— — — — — —
Crack crack crack!
Renzo's fingers tightened slightly—and just like that, Kuro's razor-sharp claws shattered completely, scattering across the ground.
Thanks to the skills he inherited from the Hero Renzo, the physical enhancements from the Knight Class were finally paying off.
Even without using Armament Haki, his body's defense had reached a whole new level.
Right at the moment Kuro's face twisted in shock and disbelief, Renzo raised one leg and slammed his foot straight into Kuro's stomach.
Boom!
Kuro felt a sharp, gut-wrenching pain in his abdomen, and before he could even react, the scenery around him blurred—he was flying through the air.
He was launched dozens of meters away, slamming hard into the wall of Kaya's estate.
A huge chunk of the wall collapsed from the impact, and Kuro crashed into the dirt, embedded deep into the ground before finally coming to a stop.
Coughing up blood, Kuro's face was full of disbelief. "How… how is he this strong?!"
Whoosh!
Renzo appeared in front of him again, raised his foot, and with one swift motion, stomped straight down on Kuro's head.
"Impact Kick!!"
BOOM!!
Kuro's entire head was smashed into the ground, the force crushing his skull and turning his brain into mush. Dead—completely, utterly dead.
The earth around the impact cracked from the sheer force.
"So… so strong!!"
Kaya and her loyal butler Merry, who had rushed to the window, saw the whole thing unfold and couldn't help but gasp in awe.
Renzo heard their voices, looked up, and gave Kaya a gentle smile.
With a graceful leap, he floated up to the windowsill and stepped inside.
He reached out and gently patted Kaya on the head. "Alright! Next up, let's go check on your parents and see what we can do about their condition."
"Mhm! Big bro, you're the best!" Kaya nodded obediently, her small hand grabbing onto Renzo's tightly, her eyes full of admiration.
In her heart, Renzo was already a savior—someone like a hero from a fairy tale.
"Sir, may we ask your name? And… do you think there's hope for the master and madam's illness?" Butler Merry followed closely, his voice filled with respect.
Kaya looked up too, her eyes full of hope.
"Of course!" Renzo nodded. "Don't worry. As for my name, just call me Renzo. And those two over there are my companions—Kuina and Zoro."
As he spoke, he held Kaya's hand and walked over to her parents' bedside.
Placing his fingers on their wrists, Renzo allowed his mental energy and chakra to flow through their bodies, checking their internal state. He quickly figured out what was going on.
"As I thought, it's chronic poisoning. Been going on for over half a year now. Honestly, if it were anyone else, they probably wouldn't be able to save these two. But lucky for them, I'm not just anyone."
He raised his hand above their bodies, and a brilliant platinum-colored magic circle lit up in his palm.
"Holy Purification!!"
A moment later, streams of pure white-gold light scattered and were absorbed into the couple's bodies.
The toxins in their organs, blood, and flesh began to vanish like snow melting under the sun.
Within seconds, it was completely gone.
Renzo followed it up by casting two healing spells, and their complexions instantly turned healthy and pink again.
"They're fine now," he said with a calm smile.
"Huh?!"
Kaya's parents blinked in surprise. They felt better than they had in months—no, years.
They slowly sat up, then stood from the bed and moved around a bit.
"It's true… we're completely healed! We're really, truly healed!"
"My love, this is amazing!" Kaya's mother cried as she threw herself into her husband's arms, tears of joy streaming down her face.
She had been so sure her time was up—but now, this miraculous turnaround? How could she not be overwhelmed?
Then, she pulled away and knelt down, wrapping Kaya in a warm embrace.
"My sweet little girl! Mommy missed you so much… I don't have to leave you anymore… sob sob…"
Kaya's father turned to Renzo, bowing deeply, his face filled with gratitude.
"Sir, we owe you our lives. If it weren't for you, Kuro surely would've killed us all. From now on, whatever you need—whatever it is, if it's within my power, I will do everything I can to repay this debt!"
Just thinking about what could've happened if Renzo hadn't shown up today sent chills down his spine.
He had been far too careless.
"There's no need to be so formal," Renzo said with a wave of his hand and a relaxed smile. "I just happened to be passing through, that's all."
"This really turned out beautifully," Kuina said from a short distance away, watching Kaya's joyful reunion with her parents. A gentle smile touched her lips.
Suddenly, memories of her own mother came to mind.
She had never even had the chance to meet her…
Seeing Kaya being cherished by both her parents made something stir inside her—a tiny, wistful longing.
...
After that, Renzo and his crew decided to stay at Kaya's home for the time being. The whole family welcomed them with open arms and genuine hospitality.
During some casual conversation, Renzo finally learned more about Kaya's father—his name was Cliff.
Not only was Cliff a high-ranking noble, but he was also one of the top merchants in all of East Blue. The guy had serious connections and influence.
Reflecting on everything, Cliff suspected that Kuro's infiltration and attempt to steal his fortune probably wasn't some random act of greed.
There was a good chance one of his business rivals had secretly teamed up with Kuro—or at the very least leaked information about him and put a bounty on his head.
But hey, that part didn't concern Renzo.
After this close call, Cliff wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. He knew full well how to protect himself and strike back if needed.
Renzo, on the other hand, was a little curious about Cliff's business network.
He was thinking about introducing some goods from other worlds—stuff that didn't exist here—and teaming up with Cliff to make some money. You know, build something legit.
It's not like Renzo needed the cash, but he didn't mind earning more, especially if it could help fund development back on Shimotsuki Village.
This world seriously lacked basic supplies and infrastructure.
Making things better for everyday people? That was definitely on Renzo's to-do list. No better time to start than now.
"Business partnership? Please, you're doing me the favor!" Cliff said firmly. "If you're willing to trust me, I'll handle all the operations. You don't have to worry about a thing. All profits go to you—how about it?"
"Nope, not happening," Renzo waved him off with a grin. "Let's do a 70/30 split. I get 70%, you get 30%. Running a business costs money, and I'm not gonna let you take a loss just because you feel grateful. That's not how favors work."
"No, no—"
Cliff shook his head insistently. "Since you've already put it like that, then let's make it 90/10. I'll take just 10%. Please don't argue anymore!"
"This really isn't a big deal. Not only because you saved our lives, but also because the products you've got? They're insanely rare! There's nothing like them on the market!"
"Even just distributing these, I can already imagine how our business will explode. Honestly, with all the indirect benefits, I won't be losing a thing."
"Plus, after what happened with Kuro, I've finally come to understand—making money is useless if you can't protect yourself. Under your protection, our family can finally be safe."
"Let me act in your name. Please grant me that honor."
As expected of someone who made it big in business—Cliff wasn't an idiot.
If anything, he'd probably just been too soft-hearted before, which is how he got caught off guard.
But now? He wasn't going to make the same mistake again.
All the money and influence in the world meant nothing if you couldn't hold on to it.
And Renzo—Renzo was the key.
"Uh…" Renzo scratched his cheek, looking a little awkward. "You do realize I'm basically a nobody right now, right? I don't have some grand reputation or anything. No one's gonna respect my name just yet."
Cliff, however, shook his head firmly. "That's only for now. I truly believe that with your power, your name will soon echo across the East Blue… maybe even the Grand Line and the New World."
"Kuro wasn't just some random pirate. His bounty had once been 16 million Berries—he was considered a major player in East Blue."
"And if he hadn't gone into hiding, that bounty would've easily been much higher."
Yet in front of Renzo, Kuro was a complete joke. He couldn't even fight back before getting one-shotted.
That alone spoke volumes about Renzo's terrifying strength.
What made it even more incredible was that Renzo looked barely eleven or twelve years old.
If he was already this powerful… what would he become in a few years?
Plus, Cliff had seen with his own eyes how Renzo healed people, used strange powers—things beyond this world.
"Maybe… maybe Kaya could marry him one day?"
That thought popped into Cliff's mind unexpectedly.
And no—it wasn't just about forming a political alliance or using her for leverage.
He'd seen the way Renzo looked at Kaya. It was obvious he cared for her.
And Kaya clearly liked Renzo too.
Wasn't that more than enough?
Two kids genuinely fond of each other—in a world this chaotic, trusting a powerful person like Renzo wasn't just wise, it was essential.
Cliff couldn't think of a stronger bond than becoming family.
He had full confidence Renzo could protect Kaya—and make her truly happy.
This wasn't just a win-win. It was a win-win-win… maybe even more.
Cliff nodded to himself in approval. Yeah, this was a solid plan. He'd try his best to make it happen. Sooner the better.
Meanwhile, Renzo noticed the weirdly excited look on Cliff's face and got curious. He casually used a bit of mind reading to peek into the guy's thoughts…
And immediately broke into a complicated expression—somewhere between "Are you serious right now?" and "Why am I kinda flattered though?"
.
.
.