Inside the shrine, a black angel statue loomed over the hall.
In its cupped hands rested a golden Devil Fruit patterned with small lightning bolts.
The Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
Jin smiled.
"I honestly thought this thing had been eaten already," he said. "I mainly came for the gold and figured I'd try my luck.
"Looks like my luck's better than I thought."
Kuro eyed the fruit.
"I've said it before," he sighed. "Your luck isn't 'good'—it's absurd."
Senor Pink was thinking something else entirely.
Luck, huh…
Boss already has who-knows-how-many Devil Fruits. He's said himself he's holding several Mythical Zoans.
And now he's adding what might be the strongest Logia on top of that.
If he invests all of these into training elites… the force he builds will be terrifying.
Jin picked up the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. Fine sparks of static licked across its skin.
"I wonder who'll be lucky enough to eat you," he murmured.
"You really do know a lot, don't you?" Kuro said, lighting a cigarette and watching his captain.
"How so?" Jin smiled back. This was, after all, one of the sharpest minds on the seas.
"Start with Arlong," Kuro said, taking a drag. "Then Moria.
"Then Wano. Zou. And Pedro and the others mentioned you took a side trip to that 'Sleeping Ancient Town' as well."
Jin chuckled and flicked Senor Pink a cigar as they walked.
"Seems I didn't misjudge you when I dragged you into my crew."
He exhaled slowly.
"You're right. I do know a lot of things. But the future's never fixed.
"I can only see the general outline."
"So those rats were… an accident?" Kuro's eyes narrowed.
"Yeah," Jin said. "Those rats were the one thing I didn't expect."
"No wonder you've changed so much," Kuro mused. "Back when we first met, you were already ruthless. But now… you're even more ruthless."
"Can't be helped," Jin said. "If I'm not, I won't survive this world."
They stepped back outside.
Enel was speaking quietly with the few villagers he'd spared.
"Same with that kid," Jin added. "If he hadn't shown teeth just now, I'd have tossed him some random Devil Fruit and moved on."
"You really rate him that highly?" Kuro tilted his head.
"If I told you this fruit was supposed to be his," Jin said, rolling the Rumble-Rumble Fruit in his palm, "would you believe me?"
"I would," Kuro answered immediately, dropping his gaze to hide his grin.
Senor Pink calmly pretended he'd heard nothing, puffing his cigar.
He'd already guessed plenty from their talk.
Their new captain seemed to know things other people didn't.
Maybe… even about the future.
When Enel finished his goodbyes and came over, he dropped to one knee again.
"Lord, Enel has taken care of everything."
"Stop kneeling all the time," Jin said. "I don't like it."
His body swelled as he shifted into dragon form again.
"Come on, kid. In sea terms—we're crewmates now."
Kuro grabbed Enel by the collar and shot upward, flying toward the dragon's back.
Senor Pink used Moonwalk to get up on his own.
Not long after, the golden dragon descended over Upper Yard again.
Below, the men still hacking at the golden ruins of Shandora looked up, went pale, and immediately doubled their speed.
"The boss is back!"
Zan Gao and Kontena were sprawled on top of a huge pile of gold.
As Jin landed, the Sky Islanders finally got a clear look at the man who'd been turning into a dragon.
About two meters seventy, broad-shouldered and young, every line of his frame radiated pressure and dominance.
"You're back early, Captain," Zan Gao called, waving lazily. Then he spotted Enel trailing behind and raised a brow. "Oh? New recruit?"
"Yeah."
Jin pulled out a pile of food and set it on a makeshift table.
"Come on, eat. I just realized we haven't eaten all day."
At first, Enel was stiff and restrained.
Then Jin casually added, "You need to eat to grow strong."
After that, the boy started shoveling food in like he hadn't seen meat in months.
"Heh. Zan Gao, this kid's yours," Jin said. "You handle his physical training. He just ate his Devil Fruit—take it slow and guide him through it."
"Um, Lord…" Enel asked hesitantly. When Jin motioned for him to go on, he swallowed.
"Enel wants to ask… are you people from the Blue Sea?"
"We are," Zan Gao said, downing a cup and answering for Jin. "We came from the Blue Sea, yeah.
"We climbed up here… for this."
He jerked a thumb at the growing mountain of gold.
"Oh… so this gold is really valuable down below?" Enel asked.
"Heh-heh… not 'really valuable,'" Zan Gao grinned. "With this kind of money down there, you can basically live like royalty."
"And this?" Enel asked, letting liquid silver flow over his body in sleek, shifting patterns like living armor.
Zan Gao gave it a glance.
"Yo, Captain, you actually gave the Silver-Silver Fruit to this brat?"
"I ate that… Devil Fruit?" Enel blinked.
As Zan Gao explained Devil Fruits and the wider sea, Enel's jaw dropped further and further.
"So that's how it is…" he murmured.
He thought of the fruit in the temple.
Then shook his head.
What he had now was already more than enough.
Just then, Gan Fall approached, bowing deeply.
"Great warrior of the Blue Sea," he said. "I am the ruler of Skypiea—Gan Fall."
"Something you want?" Jin asked. He didn't bother hiding his impatience.
Isn't it enough I'm letting you live? Just gather my gold honestly.
Gan Fall heard the displeasure in his tone and rushed to explain.
"Please don't misunderstand, Lord White Ghost. I merely wished to ask about a man—no, about a pirate crew."
Jin cut him off before he could even say the name.
"Roger became Pirate King and died," he said flatly. "His crew scattered to the winds."
Gan Fall froze.
Technically, that answered his question.
It just wasn't the answer he'd hoped for.
"What?" Jin added lazily. "You want me to kill the Shandians for you so you can rule this land in peace?"
The great chief, who had just come over as well, stiffened.
Then slowly turned his glare on Gan Fall.
"N-no, that's not what I meant!" Gan Fall said hurriedly, waving his hands.
"Oh—right," Jin said. "Almost forgot. I want some of your dials."
He looked between the two old men.
"Send people to collect a batch for me."
"That's no problem," they both agreed at once.
Dials were Skypiea's specialty. They had more than they could ever use.
"Good. Anything else?" Jin asked, gesturing for them to sit.
He poured them drinks almost as an afterthought.
The three of them drank and chatted.
Between the lines, Gan Fall and the great chief probed for Jin's intentions regarding Skypiea's future.
Did he want to rule?
Jin shook his head, blunt as ever.
He told them he'd come up here for exactly two things. One was already done. The other would be finished once they were done collecting gold and dials.
Then he'd leave.
"What?" he added dryly. "You want me to take over Skypiea so you can both stop fighting and finally rest?"
Both old men lowered their heads and, after a pause, nodded honestly.
Gan Fall spoke first.
"Ever since this island was blasted up here, our two peoples have been fighting," he said. "It's been over four hundred years."
The great chief took over.
"Countless have died—ours and theirs. At this point, even if we said 'stop'… it wouldn't matter. The hatred runs too deep."
"So you're tired," Jin summed up. "You want me to crush both sides by force, make you drop your grudge, and let time wear down what's left.
"To be honest, ruling this place doesn't interest me. Going back and forth is too much trouble.
"But—"
"But what?" Both old men leaned forward at once, eyes bright with a shred of hope.
"When this is over," Jin said slowly, "I can declare that Skypiea belongs to me — Arakaki Jin, the White Ghost.
"On paper, I'll be the one in charge.
"And when I'm not here… you two will manage it in my name."
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