Ren dragged the corpse down to the first floor of the grocery store, then went back to the scene and roughly covered the bloodstains with dirt and grass.
When he returned, a pale figure wobbled up from the staircase—Mondo.
"Keya… save me…"
Mondo coughed up blood, bracing himself against the wall, his crimson-stained hand pointing to the bullet hole in his abdomen. "I was shot scouting the way for you… you can't just leave me to die."
He knew his life was in Keya's hands. If the other didn't treat him, he was done for.
"You're still alive? Tough luck."Ren glanced at him and shook his head. "Buddy, are we really friends? If we are, then why did you come here with those bastards?"
"I-I told you already, didn't I? I was worried about you, so I followed."Mondo stubbornly stuck to his original excuse.
It was normal that Keya had changed.If he had eaten a Devil Fruit, he'd be arrogant too. Forget being a crime boss—He'd just go full superhero mode!
But he still believed that even if Keya had changed, it wouldn't be that much.Good people—no matter how much pain the world gives them—always hesitate when someone pleads for help.They can't easily change their kindness.
That's why they're easy to take advantage of.
Unfortunately, Mondo hadn't realized that the "good friend" standing before him was no longer the same person inside.The shell was the same, but the soul within was not.
"Boring. I don't have the energy to argue with you."Ren sighed, pulling out his flintlock pistol as he walked forward. "Remember, you still owe me tens of thousands of Beli. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have had to sell my home just to pay off those loan sharks."
Indeed, much of the original Keya's tragedy had stemmed from people who never repaid their debts.Perhaps the old Keya had forgiven them, believing they had their own hardships.Ren didn't share that sentiment.
"I really couldn't pay you back then! And I wasn't the only one who owed you. Keya, believe me, we're on the same side!"Mondo forced a smile, his hand quietly shifting behind his back.
"And now?"Ren's footsteps drew closer, his gaze sharp as a blade.
"I'm in this state—how could I possibly have anything left? Just save me, I'll pay you back later, I swear."Behind his back, Mondo's trembling fingers clenched the cold hilt of a dagger, eyes fixed on his "friend."
For some reason, he couldn't feel the pain anymore.
Ren suddenly stopped and smiled. "Actually, there's one more way—When a man dies, his debts die with him."
The black muzzle lifted in an instant. Fire flashed.Bang!
A hole bloomed in Mondo's forehead. He collapsed, the dagger slipping from his limp hand and clattering to the ground.
Ren stood silent—not because of the near-death ambush,but because—
"Wait… I was aiming for his chest. How did I hit his forehead?!"
He blinked, dumbfounded by his unexpected sharpshooting talent. Maybe his grip angle was off and the barrel tilted upward?
"Forget it. Time to clean up."
Ren dismissed the thought, picked up Mondo's dagger, and methodically finished off the rest of the wounded—those thugs and Nezuro alike—one by one.
He also stripped more than a hundred thousand Beli off their corpses.
"Less than expected… maybe they didn't bring it all?"
He stuffed the clean stack of notes into his shirt, pausing when he saw some stained red with blood.
He hesitated.
Just then, footsteps echoed rapidly outside.
Someone's here?At this hour?!
Ren stiffened, gripping his flintlock tightly. He was at his limit—his energy drained, the gun unloaded… and truth be told, he didn't even know how to reload it.
Knock knock.
A series of knocks sounded, followed by an impatient voice.
"What the hell's going on in there? Gunfire in the middle of the night? I'm on patrol, so I can pretend I didn't hear it—but what about the townsfolk? You wanna play games, do it at your dock warehouse! Keep it out of the residential area!"
The man outside sounded irritated but restrained—no foul language, just annoyance.
A Marine soldier?From the tone, Ren guessed the man's identity—a night-patrolling Marine, likely one of Nezuro's bought men, paid to turn a blind eye to their nightly crimes.
Damn. Trouble.
Even in a corrupt base like the 16th Branch, Marines were still trained fighters.In a world crawling with pirates, greed without strength was meaningless.Killing him would be risky.
Then let's gamble.
Ren cracked the door open just enough to slip through, stepping out with a calm expression.A thick bundle of Beli smacked right into the Marine's surprised face.
"The Godfather's still… playing. Moving locations would ruin the atmosphere."
Ren's voice was cold. He slapped the cash against the young Marine's cheek again, eyes like ice."So the boss's message is simple—take the money, and get lost."
"Th-This… for me?"The soldier swallowed hard, eyes glued to the crisp bills—at least tens of thousands.Clean, untorn.
Offended? Not at all.Who doesn't love money?
If he were rich, he wouldn't be wasting nights on patrol.If there was no "bonus," he'd never take jobs from that pompous Nezuro anyway.
But this "Godfather" sure was generous… ten thousand, maybe more, just like that.
If only this happened more often—
"Get. Lost."Ren shoved the thick bundle into the soldier's chest and kicked him away.
"Alright, alright! I'm going! Wouldn't dare disturb the Godfather's… fun."The Marine grinned, clutching his prize as he hurried off.
Ren watched him disappear into the night, then slipped back inside.He didn't know if that man would catch on or if more would come, so he had to move fast.
Dimensional Roulette, I want to recharge.
Ren stood before the pile of blood-soaked bills, lifting his right hand where the colorful wheel was engraved.
{Command received. Recharge initiated.}
The wheel on his hand shone with seven-colored light.Instantly, the sticky, blood-stained notes rose as if alive and flew into the glow.
What kind of process is this…?Ren stared as all eighty thousand Beli vanished in a blink.
He'd caught a glimpse—when the money went in, it disintegrated into dust, and something unseen, intangible, was drawn inside.
The concept of money itself? This thing might be far scarier than I thought.
The thought unsettled him, but what choice did he have?He was too weak to matter. If the roulette didn't need him, it could pick someone else.But if he lost the roulette, he'd never climb out of this hell.
So he'd take the risk—and make it count.
{Recharge complete. Current balance: 81,000 Beli.}
"Summon the Dimensional Roulette. I'm drawing."
Ren focused as the colorful wheel materialized before him.This time, he noticed its interface fully:
[Status Panel] [Lottery Wheel] [Accessory Slot]
Only three options—simple and clear.
The first he'd already seen.The second was the core—the power to change fate.The third… seemed like an expansion slot?
It can be upgraded?
He glanced at the Status Panel—and froze.
[Name: Ren]
[Age: 18]
[Race: Human]
[Strength: G++ / (G–)]
[Agility: H–]
[Constitution: G+ / (G–)]
[Luck: I+ ( ?+ ) — You have escaped your fated death. The Reaper's steps have retreated for now, but danger still looms. The interference of a "transmigrator factor" has created a faint chance of survival.]
[Charm: E]
[Trait: Qi]
His luck had improved.Ren frowned thoughtfully. So luck isn't absolute?And what was that "transmigrator factor interference"?
The question mark and plus sign hinted at something hidden… a possible turning point?Maybe the same mysterious power that had revived him in Keya's body—the warm, motherly sensation back then…
Or maybe just an illusion.
Whatever it is, not now.
He turned to the roulette.Hundreds of colored slots spun before his eyes.It was pure gambling.
Ren chuckled wryly. He'd always despised gambling.But that was a different life, in a different world.Surely the curse didn't follow him here.
He took a breath—and spun it.
Just once.
The roulette whirred rapidly, then flung out a flash of light.
{Result: Old Man's Underwear ×1}
…Wait, what?
Ren blinked as a wrinkled, foul-smelling pair of underwear appeared in his hand.
[Filthy Old Man's Underwear]
Origin: Serenity Retirement Home
Effect: Long-term use may cause infectious diseases.
"Damn it!"
Ren yelped, tossing it away like it was cursed—it landed squarely on Mondo's face.He wiped his hand on Nezuro's pant leg, muttering bitterly.
(End of Chapter)