[Nighttime—Sky Above Udon]
Reno hovered in the cloud-filled skies above Udon, his body emanating a faint green energy as he prepared to descend and rescue the captives.
Beside him stood a man cloaked in brilliant blue flames. If not for the dense cloud cover concealing them, they would likely have been discovered long before their mission even began.
Reno shot a disdainful glance at Marco and remarked, "You look more like a walking lighthouse than a rescue partner. Are you sure you're not here to sabotage me?"
Earlier, when Whitebeard heard about Reno's plan to infiltrate Udon alone, he firmly refused to let him go unaccompanied. After all, this was enemy territory, and no one could predict how many powerful foes were lurking below. In the end, Reno reluctantly agreed to bring Marco along, which finally eased Whitebeard's concerns.
Marco's face darkened at Reno's words, and he retorted through gritted teeth, "As if I wanted to be here! If Pops hadn't insisted, do you think I'd willingly team up with you?"
Reno glanced again at Marco's fiery aura and waved dismissively. "With all that fire, you're a giant beacon. You'll blow our cover before we even get close. I'll scout ahead first. Don't come down until I call for you. Got it?"
Marco stubbornly turned his head away, refusing to respond, though it was clear he had heard Reno's instructions.
Knowing Marco was just being petty, Reno didn't bother arguing further. He waited until most of the lights below had dimmed and the prison camp was cloaked in darkness. Then, he began his descent, moving stealthily through the night.
Marco watched Reno disappear into the shadows and glanced at his own fiery form. Suppressing the urge to follow, he decided to observe Reno's actions first. If the kid got into trouble, he could intervene in an instant. With his speed and abilities, Marco was confident he could ensure Reno's safety.
After all, his primary task wasn't to free the prisoners that was Reno's job. Whitebeard had sent him to ensure Reno's survival and provide support against any powerful enemies that might appear.
[Inside the Prison Camp]
Reno landed silently on the ground, taking care not to alert any guards. His black outfit blended seamlessly with the darkness, and he suppressed his green energy beneath his clothes. Hovering just above the ground, he made no sound as he moved, observing the layout of the camp.
From what he had seen, the camp housed over a thousand laborers, but he couldn't tell which ones were the hostages.
The only viable option was to rescue everyone. It would take more time, but it wasn't beyond his capabilities.
Determined, Reno began making his way toward the guards' quarters to locate the keys to the prison cells. With so many laborers locked up across dozens of cells, breaking them open one by one would be far too slow.
His plan was to release a few prisoners first, then have them assist in freeing the others. Once everyone was out, he would activate his spatial ability to transport the captives to safety.
Just as Reno approached the guards' quarters, a loud voice rang out from within.
"Who's there?!"
Cursing under his breath, Reno immediately activated his Observation Haki to assess the situation. His face darkened as he identified the source of the voice.
Queen?! Reno cursed inwardly. One of the future Three Calamities is already here? I didn't think he'd joined the Beast Pirates this early!
Before Reno could process the implications, the door to the guards' quarters exploded outward, sending debris flying. From the wreckage emerged a massive, corpulent man who immediately charged toward Reno with surprising speed.
A fist the size of a boulder hurtled toward Reno's much smaller frame.
"Whoosh!"
Reno vanished just before the punch connected, reappearing ten meters away. The man's attack hit empty air, creating a loud boom.
Wasting no time, Reno raised his hand and sent a massive green energy hand flying toward Queen.
The attack moved with lightning speed, leaving Queen no time to evade. He crossed his arms, coating them in Haki to brace for impact.
Bam! Crack!
The green hand collided with Queen, forcing him back several meters before sending him flying into a nearby stone wall. The force of the impact left a deep trench in the ground and shattered the wall, which now teetered precariously.
Reno stared at his outstretched hand, then at the battered Queen, his mind racing.
This guy is supposed to be one of the Three Calamities? Why does he feel so... weak?
Reno's telekinetic attacks weren't particularly powerful without his full abilities. At best, they were comparable to a Marine Rear Admiral's strength. While he couldn't yet fully control his powers to create concentrated, high-impact strikes, he was working toward that goal.
For now, the more power he used, the larger the area of effect—a significant drawback.
Yet, even with this limitation, he had managed to knock back someone he believed to be a top-tier fighter.
Unbeknownst to Reno, Queen's current strength was far from his future peak. At this stage, Queen was still developing his skills and hadn't yet reached his full potential. His hasty defense had been no match for Reno's sudden and swift attack.
But Reno, fixated on the image of Queen as one of the Beast Pirates' elite fighters, couldn't shake his disbelief at the ease of his victory.
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