After leaving the Sabaody Archipelago, under the escort of Silvers Rayleigh, Ren Kuro and Gin Ichimaru set sail with the Gorgon sisters toward their next destination—
Amazon Lily, deep within the Calm Belt.
Life at sea was usually dull and repetitive.
But with three young women on board, that monotony quickly vanished.
Perhaps because Ren Kuro had stepped forward to protect them before, the distance between him and the sisters had noticeably closed. After only a short time together, they had already become close enough to speak freely with one another.
On the Small Boat
Rayleigh sat alone at the bow, fishing rod in hand, a flask of liquor by his side. From time to time, he took a long swig, looking completely at ease.
Suddenly—
a seagull flew overhead.
A newspaper from Marine Headquarters dropped neatly into his hands.
"…Hm? The latest bounty posters?"
As soon as he saw the faces printed on them, a playful smile spread across his face.
"Ren Kuro, Gin—you'd better take a look at this."
"Oh my… I've been given a bounty too?" Gin Ichimaru narrowed his eyes as he took the poster. "Looks like staying mysterious is no longer an option."
But the moment he read the details—
his expression darkened.
"…'Poison Blade'? What kind of ridiculous nickname is that?!"
Gin looked genuinely offended.
"What are those people at Marine Headquarters thinking? That name is awful!"
Others had titles like Whitebeard, Golden Lion, or Dark King—
and he got stuck with Poison Blade?
Unacceptable.
"Gin, you should probably blame your Zanpakutō for that," Ren Kuro said with a faint smile. "Kizaru must have emphasized the poison. That's probably why they labeled you that way."
Compared to that—
his own title, Death, at least made sense.
"…Well, I suppose there's nothing to be done," Gin sighed. Though he usually acted carefree, this particular nickname clearly struck a nerve.
"Still… being wanted isn't nearly as fun as I imagined."
"Ren Kuro," Rayleigh said, his tone growing more serious as he looked at the numbers. "It seems Marine Headquarters is especially wary of you. That's quite a bounty for a first notice."
Bounty Posters"Death" — Ren Kuro
350,000,000 Berries"Poison Blade" — Gin Ichimaru
500,000,000 Berries
Bounties didn't tell the whole story—
but they were still a rough measure of strength.
Of course, there were exceptions. Figures like Crocodile or Boa Hancock had their bounties frozen early after joining the Seven Warlords of the Sea, leaving their numbers deceptively low.
But no one dared underestimate them.
Still—
once a bounty crossed 200 million, or even 300 million, it was more than enough to prove that the individual had done something that shook the world.
And for someone to receive a bounty of over 300 million the very first time they were wanted—
that was almost unheard of.
The moment these two bounty posters appeared, they sent shockwaves across the entire world.
"Three hundred million… five hundred million… is this real?"
The three sisters stared at the posters in disbelief, rubbing their eyes as if afraid they had misread them.
For them, even a bounty of 100 million felt impossibly distant.
So what did 300 million mean?
What did 500 million mean?
They didn't fully understand—
but they knew one thing:
The entire world would be shaken.
"Ren Kuro… you're incredible."
Hancock's eyes shimmered with admiration.
"To become such a famous pirate at your age…"
From childhood, she had always been different.
Not only blessed with unparalleled beauty—
but also driven by a deep desire for strength.
And now—
she found herself drawn to Ren Kuro's power.
"Hancock," Ren Kuro said softly, reaching out to gently stroke her hair. "You have that same potential. I believe you'll become a powerful Pirate Empress one day."
To his surprise—
she didn't resist.
Instead, she allowed him to hold her hair, the distance between them closing completely.
Without either of them realizing it—
the barrier between them had disappeared.
"Oh my…" Gin leaned casually against the mast, eyes narrowed with amusement. "Their relationship seems… a bit special, doesn't it?"
"Sister… she's acting differently," Sandersonia whispered.
"…Yeah," Marigold nodded, equally surprised.
There was something new in Hancock's emotions now.
Something unfamiliar—
and unmistakable.
Something like affection.
Arrival at the Calm Belt
Time passed.
At last, they reached their destination—
and with it, the moment of parting drew near.
The sea ahead lay completely still.
Not a single ripple moved across the surface.
This was—
the Calm Belt.
A region without wind, filled with massive Sea Kings. For most pirates, it was a place of certain death.
But ahead—
Ren Kuro spotted a massive crimson ship.
Two enormous serpents coiled at its bow, pulling it forward across the windless sea.
The ship of the Kuja Pirates.
"So they've arrived…"
Ren Kuro's gaze shifted toward a small figure standing on deck—
Elder Nyon, the former empress of Amazon Lily.
At the same moment—
the Kuja Pirates had already noticed them.
And what they felt—
was overwhelming pressure.
"Death… Poison Blade…"
Elder Nyon's face grew grave.
She had never expected to encounter these two monsters at the edge of the Calm Belt.
Especially when she felt Ren Kuro's gaze fall upon them—
her grip on her staff tightened instinctively.
Anyone could see the tension in her body.
To run into two unprecedented super rookies on an ordinary voyage—
could luck get any worse than this?
Against such overwhelming power—
even the entire Kuja crew stood no chance of escape.
But then—
everything changed.
Just as Elder Nyon prepared for the worst—
Hancock stepped forward from behind Ren Kuro.
The moment she saw that familiar ship—
and felt the presence of home—
her emotions surged.
She waved her hand, unable to hide her excitement.
"Elder Nyon… I'm back!"
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