To achieve his goal, Yahn used a variety of methods to barely persuade Little Gold to willingly become a Devil Fruit user.
Afterward, Yahn began teaching her patiently and thoroughly, making sure she deeply understood two things: who the most important person in the world was, and that following other birds around would lead nowhere.
Because of this, with Little Gold's existence—essentially a flying fortress—Yahn gained what amounted to a portable storage unit, or even a mobile escape route.
In other words, Yahn hadn't brought any luggage with him because everything was stored inside Little Gold.
Even the "evidence" he had confiscated back on Capone Island was stashed away in there, along with a wide array of both conventional and unconventional supplies.
For example…
Soon, on the deck of the battleship, Yahn pulled out a beach chair and a parasol from Little Gold's body. While pondering the grand questions of life, he also had Little Gold apply sunscreen for him.
And now that they had left Marineford, Little Gold—finally allowed by Yahn—put on a pair of pink sunglasses.
"Wait, pink?"
Yahn suddenly realized something and turned toward Little Gold with a puzzled expression. "You like that color? Don't tell me... you're female?"
"Chirp chirp! Chirp chirp chirp!" Little Gold nodded firmly, chirping in a way that sounded like she was accusing Yahn of never noticing.
Lying lazily on the beach chair, Yahn replied half-heartedly, "Doesn't matter if you chirp—I can understand human speech, not bird talk. And honestly, not knowing how to tell a male bird from a female one is perfectly normal. If I could tell, that would actually be more concerning."
"Chirp chirp squawk chirp squawk!!" Little Gold began chirping more insistently.
Yahn, hearing the loud squawking, muttered, "Keep it up and I'll ban snacks for three days."
Immediately, Little Gold fell silent.
"Much better. Oh, and don't forget to apply that sunscreen evenly," Yahn reminded her casually.
"Chirp." This time, Little Gold chirped with a bit of attitude.
As Yahn enjoyed the soothing pressure from her massage, he continued to lecture:
"Little Gold, you must understand—you're no longer just some ordinary canary. You're a canary who's risen above petty tastes and now aspires to higher ideals. Got it?"
"Did you know there's an animal named Chopper? After eating a Devil Fruit, he set his sights on becoming a doctor. And now his skills are so refined he could outclass ninety-nine percent of human doctors."
"You should learn from him. No more laziness, no mood swings. Focus on the massage techniques I taught you. Once you become a certified massage master, you'll be able to earn all the delicious snacks in the world from your master."
"Ah, yes, right there—just a little more pressure."
"Ahhh~~~"
---
Under Ensign Hope's command, the battleship soon approached the Gate of Justice, not far from Marineford.
This massive iron gate towered from the sea all the way up into the clouds—so huge its edges couldn't even be seen at a glance. It served as a critical defense line protecting Marineford from pirate invasions.
Aside from the gate near Marineford, there were also Gates of Justice guarding the underwater prison Impel Down and Enies Lobby, the island of judicial affairs.
The three Gates of Justice formed a triangle, with an enormous maelstrom-like ocean current swirling at the center.
To reach the North Blue swiftly, the battleship had to pass through the Gate of Justice into the current, ride it through to the opposite gate, and then continue on its course.
Soon, amid a thunderous mechanical roar, the colossal Gate of Justice slowly opened a narrow gap.
Though it was a mere crack by the gate's standards, it was already wide enough for a warship carrying five hundred marines to pass through easily.
Watching Ensign Hope expertly handle the procedures, Yahn relaxed and turned his attention back to critiquing Little Gold's technique.
After all, in Yahn's vision for Little Gold's future, becoming a certified massage master was only step one. Next on the agenda would be maid training, culinary practice, tea ceremony studies, and more.
He was determined to make sure Little Gold's life as a bird was full of meaningful learning and not wasted in mediocrity.
---
As the battleship passed through the swirling current and neared the Gate of Justice on the Impel Down side, a strange coincidence occurred—the gate there was also beginning to open.
"What the hell? What are the marines at Impel Down thinking? Don't they remember the rule that you're not supposed to open the gate while other ships are in transit through the maelstrom? It's way too easy for routes to overlap and cause collisions!" said Hope, standing beside Yahn, frowning as he gave the order for the marines to slow down and steer clear.
Yahn, hearing Hope's irritation, closed his eyes but instinctively extended his Observation Haki toward the Impel Down side of the gate—just to be cautious.
"…No."
Yahn suddenly sprang to his feet, eyes wide as he stared at the narrow gap in the Gate of Justice. A thick column of black smoke was rising from the other side.
Without hesitation, Yahn made a judgment and shouted, "Something's gone wrong at Impel Down!"
"What?!" Hope exclaimed, stunned by what sounded like a ridiculous claim.
But then he too saw the black smoke, and his expression changed. He instinctively turned to order the crew to change course and head to Impel Down to investigate and assist—until Yahn's voice rang out again:
"Ensign Hope, full speed ahead—we're escaping!"
Escaping?!
Hope turned toward Yahn in disbelief, thinking he must've misheard.
As a marine—how could they run away?
But Yahn, who had already used his Observation Haki to sense the terrifying presence beyond the gate, urgently shouted again.
"Hurry—don't hesitate! That's the legendary pirate 'Golden Lion' Shiki behind that gate!"
As Yahn's voice echoed across the ship, every one of the five hundred marines on board felt a chill run down their spines.
Golden Lion Shiki—a pirate who once stood on equal footing with Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King, and Whitebeard, the strongest man in the world!
---
Currently at chapter 325 for advance chapters
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