Chapter 2: Bartholomew Kuma

Renji looked at the boy before him, feeling as though he had seen him somewhere before. 

"What's your name?" 

The boy seemed caught off guard by the question and hesitated for a moment. 

"My name is Bartholomew Kuma. You can just call me Kuma." 

Though he didn't know what this person was planning, he still answered politely. 

Hearing the name, Renji felt a sense of realization. The figure from his memories slowly overlapped with the boy in front of him. 

"One Piece, huh? No wonder it's so chaotic..." Renji muttered to himself. 

Then he replied, "I'll go with you." 

He trusted Kuma's character. After all, Kuma was the kind of man who would keep his promise even if it cost him his life. 

The journey continued in silence. 

... 

"Thank you! This sword of yours is amazing. It cut through these chains so easily, hee-haw!" Emporio Ivankov laughed as he removed the shattered chains from his wrists. 

Renji ran his fingers along the cold, gleaming blade of his sword and nodded. "I put a lot of effort into crafting this sword." 

"Kuma, you've really been a great help!" Ivankov lightly patted Kuma's shoulder with his newly freed hand, praising him. 

If Kuma hadn't brought Renji over, it would have taken Ivankov much more effort to break free from those chains. 

"It feels so good to have my hands free again, hee-haw!" 

Dropping his playful demeanor, Ivankov turned serious and said to Renji, "Join us. Let's escape this prison together." 

"That's right. Joining us will increase your chances of survival," added Ginny, who was busy eating nearby while glancing at the Den Den Mushi. "And who knows? You might even get some unexpected rewards." 

"After all, our main goal right now is to survive. There's strength in numbers." 

"..." 

Renji's eyes flickered. After spending some time with these people, he had learned about the situation on the island. 

The island was surrounded by Marines sent by the World Government, making escape nearly impossible. 

Moreover, he trusted the abilities of these individuals. He knew that most of them would survive for decades to come. Staying with them would provide some level of safety. 

Seeing that his persuasion seemed to be working, Ivankov leaped onto the highest rock nearby and looked down at the panicked crowd. He raised his voice and declared: 

"That's right. This is God Valley, a place targeted by so-called 'gods.'" 

"For us, this place is filled with despair, helplessness, and death." 

"At the same time, it brings joy, laughter, and pleasure to those butchers." 

"Are you satisfied with your current situation?" 

Hearing these words, most of the people below lowered their heads in despair. 

They were filled with resentment, but they had no way to fight back. Resistance would only lead to a quicker death. 

The only thing keeping them going was the Celestial Dragons' promise that "surviving three weeks would grant them freedom." 

Renji observed the expressions of the people around him. What had these people done wrong? 

Nothing! 

It was the greed and cruelty of the Celestial Dragons that forced them into such a miserable existence. 

All because of this island's abundant resources. All because this island bore the name of "God." 

He clenched his fists, furious at the twisted nature of this world but powerless to change it. 

Although he was a transmigrator, he had nothing but a sword. While he had some martial arts training, his physical abilities were no match for the people of this world. 

Still, he wanted to try to make a difference, to ensure that his journey to this world wasn't in vain. 

"No one can approach this place, and no one can escape from this island!" 

"Everything that happens here will be erased from history!" 

"This is a massacre competition to drive out the natives and plunder resources!" 

"The survival rate of previous 'competitions' was zero! Wake up, everyone. Surviving three weeks here is impossible." 

The event would last three weeks. The Celestial Dragons couldn't kill over 100,000 people instantly, so there was still plenty of time to escape. 

Renji chose to join Ivankov and began persuading the crowd. Though his voice wasn't loud, his sincerity calmed the people around him slightly. 

They tried to wake the slaves up, wearing themselves out in the process, but their efforts had little effect. 

Just as the people were still clinging to their illusions, torn and conflicted, a loud broadcast echoed across the island. 

The announcer's excited voice delivered the "good news." 

"Congratulations to Saint Garling for scoring the first points!" 

The broadcast was followed by the nobles' cheers and the slaves' lamentations. 

There were about 100,000 "prey" on the island, including slaves captured by the Celestial Dragons and the native inhabitants. 

The targets painted on their clothes were death warrants. Every gunshot took another life. 

The visual Den Den Mushi captured Saint Garling and the other God's Knights in action, broadcasting their "heroic deeds" directly to Mary Geoise, the "Land of the Gods." 

In the footage, Saint Garling rode a bird-like flying mount, charging through the crowd and cutting people down. 

"Originally starting from negative points due to killing a king, Saint Garling is now far ahead in the lead." 

The announcer exclaimed, "Saint Garling's actual score is points!" 

... 

"Listen to me," Ginny said as she listened to the information coming through the Den Den Mushi. She turned to Renji and the others. 

"The prizes for this event are the key to our escape!!!" 

"If you eat it, you can transform into the mythical beast 'Azure Dragon,' the strongest-level 'Devil Fruit,' as well as another one." 

Ginny paused before continuing, "It grants the ability to instantly send yourself or others flying to a distant place! It's called the Paw-Paw Fruit, and it's also on this island!" 

"So, if one of us can obtain that fruit, we and many others can escape from this island," Renji concluded after some thought. 

"That's right. This is the simplest way for us to escape," Ginny nodded, her gaze sweeping over the people around her. 

"Sigh..." 

Renji sighed. 

"Something that important won't be easy to obtain, right?" 

"Exactly. These items are stored in the center of the island as prizes," Ginny replied with a smile. 

Renji couldn't help but admire the girl's optimism in such a dire situation. 

Noticing the discouragement in the crowd, Ginny added, "I'm an expert in theft, eavesdropping, and communication. I sent out information about this place two weeks ago. There's a chance someone is already on their way here." 

Renji stared at the seemingly harmless Ginny. Stealing the Den Den Mushi, intercepting critical intelligence, and likely sending out the information—all of this was probably done by her alone. 

It seems I've hit the jackpot, Renji thought to himself, touching his nose. 

"Although this is our plan, we'll need bait to ensure its success," Ginny added. 

"..." 

The area fell silent. No one made a sound. 

Some even took a few steps back to avoid standing out. 

They all knew how dangerous it was to be bait. No one wanted to volunteer. 

Just as everyone lowered their heads, Kuma raised his hand with a gentle smile. 

"I'll do it. I think my body is strong enough to last longer than others!" 

Kuma scratched his head shyly as everyone stared at him in shock. 

"And I don't want to see anyone die." 

"!!!" 

Ginny's smile faded, and she fell silent, her head lowered as she lost herself in thought. 

Renji pulled Kuma's raised hand down. "You're just a kid. This kind of thing should be done by someone older, like me." 

Was Renji not afraid of death? 

No, he was more afraid than anyone. But he firmly believed that effort would be rewarded. To survive in this world, a little danger was nothing. 

Suddenly, a crisp electronic voice rang out in his mind. 

[Ding! Detected that the host has made a significant choice. System officially activated.]