Aaron didn't think too much about his clone, Arina.
Although she was indeed a clone of him, she was still an independent being. Since she was willing to use a woman's body to cultivate the Kuja Body-Refinement Technique, then so be it. As long as she could later complete the mission he assigned her at the Navy's side, that was all that mattered.
So, Aaron used his Munch Munch Fruit powers to help Arina complete her physical transformation. After giving her a few instructions, he turned into a miniature snowstorm and vanished from sight.
After Aaron left, Arina resumed her training in the snow, beginning a new round of the Kuja Body-Refinement Technique. This time, her movements were much smoother and more flexible than before.
"These clothes don't fit anymore… I'll need to buy some new ones,"
Arina muttered to herself, frowning as she looked at the now-loose clothes hanging off her transformed body.
Compared to her previous male physique, her new female body was undoubtedly smaller. Yet she could clearly feel that the female body was far more compatible with the Kuja Body-Refinement Technique. The special power that surged from within her this time was noticeably stronger than before.
"My choice was right after all. With a female body, my improvement rate is much faster. It won't be long before I can finally leave this place,"
Arina said with a slight smile, glancing in the direction where Aaron had disappeared before walking back into the house.
Aaron hadn't actually gone far.
He could still sense what Arina was thinking — and he couldn't help but feel a bit speechless.
At the moment, the mental connection between him and his clone had a limited range. Beyond a kilometer or so, the link would fade, leaving them unable to sense each other's thoughts. However, regardless of the distance, they could still vaguely perceive each other's general direction.
Moreover, as the superior in their link, Aaron had complete control. He could block Arina from sensing his own thoughts and only let her perceive what he wanted her to know. The reverse, however, was not true.
Because of this, Aaron had no reason to worry about his clone ever betraying him.
Truth be told, Aaron didn't disapprove of Arina's decision to switch to a female form for better compatibility with the Kuja Body-Refinement Technique. He actually thought it was quite reasonable.
Still, he knew there was an even better method: acquiring a Zoan-type Devil Fruit — specifically, a Snake-Snake Fruit.
Transforming into a serpent was, without question, more naturally compatible with the Kuja Body-Refinement Technique than changing one's gender.
That said, he couldn't really blame Arina for her choice.
After all, she could only wield one Devil Fruit power. Unlike Aaron's main body, who could use the Munch Munch Fruit to freely switch between different Devil Fruit abilities, Arina was limited to a single one — and clearly, she didn't want to waste that on an ordinary Zoan-type fruit. So, this method of hers was a temporary, if unorthodox, shortcut to enhance her physique more rapidly.
Still, Aaron thought to himself, if a suitable Zoan Fruit couldn't be found anytime soon, it wouldn't be such a bad idea to temporarily take on a female form for training. He could always switch back later.
Arina wasn't wrong — for the sake of revenge and strength, things like gender didn't really matter.
Using the elemental powers of the Snow-Snow Fruit, Aaron transformed into a blizzard and moved swiftly across the land. Before long, he arrived back at the Akio Gang's headquarters.
It had already been several hours since he returned to Vilia Port with the crew. Word of him acquiring the Snow-Snow Fruit had spread quickly through the port, thanks to a few loose-lipped members of the Akio Gang.
And with it, rumors of his battle record — being able to fight the great pirate Donquixote Doflamingo, a man with a 280 million bounty, for several minutes without losing.
Everyone in the gang now knew: a new Logia-type Devil Fruit user had joined their ranks. The news had electrified the once-gloomy atmosphere caused by the looming threat of war.
In the first half of the Grand Line — the so-called Paradise — the might of Logia users was well known. Even if their throats were slit or their hearts pierced, they wouldn't die. They were monsters — living legends.
If such a monster was your enemy, you'd never sleep well again.
But if such a monster was on your side… it brought an overwhelming sense of security.
That's how most members of the Akio Gang now felt — safer than ever before. The kind of safety even their leader, Akio, and his right-hand man, Reggie, couldn't provide.
In truth, many sharp-eyed members could see the writing on the wall: both Akio and Reggie — the twin pillars of the gang — were getting old. Their strength was clearly declining, and no one knew how long they could keep things stable.
The other four top officers weren't capable of managing territory, and privately, they didn't get along. They only respected Akio and Reggie.
Meanwhile, rival factions — the Dars Gang and the Regis Gang — were rising fast. Their leaders were still in their prime, both powerful and ambitious men known throughout the city. They had long been eyeing the Akio Gang's territory like hungry predators.
It wasn't hard to imagine what would happen if either Akio or Reggie fell — the gang would be torn apart by internal conflict and crushed from the outside. Collapse or total annihilation would be inevitable.
But with Aaron's sudden rise, everything had changed.
The decaying tree that was the Akio Gang had suddenly sprouted new life — vibrant and full of potential, with the possibility of growing into a towering force once again.
After all, Aaron was young and his strength was growing rapidly. To have already fought evenly against Doflamingo — even before obtaining a Logia — was a feat almost no one in Vilia Port could match.
Now, with the Snow-Snow Fruit, his power had risen to an even higher level.
Many had already begun to speculate: it wouldn't be long before Aaron's strength rivaled that of Akio and Reggie themselves.
So when Aaron appeared at the gang's headquarters as a swirling snowstorm, no one was surprised. Members coming and going merely stopped in awe — some shocked, some reverent, some envious, others thrilled — and all respectfully greeted him.
Everyone knew now: Aaron, the Logia user, was destined to become the Akio Gang's greatest pillar — and quite possibly, its future leader.
Yet despite his new power, Aaron hadn't let it go to his head.
He greeted every gang member as he always did — calm, humble, and composed — before walking into the headquarters.
"A Logia user, huh? Hmph, nothing special. Just a brat. The Akio Gang will fall sooner or later. Wait for me, Akio… Reggie… You ambushed me once and nearly killed me. You even hurt my precious treasure. I'll never forgive that. Wolves are creatures that never forget a grudge."
At the Dars Gang headquarters, Dars — now in his towering werewolf form — glared at the intelligence report delivered by Xuefia's spies, his blood-red eyes gleaming with hatred.
A moment later, he crushed the paper into dust.
"A Logia… If I could recruit him, my chances in the coming war would improve significantly. What could I offer in exchange, I wonder…"
In the lord's castle, Gilbert, the city ruler, paced near the window, murmuring under his breath.
"Another monster appears… Friend or foe, who knows. We'll have to observe for now. Doflamingo's words aren't always right. Besides, the Drum Kingdom truly needs new strength to stabilize the situation — otherwise, that terrifying mad lion will once again stir chaos upon the seas."
At Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral Sengoku sighed tiredly as he listened to the report from one of his trusted subordinates.
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