Chapter 150 – Pay for What You Want, I'm a Fair Man
The instant Ren spoke, he flicked his fingers twice.
Flying Finger Gun!
Biu—biu!
A sharp tearing sound sliced through the air. Igaram only felt a chill on both ears, then a sudden lightness on his shoulders.
With a clang, his heavy curls fell to the floor.
"What are you trying to do!?" Vivi tensed immediately, the Peacock Saw spinning rapidly around her pinky finger.
"Before you act rashly," Ren said evenly, his gaze sweeping over the two, "think carefully. Do you think either of you can defeat even one of my subordinates outside? Or me?"
His words carried an unshakable dominance.An invisible pressure spread outward—the aura of Evil Spirit—weighing on the air like a suffocating fog.
"...I understand," Vivi murmured, biting her lip as she put the weapon away. Igaram silently stepped forward, standing protectively in front of his princess, then sat down casually on a wooden crate to block her from view.
Truth was, after witnessing the power of those three subordinates earlier, they already knew how hopeless it was to resist. Ren's ability to appear silently and pinpoint their exact hiding place had already made "escape" a meaningless word.
A counterattack? Equally impossible—Ren had disarmed Igaram the moment they met. The man knew too much. The situation had become one-sidedly transparent, and only one side held all the information.
Realizing that, Igaram spoke first.
"Then, what is it you want? Since you already know who we are—and since you've chosen to stand against Baroque Works—there must be something you're after. Money? Power? Or something else?"
"What I want is both complicated and simple," Ren replied lazily. "But before that, why don't you tell me what your intentions are?"
He sounded almost bored, yet his words carried a subtle weight. Igaram studied him carefully, but couldn't read a thing—no clues, no emotions, just that unfathomable calm.
Who is this man? What is he thinking? Why is he helping us? The questions chilled Igaram's heart. Ren's mysterious aura only grew thicker the more he tried to understand it.
At last, Vivi stood up, her eyes burning with conviction.
"I want to drive every last member of Baroque Works out of Alabasta!I want to end the civil unrest, destroy the use of Dance Powder, and return rain to our people's land! No matter what your goals are, I will never abandon this mission!"
"So," Ren said, straightening his posture, "you've decided to oppose Baroque Works, then?"
Could this guy be part of Baroque Works himself? Igaram's heart skipped a beat. But as he recalled every senior agent he'd ever met within the organization—including even the boss's mysterious partner—he realized none of them matched Ren.
He dismissed the thought and said firmly, "Yes. We've been investigating for a year. All the chaos in Alabasta stems from Baroque Works. Before they appeared, even during drought and famine, our people endured together under King Cobra's rule!"
Ren's expression didn't change. "A solid answer. Then—what are you willing to pay for that goal?"
"You should tell us what you can do first," Vivi countered, quickly tying back her long sky-blue hair. Her eyes were serious now. "You told us the one behind Baroque Works is Crocodile. How can you prove it?"
"Proof?" Ren chuckled softly. "Unfortunately, Crocodile hides his tracks well. I have no solid evidence. But I do know that Baroque Works' Miss All Sunday knows exactly who the true boss is.If you investigate her, you'll uncover the truth yourselves."
He wasn't lying. In the original timeline, that was precisely how Vivi had discovered Crocodile's identity.
"Then if it's true," Igaram asked gravely, "what price must we pay for that information?"
"No price," Ren replied. "Call it a gesture of mutual trust. I simply want you to understand—I'm not your enemy. I'm an ally you can buy."
A faint smile curved his lips as he took control of the conversation. He'd narrowed their options and built pressure perfectly. Crocodile's name, the danger surrounding them, their desperation—every element had become a bargaining chip in his hand.
Of course, it was all just rhetoric. Ren's true goal was to claim the title of Warlord of the Sea (Shichibukai). Crocodile just happened to be his first target.
But instead of saying "Crocodile is my enemy," he positioned himself as a neutral mercenary—"someone you can pay to get results."
Naturally, that stance would draw far more from Vivi and Igaram than simple honesty ever could. And deceiving them wasn't difficult—they were receiving information one way only, completely from him. Their minds were already shaped to think "What if Crocodile really is the boss?"—and that made Ren's hints all the more convincing.
Besides… neither of them were exactly cunning strategists.
"So what is it that you want?" Vivi finally asked again, trying to steady her voice.
Ren folded his hands casually. "First, I'm no hero of justice. I just happened to notice there's profit in this situation. With Crocodile's schemes and Baroque Works' reach, it's an opportunity I can't ignore."
He raised a single finger. "My terms are simple—benefit. Don't worry, I don't take payment without cause. Think of us as mercenaries—you pay, we act. Only difference is, I accept more than just money."
"Can you be a little clearer?" Vivi frowned, confusion flashing across her face.
Ren chuckled. "Fine. Let's say… I can make it rain. A one-hour downpour over your coastal regions—one hundred million Beli.You should know exactly what that means. But the timing of the rainfall will be decided by me. As for the inland desert, I'll inspect it myself before giving any guarantees."
"Rain…?"Igaram's jaw dropped. He wanted to question the claim, but the mere mention of rainfall in Alabasta was enough to stun him. The drought—and Crocodile's manipulation of it—was the very reason their country had fallen into chaos.
"Yes," Ren said calmly. "No need to doubt. I'll charge only after the rain falls. It's a fair price."
A fair price indeed—especially considering that a Thunderstorm under Ren's control could flood an entire island in an hour. The cost to him was perhaps five million Beli. Twenty times profit wasn't bad—but every such act risked drawing Crocodile's attention. That danger was part of the price.
"So," Igaram pressed cautiously, "what if we wanted you to destroy Baroque Works entirely?"
"That depends," Ren said, smiling faintly. "If Crocodile himself isn't included, then five hundred million Beli. I can guarantee Baroque Works will never exist again."
His tone left no room for doubt.
Truthfully, he wasn't exaggerating. The only one worth fearing was Crocodile himself.The rest—strong or not—were open books, their powers well known.
Is there really a difference? Igaram thought blankly. But Ren's next words clarified everything.
"You should understand," he said, "Crocodile is a master of conspiracy. If he realizes Baroque Works has been exposed, he might abandon it instantly, leaving it an empty shell. And if he hasn't given up his ambition for your kingdom, a new Baroque Works will rise again soon."
Of course—The real problem wasn't the organization. It was Crocodile himself. As long as that man lived, Alabasta's nightmare would only repeat.
Without realizing it, both Vivi and Igaram had fully accepted Ren's framing. In their minds, Crocodile was already the mastermind.
"Then," Vivi asked quietly, "if we wanted to kill—or at least drive out—Crocodile, what would it cost us?"
Ren's smile widened. "First, you need to understand how powerful he is. Before becoming a Warlord of the Sea, his bounty was eighty million Beli—a fearsome pirate who once fought Whitebeard and lived to tell the tale. Since then, as a Warlord, he's defeated countless pirates and even protected your nation in the process. That strength is undeniable. You should understand the kind of power you're dealing with."
He leaned forward slightly. "Facing such a foe—even I wouldn't claim victory lightly. So if you want me to take him on… what price can you offer?"
"If everything you say is true," Vivi said firmly, her small fists clenched tight, "we'll give everything we have."
"I mean the Alabasta Kingdom's wealth," Ren corrected bluntly, "not just yours, Princess."
What could the two of them possibly pay? He wanted the kingdom's riches. The Silver Roulette still needed over three hundred million Beli for the next spin, and beyond that was a jackpot of ten billion! Sure, the Golden City of Skypiea might yield profit someday—but ten billion Beli was no small sum. Even the Ope-Ope Fruit fetched only five billion from the World Government.
"One kingdom's entire fortune—ten billion Beli," Ren said mercilessly.
"...You're serious?" Vivi and Igaram's faces twitched.
But as absurd as it sounded… it wasn't impossible.
Alabasta's land spanned over ten million square kilometers, filled with great cities and stable resources. After all, they could afford to maintain a standing army of six hundred thousand.
(End of Chapter)