Successfully persuading Shimotsuki Kozaburo made the rest of the matters much easier.
Over the next few days, Shimotsuki Kozaburo began discussing the style, blade dimensions, forging materials, and other details of the Supreme Grade Swords with Renault and Linlin.
After all, Renault and Linlin had different body types, so the two swords couldn't be made exactly the same. Moreover, everyone had their own preferences; what Renault liked might not be what Linlin liked, and vice versa.
It took a full seven days, revising and refining countless times, before the matter was finally settled.
"Senior Kozaburo, I leave these two Great Grade Swords in your hands. Linlin and these men will stay here to assist you with the forging."
"If there is anything they can help with, please feel free to assign tasks to them."
Renault pointed to Linlin and the ten guards behind her.
"Don't worry. Since I agreed to help you, I will naturally give it my all."
"However, forging two Supreme Grade Swords is by no means an easy task. It will take at least a few months. You must wait patiently," Kozaburo said truthfully.
"No problem." Renault waved his hand, unconcerned. He could afford to wait a few months.
"Brother, do I really have to stay here?? Rocks and the Marines are eyeing the Cast Kingdom covetously. If they attack during this time, you guys..." Linlin hesitated.
It wasn't that she didn't trust the strength of Renault and their partners, but having one more person meant a better chance of winning. Besides, her strength was ranked second in the Renault Pirates. Her contribution in battle went without saying.
"You don't need to worry. Just help Senior Kozaburo forge these two Supreme Grade Swords properly during this time. I will handle the matters of the Cast Kingdom."
"By the way."
Renault, who had been quite casual just a moment ago, suddenly became serious. He looked at Linlin and emphasized each word: "Linlin, during this time, you must listen to Senior Kozaburo, understood??"
"If I find out you disrespected Senior..."
At this point, Renault's eyes narrowed subconsciously.
He knew his own family best. Except for him, Linlin didn't spoil anyone. Never mind outsiders, even Jace and Hajrudin in the pirate crew had been beaten up by Linlin countless times. And they couldn't do anything about it since Linlin was stronger than them.
If Kozaburo angered Linlin over some trivial matter during the forging process, Linlin wouldn't care about the consequences. Of course, she wouldn't hurt Kozaburo, but she might just quit on the spot.
"Oh... I know." Warned by Renault, Linlin lowered her head like a child admitting a mistake.
"I've left the remaining gold in the submarine. Once the Supreme Grade Swords are finished, give it to Senior Kozaburo for me."
Although he wouldn't be here, this was Kozaburo's one chance to make a name for himself across the seas. Renault believed he would be even more diligent and attentive to detail when forging these two swords. So, he wasn't worried about the quality.
Now, he just had to wait patiently for a few months for the swords to be born.
"Brother, why don't you stay a few more days?" Linlin tugged at the corner of Renault's clothes, looking reluctant to part.
Ever since following Renault from Elbaf, she had never been separated from him for such a long time. Linlin, who was used to snuggling up to Renault, felt a bit sad; even strawberry cake didn't seem appetizing anymore.
"Don't worry. A few months will pass quickly." Renault patted Linlin's head and comforted her softly.
"Senior Kozaburo, I'll leave it to you then."
Renault didn't want to linger any longer, or Linlin might actually start crying.
"Understood. I guarantee I won't disappoint you." Kozaburo waved his hand.
Renault nodded slightly, then piloted the Golden Ark and left the place.
He had given all the necessary instructions. With wolves surrounding Cast, he couldn't stay here too long.
During these few days, besides discussing the details of the swords with Kozaburo, he had maintained constant contact with Rogue. According to the news from Rogue, neither the Marines nor Rocks had made any moves.
Furthermore, Rocks hadn't appeared in the newspapers for several days, as if he had suddenly vanished.
"What the hell is that guy up to??" Renault frowned, falling into deep thought.
Since he rejected Rocks' invitation, Wang Zhi must have notified him immediately. But nearly half a month had passed, and Rocks hadn't made a move, which was suspicious.
It wasn't that Renault wanted Rocks to come cause trouble, but given that guy's vengeful personality, coming for revenge would be in character. Not coming was actually strange.
"Could it be??" Renault suddenly thought of something, and his eyes lit up.
If he remembered correctly, Whitebeard had just joined the Rocks Pirates a few days ago, becoming one of their Division Commanders.
In the original lineup, among the famous powerhouses, only Stussy, Kaido, and the Golden Lion Shiki hadn't joined the Rocks Pirates yet.
Kaido hadn't come into his own yet and was likely still grinding levels somewhere unknown. The remaining ones were Stussy and the Golden Lion.
If his guess was correct, Rocks must have gone to find these two, or one of them.
After all, the location of the Cast Kingdom was fixed; Renault couldn't run away. But Stussy and the Golden Lion were different, especially the Golden Lion.
His Float-Float Fruit ability made him destined to be the hardest pirate to catch. If the Golden Lion was determined to run, unless several powerhouses besieged him, no one could catch him.
"Hehehehe... The great pirates are emerging one after another. This is getting more and more interesting."
Renault was looking forward to it more and more. He really wondered who would be stronger when he and Rocks finally faced each other?!
...
...
200 meters in the air, on the Golden Ark.
[Ding! Congratulations Host for reading "The Odyssey". Navigation Points increased by 10,000!]
Renault remained calm at the system notification that suddenly appeared in his mind; he was already used to it.
He gently closed the book in front of him, stood up, and stretched comfortably.
He had been flying for five days. In another day or so, he would be back in the Kingdom of Cast.
Fortunately, he had stocked the Golden Ark with a large collection of ancient books and classics beforehand. Even though he was alone, he wasn't bored.
Gaining Navigation Points while enriching his knowledge and broadening his horizons—it was killing two birds with one stone.
"Hey, have you heard? Apparently, there's going to be a Devil Fruit at the auction on the Sabaody Archipelago this time!!"
"For real??"
"Of course it's true. I've already asked around. A lot of people are heading there for that Devil Fruit."
"Do you know what kind of fruit it is??"
"That, I don't know."
"Let's go check out the excitement too. Maybe we'll have a chance."
"..."
"A Devil Fruit?!!" Renault rubbed his chin, deep in thought.
His Observation Haki had clearly picked up the conversation of the pirates below.
"Sabaody Archipelago is auctioning a Devil Fruit?!"
"That's rare!"
Treasures like Devil Fruits, which could instantly boost one's strength upon consumption, were usually eaten immediately by whoever found them. It was rare to see one up for auction.
From the pirates' conversation, Renault didn't get any concrete information about the fruit itself.
It could be a rare and precious fruit, or it could be an extremely common one. The sea was vast, but Devil Fruits were pitifully scarce. Even the most common Zoan-type fruit would be a hot commodity if put up for auction, attracting thousands to fight for it.
After considering it for a moment, Renault decided to go take a look.
If it turned out to be a god-tier fruit, missing it would be a sin. If it was just an ordinary fruit, he wouldn't lose anything.
The nearly half-month of peace made him fairly certain that neither Rocks nor the Marines would make a move on the Kingdom of Cast in the short term.
The Marines wanted to borrow a knife to kill a man—letting him and Rocks fight like the snipe and the clam so the fisherman could profit. But what they didn't expect was that Rocks had gone to the East Blue to find the Golden Lion.
Thinking of this, Renault changed course and flew towards the Sabaody Archipelago.
Compared to the distance between Cast and Wano Country, the distance between Cast and Sabaody was much shorter. With the Golden Ark's speed, a round trip would only take about three days.
...
Sabaody Archipelago.
This place seemed never to change.
"Bustling" was the main theme here. Merchants, pirates, bandits, mafia, and bounty hunters from all over the world could be seen everywhere. Rare races seldom seen elsewhere—Giants, Minks, Longarm Tribe—were also present in significant numbers.
Even if two pirate crews clashed and a massive battle broke out one day, the next day, the place would still be crowded with people, as if nothing had happened.
...
Somewhere in the Underground Colosseum.
Crack!Crack!
"You useless trash! Isn't the strength of you Fish-Men supposed to be ten times that of humans??"
"Why did you lose to a human??"
The Celestial Dragon Saint Charlos (Note: Likely an ancestor or relative given the timeline, possibly Saint Shalma/Chalmers based on transliteration) continuously swung a silver whip dipped in saltwater, ruthlessly lashing the Fish-Man in front of him.
The Fish-Man was already covered in cuts and bruises, curling up his body and howling in pain.
"Hahahaha... Saint Charlos, don't be angry. My slave here was a notorious pirate captain, but since I ruined his face, you just don't recognize him," said Saint Neymar, crossing his legs leisurely.
"You did well. This is your reward." Saint Neymar glanced faintly at the slave before him and tossed a piece of raw beef from a plate onto the ground.
The slave, whose face was covered in knife scars, had eyes that lit up. He immediately pounced on the meat, devouring it hungrily without caring about the raw smell.
"I don't care about that! A loss is a loss! You useless trash, just wait until we get back! See how I torture you!!!"
Saint Charlos looked at the slave at his feet with venomous eyes and couldn't resist landing another whip strike. The weakened slave had completely passed out.
"Damn it, now I've lost all interest." Panting from exhaustion, Saint Charlos threw the whip aside and sat down next to Saint Neymar.
"Enough. It's just a slave. No need to get angry over them."
"The auction starts tomorrow. There's going to be a mermaid you like. Isn't that something to be happy about??"
Hearing "mermaid," Saint Charlos's eyes instantly glowed green with lust. He rubbed his hands together, revealing an extremely lecherous smile.
"That's right. That is indeed something to be happy about."
"Mermaids... they are my favorite slaves."
Seeming to recall past experiences, Saint Charlos licked his lips, smiling in an indescribable way.
"You know? When my whip hits their bodies, the sounds they make are truly wonderful."
"It's really addictive!!"
"It's a pity they aren't durable. They die after just a few days of playing."
Saint Neymar glanced at him and sneered, "With your methods, it's a miracle they last a few days."
"Once you get that one tomorrow, go easy on her. That way you can play for a couple more days."
"You're right." Saint Charlos nodded in deep agreement.
Mermaids were rare to begin with, and those that could be caught were even fewer. Even he hadn't played with many. Now that he had finally encountered another one, he naturally wanted to enjoy it for a few more days.
"But Saint Neymar, you really are strange."
Saint Charlos suddenly changed the subject, looking at Saint Neymar with a frown.
"We are all interested in slaves, but you prefer collecting Devil Fruits. What do you want those useless things for??!"
Other Celestial Dragons had at least a hundred slaves from different races. They usually passed the time by torturing them. But Saint Neymar was different.
He had the fewest slaves among all the Celestial Dragons, but he had a hobby that no other Celestial Dragon shared.
Collecting Devil Fruits.
Up to now, in his palace, there were at least dozens of Devil Fruits. Some were extremely rare, others common.
"Just a hobby. You wouldn't understand." Saint Neymar didn't want to explain too much.
Although he collected many Devil Fruits, he never ate them himself. Nor did he give them to the CP0 agents around him. He even built a luxurious room specifically to display them.
"I don't get you. Whatever, do as you please. I still prefer my mermaids."
Thinking that he could own a mermaid slave tomorrow, Saint Charlos couldn't stop the drool from leaking out of the corner of his mouth.
...
The Next Day.
When Renault arrived, there were still two hours before the auction started.
The scene before him was almost the same as eight years ago. Shops were everywhere, filled with dazzling arrays of goods. The sounds of hawkers shouting their wares were endless.
Having a clear goal, Renault didn't linger.
When he entered the auction venue, only the seats on the fringes were left. The places with the best view, closest to the central stage, were already packed.
Renault didn't mind this; he didn't want to attract too much attention anyway. After the last incident, his bounty poster had spread throughout the New World. If he acted too high-profile and drew attention, he would definitely be recognized.
It wasn't that he was afraid, but trouble was something best avoided if possible. Too much of it did him no good.
Of course, if the Devil Fruit today satisfied him, exposing his identity wouldn't matter. Even though this place was close to Marineford, with his speed, by the time the Marine powerhouses arrived, he would have vanished without a trace.
Taking advantage of the time before the auction started, Renault expanded his Observation Haki and began to survey the venue.
Compared to eight years ago, this place had obviously been renovated. The decoration was more luxurious, and the space had nearly doubled. Behind the scenes, he also sensed multiple powerful and steady auras—likely the venue's bouncers.
In the seating area, Renault spotted many famous pirates. Although they couldn't compare to guys like Whitebeard or the Golden Lion, they were overlords in their own right, dominating their respective patches of the sea.
There were also some dressed as merchants, with a beauty in each arm, the women in their embrace constantly casting flirtatious glances.
Renault swept his gaze over them with a lack of interest.
"To attract so many big-shot pirates... are they all here for this Devil Fruit??"
Looking around, Renault recognized at least seven or eight pirates. Not to mention the many he didn't recognize. Among them, there were certainly some strong individuals.
"Hey, do you know what Devil Fruit is being auctioned today?"
The other pirate shook his head in response to his companion's question. "I don't know."
"Their secrecy is too good. No one knows yet. A lot of people came here today just for this fruit, but I figure it can't be too bad, right?"
"Who knows? We'll find out soon enough!"
...
Discussions like this were happening in every corner of the venue.
But what surprised Renault was that not a single person knew which Devil Fruit it was.