"Being a host is what I need—a rhythm like this!" Ren's mood lifted as he noticed the growing number of berries in the corner of the live stream screen.
Starting anything is always the hardest part, but with his current audience as a foundation, he could see millions, even tens of millions of viewers in his future. It wouldn't be long before he reached hundreds of millions.
"Prince James rewarded 50,000 Berries!"
A high reward flashed across the screen, and the energy in the live chat surged. Ren glanced at it, and for a moment, he found himself daydreaming about hitting that elusive 100,000 Berries reward.
To complete his task and earn the reward of learning the Six Styles' "Finger Gun," he needed a single viewer to gift him 100,000 Berries in one go. Although his total rewards had already exceeded 350,000, no one had yet delivered that massive, single contribution he was waiting for.
"And what about Princess Snow? She hasn't given any reward yet—is she just lurking?"
Ren muttered under his breath, not keen on standing around idly while he waited for the big reward. Instead, he lifted the massive body of the Sea King with one hand and began walking across the water toward the town, leaving his audience awestruck.
The live chat immediately exploded with comments:
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"Holy! The host can walk on water?!"
"How on earth is Ren floating on the surface like that?"
"Can someone tell me if he actually knows how to do that, or is it some trick?"
"I'm in tears! Watching Ren look so badass makes me want to travel through time too!"
"I've spent years praying—why wasn't it me who got to go back in time?"
---
As Ren neared the port of the small town, he decided it was best to keep a low profile. Not wanting to attract too much attention, he slowed down and transitioned from walking on water to swimming, with only the Sea King's head above the waves. From a distance, it looked as though the Sea King was moving on its own.
"Look out! The Sea King is coming! Everyone, run!" someone shouted, and the crowd at the port erupted into a chaotic mess. Within moments, the entire area was deserted.
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"The host is scaring away the locals!"
"Ren's got the town on the run!"
"Poor guy—they won't even see him as a hero for taking down the Sea King!"
"Ren, you should drag that beast through town! It'll be like a modern-day legend of Wu Song defeating the tiger!"
---
Ren chuckled. "Honestly, it's better that they ran. I don't need applause or a parade. Sometimes, keeping things low-key is best."
As he assessed the now-empty port, Ren pulled himself out of the water, hefted the massive Sea King in one smooth motion, and leaped onto the port. His display of strength and agility set off another wave of rewards and envious comments from his viewers.
With a loud thud, Ren dropped the giant Sea King—almost the size of half a bus—onto the ground and began walking toward the nearby tavern.
The reason for defeating the Sea King was twofold: to make the seas safer for the townsfolk and to prove to his viewers that he had truly crossed over into this other world. Now, with the Sea King taken care of, both objectives were accomplished.
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"Ren, are you going to leave the Sea King's head? You should cook it into a pot of fish head soup. It'd be amazing!"
"Why not parade it through town, Ren? You'd become a living legend—like Wu Song, but in another world!"
"Aren't you here to show off, Ren? Isn't that what time-traveling heroes do? Don't pass up this chance!"
"Forget showing off with a fish head, Ren! Let's move on to the next big scene!"
---
Ren read through the comments, amused. "Look, this Sea King may have a reputation—after all, it did take Shanks' arm. I get why some of you resent it, but it's just a small Sea King. There's no point wasting any more time parading it around."
He shifted his focus. "Now, let's head to the tavern in town. There's a young woman named Ririka there and her daughter, Rika. I'm sure many of you would love to meet them, right?"
The chat immediately shifted in tone:
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"Young woman and daughter? Ren, we're on the same page!"
"Ririka does not have husband, right? She's gorgeous! Ren, go on a live quest to woo her, and I'll throw in a hefty reward!"
"Ren, you're hitting both ends of the spectrum! How old is Rika?"
"Youthful beauty and an adorable daughter? Yes, please!"
---
As Ren walked, he entertained the audience with tales from the world of "One Piece", watching the viewer count rise steadily as his current fans spread the word. New viewers joined with curiosity, some doubting the authenticity of his time-travel claim, but Ren simply brushed them off, focusing on the growing energy in the chat.
---
Meanwhile, in another world…
Ingrid stretched, a mischievous smile on her flushed face as she lay beside Hannah. Her playful gaze sparkled as she teased, "Hannah, do you think any man out there will ever get to see you like this?"
Hannah rolled her eyes, feigning exhaustion as she lay back, her disheveled hair cascading over Ingrid's shoulder. Her breathing was still unsteady as she replied, "Ingrid… please…"
Ingrid only laughed, her fingers lingering on Hannah's shoulder as she opened her laptop and refreshed the live stream interface. "Come on, let's watch the only time-travel stream together."
Hannah's gaze softened, a quiet curiosity blooming as she looked at the screen. "Maybe… I should send a reward…"
"Already so many tips, a little more won't hurt," Ingrid teased, pressing her lips to Hannah's cheek as her other hand hovered over the "recharge" button.
The screen filled with Ren's bold figure as he made his way through town, the chat exploding with comments and tips as he neared his destination.
---
Ren approached the tavern's entrance, where a low, mocking voice echoed from within:
"This is your last chance, Madam. Either watch your business and daughter fall, or come with me."
---
The chat exploded:
"Ren, hurry up! Trouble's waiting!"
"Someone's trying to take over our future waifu's tavern!"
"Perfect timing, Ren—go teach them a lesson!"
---
"Alright," Ren muttered with a grin, "let's see who the unlucky fools are." He pushed open the door and took in the sight before him: a room full of men in navy uniforms, all with smug smiles plastered on their faces. Oddly, though, he didn't recognize any of them.