hancock back to Kuja Island.
Yes.
Ren actually did not need any mobility assistance.
Opening a Combat Dispatch was enough for him to reach his destination.
He had only stayed here and waited because he did not want Hancock to get caught during her escape.
The Star Map unfolded. Ren selected a marker, then teleported over.
When he appeared again, he had already arrived on an island in Whitebeard's territory in the New World.
According to the report from the Angel of Glory serving as the marker, this place had just experienced a great battle. Ruins were everywhere.
The most eye-catching thing was a sea of fire, caused by Kaido's Blast Breath.
Whitebeard's flag had long since vanished within the flames.
However, with Kaido's departure, this place had temporarily regained its calm.
At the same time, it was also the Revolutionary Army's current foothold.
Premonition Perception swept outward. Ren avoided the crowd, chose a direction, and soon arrived inside a house.
Within that relatively intact building sat two familiar people.
The former had wavy blond hair, a scar over his left eye, and wore a confident, warm smile.
The latter's expression was somewhat cold. He wore a purple kimono and held a cane sword in his hand.
The reason they were called familiar was because Ren knew both of their origins.
Sabo, the Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army.
And the blind swordsman Issho, Fujitora of the Marines in the original storyline.
"You came straight over, huh?"
Sabo asked with a smile. "Should I say that being a prophet is impressive, or something else?"
"It's just an ability similar to Observation Haki. A prophet doesn't know everything at all times."
Ren shook his head, casually sat down in a corner, then looked across from him. "Mr. Issho, long time no see."
"This old man does not feel the same."
Issho raised his head, his face somewhat cold. "For you to scheme against this old man like that, you must have been watching me all along, no?"
His tone was not good.
After all, anyone who was repeatedly schemed against and used would not be in a pleasant mood.
"It was our Revolutionary Army that was watching Sir Issho."
Sabo immediately stepped in to smooth things over.
"If you were unwilling, then even I would have had no way to make you act, right?"
Ren did not hide anything. He spoke bluntly. "Just as I told you before, in this era, good people are always the ones guns are pointed at.
"You had no way to sit back and watch civilians die, so naturally, you would clash with Kaido.
"The difference is that your appearance here was guided by me."
"Are you saying these things because you wish to fight this old man?"
Issho tightened his grip on his cane sword, and the atmosphere around them grew oppressive.
Sabo raised his brow slightly, his smile unchanged, but he did not move.
Since the prophet was acting this way, he surely had his reasons.
"Of course not. I simply want to talk with you."
Ren shrugged, then raised both hands in a gesture of peace. "I have no hostility. I only came to collect my wager.
"I imagine the Revolutionary Army's Chief of Staff has already told you the situation. The matter I once prophesied to you has already reached its conclusion."
"…"
Issho was silent for a moment, then nodded. "This old man did not expect the Pirate King's bloodline to be so resilient, nor did I expect Whitebeard to be willing to kidnap… a Celestial Dragon for his sake."
His expression was extremely complicated, as if he had many emotions.
It was not only because he had lost the bet. There were other reasons as well.
Ren, however, turned to look at Sabo in surprise. "You didn't tell him?"
"That depends on you, not us."
Sabo shook his head, honestly expressing the Revolutionary Army's attitude toward Ren in this regard.
"I see."
"What do you mean?"
Ren and Sabo's back-and-forth made the deeply emotional Issho sense that something was off.
He seemed to realize something and abruptly looked toward Ren.
"Yes. I was the one who kidnapped the Celestial Dragon."
Ren said in a light tone, "Overthrowing the World Government is a troublesome matter, so it has to be approached from every angle.
"The Celestial Dragons being sacred and untouchable is only one of those matters. There will be even more plans used against them later."
"What a… madman. Did you not say your strength was still insufficient? Why would you dare to do such a thing at this stage?
"There is clearly still plenty of time, and you have not even reached your prime."
Issho frowned. "The World Government will definitely target you next. Perhaps you do not understand their power."
"No, that will not happen."
Ren repeated the things he had said to Hancock.
The information density of the Marineford War was actually extremely complex. Even Sabo had no way to explain everything clearly.
Because he had only participated in one part of it, then witnessed some of the results.
Only Ren, who had experienced the entire situation from beginning to end, could explain these things clearly.
As Ren spoke, Issho's expression became more and more astonished.
Because he discovered that all these matters were inseparable from the young man before him. Some were even caused by him personally.
And just as Ren had said back in Dressrosa, he truly was making moves against the World Government.
If he was not lying, then the current Marines had indeed suffered severe damage. The elite backbone of their middle and lower ranks was basically on the verge of collapse.
Because the justice in their hearts had crumbled.
As for those powerful Marine Vice Admirals who could interpret justice from all sorts of angles, they would also be forced to run around putting out fires because of this impact.
After all, the Marines' foundation lay in the Four Blues and the first half of the Grand Line.
Most of those elite Marines whose fighting spirit had been crushed were the core backbone of those regions.
Once they faltered, there was no way for new blood to immediately replenish them afterward.
So the middle and upper-level Vice Admirals would have no spare strength either.
The Three Admirals also currently had to face issues such as the change of Fleet Admiral, and would likewise have to go around extinguishing fires.
Under such circumstances, the Whitebeard Pirates, who held another Celestial Dragon, would inevitably tie down most of the World Government's energy.
For now, settling accounts with Ren's group was something they could not do.
Even if some people had already realized that the kidnapped Celestial Dragons were related to Ren's group.
However, all of these were contradictions. All of them were problems. Yet there was still a distinction between what was primary and what was secondary.
After learning the full picture, the experienced Issho also realized this point.
At the same time, he clearly recognized that the ability and methods of the person before him far exceeded his imagination.
Back in Dressrosa, he had already had a faint premonition.
A person who possibly possessed prophetic ability, coupled with that ambition, would inevitably bring an enormous impact to the world.
But now it seemed that he had still underestimated Ren too much.
The danger of a prophet was being displayed to the fullest through him.
As long as there was even the smallest opportunity, he could pry open the entire grand situation!
Thinking to this point, Issho asked in a deep voice, "You deliberately created such a situation, and now you have come here to demand the wager from me. What exactly do you intend to do next?
According to the calculations you mentioned, there should only be a window of around two or three months, correct?"
"I need enough fame to do something."
Ren thought about it, then confessed decisively. "The Yonko are rather good targets."
Issho did not answer. His expression was extremely stunned.
Wait.
What targets?
"Perhaps it sounds rather sudden, but I do indeed have the confidence to begin this phase of the plan."
Ren said, "Whitebeard will restrain the World Government mutually, and he is also my collaborator.
"The foremost of the Yonko will not be my enemy. Red-Hair's strength is temporarily unclear, so my targets are Kaido and Big Mom.
"This is not an easy matter, which is why I have appeared here."
Issho fell somewhat silent.
Ren continued, "I think you probably won't refuse. I can guarantee that this operation will not have too great an impact on civilians.
"When the Yonko fall, the force I build will rise. It will replace the Yonko in the New World.
"Starting from here, a new order will be built, as well as a beginning."
"…"
Issho still did not speak. In truth, he wanted to ask why Ren was so confident.
Those were the Yonko, who had stood upon the sea for decades. They were not existences that could be summed up with the simple word "strong."
Even Issho himself had no confidence that he could defeat Kaido, whom he had encountered not long ago.
And Ren…
Thinking to this point, he still asked, "You are too confident. It makes me somewhat uncertain.
"The Yonko are extremely powerful. I just fought one of them, Kaido.
"To be honest, I have no confidence in winning one-on-one.
"Under such circumstances, what difference does adding you make?
"Back in Dressrosa, you were completely suppressed by Kaido, were you not?
"If you plan to rely on numbers, then before reaching a certain scale and quality, numbers are meaningless against people at our level."
"You are looking down on me. In every sense."
Ren smiled and pointed at Sabo nearby. "If I am a fool, is the Revolutionary Army's Chief of Staff one as well?
"If there were not even the slightest chance, if there were no room to execute it, then the prophet would not have begun making arrangements."
"…You mean…"
Issho seemed to think of something. "That Dragon will also make a move?"
Ren: "…"
"Hahaha, of course, but it is not only that."
Sabo laughed and said, "Mr. Ren's strength is something I heard about from Dragon. If he fights Big Mom to the death, the one who wins will definitely be him."
"…Huh?"
Issho's expression very directly showed his confusion.
His first reaction was: Are you joking with me?
This was actually very normal. Less than a month had passed since the Dressrosa Incident.
Who could believe that Ren's strength had improved from being one-sidedly beaten by Kaido to the point where he could kill another Yonko?
At least in Issho's understanding, that was impossible.
"You will have a chance to see it."
Ren did not try too hard to prove himself either. He shrugged, then said, "All right. The situation is now very clear.
"It is your turn to give me an answer, Sir Issho. Will you join, or refuse?"
"…"
Issho was silent for a moment, then said, "I am a gambler. I accept the result of a lost bet.
"But I will not join you. Or rather, just as you said back then, it will be temporary."
"Of course."
Ren did not mind, because this was precisely his objective.
As long as they joined the same camp and he could make use of Issho's strength, that was enough.
To think that he could bring Issho under his command with nothing more than a so-called wager would be pure wishful thinking.
Strong people all had their own convictions and pursuits.
Issho was someone who had even blinded himself for his own reasons.
Rather than constantly trying to persuade him with a few words, it was better to lay out the facts and make Issho realize that he truly had the ability to accomplish that matter.
(End of Chapter)