G–5 Branch, the artificial beach.
The sunlight was as generous as ever, the sea breeze gentle as always, only the air still carried faint traces of gunpowder… and the metallic scent of a lot of money.
Renzo lay on his personal beach chair, sunglasses covering most of his face. Only the slight rise and fall of his chest proved he was still "present" in this world.
Kizaru, fully satisfied after getting his double reimbursement forms, and a week's worth of snacks Sanji packed for him, had already left on a warship to "report back to HQ."
At the docks, the G–5 marines were enthusiastically hauling in all the "sincirety" Doflamingo had paid. Every single one of them wore a heartfelt, blissful smile.
After all, thanks to Admiral Renzo's generosity each of them was receiving enough bonus money to go home, build a house, and get married.
Only Monet looked a little conflicted watching the treasure that once belonged to her Young Master being divided up, though her expression soon settled again.
The Young Master was gone. She was now Admiral Haiiroyo's personal secretary, nothing more.
Ain stood nearby, meticulously supervising the inventory and logging of every Berry, making sure every piece was properly recorded.
Though she strongly suspected her admiral did not care about these numbers in the slightest.
Everything seemed to return to that peculiar G–5 version of "peace", the kind that constantly danced on the edge of disorder.
However, Renzo's mood was nowhere near as calm as it appeared.
He looked like he was sleeping, but in truth, his Observation Haki had spread like an ultra-precise net, covering the entire base.
He "heard" the marines celebrating their bonuses;
He "heard" Sanji in the kitchen humming excitedly over a new ingredient;
He "heard" the soft rustling of Ain flipping through documents;
He even "heard" Rehn guiding his little sister Lily through her careful, clumsy rehabilitation training on the distant field, their cautious breathing patterns clearly in his ears.
Everything was good.
Except… for the occasional "noise."
Like a few minutes ago, when two marines started arguing over the ownership of a crate of rare fruits.
Tibeard had quickly slammed them both into the ground, but their bickering still buzzed annoyingly like flies in Renzo's ears.
"Tch…"
Renzo clicked his tongue internally, irritated.
It seemed that money and rules weren't enough to eliminate all the trouble.
G–5 was simply too close to the chaotic waters of the New World.
And his subordinates…
He "looked", in his mind, at Potts, who was trying to pick up a document from the ground but nearly tripped over himself in the process.
Then he looked at Ain, excellent swordsmanship, strange ability, but clearly lacking in raw physical power.
Then at Sanji, who, aside from cooking and flirting, seemed uninterested in literally anything else.
And the newcomer, Rehn, loyal, quick-witted, but combat-wise… mediocre at best.
For the first time, Renzo clearly realized a brutal truth:
His core team was world-class… in administration and logistics.
But when it came to dealing with sudden problems that required raw power?
They were far too weak.
He couldn't personally act every time a slightly stronger enemy appeared.
That would be embarrassing.
And it would destroy his entire physlosphy of sloth.
More importantly… it would be too troublesome.
Once that thought formed, Renzo immediately began thinking of solutions.
And that was when he remembered the ornate wooden box he had casually tossed into a corner of his office, using it as a table leg wedge because it fit perfectly.
Inside was the "sincerity" Doflamingo had offered to buy back Monet:
A rare, extremely precious… Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit.
With a thought, the fragrant wooden box appeared in Renzo's hand as if teleported.
He opened it. Inside lay the spiraling, shimmering fruit, glowing faintly with rainbow hues like a coiled dragon.
Who should eat it?
Renzo didn't need long to decide.
Sanji?
No.
As a Vinsmoke, he carried modified genetic factors. Eating a Devil Fruit could cause unpredictable conflicts, and might even strip away his natural physical gifts.
Besides, Sanji's true strength lay in his cooking, his kicks, and the future enhancements he would inevitably awaken from his lineage.
A Devil Fruit would be a burden, not a boon.
Ain?
Impossible. She already had the Return-Return Fruit.
Eating another would simply make her explode, too troublesome.
Rehn?
Not a terrible option.
He was loyal, clever, and had a solid base. A Mythical Zoan would skyrocket his power and turn him into a proper meat shield and loudspeaker.
But he was still a newcomer.
A Mythical Zoan wasn't something you threw at a new recruit.
That left one person.
Renzo's gaze landed on the flustered man trying to sort the documents:
Potts.
Potts, one of Renzo's earliest followers.
Loyalty unquestionable.
To the point of blind devotion.
Strength?
Barely measurable.
In the New World, he was below average.
In other words, the perfect candidate for enhancement.
By turning Potts into a powerhouse, Renzo would gain a perfectly loyal, strong, durable, multitasking bodyguard, butler hybrid.
Next time some clueless goons came to cause trouble in G–5, Potts could smack them into the horizon while Renzo stayed on his beach chair.
Perfect.
It was the ultimate "sloth economics" investment.
"Potts."
Renzo called out lazily.
"Yes! Admiral!" Potts jolted, hurriedly dropped his papers, and jogged over, saluting straight-backed.
Renzo casually tossed the shimmering Mythical Zoan fruit at him like tossing a regular apple.
"Here. Eat this."
"Eh?"
Potts barely caught it. He stared at the strange, glowing fruit, then at Renzo, his expression frozen in bewilderment.
"This… this is… the Devil Fruit Doflamingo sent?!"
Of course he recognized a legendary Devil Fruit, but he couldn't believe Renzo would throw something so precious at him like it was nothing.
"Mm." Renzo nodded, as casually as saying.
"Mythical Zoan. Eat it and get stronger."
"F-for… me?"
Potts trembled. It felt like a dream.
"Who else?" Renzo frowned. "You think I want you to use it as a fruit bowl?"
"Hurry up and eat it. Then go find Rehn, he'll train you. Get familiar with your new abilities ASAP. From now on, all the petty little problems around the base, handle them yourself."
"Stop bothering me with every tiny thing. It's exhausting."
Potts looked at the fruit… then at Renzo's face, which clearly said "eat it quickly, you're interrupting my nap."
His eyes instantly reddened.
He understood the value of this fruit.
He understood the trust behind the gift.
And… perhaps the expectation.
"Y-Yes, Admiral Renzo!"
Potts straightened his back, shouting louder and firmer than he ever had in his life.
Without hesitation, he opened his mouth and bit into the Devil Fruit, whose flavor was notorious across the world.
The taste hit instantly: a horrifying mixture of sewer sludge and expired cheese, exploding across his tongue.
"URGH!"
Potts nearly vomited on the spot, but he forced himself to swallow the entire fruit whole.
The next second-
A vast, ancient, primordial force erupted from deep within his body.
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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