The Magnet-Magnet Fruit.
Jin had been eyeing this one for a long time. In his view, it wasn't just strong—it was unique. A class of its own.
Kidd's "weakness"? That wasn't the fruit's fault. Compared to the Paw-Paw Fruit, it was even more terrifying. But Kidd didn't understand physics. He didn't know numbers. He didn't know science.
And there's only so much raw flesh and blood can endure.
Take Mikita's Kilo-Kilo Fruit: in her hands it was gimmicky. But fused into the Demon Carrier, it broke the limits entirely.
The Magnet-Magnet Fruit would be the same.
For Jin's ship, this wasn't just power. It was the gateway to future tech:
Railguns.
Electromagnetic shields.
Forcefields.
Electromagnetism as a core energy system—merged with Germa 66's science—could birth an ultra-tech army.
That was why Jin had tagged along with Kuma to the South Blue. Testing Kuma was one reason. Finding Kidd and his Magnet-Magnet Fruit was the other.
But to his surprise—
Kidd hadn't eaten it yet.
The sea was vast. To hunt down a single Devil Fruit? Like finding a needle in the endless tide.
Even Blackbeard Teach had waited thirty years aboard Whitebeard's ship for the Darkness Fruit to appear.
Too hard.
But Jin knew fate had already stacked the deck. Kidd was fated to stumble across the fruit within three years.
Some say: people choose Devil Fruits. Others say: Devil Fruits choose their hosts.
Either way—
Kidd was more likely to meet the Magnet-Magnet Fruit by destiny than Jin was to scour the world for it.
So Jin let him go.
Instead, he snatched away Victoria S. Doruyanaika—Kidd and Killer's shared crush. She would be his leverage.
In the original story, she died in a gang feud between the four slum bosses. Her death lit Kidd's rage and pushed him to unify the streets. Then, unwilling to stay caged in such a small world, he founded the Kidd Pirates. He even named his ship Victoria Punk in her memory.
Now, Jin had "saved" her—by abducting her first.
A twisted kind of mercy.
And so, the South Blue journey began.
Each of the Four Seas had its flavor:
North Blue—the strongest. Home of Borsalino and Sakazuki, the Vinsmokes, the Donquixote Family, Hawkins… practically an Arkham Asylum of talent.
West Blue—the oldest. History, culture, literature. Elegance never goes out of style.
East Blue—the weakest. But everyone there's a dreamer. Everyone hypes themselves up with legendary boasts.
Mountain Bandit King Higuma—just 8 million bounty, but swore he'd slaughter Shanks' whole crew.
Luffy? "I'll be King of the Pirates!" to literally anyone who'd listen.
And people actually looked impressed.
At Marineford, Usopp even shouted that his father was coming to kill everyone.
That's East Blue for you. If you can't boast, you're not a true East Blue native.
South Blue—the sea of craftsmen.
Its people were hardcore.
Hard on their enemies. Hard on themselves.
Take Kidd. Take Franky. Take Kuma. All obsessed with body modification.
South Blue was the birthplace of tinkerers and mechanics. Like Lindbergh of the Revolutionary Army—an inventor through and through.
Jin wanted some of that talent. At every port, his crew raised a banner:
"Now Hiring. Top pay. Food, housing, and benefits included."
Of course, applicants would be tested. If they were just loafers trying to freeload—should he kill them? Or just sell them? He hadn't decided yet.
Recruitment was left to Wolfe, with Law and Maya assisting.
Jin, meanwhile, stayed on deck, practicing.
Horse stance.
Feeling the flow of "qi."
Learning the rhythm of nature itself.
This was a training method from the Flower Country.
Through posture drills, one could learn to direct qi at will—shifting size, strength, flow.
Paired with breathing exercises. Will guided movement. Breath guided power.
Together, they sharpened control over every muscle and enhanced the flow of qi—fueling haki.
With it, Armament and Observation could both grow sharper.
Conqueror's Haki, though—that was different. That came from will. From aura. You couldn't just train it.
The only way to grow it was to defeat stronger foes again and again. Build an unshakable conviction. Forge a faith.
Jin's fists cracked the air, each strike booming like thunderclaps.
But he wasn't satisfied.
"Not enough. My weakness is experience. Against a true top-tier, I'd still falter.
Training haki is like memorizing formulas. Knowing them isn't the same as solving real problems.
I need practice. Real battles.
When the East Blue tour ends, I'll head into the New World.
I'll fight.
I'll learn.
And I'll seek—Pandemic."
His eyes burned.
But at the docks, trouble brewed.
The local Marine base commander had arrived with a hundred men.
"Search every ship!"
"Yes, sir!"
Sailors stormed the port, snarling at merchants and captains alike.
"This is an inspection! Any resistance will be treated as defiance against the Navy!"
Owners paled but yielded. No one dared stop them.
The colonel chewed on a cigar, eyes sharp. He had just received orders straight from Admiral Aokiji's HQ—
Search every ship. Report any suspicious individuals.
The target?
No need to guess.
The man who had killed Sorbet's king just days ago.
On the pier, a squad moved to board a vessel—only to be stopped by a stern butler.
"Stand back. This is a royal ship. Without royal command, even the Navy has no right to board."
The sergeant hesitated.
-----------------
Advanced 30+ chapters in Patreon
p@treon. com/ pretendsituation