One Piece: With Sign-in System

"So this is your current strength?!"

The burly old man with short purple hair and sunglasses roared at Ron.

His voice was as deep and heavy as iron.

The force of his descending attack suddenly surged!

The wooden deck beneath Ron's feet cracked and shattered instantly, his legs sinking into the splintered remains.

The air between them groaned under the sheer weight of their clash, straining like the deck beneath them.

Ron felt the terrifying pressure from the mechanical crusher smashing down on him and sighed helplessly. "Don't go breaking my ship."

"Then catch my fists properly, brat!"

The burly old man's massive mechanical arm suddenly flared open at the rear, unleashing a powerful jet of propulsion. The force behind the descending crusher instantly doubled!

Ron immediately activated Essence of strength. His right arm alone released waves of blood-red steam, swirling with blistering heat, coiling around his fist, which had turned jet-black under the hardened Armament Haki. His power surged dramatically!

BOOM!

The entire ship trembled violently! A massive shockwave erupted outward, forcing Robin and the others to clutch onto the railings just to remain standing. The tables on the deck were blown away, and even several trees showed signs of being uprooted!

As the gusts dispersed—

Ron, with his black hair billowing wildly, had his fist pressed firmly against the front of the enormous crusher, stopping the attack completely! No matter how much force the machine exerted, it could not move an inch forward!

Seeing this, a flash of shock and nostalgia crossed the burly old man's eyes behind his sunglasses.

"That boy from back then... has grown to this level already..."

"I really have gotten old..."

Slowly, he retracted his Seastone-crafted mechanical crusher, removed his sunglasses with his good left hand, and looked straight at Ron. "It's been a while, kid."

Ron, eyes still closed, nodded with a smile. "Yeah, it has. Seven years, right? Zephyr."

Hearing this name, Robin's eyes widened in shock.

"Zephyr... You mean that Black Arm Zephyr?!"

"The former Admiral of the Marines?!"

"Wha—?! A Marine Admiral?!"

Conis and Bonney gasped in disbelief, while Enzo had beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Instinctively, he shifted into a fighting stance. Kuina, her expression grave, gripped the hilt of her sword tightly.

Zephyr glanced at them, his gaze pausing on Enzo for a brief moment, a flicker of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"So, this is that rumored talking Dugong on your ship, the one who's mastered both Haki and martial arts?"

Enzo froze.

This former Marine Admiral... actually knew about him?!

"His name is Enzo. He's my disciple," Ron replied with a smirk.

Zephyr let out a small sigh. "To think you'd take a Dugong as a disciple... You really don't do things the ordinary way, huh?"

Suddenly, his expression darkened.

A powerful aura erupted from his body, radiating an overwhelming pressure that pressed down on everyone present.

"Kid… what's with your eyes?"

"Not blind," Ron answered with a grin, eyes still closed. "Just training my Observation Haki."

Ron, eyes still closed, smiled at him.

Zephyr was momentarily stunned by his response. But after a brief moment of careful observation, he noticed the subtle aura of Observation Haki surrounding Ron's body.

A grin spread across his face, and in an instant, the suffocating pressure vanished.

"Training Observation Haki this way? Haha, only you would come up with something like that!"

"So, how effective is this method?"

Before Ron could answer—

A woman's voice called out from the distance.

"Zephyr!"

A ship slowly approached.

Robin, Kuina, and Conis turned their gazes toward it. On the deck stood a striking young beauty—ocean-blue wavy hair cascading over her shoulders, a black cloak draped over her figure, and a pistol and sword hanging from her waist.

"That voice… Ain?"

Ron turned his head in the direction of the ship.

On the other side, Ain had also spotted him, standing before Zephyr. Her sharp, dazzling eyes widened slightly.

"Ro… Ron?"

As the ships drew closer—

Ain leaped, landing gracefully on their deck.

"Ron!"

Ignoring the surprised expressions of Kuina, Robin, and the others, Ain strode directly toward him, her face brimming with joy.

"Ain… It's been a long time."

Ron smiled as he faced her, eyes still closed.

"Yeah, it really has… You've grown so tall…"

She had barely started speaking when she suddenly noticed his eyes. Her expression stiffened.

"Your eyes…?"

"It's nothing."

Ron dismissed her concern with a casual wave before turning in Conis's direction.

"Conis, could you prepare something to eat? We have guests today."

"Got it."

"We'll help too," Robin added, pulling Bonney—who was standing off to the side, arms crossed—toward the kitchen with her.

"I'll get some sake," Kuina announced, heading toward the storage room.

"I'll come with you," Enzo followed closely behind.

Now, only Ron, Zephyr, Ain, and the Cloud fox, Su, remained on the deck.

…

Inside the kitchen, as she tied her apron, Conis chuckled. "It's been a while since we've had guests on this ship. Looks like today's going to be lively."

Bonney, helping set up, muttered with a hint of disbelief, "Guests? That's a former Marine Admiral out there… The 'Black Arm Zephyr,' the one known as the Admiral Who Doesn't Kill. Even I've heard of him."

She shook her head. "I never imagined he'd have such a close relationship with our captain."

Robin, tying the back of Conis's apron, mused, "Perhaps they met back when Ron was a special recruit in the Marines."

Bonney frowned. "But that was years ago, right? Right now, our captain is one of the World Government's most wanted criminals. Zephyr was a Marine Admiral… Who's to say he won't make a move against us?"

She glanced at Robin. "Shouldn't we be more cautious?"

Robin thought for a moment.

"…For now, let's just see what the captain decides."

…

On the deck.

Ron invited Zephyr and Ain to sit at the table.

Kuina and Enzo brought over some bottles of Wine, set them down on the table, and quietly left without interrupting their conversation.

Ron glanced at Ain with some surprise. "So it's not just you, Zephyr… Ain, you and Binz also left the Marines?"

Ain smiled and nodded. "Yes, with Zephyr. Our mission is to hunt down pirates."

"I see."

Ron picked up the Wine bottle from the table and took a sip.

For a moment, silence settled between them. Perhaps there was nothing more to say.

After a few seconds, Zephyr finally broke the stillness.

"Brat, I've already heard about your attacks on Mary Geoise and Marineford. Now that you've reached the New World, what's next? Are you planning to challenge the Four Emperors and become the Fifth Emperor of the seas?"

Ron chuckled. "And if I said yes, what would you do, Zephyr?"

Zephyr clenched the massive mechanical crusher that replaced his right hand and let out a cold laugh.

"Then I would destroy this ship without hesitation… and break both of your legs."

"That would be quite troublesome."

Ron smiled and casually handed him a bottle.

"Fortunately, I have no interest in becoming the Fifth Emperor. Looks like I won't have to make an enemy of you, Zephyr."

Zephyr's sharp gaze narrowed. "You don't want to be the Fifth Emperor?"

Then his voice turned harsh. "Tell me—are you after the Pirate King's throne instead?"

Ron let out a sigh, a hint of helplessness in his expression.

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