"Um?"
Suddenly, Ren's attention was diverted.
He cast a sidelong glance, and his expression shifted subtly.
He noticed that the suitcase he had set aside was now open.
Within it lay a peculiar fruit, its hue a deep, enigmatic purple-black, fashioned in the shape of a piranha. Oddly, strewn across the ground were strange, discarded peels.
"Could it be..."
Ren's eyelids twitched.
He hastened to inspect his suitcase, yet regardless of his thorough examination, there was no indication of any other fruit that should have been nestled within it.
"I must have..."
He sighed, a sense of helplessness washing over him. "Perhaps one too many drinks led to this."
A faint recollection stirred within him.
Intoxicated and somewhat rash, he had resolved to consume one of the two fruits, the choice seemingly arbitrary.
The reason for the inexplicable and extraordinary changes he had sensed in his body for some time now had finally revealed itself.
He simply hadn't had the opportunity to dwell upon it earlier.
Now, he grasped the situation.
In his suitcase, there had originally been two Devil Fruits. One was the piranha-shaped fruit, which he had acquired after vanquishing Wapol, the user of the Paramecia Munch-Munch Fruit, near the castle of Drum Kingdom.
The other was a peculiar dragon fruit, adorned with intricate patterns, discovered serendipitously on the Prehistoric island of Little Garden.
Though he harbored no aversion to gaining the powers of a Devil Fruit, he was not inclined to squander this unique opportunity.
He had long sought an extraordinary fruit ability, especially following his disappointment after failing to acquire the coveted Logia Thunder Fruit, which he had envisioned obtaining after triumphing over God Enel on Sky Island.
Indeed, Devil Fruits had always struck him as rather ordinary and lackluster. The inexplicable loss of the ability to swim, accompanied by vulnerability to seastone, did little to endear them to him.
It was a sacrifice that seemed hardly worthwhile, despite the potent abilities they conferred. This sentiment was reinforced by his inherent sense of being an unconventional being.
Ren's true heritage bore the markings of something extraordinary. As the lore went, remnants of the nearly extinct god-like Lunarian clan were rumored to persist.
The World Government had issued a substantial bounty, with a reward of 100 million Baileys, for information leading to the discovery of this elusive clan's whereabouts. For the Lunarian people, such offers condemned them to a life of rootlessness and uncertainty, a life of constant vigilance and exile.
To evade the relentless pursuit of the World Government, including CIPHER-POL and its CP series, Ren's parents had chosen to live in isolation on a remote, uninhabited island in East Blue.
However, Ren was not a purebred Lunarian. He was a unique hybrid, the progeny of a Lunarian father and a mother from the mermaid tribe of Fish-Men Island.
The union of his parents had unfolded as a dramatic tale of heroism, a tale with a certain degree of bloodshed and daring rescue.
In essence, Ren was a singular individual, a reflection of his distinct lineage.
Though he exhibited the defining traits of the Lunarian tribe, such as gray-white hair and ebony wings akin to those of a fallen angel, he possessed a peculiar feature. Like other Lunarians, a mysterious flame emerged at the base of his neck and on his head shortly after his birth.
Moreover, he wielded the innate ability to manipulate and generate fire, rendering him capable of thriving in even the harshest natural environs.
However, his skin tone deviated from the norm. It bore no resemblance to the deep brown hue characteristic of the Lunarian tribe, nor did it match the alabaster complexion of his mermaid mother, a ravishing beauty from the depths of the sea. Rather, his skin boasted an unremarkable, bronze tint.
Upon his birth, Ren's father, in a determined bid to spare his son the burdensome "curse" that the World Government had unjustly imposed upon the Lunarian tribe for centuries, took a drastic step. He had removed Ren's wings, hoping to enable his son to lead a life unencumbered by the looming shadow of his lineage, free from the perpetual fear and hiding that had dominated their existence.
To protect his wife and child, Ren's father waged countless battles against the World Government's agents, the Marines, CP operatives, as well as bounty hunters lured by the tempting rewards, and ruthless pirates.
Despite his status as a Lunarian and his exceptional resilience, Ren's father had been afflicted by a multitude of latent ailments. In truth, his health had deteriorated significantly over time.
During one fateful confrontation with the Sea Kings, Ren's father had succumbed to their relentless assault, largely due to his hidden illnesses.
This unfortunate turn of events left Ren alone on a desolate island after his mermaid mother, plagued by despair, had met a similar fate.
Ren, resolute in his desire to chart his own destiny and averse to the notion of spending a lifetime marooned on the island, committed himself to relentless training and relentless self-improvement.
In his unwavering pursuit of self-control, he even dared to pit himself against the formidable sea beasts and Sea Kings that frequented the nearby waters.
Years of dedicated effort bore fruit, granting him the ability to wield and extinguish the characteristic flame of the Lunarian tribe at will, allowing him to conceal his identity and minimize unwanted attention.
Even without the influence of a Devil Fruit, his inherent racial capacity to manipulate fire was remarkably formidable.
However, given the looming tempest on the horizon and the formidable adversaries he anticipated confronting, Ren had long deliberated over his choice of a Devil Fruit.
Never did he anticipate, however, that a night of inebriation would lead to a decision of such consequence.
Inadvertently, he had consumed the dragon fruit-shaped Devil Fruit.
"Nevertheless, despite the happenstance, the outcome isn't unfavorable... It appears I've won a most fortuitous lottery."
With a sense of wonder, he closed his eyes, intently attuning himself to the subtle shifts within his body.
The unprecedented sensations he experienced elicited a smile from Ren. "Could Zoan-type be a manifestation of mythical beasts?"
In an instant, he discerned the approximate extent of his newfound capabilities.
"Roar!"
A tribute to his very essence.
Ren let out a resounding roar.
In response, a profound transformation overtook his entire being.