Drum Island—a winter island locked in eternal snow, where blizzards howled like vengeful spirits.
Just outside the castle of the Drum Kingdom... Chopper gritted his teeth against the pain and rolled to his feet.
He had to save the person who'd avenged Dr. Hiriluk.
But then he saw it—
The steel ship beneath his feet suddenly split open into a massive, tooth-filled maw that swallowed the mustached man whole in one gulp.
The sight made his eyes bulge from their sockets.
"EH??"
"What the hell was that?"
He leaped back in terror.
Afraid he'd be next on the menu.
Dalton and the surviving guards heard the commotion and vaulted onto the deck, all witnessing the same impossible scene.
Everyone froze.
That was just—
The image sparked something familiar.
Dalton, ever the voice of reason, spoke first: "That's King Wapol's Paramecia Devil Fruit power—the Munch-Munch Fruit."
The Munch-Munch Fruit?
The guards erupted in celebration: "King Wapol's alive? Your Majesty, did you swallow this ship? Is that you?"
Whoooosh.
Wind whistled across the deck. No answer came.
"No. The ship itself ate the Munch-Munch Fruit."
Dalton's worldly experience kept him calm.
When he had accompanied Wapol to the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, he had seen an object infused with a Devil Fruit in the hands of Spandam.
The celebrating guards' smiles turned to ice.
King Wapol's Devil Fruit had been "eaten" by a ship?
Devil Fruits only transferred when their previous host died, reappearing randomly somewhere in the world.
Now it had transferred.
Which meant—
"KING WAPOL IS DEAD!" a guard shrieked in terror.
"His Majesty is dead."
"He killed King Wapol."
"KINGSLAYER!"
"Bastard—seize him! Avenge King Wapol!"
Panic gave way to rage. They projected their own failures onto the strange young man before them.
Capture him. Kill him. Give the citizens someone to blame.
Besides—
Whoever avenged Wapol would be a hero.
When the next king took the throne, rewards would follow.
Wapol might be dead, but the old king's bloodline lived on—there was still an exiled prince out there.
Bring him back.
They'd remain the kingdom's elite.
Someone raised a rifle and fired.
BANG! BANG!
Flintlock bullets screamed through the air.
The gunfire jolted Jin from his stupor. He raised his hand instinctively, and the carrier's deck immediately erected a wall of reinforced steel plating.
DING! DING!
The bullets bounced off harmlessly, not even leaving scratches.
Others charged forward with swords.
The deck opened its mouth—they tumbled inside.
Some didn't make it two steps before collapsing, convulsing on the ground with their hair standing on end, blue static electricity crackling across their bodies.
Dalton frowned. Kuromarimo's static electricity?
The Munch-Munch Fruit absorbed whatever it consumed, making it part of the body—but it could absorb human abilities too?
Dalton had never seen Wapol demonstrate this. Was it a unique effect of combining weapons with Devil Fruits?
While the guards wailed for their mothers, Jin experienced something extraordinary—he felt his consciousness merge with the ship.
A virtual control interface materialized before his eyes.
——————
[Primary Authority: Captain Jin]
[Hull Data: Length 22m | Width 13m | Height 8.3m | Weight 58 Tons]
[Ability: Munch-Munch Fruit]
[Note: Trans-dimensional travel has irradiated the hull with Spacetime energy, granting it super-strength and a 'living' characteristic via absorption of biological matter. With sufficient materials and energy, its evolutionary potential is limitless.]
[Next Evolution Requirements: Soul Crystals (12/100) | Refined Steel (0/10 tons) | Gold (0/0.1 tons) | Silver (0/1 ton) | Rare Earth Metals (0/10 tons) | Biological Matter (0/1)!]
——————
"HOLY SHIT!!"
"INFINITE EVOLUTION??"
"MY MODEL AIRCRAFT CARRIER MUTATED??"
"AND I CAN SEE THE REQUIREMENTS TO EVOLVE IT??"
"THIS IS FUCKING INCREDIBLE!"
Jin's shock transformed into wild joy after a deep breath. The world of One Piece was lethal for ordinary people.
Someone who'd crossed over like him—without some kind of cheat ability, he'd never even glimpse the Summit War, let alone participate.
But now everything was different.
Individual combat power mattered, sure—but the ability to wipe out a country with a single shot—like the Three Ancient Weapons—was a deterrent of the highest order.
He could develop quietly, then sail his personally crafted carrier across the seas of this pirate world, unstoppable.
"Gyehe... Gyehehehehe..."
Jin couldn't suppress his wicked laughter. To Chopper and Dalton's ears, it sounded absolutely diabolical.
Chopper flinched in fear, then reconsidered—how bad could someone who'd avenged the doctor really be?
"SO COOL!"
His eyes sparkled as he watched the carrier unleash its power.
Dalton's brow furrowed.
"This guy... dammit!"
He despised the king and guards' behavior, yet duty compelled him to act. He activated his Ox-Ox Fruit power.
"THAT'S ENOUGH! STAND DOWN!" He roared.
Leaping into action, he rescued several guards about to fall into the deck's gaping maw.
Jin glanced over.
Dalton??
The Zoan-type Ox-Ox Fruit: Bison Model user...
His strength was average, but like an ox, he was kind, loyal—the textbook definition of someone who'd take whatever life threw at him.
'I just got here, I don't know the lay of the land, and I can't speak the language. I could really use the help of someone like him.'
Jin's mind raced.
The carrier ceased its attack.
Dalton caught his breath and looked toward the unfamiliar young man, who smiled and nodded, gesturing peacefully.
"He's stopping?" Dalton guessed.
"EVERYONE, LOWER YOUR WEAPONS!" Dalton commanded.
The guards who'd been screaming for revenge moments ago—after getting their asses handed to them—suddenly found clarity and obediently lowered their arms.
Dalton reverted to human form.
He raised both hands to show he meant no harm, then stepped forward: "I am Dalton, Captain of the Drum Kingdom's Royal Guard."
Jin pointed to Dalton. "Dalton!"
??
Jin pointed to himself: "Jin!"
Dalton's eyes widened. "Jin?"
In the common tongue, 'Jin' sounded remarkably like 'King'. Combined with the howling wind and snow, Dalton had misheard.
Could he be the old king's illegitimate son? No, that's impossible! The language barrier was real...
But whether he was or wasn't—
This young man's confident aura...
The unknown power that had fallen from the sky to crush Wapol.
This Devil Fruit-powered ship...
All of it made Dalton wary.
He didn't want to provoke him and bring disaster to the kingdom.
Dalton noticed Jin's thin clothing and shivering. "QUICK—BRING HIM CLOTHES AND FOOD!"
Jin didn't understand but glanced at Chopper.
Chopper froze, then realized—the man trusted him, was asking if it was dangerous.
'I'm being trusted?' Chopper practically glowed with happiness. He eagerly pointed at clothes, then mimed eating.
Jin relaxed and nodded gratefully at Dalton. Now that the tension had passed, he really was freezing and starving.
—————————
Once wrapped in thick furs, with huge chunks of meat and wine spread before him, Jin still cautiously insisted Dalton eat first.
After filling his belly—
Jin yawned and signaled to Dalton that he needed rest and that they should leave and not come near.
At the same time, he put the carrier on alert: Anyone Who Approached Would Be Captured.
Dalton disembarked.
Chopper left too, carrying the hat Dr. Hiriluk had left behind, heading back to find Dr. Kureha.
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