Granny Kokoro and Chimney finished cleaning the train and returned to the stationmaster's room to keep it moving.
Rono was bored out of his mind. A thought struck him. "System System, let's stir things up."
"Hey, where's the system?" Rono scratched his head. "Never mind. It probably ran off somewhere to amuse itself. I'll leave it alone."
Rono eagerly trotted into the stationmaster's room. "Train Master, how much longer until we reach Enies Lobby?" He had already given up resisting. There was a saying: life was like XX; if you couldn't fight it, you might as well enjoy it. Rono really did have a remarkably carefree attitude.
Besides, Granny Kokoro's nearly ten years of experience as an old driver were probably trustworthy.
Rono's eyes darted around. Then they lit up, and he grabbed the front of the train and climbed on top.
"Ah, the night breeze over the sea feels so good!" Rono lay back on the train's roof, enjoying the rare scenery.
A full moon hung almost directly overhead in the deep night sky. Twinkling stars filled the heavens like diamonds set into a blue-black silk ribbon.
"Big Brother, I wanna get up there too! I wanna get up there too!" Chimney wasn't happy. How could they be getting into mischief without her?
Granny Kokoro tossed her empty bottle into a pile of other empties. "Young man, could you give her a hand?"
So she called him "young man" when she needed a favor?
"Yay! Long live Granny Kokoro!" Chimney spun around happily.
"Big Brother, hurry up!"
"Honestly, you're impossible to say no to." Rono went along with her wishes.
Chimney lay down beside Rono and closed her eyes.
Rono closed his eyes too. Some time later, a delicate little boy suddenly appeared before him. He was really tiny, barely as big as Chimney's palm. If Rono's eyes had been open, he might well have mistaken the boy for a bug and swatted him dead.
"Hey! Little Zha, don't you recognize me?" The little boy tugged hard on Rono's hair. Rono opened his eyes, but the boy didn't disappear. He floated in midair, staring wide-eyed at Rono.
Smack! Rono clapped his hands together with lightning speed. Ah, peace and quiet.
"Ahhh! Rono, I'm gonna kill you!" The little boy was completely unharmed. He kicked and punched at Rono.
"Who do you think you are, the system? I'll have you know the last guy who said he'd kill me has grass growing over his grave." Rono rolled over and taunted him.
"Big Brother, who are you talking to?" Chimney had opened her eyes at some point and asked curiously. She couldn't see the little boy.
"No one. I thought I saw a huge mosquito just now, so I swatted it." Rono answered casually.
"Young man, we're almost at Enies Lobby. Can I ask what you're going there for?" Granny Kokoro shouted at Rono. She had no choice; he wouldn't hear her otherwise.
"I'm going there to take up a post, Granny!" Rono shouted back.
So this was what it meant to communicate by shouting.
An island appeared in Rono's line of sight. They seemed to be close.
Rono grabbed Chimney and jumped down from the train's roof. He handed her to Granny Kokoro. "Granny, I'll go get my luggage."
"Hic!"
"Rono, you bastard! Aaaah!" The little boy shrieked and clung to Rono's ear, biting down.
"Watch it, or I'll squash you." Rono grabbed the little boy with one hand and glared at him.
The little boy gritted his teeth. "If you manage to sleep tonight, I'll eat shit and kill myself!"
Splat! Rono flung the boy against the wall, where he stuck. The delicate little boy evolved into a Meat Patty Loli Boy.
Rono paid no more attention to this little interruption.
He picked up the flowerpot, grabbed his suitcase, and reached the exit just as the doors opened.
"Today, my luck is so, so good!" Rono sang as he stepped out. The next moment, he froze in place. "Granny Kokoro! Why isn't there any land?"
Rono felt like he'd run out of material for complaining.
"Oh, I didn't stop in the right place," Granny Kokoro replied nonchalantly.
"You're certainly casual about it. Is this the nearly eight years of driving experience you're so proud of?" Rono rolled his eyes and came up with another complaint.
After the train moved a little farther, Rono made sure it had stopped properly before finally stepping onto land.
"Ah, I'm saved!" Rono put down the flowerpot and wiped away sweat that wasn't there.
But he didn't notice the Meat Patty Loli Boy fading away until he vanished completely.
"Ding! Because the Host just beat up the system, do handstand push-ups until dawn. Stop for one second and receive one electric shock. Any fraction of a second counts as one second. Final ownership belongs to the system."
Rono didn't stay happy for long. The system's sudden, gritted-teeth voice rang out in his mind.
"Huh? Beat up the system? ∑⊙⊙" Rono thought hard, burning through countless brain cells before suddenly realizing that the little boy had been the System Incarnation. "System, you can take on a form?"
Thinking about what he'd done, Rono immediately threw away his dignity and bowed to the system's power.
"System Dad, please forgive me. A lowly swine like me isn't worth you lifting a finger."
"Hmph. I told you already, I'm a high-IQ artificial AI. I finished updating today and can take on a form now. Accept my revenge, you swine." The smugness in the system's voice made Rono's hair stand on end.
Just then, a richly dressed young man walked over with a group of followers.
The young man leading them held his head high and pointed at Rono. "You must be Rono. I'm your great Superior, Spandam~"
Seeing Spandam drag out the last syllable and act as if Rono should be groveling at his feet, Rono blurted out, "Who's this lunatic?"
Spandam froze like a statue. Dozens of soldiers beside him jumped out to pledge their loyalty. "You bastard! How dare you talk to Lord Spandam like that? We're not joking around with the guns in our hands!"
At their words, Spandam's gloomy expression improved. He looked down his nose at Rono. "I'll give you one chance. Apologize to my shoes!"
"..." Rono was speechless. He looked around and let out a scoff. "You think you can take me on?"
He was already in a bad mood, and now this pack of losers had come around begging for trouble.
Since no one dared to invade Enies Lobby, its soldiers had turned into a bunch of good-for-nothings. Just look at how Luffy and his crew, only a few dozen people, had sent Enies Lobby's ten thousand troops running for their lives.
"Watch your mouth, kid," one of the soldiers who'd just stepped forward said, still trying to make himself relevant.
"Want to try me?" Rono wasn't the sort of Marine who respected his superiors and cared for his subordinates. Bone Planting Armor covered his body as he prepared to fight.
Spandam had brought so many people to put Rono in his place. After all, not a single person in CP9 respected him. He gave the soldiers a look, and dozens of them raised their flintlock rifles and aimed at Rono.
"Then let's get killing!" Rono flashed a bloodthirsty grin. He sprang into the air, using his legs to dodge most of the first volley, then landed right in the middle of the soldiers.
Spandam had retreated far away from the start, afraid he'd get caught up in the fight.
Some soldiers reloaded while others drew the swords issued by the Marines, and they charged at Rono. Relying on the defense provided by his sturdy Bone Planting Armor, Rono ignored their slashes. His Bone Claws sprang out, and one swipe sent a soldier off to collect his death compensation. Soldiers in the distance unleashed another volley, bullets striking Rono and showering him in sparks. Like a wolf among sheep, he left bodies wherever he went. A nearby Marine saw what was happening and shouted, "Monster! A monster! Run!" He dropped his weapon and turned to flee. Soon, a second and then a third followed.
Rono didn't chase those who fled. Instead, he walked toward the ones still resisting. Seeing their comrades run and the Bone Armor demon heading their way, the Marines dropped their guns and followed after them.
Spandam was among the fleeing crowd too, and he was beginning to regret it.
Before you continue