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Before the banquet had even ended, Jin and Reiju made their exit.
Gion politely declined Rear Admiral Enru's offer to chat after the festivities and stay the night at the base, instead heading back to their warship.
"So, Kujaku, what did you think?" Gion asked.
"Hm? Think about what?" the Lieutenant Commander replied, a look on her face like she was dying for the latest gossip. "Oh, him? He's alright. Sunny, handsome... but he's a king, so you know he's a player."
She was a few years younger than Hina and on good terms with her, which made her current schadenfreude all the more obvious.
Gion sighed and flicked her on the forehead. "Have you spent this entire evening thinking about the king?"
"Huh? What else would I—wait, what were you talking about, Gion?" Kujaku asked, a look of pure confusion on her face.
Her wide, innocent eyes were those of a college student.
Gion pressed a hand to her forehead. Vice Admiral Tsuru is so brilliant... how did she end up with such a "brilliant" granddaughter?
"I was asking for your assessment of Lunia Port," Gion clarified. "And of Rear Admiral Enru."
"Oh!" Kujaku had the grace to look embarrassed. "I thought... you were worried about Hina! Well, when we were coming into port, I saw at least a dozen pirate ships. We ran into pirates on the road, and I even saw Marine soldiers drinking with pirates in the taverns. Lunia Port is out of control. It's a place where you can't tell the soldiers from the pirates."
Gion nodded slightly.
"Headquarters has debated the situation in Lunia Port for a long time. Do you know why they've never acted?"
"Why?"
"Because this port provides Headquarters with three billion Berries in military funding every year. On top of that, Rear Admiral Enru has close ties with the various kingdoms of the West Blue, and he has backers in the World Government. He pays his Heavenly Tribute, and for the most part, he keeps the peace here. He's never made a mistake."
Kujaku was surprised. He's that good? Most Marine branch bases she knew of needed funding from Headquarters, they didn't generate revenue.
"But..." Gion continued, "Rear Admiral Enru wants his son to be the next base commander, which goes against the wishes of Headquarters. That's why they sent us. To gather evidence and deal with Captain Onoran, legally and legitimately. But we can't upset Rear Admiral Enru and disrupt Lunia's economy. It has to be a smooth transition."
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The next day, at noon.
The thick curtains were drawn, plunging the room into a false night.
Reiju awoke with a lazy yawn.
Beneath the covers, her long, smooth legs shifted, disappearing and reappearing. Her eyes were still hazy with sleep.
Seeing that Jin was gone, she simply rolled over and went back to sleep.
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Inside the Bounty Hunter's Guild.
Jin was sitting on a sofa.
"Marine Headquarters will never let Captain Onoran take over," he said. "Vice Admiral Gion is most likely here to handle the situation."
He hadn't spoken much with Gion last night, but he'd picked up on the subtleties. Rear Admiral Enru, though he appeared calm, was desperate.
Gion, though she seemed friendly, was keeping her distance.
And looking at it from another angle...
Rear Admiral Enru had built Lunia Port up over twenty years. That was a testament to his ability. Headquarters had allowed it, a tacit understanding between them. But to try and install his son as his successor, to turn the port into a family business... that was undermining the Marines, embezzling their assets.
Headquarters wasn't about to be taken for a ride.
"I just hope the next commander isn't some hawkish, stubborn old fool," Crocodile said. "That would make things difficult."
"I doubt it," Jin replied. "Vice Admiral Gion didn't come in and flip the table. That means she's looking for a peaceful resolution. As long as Rear Admiral Enru doesn't push his luck, she won't make any major moves. Pirates fight for power with swords and guns. The Marines are much more subtle. And even in the worst-case scenario, you're smart enough to handle it. I have no doubt about that."
It was a compliment to Crocodile, but also a show of trust and recognition.
Ruling through strength alone only inspires fear, not respect. And it certainly doesn't win loyalty.
A warrior will die for a lord who understands him.
It was just basic manipulation. Who didn't know how to play that game?
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That afternoon, Jin woke Reiju up.
After returning to the docks, he picked up Capone Bege from Daz Bonez.
He had no interest in the power struggles of Lunia Port. It was just a naval drama.
Still, a man like Rear Admiral Enru, with his administrative skills... he would be perfect for Hannabal Island...
From what he'd gathered, Enru really had built Lunia Port from the ground up with his own two hands. He wasn't a good Marine, but he was an excellent manager.
Of course, he couldn't have done it without the platform the Marines provided. It was a mutually beneficial relationship.
Jin left a message with Crocodile: if things really went south, he could offer Enru a way out.
Wilson, back in Hannabal Island, had been wanting to resign for a while now. He preferred the vastness of the open sea to the drudgery of paperwork.
Unfortunately, Jin was short on suitable candidates.
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The situation unfolded just as Jin had predicted.
Vice Admiral Gion conducted an investigation and captured the captain of a pirate crew who had been doing Enru and his son's dirty work.
From him, she obtained proof that the two were involved in fencing stolen goods and laundering money for pirates—enough to have them both thrown in jail.
But she didn't arrest them. She simply laid the evidence before them and let them make their own choice.
That night, a "pirate riot" broke out in Lunia Port.
Captain Onoran died a hero's death.
Rear Admiral Enru, overcome with grief, submitted his resignation.
That, of course, was the official story.
According to Crocodile, what had actually happened was that Captain Onoran had made a desperate gamble. He and his loyal men had tried to ambush Gion and her squad, to get the evidence back and silence the pirate captain.
He had overestimated himself and underestimated the caliber of a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral. Gion had cut him down with a single stroke.
Enru had only one son. With him gone, what was the point in fighting for a legacy?
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This all happened a few days after Jin and his crew had left Lunia Port.
The first thing Jin did was have the carrier absorb the Kilo-Kilo Fruit. After a strange, rippling motion, a hazy light began to glow.
A new, illusory "domain" appeared before his eyes. Unlike the "active" domains of Zoan fruits, Paramecias were quieter, more subdued, but he could still feel the latent power within.
Once the fusion was complete, Jin experimented with the fruit's power, first on himself.
His weight instantly dropped. And even after he reached 1 kilogram, it continued to decrease, though the energy consumption increased.
Finally, his weight bottomed out at 100 grams.
But his strength, his power, remained unchanged. At 100 grams, he could still throw a devastating punch. He just needed to get used to the feeling.
He let out a long breath and was nearly blown away by the force of it.
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