With a head full of lingering doubts, Momousagi followed Ren and his crew for a long walk before they finally located their ship.
Hina was standing at the prow, her face etched with worry as she scanned the horizon. The moment she spotted Ren and the others, her expression bloomed into a radiant smile. She waved frantically, shouting, "You're back! Uncle Grus has the banquet ready!"
Ren led the group back on board, carelessly tossing his prisoner aside like a sack of grain. "Brothers! We've crushed the Navy once again! Next stop: Dressrosa in the New World!"
"OHHHH!!!"
Amidst a roar of cheers, the banquet officially began. With Bonney's crew now joined with them, the atmosphere was livelier than ever. Furthermore, Bonney had a top-tier chef on her team, which perfectly solved Ren's "eating too fast" problem—the supply finally kept up with the demand.
Currently in her child form, Bonney couldn't compete with Ren's black-hole stomach. Amidst her indignant pouting and puffed-out cheeks, Ren thoroughly enjoyed a "Clean Plate Club" performance.
When Ren woke up from his drunken stupor, he found himself in his cabin. Though he was alone, the shredded remains of Hina's lingerie on the floor told the story of the previous night's festivities.
Stepping onto the deck, he found everyone except Bonney already standing there. Before them, a colossal cluster of mangrove trees dominated the horizon.
"Already at the Sabaody Archipelago?" Ren stretched luxuriously. "Find a reliable coating mechanic. We need to move fast."
Momousagi, who had been tied to the railing all night, asked in confusion, "Why must the trade be exactly in one week? Wouldn't it be more pleasant to take your time?"
Ren ignored her completely. He beckoned to Blu and said, "I'm leaving the coating to you. The rest of us are going to take a stroll around the island."
"Leave it to me, Captain! Guaranteed satisfaction!" Blu said, slapping his chest.
After docking, not a single Marine came to harass them. Even the local pirates gave them a wide berth as if they were ancient, world-ending beasts. Ren didn't care what they thought; once ashore, the group split up to explore, agreeing to meet back at the dock in two days.
Ren took Hina on a "bubble bike" tour of the streets, buying whatever caught their eye. Although many shopkeepers insisted on not taking their money (out of pure terror), Ren wasn't the type to take petty advantages. He left a fair amount of treasure at every stop before continuing his shopping spree.
Little did he know, every move he made was being monitored by the world's top powers—Navy, Pirates, and Revolutionaries alike. The pirates were waiting for Ren to enter the New World and stir up the stagnant status quo. The Marines were secretly "protecting" their goddess Momousagi from afar. The Revolutionaries were analyzing Ren's personality and goals.
Even Morgans, the news tycoon, had his photographers snapping shots of Ren's "daily life." After all, Ren was now a world-class celebrity; people were dying to know what a man who punches Admirals does on his day off.
Two and a half days later.
At Grove No. 30, the crew reunited. Blu ushered everyone onto the ship, sounding incredibly excited. "I've learned how to operate the bubbles over the last two days! Just leave it to me!"
"OK. If the bubble pops, I'm definitely not saving you," Ren joked.
"Ehh?! Don't be so heartless, Captain!"
As the ship submerged into the depths, an article about "Ren the Heartless Murderer" began to circulate across the seas.
In the Deep Sea.
At this point in time, the Kraken, Surume, hadn't yet turned to a life of crime hounding ships. Aside from dodging the "legacy" of sunken ships from their predecessors, the journey was smooth until they reached a depth of seven thousand meters.
Here, it was pitch black. One couldn't see their own hand in front of their face. Fortunately, they had high-powered flashlights. As the beams cut through the gloom, Ren casually withdrew his hand from Hina's hip and spoke with a calm face: "The pressure down here is ridiculous. Fish-Men grow up in this environment; there's no reason for them to be as weak as the ones I've seen."
"Huh? You've met Fish-Men before, Captain?" Blu asked curiously.
"Yeah, once." Ren nodded. Back when he was fifteen and had just mastered Haki, he ran into a Fish-Man who claimed to follow Arlong's will, blathering about ruling humans. Ren found him disgusting and punched him to death.
The encounter had left him feeling "slimy" from the creature's blood, which prompted him to master Ryou in less than a month—allowing him to project his Armament Haki like a fluid armor so he'd never have to touch such things again.
Hearing Ren's description of the "strange, gross mucus" on Fish-Men's skin, the crew collectively shuddered.
"So... are mermaids like that too?" Blu's eyes held the flickering light of a dying dream, desperate for Ren to say no.
Ren had never seen a mermaid, but he figured they were half-fish with scales on their lower halves. "Probably," he replied.
Crack—
A sound like shattering glass echoed from Blu. A young man's dream had officially broken.
"Hahaha! Don't listen to Ren's nonsense! We'll be at Fish-Man Island soon; you can see for yourself!" Grus laughed.
Blu glued his dreams back together and returned to the helm with renewed hope. Ren shook his head, unable to understand the obsession with mermaids when there were so many human beauties in the world.
"Still, without the Paramount War, I wonder if Luffy will still go through the 'return of the Dragon King' power-up after two years?"
"Open wide, ah~"
Ren ate the fruit Hina peeled for him, pushing those thoughts aside. He had strength, beauties by his side, and fine wine. He had reached the peak of life. Next, he just needed to find Pure Gold for immortality.
Even if I don't find it, my other 'brothers' will help. Immortality is only a matter of time.
With his Hollow powers, his lifespan was already tens of thousands of years. He wasn't worried about himself; his only concern was the longevity of his women.
As a brilliant light appeared ahead, a massive island encased in a double-layered bubble materialized.
"There's light at the bottom of the ocean?" Krillin stared in awe.
Blu straightened his collar and smiled. "The world is full of wonders. The Sunlight Tree Eve, which brings light to the depths, is one of them."
By the time Blu finished his explanation, he realized no one was listening. They were all mesmerized by the floating island.
"Shall we go in?" Hina asked.
"Let's go!"
Behind them, Momousagi thought helplessly: Do these guys even remember the trade in one week? There are only four days left... She didn't remind them. The longer they delayed, the more time the Navy had to prepare.
The crew entered Fish-Man Island through the bubble passage. They didn't waste time on sightseeing; they went straight to the coast to verify the "Mermaid Myth."
"There are no... 'special' entertainment districts here?" Blu asked, disappointed. He didn't want anything untoward; he just wanted to "pat" a mermaid.
Standing on the beach, they saw a group of mermaids swimming in the water, wearing very little. The wet fabric left little to the imagination. In that moment, a sudden realization hit Blu.
"The stickiness of the tail... is no longer important."