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Jin's eyes narrowed.
With the appearance of the ancient Haki, he could feel the Hell's Red Serpent being suppressed.
It wasn't the barrier or the jewels themselves. It was their energy, flowing into the serpent's body.
Another Will was awakening.
Just like Luffy, when he was "possessed" by Nika.
"There's another soul within the Hell's Red Serpent!"
Jin realized. "—Is it the shamaness who sealed the sword with her life? Hey! Don't ruin my plan! I need the serpent's demon will to fully manifest so I can swallow it whole."
A person can't eat two Devil Fruits because their conflicting wills and rules would tear each other apart. The body simply can't endure that kind of internal clash. No matter how strong your Haki is, can you really coat your own heart and lungs?
But Jin was going to use that very conflict—to use the rules of the Munch-Munch Fruit—to control the serpent's "demon."
During its first evolution, the Munch-Munch Fruit had already demonstrated its ability to suppress the "Demon" of the Mushroom-Mushroom Fruit.
As if it had heard Jin's "voice," the other Will within the serpent slowly receded.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
A surging, terrifying, violent aura shattered the barrier and shot into the sky, blasting apart the clouds.
The sea churned.
The island trembled.
Dark clouds gathered.
A thick darkness enveloped the island, and lightning flashed.
It was like the apocalypse.
This was the kind of phenomenon an awakened "demon" should produce. Before, it had been sealed by the other will.
Jin squinted. The wind howled, and a crushing pressure descended upon him, whipping his hair, a heavy weight pressing down on his very soul.
"Hssssssss!"
The writhing, green-flamed serpent, now in an "elemental" form like a phoenix, soared into the sky, then plummeted down.
Its massive head, like a storm cloud, spitting lightning, fell from the sky, lunging at Jin.
The sight was breathtaking.
—————————
Izaya's eyes widened. This was the curse they had endured for generations. Once it was awakened, who could possibly escape?
The villagers trembled with fear.
"Look out!" Maya cried out, her voice filled with worry.
The wind howled.
Jin looked up, his gaze resolute, and faced the green-flamed serpent.
He spread his arms wide.
As the green flames crashed into him, he withstood the initial wave of the spiritual attack.
Then, his body "split open."
A dark "hole" appeared.
The serpent plunged in.
Endlessly.
A brilliant light engulfed the area. Izaya, Maya, and the others couldn't see what was happening.
The process continued for some time before the intense light finally began to fade.
The wind died down.
The sea was calm.
"KING JIN!!!"
Maya's pupils contracted. She clapped a hand over her mouth in horror. The Seven Star Sword was embedded in Jin's chest.
"Did... did he fail?" Izaya said, her voice trembling.
"Hey! Are you alright?" the villagers cried out, terrified.
Suddenly, with a crack, a fissure appeared on the jewel in the pommel of the sword and began to spread.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
More cracks appeared.
Jin opened his eyes. The "hole" in his chest closed, and the Seven Star Sword shattered, turning to dust and scattering in the wind.
The Devil Fruit's power was gone. The sword, naturally, crumbled.
He "saw" a woman, who looked like Maya, now free, bow to him in thanks. Then, she floated into Maya's body.
A gust of wind blew past.
Maya suddenly fainted.
"Maya!" Izaya caught her just in time, her voice filled with alarm.
"She's fine," Jin said. "The shamaness's soul that was sealed in the sword has passed on her remaining power to Maya. When she wakes up, she'll be... different."
"Then... the Seven Star Sword...?" Izaya asked, her voice filled with a mixture of disbelief and hope.
"As you can see, it's gone. The curse on your people has been lifted."
"Really?" a villager exclaimed.
"That's wonderful!"
"We're finally... free."
"Long live King Jin!"
"LONG LIVE THE KING!"
They cheered, tears streaming down their faces.
"Alright," Jin said. "I've been injured. I need to go back to my ship to recuperate for a while. There will probably be outsiders coming to investigate. You should be careful."
He had the third fruit. He couldn't wait to get back to the carrier and start the upgrade.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty," Izaya said, her tone now deferential. "Our people have lived here for many years. We have our ways of dealing with outsiders."
This man had lifted their curse. He was their savior. And the mushroom plantation he had proposed would allow their tribe to prosper. He was their future. He was a lifeline they had to cling to.
If she were forty years younger, Izaya would have offered herself up for a political marriage.
But... she glanced at Maya. She might be too old, but Maya wasn't. Fourteen... in a few years, she would be ready.
—————————
Jin quickly returned to his base of operations. He had his crew protect the villagers then he returned to the carrier.
On the way, he encountered some Marine soldiers from the training base, as well as some other outsiders who had been drawn by the commotion.
Merchants.
Adventurers.
Bounty hunters.
An island with ancient ruins was a gold mine for them. Who knew what treasures might be hidden there?
It was predictable.
As the chaos of the Great Pirate Era continued, more and more outsiders would flock to Asuka Island for leisure and profit.
In the original story, Saga had been corrupted by the sword because pirates had come looking for treasure and had attacked Maya's tribe.
The waves of the new era were rising. No one would be spared.
If you wanted to ride the waves, you needed one thing: absolute strength.
—————————
He sailed the ship away from Asuka Island and anchored it in a reef.
Inside the carrier, Jin took a deep breath, calming himself, his mind slowly disengaging from the battle.
[Note: Requirements met. Evolve now?]
"Finally," Jin said, a grin spreading across his face. Three Devil Fruits, one of which was a Mythical Zoan, even rarer than a Logia.
He had high hopes for the carrier's second evolution.
He didn't hesitate.
"EVOLVE!"
[Notice 1: Evolution initiated. Please clear all living beings from the ship within 1 minute.]
[Notice 2: During evolution, all ship functions will be suspended. Please wait patiently for the upgrade to complete.]
[Notice 3: Avoid any damage to the hull during evolution. Damage will consume energy and may even lead to evolution failure.]
Jin had already scouted the area. It was off the main shipping lanes, surrounded by shallow reefs, with no Sea Kings and stable weather.
"For the next evolution," he thought, "I'll need to find a trustworthy guardian."
The boiler in the engine room began to burn a massive amount of soul crystals, releasing golden flames that powered the steam engine.
"Woooooooooom..."
The ship came alive.
From the smallest components to the railings to the steel plates, everything began to writhe and twist. A massive amount of heat and steam was released, forming a dark-red, flame-like cloud that enveloped the carrier, burning like a great fire and reaching for the sky.
Space warped.
A bird flew into the cloud and was instantly vaporized.
A hazy light.
Indistinct shapes.
[Upgrade Time Remaining: 47:59:55]
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