Night fell, and the pitch-black sea stretched endlessly like the mouth of an abyss. Even the bravest hearts would tremble facing such darkness.
Far off in the distance, a grand Navy warship cut through the waters under the stars.
On deck, a few soldiers were in high spirits.
"Hahaha! We caught the Silver Wolf Pirates this time. Another great achievement for our division!" one marine laughed triumphantly.
"Yeah. Headquarters will definitely reward us once we report back."
The man they spoke of, Silver Wolf—the notorious captain of the Silver Wolf Pirates—carried a bounty of over 300 million Berries. A ruthless criminal responsible for pillaging, burning villages, and killing countless innocents. Many brave marines had lost their lives trying to apprehend him, and the Navy suffered greatly for it.
"You're all puffed up over catching a damn Silver Wolf?"
A stern voice came from behind.
The soldiers turned around and immediately stood at attention. A woman in a Navy officer's coat strode towards them, her expression unreadable.
The soldiers straightened up, offering respectful salutes.
Vice Admiral Doa nodded softly and stepped forward. Her voice was calm, but carried weight.
"Well done on this operation. Once we return, your merits will be rewarded accordingly. But don't get too cocky. The Silver Wolf Pirates are just one of the enemies we face."
The promise of reward still brought smiles to the soldiers' faces.
Vice Admiral Doa wasn't just any superior. She was the supreme commander of the G-13 Marine Base—an elite among elites.
"How long until we reach base?" she asked, staring into the endless sea.
No one replied. The black waters had a way of swallowing sound and thought alike.
Meanwhile, far away across the waves, Renaud was navigating by his virtual map, approaching a specific area: the territory of the Deep-Sea Lantern Fish.
Nami furrowed her brows. She had been using Observation Haki, but found nothing.
"Renaud, there's nothing here. Did we come to the wrong place?"
"No need to search. He's hiding at the seafloor. Everyone, move to the edge of the deck. I'm luring him up."
The girls obeyed, retreating to the edges and leaving the center clear.
With a casual wave of his hand, Renaud released a mountain of glittering gold across the ship's deck.
He knew well—Lantern Fish were attracted to shiny, golden objects. Hypnotized by gleaming light, they would devour anything, even entire islands.
This gold wasn't pure, but its brilliance would suffice.
Sure enough, minutes passed... and then the red dot on Renaud's map began to move.
"It's coming," Renaud grinned.
Suddenly, the calm sea exploded like a boiling pot. Huge waves surged in all directions.
A terrifying behemoth emerged from the deep.
"Holy crap, it's enormous!"
"What the hell did this thing eat to get that size!?"
"Captain... is that what we're here for?!"
The girls were stunned. This creature dwarfed islands.
With a roar, the Lantern Fish surged upward. Its glowing lantern shimmered brighter than gold.
On her warship, Vice Admiral Doa stared in disbelief.
"What in the world...?"
Even with all her years of naval experience, she had never seen light like this.
"Full speed! Head toward it!" she ordered sharply.
But by the time they reached the area, the Lantern Fish had already leaped—and in a flash, swallowed Renaud's entire ship whole.
But Renaud had been waiting.
Teleporting instantly, he appeared beside the monster and drew his blade—Wado Ichimonji.
Shhhhhh!
A blinding slash erupted, splitting the sea in two and sending shockwaves dozens of meters high. Sea Kings below were instantly torn apart, and blood dyed the ocean red.
Back on the Navy warship, Vice Admiral Doa swallowed hard.
"He... cut the sea... with a sword?"
Renaud had already teleported again, storing the Lantern Fish's glowing lure in his system's inventory just before it fell back into the sea.
This wasn't just any pirate—this was a man who had slain a Warlord of the Sea and carried a bounty of over 400 million Berries!
Doa began to panic.
She knew her role was to catch pirates—but only if she could win.
And against someone like him, there was no chance. Retreating was the only rational move.
Still shaken, she whispered to her helmsman. He nodded in terror and immediately turned the ship away.
But it was too late.
"You can't beat me," Renaud said calmly. "Come with me."
"Don't be ridiculous! I'm the commander of G-13! I would never yield to a pirate!"
Even as fear welled up, Doa's pride burned stronger.
"Men, attack!"
Bullets rained like a storm. But with a flicker of lightning, Renaud incinerated the soldiers with pinpoint strikes before they could blink.
Doa lunged, her Armament Haki-coated fist swinging hard.
Renaud didn't flinch.
He caught her wrist mid-air.
"You're brave," he said with a smile. "But I don't kill beautiful women."
And just like that, he teleported her onto his ship.
Under the warm lights of the living room, Doa looked around uneasily—surrounded by dozens of stunning women.
"What… what do you want from me?!"
"She's from that Navy warship earlier, right?" Nami asked, eyeing her up and down.
"That's right," Renaud answered simply.
"Captain, are you planning to add her to the crew?" someone teased, her gaze fixed on Doa's ample figure.
"Is that… a collar she's wearing?" Robin asked, narrowing her eyes. "Don't tell me you have some special kink?"
Doa blushed furiously but glared at them all.
"She's not like Tashigi," someone noted. "This one won't be fooled easily."
But Renaud was prepared. For stubborn Navy beauties like her, he had a special tool—the slave seal.
He stepped forward slowly.
Doa backed away, panic rising in her chest.
"What… are you planning to do?!"
Renaud only smiled.
Today was a lucky day indeed—two wins in one.
And as always, he never let go of a prize he set his eyes on.