Gion's Test: Rejecting the Invitation

What did it feel like to eat a Devil Fruit?

First of all, it tasted awful—and not just ordinarily awful. Many fanfiction authors described the taste as being like eating shit.

Yang Yunzhi had never eaten shit, of course, but he felt that nothing in the world could possibly taste worse than this.

Second, information related to the fruit would automatically surface in one's mind, such as the fruit's name and some basic ways to develop its powers.

For instance, Yang Yunzhi immediately knew that he had eaten the Door-Door Fruit.

He had also gained several of the most basic ways to develop the Door-Door Fruit.

For example, opening doors in walls, opening doors on people's bodies, and opening all sorts of doors.

There were single doors, double doors, revolving doors, and so on.

In addition, he had learned how to open a spatial door. It was not a portal, but a door leading to another dimension. This dimension could be used for storage, and people could enter it as well.

Moreover, while inside that dimension, one could still see the outside world. It would be extremely useful for peeping, reconnaissance, and assassination.

"No wonder so many Devil Fruit users know how to use their powers the moment they eat one. These things come with preinstalled skills?" Yang Yunzhi was rather surprised, but before he could finish being surprised, the system spoke again.

"Abnormal will intrusion detected. Cleared!"

I nearly forgot. Devil Fruits all have wills inside them. The Color-Color Fruit I ate last time was cleaned out by the system too. I didn't expect the Door-Door Fruit to need cleaning as well.

Still, although the will had been removed, the ability itself was unaffected.

Sure enough, those wills were nothing good.

"So this is what being a Logia feels like. It really is peculiar!" On the other side, Gion began trying out the Cloud-Cloud Fruit's powers. With a stretch of her hand, her entire arm turned into clouds.

"Why does it feel a little like Smoker's Smoke-Smoke Fruit?" Hina asked curiously from beside her.

"How could they possibly be the same?" Gion immediately retorted. "Clouds have far more uses than smoke!"

She had learned half a month ago that she would be eating the Cloud-Cloud Fruit, so naturally, she had spent much of the journey considering ways to develop it.

There was actually no need to rack her brains over it. She only had to study the clouds in nature.

Especially since the weather in the One Piece World was utterly bizarre, clouds had far too many functions.

The clouds of the One Piece World could not only bring rain and lightning, but also drop enormous chunks of ice. The Marines also knew of the special natural phenomenon known as Sky Islands, and it was clouds that held them aloft!

Furthermore, their old enemy Kaido had developed Flame Clouds capable of lifting heavy objects.

If she could develop such clouds, Gion would not only be able to fly herself—her warship could fly too.

Looking at it this way, the Cloud-Cloud Fruit was exceptionally strong, both offensively and functionally!

"There's actually something I've always been curious about, but it wasn't convenient to ask before!" Gion returned her arm to normal, then looked at Yang Yunzhi. "Why did you leave the Cloud-Cloud Fruit uneaten and instead trade with the higher-ups for the Door-Door Fruit?"

Don't ask why she had not asked sooner. She had been afraid that one question might make Yang Yunzhi come to his senses and eat the Cloud-Cloud Fruit himself.

Now that the Cloud-Cloud Fruit had already been eaten and digested, that was no longer a concern.

"The Cloud-Cloud Fruit doesn't suit me!" Yang Yunzhi was the sort of person who could spout nonsense at the drop of a hat. "Such a pale, soft-looking power is obviously better suited for women. If I were to eat a Logia, it would have to be the strongest Logia, the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. But that wasn't available!"

"Then what is so special about this Door-Door Fruit?" Gion asked.

That was also what the higher-ups wanted to know. Yang Yunzhi had specifically requested this fruit rather than simply asking for any fruit.

That meant this fruit definitely had something special in Yang Yunzhi's eyes.

And Yang Yunzhi was no ordinary person. He was the man who had written the report, Eradicating the West Blue Mafia. In the eyes of the Marine higher-ups, he was unquestionably intelligent.

A Devil Fruit favored by an intelligent person was worth looking into.

"Of course, it's fine if it isn't convenient for you to say!" Gion added.

After all, Yang Yunzhi was one of their own now. There was no need to be too demanding with their own people. If Yang Yunzhi had been a pirate, they would definitely have gotten to the bottom of it.

"It isn't inconvenient to say. This fruit simply suits me better!" Yang Yunzhi said. "I'm actually very good at shooting!"

"You're good at shooting?" Hina asked in surprise.

"Is there a problem with that?" Gion asked curiously.

"No, how come I've never known?" Hina asked.

Yang Yunzhi had already been in the Marines for half a month, yet she had not even known what he was good at?

"Didn't I tell you?" Yang Yunzhi was surprised as well. "No, that can't be right. I did tell you!"

"When did you say that?" Hina thought about it and was certain she had never heard it!

"Seven nights ago, didn't I say it then?"

Hina's face instantly turned red. In that situation, when you said you were good at shooting, how was anyone supposed to know what kind of shooting you meant?!

"Shooting requires guns and ammunition. Ordinary people can just carry them on their bodies, but I'm different—I have a condition!"

"You have a condition?" Hina was surprised again. "How come I never noticed?"

Gion looked from Yang Yunzhi to Hina and back again. At last, she realized that something seemed to be going on between them!

Were you two together?

"There just hadn't been any fighting, so I never had a chance to mention it!" Yang Yunzhi said. "I suffer from severe firepower deficiency anxiety. The few guns and rounds I can carry are nowhere near enough for me. When I was little, I read a Devil Fruit encyclopedia with missing pages and discovered that the Door-Door Fruit could open a Portable Space capable of storing huge quantities of supplies. That was when I first wanted to eat this fruit!"

That story had actually been copied from Sanji.

Come to think of it, using the Door-Door Fruit to peek into women's bathhouses seemed even more effective than the Clear-Clear Fruit. After all, in a bathhouse filled with mist, the Clear-Clear Fruit could still easily be detected by strong people. But if I were peeping through a layer of space...

Ahem. What am I thinking? I'm not Sanji. It's not like I'm lacking women.

"There are more Devil Fruits than just the Door-Door Fruit that can store supplies. The Castle-Castle Fruit, Book-Book Fruit, and Mirror-Mirror Fruit all have that ability!" Gion said.

"I learned that after reading the Devil Fruit encyclopedia at the base, but the Door-Door Fruit had been my childhood dream for so long that I didn't choose any other!" Yang Yunzhi said.

Gion nodded. So that was it. A childhood obsession—it did make sense.

"Actually, I do know a little about you!" Gion said with a smile. "And I rather like you!"

Noticing Hina's expression starting to darken, Gion hurriedly added, "Of course, not just me. The higher-ups think highly of you too!"

"Why? Because of that report?" Yang Yunzhi asked.

"That has something to do with it, but even more so because of a poem!" Gion said with a smile. "'A youth leaves home resolved to make his name; until he succeeds, he vows not to return. Why must his bones lie buried in his native soil? Beneath all skies, green hills may be his grave.' You wrote that, didn't you?"

Yang Yunzhi blushed. I copied that.

But he still nodded, then glanced at Hina in confusion.

"Hina didn't reveal your secret. The Marines intend to make good use of someone as talented as you, and if we are to do so, we naturally have to investigate your background. Your name has a distinct Flower Country style, and your enlistment file says you graduated from the Navigation Academy. With that information, it was easy for us to find your hometown and then see your poem!"

"That poem moved everyone greatly. They believed you to be a man of firm will and lofty ambitions. Together with the talents you have displayed, it has made the Marine higher-ups value you immensely!" Gion said with a smile. "I have an invitation from above, from Chief of Staff Tsuru. She asked whether you would be willing to work at the General Staff Office. If you are willing, you can leave with the ship today!"

It was not only Hina who lacked talent. Thanks to the World Government's restrictions on writing, Marine Headquarters was also desperately short on literate, educated people!

The moment those words were spoken, Hina's face darkened. She had only just started dating someone, and now they wanted to take her man away?

But this concerned her lover's future, so it was not convenient for her to object. She could only look at Yang Yunzhi with yearning eyes.

Yang Yunzhi, however, shook his head. "I am very grateful for the chief of staff's esteem. It gives me even more confidence, but I would rather work my way up step by step from the grassroots. Only then will my advancement be steadier and more convincing!"

"You actually think that way?" Gion found it astonishing. Countless people would kill to remain at Marine Headquarters, yet someone actually wanted to stay in the Four Seas?

She glanced at Hina again and felt that she had vaguely guessed why Yang Yunzhi wanted to remain. She could not help but look down on him somewhat. He was giving up such a bright future for a woman.

But because she herself was a woman, she also found herself liking Yang Yunzhi's attitude even more.

"Since that is what you want, then I wish you both early success in West Blue, followed by a transfer back to Marine Headquarters!" Gion nodded and said no more.

The Devil Fruits had been exchanged, and they had been eaten. It was time to leave!