Chapter 143: Side Quest, First Meeting with Moss Head! (Patreon)

New World, Whitebeard Pirates.

Ace was idly flipping through the latest newspaper delivered by the News Coo.

Suddenly, he flipped to an unusual bounty poster and paused.

He didn't care about the blank face or the single-character name.

What caught his attention was the note beneath the bounty.

"This person massacred the Arlong Pirates in the East Blue and brutally killed a Marine captain and eight soldiers from the 16th Branch..."

A hint of interest appeared on Ace's face. He murmured, "Looks like the East Blue has produced an interesting fellow. An initial bounty of 40 million Berries..."

"I wonder how Luffy's doing..."

With that, Ace gazed out at the sea, his mind wandering.

Aside from Ace, Ren's bounty poster didn't attract the slightest attention in the Grand Line.

40 million Berries might seem like a lot, but in the Grand Line, it simply wasn't enough to stand out.

In the East Blue, however, Ren's bounty poster caused quite a stir.

East Blue, Foosha Village, Party's Bar.

This was Makino's bar, the only one in the village, always bustling with activity.

Someone noticed the latest newspaper and bounty posters on the counter and began flipping through them.

Then, a startled cry rang out, "Whoa! The East Blue has produced a big-time pirate! His initial bounty is 40 million Berries!"

Everyone immediately began discussing it.

"Really? 40 million Berries?"

"That high? I thought Krieg, the so-called overlord of the East Blue, only had a bounty of 17 million?"

"Hey, why is there no photo on this poster?"

"Seriously, just a single-character name. That's strange."

...

In a corner, Luffy, who was stuffing his mouth with meat, was drawn by the commotion.

Without hesitation, he stretched his arm, grabbed Ren's bounty poster, and studied it while eating.

Luffy's eyes lit up as he exclaimed, "Amazing!"

"I've decided. I want this guy to be my crewmate!"

The villagers in the bar had long since gotten used to Luffy's Gum-Gum Fruit ability.

Hearing his words, they burst into laughter.

"Luffy, are you still half-asleep?"

"You're not still thinking of becoming a pirate, are you? Watch out for your grandpa's Fist of Love!"

"Just eat your meat. Meat has everything you need."

"He's already a major pirate. Why would he join you?"

"There's no picture and only a single-character name. How are you going to find him on the vast sea?"

...

Luffy didn't mind the teasing. Flashing a wide grin, he laughed, "Hahaha! Just you wait. I'm definitely making that guy my crewmate!"

Luffy had been planning to set sail in the next few days, but he hadn't been able to get a ship.

Now he had made up his mind. He would set out today. As for a ship... a barrel would do just fine.

…

East Blue, Shells Town.

Zoro, who was working as a bounty hunter, arrived in town and headed straight to the Marine bounty posting office to look for his next target.

As he was scanning the wanted posters, a Marine walked over with a new one and pinned it to the board.

Zoro's eyes skimmed over it instinctively, about to move on.

No photo, only a single-character name. Too much trouble to track down. Not worth a mere 40 million Berries...

Suddenly, something clicked. Zoro's gaze snapped back to the bounty amount. He counted under his breath.

"One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand, million..."

His pupils sharply constricted. His voice trembled slightly.

"10 million...!?"

"It's actually 40 million Berries!?"

Zoro felt his blood begin to boil. A fierce fighting spirit blazed in his eyes.

He made up his mind. He would hunt down this "Ren" as his next target.

He couldn't wait to cross blades with him.

Grrrrr~

His stomach growled, forcing him to suppress his surging battle lust.

You can't fight on an empty stomach.

Zoro headed straight for the nearest restaurant.

He planned to eat, stock up on supplies, and immediately set out to track down "Ren."

…

Meanwhile, the Death Sailboat docked at Shells Town's harbor.

Ren disembarked with Nami, intending to grab some food and resupply.

Three days had passed since leaving Cocoyasi Village. In the scorching weather, perishables like meat had already run out. It was time to restock.

With a thought, Ren summoned his level status panel.

[Level: 8 (75/90)]

Over the past three days, thanks to Nami's excellent navigation, their voyage through the East Blue had been smooth.

By hunting pirates, bandits, and wild beasts, Ren had successfully raised his level to 8.

Unlike the Gilgamesh Character Template, the Yamamoto Template's abilities underwent a qualitative leap every 10 levels.

He wasn't far from Level 10.

He wondered whether reaching Level 10 would allow his Asauchi to evolve into a Zanpakutō.

Nami, clinging to Ren's arm, enthusiastically pointed at a nearby spot.

"Ren, there's a restaurant over there with quite a crowd. Let's go grab something to eat."

Ren had no objections. Nami led him toward the restaurant.

What Ren didn't expect was that he spotted a familiar moss-headed figure inside.

Before he could react, a vicious wolf howl echoed from nearby.

It was followed by a little girl's terrified scream and the ensuing chaos.

Ren looked toward the commotion and saw a blond youth with a cleft chin, dressed in a purple suit, wearing an amused, arrogant expression.

Ahead of him, a little girl was being toyed with by a wolf.

Ren had been wanting to determine the timeline.

Now he had finally confirmed it.

This was the early arc, when Zoro saved Rika, the little girl being harassed by Helmeppo, Captain Morgan's son, and was subsequently arrested by the Marines.

"Help! Somebody helps me!" Rika screamed helplessly.

Her mother tried to rush to her, but was stopped by the Marines Helmeppo had brought.

Suddenly, a notification from the Myriad Worlds Paradise sounded in Ren's mind.

[Side Quest Triggered: Rika's Cry for Help. Accept the quest?]

[Quest Reward: 100 Myriad Points.]

Ren blinked. He hadn't expected to trigger a Side Quest.

Before he could think further, he felt Nami cling tighter to his arm, calling out anxiously,

"Ren!"

Ren gently ruffled her hair reassuringly, signaling her to let go, then slowly made his way toward the wolf.

Zoro, who had been about to act, noticed Ren.

His gaze sharpened slightly.

A warning rang through his instincts.

That kid... was no ordinary person.