Next Bonus, 100!!
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On a more remote part of the island, a small "pirate town" had been built, specifically to cater to visiting pirate crews.
In the town, each crew was allowed to dock for three days. During their stay, they were not permitted to leave the town without authorization. And someone would check on them every day.
If they wanted to visit another town, they had to apply for a one-day pass. Otherwise, they would be considered in violation of the law.
This system allowed them to profit from the pirates while minimizing conflict and potential damage.
In the past two years, due to the changing times and the increase in the Heavenly Tribute, the number of pirates on the seas had skyrocketed. And the recent explosion of interest in the [One Piece] and the Poneglyphs had only added fuel to the fire.
The number of pirates entering the Grand Line had surged.
And when these pirates, desperate for a place to rest, came across an island, you couldn't just turn them away. That would only force them to try and sneak in, which would cause even more destruction.
As the saying goes, it's better to guide a river than to dam it.
And so, the idea of building a dedicated pirate port and town was born.
The town was under special administration. It had local shops, as well as casinos, bars, and other entertainment facilities.
As for the prices... they were a little higher, of course.
After all, they were dealing with pirates.
But they weren't outrageous. There were regulations in place to prevent price gouging and protect the customers' interests.
Kid listened with a strange sense of novelty as the "pirate butler" assigned to them explained the rules.
The "pirate butler" was a new profession that had sprung up with the pirate town. They were responsible for liaising between the pirate crews and the local authorities, and they also provided guide services.
It was a way to keep track of the pirates, to prevent them from causing trouble, and to generate income and create jobs.
"Aren't you a member of the World Government?" Killer asked. "You don't care about their bounties?"
The butler just smiled. "That's the business of the World Government and the Marines. But..." He glanced at the pirates. "...if you don't obey the laws of the Winter Blossom Kingdom, then it becomes our business. And the guys in the Department of Public Safety and the Navy... they'd love for you to break the law. It's a chance for them to make a name for themselves."
"But," he added, "don't worry. Even though you're pirates, the kingdom has strict laws against entrapment and framing. Anyone caught doing so will be sent to a military tribunal. His Majesty is very particular about that point. As long as you don't cause trouble, you'll be fine."
Kid and Killer exchanged a look and shrugged. At first, they had planned on getting their revenge on Jin. But as his fame had grown—his "defeat" of Whitebeard, his clashes with the other Yonko—they had given up on that idea. A monster like that was not someone they could afford to mess with. For now, they would play by his rules.
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"Kid?" Jin said, a note of pleasant surprise in his voice. So the Magnet-Magnet Fruit is here.
He took a break from his busy schedule and returned to the palace to meet with Kid and Killer.
He also sent for Doruyanaika, who was working at the Snowland amusement park.
"Kid! Killer! You're here!" she said, her face lighting up.
"Doruyanaika! Are you alright?"
"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?"
Other than keeping a close eye on her during their journey from the East Blue, Jin had not mistreated her in any way.
The childhood friends were reunited. They talked for a long time, catching up on everything that had happened.
Seeing that Doruyanaika was safe and sound, Kid and Killer handed over the Devil Fruit.
It was shaped like a dragon fruit, with a silvery, metallic skin, a lightning-bolt-shaped stem, and sharp spikes.
The Paramecia Magnet-Magnet Fruit.
Jin recognized it at a glance.
In recent years, he had been collecting fragments of the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia from all over the world. He had pieced them together and entered them into Ai's database.
The Magnet-Magnet Fruit was in there.
Kid might have been a brute, but he was fiercely loyal to his friends.
To save Doruyanaika, he hadn't eaten the fruit.
If he had, Jin would have had to kill him.
"So," Kid said, his voice gruff, "can we take her with us now?"
Jin smiled. "You can. If she wants to go."
"What do you mean?" Kid snarled. "Are you going back on your word?"
"Of course not," Jin replied. "I just hope you'll respect Miss Doruyanaika's wishes."
Kid and Killer looked at Doruyanaika.
"I'm sorry, Kid, Killer," she said, her voice soft. "But... I prefer this life to a life of adventure on the sea. I've found my purpose here, at the amusement park. My reason for being."
"EH??" Kid and Killer were stunned.
"Hey!" Kid spun on Jin, his face contorted in a mask of rage. "Did you threaten her?"
He threw a punch.
"Kid, no!" Doruyanaika screamed.
"Young man," Jin said, his voice calm, "you really shouldn't be so impulsive. You'll get hurt."
He casually slapped Kid's punch aside and sent him flying. He crashed to the ice-brick floor with a sickening thud.
"Gwah..." He coughed up a mouthful of blood.
"Kid!" Killer rushed to his side.
"Your Majesty!" Doruyanaika bowed deeply. "Please forgive Kid's ignorance! He was just worried about me! He didn't mean to offend you!"
"She doesn't want to leave," Jin said. "Therefore, our previous agreement is void. I will purchase this Devil Fruit from you for one billion Berries. A fair and reasonable price... As for this little... misunderstanding, we'll call it even. Consider it payback for our last encounter. I won't pursue the matter. I am a fair man. But next time... a simple apology won't be enough."
Kid felt a sharp pain radiate through his body. He realized the terrifying power of the man before him. He glanced at Doruyanaika, and she gave him a subtle wink.
Kid, Killer, and Doruyanaika had been friends since they were children. He knew what she meant. He grit his teeth. "Fine."
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Later, back at Doruyanaika's quarters, she had a doctor examine Kid's injuries.
"You're so impulsive," she chided him. She might have been gentle most of the time, but when she was angry, she could be quite fierce. "How could you attack His Majesty? You're lucky you're still alive."
Kid and Killer were both quiet and well-behaved in her presence.
"You can't survive on these seas without guts," Kid muttered. His courage was undeniable. He was the kind of man who would face down a god.
"Besides," he continued, "I thought he had threatened you..."
"How could he?" Doruyanaika said. "If he was going to threaten me, why would he offer you a billion Berries? I'm not worth that much. He asked me if I wanted to go with you." She shook her head. "I really do want to stay here."
Her voice softened. "I know you've been through a lot to save me, but... I'm sorry. I'm really happy with my life right now. And... don't you remember? I told you my dream was to run an amusement park."
Kid's mind flashed back.
Years ago, they had snuck into the wealthy district and had seen the children playing at an amusement park, their hearts filled with envy.
And Doruyanaika had said...
So that's what this is about...
"I work at the park now," she said. "I get to meet all sorts of different people, to see them laugh. And it makes me happy. My life has meaning. You're chasing your dreams, too, aren't you?"
Dreams?
Kid and Killer exchanged a look.
"To become the Pirate King, of course!" Kid declared. "And anyone who laughs at my dream, anyone who gets in my way... I'll destroy them!"
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Kid and Killer took the billion Berries. It was a massive sum. They had wanted to give some to Doruyanaika, but she had refused, saying they needed it more.
After purchasing a large quantity of supplies and weapons, Doruyanaika saw them off.
"Maybe we should go back," Kid said, staring at the island, his eyes filled with greed and ambition. "Steal back the Magnet-Magnet Fruit."
"Hey! Kid! Don't be an idiot!" Killer said, trying to talk some sense into him. "That guy is a monster! We're no match for him right now!"
"Yeah, Captain!" the other crew members chimed in. They had heard the stories in the pirate town. Starting a fight here was a death sentence. Even a Warlord or a pirate with a bounty of two or three hundred million wouldn't dare to cause trouble.
The moniker "King of Paradise" was well-earned.
Kid was not happy. He touched the spot where Jin had hit him.
He wouldn't forget this.
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The Empress swallowed the Magnet-Magnet Fruit.
The ability to create magnetic fields, to control magnetism, to manipulate iron and all other metals.
Jin had been waiting for this for a long time.
More than three years.
But finding a specific Devil Fruit was like finding a needle in a haystack. How many years had Teach searched for his?
Jin had only known that Kid would get it, so he had laid his plans in advance. Otherwise, he would have just had to cast a wide net.
"The development of a Devil Fruit depends on the user's knowledge, their imagination, their ability to extend its powers into new techniques," Jin mused. "And for anyone who's ever studied physics... the Magnet-Magnet Fruit, which represents one of the four fundamental forces of the universe, has insane potential. In a way, you could say it's on the same level as concepts like light, darkness, consumption, time, and space. It's cosmic."
He tested it out, releasing a wave of magnetism. An invisible magnetic field spread out from him, magnetizing all the metal in the room.
He held out his hand, and a collection of metal objects floated into the air. With a single thought, a spoon twisted and bent.
"Magnetic field at one million tesla," he said with a grin. "Magneto, online."
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