Chapter 94 – The Unstoppable United, the Scattered Become Stars: The Dissolution of the Rocks Pirates! Entering Wano!
"Sorry, I've already formed my own pirate crew. If any of you are interested, you're welcome to join."
Though Renji knew each of them had their own ambitions and it was unlikely they'd join him, he figured there was no harm in saying it. Honestly, if he could coax Charlotte Linlin into joining, that wouldn't be bad either.
Unfortunately, she'd already been led astray by Streusen. Besides, she still harbored the secret of the nun—whether the nun still lived inside her or not, Renji wasn't sure, but it was undeniably a ticking time bomb.
Not to mention, this woman constantly lusted after his body and wanted to have his children.
He absolutely couldn't afford to keep Charlotte Linlin around.
"Tch. Your situation isn't as simple as just forming your own crew, is it? You've completely made an enemy of the World Government."
Golden Lion scoffed. Once he heard Renji was starting his own crew, he gave up the idea of recruiting him.
After all, someone who could form their own crew clearly wasn't going to serve under anyone.
"What about the rest of you?"
Golden Lion looked around, though he realized his question was pointless.
Apparently, only that guy Rocks could bring all these monsters together.
"I'm going to start my own crew too. It's time to chase my own dream."
Whitebeard gazed into the distance. He wanted a family, and he had already made up his mind.
"Golden Lion, don't even look at me. There's no way I'm joining your crew. I'm going to have a pirate crew made of my own family!"
Charlotte Linlin spoke while casting another glance at Renji. Clearly, she still thought Renji was the best choice to father her children.
Golden Lion curled his lip in disdain. Of everyone here, she was the one he least wanted on board. That woman was insane.
"I've decided to return to Hachinosu. Not that any of you care about that place, right?"
Ochoku looked around and declared his claim to Hachinosu.
"I'm not going to be trapped on some damn island!"
Captain John snorted in contempt. Only Ochoku would value Hachinosu that highly. John still had treasure to search for across the world—no way he'd settle on one island.
"So the crew's really disbanding? Guess I'll head back to Amazon Lily then."
Gloriosa decided to return to the Kuja. Now that the crew was gone, staying served no purpose.
"Whitebeard, you've really made up your mind?"
Miss Buckin stared darkly at Whitebeard. She had thought he wouldn't be foolish enough to do this.
If he truly committed, she wouldn't hesitate to leave him.
"Gurararara, Buckin, everyone has their own dreams!"
"Then this is goodbye!"
Buckin snarled, glaring at Whitebeard before storming off in a rage.
"So it's settled? Next time we meet, we might be enemies."
Golden Lion glanced at the others. Since everyone had their own path, he was ready to move on as well. With Rocks dead, he was already preparing to rally forces across the New World.
He would rise—even surpass Rocks. He would become the Pirate King.
From now on, they might be enemies.
"Then let's go our separate ways. I'm off!"
With those words, Golden Lion and Whitebeard stood and left. Buckin shot a final glare at Whitebeard's back and then walked away from the Rocks Pirates for good.
"I'll be going now as well."
Gloriosa gave a polite bow and departed.
"Renji, I'll wait for you at Hachinosu. One day, I hope we can duel in pure swordsmanship!"
And then he too was gone.
"Renji, bring Kaido to me sometime. I've got something everyone in the world dreams of!"
The red Poneglyph. Charlotte Linlin had obtained it by chance. Anyone who sought the One Piece needed it.
And since Renji had declared himself the enemy of the World Government, he'd surely be interested in the final island too.
She didn't fear Renji coming to her.
As the group dispersed, only Kaido and Captain John remained. Everyone else left with their followers.
Thus, the legendary Rocks Pirates, rulers of an era, officially disbanded.
"That woman really doesn't give up, huh."
Renji muttered, then looked toward Captain John. "Old John, want to join my crew?"
It was the second time Renji had asked—the first being back at Hachinosu—but he'd never received an answer.
"I'm aiming to become the richest pirate ever. I don't have time to play games with you!"
"I know where the City of Gold is."
"Bro, I was just joking. You know how close we are—I'd never refuse your invitation. I've decided to bring my talents to your crew!"
Old John had been hesitant. After all, joining Renji's crew meant less freedom to hunt treasure.
But Renji just happened to know where the City of Gold was.
A treasure said to be worth a kingdom's wealth!
"Man, that face turn was fast."
Ginny glanced at John and muttered in her heart. But by now, she had a general read on the crew's personalities.
John was greedy, but Renji must trust him if he extended the invitation—so he had to be dependable.
Kaido seemed to covet the captain's role but had some honor. Since there was a chance he might become captain someday, he treated the three of them fairly well.
Renji, for now, seemed incredibly strong, ambitious, and surprisingly easy to get along with.
"Renji, do you have a plan for what's next?"
Kaido rumbled. They had already become sworn enemies of the World Government. Endless pursuit was guaranteed.
It was reckless—and Kaido loved it. Like Renji, Kaido now ran on hatred more than ambition. He still remembered how his own country had sold him out to the World Government.
And he knew they still wanted to capture him.
So wasn't this just the natural path?
"Of course—straight to the City of Gold!"
Old John immediately pushed his agenda. He had joined, so there was no way they weren't going.
"No, not yet. Right now, no one can steal the gold from the City of Gold. We need to go somewhere a little more hidden first. Our crew's overall strength is still far too weak."
Renji wasn't afraid of the World Government, but if he set sail now, there was a high chance they'd go after his crew instead.
Kaido and Old John had the ability to protect themselves, but Ginny, Ivankov, and Kuma had little combat power.
"Right now, your strength is still too weak. My dream is to overthrow the Celestial Dragons, to drag them down from that throne.
This world should not have slaves. Every person, every race, should be born equal!
This world is sick—and I intend to change it!"
What Renji said was half truth, half embellishment.
He did want to change the world, but truly making everyone equal was beyond his ability. He could only do his best.
He didn't want to become a Celestial Dragon. He wanted to rewrite the story and earn his rewards. Ever since he arrived in this world with a golden finger, Renji had treated it as his own. If rules were to be made, they should be made by him. He wanted to completely reshape the world!
"Make the world equal?!"
Ginny, Kuma, and Ivankov's eyes lit up. As former slaves, Renji's words deeply resonated with them.
They now felt a stronger sense of identification with him.
Kaido, meanwhile, found the dream a bit too lofty, but what interested him wasn't the equality part—it was the promise of a great war!
After the God Valley battle and the events that followed, Kaido had been planning to instigate a war even greater than that one.
And Renji's dream aligned perfectly with his own.
He wanted to destroy this false world!
"I don't care either way. But that treasure's mine, right?"
The World Government's treasure… they had to be loaded, right?
Captain John began fantasizing. If Renji really took down the World Government, would that treasure be his?
And just like that, the five of them silently solidified their commitment to joining the crew.
Seeing their expressions, Renji was quite satisfied. After all, delivering grand speeches with real power behind them—now that was the most effective tactic.
"By the way, shouldn't we give our crew a name?"
"Dawn! Let's call it the Dawn Pirates. The transition from night to morning symbolizes a new beginning."
A new day. A new order. Darkness fades, and dawn arrives.
Dawn... it did seem to fit everything Renji stood for.
"Next stop—Wano!"
Renji had previously hesitated between Sky Island and Wano.
Sky Island was practically untouched by the World Government. Wano was the same—still a closed nation, very hard to infiltrate or gather intelligence from.
That made it the perfect hiding place. And with its high combat strength, plus resources like Seastone, Wano had plenty to offer.
But this time, Renji had no intention of working with the Kurozumi clan. They had already turned the country into a cesspool.
He would govern it himself. As for Oden?
He could get lost too!
From this moment on, Wano belonged to him!
"You want to go there? We don't even know what's happening inside right now. It's not going to be easy to enter…"
Old John frowned. Renji's plan sounded solid, but getting into Wano was no simple feat.
"Isn't there someone who can get us in?"
"Who?"
Kaido asked instinctively.
"Kurozumi Higurashi. She's from Wano—and from the Kurozumi clan."
The God Valley Incident took place thirty-eight years before the story started. Three years prior to that, Higurashi had found Orochi and later joined the Rocks Pirates.
Then, ten years before the main story began, she invited Kaido to Wano.
But Renji didn't plan to wait that long. He intended to take Wano now.
"That woman?"
Kaido's expression shifted. He had met her before—a user of the Clone-Clone Fruit.
He hadn't realized she was from Wano.
"Has she left yet?"
Old John scanned the crowd of departing pirates. Seeing that Higurashi hadn't left, he was about to call out—but Renji stopped him.
"No need to call her. Once she returns to Wano, we'll follow. She'd never agree to take us there directly."
A faint smile curled on Renji's lips. When Higurashi had tried to copy him using her Clone-Clone ability, he had secretly marked her with a Flying Thunder God seal on her arm.
Once she arrived in Wano, he could teleport to her location.
And she had to return. With everything happening to Orochi, she'd be dying to know what was going on.
After the disbanding of the Rocks Pirates, their former members stirred up chaos across the New World. The Roger Pirates had also entered the scene. Meanwhile, the World Government was desperately searching for Renji—but it was as if he had vanished.
No trace of him remained.
In Wano—
Kurozumi Higurashi and Kurozumi Semimaru had returned.
Gazing at the whirlpool, they knew the paths back.
One method was through a secret tunnel. The other involved using koi fish to ascend.
Not long after the two entered, Renji and his crew arrived at Wano's outer edge.
"We'll take the tunnel."
Renji glanced toward where Higurashi had gone and gestured for the others to follow.
The tunnel entrance was guarded by many people, but Higurashi had used her Clone-Clone powers to sneak through easily.
As for Renji, he simply cast them into a genjutsu with his Sharingan and walked in unnoticed.
Not long after they passed through, a figure crept out from within the tunnel.
"Strange… did they really not notice me today?"
Having passed through without resistance, Oden finally felt free. He didn't know why it had been so easy this time—but he was out of Wano at last!
(End of Chapter)
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