Cultivating Both Nature and Life

"Fufufu... no need to worry about that!"

"It will take some time to scout the Heavenly Tribute transport routes. Before we make our move, we should prioritize staying hidden and ensure Kizaru, who has been sent as reinforcements, doesn't discover us."

"Just like last time, we will keep a low profile until we are certain the other party has left."

As Doflamingo set the tone, no one voiced any objections, and they began to act according to the plan.

After replenishing their supplies at the base, they set off to wander the seas.

After flying at full speed for a day and a night, Kizaru arrived in the North Blue directly from Marine Headquarters, rendezvousing with Tsuru and the others at the Marine branch.

"Oh~ Vice Admiral Tsuru, Vice Admiral Gion, I've finally found you!" A flash of yellow light streaked by, and Kizaru's figure coalesced on the deck. The Light Man, Kizaru, who had eaten the Sleaze-Sleaze Fruit, had arrived.

"Where is Tokikake?" Having heard mid-journey that Tokikake had not been killed, Kizaru's previously anxious heart settled instantly.

"Admiral Kizaru!"

"It's Admiral Kizaru! Thank goodness!"

"Quiet!" Tsuru stopped the Marines' commotion. "Tokikake is in the infirmary. His condition is not very good!"

Hearing this, Kizaru dropped his slacker expression and entered Tokikake's ward with Tsuru and Gion.

Upon entering, Kizaru saw Tokikake lying unconscious on the hospital bed, wrapped in bandages with an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth.

A flash of red light flickered in his eyes behind his sunglasses as he used Observation Haki to carefully sense Tokikake's life force.

"Since escaping Minion Island, Tokikake's condition has remained critical. The medical facilities on the ship are limited, and even now, he is not out of danger."

"Furthermore, even if he does wake up, his career as a Marine..."

Kizaru naturally understood what Tsuru meant, but he thought to himself, "Being alive is already good enough."

"Staying away from all the killing might actually be a good thing."

Tsuru: "While that may be true, what about Tokikake's justice?"

Kizaru: ???

Tokikake has justice? Isn't his justice Gion? Despite his internal grumbling, Kizaru felt completely relieved now that he knew Tokikake would likely survive.

"So, what does Vice Admiral Tsuru intend to do now?" Seeing that Tokikake wouldn't be waking up anytime soon, Kizaru asked about the next steps. "Should I take Tokikake back to Headquarters quickly for the best treatment, or should I go directly to capture the Donquixote Family and avenge him?"

"We will take Tokikake back; you stay behind to clean up the Donquixote Family!"

Kizaru: ?

"Vice Admiral Tsuru, I can't stay out here for too long. You know that Mary Geoise still needs me to guard it!"

"Kuzan will guard Mary Geoise!"

"Kuzan's vacation is over!"

Kizaru: ...

Since Tsuru had put it that way, Kizaru had no choice but to accept the mission. "Fine! Fine!"

Although he was a bit lazy by nature, Kizaru would still try his best to make arrests when he encountered enemies.

Much like when he encountered the Supernovas in the original story; otherwise, he was quite leisurely, but the moment he saw Apoo and the others, he rewarded each of them with a kick.

He was clean and efficient when he actually acted.

After the ship carrying Tsuru and Gion departed, Kizaru boarded a ship from the North Blue branch and began his journey to hunt down the Donquixote Family.

However, given the leisurely speed of the warship and the fact that Marine intelligence was always one step behind the Donquixote Family, one couldn't help but wonder: was this Admiral, who had eaten the fastest fruit in the world, really putting any effort into the pursuit?

"That Kizaru! Is he really trying to hunt us down?"

"I keep feeling like he's just using work as an excuse for a vacation!" After drifting at sea for a month, Gray and his crew were always able to receive intelligence on Kizaru's position, allowing them to leave just in time and leave Kizaru chasing shadows.

Yet, even so, Kizaru never gave up on them, nor did he ever seem to be in any particular rush.

This made Gray very suspicious of Kizaru's motives.

It was just that: he was chasing them, but he never caught them.

The feeling was incredibly bizarre!

"Forget it, whatever!"

"As long as he isn't serious, it's fine!" Shaking off the unnecessary thoughts, Gray returned to his contemplation of developing his Devil Fruit abilities.

"The rotation of a personal magnetic field! It's not that the magnetic field itself doesn't absorb the energy of heaven and earth, but that I haven't found the right method!"

"In this world, the energy of heaven and earth might be impossible for people to perceive clearly, except perhaps for the passive absorption that occurs as Sea Kings grow."

"No! It's also possible that the energy layer exists on a different dimension than the one humans inhabit, and the locals of this pirate world are simply unable to perceive it."

"However, that is meaningless to me. Since it is about rotating my personal magnetic field to make it stronger..."

"Then~ naturally, I must also absorb magnetic fields to strengthen my own!" This was what Gray realized was the reason he hadn't succeeded in rotating his personal magnetic field.

He had been looking in the wrong direction from the start, completely missing the mark, so naturally, no matter what he did, he couldn't achieve the desired effect.

"Since it involves rotating one's personal magnetic field, and the world itself is a massive magnetic field, then identifying and absorbing beneficial fields to strengthen my own Life Magnetic Field and Soul Magnetic Field should be the way for me to grow stronger."

As someone from the Middle Kingdom, the first thing I think of regarding the power system in the One Piece world is the issue of abundant world energy.

Only with abundant energy can there be a foundation for nurturing powerhouses.

After all, energy is conserved!

Yet, the One Piece world is incredibly distorted.

Powerhouses capable of destroying islands with a single blow still have the same lifespans; there is no talk of life-form advancement whatsoever.

Aside from the immortality granted by Devil Fruit abilities, no matter how powerful you are, once your race's natural lifespan limit is reached, you die when it is your time to die.

This method of cultivating only the nature while neglecting the life-force is seen as distorted and contemptible in the eyes of everyone from the Middle Kingdom.

Therefore, Gray's development of personal Magnetic Field Rotation is not just about making himself stronger, but about achieving true biological evolution by absorbing the energy of heaven and earth.

Immortality!

It is the dream of so many people from the Middle Kingdom; with the ability and the ambition, who wouldn't want it?

Having come to this world, aside from living freely and watching the spectacle, and standing at the pinnacle of the world's power, how could Gray not want to ensure he lives a few years longer?

Based on what he knew from his past life, there are only two ways to achieve immortality in this world.

First: the ultimate ability of the Op-Op Fruit, the Perennial Youth Surgery.

This is an ultimate surgery where the Op-Op Fruit user sacrifices themselves to grant someone else eternal life.

The Five Elders and Imu have lived from eight hundred years ago until now precisely through this method.

However, aside from the World Government being able to brainwash individuals to ensure loyalty, how could anyone else be willing to act as a stepping stone for others?

Loyalty is the difficulty, and raising an Op-Op Fruit user to the level of awakening is an even greater hurdle.

Over the past eight hundred years, the World Government has collected the Op-Op Fruit many times, but aside from the six individuals—the Five Elders and Imu—no other Celestial Dragons have become immortal, which is proof of that difficulty.

The second method of pseudo-immortality is: Pure Gold!

For those who wear Pure Gold, their cells divide at an extremely slow rate, allowing the wearer to live for a much longer time.

However, this method of using Pure Gold also causes the wearer's strength to stagnate, making it impossible to train and grow stronger.

This is a method Gray would only consider if he truly had no other choice.

But if one can evolve their own life, why rely on external means?

This is the reason why, even after three years have passed, Gray has not given up on developing his personal magnetic field.