For Gion, Tsuru, the guardian of a war orphan, was the most important person in her life. Of course, now the most important person in Gion's life was Elior. But no matter what, Tsuru still held an irreplaceable place in Gion's heart. Otherwise, Gion would never have pleaded with Elior back then and begged him not to kill her.
What Gion never expected was that her relationship with Elior would be discovered by Tsuru. Tsuru's heart was filled with pain and helplessness toward Gion. Just moments ago, Elior had clearly ordered Gion to take a bath, and she had obeyed without even a second of hesitation. She was so obedient. It was obvious that Gion feared Elior, or rather, feared making him angry.
Tsuru could not understand how such a powerful female Marine, someone who had once terrified countless pirates, could end up like this. And then, in an instant, she realized it. Before the war, Gion had already become Elior's woman. After that, Elior had deliberately placed her inside Marine Headquarters as an undercover presence.
"Elior… what exactly is going on?" Gion asked uneasily in a low voice.
"Do you really need to ask?" Elior replied calmly. Gion was left speechless.
Tsuru stared at her, her aged eyes clouded with sorrow. Gion instinctively felt a surge of guilt. Tsuru herself didn't know what to say anymore.
"Think carefully," Elior said flatly. "When the time comes and I attack Mary Geoise, your Marines will have three choices. First: assist the Celestial Dragons and fight against me. Second: stay where you are and wait for the war to end. Third: help me."
Elior repeated the options. He was offering Tsuru, and the entire Marine force, three paths. Naturally, he hoped she would choose the third. If she chose the first, Elior would wipe out the Marines completely.
"Elior… are you really going to attack Mary Geoise?" Gion asked in shock.
"It's almost time," Elior said calmly. "The Celestial Dragons can't hold on much longer."
Tsuru frowned.
"Have you ever considered that you might be destroyed by the Celestial Dragons? When that happens—"
Before she could finish, Elior interrupted her. "I can't fail," he said coldly. "Since Impel Down, I have never failed. I have never been defeated."
"You! If something goes wrong, how many people will be buried along with you?!" Tsuru snapped angrily.
"Think it through, old woman," Elior replied indifferently. "As for my fate, you don't need to worry. The fate of the Marines is now in the hands of you and a few others. When the time comes, you'll make your choice."
This woman was starting to irritate him, but Elior no longer cared. He was merely informing her. Whether she acted, or how, was entirely up to her. He did not force her. The conversation lasted nearly an hour. Eventually, Tsuru left Gion's residence, her heart filled with helplessness, anger, and grief. Revenge was no longer possible. Even though Elior had killed so many key Marine figures, Tsuru felt more powerless than ever.
Outside, she looked up at the sky and realized that despite all that time passing, it was still night, around eleven o'clock. She had arrived at Gion's residence at about eight. Naturally, she had no idea that Elior had manipulated time itself.
Inside, after Tsuru left, Gion finally felt a sense of relief. But soon after, confusion followed. She didn't know how she would face Tsuru in the future. She knew Tsuru would not expose her relationship with Elior, but that didn't make it easier. The disappointment and helplessness she had seen in Tsuru's eyes weighed heavily on her heart.
Having slept for over ten hours earlier, Gion was wide awake now. Meanwhile, Elior lay on the sofa with his head resting on her thigh, eyes closed, already asleep.
"Elior… how long are you planning to stay here?" Gion asked softly. "I mean… could you stay a few more days?" She felt uneasy. They met so rarely, only to part again so soon.
"I'm leaving tomorrow," Elior replied.
"Ah? So soon?" A deep sense of loss filled her heart.
"I've been busy lately," Elior continued. "By the way, do you have any information on Shiki the Golden Lion? That old man isn't dead, is he?"
This time, Elior's reason for leaving was Shiki. He wasn't trying to recruit him; he wanted Shiki's ability, the Float-Float Fruit. This was the one Devil Fruit Elior truly desired. He intended to make the entire Paradise float, just like Shiki once did. It would also make attacking Mary Geoise far easier. At that time, dozens or even hundreds of islands would descend from the sky, crashing directly onto Mary Geoise. Shiki's Float-Float Fruit perfectly suited his plans.
"Shiki?" Gion thought for a moment. "He should be in the West Blue. There's recent intelligence suggesting that. But not on the sea… in the sky above the West Blue."
"The West Blue?" Elior raised an eyebrow.
"Why are you looking for him?" Gion asked, thinking Elior wanted to recruit Shiki.
"I want to find him," Elior replied calmly, "kill him, and take his ability."
Gion was shocked. She knew better than anyone that Elior could steal abilities. "Then you must be careful. He's a legendary pirate. Even though he hasn't acted in years, no one knows his true strength. But he's definitely powerful."
"Mhm," Elior nodded. "If anyone dares to bully you, tell me. Even that old woman Tsuru."
"Mm!" Gion smiled sweetly.
Before sleeping, Elior released the time domain. At that moment, it was exactly midnight. When the morning sun shone through the window, Elior woke up. After washing up briefly, he left Marine Headquarters.
Elior's next destination was Fish-Man Island. The final battle was approaching. Mary Geoise could no longer wait; they wanted to crush Elior immediately. He was heading to Fish-Man Island to see whether he could awaken Shirahoshi, Poseidon, the Ancient Weapon.
As Elior prepared to descend into the deep sea, he received a message from Shiryu. They had located the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates. Elior immediately ordered Bullet and the others to lead enough forces to annihilate them. As for Marco, they were to capture him alive. Elior needed the power of the Mythical Zoan Phoenix under his control.