"Is this Devil Fruit fake?!"
"Does this Devil Fruit really exist? How many years has it been since it disappeared?"
"Other than the three Logia users in Marine Headquarters, how long has it been since a high-level Logia-type Devil Fruit user appeared on the seas?"
"For several eras, it vanished completely and slowly became nothing more than a legend. And yet—it's still listed in the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia as the strongest Logia."
"And now, the Goro Goro no Mi has suddenly appeared in this era… Does this mean the Great Pirate Era is about to reach an even more terrifying stage?"
"What a waste! That Devil Fruit was eaten by a little girl! If I had eaten it, I'd already be a powerhouse of the Grand Line!"
"Hey—wait a second! That little girl is actually a crew member of 'Young Swordsman' El—the kid who became famous not long ago for wielding Flying Slashes at the age of eight?!"
"Tsk tsk… she looks no older than thirteen. Two underage monsters appearing together… their future is terrifying."
"Hmph. I just hope they never go any deeper into the Grand Line. Otherwise, I'll personally teach them what a true gap in strength looks like."
Across the Four Seas and the first half of the Grand Line, most discussions revolved around Kuina's age.
But deeper within the Grand Line—
The topic was entirely different.
There, everyone was talking about only one thing:
The Goro Goro no Mi.
Just as many pirates pointed out—ever since the three Logia users of Marine Headquarters appeared, there had been no other high-level Logia users active on the seas.
Now, after many years, not only had a high-level Logia reappeared—
It was the strongest Logia-type Devil Fruit.
It was only natural that the entire world was shaken.
Take Portgas D. Ace as an example.
In Year 1517 of the Sea Circle Calendar, Ace had clearly not yet entered the Grand Line, yet he was already famous across the seas.
He attracted the attention of hegemonic forces such as the Whitebeard Pirates, and even received an invitation from Mary Geoise to become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
The reason was simple—
Ace was a high-level Logia-type Devil Fruit user, something that had not appeared for many years.
In El's previous life, there had been a joke:
"The Mera Mera no Mi isn't even worth a dog eating."
That saying existed only because Ace was captured before he could fully grow.
At that time, Ace had not yet entered his golden period of development.
If he had continued growing smoothly—especially through the era of the three Admirals—and reached Year 1520, then with his talent and the Mera Mera no Mi, he would absolutely have been able to stand on equal footing with top-tier Vice Admirals.
A person wielding the Mera Mera no Mi could still make massive waves across the seas.
And now—
The Goro Goro no Mi, sitting at the very apex of all Logia-type Devil Fruits, had reappeared after vanishing for countless years.
That it caused a worldwide sensation was only natural.
Not only were the major forces of the Grand Line discussing Kuina—
Even Marine Headquarters was paying close attention to this rising new star.
And when they learned that she was actually a companion of 'Young Swordsman' El, they were forced to reassess the threat level of El's crew as a whole.
The very next day—
New bounty orders were issued.
Yes.
El had been dragged upward by Kuina's reputation, and his bounty increased once again.
BOUNTY POSTERS
"Young Swordsman" El
Bounty: 120,000,000 Belly
Status: Dead or Alive
"Lightning Sword Sorcerer" Kuina
Bounty: 100,000,000 Belly
Status: Dead or Alive
Two super rookies had appeared in the first half of the Grand Line.
Their bounty posters were spread across the entire world.
Kuina had become the first rookie in recent years to break 100 million Belly upon debut, directly stepping into the ranks of the Supernovas.
As for El—
The Navy classified him as a Supernova primarily because he was the captain of the crew.
Otherwise, under normal circumstances, he would have needed several more highly exposed battles to reach a bounty of this level.
This—
Was the terrifying reputation of the strongest Logia-type Devil Fruit, the Goro Goro no Mi.
East Blue — Shimotsuki Village
"Is… is this really Sister Kuina's face?!"
"Sister Kuina actually appeared in the newspaper! There's even a bounty poster—she looks amazing!"
"One hundred million… so many zeros! Sister Kuina is incredible!"
The Isshin Dojo was unusually lively that day.
The disciples crowded around a boy holding a newspaper, shouting excitedly.
In the dojo courtyard, a green-haired boy temporarily stopped his training.
Sweat dripped down his face as he stared at the newspaper in his hands—
At the girl on the front page.
His expression was firm.
"I won't lose to you, Kuina."
"Wait for me out on the sea."
"I'll definitely find you… and complete the 1,888th duel we promised."
"The world's greatest swordsman will be me!"
After saying that, Roronoa Zoro carefully folded the newspaper, put it away, and resumed his training without hesitation.
Not far away, Koushirou watched his disciple with a gratified smile.
Then, he lowered his gaze to the bounty poster in his own hand.
The portrait depicted a girl wearing a red-and-white witch-style outfit, holding a blue-and-white lightning blade, electric sparks dancing wildly around her body.
Koushirou whispered softly,
"Since this is the path you chose… then walk it with your own sword."
"Prove yourself—to your father who once underestimated you."
There was no anger in his voice.
Only pride.
Koushirou knew better than most just how terrifying the Goro Goro no Mi truly was.
Now that Kuina had eaten it—
Her strength would undergo a heaven-shaking transformation.
More importantly—
She would become one of the hardest people to kill on the seas.
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