Settled to the Exchange

"I'll contact Gion right away?" Hina picked up the Den Den Mushi and asked unconsciously.

Only after seeing Yang Yunzhi nod did she feel at ease enough to dial Gion's number.

The call connected quickly, and the Den Den Mushi transformed into a gentle-looking woman.

That was right. Although Gion was a great swordswoman, she did not look aggressive at all. Instead, she had the image of a refined, traditional Japanese beauty.

"It's little Hina!" Gion said with a smile. "What made you think to contact me today?"

"I have something important to tell you!" Hina replied.

Gion paused, then smiled. "Wait a moment!"

It was obvious that she was no longer looking at the Den Den Mushi, and footsteps could be heard from her end.

It seemed she was changing locations.

Soon, Gion's gaze returned. "I'm somewhere quiet now. You can speak. What is it?"

"Do you want a Devil Fruit?" Hina asked.

Gion froze. "You have one? What fruit is it?"

"A Logia, the Cloud-Cloud Fruit!"

"A Logia... and the Cloud-Cloud Fruit at that!" Gion immediately fell into thought.

Logias were not weak. Though they could not compare to Mythical Zoans in terms of combat power, Mythical Zoans were even rarer!

However, the Cloud-Cloud Fruit also had a problem: its offensive power was not very direct. In other words, it was not especially strong and might not be capable of reaching the level of the three Generals.

Yet the Cloud-Cloud Fruit was particularly suited to women. Surely no woman could refuse a soft white cloud.

"With my strength, becoming a General would be difficult. I need a Devil Fruit to make up for my ceiling, and the Cloud-Cloud Fruit can't do that. But it can make up for my lack of wide-area attacks!" After thinking it over, Gion felt that the Cloud-Cloud Fruit was still worth eating.

Although it truly was not that powerful, it would be enough for her.

There were not many fruits capable of elevating a Vice Admiral to General in the first place. If she set her sights on those fruits, she might search for a lifetime and still not find one.

It would be better to secure the Cloud-Cloud Fruit first.

At the very least, a Cloud-Cloud Fruit user could definitely fly. That would make her mobility second only to Kizaru's within the Marines.

"I want this fruit. I'll come collect it right away!" As a Vice Admiral without a base of her own, Gion could naturally travel anywhere she pleased.

"Alright!" Hina nodded, then added, "But I hope you can contact Sister Tsuru and obtain this Devil Fruit through an exchange!"

"An exchange?" Gion was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm not entirely sure either. Rick, you explain it!"

"Rick?" Gion paused. "Who is that?"

"He's the adjutant I recruited after coming to West Blue!" As Hina spoke, she handed the Den Den Mushi to Yang Yunzhi.

"Just an adjutant?" Gion did not believe it. She knew that at the Marine Elite School, Hina had never given any man the time of day.

Yet now, Hina had suddenly found herself a male adjutant!

Then this adjutant must have something special about him.

For example, perhaps he was rather handsome?

Sure enough, once the Den Den Mushi projected his image, Gion was certain. This young man was indeed... devastatingly handsome.

"Hello, Vice Admiral Gion. I'm Marine Seaman Second Class Rick!"

Gion was somewhat speechless. Why was he only a Seaman Second Class? Didn't Hina have the authority to recruit people directly as Second Lieutenants?

But she held back from asking. She could ask Hina later.

"Here's the situation. If this Devil Fruit is given directly to you, it will be a private transaction between the two of you. Then you'll have to pay equivalent funds or something else in exchange for this Devil Fruit," Yang Yunzhi said.

Gion nodded. "Of course, of course. A Devil Fruit is generally worth one hundred million. This one is a Logia, so I can offer five hundred million!"

Hina cut in from the side. "Sister Gion, if this Devil Fruit belonged to me, I'd give it to you for free. But it isn't mine. Rick found it!"

Gion nodded. She was not someone who failed to understand reason. Even between biological sisters, accounts had to be kept clear!

"Then what exactly does this exchange mean?" Gion asked again.

"An exchange means that I contribute this Devil Fruit to the Marines, and then you apply to the Marines for this Devil Fruit. That way, the parties to the transaction become us and the Marines. And the party that needs to compensate us with the corresponding funds or a Devil Fruit changes from you to the Marines!"

Gion nodded, understanding.

That did seem to be the logic. If she were the one requesting the Devil Fruit, then naturally she would pay for it.

But if the Marines wanted this Devil Fruit, then naturally the Marines would have to pay for it. Wouldn't that save her a sum of money?

Did that count as taking advantage of the Marines?

Not really. Gion would not eat the Devil Fruit for enjoyment, but to fight pirates more effectively.

It was the same principle as soldiers training and becoming stronger through drills.

Of course, you could not make soldiers pay for their own meals.

Naturally, some militaries even made soldiers buy their own guns, but the Marines had not fallen to that level yet.

"So what do you want in exchange for this Devil Fruit?" Gion asked.

"The Door-Door Fruit," Yang Yunzhi said.

"The Door-Door Fruit?" Gion was startled. "Does the Marines' inventory have that Devil Fruit?"

"If the Marines don't have it, they can ask the World Government," Yang Yunzhi said.

Gion rolled her eyes. "The World Government isn't that easy to deal with!"

"But the Cloud-Cloud Fruit is a Logia, while the Door-Door Fruit is only a Paramecia!" Yang Yunzhi said. "Trading a Paramecia for a Logia is a bargain no matter how you look at it. And you'll be the one eating the Cloud-Cloud Fruit. Fleet Admiral Sengoku or Chief of Staff Tsuru should be willing to help, right?"

"Fine, I'll go ask!" Gion sighed. That was right. This Devil Fruit was for her to eat, so naturally she had to make an effort!

After hanging up on this end, Gion immediately called Tsuru and explained the situation.

Tsuru did not particularly care about a Logia Devil Fruit. As the dignified Chief of Staff, logistics fell under her jurisdiction. If she could obtain the fruit, there would be no problem giving it to Gion.

Moreover, it would not count as favoritism, because based on Gion's achievements, she had long been qualified to exchange for a Devil Fruit.

It was only because no suitable one had appeared that she had never exchanged for one.

Now that there was a chance to obtain a Logia Devil Fruit, of course they had to try.

She was simply curious. This Devil Fruit had been provided by Yang Ruike?

She remembered receiving a report from Hina earlier regarding the cleanup of the West Blue Mafia.

The author of that report seemed to have been Yang Ruike as well.

He could write reports and hand over a Logia Devil Fruit. Hina had truly recruited a talent!

But why would he not eat a perfectly good Logia himself and instead exchange it for a Door-Door Fruit?

Was there something special about the Door-Door Fruit?

Naturally, she did not understand the principle that time was supreme and space was king. She only thought it was an ordinary Paramecia.

"I'll help you contact the World Government and ask," Tsuru said after thinking for a moment, then directly called the Five Elders.

As the Marine Chief of Staff, and with Sengoku, Garp, and even Zephyr all having been quite fond of Tsuru in their younger days.

This woman had three men standing behind her, all of them pillars of the current Marines. Naturally, she held considerable influence with the Five Elders.

But she had never relied on that influence to ask the Five Elders for favors. Since she was making a rare request now, the Five Elders naturally would not refuse her.

It was only a Devil Fruit. They could give it to her.

After all, if they gave away a Devil Fruit today, the next time they asked the Marines to do something, the Marines could not keep dragging their feet.

With a casual inquiry from the Five Elders, CP0 immediately reported that the Door-Door Fruit was in the Cipher Pol inventory.

The Five Elders then directly called Kizaru and told him to come collect the Devil Fruit.

Yang Yunzhi naturally had no idea that merely wanting a Door-Door Fruit would actually alert a Chief of Staff, a General, and even the Five Elders.

After receiving confirmation from the Five Elders, Tsuru immediately informed Gion. Gion then told Yang Yunzhi that she would bring the Door-Door Fruit to exchange for the Cloud-Cloud Fruit. She would first return to Marine Headquarters and then hurry over, which would take roughly fifteen days.

After receiving the news, Yang Yunzhi returned to his bedroom.

The Cloud-Cloud Fruit had already been given to Hina. Now they only needed to wait for Gion to come collect it.

What he needed to do next was have Little Bean eat the Link-Link Fruit.