By right, he had already done plenty to make a name for himself after leaving the East Blue—yet somehow, he still wasn't famous.
Don fell silent, deep in thought. Something wasn't adding up.
"Maybe it's because you don't have a bounty,"
Robin said after a pause, deciding to gently remind him.
"Ah… so that's the reason?"
Don blinked in realization.
"If you want to make a name for yourself across the seas quickly, the fastest way is to become a pirate—and get a high bounty,"
Robin added, seeing that he'd caught on.
"True enough," Don mused.
"Out here, people judge strength by bounty posters."
Robin couldn't help but recall everything Don had done in the North Blue.
"But you caused such a commotion back there. The World Government and Marines never even put a price on your head."
"Maybe this time they will," Don said, shrugging slightly.
"And if they don't?"
"Then I'll go and challenge one of the great pirates myself."
In the end, the only thing that mattered in this world was power.
Don's thoughts drifted to Silvers Rayleigh—the Dark King, who'd supposedly retired on Sabaody Archipelago.
Still, picking a fight with a retired old man didn't sound all that decent.
He rubbed his chin, lost in thought.
After a while, Don snapped back to the present and noticed Robin still sitting there. He raised an eyebrow.
"Not going back? Or do you plan to sleep with me tonight?"
Robin froze for a moment, then stood up and walked toward the door.
"Thank you—for today," she said softly before leaving.
"You're still being so formal?"
Don sighed lightly, shaking his head. He knew she still hadn't let go of what happened to Ohara.
Who could? Anyone who'd lost their homeland would carry that scar for life.
Exhaling slowly, Don's gaze fell upon the long blade resting flat on the table—En, the sword gifted to him by Koushirō.
From the moment it came into his possession, it had been constantly wrapped in his Armament Haki.
Its blackening progress had already surpassed forty percent—something Don was quite satisfied with.
Lately, however, another thought had crossed his mind:
Should he feed the blade a Devil Fruit?
But the idea of a sword developing its own will made him uneasy.
A blade, after all, was a tool—it should follow his will completely.
Once it gained self-awareness, things could get… complicated.
That train of thought reminded him of Caesar Clown.
The scientist had once fed compressed gas a Salamander Fruit, giving birth to a sentient gas creature that no longer obeyed its creator.
"That does confirm one thing," Don murmured.
"Zoan Fruits at least seem to carry some form of will within them."
Even an inanimate object, once granted thought through a Devil Fruit, could become an independent being.
"But if the sword can't eat it… I can."
Running his hand along the scabbard, Don's eyes glinted with contemplation.
Ever since his abilities became digitized, he had noticed that the usual weaknesses of Devil Fruits no longer applied to him.
Still, unclaimed fruits were incredibly rare.
Even with the idea in mind, he'd have to actually find one first.
Even if eating multiple fruits meant certain death, he had his Unyielding trait to fall back on.
Once he got his hands on another, he could test it.
Of course, he wouldn't eat just any fruit. He'd have to choose carefully.
The memory of that vile taste made the corner of his mouth twitch.
He really didn't want to go through that again.
Still, if one's physique was strong enough, even multiple Devil Fruits could be survived.
Rumor had it that Kaido, after being captured, had eaten another fruit—and forcibly expelled its side effects with sheer strength.
"Guess that's something to look into later."
Consuming more fruits would demand time and effort to master their powers, slowing his growth for a while.
But if he ever hit a plateau, it'd be worth the experiment—
provided he could find one worth eating.
——
In the days that followed, Don and Robin explored every corner of Water 7.
They even joined in the city's Mask Festival.
Don didn't care much for the lively atmosphere, but Robin enjoyed herself thoroughly—and even bought him a strange mask.
"So… in your eyes, I'm a clown?"
Don asked, holding it up.
"The title of clown belongs to Doflamingo—or Buggy. Not me."
The mask was painted red and white, shaped like a smiling jester's face.
"Just put it on for fun,"
Robin laughed, clutching his arm. She herself wore an ugly old-woman mask.
"Fine…"
Don sighed and placed the jester mask on his face.
The mask's expression—half-laughing, half-crying—was oddly fitting for his current mood.
And, truth be told, it matched Robin's eccentric taste perfectly.
After a long day of wandering, they returned to their inn.
Outside, a tall but slightly awkward young man spotted them.
"The ship's ready!"
It was Flam, or rather—Franky.
"That was fast,"
Don remarked, giving him a brief once-over before nodding.
"Actually, this is considered slow,"
Franky admitted.
"Master Tom said he wanted to build the greatest ship of his lifetime. That's why it took a bit longer."
Now aware of Don's connection to Tom, Franky spoke with genuine respect.
"Come on, let's go see our ship!"
Don glanced at Robin, who was still holding the two masks, then followed Franky to the shipyard.
When they arrived, the place was quiet—no shipwrights remained, only Tom and a few of his apprentices.
"Mr. Don!"
Tom called out warmly as soon as he saw him.
He already knew who Don was.
While Don wasn't as infamous as the great pirates, he'd appeared on the front pages of the news several times—enough for anyone curious to find out about him.
"This is the most luxurious ship I've ever built,"
Tom said proudly.
"Made entirely of Adam Wood, the hardest and rarest timber in the world."
The others around him watched Don curiously.
"It has more than a dozen cabins, can sail by wind or oars, and of course, includes the flame propulsion system you mentioned."
"I've stocked all the necessary supplies, and there's even a small planting area on board."
It was, in essence, a floating palace—a ship built like a luxury cruise liner.
Tom's introduction gave Don a clear sense of its grandeur.
"Looks like I'll have to row a lot harder from now on,"
Robin sighed, gazing at the massive vessel towering before them.
END OF CHAPTER
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