Chapter 74 — Secrets in Fur and Blood
S.C. 1510 — Early December
Foosha Village — Forest Edge
Zemo darted between bushes, nose twitching, fur bristling as he sniffed every tree root like he was solving a grand mystery.
Ren followed with a small basket of herbs, watching the fox zigzag like an arrow with no target.
"You're acting suspicious," Ren said.
Zemo froze mid-step—then immediately pretended he had stopped because he wanted to, not because he'd been caught.
Ren narrowed his eyes.
There was something odd about Zemo today.
Usually, Zemo explored.
Today, Zemo patrolled.
He was moving with purpose, nose low, ears rotating even at the faintest rustle. Every few moments he sniffed the air sharply, then returned to Ren's side, pressing close—too close.
Ren crouched and checked the fox's fur, patting him gently.
"No injuries…" he muttered. "Then what's going on?"
Zemo looked up at him with eyes that held more intelligence than any normal fox should possess. Not unnatural intelligence—just… sharper. Focused.
Zemo pushed his head into Ren's hand, as if urging him deeper into the forest.
"Fine. Lead."
They walked deeper until Zemo stopped beside a giant fallen log. He pawed at the bark. Ren leaned in and saw faint claw marks—fresh, jagged, wide.
Not Zemo's.
Something bigger had passed through earlier.
Ren's breath slowed.
"Another predator?"
Zemo's tail puffed up like a feather duster.
"But you sensed it before I did," Ren whispered. "You dragged me away before we crossed its path."
Zemo dipped his head once—confirmation.
Ren stared at him.
"You knew. Before any noise, before any sign, you already knew."
The fox looked away slightly, as if shy about the truth.
Ren placed a hand on his furry companion's shoulder.
"You're more than you look, aren't you?"
Zemo didn't answer with a bark this time. Instead, he pressed his forehead gently against Ren's wrist—a silent, intimate affirmation.
A Bond Ren Didn't Expect
Ren sat on the log, the forest quiet around them.
Zemo curled at his feet but kept his ears twitching, hyperaware, alert.
"You have instincts far beyond a normal fox," Ren murmured. "Hidden senses? Bloodline traits? Or just… a different kind of intelligence?"
Zemo lifted his head as if saying, All of the above.
Ren chuckled quietly.
"You're full of secrets, aren't you?"
Zemo climbed into Ren's lap, something he rarely did in the forest, as if showing trust—showing that whatever lurked out there no longer threatened them.
And Ren understood the truth more clearly now:
Zemo wasn't just fast or stealthy.
He wasn't just loyal.
He had something in his blood—something that made him special.
A natural gift.
A hidden lineage.
A quiet power.
Something Ren could learn from.
A Spark of an Idea
On the walk back, Ren's thoughts spiraled—not in fear, but in inspiration.
Zemo sensed dangers miles away.
Zemo tracked scents like a tracker born from shadows.
Zemo survived the predator attack that nearly killed him.
"What if…" Ren whispered, "I study the traits you have? Your senses? Your biology? Your instincts?"
Not to copy.
Not to replicate.
But to understand.
Because if Zemo could be this sharp without training…
Then so could Ren.
Not in the same way—but in a way that mattered.
A different kind of power.
A power of awareness, observation, instinct—earned, not inherited.
Zemo bumped Ren's knee, as if approving the idea.
Back to the Village
When they reached Foosha's outskirts, Luffy was in the distance chasing a chicken with no hope of catching it.
"COME BACK! I JUST WANT TO TALK!"
The chicken strongly disagreed.
Ren watched the chaos with a tired smile.
Zemo sat beside him, tail sweeping the ground slowly.
"Maybe power isn't just about swinging a sword," Ren murmured. "Maybe it's also about what you sense, what you see coming."
Zemo barked once—agreement.
Ren placed a hand on the fox's head.
"Let's learn from each other."
Zemo licked his hand in response.
A silent oath.
A shared future.
A secret in fur and blood.
End of Chapter 74