On the other side of the Den Den Mushi, Roger was stunned when he heard Reno say he wanted his bounty. Internally, he cursed, Damn it! I treated you like a brother, and you've been eyeing my bounty this whole time?
Thinking about this, Roger forced a stiff smile and asked, "Little Reno, you've been thinking about my tens of billions in bounty, haven't you? For quite a while now?"
Reno, hearing Roger's question, put on an awkward expression and defended himself, "Not that long… just a little longer than a day or two. Besides, you're about to die anyway. If it's not me, the Marines will get the reward, and that would be a waste, right?"
"Saving the Marines tens of billions of berries won't make them grateful. It's better if I earn that money. At least I can burn more paper offerings for you later!"
Listening to Reno's nonsense, Roger's face darkened as he retorted, "So, should I be thanking you for this?"
"Well, uh… no, wait. Actually, I should be thanking you. After all, your contribution is worth my gratitude!" Reno initially spoke smugly, but quickly backtracked and offered a flood of flattery.
Roger didn't believe a word of Reno's excuses. With a scowl, he said irritably, "Alright, enough with the nonsense. I agree to your terms. Now, where are you?"
Roger wasn't interested in dragging out the banter with Reno any further. He accepted the conditions outright, as it didn't make much difference whether he turned himself in or someone else delivered him to the Marines.
The only reason he'd said so much earlier was because he felt uneasy. After all, a small boy he'd fished out of the sea had been plotting his bounty all along. Who could bear that kind of insult?
If Roger hadn't known Reno meant no harm, he might've gone over, beaten him up, and tossed him back into the sea!
Hearing Roger's agreement, Reno, thrilled by the thought of soon pocketing tens of billions of berries, immediately replied, "I'm in Wano right now, but there's no need for you to come all the way here to find me."
"I can use the little dagger I gave you before to open a spatial portal and come directly to you. By the way, you haven't thrown it away, have you?"
Hearing this, Roger quickly pulled out the small dagger from his person. Recalling Reno's words from the day they parted, he glanced at his wife beside him and thought to himself, So that's what the little rascal meant when he said he could help with things Rayleigh couldn't do!
Settling Rouge and the baby in her belly was indeed something Rayleigh, as a pirate, wasn't suited for. His identity posed a constant risk of discovery, which would mean danger for Rouge and their child.
Roger examined the dagger again but couldn't discern anything special about it. He asked directly, "Little Reno, are you sure this dagger can let you cross thousands of miles to my side?"
Hearing the disbelief in Roger's voice, Reno snapped back impatiently, "You're already about to kick the bucket. Why would I bother lying to you?"
"I'm going to say goodbye to a big lug now. If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up. You'd better get ready too!"
"Alright then, just come over directly after that!" Roger finally believed Reno wasn't joking and said, "I'm ready here. You can come anytime."
Click!
Before Roger could finish speaking, the Den Den Mushi closed its eyes, a sign that the call had ended.
Seeing how quickly Reno hung up, Roger grumbled internally, This little brat is really in a rush to claim my bounty, huh?
Reno's eagerness wasn't just about the bounty—it was because he was genuinely broke. The system's shop offered items priced in the billions, so outrageous that he didn't even dare to open it. Could you blame him for being this enthusiastic?
Just a few months ago, Reno had even planned to visit the Whitebeard Pirates' treasury.
However, after Reno informed them that he'd be staying in Wano, they left without even saying goodbye. They held a banquet that night and vanished early the next morning, leaving Reno without any opportunity.
The plaza where Reno practiced swordsmanship wasn't far from Oden Castle. In no time, he returned, floating above the castle before descending.
"Lord Reno, have you been training again?"
"Wow! Lord Reno is so cute!"
"Damn it! Is Lord Reno trying to tempt me into having a baby?"
"Hahaha… if you really want one, we could have another."
"Get lost, you rascal!"
"Hello, everyone… hello…"
As soon as Reno landed, he was surrounded by a crowd of people. All he could do was wave at them before making a hasty escape. The people of Kuri were far too enthusiastic for him to handle.
Ever since Reno's rescue of the hostages became known, the people of Kuri had treated him with immense warmth. Some even wished they could take Reno home.
After dealing with the crowd, Reno quickly located Oden and his family in one of the halls of Oden Castle.
Seeing everyone gathered there, Reno thought to himself, Perfect. Saves me the trouble of saying goodbye one by one.
With that, he floated into the hall.
When Toki saw Reno return, she greeted him with a smile, "Little Reno, why are you back so early from your sword training today?"
Normally, Reno would practice in the morning and return around lunchtime. Seeing him back so early before ten o'clock naturally prompted Toki's question.
Hearing her, Reno got straight to the point. "I'll be leaving Wano very soon, so I came back early to say goodbye."
No one in the hall seemed surprised, as Reno had already mentioned this half a month ago.
Everyone except Momonosuke wore expressions of reluctance. The young Hiyori, especially, looked deeply unwilling to part with Reno.
Momonosuke, on the other hand, was the opposite, secretly overjoyed. This scoundrel is finally leaving! No more bullying! I can finally go back to being the heir of Kuri!
In his half a year in Wano, Reno had spent his time either practicing swordsmanship, teasing little Hiyori, or tormenting Momonosuke, driving the poor boy to the brink of despair.
After several minutes, Oden finally spoke. "I know you've always had your own plans, so I won't ask what you're going to do. Tonight, we'll have your sister-in-law cook a feast to send you off properly."
Hearing Oden's words, Reno felt touched but still cheekily replied, "Future mother-in-law, I'll count on you for tonight's dinner, then!"
The mention of "mother-in-law" instantly darkened Oden's face. He'd never been able to get over Reno's audacious ways.
I treated you like a brother, someone I trusted with my life. And you… you stole my little princess?
Hiyori, who used to be close to Oden, now seemed entirely different. Since Reno's arrival, she'd spent all her time around him, barely sparing her father a glance.
When Oden first realized this, he was so enraged he nearly passed out.
Seeing Oden's expression, Reno grinned, clearly enjoying Oden's frustration. He loved seeing Oden's urge to beat him up while being unable to.
Toki, witnessing their unspoken rivalry yet again, could only shake her head in resignation. She was used to it by now, as the two had been bickering constantly over the past half-year.
After saying goodbye to everyone and spending some time with Hiyori, Reno enjoyed a sumptuous dinner that evening.
[The Next Morning]
Having already said his goodbyes the previous night, Reno left without notifying anyone. Instead, he quietly made his way to a desolate area outside Oden Castle.
Reno floated leisurely to a deserted area, then waved his hand, releasing a golden energy sphere. The sphere expanded and transformed into a large, golden gate. He glanced back in the direction of Oden Castle before stepping through the golden gate.
Meanwhile, at the highest point of Oden Castle, Kozuki Oden and Toki stood together, watching Reno's location. Oden sensed Reno's aura vanish and turned to his wife, saying, "The little rascal has left. Let's head back."
"Alright." Toki didn't say much and quickly followed her husband's steps as they returned to the castle.
They knew Reno planned to leave that morning, and given his personality, he'd want to leave quietly. Standing there to see him off was the best they could do. When Reno glanced back, it was because he noticed their presence through his extraordinary Observation Haki—missing them was nearly impossible.
South Blue - Baterilla Island
In a modest house with a small courtyard, Roger and his wife, Portgas D. Rouge, seemed to be waiting for something. Suddenly, the small knife placed on their table emitted a golden light. The light grew and formed into a large, golden gate.
Shortly after, a small head poked out from the gate. Reno peeked out, saw the couple, and decided to play a prank. Sticking out his tongue and rolling his eyes, he said in a ghostly tone, "Uncle Roger, I died so tragically!"
Roger was unfazed; he'd seen Reno pull this act too many times aboard the ship, often scaring crewmates like Buggy into fits. Picking up a small stone, he threw it at Reno, scolding, "If you want to die, go do it somewhere else! Scaring my wife and unborn child—I'll really send you to the afterlife!"
Reno dodged the stone and emerged fully from the gate, muttering, "Uncle Roger, you shouldn't throw stones at people—it hurts!"
Roger glared at him. "Consider yourself lucky I didn't throw my sword!"
Ignoring Roger's grumbling, Reno turned to Rouge and introduced himself politely. "Hello, Sister-in-law Rouge. My name is Reno. Please feel free to call me by my name."
Hearing this, Roger's face darkened. "You call me Uncle but call my wife Sister-in-law? What's the meaning of this?"
Reno gave him a side-eye and retorted, "You should take a good look at yourself. Do you really think you're young enough to be called 'Brother'? Dream on!"
Rouge couldn't stop laughing. Her warm and maternal instincts made her find Reno endlessly amusing, even if he was a little rascal.
She smiled and asked, "Reno, how old are you?"
Reno answered honestly, "I'm six years old!"
She asked a series of questions about his life and preferences, which Reno patiently answered. He dared not show impatience with Roger glaring daggers at him from the side. After Rouge was satisfied, Roger brought up the main topic.
"I need your help finding a safe place for her to live. Do you have any suggestions?"
Roger explained that most islands they'd visited weren't secure due to the high number of pirates in this world. And with his next plan, things would only get worse.
Reno thought for a moment. He recalled the world of One Piece and suggested, "What about Garp's hometown? If nothing changes, your son grows up there in the future. Why not let her settle there?"
Roger was intrigued and asked, "What would their fate be if I hadn't called you?"
After a pause, Reno revealed the grim truth. "In the timeline I saw, Sister-in-law Rouge dies because of the baby. She hides her pregnancy for over 20 months, exhausting herself to death during childbirth."
Roger's face turned dark. He realized that if he hadn't called Reno, Rouge's fate might have been sealed. Grateful for the intervention, Roger nodded and asked, "But would Garp ensure her safety?"
Reno shook his head. "Garp would want to help, but as a Marine, his hands are tied by rules and responsibilities. However, his hometown, Foosha Village, is exceptionally safe due to his frequent visits and his reputation."
Roger agreed. "Garp wouldn't harm her, and if that village is secure, then after everything is settled, let's send her there."
Unbeknownst to Roger, Reno had other reasons for suggesting the village. Not only was it a haven, but it was also where the future trio of brothers Luffy, Ace, and Sabo would grow up. And, more importantly, Reno had someone he was interested in meeting there, someone kind and gentle.
With plans in place, the three continued to discuss details, preparing for the challenges ahead.
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