Gin woke up groggily.
When he opened his eyes, he saw a man lying back on a beach chair across from him—the very same one he'd seen in the newspaper.
The Golden Dragon Emperor.
Gin glanced around.
There were several others too.
Kuro. Zan Gao.
Gin pushed himself upright and sat cross-legged on the ground, staring at the man in front of him without speaking.
If he was here and Captain Krieg wasn't…
Then the rest were probably gone too.
During the fight, that girl had said she was going to capture him alive.
Gin had believed it.
So he stayed calm—because it meant he probably wasn't dying anytime soon.
White Ghost looked over.
Gin had just woken up and was already sitting properly, not shouting or thrashing around.
Not bad.
At least he wasn't an idiot.
"Krieg is dead," White Ghost said.
Gin's body trembled.
He'd guessed—but it hadn't been confirmed. For all he knew, Krieg might've been captured instead.
Now the answer was handed to him straight.
Gin lowered his head and said nothing.
He didn't make a sound, but everyone could feel the heaviness pressing down on him.
After a moment, Gin lifted his head and met White Ghost's eyes.
"Say it. You kept me alive—what do you want me to do?"
White Ghost smiled.
Zan Gao snorted. "With your strength, you think our boss needs you for anything?"
Gin's chest tightened.
Yeah.
This crew was absurdly strong. Two thousand men plus Captain Krieg—and they still lost. What could he do for people like this?
Kuro took a small sip of red wine. "Simple. Our captain likes you. He wants to keep you on the ship and train you. The choice is yours."
"Heh… figured," Gin said, giving a self-mocking laugh.
"I'm a loser. By the rules of the sea, I'm your prisoner. Do whatever you want."
Krieg was dead.
The ambition Gin had attached to him died with him.
His heart felt… empty.
White Ghost tossed him a cigarette and lit his own without hurry.
Gin caught it and stared at him.
White Ghost exhaled a smoke ring, then spoke slowly.
"I know you put your ambition—or your dream—on Krieg."
Gin's eyes widened.
He'd never told anyone that.
White Ghost continued, "Too bad he lost. The rules on the sea are simple—losers die."
He looked at Gin calmly. "Since he's dead… why don't you put your dream on me instead?"
Gin let out a short, bitter laugh. "You're not pirates. What ambition could you possibly have? And besides—"
"Who told you non-pirates can't have ambition?" Kuro set his glass down.
"Maybe the world thinks we're just sailing around for fun," he said lightly. "But nobody can drift on the sea forever."
Kuro looked at him. "Right, Gin?"
Gin stared at White Ghost again.
Then at the people around him.
Each of them was strong—terrifyingly so. During the battle, some of them hadn't even fought personally, and they still crushed the Krieg Pirates effortlessly.
Gin finally asked, "What's your ambition, then? Say it."
White Ghost thought for a long time.
What was his ambition?
"…Mm."
Only after a long pause did he answer.
"Freedom."
"Freedom?" Gin frowned.
White Ghost could see what Gin was thinking.
So he explained, "The freedom I mean is different. Not what you're imagining."
He tapped his temple lightly. "Your vision is too narrow right now. You can't see many things. You don't know many things."
Then he said plainly, "The freedom I want is the kind where nobody can ever control me. Do you understand now?"
Zan Gao crossed his arms, eyes burning. "That kind of ambition means you'll stand against the great pirates."
He grinned wider, almost fanatical. "And not just pirates. The World Government too. Because this world doesn't allow anyone to have absolute freedom."
The thought seemed to excite him. "Just imagining fighting people like that… my hands are already itching. I want a war right now!"
Gin's face changed.
Absolute freedom…
Was there even such a person in this world?
This man's ambition… was bigger than becoming Pirate King.
Gin looked up. "How strong are you?"
White Ghost lifted a hand and flicked it toward the sea to the side.
A green sword aura burst from his palm, streaking forward across the water—
And kept going.
SHING—!
Where it passed, the sea split into two.
Gin stared, stunned.
With a casual wave, he'd done this.
"What is that…?" Gin's voice came out hoarse. "Devil Fruit power?"
White Ghost was satisfied by the reaction.
After fusing the demonic aura within the Seven-Star Sword, subduing it, and tempering it into his swordsmanship, even his casual sword aura now carried the level of a peak swordsman.
"This isn't Devil Fruit power," White Ghost said calmly. "But if you want to see that too, I don't mind moving a little."
Gin tore his eyes away from the split sea and looked at White Ghost.
Then he dropped to one knee.
"My new captain," Gin said, voice steady, "I hope you won't disappoint me."
"I won't," White Ghost replied with a smile.
He reached into his bracelet and pulled out a Devil Fruit, holding it out.
Gin accepted it, staring at the fruit in his hand. "So this is the legendary Devil Fruit…"
"Mm." White Ghost took a sip of red wine. "Ancient Zoan. Bug-Bug Fruit, Model: Giant Vein Dragonfly."
He met Gin's eyes.
"Eat it. Only then do you qualify to board my ship."
Gin didn't hesitate.
He took a bite of the pineapple-shaped Devil Fruit.
His first thought—
Disgusting.
Enel walked over, looking at the dark-circled man who had just joined them. "Another new partner eating a Devil Fruit, huh?"
White Ghost glanced at Urouge. "You want one? I still have more."
He took out an artificial Devil Fruit.
Urouge pressed his palms together and bowed slightly. "God, not yet. I feel my body can still improve. If I eat now, I'll have to develop the Devil Fruit ability while training—and that's too hard to balance."
"I'll wait."
Enel's eyelid twitched.
Was that a jab at him?
Sure, Enel's physique wasn't as strong as Urouge's—but in Haki, Urouge couldn't compare.
"Suit yourself." White Ghost put the fruit away. "When you want it, tell me."
He paused, then added, "A loyal guy like you is hard to find."
Gin swallowed the last bite, the strange taste clinging to his mouth. He exhaled, closed his eyes—
And waited.
A moment later, four pairs of thin, patterned wings sprouted from his back.
He flapped once—
And shot into the air.
A dragonfly nearly ten meters long emerged—huge eyes, a feral presence, Ancient Zoan pressure rolling outward.
"Another partner joined!" A-Da and A-Er laughed, arms around each other's shoulders as they watched the giant dragonfly.
The others glanced up, then went back to whatever they were doing.
After a short time adapting, Gin landed, canceled the transformation, and knelt again before White Ghost.
"From now on, I follow your orders, Captain."
"Picked up another one with good potential," White Ghost said with a satisfied smile.
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