As if to confirm Kidd's thoughts, Gin's body trembled slightly, and then the six arms, each as thick as water jars, swung their table-sized fists, tearing through the air with unparalleled force and speed, hurtling toward Kidd like meteors crashing to earth.
Although these six fists were not enveloped in the intimidating Armament Haki Entanglement on the surface, the sheer momentum generated by their terrifying inherent power was enough to inspire awe.
It would be no exaggeration to say that even a light graze from such a fist would likely reduce an ordinary person to fragments on the spot.
And now, Kidd stood directly in the path of this destructive force.
If he took these six punches head-on, there was no doubt that death would be his only fate.
"BOOM..."
Accompanied by earth-shattering roars, the entire ground began to tremble violently.
Gin's fists rained down on Kidd like a storm, each blow carrying immense force.
In an instant, dust flew, sand and stones scattered, and the once-level ground was instantly carved into a deep crater.
At this moment, Kidd was completely overwhelmed, forced into a passive defense with no chance to counterattack.
Faced with Gin's relentless assault, he could only grit his teeth and endure.
However, human endurance has its limits.
As time passed, Kidd's defenses gradually crumbled.
One punch, two punches, three punches... More and more fists slammed heavily into his body, the powerful impacts sending him flying backward until he crashed hard into the ground, embedding deeply within it.
"Pfft..."
A spray of crimson blood erupted from Kidd's mouth, tracing a stark arc in the air before splattering across the ground, dyeing the surrounding sand a bloody red.
Having suffered such severe injuries, Kidd was now on the brink of death.
His limbs had long been shattered under the overwhelming force, and waves of excruciating pain washed over him, nearly causing him to lose consciousness.
His body endured unimaginable agony, and Kidd's face contorted into an extremely twisted, almost grotesque expression.
Yet, at this very moment,
Kidd's eyes, once filled with rage and resentment, had somehow become unusually "clear."
Through those eyes, one could glimpse a sense of release and liberation.
Perhaps, at the brink of death, Kidd finally understood that he had overestimated his own abilities all along.
Though he could dominate in the South Blue, he was still far from ready for the Grand Line.
To put it bluntly, any Logia Ability User would inevitably meet their end if faced by someone without awakened Armament Haki, regardless of how strong they might be.
Thus, the moment he decided to pillage and burn Whisky Peak, his fate was sealed.
He closed his eyes.
At this point, he had resigned himself to his destiny.
Yet, the final blow from Gin never came... Instead, Gin's cold voice cut through.
"Your life shall be spared for now..."
He then hauled him toward the Four Seas Exchange on Whisky Peak.
...
Ever since Lancelot eliminated Diamante, Doflamingo had immediately placed a bounty in the underworld.
Consequently, Whisky Peak had since drawn the attention of various factions.
Naturally, spies from all sides had already infiltrated the area.
News of Gin's battle with the Kid Pirates—where he effortlessly annihilated them—along with the revelation that he had become the new Logia-type Sand-Sand Fruit Ability User, quickly spread across the world.
From that moment on, Gin's name officially entered the sights of global powers.
He had truly made a name for himself.
...
At Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral Sengoku wore an exceedingly complex expression.
Gin's combat achievements had already demonstrated his strength, marking him as a future cornerstone of the Marines.
Coupled with his Logia-type fruit abilities, he might even contend for the position of Admiral in the future.
Was he happy about it? Of course he was.
For the Marines to gain such a promising powerhouse out of the blue was enough to make one laugh in their sleep.
But was he entirely pleased?
Not really.
After all, Gin had pirate origins and was aligned with Lancelot!
Sengoku found himself in a dilemma...
Normally, a powerhouse with such immense potential ought to be carefully courted and nurtured... but his former status as a pirate posed a significant complication.
Moreover, Gin was already branded as Lancelot's man.
Nurturing him would undoubtedly strengthen Lancelot's influence within the Marines.
And since Lancelot was connected to the Holy Land, this would equivalently enhance the Holy Land's control over the Marines.
Heaven knew how much effort they had expended to gradually reduce the Holy Land's grip on the Marines to its lowest point in centuries.
Yet, to neglect cultivating and promoting such talent would be unreasonable.
It might even drive him to become more loyal to Lancelot.
Beside him, Vice Admiral Tsuru seemed to see right through Sengoku's thoughts.
A slight smile touched her lips.
"How about this... Promote him to Rear Admiral at Headquarters for defeating the Kid Pirates and recall him to Headquarters..."
"Huh?"
Sengoku looked astonished.
Tsuru continued, "According to intelligence, Gin has already mastered Soru, Tempest Kick, and Finger Pistol from Rokushiki, and has awakened Armament Haki. Even without consuming Crocodile's Sand-Sand Fruit, he possessed considerable potential. Now, as a Logia-type Sand-Sand Fruit User, his potential is even greater.
Moreover, judging from his battle with the Kid Pirates, his mastery of the Sand-Sand Fruit is at least on par with its previous owner, Crocodile.
With such strength, just like Akainu in his early days, he will never lack military achievements.
Someone like this cannot be suppressed. It's better to try our best to win him over... Failing that, we should at least drive a wedge between him and Lancelot."
Sengoku's eyes lit up sharply. "A stratagem of sowing discord..."
Vice Admiral Tsuru chuckled lightly upon hearing this.
"That's right. Moreover, I've already had Gin's former captain and companions extracted from Loguetown."
"Excellent!"
Sengoku couldn't help but praise.
Regarding the relationship between Lancelot, Gin, and Krieg, Smoker had reported it early on.
Initially, the "trust" between Lancelot and Gin was built entirely upon Krieg.
Furthermore, Lancelot and Gin had only been together for less than two months.
Their relationship likely hadn't fully settled yet.
Or rather, they hadn't completely trusted each other.
After all, from the very beginning, there was an enormous rift between these two.
Now, by making Gin's military rank equal to Lancelot's while simultaneously controlling Krieg—the "pivot" between them—it would be difficult for these two not to become suspicious of each other.
They might not immediately become enemies.
But expecting them to trust each other unconditionally would be nearly impossible.
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