Chapter 104: Paramecia

Sabaody Archipelago

It was early morning.

Vice Admiral Gion stretched as she rose and made her way to the restaurant. Without a word, the dedicated chef served her favorite breakfast. Alongside it, courteous subordinates handed her the latest newspaper.

As the base commander, Gion's duties didn't require her to rush around. Her job was to sit at the center, directing and mobilizing her forces. Only when dealing with a particularly strong foe would she go out herself.

Thus, many Marines, like her, reached old age still healthy and relaxed, visiting doctors only as a matter of routine. Pirates, on the other hand, were often plagued by old injuries, forced to live their final years dependent on medical care.

Gion was a former geisha, and she took her health very seriously. She didn't ask where Kuina had gone, she knew Kuina was likely already training, even though it was quite early.

Kuina's diligence made her highly respected among Marine elites. Gion admired her commitment, even if Kuina wasn't interested in joining the Marines.

"Leno, that guy..." Gion muttered under her breath. She hadn't heard from him in a while, and his sudden disappearance was unnerving.

As she opened the newspaper, a bold headline caught her eye. She spat out her tea in surprise.

"Shocking! Hunter President Leno Seen in the Deep Sea, Conquering Fish-Men Island!"

Her eyes narrowed.

Fish-Men Island?

So that's where he's been, she thought. No wonder there had been no news of him for so long.

"Is he enthralled by mermaids now?" she muttered, shaking her head. Leno was the type to vanish and then reappear only to cause a stir.

"I wonder... what's Fish-Men Island really like?" Gion thought aloud. Despite her rank as Vice Admiral, she'd never been there. Her duties kept her too busy, and the journey itself was notoriously dangerous—not because of people, but because of the ocean itself.

Out of ten ships that set sail, only one might make it through to the New World. The rest either turned back or perished, swallowed by the sea.

The morning sun slowly rose above the horizon. Beneath the blue sky, the calm sea suddenly churned. Three coated ships surfaced, followed by a massive, transparent bubble.

"Is this... above the sea?"

"Look! The sun!"

"What a warm sunlight!"

On one of the boats, Otohime wept as she heard the joyous cheers from her people. Beside her, Prince Fukaboshi looked up at the sky and inhaled the fresh, sea-scented air.

"Mother's dream..." he murmured.

Aboard the Sun Pirates' ship, Jinbe, Aladine, and the rest of the fish-men smiled, sharing the joy of their people seeing the sun after so long. This moment reminded them of when they first left Fish-Men Island with Fisher Tiger, seeing the sun for the first time.

"Sun! Sun!"

Wadatsumi, one of the fish-men, was ecstatic. After living in the dark depths of the sea for so long, the sunlight made him leap with joy.

After Vander Decken IX's death, Wadatsumi had followed Leno, who saw that despite Wadatsumi's past under Decken, he had a kind heart. With proper guidance, Wadatsumi had grown into a powerful warrior, comparable to giants like Sanjuan Wolf or Little Oars Jr.

Now, Leno had broughtWadatsumi with him to East Blue, entrusting him with guarding the waters near Elegia.

Meanwhile Leno and the other fish-men and mermaids remained calm. Turning to Otohime, Jinbe, and the others, Leno said,

"You all wait here. I'm heading to the Sabaody Archipelago to take care of some things."

Leno had earned both the respect and awe of Fish-Men Island after rescuing their people from a slave ship. Otohime and Fukaboshi quickly recruited 200 fish-men and mermaids to accompany him to East Blue. Jinbe and the Sun Pirates had been tasked by King Neptune with escorting the ships.

Leno left for Sabaody Archipelago, where he planned to meet Gion.

At a restaurant outside the Marine base, in a private room, Leno finally met with Gion and Kuina.

"You bastard! I thought you were captured by Kaido!" Gion glared at him.

Leno chuckled, "Haha, just had some good luck."

Kuina, standing nearby, seemed to have grown taller. Leno guessed she had probably reached her final height of around 170 cm, though that didn't matter. With her feet firmly on the path of swordsmanship, fame awaited her. In just half a month, training under Gion's guidance, Kuina had grown stronger.

Every day, Gion arranged live battles for her, giving her ample chances to fight the pirates that flooded Sabaody Archipelago. It was the perfect environment for growth—much better than the peaceful East Blue, which lacked worthy opponents for Kuina.

Leno's teachings had been vital in transforming Kuina's sword style, but her progress had stagnated in East Blue without real challenges. Now, in the chaotic waters of Sabaody Archipelago, she was flourishing.

Leno recounted his battle on the Red Line and his time at Fish-Men Island but left out details about Mary Geoise. It wasn't something they needed to know.

Before leaving, Leno handed Gion a small box.

"What's this?" Gion's cheeks reddened slightly. She wasn't one to accept gifts, but this was Leno. Her heart raced, and she couldn't help but wonder, Is he... pursuing me? Should I say yes?

Leno's next words broke her train of thought. "I heard that Naval Headquarters is considering you as a replacement for Kuzan."

"What?!" Gion was startled. "How do you know about that? Have you planted a spy?"

"What's spy? From the weight of your Marine newspaper, you should be able to figure it out, right?"

"Is that so?"

Leno smiled. "If you can become an Admiral, I'll be relieved, but right now... you're still a little short."

"What?"

Gion's face darkened.

Though what Leno said was true, it still stung. She knew it herself—she was a level below the Admiral rank. If Kuzan hadn't left, she wouldn't even be in the running. But Leno's bluntness felt like twisting a knife into her chest.

Frustration surged through her.

"So, this Devil Fruit should be useful to you!"

Devil Fruit?

Gion opened the box, revealing a metallic, pineapple-shaped fruit inside.

"Paramecia Magnet-Magnet Fruit!" Leno explained. "Once mastered, it creates a magnetic field, controlling metals. Its power and range of attack are on par with Logia fruits—perhaps even stronger!"

This particular Devil Fruit had been taken from the pirate crew, a trophy from Leno's battle. In the future, Eustass Kid would come to possess it, pushing its potential to the brink of awakening.

Yet Leno believed Kid had wasted its true power, using it more like a support ability for some robotic gimmick. A fruit with such immense power deserved better.

Magnetic force—the foundation of the four fundamental forces of nature.

It was a power that could reshape the world.

"Look at Fujitora's mastery over gravity. With just his sword, he can call down meteorites from the heavens. Now, imagine what you could do with the Magnetic Fruit. Control metal, distort the magnetic field, form massive storms—enough to destroy entire islands."

Leno's eyes gleamed. "You could even use... Isn't that tempting?"

But what about Kid? Leno shook his head. Sometimes, it wasn't the fruit that fell short—it was the person using it.

"So, here's everything I know about electromagnetism, along with my thoughts on developing the Magnetic Fruit's abilities!"

Leno handed Gion a booklet he had written during his travels.

"A... booklet?" Gion blinked in surprise.

Opening it, she found the information clearly organized, with detailed explanations about the Magnetic Fruit's potential and strategies for using it. Some techniques were tailored to her own fighting style.

Leno had really put effort into this. Her heart warmed as she realized the depth of his consideration.

Her face flushed as she muttered, "I-I'm not a child, you know."

"No misunderstanding here," Leno teased. "I just don't want you wasting such a good fruit because you're too dumb to use it."

That remark hit Gion like a dagger, making her grit her teeth. This guy—why did he have to ruin everything by being so tactless?

Still, she couldn't deny the warmth growing inside her.

"The Marine reelection plan will be proposed at the Levely in two years and will undoubtedly be approved."

The Levely took place every four years, and the last one had been in the year 1510. The next Levely would occur in 1514, just two years away.

"So, you've got time—over two years to develop this fruit to its full potential."

Gion nodded seriously, her ambition reignited.

Every good Marine aspired to be an Admiral. For Gion, it was no different, but her current strength left her feeling inadequate. However, with Leno's support, she felt a renewed drive to fight for that goal, something she hadn't felt in a long time.

"Hey, aren't you afraid that I might arrest you one day?" Gion asked, half-joking, half-serious.

"You'd be arresting one of your own, Admiral," Leno chuckled.

"What do you mean, 'one of my own'?" Gion rolled her eyes.

Kuina, who had been quietly observing, took a bite of melon and smirked, "Ka Ka Ka."

As they left the restaurant, Leno made his way to Shakky's Rip-Off Bar once again. Just before entering, he heard Buggy's voice shouting from the distance.

"Little ones, what are we?!"

"Hunters! Hunters! Hunters!" came the roaring response.

Leno glanced over to see Buggy standing on a high platform, arms folded with a devious grin on his face. Below him, a group of two or three hundred pirates wielded swords, cheering wildly.

"Hee hee hee haha! This is amazing!" Buggy laughed to himself.

Since Leno's victory over Kaido had shaken the world, Buggy saw it as the perfect opportunity to ride the wave of fame.

Dressed in the garb of the Hunter's Guild, Buggy had been parading around Sabaody, and soon enough, a bunch of underlings had started following him. Sabaody Archipelago was full of complex characters—some pirates who had failed to enter the New World and returned alive, others who were broken and looking for a new purpose.

Most of Buggy's recruits fell into that last category, confused and uncertain about their futures.

Seeing this, Leno shook his head. Buggy's knack for trouble was almost supernatural. Born to be a magnet for chaos.

"It seems Paradise is the right place for Buggy to stay," Leno thought.

East Blue was already stable. Sending Buggy back there wouldn't achieve much. Perhaps it was better to find something for Buggy to do here, to keep him occupied.

As that thought crossed Leno's mind, an idea formed—Buggy could be useful in a specific situation. His knack for getting into (and out of) trouble might come in handy.

"Hey, Buggy!"

Buggy, in the middle of his speech, heard the familiar voice calling out.

Turning around, his eyes widened as he spotted Leno standing outside the bar. "Eh? P-president?!"

Buggy blinked in disbelief, rubbing his eyes to make sure he wasn't imagining things. It was really Leno.

"The president of the Hunter's Guild!" one of the pirates shouted in awe.

"The world's strongest hunter, Leno—the man who defeated Kaido!" gasped another.

"The president is here! He's so cool!"

The crowd erupted into cheers as they recognized Leno.

"Buggy, come here. I've got a mission for you," Leno called, waving him over.

Buggy's heart raced. "An important mission?! This means I've finally proven my worth!"

Straightening his posture, Buggy addressed his crew with authority. "Little ones, I'll be back soon! Stay sharp!"

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