As Reno turned toward the horizon, he spotted a distinct dog-headed battleship speeding toward the harbor.
Standing on its deck, cape of justice flapping in the wind, Vice Admiral Garp roared across the waves, his voice thunderous.
"So I punched the grandson, and now grandpa's here to avenge him, huh?"
With a grin, Reno directed his cloud island to rise swiftly into the sky.
"Garp! I'll be taking my leave now. Next time I see Luffy, I promise I'll treat him with special care," he called down mockingly.
"YOU BRAT! You think you can just run away?!" Garp's fury exploded as he turned to his adjutant.
"Bogard!!"
Without needing further explanation, Bogard handed him a massive iron cannonball.
Garp's fists clenched.
"FIST METEOR!!"
It was one of his legendary techniques—renowned across the seas.
The cannonball screamed through the air like a black comet, tearing through the sky with a sonic boom, hurtling straight toward the ascending Merry Go.
Garp watched with grim confidence.
Let's see you dodge this.
But Reno didn't flinch.
"Stubborn old man..."
Shing!
"Lion's Fang Slash!"
A golden arc of energy burst from Reno's blade, laced with hardened Armament Haki, cleaving the cannonball clean in half mid-air.
BOOM—!!
A sonic explosion echoed across the port, shaking the waves below.
Reno sheathed his sword casually and laughed.
"See you soon, Garp. Tell your grandson I said hi!"
With a final burst of momentum, the Merry Go soared into the clouds, disappearing from view.
"DAMN BRAT!!!"
Garp's fist trembled.
"That was Golden Lion's technique..."
He recognized it instantly.
Having fought Shiki countless times, he couldn't mistake it for anything else.
"Could it be... Shiki trained a successor?"
The thought darkened his expression.
"Bogard! Get me a Den Den Mushi. I need to report this to Sengoku."
Back aboard the Merry Go, Norchiko looked back in awe.
"Captain… who was that guy? That cannonball nearly blew us out of the sky!"
Reno shrugged lazily. "Just some ordinary Vice Admiral."
Then he turned toward the ship's cabin.
"You girls sort out the supplies. I'm going to check on Tashigi."
Inside the ship, Tashigi sat quietly at the edge of the bed, dazed and defeated.
Her usually firm expression had been replaced with confusion and sorrow.
She couldn't stop thinking about Smoker—about how she'd abandoned her post, her principles, her life in the Marines.
Worst of all, she hadn't even tried to escape.
Not after that warning...
"If you run, I'll go back and kill him."
Tears welled up again.
Magino sat beside her, gently trying to comfort her, but Tashigi remained inconsolable.
Just then, the door opened with a soft creak.
Reno entered quietly.
"How is she?" he asked Magino in a whisper.
Magino shook her head and slipped past him, giving him a knowing glance as she left the room.
Reno approached, crouching beside the tear-streaked Tashigi.
She didn't look up. She simply hugged her knees and cried.
Reno sighed.
He wasn't proud of how he'd brought her aboard—but he had no other choice.
Some women in this world aren't easily charmed. They're soldiers, not sweethearts.
And Reno didn't have the time to win hearts one by one.
So, like always...
Step One: Kidnap.
Step Two: Calm them down.
Step Three: Teach them navigation.
Step Four: Reap the rewards.
A four-step process for expanding his crew.
Crude—but efficient.
"You can stop crying," Reno said gently. "I never intended to kill Smoker."
Tashigi flinched, backing away from him as though he were poison.
"You're a devil!" she snapped. "You kidnapped me, hurt my commanding officer, and now you expect sympathy?!"
"I said I didn't kill him, didn't I?"
"Lies! That's what devils do—they lie!"
Reno shook his head with a rueful smile. She's kinda cute when she's angry.
"Think about it," he said. "If I really wanted him dead, do you honestly think he'd still be breathing?"
Tashigi paused, her eyes blinking rapidly.
He has a point…
"And even if I killed him, I could've still taken you. No one could've stopped me."
"Then why didn't you?! Why go through all this trouble?!"
Reno smirked.
"Because I want something else."
Tashigi blinked. "What… what do you want from me?"
"I want your help."
"...Huh?!"
Reno stood, crossing his arms dramatically.
"You've seen what I can do. I'm a pirate—reckless, dangerous, and prone to making bad decisions."
"But lately… I've been thinking. Maybe what I need… is someone righteous. Someone to keep me in check."
"You mean... me?"
Reno nodded gravely. "You're a Marine, aren't you? Justice flows in your blood."
"You could guide me. If you help steer me right, maybe—just maybe—I'll change."
Tashigi sat motionless.
Reno leaned closer.
"Isn't it worth trying? Sacrificing yourself to save others? Imagine it—one woman reforming the world's most dangerous pirate. You'd be a legend."
Tashigi's eyes widened.
That... actually makes sense…
Her mind raced.
Maybe this was her purpose—maybe this was justice.
"I… I'll do it."
Reno smiled.
Tashigi had joined the Reno Pirates.
Was it manipulation?
Absolutely.
But it worked.
And Reno already had a new lesson planned for her next:
"Advanced Navigation 101 — The Art of Riding Waves."