"What the..."
Back in the ship's cabin.
Jin stood slack-jawed.
The old worn-out equipment had transformed completely—everything gleamed like new.
The boiler blazed with unknown fuel, steam pressure surging. The gauges had maxed out, yet nothing exploded.
Beside it, the engine—now resembling a biological heart—pulsed slowly, its surface reflecting a metallic sheen.
It seemed alive, otherworldly—a perfect blend of sci-fi and gritty cyberpunk.
Jin opened the interface.
[Soul Crystals: 18/100!]
"It increased?"
"Did it extract soul crystals from the people it swallowed?"
"My ship runs on souls as fuel?"
Jin was astounded.
"In One Piece, all Devil Fruit weapons are Zoan-types. The Munch-Munch Fruit is clearly Paramecia."
"How is this possible?"
A thought struck him, and his eyes widened in disbelief: "Paramecia Devil Fruit Awakening?"
"Only Awakened Paramecia Fruits become 'alive'—like the Tot Musica from the Sing-Sing Fruit's awakening."
"My ship ate the Munch-Munch Fruit... and immediately Awakened?"
"Could it be related to the spacetime energy?"
Suddenly—
"That's correct, Master."
A clear, melodious voice rang out.
Jin jumped.
"WHO'S THERE?"
"I am Ai—your mobile AI assistant!"
A small holographic robot materialized.
"My apologies. I just finished rebooting my system and completing the activation sequence."
Phone?
Jin patted his pockets, realizing his phone was missing. Right—he'd set it aside to play music while doing repairs.
"You got swallowed by the ship after it mutated?"
Jin was amazed.
"Yes, Master."
"So you can control the ship, too?" Jin asked.
"I can. However, as the Captain, you possess the highest authority. I am here as your optimal assistant to support you."
AI was hardly a novelty anymore.
But in this strange, alternate dimension, having a familiar voice to accompany him wasn't bad. Besides, one person's capabilities were limited.
Without a system to rely on, he'd need to maximize his AI tools!
Jin asked: "You said the ship's mutation isn't just from the Devil Fruit, but also spacetime energy?"
Ai: "Correct, Master."
She projected the moment of their arrival.
A massive void suddenly appeared. The ship plummeted wreathed in energy lightning, crushing Wapol into bloody paste on impact.
An electromagnetic field formed, drawing a special energy dispersing from Wapol's body into the ship's hull.
Then the hull transformed.
"The spacetime tunnel's opening generated enormous energy that captured the Devil Fruit's power."
"During fusion, while absorbing that energy for awakening, it also erased the fruit's inherent will."
Ai explained.
"Not just the ship—Master, you also unconsciously absorbed some energy. It's dormant within your body."
Jin looked down at himself in surprise, clenching his fist. "But I don't feel any different!"
Ai: "That's because Master's body is too fragile. With training, it will gradually manifest."
Jin understood now. "Scan my body data."
Ai: "Yes, Master."
"Data generated."
——————
[Name: Jin]
[Height: 180cm]
[Weight: 60kg]
[Body Fat: 18%]
[Heart Rate: ...]
[Analysis: Master's health is satisfactory. Please maintain. You've been working for 18 consecutive hours. Sleep recommended.]
——————
"Not bad, not bad at all."
Jin was satisfied. Quantified analysis could clearly track his changes. Ai was proving to be an invaluable assistant.
"I'm going to sleep. You're on watch duty."
Ai: "Understood, Master. Good night!"
Jin collapsed into his makeshift bunk. Exhausted beyond measure, he was asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.
—————————
Meanwhile, outside.
Drum Island's villages and towns erupted in chaos.
"Hey! Big news! HUGE news! King Wapol is dead!"
"What? That son of a b— I mean, the king is dead?"
"How? Who killed him?"
The messenger grabbed a drink from the table, downing it in one gulp before wiping away the foam. "Hold on, I saw it myself..."
"An ironclad warship, wreathed in thunder, fell from the sky! It was like divine retribution! It struck Wapol dead on the spot!"
"YES!"
"FINALLY!"
"HE DESERVED IT!"
"What goes around comes around!"
For a year, the townsfolk had suffered under Wapol's tyranny. Everyone despised him, but lacking the strength to resist, they could only endure.
"Then what?"
"Then, from within the lightning, a young man emerged from the warship wielding a divine artifact. He annihilated the guard unit."
"Even Dalton submitted to him."
"WHAT?"
"Who is he?"
"I was too far away to hear clearly, but it sounded like... King Jin? He spoke a different language than us."
"King?"
"He's a king too?"
"Did he come to challenge Wapol for the throne?"
The celebrating townspeople fell silent. A new king had arrived—but what policies would he bring?
"What if the World Government investigates Wapol's death?"
Someone voiced their concern.
The Drum Kingdom was a World Government member nation. Wapol had just returned from the Reverie.
"Hehehehe, what's there to fear? As long as the Heavenly Tribute gets paid on time, does the World Government care who sits on the throne?"
From a corner—
An aged but spirited voice cut through.
Everyone turned, then recoiled.
Someone whispered: "It's the witch!"
"DR. KUREHA!"
Dr. Kureha—the doctor who would one day teach Chopper everything she knew—had heard about Dr. Hiriluk's death and the mysterious avenger from Chopper himself. Her curiosity was piqued.
She'd come to see for herself.
—————————
Outside the castle.
Dalton remained uneasy. He'd built a fire and stood guard by the carrier, occasionally stealing curious glances at the strange vessel.
"Dalton! We have a problem!"
One of his trusted subordinates came running.
"What's wrong?"
Dalton jumped up. "Pirates?"
"No, no—it's everyone..."
"Everyone?"
The subordinate gasped for breath: "Everyone heard the new king killed Wapol. They're all heading this way!"
"Huh?" Dalton was stunned.
Right...
Dalton looked toward the ironclad ship.
His mind began to race. That young man seemed incredibly strong, and he controlled a Devil Fruit warship.
Having him protect the Drum Kingdom would be infinitely better than bringing back the exiled eldest prince—who was just as vicious as Wapol.
As for his character... could he really be any worse than Wapol?
Why had Dalton, despite his clear dissatisfaction with Wapol's tyranny, continued to serve and tolerate him?
It wasn't just loyalty—it was consideration for the remaining citizens.
This was the Grand Line. Every year, countless pirates from the Four Seas invaded. Without strong protectors, everyone would suffer far worse.
Wapol couldn't handle the major pirates, but he was sufficient against newcomers.
Now Wapol was dead.
Dalton's own strength couldn't support a nation. Therefore, keeping the powerful youth who'd killed Wapol was the optimal choice.
IT'S DECIDED. YOU WILL BE OUR KING!
---
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