[When Gion made her debut, she was already a Marine Admiral candidate.]
[Although she cannot be directly equated with an Admiral, the difference is not much.]
Evan narrowed his eyes as he pondered this.
While he didn't like to simply divide people's strength into categories like "Shichibukai level" or "Admiral level," these terms could, to some extent, provide a useful reference. To become a Shichibukai, one had to meet at least a certain minimum standard in terms of strength. However, many of the Shichibukai had long surpassed that baseline.
[Unfortunately, the pressure she's putting on me isn't quite at Hawkeye's level,] Evan mused in his diary. [But still, her future is bright.]
[Though with how much movement she's making, it's… distracting.]
[Focus, Evan!]
Even while fighting, Evan was writing in his diary, his attention occasionally drifting to certain… features of Gion.
Of course, this irritated her.
"You pervert, where exactly are you looking?!" Gion barked, feeling Evan's gaze on her.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Evan responded, his face calm, as if he hadn't just been ogling her.
Gion, having read Evan's diary before, knew the kind of person he was. Her irritation boiled over, and she attacked with renewed intensity, her blade leaving afterimages in the air as she unleashed a barrage of strikes.
Meanwhile, on another part of the battlefield, Kaya had awakened the power of the Red Dragon's Heart, a gift she had acquired through her training with the Marines. Her body now radiated a mysterious red aura as her latent potential came to life.
"Dragon power… released!" Kaya whispered.
"What the heck? That's amazing!" Luffy exclaimed, looking at the crimson energy surrounding Kaya. "Alright then, I'm fired up too!" He touched his fists to the ground, his muscles heating up as steam rose from his skin.
"Second Gear!" His body expanded, and the surrounding heat intensified.
"In this state, I'll break the rules!" Kaya declared. At this moment, she could use a form of the Marine Six Styles to amplify her combat abilities. She lifted her leg and executed a perfect roundhouse kick, her crimson energy adding devastating force to the move.
"Tempest Kick!" she shouted, sending a powerful slash toward Luffy, who narrowly dodged it.
"What speed!" Luffy said, admiration and surprise in his voice. But before he could fully recover, Kaya's follow-up attack sent him flying.
Evan glanced over at Luffy, shaking his head in mild disappointment.
[As usual, this guy needs to warm up before he gets serious.] Evan wrote in his diary. [When Luffy's focused, he's a monster, but otherwise… it's like watching an old pro basketball player. One minute, he's raining threes; the next, he's clanking shots off the rim.]
[The most important point is that Garp often does this.]
[Sometimes, that guy will pass out directly during battle.]
[I remember in the latest manga, the power of his punch was truly amazing.]
[Despite being old, he was able to wipe out Hachinosu.]
[But in the early stages, he was knocked out for a while by Axe-Hand Morgan.]
[So Morgan was also jokingly called the Axe Emperor.]
Evan wasn't worried about Luffy; his rough starts were just a regular occurrence.
A little warm-up, and he'd be in good shape.
What Evan didn't expect was that Kaya would possess such astonishing strength.
Her frail and sickly body had been completely freed, granting her incredible power.
Did she purchase a Devil Fruit using her family's wealth? No, it's most likely the journal reward.
[Axe King Morgan, Thief King Higuma, Twin Sword Kings Johnny and Josaku.]
[These four heroes were considered powerful figures in the East Blue.]
[Morgan was rumored to be a formidable existence capable of defeating Garp.]
[Higuma had supposedly slain pirates on the same level as Emperors and even the Red-Haired Shanks.]
[Johnny and Josaku once faced Dracule Mihawk and even dared to threaten his life.]
Evan's diary revealed these bizarre statements.
Gion gasped slightly as she read, then looked at the diary again.
She hadn't expected the East Blue to be a hidden land of powerful warriors. Had she missed something crucial?
Wait, wasn't Morgan taken away by Vice Admiral Garp?
Wasn't he just an ordinary Navy officer who had been arrested?
[But this is all just a meme—something exaggerated for fun.]
[Morgan was captured, Higuma had long since died, and Johnny and Josaku went on with their own lives.]
[In the end, they were just minor characters with overblown combat reputations.]
Evan immediately clarified the matter in his diary.
While Evan was lost in thought, Gion took the opportunity to launch a more intense offensive. Her attacks came in quick succession, but Evan blocked them effortlessly. He hadn't even activated his Devil Fruit powers yet, relying solely on his raw strength and swordsmanship to keep her at bay.
"You're strong, Gion Vice Admiral," Evan said, parrying her latest strike, "but you're still missing something."
Gion gritted her teeth, realizing that she wasn't gaining any ground against him.
Meanwhile, in the shadows, Ain was preparing to launch her attack. As a user of the Return-Return Fruit, Ain possessed the ability to make people younger by touching them. Gion, through the diary's messaging feature, had coordinated with her.
[Gion: Ain, get ready. When I give the signal, use your ability on Evan.]
Ain nodded, waiting for her chance. The plan was simple: by reversing Evan's age, they could potentially reduce him to a helpless child.
Evan, sensing a presence, glanced over just as Ain moved in to strike. He barely had time to react before a strange flame engulfed him. The next thing he knew, his body began to shrink.
"What… is this?" Evan muttered, feeling his muscles contract and his height shrink rapidly. Suddenly, he found himself hugging Ain, who now towered over him.
"Oh, what a pleasant surprise," Evan said with a much younger voice. He was now a small boy, clinging to Ain as though she were his big sister.
"You…!" Gion was momentarily speechless, watching the absurdity unfold before her.
Evan had gone from a powerful swordsman to a cute little boy in an instant, thanks to Ain's Devil Fruit ability.