"No!"
Luo Lan rejected the request outright.
Without the slightest hesitation.
Although he wasn't sure how much Gion (Momousagi) knew, there was one thing he was certain of:
Anyone not part of Jun Lin had absolutely no chance of using the training center.
"Luo Lan…"
"We'll talk about your situation later. As for her request to use the training center—I do not agree!"
Luo Lan dropped heavily onto the sofa.
"Luo Lan, you're not even willing to show a little leniency?"
"This is a matter of principle. There's no room for sentiment."
He was firm, unmoving. No compromise.
"Also, starting today, you are forbidden from getting within 100 meters of the training center. Break that rule, and I'll send you back to HQ myself."
"You…"
Gion raised her hand, pointing angrily at Luo Lan.
She was so furious she couldn't even speak, then turned and stormed out of the room.
Once she was gone, Luo Lan turned to Hina.
"How much does she know?"
His expression turned serious. It was no small matter.
"Don't worry. She doesn't know anything."
"Then why bring up the training center?"
"She told me earlier she's been stuck for years—unable to break through to the Vice Admiral level. I thought maybe, if you allowed her access, she could finally take that next step."
Luo Lan let out a quiet sigh of relief.
So, Gion still had no real knowledge of the training center's secrets.
Hina had only hinted that it might help her, and made it clear that Luo Lan's permission was required. She hadn't said a word about what made the place special.
Good.
"Luo Lan, about Gion… aren't you even going to try to recruit her?"
"What do you mean?"
"The same way you got me to stay. That method should work on her too, right?"
How had Hina been persuaded?
It was the gravity training room. A facility no one striving to become stronger could resist.
And Gion's desire for strength was even stronger than Hina's had been.
But after a moment of thought, Luo Lan shook his head.
"No. Gion isn't like you. She's already a candidate for Admiral—her identity is far too sensitive. It's not appropriate."
The implication was clear: Hina was just a captain—if she disappeared, no one would care. But if Gion vanished?
She was a Vice Admiral candidate. If she disappeared, the World Government would investigate immediately, turning everything upside down.
Right now, Luo Lan had no intention of attracting that kind of trouble.
If something like that had to happen, it would have to wait—at least half a year.
After all, in Luo Lan's long-term plan, Jun Lin would emerge into the open in six months. The first step?
Seizing the East Blue and locking down the Calm Belt.
Once that happened, none of this would be a problem anymore.
"Actually, Gion doesn't have to disappear."
"What do you mean?"
"You said it yourself—if a Vice Admiral candidate vanishes, the World Government will be all over it. But what if she's not missing? What if she's sent on a classified mission from HQ? One that lasts, say, half a year?"
"That…"
That idea hadn't occurred to Luo Lan.
In theory, it made sense—but it required a critical condition to be met:
The cooperation of Sengoku and Tsuru.
Without them, it was all just talk.
If you asked Luo Lan whether he wanted Gion, the answer was an obvious yes.
She was a Vice Admiral candidate. Not quite Admiral level, but just one step away.
And that step… could be overcome right here, with him.
So if he could recruit her, Jun Lin would immediately gain an Admiral-level powerhouse.
It was a massive temptation.
---
Marine HQ
Operations Division, Tsuru's office.
Brrrr… Brrrr…
"This is Tsuru."
She set aside the documents in her hand and answered the call.
"Aunt Tsuru, it's me."
"What is it?"
"It's about sister Gion."
"Gion?"
Of all the possibilities she'd considered, she hadn't expected Luo Lan to call about Gion.
She was a little surprised.
"Aunt Tsuru, you know as well as I do—without some kind of special opportunity, Gion might never make it to Admiral level, right?"
"Yes, I know. It's unfortunate, but women and men have vast physiological differences. Unless you're someone like Charlotte Linlin, a hybrid, pure-blooded human women already hit their limit at Gion's level."
Tsuru said it plainly, as though stating a basic fact.
Calm. Rational.
She had known this truth for a long time.
Back in the day, her strength had rivaled Sengoku and Garp—even slightly exceeded theirs.
But once she reached a certain level, her progress slowed dramatically.
And all she could do was watch as the two surpassed her and left her behind.
That was the tragedy of strong women in the pirate world.
Of course, there were exceptions—like Big Mom.
But she wasn't purely human.
As for pure humans? Gion and Tsuru were already the ceiling.
Hancock?
Still fell far short of the two of them in raw power.
"But what if I had a way for Gion to take that next step? To truly become a top-tier powerhouse—maybe even surpass the current Admirals someday?"
"What?"
Tsuru's composure cracked.
Because in her view, that was simply impossible.
But she also knew Luo Lan wasn't someone who boasted without cause.
If he said it, that meant—
He could do it.
"Speak. What's the condition?"
Tsuru calmed her voice and asked.
"She'll come into contact with Jun Lin's true secrets, so…"
"So you want Gion to leave the Marines and join Jun Lin permanently?"
Tsuru's eyes widened.
Luo Lan hadn't said it outright, but how could she not understand?
If Gion learned the truth about Jun Lin, there'd be no going back.
That was the unspoken rule, and Tsuru understood it perfectly.
"And what does Gion think about this?"
"I haven't asked her. No point in giving her false hope if things on this end don't work out."
"That's… fair."
Tsuru nodded, accepting the logic.
But the problem remained serious.
Getting Gion to leave the Marines and join Jun Lin…
That wasn't a decision Tsuru could make alone.
She would need—
"Alright. Give me an hour. I'll get back to you."
"Okay. I'll wait."
After the call ended, Tsuru fell into deep thought.
Then she stood and walked quickly out of the office—heading straight for Sengoku.
---
https:// ko-fi.com/sami27