Zephyr stormed over, grabbing Reno by the collar and hoisting him into the air. "Kid, where did all the chests go?" he demanded, his voice sharp with frustration.
Reno, dangling midair, shot back angrily, "Those Beli are mine! What does it matter to you how I deal with them?"
Zephyr, caught off guard by the bold retort, realized his own overstep and grudgingly set Reno down. Despite his growing list of questions, he knew he had little right to interrogate further.
After a brief pause, Zephyr asked, "Are you a Devil Fruit user?"
Reno didn't even bother to mask his irritation. "What's it to you?" he snapped, his tone laced with disdain.
Zephyr, red-faced, struggled to compose himself. "I was just curious "
"Not interested in sharing. Not interested in talking to you. Back off!" Reno interrupted sharply, cutting Zephyr's explanation short.
Zephyr, silently fuming, clenched his fists but reminded himself, He's just a kid… Not worth losing my temper over.
With Zephyr momentarily silenced, Reno strode confidently toward Roger. The Marine veteran followed, unwilling to let Reno leave his sight.
Reno approached Roger, his usual cheeky grin in place. "Pirate uncle, thanks for the bounty! With this, I'm set for life!"
His words carried a double meaning a promise to ensure Roger's family would be well taken care of. Roger, far from naive, picked up on the subtle message. Gratitude flickered in his eyes, but he quickly masked it, adopting a furious expression instead.
"You little brat!" Roger bellowed. "Are you here to rub it in my face? Get lost!"
Reno, playing along, shrugged and replied, "Fine, if you don't want me here, I'll leave. Later, pirate uncle!"
As Reno headed toward his small boat, he didn't even glance at Zephyr. The Marine, though itching to stop him, couldn't justify it. His moral code prevented him from using force without reason.
By the time Reno disappeared on the horizon, Zephyr remained motionless.
Roger, watching Reno's retreat, finally broke the silence. "Be glad you didn't make a move. That kid… In the near future, he'll surpass any pirate the seas have ever seen. He's a force even the Marines won't be able to handle."
Zephyr, startled by Roger's grim prediction, pressed for details. "What makes you say that? What is he capable of?"
Roger, however, had already fallen silent, offering no further explanation.
After departing Alabasta's port, Reno's boat shot across the water like a rocket. Its blinding speed left only a streak of light in its wake.
Despite the urgency, Reno didn't head to the South Blue to fetch Rouge, who was pregnant and unable to travel. Instead, they had agreed beforehand that he would settle things in the East Blue first and later use his spatial ability to bring her over.
Lying on the bow of the boat, Reno called out lazily, "System, show me my stats!"
[Host's Stats Panel]
Name: Afaku Reno
Age: 6
Physical Stats: 120/1000
Strength: 63/1000
Speed: 60/1000
Mental Power: Infinite
Skills:
Observation Haki: Max Level (Enhanced by Spatial Perception: 170/1000)
Weapon: A fine-grade katana
Abilities:
Telekinesis: 220/1000
Spatial Anchor Points
Beli: 5.68 billion
Reno chuckled, satisfied with his steadily improving stats. His latest achievements, both through training and his rewards, had bolstered his capabilities significantly.
Eyeing the massive sum of money, his gaze drifted to the lottery feature.
"System, let's try a spin. But I'm warning you this better be worth my while!" Reno grumbled, half-jokingly.
The system responded in its usual cheerful tone. "Host, I recommend a ten-draw! Higher chances of premium rewards!"
Skeptical but intrigued, Reno relented. "Alright, ten-draw it is! Don't let me down!"
"Deducting 10 billion Beli. Drawing rewards…"
Reno waited, his mind racing. No wheel? No visuals? This system really knows how to kill the excitement.
[System Store: Activated]
[Lottery Function: 1 Billion Berries per Draw]
[Mission Unlocked: Head to Marine Headquarters and stay for one month to complete the daily sign-in task. Progress: 0/30]
The attribute points Reno earned from Kaido during the last mission weren't fully allocated to physical attributes but were evenly distributed. His training over the past six months didn't increase his stats as quickly as adding attribute points, but there was still some improvement.
Reno's quality sword was a gift from Kozuki Oden. Originally, Reno wanted to borrow (steal) the famed blade "Shusui," but he couldn't find it. Whether Gecko Moria beat him to it or not, Reno couldn't determine. Despite scanning Ryuma's gravesite several times using Observation Haki, the sword was nowhere to be found.
Now with tens of billions of berries in hand, Reno's interest was piqued by the lottery. He couldn't resist and commanded the system:
"System, let me test the waters with a single draw. This is my first time, so don't you dare scam me!"
Reno, wary of the system's tricks, quickly added a follow-up reminder:
"If I don't get something good, don't expect me to do this again!"
[System: The chance of getting good items is significantly higher with a ten-draw. The system strongly recommends a ten-draw!]
Reno didn't fully trust the system's pitch, but he decided to take a gamble.
"Alright, fine! System, give me a ten-draw!" he declared with the confidence of someone flush with cash.
[Lottery in Progress]
As Reno stared at the screen where nothing appeared, he muttered to himself,
"Looks like it's not a spinning wheel lottery but a backend system that delivers rewards. Well, it makes no difference anyway. The result is still decided by the system."
[Lottery Results]
[Ding! Thank you for participating.]
[Ding! Thank you for participating.]
[Ding! Thank you for participating.]
Seeing a string of "Thank you for participating" pop up, Reno's face instantly darkened.
"This is real money!"
Suddenly, the system announced:
[Congratulations! You've obtained 100 Attribute Points.]
[Congratulations! You've obtained 100 Attribute Points.]
[Congratulations! You've obtained an Animal-Type Devil Fruit.]
Seven out of the ten draws resulted in "Thank you for participating," but with 200 attribute points and a Devil Fruit, Reno knew this draw wasn't a total loss.
"Phew! That little threat earlier paid off. Not only did I get 200 points, but a Devil Fruit too what a steal!"
Curious about the fruit, Reno asked,
"System, what's the ability of the Animal-Type Devil Fruit? Show me the details!"
The system promptly displayed the information, almost as if it feared Reno might get upset:
[Devil Fruit Details: This is an Animal-Type, Mythical Zoan-class Devil Fruit. Ability: Mythical Beast, Phoenix Form. Weakness: Sea Water, Sea-Prism Stone.]
"Holy crap!" Reno exclaimed.
The fruit's description made him want to swallow it on the spot, but the thought of its weaknesses sea water and Sea-Prism Stone immediately extinguished that notion.
While eating the fruit would provide a significant boost to his power in the short term, Reno knew it wasn't worth it in the long run. His strength would naturally grow to the level of the world's strongest without it. Eating the fruit would only add unnecessary vulnerabilities.
"Unless it's a Devil Fruit with no drawbacks, I'm not touching it," Reno muttered to himself. "This fruit is better saved for my future wives."
Satisfied with his decision, Reno shifted his focus back to the attribute points.
"System, allocate the points! Add 50 to Physical Strength and Swordsmanship each. Put the remaining 100 into Telekinesis!"
[Points Allocation in Progress...]
[Congratulations! Attribute Points Successfully Allocated.]
Reno immediately felt changes in his body and a deeper understanding of swordsmanship after the system confirmed the attribute points were successfully allocated.
The most significant improvement was in telekinesis. As his proficiency increased, his control over telekinetic power became more refined and precise.
Having finished allocating his resources, Reno decided not to continue gambling on the lottery. Instead, he planned to take some time to adapt to the changes in his body. With no pressing tasks, he focused his energy on traveling. His improved telekinesis proficiency boosted his speed significantly, allowing him to cover more ground.
[Two Days Later – Near Windmill Village, East Blue]
Reno spent the past two days aboard his ship, flying at full speed with minimal rest. This relentless pace allowed him to reach East Blue so quickly.
His eyes glinted red as he glanced at the far horizon of the ocean. Although he couldn't see anything yet, he controlled the ship to head in that direction. Reno's Observation Haki had a vast range, so large that even he wasn't sure of its limits.
Though his Observation Haki lacked future-sight capabilities, its extensive range appeared to be his unique strength.
As Reno moved closer, a small black dot appeared in the distance. The closer he got, the larger it became.
"That must be Garp's hometown Windmill Village," Reno thought to himself. He promptly lowered the ship to sea level and waved his hand, releasing a golden energy sphere from his palm. The sphere formed a glowing golden portal on the ship's deck.
This was a spatial gateway they had previously agreed upon: once Reno reached Windmill Village, he would open the portal, signaling that he had arrived. Rouge would see the portal and walk through herself, saving him the trouble of going back to fetch her.
As expected, it wasn't long before Rouge stepped out of the golden portal, carrying a box in her hands. She asked curiously, "Little Reno, is this the Windmill Village you mentioned?"
Reno quickly stood up, helping her sit down before replying, "That's right. The village is just ahead. You shouldn't stay on the ship too long. Let's go ashore first."
Rouge smiled helplessly at Reno's cautious behavior and said, "I'm only pregnant. You're making too big a deal out of it."
Reno didn't respond to her remark and silently began rowing the boat toward the village's harbor. Seeing his quiet demeanor, Rouge could only shake her head with a wry smile and ask, "How long do you plan to stay here, Little Reno?"
Reno thought for a moment before answering, "I'm not sure yet, but it won't be a short stay."
Hearing this, Rouge breathed a sigh of relief. Being in a foreign place as a vulnerable woman with no support had made her uneasy. Knowing Reno would be around for a while gave her peace of mind.
Even if Reno had to leave eventually, by then, she would have her child and wouldn't feel as lonely.
The two of them remained silent after that. Before long, Reno docked the boat at Windmill Village's harbor and helped Rouge disembark.
After asking around, Reno learned where the village chief lived. With some smooth talking and quick actions, Reno managed to secure a small house for them in the village.
Rouge smiled as she looked at the quaint little yard and said, "Is this where we'll be living for a long time?" She then wandered around the house, inspecting it. Both of them were quite satisfied with their new home.
After settling everything, Reno turned to Rouge and said, "Rouge, I'm heading to the bar to check things out. You should rest here."
Without turning back, Rouge replied, "I can take care of myself. Go ahead and do what you need to."
"Alright then. Call me if you need anything."
"I will," Rouge said, her tone casual but warm.
After leaving the house, Reno headed to Windmill Village's only bar. His goal wasn't just to settle Rouge here but also to meet someone important.
Following directions from the locals, Reno quickly found the village's only bar. It was still early around 10:30 a.m so there weren't many customers inside.
Scanning the bar, Reno spotted a figure about his age.
The person he was looking for Makino was already there.
He walked into the bar, and Makino, curious about the unfamiliar boy, approached him. "Hello! Can I help you with something?"
Reno feigned a troubled expression and asked, "Is everything in this bar for sale?"
Makino tilted her head in confusion but nodded. "Of course. Everything here is for sale. Otherwise, why would we put it on display?"
At this point, the bar was still run by her father, and Makino was just helping out as a young waitress not yet the proprietress she would one day become.
Hearing her response, Reno pretended to sigh in relief and said, "Then I'd like to buy something a little cutie named Makino. Can I?"
Makino's eyes widened in shock. She stared at Reno, utterly dumbfounded, her mouth slightly open in disbelief.
A full minute passed before she finally came to her senses. With an exasperated eye-roll, she said, "What's wrong with you? Trying to buy me? Keep dreaming!"
Reno found her reaction utterly adorable. Inwardly, he resolved: This little cutie is coming home with me no way am I leaving her for that faceless guy in the future.
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