Afterward, Ortoren and Admiral Sengoku talked about other matters, though both deliberately avoided mentioning the development of G-5. Sengoku trusted Ortoren completely on that front, and Ortoren, in turn, trusted his old superior. There was a quiet understanding between them not to discuss G-5 in detail.
After exchanging views on the current situation and the Navy's movements, finding nothing that required particular attention, their conversation came to an end, and they each hung up the Den Den Mushi.
By then, Gion had finished bandaging Ortoren's wound. Ortoren flexed his arm slightly and smiled.
"Hmm, not bad. Thanks a lot, Gion."
Gion shot him a sharp look.
"Good thing you didn't cause trouble this time. Otherwise, even the Admirals would be pulling their hair out."
As she spoke, Gion took out the Devil Fruit and examined it curiously.
"What kind of ability does this one have? To be chased by both Reingal and the Whitebeard Pirates... and that man named Aramaki dared to get involved too. He must be quite the formidable character."
"If I'm not mistaken, this should be a Logia-type Mori Mori no Mi," Ortoren said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I think I saw it once in the Devil Fruit Compendium, though I can't be sure. Take a photo and have Momonga check it for confirmation."
Of course, he hadn't actually recognized it from the Compendium—he was just using that as an excuse.
Gion nodded and quickly pulled a camera and a small fax machine from her travel bag, busily getting to work.
Meanwhile, Ortoren weighed the Devil Fruit in his hand, his mind deep in thought.
Come to think of it, the Devil Fruits he had weren't bad at all. Back then, Spandine had given him an Ancient Zoan-type—one that granted the form of a saber-toothed tiger. If he remembered correctly, that fruit had originally been meant for Who's-Who.
He hadn't used it yet, mainly because he hadn't decided who to give it to. Naturally, the best candidate would be that kid, Lucci. The boy had achieved great results with just the standard Neko Neko no Mi, Model: Leopard. If he got an Ancient Zoan, his performance would surely rise even higher.
Judging from Zephyr-sensei's evaluation and training plan, Lucci clearly had exceptional talent in physical combat. Zephyr-sensei had been deliberately guiding him along that path. Looking at it that way, flashy powers would only hinder him. A straightforward Zoan-type ability would actually let him make the most of his strengths.
Still, that fruit was only an Ancient Zoan. If it had been a Mythical Zoan from the feline lineage, Ortoren wouldn't have hesitated—he'd have handed it over immediately. What held him back was doubt: would an Ancient Zoan limit Lucci's potential?
After a brief moment of thought, Ortoren gave a self-mocking smile. He shouldn't be the one making that decision. It wasn't yet time for Lucci to consume any particular fruit. He'd just hold onto it for now and let the boy decide when the time came. Perhaps by then, new opportunities would have appeared.
Besides that Ancient Zoan, Gion also possessed an artificial Devil Fruit—the pink dragon variant of Kaidou's Seiryu form. Ortoren had confirmed with Dr. Vegapunk multiple times that, aside from the color difference, there were no defects.
In Ortoren's opinion, Gion would make an excellent user of that fruit, and she wasn't opposed to becoming a Devil Fruit user herself.
However, she seemed reluctant to take a Zoan-type power. She preferred a Paramecia-type ability, ideally one that could complement her swordsmanship. She simply hadn't found the right fruit yet.
As a result, Gion still hadn't eaten the Pink Dragon fruit. It remained her last resort—something she would only consider if all else failed.
What Ortoren didn't know, however, was that Gion viewed that Devil Fruit as a precious gift from him, which was why she had kept it close all this time.
Now, with another fruit suspected to be the Mori Mori no Mi in his possession, Ortoren found himself uncertain about who, if anyone, should receive it.
Ace, huh? Well, he could be a potential candidate. The Mera Mera no Mi he originally ate might be a Logia-type, but honestly... it's just that kind of fruit. After so many encounters with the strongest fighters across the seas, even Ortoren could sense how underwhelming fire truly was.
Anyone with a flashy enough ability seems able to wield fire—Kaidou can, his mother can, and even King under Kaidou can manipulate flames without any Devil Fruit power.
As for the Marines, Sakazuki goes without saying. He completely overshadowed the Mera Mera no Mi, leaving it no room to stand out.
To Ortoren, the Mera Mera no Mi simply wasn't worthy of Ace.
The Mori Mori no Mi, however, had real potential. Sure, it came with its weaknesses—on paper, magma would probably restrain it—but Ortoren believed its potential far exceeded that of the Mera Mera no Mi.
Especially in vitality. As a power that symbolized life itself—rivaling even the sea—it held tremendous promise.
If Ace were to consume it, Ortoren could personally train him, guiding him toward an evolution like that of the Senju lineage. Maybe someday, Ace could unleash techniques like Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands, True Several Thousand Hands, or Deep Forest Emergence. Wouldn't that be glorious?
And if that didn't work out, Ace could always go into construction—build a whole village with a wave of his hand. He'd be a natural at it.
In the end, Ortoren made up his mind. If this Devil Fruit really was the Logia-type Mori Mori no Mi, he'd keep it reserved for Ace and see if the boy showed interest in the future.
...
Beyond the Mori Mori no Mi, Ortoren had his eyes on several other specific fruits. The first was, of course, the Ope Ope no Mi—no need to elaborate on that. The second was the Goru Goru no Mi. He had already tasked Doflamingo with this matter, hoping he would pay close attention to it.
After all, the Donquixote Family was already deep in the Devil Fruit trade, and in the original course of events, the Goru Goru no Mi had ended up in Doflamingo's possession anyway.
Naturally, as someone of Ortoren's rank and influence, he couldn't rely solely on Doflamingo's luck. He had also put in a word with Marine Headquarters and even instructed CP's Spandine to keep an eye out for the Goru Goru no Mi.
Then there was the Baku Baku no Mi from Drum Kingdom. Ortoren had delegated that task to Momonga. It wasn't a major issue, so he didn't need to handle it personally. If the fruit was still in Drum Kingdom and hadn't been eaten yet, Momonga would handle the purchase himself.
Next was the legendary Sleeping Town. It was said to hold a Mythical Zoan-type fruit—the one that Red Count Barolick Redfield obtained after his prison escape: the Vampire Fruit.
If the opportunity arose, Ortoren intended to track down Sleeping Town. The ancient ruin had long vanished beneath the sea, but he wasn't worried. Ancient ruins? That was nothing. The scholars of Ohara were experts in that field. He could simply ask them to locate it in the future.
Finally, there was the Gomu Gomu no Mi—or more accurately, the Mythical Zoan Nika Fruit, said to contain the power of the Sun God.
That fruit was undeniably extraordinary. Even with Ortoren's monstrous talent, it had taken him nearly a decade to reach the ranks of the world's strongest.
But that kid, Pirate King Luffy? After just two and a half years at sea—without any talent for singing, dancing, or rapping—he was already punching Admirals and kicking Yonkō around the New World. Sure, part of it came from his protagonist's aura, but his talent was genuine. And beyond that, the power of Nika was not to be underestimated.
If he'd eaten any other Devil Fruit, he would've been flattened long ago.
Still, after thinking it through, Ortoren decided to leave the Nika Fruit alone. It was far too dangerous. The World Government had sought it out countless times but never once managed to bring it safely back to Mary Geoise.
The Five Elders unanimously believed that this Devil Fruit contained the will of Nika, the Sun God himself.
If someone were to claim it—who would they truly become in the end? Themselves, or Nika? No one could say for sure.
Ortoren figured that only someone like Pirate King Luffy, protected by his absurd luck, could solve such a problem without a second thought.
...
While Ortoren was lost in these wandering thoughts, Gion finally received a response from Momonga. Her eyes brightened with excitement as she said, "Looks like you guessed right! I just sent the photo to Momonga—he compared it to the Devil Fruit Compendium at the base, and it's definitely a Logia-type Mori Mori no Mi!"
Gion was naturally thrilled. With this addition, G-5 now had three Logia users: Smoker's smoke, Ortoren's lightning, and the Mori Mori no Mi.
Their lineup now rivaled that of Marine Headquarters itself. After all, HQ had only ever boasted Sakazuki's magma, Kuzan's ice, and Borsalino's light!