After eating the Devil Fruit, Casa headed straight for the only training room on the ship to test out the new powers of the Mythical Zoan-type Mad Bull Fruit.
Meanwhile, Rin sat cross-legged on the sunlit deck, eyes closed, as he focused on familiarizing himself with the newly awakened ability of the Cosmic Fruit.
That's right
A new power Rin had just unlocked after defeating Olik, the rogue pirate captain from the West Blue, who had once terrorized an entire archipelago with his gravity-based abilities.
Gravity.
Rin had sensed this power back when he began to grasp spatial manipulation, but only after absorbing Olik's core ability could he now wield gravity himself.
Extending his palm forward, Rin slowly clenched it into a fist and murmured, "Double gravity."
With a subtle buzz, a faint ripple spread from his body and the space within two meters of him suddenly felt heavier, denser.
Without pausing, Rin raised his voice slightly. "Double gravity! Triple! Quadruple! Quintuple!"
He pushed it further and further, sweat starting to bead on his forehead.
"Sixfold… sevenfold!"
After repeated attempts, Rin collapsed slightly, panting as he wiped the sweat from his brow. "Seven times… That's the current limit?"
He frowned slightly. "Sevenfold gravity isn't enough to incapacitate a pirate with a bounty over 100 million. Someone like Bellamy or even Buggy could withstand this… It's only useful against the small fry right now."
But Rin's expression didn't show disappointment instead, it was determination.
"But no matter. The power of gravity is limitless. If I can keep evolving, it won't be long before I can crush an entire marine battleship under a hundredfold pressure…"
On the deck nearby, Artoria stood calmly in the breeze, her long blonde hair fluttering like a banner. Today she wore her casual outfit: a crisp white blouse with a blue ribbon tied neatly at the collar, and a pleated blue skirt falling just above the knees simple, but elegant.
She had been silently watching Rin train, noticing how his expressions shifted from grim focus to sudden insight.
Curious, she walked over and asked in a softer tone than usual, "Rin, what's the matter?"
Notably, she didn't call him "Captain" this time.
It might not seem like much, but for someone like Artoria, such a change carried meaning.
Rin, however, didn't pay it much attention and simply smiled. "Nothing serious. Just adapting to the powers of the Cosmic Fruit."
Leaving the gravity training for later, he summoned a shadow clone to maintain his practice while he relaxed and spoke with Artoria on the deck. With the ocean wind gently blowing around them, they began discussing plans for the upcoming journey.
After all, it would take more than ten days to reach Jaya Island, the springboard to Skypiea.
Minutes passed peacefully
Until a sharp screech echoed from the sky above.
Rin looked up to see a familiar sight—one of the World Economic Journal's delivery seagulls, a mailbag wrapped around its chest.
Rin waved, and the bird descended expertly, flapping its wings before landing on the rail beside him.
Rin fished out a few Berries from his pouch and paid the fee. The seagull snatched the coins, dropped the rolled newspaper, and flapped away.
"News from the sea?" Artoria asked, standing beside him.
"Yeah," Rin nodded, unrolling the newspaper and scanning the headlines. "Pirates and revolutionaries alike rely on this. The news cycle tells you what's happening all across the Grand Line who rose, who fell, who died."
The first few pages were standard: new pirate crews ravaging small kingdoms, updated bounties, and a few rising stars among the super rookies.
Rin skimmed through them without much interest until his eyes landed on the final page, which took up the entire layout.
His expression darkened.
> [The Navy to Implement the "Seven Warlords of the Sea" System!]
Just a few lines but Rin instantly understood the weight of those words.
The Shichibukai or Seven Warlords of the Sea was a controversial program launched by the World Government, recruiting seven of the most infamous and powerful pirates under a formal title. In exchange for being granted official immunity, they would pledge nominal loyalty to the government, maintaining a balance of power against the Yonko and the Revolutionary Army.
Each Shichibukai was a force equal to a small nation.
Rin leaned back slightly. "Seven Warlords… If I can get that title, it could open a lot of doors for us."
Legitimacy. Protection. And the freedom to roam the seas without constant pursuit.
The Warlord system would allow him to operate more freely even manipulate certain factions under the guise of working for the World Government.
"But…" Rin murmured, eyes narrowing, "the current Pandora Pirates aren't strong enough to qualify."
To become a Warlord, one needed overwhelming strength or notoriety.
They weren't going to offer that title to just anyone. Dracule Mihawk was already rumored to be among the candidates, and so was Donquixote Doflamingo, heir to a fallen Celestial Dragon lineage. Then there was Bartholomew Kuma and Gekko Moria, both names already shaking the underworld.
And of course, Crocodile the Sand-Sand Fruit user in Alabasta, known for his massive underground influence.
Rin wasn't arrogant. He knew that he couldn't face off against Mihawk or Doflamingo yet.
But Crocodile?
With his elemental weakness and overconfidence?
That was another story.
Artoria noticed the tension and asked, "Did something serious happen?"
"Take a look," Rin replied, handing her the paper.
She read it quickly, then looked up. "Are you thinking of going after it? The Warlord position?"
"I am," Rin said with a small nod.
But he glanced at the printed date. "It won't be finalized for another month. Until then, we need to strengthen our crew."
"Another member?" Artoria tilted her head. "You've already chosen someone?"
Rin smiled confidently. "Of course."
His thoughts drifted to the clouds above.
If they could recruit Enel, the self-proclaimed "God" of Skypiea, and a Logia-type user of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit… then their combat power would skyrocket.
With Enel on board, and Casa now wielding a mythical Zoan, the Pandora Pirates would have a real shot at forcing their way into the world stage maybe even by toppling one of the current Warlords.
Destroying Crocodile's empire, for instance, wasn't just a possibility—it was a plan in motion.
———
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