With a thunderous explosion, half of Dressrosa turned into blinding light.
Ren walked over to the Golden Star (Nusjuro) and kicked the dying old man. "Hey, old timer, where's the Encyclopedia?"
Although Nusjuro had been hit head-on by the Gran Rey Cero, he hadn't been vaporized, which was eerie. However, he was far from okay; green flames flickered across his body with a sizzling sound. His glasses had been evaporated, and his one remaining eye was bloodshot, glaring at Ren as if he wanted to devour him alive.
"Don't look at me like that. You're the one who attacked first," Ren said innocently. He asked again, "Did you actually bring the Encyclopedia? I'm in a bit of a hurry."
"Heh... you'll never see that book in your lifetime," Nusjuro rasped, his throat sounding like sandpaper.
"So, you have no intention of handing it over?"
"Heh."
After a few seconds of staring him down, Ren gave up. He turned around and took the wooden fruit box from Hina. Upon opening it, the strange fruit covered in tiny hands was revealed.
Seeing the fruit, a flash of bewilderment crossed Nusjuro's face. He clearly hadn't expected Ren to already have his hands on it.
Crunch! Crunch!
Ren polished off the fruit in two bites. That was right—he no longer cared about researching its ability. Since the fruit exerted such a massive pull on him and he couldn't get the Encyclopedia to verify it, he decided to just eat the damn thing! Once eaten, the power would reveal itself.
Everyone watched Ren with bated breath, curious about what power he had obtained.
The next moment, Ren's blood-qi surged violently. His body shifted, transforming into a form with three heads and six arms. Different elements flickered in each of his six hands. His stature swelled until he was a colossal giant over ten meters tall!
"Zoan · Hito Hito no Mi · Mythical Zoan · Model: Asura!"
The moment he transformed into the Asura, the realization of the fruit's abilities flooded Ren's mind.
"And now that I'm stronger, developing the fruit is child's play."
With a thought, crimson flame-clouds manifested around Ren, lifting his massive frame into the sky. Seeing this, Nusjuro wasn't surprised. Developing a Devil Fruit was a struggle for the weak; for the truly powerful, the "essence" residing within the fruit knows exactly whose fist is bigger. Like the Five Elders themselves, they only achieved their current strength after completely devouring the "demons" inside.
Ren opened his eyes, and six beams of golden light shot out! He looked down at the prone Nusjuro. "Where is Doflamingo?"
Aside from the Encyclopedia, Ren had planned to slaughter Mingo today to settle Law's grudge. But after scanning the area, he couldn't find a trace of him. As the King of this country and a Shichibukai, it was strange for him to be absent.
"Doflamingo has already left the island for parts unknown," Nusjuro wheezed.
Upon learning his kingdom would be turned into a battlefield, Mingo had decisively "recognized the situation" and fled without a word. Nusjuro had originally thought Mingo was just being sensible, but now he suspected the bird might have known more than he let on.
"Left?" Ren frowned. He extended a six-armed hand flickering with azure wind elements and pressed it down toward Nusjuro.
The sky-blotting hand descended. The terrifying wind pressure, capable of slicing through anything, made Nusjuro's face twitch. "Hey! Calm down!" the Elder shouted. He might be immortal, but he didn't want to be tortured. The previous blast was an instantaneous ultimate move; he hadn't felt much pain before he started regenerating. But this? If Ren hit him with elemental grinding, he wouldn't die instantly, and the Five Elders could definitely still feel pain.
Ren didn't stop. The move that "killed" Nusjuro earlier was too fast; he hadn't seen the regeneration process clearly. This time, he would control his output to observe the revival. Today, he would find out if the Five Elders were a secret similar to the Six Paths of Pain!
"AAAAAGH!"
Nusjuro's screams echoed through the air. Hina and the others had already retreated into the distance, wanting no part of the auditory nightmare.
Ignoring the screams, Ren increased the pressure. He fused Wind and Fire attributes, creating a high-velocity searing current that flowed over Nusjuro. The skeletal frame turned a glowing gold as the burning heat licked his bones like water. His body, which had just recovered slightly, was ravaged again.
Finally, Ren saw the wisps of black qi erupting from Nusjuro's body. This black substance was what continuously repaired his injuries, making him both "pained and restored."
Wait, he's probably not feeling the 'restored' part as pleasure, Ren thought. But he should be grateful; without this, he'd be dead ten times over, so he has to be happy!
Through this experiment, Ren understood: the Five Elders weren't puppets; they were actual people. Or rather, they had thoroughly researched the core of Devil Fruits and completed a forced evolution.
"The core of Devil Fruits?" Ren muttered. "They seem to be things born from the collective will and desires of humanity, like Japanese yokai. If there are believers, there is power; if the belief vanishes, they disappear."
At this moment, Ren seemed to grasp something profound, forming a bold guess about the "Void Century." Dammit, was it just a massive religious war?
Having confirmed the Elders' strength and that they weren't someone's puppets, Ren felt relieved. He had been worried the world's final boss would turn out to be an alien, which might have led to an unexpected "flip" in his plans.
"Alright. Since the book and Mingo aren't here, I'm taking off. Bye-bye."
Ren waved goodbye to the Golden Star and returned to the ship. Hina and the others had just boarded. "What about the female prisoner?" she asked.
Ren looked at Momousagi. She stared back with wide, defiant eyes. Ren grew one hand large, scooped her up, and casually tossed her into the sea behind him.
"She's useless now... No, she was useless from the start. Just a waste of my time," Ren said. "Set sail! We're looking for Pure Gold!"
"OK~"
Under Hina's direction, they picked a random direction and began to advance.
"By the way, Captain," Krillin suddenly asked, "why are you so sure that Pure Gold can grant immortality?"