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"You bastard! Ow, ow, ow..."
Inside the Hiking Bear's cave, a fire crackled, casting a warm glow.
Lieutenant Commander Hina hissed in pain as Jin dabbed at her wounds.
Outside the cave, the Hiking Bear, its sleep having been rudely interrupted, sported two fresh black eyes and a look of utter despair.
Seriously, who does that? It's freezing cold, the bear was sleeping peacefully in its own home, and suddenly, BAAAAAAAM!! It gets punched and sent flying. Is there no justice in this world? No law?
....
After a thorough beating, Lieutenant Commander Hina's temper had cooled considerably.
Jin applied a simple bandage.
The wounds left her feeling weak. She leaned against the stone wall, the flickering firelight dancing in her eyes.
"You bastard," she muttered. "You really don't hold back, do you?"
They chatted idly.
Sometimes, after a good, honest, down-and-dirty brawl, there's a certain kind of... satisfaction.
A baring of souls.
A close contact.
A meeting of minds in a state of post-battle clarity. A true union.
"We're both adults," Jin said, tossing another log on the fire. "Since you agreed, Lieutenant Commander, if I had pretended to be a saint, wouldn't that have made me worse than an animal?"
The firelight illuminated her skin, as white as milk, soft, firm, and elastic.
When he had said "you," he had originally been referring to her Paramecia-type Bind-Bind Fruit.
But she had misunderstood.
And the crucial thing was, she had actually agreed.
And so, on the principle of "only an idiot passes up a free meal," Jin had, without a moment's hesitation...
Helped himself.
Personally, he thought Hina's looks and figure were top-tier, even among the many beauties of the pirate world.
And from a strategic standpoint, Hina, as a Marine Lieutenant Commander, could serve as a valuable link between him and the Marines in the future.
And what better way to do that than to make her one of his own?
Any normal man would have taken the shot.
"So," he said, changing the subject, "what's the official word from the Marines?"
Hina was competitive, but she wasn't irrational. She had been thoroughly beaten, and... thoroughly taken. The anger had subsided, and her intellect had returned. She shot Jin a sidelong glance and, after a moment's thought, relayed Vice Admiral Tsuru's words to him, verbatim.
It wasn't that she didn't understand the concept of confidentiality. It was that this was her mission.
To probe Jin's intentions regarding Hannabal Island.
If they hadn't crossed this line, she would have had to be more subtle.
But now that the line had been crossed... what was the point in hiding anything?
Being direct now could even earn her some goodwill.
Sincerity on its own can make you look like a fool. But when the other person has something on you, whether it's physical or otherwise... sincerity becomes a killer move.
"I see..." Jin murmured. In the original story, Robin had mentioned that Hannabal Island had once been a pirate town. But when Luffy and the others arrived, it was being patrolled by the Marines.
So that's what had happened. Gasparde had worked with the Marines to eliminate a large number of pirates and bring Hannabal Island under their control. If the Straw Hats hadn't interfered, it would have been another wipeout, and the Marines would have been able to build a base there.
Gasparde had a bounty of 95 million Berries and was considered a "disgrace" by the Marines, yet he had been able to operate freely in the first half of the Grand Line for years without being captured.
It didn't make sense.
But if he was the Marines' "proxy"... then it all added up.
The Marines were using Hannabal Island's unique status, and the "Dead End Race" massive prize money, as bait to lure in the smaller pirates who were hiding out in the area.
"I can cooperate," Jin said. "The Marines must recognize and guarantee my ownership of Hannabal Island. I won it fair and square with a 100 million Berri bet. And they are not to interfere in its operations."
Her mission accomplished, Hina smiled sweetly. "I'll relay your terms."
Jin wrapped an arm around her waist.
Her perfectly sculpted face was framed by disheveled hair. Her skin was a patchwork of white and red, a kind of broken beauty. She had an exceptional... presence.
Especially her... broad sense of responsibility.
"How did they get so big?" Jin wondered aloud.
Hina rolled her eyes.
"And with such a slender waist... aren't you afraid you'll throw out your back one day, with all that responsibility?" he continued. "And your legs... they're like a compass. How do you maintain such a great figure? What's your secret?"
Hina shot him a look. "Enough with the compliments. You're strong, but what about your marksmanship? Hina hasn't lost yet."
Jin chuckled, his hand closing around the truth.
"Hilarious." He leaned in close to her ear. "Today, I'll show you what true mastery is."
"No! You shameless bastard! Hina is angry! Justice cannot be defiled! You won't get away with this!"
Heh.
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Due to the "injuries" sustained in her "duel" with Jin, Lieutenant Commander Hina temporarily took up residence in the town.
She contacted Vice Admiral Tsuru and relayed Jin's conditions.
In addition to ownership and operational rights to Hannabal Island, he wanted the bounties of Razor Dahm, Wilson, and Captain Sherlock removed, under the official status of "deceased."
And he wanted access to the Marine training base for a period of formal physical training.
In the world of One Piece, there were countless schools of martial arts and swordsmanship, many with long and storied histories.
Jin, with his Spacetime energy-enhanced body and the demonic carrier as a backup, had no shortage of raw power. But what was power without a little technique? A child chooses one or the other. He wanted it all.
"If I could get Garp to train me, that would be even better," he thought.
Putting aside his status as a hero of the Marines and his complicated family life, Garp was undoubtedly the best physical trainer in the entire organization.
Koby, Kuzan, Dragon, Luffy, Ace, and countless Vice Admirals had all been under his tutelage. His mastery of Haki—particularly Armament Haki—was best exemplified by his moniker: "The Fist."
The Marines didn't give an immediate answer. They said they would have to discuss it.
Jin soon found out why.
Five days later—a Celestial Dragon's ship arrived at Drum Island.
But the cold climate was not to the liking of Saint Jalmack, and he refused to disembark. He delegated the task to the CP0 agent accompanying him.
In truth—sending a Celestial Dragon was a symbolic gesture—a way to ensure that the new king understood that he was still a subject of the World Nobles. It would make collecting the Heavenly Tribute in the future much easier.
A tall man in a white suit, dark tie, and a mask disembarked with a contingent of guards.
"You are the new king of Drum Island? Jin?" he said, his eyes scanning the crowd. Why are these people dressed in rags, like beggars? How pathetic.
This, of course, was Jin's strategy. Plead poverty, and at the same time, the dirty, chaotic environment would deter the Celestial Dragon from coming ashore.
"I am," Jin replied.
The tall man produced a document. "The former Drum Kingdom, now the Winter Blossom Kingdom, is a member nation of the World Government. According to the regulations, you are required to pay a Heavenly Tribute of 100 million Berries for this year. You have three days to gather the funds, or provide an equivalent value in gold or jewels."
"That won't be necessary," Jin said. "It's all ready. And I have a gift for the world noble on the ship."
At his signal, Dalton and Jeston brought forward two chests.
One was filled with Berries.
The other contained ten brightly colored, beautiful mushrooms, each about the size of a fist.
"What is this...?" the CP0 agent asked.
Jin smiled. "It's a new species of mushroom we've created. I call it... Dream."
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