Alvida's bounty was five million Beli, but there was no way Ren could take her to a Marine base to claim it.
For one, there was always a deduction when exchanging bounty heads—something even the original story had mentioned.
And more importantly—
The incident he caused in the Sixteenth Branch's harbor town still hadn't blown over.
Ren knew perfectly well he couldn't just walk away from that without consequences. Seeing his own wanted poster someday wouldn't even surprise him.
Selling the pirate ship, on the other hand, might net him around three million Beli.
After all, during the Age of Exploration, the demand for sea vessels was unbelievably high.
But of course, that also meant—
Ship suppliers were everywhere. Countless shipyards dotted the coasts.
That massive supply chain had stabilized prices at a moderate level, so Ren didn't expect to sell for a fortune.
The main issue was simple:
Ren didn't have enough people to sail the ship away, nor could he afford to waste months looking for the perfect buyer.
So, he decided to package the pirate Alvida along with her ship and sell both for eight million Beli—to Captain Saren or, to be precise, to the merchant guild backing Sir Becks.
Alvida was strong, and her name was well-known across the East Blue.
If such a powerful pirate were defeated by the Gus's merchant escort, it would be a huge publicity boost for the merchant guild.
And for Becks personally, it was a golden opportunity to showcase his "capability."
He could easily attribute the victory over Alvida to his swordsman bodyguard—Span.
Yes, what Ren was selling wasn't just physical goods. It was also reputation—an invisible commodity of immense value.
He needed more money to unlock the next round of the Dimensional Roulette.
The first jackpot required 10,000 Beli. The second—100,000. The third—1,000,000. The fourth—10,000,000.
If he had to rely solely on saving up, who knew how many years it would take?
Rather than fame, what Ren truly wanted now was another grand prize—and another spin of the wheel.
Becks, despite being a pampered aristocrat, wasn't an idiot.
He quickly understood what this deal could bring him and gritted his teeth before agreeing.
Since the Gus didn't have that much cash on hand, Captain Saren altered their route to Cuckoo Island, where the guild's branch was located.
There were plenty of places in the East Blue that never appeared in the original series.
After all, the anime could only show so much—it was impossible to depict the entire sea.
This deal also greatly improved the treatment Ren and Zoro received aboard the Gus.
They were granted access to VIP rooms, recreation lounges, and all sorts of amenities.
Their voyage to Cuckoo Island was, for once, a relaxing one.
The only inconvenience was the sudden increase in noble ladies who had taken an interest in Zoro—leaving Ren to play the role of reluctant messenger.
Honestly, he thought, He shouldn't even be on this ship… he belongs in the sea.
The world was beautiful—but had nothing to do with him.
"Are cold, stoic guys really that popular? Seems like this world doesn't appreciate chaos and comedy."
Ren muttered while staring into the mirror.
His facial features were clean and handsome—a youthful boyish charm marred only by a scar running from his brow to the bridge of his nose, lending him a sharper edge.
His skin still bore faint scars from past bullying, and his toned frame gleamed with sweat.
He had just finished a sword training session under Zoro's instruction.
The Maotai and Erguotou he'd drawn from the Dimensional Roulette had cost him dearly—and now his body was paying the price.
Ren didn't rely entirely on the Roulette; he also trained diligently in his spare time.
His ancestors' wisdom was right—never put all your eggs in one basket.
Swordsmanship seemed like a solid choice, especially with a three-sword-wielding green-haired man constantly by his side.
Ren soaked up everything like a sponge, eager to fill himself with strength. Unfortunately, without much talent, his progress was slow.
Just like today—Zoro had subtly suggested he might be better off switching to a gunman.
Flintlock shooters weren't uncommon at sea, but most pirates fired once before resorting to melee combat.
Ren, however, had his silver Desert Eagle—a rapid-fire weapon. Reloading wasn't an issue for him.
But Zoro didn't know that the marksman path wasn't exactly glamorous—nor that the bullets for Ren's gun were incredibly rare.
Over the past few days, he'd spent 200,000 chips using the Lucky Lighter, and all he managed was to expand his spare magazines from three to four.
His luck wasn't great.
Counting the one loaded in the gun, he now had five magazines—thirty-five bullets total.
Still,
Ren's recent "harvest" would soon fuel his next leap in strength.
After a shower, he didn't return to his room.
Instead, he grabbed Zoro and went to find Captain Saren, requesting several large barrels of expensive fish of various kinds.
He had a promise to fulfill—ensuring that "Seal 007" wouldn't malfunction the next time danger struck.
After all, he'd only met Zoro in the first place because 007 had tried to go on strike and bit Zoro's boat.
In one corner of the Gus, Ren unrolled the Schrödinger's Poster/Seal scroll and summoned the great sea seal.
Barrel after barrel of fish vanished into 007's eagerly gaping maw until the creature was stuffed to bursting.
"So this was what kept you alive out at sea?"
Zoro looked at the enormous, cheerful seal in disbelief. It was hard to imagine something like that popping out of a scroll.
Magic?
Could he summon a flaming sword too?
"Strictly speaking, it's my partner on this voyage."
Ren grinned, patting 007's bulging belly."Alright, 007—answer me this. Am I going to be lucky next?"
"Oo! Oo!"
007 barked contentedly before Ren recalled it into the scroll.
"Excellent. I'm feeling lucky already!"
Having received a divine omen from his mystical seal, Ren stowed the scroll away and returned to his quarters with Zoro.
After settling in, Zoro leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, resting. Even on this ship, he insisted on taking night watch duties—
Because his employer never trusted outsiders.
At his feet sat a large chest filled with gold coins and jewelry—part of Alvida's treasure hoard. The gems, however, were packed into small pouches that Ren kept for himself.
"Another lady came asking about your preferences today," Ren said casually, slipping a gem pouch into his coat's hidden pocket. "Should I tell her? She seemed… really into you. Said she wanted to do something with you."
Zoro cracked an eye open, then closed it again, his tone flat and cold.
"Women only slow down my sword."
Yeah, that sounds exactly like Zoro, Ren thought dryly.
He shrugged, sitting down on the bed.
"But a rich woman could buy you a better sword."
"Still don't need one," Zoro said simply, eyes shut, ending the conversation.
Their relationship hadn't grown any closer—unlike in the original story, no miraculous bond had formed.
(End of Chapter)