Therefore, Yaen had to use many different methods before he could barely persuade Xiao Jin to willingly become a Devil Fruit User.
Afterward, Yaen began patiently teaching Xiao Jin, making her deeply understand "who the most important person in the world was" and "that following the other birds around would lead nowhere and offer no hope."
Because of this, with Xiao Jin serving as a veritable flying fortress, Yaen had practically gained a mobile warehouse that was always with him, as well as a means of escape.
So it was not that Yaen had brought no luggage. Rather, all his luggage had been stored inside Xiao Jin.
The "evidence" Yaen had confiscated on Capone Island earlier had also all been placed inside her, along with large quantities of all kinds of regular and unconventional supplies.
For example...
Soon, on the deck of the warship, Yaen took a beach chair and a parasol out of Xiao Jin's body. While continuing to ponder the great matters of life, he did not forget to have Xiao Jin help him apply sunscreen.
After leaving Marineford, Xiao Jin, having received Yaen's permission, also took out a pair of pink sunglasses and put them on.
"Wait, pink?"
Yaen suddenly realized something. He turned toward Xiao Jin and asked in confusion, "Xiao Jin, you actually like this color? Could it be that you're a female bird?"
"Chirp, chirp-chirp-chirp..." Xiao Jin nodded and gave two affirmative cries. She then seemed to blame Yaen for not even knowing her gender.
Lying lazily on the beach chair, Yaen spoke with a hint of perfunctoriness.
"Calling out won't help. You can understand human speech, but I can't understand bird language. Besides, isn't it normal that I can't tell female birds from male birds? If I could, that would be evidence of some very strange problems."
"Chirp-chirp, chirp-chirp-chirp!!!" Xiao Jin's cries grew even more urgent.
Listening to the noisy birdcalls, Yaen said, "Keep calling and I'll punish you by not letting you eat snacks for three days."
In an instant, Xiao Jin fell completely silent.
"That's more like it. Oh, right—don't forget to apply the sunscreen evenly."
Yaen did not forget to remind her.
"Chirp." Xiao Jin's voice carried more than a little resentment.
As Yaen enjoyed the pressure of Xiao Jin's massage on his back, he continued educating her.
"Xiao Jin, you must understand that you're no longer an ordinary canary. You're a canary who has cast off lowly tastes and possesses noble sentiments. Understand?"
"Xiao Jin, do you know there's an animal named Chopper? After eating a Devil Fruit, he set the lofty goal of becoming a doctor, and his medical skills are already extremely impressive—good enough to instantly crush ninety-nine percent of human doctors."
"You need to learn from him. You can't be lazy, and even less can you throw tantrums. You must carefully study and research the massage techniques I've taught you and become a qualified master of the craft as soon as possible. That way, you'll be able to earn all the delicious snacks in the world from your master..."
"Mm, yes, yes, right there. A little more pressure would be perfect."
"Ah~~~"
Soon, under the command of Second Lieutenant Hope, the warship arrived at the Gate of Justice, not far from Marineford.
It was a massive steel gate that stood in the sea and reached all the way to the clouds, so enormous that its edges could barely be seen at a glance. It was also one of the important defensive lines protecting Marine Headquarters, Marineford, from pirate attacks.
Besides the Gate of Justice beside Marine Headquarters, Marineford, the other two important locations—the underwater prison, Impel Down, and Enies Lobby—were also protected by Gates of Justice.
The three Gates of Justice formed a triangle, with a vast and strange current resembling a giant whirlpool at the center.
If a warship wanted to reach the North Sea quickly, it had to pass through the Gate of Justice and enter the whirlpool, ride the massive current out through the Gate of Justice on the other side, and then follow the route toward the North Sea.
Soon, amid a deafening roar, this gate that reached from the sea to the heavens slowly opened a crack.
Though this crack was insignificant to the Gate of Justice, it was already wide enough for a standard warship carrying five hundred Marine Soldiers to pass through.
Watching Hope handle everything with practiced ease, Yaen finally relaxed and prepared to focus on pointing out Xiao Jin's current shortcomings.
After all, in the avian life goal Yaen had initially set for Xiao Jin, becoming a qualified master of the craft was only the first step. Later, he would add maid training, culinary practice, tea ceremony studies, and so on as appropriate.
He was determined to make Xiao Jin's avian life fulfilling and full of the joy of learning, so that she would not waste her precious birdlife.
Just as the warship rode the great whirlpool current to the Gate of Justice on the other side, near Impel Down, the Gate of Justice beside Impel Down also began slowly opening by coincidence.
"What's going on? What are the Marines at Impel Down thinking? Have they forgotten the rule that the gate can't be opened while another warship is passing through the whirlpool current in front of the Gate of Justice? This can easily cause the ships' routes to cross and lead to a collision."
Standing beside Yaen, Horton spoke unhappily. He immediately began directing the Marine Soldiers to prepare to yield and reduce their speed.
Hearing Horton's displeased voice, Yaen, who had his eyes closed, cautiously and instinctively extended his Observation Haki toward the Gate of Justice beside Impel Down.
"Something's wrong..."
Yaen abruptly leaped to his feet. His eyes widened as he stared at the crack revealed in the Gate of Justice, where thick black smoke was drifting out from the other side.
Yaen instantly reached a conclusion and turned to Horton. "Something has happened at Impel Down!"
"What?!" Horton could not help crying out at these words, which sounded utterly preposterous.
Horton then noticed the thick black smoke as well and came to his senses. He was just about to order the Marine Soldiers to turn the warship around and head to Impel Down to investigate and provide support when Yaen's next words rang out.
"Second Lieutenant Hope, order full speed ahead. Run!"
Run?!
Horton instinctively looked at Yaen in confusion, thinking he had misheard.
As a Marine, how could they run?
However, having sensed the presence standing behind the Gate of Justice with his Observation Haki, Yaen urged him anxiously.
"Hurry! Don't hesitate. That's the Great Pirate 'Golden Lion' Shiki. The one behind the Gate of Justice is 'Golden Lion' Shiki!"
As Yaen's voice echoed across the warship, the body hair of all five hundred Marines aboard instantly stood on end.
That was "Golden Lion" Shiki—the same legendary figure as the "Pirate King," Gol D. Roger, and the "World's Strongest Man," "Whitebeard" Edward Newgate!!!
Before you continue