On the ship of the Krieg Pirates, Captain Don Krieg stood at the bow alongside Gin and Pearl. Their eyes were locked onto Ryūjin's small boat in the distance.
They looked like starving beasts that had finally spotted prey.
And in their eyes, that small boat was exactly that.
Their supplies were gone. If they failed to resupply soon, they would truly starve.
"Move! Stop that ship!" Krieg roared.
The crew scrambled into action, forcing their damaged ship forward as it chased after Nami and the Wood Clone.
"Ryūjin-san, can you create another storm? They're catching up!" Nami called out, unable to hide her concern.
If it were the real Ryūjin, she would not worry. But this was just a clone.
"Stay here. I'll be back," the Wood Clone said with a faint smile.
Before Nami could react, it rose into the air and flew straight toward the enemy ship.
Nami froze, staring upward.
"Even his clone can fly…"
There was a trace of envy in her eyes.
Flying, walking on water, controlling wood, manipulating the sea itself. Any one of those abilities would make someone extraordinary. Ryūjin possessed all of them.
She could not understand it.
On the pirate ship, the crew was equally stunned.
"He's flying?"
Shock spread across every face.
They had dominated the East Blue for years, yet they had never seen such an ability.
Krieg recovered quickly, his expression turning cold.
"So what if you can fly?" he sneered.
Clad in his golden armor and armed to the teeth, he had absolute confidence.
After the Wood Clone landed on the deck, Krieg stepped forward with killing intent.
"Kid, hand over your ship and supplies, or you die."
He did not get to finish.
Clap!
The Wood Clone brought its hands together.
Crack, crack, crack!
Wood erupted from the deck, sharp as spears. In an instant, dozens of branches shot through the crew.
Screams filled the air.
Bodies dropped one after another before anyone could react.
Only a handful survived. Krieg, Gin, and a few stronger fighters barely avoided fatal blows.
Their faces turned pale.
Dozens of men, gone in seconds.
What kind of monster was this?
Even the survivors were struggling to defend themselves, barely holding off the relentless assault of wood.
What they did not know was that this was mercy.
If Ryūjin wanted them dead, none of them would still be standing.
The reason was simple.
Dracule Mihawk.
If he wiped them out here, the chain of events leading to Mihawk's appearance at Baratie would never happen.
Ryūjin had no intention of missing that.
"Know your place," the Wood Clone said coldly. "Some people aren't for you to provoke."
Krieg's fists trembled with rage.
"Damn it!"
He stepped forward, ready to fight.
"Captain, stop!" Gin and the others held him back.
"We're in no condition to fight him," Gin said, forcing himself to stay composed. "We need food first."
The Wood Clone glanced at them with disdain.
"You look like you're about to drop dead. Eat first, then come find me."
With that, it rose into the air and left.
"Get off me!" Krieg roared, striking Gin to the ground. "Why did you stop me?"
Gin stood up again, steady despite the blow.
"He's right. We can't win like this."
Krieg clenched his teeth.
"There's nothing left to eat!"
"Give me a boat," Gin said firmly. "I'll find food."
---
The Wood Clone returned to Nami's boat shortly after.
"Ryūjin-san, what happened?" she asked quickly.
"It's handled," the clone replied casually.
Nami glanced back. The massive pirate ship had stopped chasing them.
Relief washed over her.
Her confidence in the clone grew.
Even this version of Ryūjin was overwhelming.
"Let's move," the clone said.
They continued sailing as if nothing had happened.
Behind them, the ruined pirate ship drifted aimlessly.
Soon after, a small boat was lowered.
Gin, looking like a man on the brink of collapse, rowed away in search of food.
---
Meanwhile, not far from Baratie, a small sail-less boat sped across the sea.
It cut through the waves at an unbelievable speed.
Pirates who saw it were stunned.
Even Marines were shocked.
Warships powered by engines were rare, yet even those could not match this speed.
And this boat had no sail at all.
Onboard, Ryūjin sat quietly, almost like someone fishing, completely at ease.
He took out the Chop-Chop Fruit he had obtained earlier.
Without hesitation, he absorbed its energy.
After a moment, he narrowed his eyes.
His Yang Release chakra had increased again.
Not by much, but it was noticeable.
The Bear-Bear Fruit had done the same.
The pattern was obvious.
Both fruits aligned with vitality and physical enhancement, traits tied to Yang Release.
Ryūjin leaned back slightly, thinking.
If he obtained something like Portgas D. Ace's Flame-Flame Fruit, his Fire Release would likely surge.
Or Akainu's Magma-Magma Fruit.
Or even Enel's lightning ability.
The stronger the fruit and the better the match, the greater the boost.
For now, though, his focus was clear.
Mihawk.
A rare chance to observe Haki firsthand.
The sea restaurant soon appeared in the distance.
"Finally."
Ryūjin stood up.
---
Half an hour later, he stepped into Baratie.
The atmosphere was lively. Elegant decor, soft music, well-dressed guests moving about.
It felt completely different from the chaos of the sea.
"Sir, this way please," a waiter said politely, guiding him to a seat.
"What would you like?"
Ryūjin glanced at the menu, then paused.
"Do you have a chef named Sanji? Which dishes are his?"
The waiter blinked, surprised.
Still, he pointed out several items.
Ryūjin ordered casually.
A few minutes later, he regretted it.
Sanji himself showed up, cigarette in his mouth, grinning.
"So you're a fan? You've got good taste. Want an autograph? Maybe a photo?"
People nearby started watching.
Ryūjin pressed a hand to his face.
This was a mistake.
"Sanji," he said flatly, pointing across the room, "there's a beautiful woman over there."
Sanji froze.
"Where?"
He disappeared instantly.
Peace returned.
Ryūjin finally ate in silence.
The food, however, lived up to the hype. It was excellent.
From that day on, Ryūjin became a regular at Baratie.
And quickly, the most talked-about customer.
He ate three meals a day, always ordering the most expensive dishes.
He paid in gold.
Even his tips were gold.
Within days, every waiter and chef wanted to serve him.
At Baratie, Ryūjin had become impossible to ignore.