"The Rumble-Rumble Fruit!?" Gion's teacup froze halfway to her lips. "The Rumble-Rumble Fruit that's supposedly invincible?"
"What other Rumble-Rumble Fruit would I be talking about?" Finn's smile turned teasing.
"How did you get intel on it?" Gion set her cup down, leaning forward intently.
"Years ago, back in North Blue." Finn's tone remained casual, as if discussing the weather. "Overheard someone mention it in a tavern. At the time, I actually considered making the Rumble-Rumble Fruit my personal objective. Planned to acquire it eventually." He shrugged.
"But the fruit was supposedly on Sky island, and I had no means to reach it. Then, after transferring to Headquarters, I had the opportunity to consume the Press-Press Fruit. After that, chasing rumors about the Rumble-Rumble Fruit seemed pointless."
He met her eyes. "This time, we're going to Sky island anyway for other reasons. Might as well search for it while we're there. Maybe we'll get lucky."
Gion's initial excitement dimmed slightly. "So it's just a rumor. I thought you had confirmed intel."
But her spirits lifted almost immediately. Better to investigate than ignore it.
What if Finn actually found the Rumble-Rumble Fruit? The payoff would be extraordinary.
Kuzan, Sakazuki, Borsalino, all three were Logia-class Devil Fruit users. All three possessed devastating power that placed them in the highest tier of Marine power. The advantage Logia abilities provided was undeniable.
The Rumble-Rumble Fruit was considered invincible among Logia-class fruits. Throughout recorded history, every documented user had become extraordinarily powerful. But the fruit had been missing for nearly a century. No new Rumble-Rumble Fruit user had appeared in living memory.
Who knew where it was hidden?
If Gion acquired it, her strength would increase exponentially.
Finn's thoughts ran along similar lines, though from a different angle.
The Rumble-Rumble Fruit must be secured. Leaving it on Birka to eventually be consumed by some random native, or worse, taken to the moon or wherever, would be wasteful. Criminal, even.
Originally, he'd genuinely considered finding a way to reach Birka specifically to claim the Rumble-Rumble Fruit for himself. But circumstances had changed. After arriving at Headquarters, he'd obtained the equally powerful Press-Press Fruit. The Rumble-Rumble Fruit was no longer a personal priority.
So what should he do with it after acquisition?
Such a powerful Devil Fruit deserved someone with genuine potential. Someone capable of fully developing its capabilities. And preferably, someone under his command who'd remain loyal.
Gion fit those criteria perfectly.
Her performance demonstrated substantial potential. She wasn't at Finn's current level, true, but twenty years from now she'd be an Admiral candidate and cutting-edge Marine combat force. That trajectory proved her inherent talent simply hadn't been fully developed yet.
At the same time, Gion was his direct subordinate. Training her, investing in her growth, that served his interests perfectly.
With the Rumble-Rumble Fruit's power combined with Gion's existing skills, once she fully digested and developed the ability, she'd definitely reach top-tier Admiral-class strength.
Beneficial for both the Marines and for Finn personally.
Besides, the moniker 'Peach Rabbit' lacked impact. But ' The Azure Falcon'? Now that sounded impressive.
From Momousagi to Sō Hayabusa.
Thinking about it made Finn want to laugh.
As the 'Evil Slayer,' he'd finally have a companion with an equally embarrassing epithet. At least he wouldn't be alone in his suffering.
Half a month later, first half of the Grand Line, Jaya Island.
A massive warship approached the port slowly, its white sails bearing the Marine seagull prominently.
At the dock, numerous figures watched the ship's approach with expressions ranging from disgust to open hatred.
Jaya Island was a lawless zone, essentially ungoverned. It belonged to no World Government member nation. No Marine base existed within hundreds of miles. Consequently, pirates had claimed it as their own territory, one of several so-called "Pirate Paradises" scattered across the seas.
The most famous examples were Jaya Island in Paradise and Beehive Island in the New World. Beehive Island would eventually be captured by Marshall D. Teach and transformed into Blackbeard's primary base of operations.
Jaya Island remained as chaotic as ever.
"Where the hell did that Marine ship come from?" A pirate standing near the dock spat onto the wooden planks, glaring at the approaching warship. "They've got balls landing on Jaya. Aren't they afraid of dying?"
The warship settled into position with practiced efficiency. A gangplank lowered, and moments later Finn and Gion descended, followed by a detachment of Marine soldiers.
"Jaya Island..." Finn tilted his head back, gazing upward at the empty sky. Thousands of meters overhead, invisible from ground level, Angel Island floated among the clouds. "We'll resupply, rest briefly, then ascend."
He turned to Gion with a slight smile. "No need to wait for knock-up streams or any of that nonsense. I can lift the ship directly."
While not as effortless as Golden Lion's Float-Float Fruit, Finn's Press-Press Fruit provided sufficient control to manipulate a warship's ascent.
"Understood. What about you?" Gion asked.
"I'm visiting the tavern." Finn's smile widened slightly. "I've heard their cherry pie is excellent. Thought I'd try it."
At that moment, a group of roughly twenty pirates pushed through the dockside crowd, surrounding the Marine contingent. Their leader, a burly man with a scarred face and machete at his hip, jabbed a thick finger toward Finn.
"Hey! You and your people get the hell off Jaya Island! This is a pirate paradise! Marines aren't welcome here!"
Finn stared at the man with genuine surprise.
His warship was docked right there. Not a small ship, but a full Headquarters-class ship bristling with cannons and flying Marine colors. Yet instead of fleeing or hiding, these pirates approached and demanded he leave?
"Are all pirates this brave nowadays?" Finn asked, his tone curious.
"Hmph! This is the Great Pirate Era..." The scarred pirate started to puff his chest out.
"Excellent!" Finn interrupted, his enthusiasm apparently genuine. "I admire brave people. Looking at your physique, you must be quite strong, yes?"
A strong pirate? Was this Marine officer complimenting him?
Something was very wrong here.
"Don't waste my time!" The burly pirate yanked his machete free, blade catching the sunlight. "If you don't leave right now, I'll chop you into pieces!"
One of his subordinates, a younger man with slightly more awareness, squinted at Finn more carefully. His face paled. "C-Captain... I think that's Vice Admiral Rodriguez 'the Evil Slayer' Finn."
"What Evil Slayer?" The captain's confusion lasted only a second before the epithet registered. His aggressive posture wilted instantly. "The one who arrested Roger?"
"I don't like that particular title," Finn said quietly. "Perhaps you could use my other moniker instead. 'Violent Tiger of Marine Headquarters' is more acceptable."
He glanced over his shoulder at the Marine soldiers behind him. "Capture them alive. Lock them on the ship. When we return, they're going to the mines."
"Yes, Vice Admiral!" came the immediate response.
Finn walked forward, passing the group of pirates as if they didn't exist.
The captain opened his mouth to object, to threaten, to do something, but invisible gravity suddenly crushed down upon them. All twenty pirates vomited blood simultaneously, forced to their knees, then flat against the dock planks. They couldn't move a muscle. Couldn't even lift their heads.
Finn continued walking leisurely toward town, hands in pockets, as if he'd done nothing more strenuous than exhale.
Several seconds after he disappeared from view, the crushing pressure vanished. The pirates gasped for air, completely broken. Marine soldiers moved in efficiently, applying Sea-Stone cuffs without resistance.
"Rear Admiral Gion," a Marine Captain approached her, "there are many more pirates throughout the island. Should we conduct a full sweep?"
Gion shook her head. "We don't have time for comprehensive operations, and we can't possibly capture every pirate on Jaya. Focus on resupply. As long as they don't provoke us, we'll ignore them." She glanced toward town, where Finn had disappeared. "But if anyone does show up looking for trouble, capture them alive. They're all going to G-7's mines when we get back."
"Yes, ma'am!"
When Finn entered the tavern, every conversation died instantly.
The establishment was packed with exactly the sort of clientele one expected on Jaya Island: vicious-looking pirates, criminals with wanted posters, dangerous men nursing drinks and nursing grudges. Not a law-abiding civilian in sight.
None of them looked particularly valuable as mining labor. Probably small-time crews, bounties under ten million berries.
Not worth his attention.
Finn walked directly to the bar, settled onto a stool, and addressed the nervous-looking owner. "One cherry pie, please."
The owner glanced at Finn's Marine coat, at his face, and recognition flashed across his features. He nodded quickly, not daring to refuse.
Minutes later, a plate arrived bearing a generous slice of cherry pie. Finn took several bites, chewing thoughtfully.
Mediocre. Nothing special.
Teach's taste is questionable, Finn thought idly.
"Fufufufufu!"
The distinctive laugh echoed from the tavern entrance. Finn didn't need to turn around. That iconic laugh, that particular vocal cadence, only one person fit the profile.
Though he hadn't seen any Donquixote Family ships at the harbor.
"Vice Admiral Rodriguez Finn." The voice dripped with amusement. "Welcome to Jaya Island."
Finn raised an eyebrow but continued eating his mediocre pie without turning around. "Donquixote Doflamingo. So you've gone pirate now. Do you have a bounty yet?"
"Fufufufu, sixty-three million berries." Doflamingo strode into the tavern with his characteristic arrogant gait, that peculiar forward-leaning swagger. "Just a small-time pirate, Vice Admiral. Hardly worth your attention."
"A small-time pirate who's also a thief," Finn said quietly, still not turning around. "How bold of you to appear before me."
Doflamingo's confident expression shattered.
Gravity slammed down on him like a physical blow. Everything felt wrong, the air thick as mud, his body impossibly heavy. He couldn't move. Couldn't even shift his weight.
The wooden floorboards beneath his feet cracked, then splintered completely. He tried to lift his foot, to activate his Devil Fruit powers, to do anything.
Nothing worked.
Shock flashed across Doflamingo's face. That bastard didn't even move! Didn't even turn around! How is he this powerful already?
Doflamingo had always been confident in his strength. In North Blue, he'd been untouchable, the apex predator in a small pond. If Admiral Sengoku were here, obviously Doflamingo wouldn't have revealed himself. That would be suicidal.
But Finn? Even though he'd arrested Roger, Doflamingo had always suspected there was more to that story. Suspected Roger had allowed himself to be captured.
Besides, Doflamingo had awakened Conqueror's Haki as a child. He'd trained extensively with Trebol and the others, mastering all three types of Haki at a remarkably young age. Combined with his meticulous development of the String-String Fruit's capabilities, Doflamingo had carved a bloody path from North Blue to Paradise without suffering a single real defeat.
He'd always been the one doing the bullying. Nobody dared bully him.
If Finn hadn't appeared on Jaya, Doflamingo would probably have maintained that arrogance for years, until venturing into the New World and encountering someone like Kaido. That would be the lesson that taught him fear, the encounter that would make him pale at the mere mention of certain names.
But that was a future lesson.
"You should know my identity," Doflamingo said, voice strained but defiant despite his inability to move.
Finn slowly rotated on his bar stool, cherry pie still in hand, and regarded Doflamingo with mild interest. "Of course I know. You're a descendant of the Twenty Kingdoms' founders. A member of Mariejois's Donquixote Family." He took another bite of pie. "Though you've been expelled, naturally."
Doflamingo remained immobilized, but his voice carried stubborn confidence. "Even so, the Marines can't touch me. You know that."
He understood perfectly well that despite his expulsion from the Celestial Dragons, he retained certain privileges. Connections. Blackmail material. The Marines generally avoided confronting him directly.
The floor beneath Doflamingo's feet collapsed entirely, wood pulverizing under intensified gravitational pressure. He was driven down into the crater, forced horizontal, pressed flat against shattered planks in an utterly humiliating posture.
Finn's voice reached him, leisurely and calm, as if discussing nothing more significant than the weather.
"Who told you that?"
The pressure increased further, and Doflamingo tasted blood.
"Who," Finn continued, still eating his pie, "gave you permission to act arrogant in front of me?"
The other pirates in the tavern had frozen in place, afraid to move, afraid to even breathe too loudly.
This was Vice Admiral Rodriguez Finn.
The man who'd captured the Pirate King.