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The Magnet-Magnet Fruit was one Jin had coveted for a long time.
In his eyes, it was in a league of its own.
Kid's "Weak" display of its power—inferior even to the Paw-Paw Fruit—was purely due to his lack of understanding. The guy needed to brush up on his physics.
There was also the fact that a human body has a limit to the power it can contain. For example, Miss Valentine's Kilo-Kilo Fruit, when used by the demonic carrier, had already broken through those upper and lower limits.
Giving the Magnet-Magnet Fruit to the carrier would be like unlocking a futuristic tech tree—railguns, electromagnetic shields, force fields...
It could use electromagnetism as its core power source. Combined with Germa 66's technology, he could build a super-advanced technological army.
This was why Jin had accompanied Kuma to the South Blue. Testing Kuma was one reason, finding Kid and getting the Magnet-Magnet Fruit was the other.
He just never expected that Kid hadn't eaten the fruit yet.
The vast, open sea. Finding a specific Devil Fruit was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Blackbeard had waited on Whitebeard's ship for thirty years just for the Dark-Dark Fruit.
It was that difficult.
But Jin knew there was a high probability that Kid would obtain the Magnet-Magnet Fruit within the next three years. There was a theory that while a person chooses a Devil Fruit, the fruit also seeks a suitable host.
In a way, according to the narrative flow of fate, the probability of Kid encountering the fruit was much higher than Jin finding it himself.
That was why Jin had let Kid go.
Instead, he had taken Victoria Shiruton Doruyanaika—the girl both Kid and Killer had a crush on—to give him a reason to search.
In the original story, Doruyanaika was killed by a rival gang, and Kid, in a fit of rage, had united all four of the lawless districts. After that, declaring he "didn't want to stay in such a small world," he formed the Kid Pirates.
In memory of his friend, he had named his ship the Victoria Punk.
By taking Doruyanaika with him, Jin had, in a way, saved her life.
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Jin began his tour of the South Blue.
Each of the Four Blues had its own distinct character.
The North Blue was the Sea of War and Intrigue. It was teeming with talent—the Marines' Kizaru and Akainu, the Vinsmoke and Donquixote families, Hawkins, Law... It was the Arkham Asylum of the pirate world.
The West Blue was the Sea of Culture and Antiquity. Its long history had given it a rich artistic atmosphere. Elegance never goes out of style.
The East Blue was the Weakest Sea, but it was full of dreamers. They could spin the most outrageous yarns with a straight face.
Higuma the Bear, with his eight-million-Berri bounty, had the air of a true conqueror and claimed to have killed fifty Shankses.
And then there was the future Pirate King, Luffy, who told everyone he met, "I'm going to be King of the Pirates!"—and was met with nothing but awe and admiration.
In short, if you're from the East Blue and you're not a braggart, you're not a pure-blood.
The South Blue was the Sea of Artisans.
The people who came out of the South Blue were a different breed. They were tough on their enemies, and even tougher on themselves.
Kid, Franky, and several Warlords were prime examples. They all had a penchant for modifying their own bodies. The people here had a natural talent for mechanics and engineering.
Lindbergh of the Revolutionary Army was a perfect example—a classic mad inventor.
Therefore, as he traveled, Jin made a point of trying to recruit excellent craftsmen. At every port, he would put out the call: excellent benefits, generous salary, room and board included.
The only catch was that they would have to leave their homes behind.
Of course, there would be a screening process. As for the fakers... well, he'd have to decide whether to simply kill them or make an example of them.
This task was entrusted to Wolf, with Law and Maya assisting.
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While they were recruiting, Jin was on the deck of the ship, practicing his stances, feeling the flow of Ki, the power of nature.
It was a method of Haki training from the Land of Wano: internal energy.
Through foundation training, one could develop a Ki that could be directed and controlled by the Will. This training had to be combined with specific breathing techniques, using the mind to guide the movements and the breath to coordinate the storing and releasing of power.
This practice could strengthen both Armament and Observation Haki.
Conqueror's Haki? That was related to one's will, one's spirit. It couldn't be strengthened through training alone. As far as Jin knew, the only way to strengthen it was to constantly defeat powerful enemies.
He was now learning to use his internal energy to guide the flow of Haki within his body, to allow his ki to follow his will, his will to follow his mind.
In battle, this meant he could instantly focus his Haki at the point of impact, creating a super-dense defense rather than a diffuse one. It could also be used to temper his own body, like forging a black blade.
This was the advanced application of Haki.
Hah...
Jin threw a punch, a sonic boom echoing with each strike.
But he wasn't satisfied.
This isn't enough...
"My combat experience is still my greatest weakness, especially against top-tier opponents. I'm constantly strengthening my Haki, but in a real fight, I'm still no match for the seasoned veterans. It's like knowing a formula. You can memorize it, but can you apply it to a complex problem? It takes practice, experience. There's a world of difference between rote memorization and true mastery."
"After the East Blue, I'll head along the Grand Line to the New World... I'll seek out strong opponents... and my target will be Hachinosu."
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Just as Jin was lost in thought, the local Marine Captain, with a hundred or so men, arrived at the docks and demanded a surprise inspection of all ships.
"Search them!" he barked. "Be thorough! Don't miss a single suspicious detail!"
"Sir!"
The Marine soldiers, their faces grim, stormed the various ships. "Out of the way! We're coming aboard! I suspect this ship is carrying contraband! Anyone who interferes is an enemy of the Marines!"
The ship owners were stunned, but faced with the aggressive Marines and their righteous pronouncements, no one dared to resist.
"Search carefully!" the Captain commanded from the docks, a cigar clamped between his teeth as he scanned the ships for anything suspicious.
A moment ago, he had received a call from the command center of Admiral Aokiji, ordering him to inspect all ships and report any suspicious individuals.
The target, of course, was the "Tyrant" who had assassinated the king of the Sorbet Kingdom a few days ago.
While some cooperated, there were inevitably those who did not.
A Master Chief Petty Officer was about to lead his men onto one of the ships.
"Stop!" a man on the deck blocked their path. "This is a royal vessel! No one is to come aboard without an order from the royal family! Not even the Marines!"
The man, who looked like a steward, was exceedingly arrogant.
The Master Chief hesitated.
The Captain strode over and drew his pistol.
"Out of the way," he said, leveling the gun at the steward. "I am acting on a direct order from Marine Headquarters. Anyone who obstructs my official duties will be arrested."
The steward frowned. "Captain, this is not a naval port. You have no right to search any of these vessels."
A Marine inspection was standard procedure in a naval port, but in a civilian port, they technically had no authority. The Marines could defend against pirates, patrol the seas, and even station troops there, but they couldn't interfere in the local administration.
"An inspection like this should be carried out by the relevant department of the kingdom's municipal government. You are overstepping your bounds."
Jin overheard the exchange and was surprised. He turned to Reiju. "Is that true?"
Reiju looked at him. "You don't know?"
"I haven't been a king for very long," Jin said, speechless. "How am I supposed to know all the ins and outs?"
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