Gin was momentarily stunned, then the corners of his mouth curled up slightly with a hint of mischief.
"Understood."
Lancelot nodded with satisfaction: "That's more like it!"
But then Gin frowned again: "But if I leave, who will hold down the fort at Whisky Peak?"
Hearing this, Lancelot couldn't help but frown as well.
Originally, with Gin stationed there, Whisky Peak was secure.
But... if Gin goes to Marine Headquarters, Whisky Peak would immediately lose a powerful figure who could intimidate others.
Although Mr.2, Mr.3, Mr.5, and Miss. Golden Week were quite strong in the first half of the Grand Line, they still fell short compared to those monsters from the New World.
Even the Supernovas could overpower them.
"Sigh..."
Lancelot couldn't help but sigh, thinking to himself.
"I still have too few capable people under my command!"
It seemed he needed to use Devil Fruits to create more Ability Users.
He didn't expect them to become powerhouses who could hold their own territory, but at least they should be able to suppress the small-time pirates in the East Blue.
This would give him a stable rear base...
At the same time, he could free up Lina and Zoro.
This way.
He would have two more people at his disposal.
Then Gin added. "I've mostly dealt with the pirates in the East Blue, and captured three Ability Users in total. Including Kid, that makes four people. They're all imprisoned at Whisky Peak under Mr.3's supervision."
Lancelot smiled.
That meant he suddenly gained four more Devil Fruits.
Combined with the Darkness-Darkness Fruit, Shadow-Shadow Fruit, Transparency Fruit, Ghost-Ghost Fruit, and two unknown Devil Fruits.
That made ten in total.
Tsk tsk!
Who in this world was as wealthy as him?
"Hmm..."
Suddenly, an idea came to him.
At the same time, he had found the person to hold down the fort at Whisky Peak.
His mood instantly lifted, and he smiled. "The first transaction here is about to be completed. I'll be back soon... As for the person to hold Whiskey Peak, I already have someone in mind. Don't worry... Go ahead!"
Gin: "Yes!"
...
"Hmm?"
At that moment, Lancelot raised his head and looked toward the sea ahead.
A group of people stood on the surface of the water.
Poised and ready for battle.
This surprised Lancelot.
Sai, standing beside him, raised an eyebrow at the sight and glanced meaningfully at Lancelot and said.
"These are ninjas from the Sakura Country. Judging by their formation, are they trying to intimidate you? Or... do they plan to eliminate you outright?"
"Eliminate me?"
Lancelot narrowed his eyes. "If they dare, I'll wipe the Sakura Country off the face of this world."
"Whoosh..."
As Lancelot's warship came to a stop less than a hundred meters in front of them.
The leader pushed off with his legs, soaring into the air and landing on Lancelot's warship in the blink of an eye.
The newcomer carried an arrogant demeanor.
He stood high on the bow of the warship, looking down at Lancelot, Baby-5, and the other marines.
His gaze swept over them one by one, finally settling on Sai.
His pupils contracted sharply, and his already arrogant expression turned cold and menacing.
His eyes when looking at Lancelot became piercingly sharp.
Like a blade.
He questioned sharply, "If I'm not mistaken, the person beside you is Sai of the Happo Navy from the Kano Country, isn't he? Why is he on your warship?"
This arrogant attitude deeply irritated Lancelot.
His brows furrowed deeply, and a flicker of coldness flashed in his eyes.
He said coldly, "You're overstepping your bounds!"
Unexpectedly, the other party began to radiate waves of killing intent.
"As expected, Doflamingo was right... you marines are unreliable, and that so-called Four Seas Exchange is no better."
Lancelot: "Have you forgotten? Our relationship is purely transactional. Any kingdom in the West Blue, even a village, could be my trading partner."
The other party: "Including the Kano Country?"
Lancelot: "Of course..."
Upon receiving such a clear answer, the killing intent around the other party intensified, though he seemed to be restraining himself.
He stared fixedly at Lancelot and said, word by word, "Then do you realize this means declaring war on our entire Sakura Country?"
"???"
Lancelot narrowed his eyes, his own killing intent stirring.
With his current strength, how many people in the world dared to speak to him like this?
He turned to Sai and asked, "Who is this guy?"
Sai, "One of the three great generals of the Sakura Country, the Ninja King, known as Tengu."
"One of the three great generals of the Sakura Country? The Ninja King? Tengu?"
Lancelot was familiar with the Sakura Country.
Like the Land of Wano, it had a Japanese-inspired culture.
However, unlike the Land of Wano, which was dominated by samurai, the Kano Country was ruled by ninjas.
Thus, the title "Ninja King" was not given lightly.
His position as one of the three great generals of the Sakura Country attested to his strength.
Sai added another line: "This guy is a Zoan-type, Mythical Zoan, Tengu Ability User. Not only is he proficient in all three types of ninjutsu, but he also possesses swordsmanship at the master level. Both types of Haki have already awakened... His strength is truly terrifying."
"If you face him, you need to be extra careful."
"Zoan-type, Mythical Zoan, Tengu?"
Lancelot's eyes couldn't help but light up.
After all, this was the first time he had encountered an opportunity to obtain a Mythical Zoan outside the system.
Simultaneously, he began searching his mind for everything he knew about Tengu.
Tengu, a creature from Japanese mythology.
Tengu possess tall, long red noses and red faces, holding round fans, feather fans, or sacred mallets.
They are tall in stature, dressed in "yamabushi" (a type of Japanese attire), with wings growing on their backs.
They usually reside deep in the mountains, possessing unimaginable strength and supernatural powers.
They carry a katana at their waist, wear traditional Japanese high-platformed wooden clogs, and carry a straw raincoat to hide themselves at any time.
They also carry an air of unparalleled arrogance.
'Holy shit!'
'I remember now—Tengu are masters of swordsmanship.'
'Does that mean that by eating this Devil Fruit, one wouldn't just gain the usual enhancements that a Zoan-type Devil Fruit provides to an Ability User?'
'Could it even grant someone with no talent for swordsmanship an innate talent for it?'
'Or perhaps enhance a swordsman's existing talent in the way of the sword?'
'If that's really the case...'
'Is there any Devil Fruit in this world more suited for Zoro than this one?'
'If that's really the case...'
'Does that mean Zoro could also grow rapidly like Gin, relying on the power of a Devil Fruit?'
'If that's really the case...'
'Zoro wouldn't have to wait two or three years to truly stand on his own.'
At this thought, Lancelot looked at the Ninja King from the Sakura Kingdom before him and felt overjoyed.
This was practically delivering a Devil Fruit to his dear Zoro.
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