Tamarisk.
This was the eastern port city of Alabasta—the same place where Luffy and his crew had once set sail from in the original storyline.
Now, the mighty Genesis ship slowly pulled into harbor.
Jin didn't stay long.
He dropped off Crocodile and Mr.1, and then—continued northward.
—
Sunlight poured down from a cloudless blue sky.
Crocodile raised his newly regenerated left arm toward the blazing sun, letting the warm light filter through his fingers. It cast slender shadows across his cheek.
He stared in disbelief.
Then, slowly, joy bloomed across his face.
For the first time in years—he had both hands again.
Ever since that fateful day he lost his arm and replaced it with a golden hook, he had adapted, endured. Never once did he imagine he would one day recover what he had lost.
Beside him, Mr.1—Daz Bonez—gaped with wide eyes.
"Boss... your hand!?"
He was completely stunned.
"What… what happened?"
Crocodile lowered his arm and didn't answer right away. Instead, he turned his gaze to the distant sea, watching the Genesis fade into the horizon.
"…What happened to you all after you boarded that ship?" he asked quietly.
Daz Bonez—the infamous assassin with the Dice-Dice Fruit power—scratched the back of his head.
"When we boarded, we fell into this weird black void. Then I got knocked out."
He rubbed his skull. "The punch wasn't even that hard... but I blacked out anyway."
Crocodile narrowed his eyes.
Someone strong enough to knock out Mr.1 in one hit… Just how powerful was that ship's captain?
—
Meanwhile, back aboard the Carrier, Jin was deep in thought as he reviewed the ship's system interface.
"Healing procedures only apply to authorized crew members.
The process consumes Soul Crystals and causes a temporary period of weakness after recovery."
He tapped open the full ship panel.
[Access Level 1: Captain Jin]
[Hull Specifications:]
Length: 48 meters
Width: 22 meters
Height: 12.6 meters
Weight: 150 tons
Interior Space: 420 × 108 × 42 cubic meters
[Abilities Integrated:]
Munch-Munch Fruit
Mushroom-Mushroom Fruit
Candy-Candy Fruit
Infernal Crimson Serpent Fruit
Silent-Silent FruitDragon-Dragon Fruit: Triceratops Form
[Weaponry:]
3 Heavy Cannons
5 Medium Cannons
1,239 Firearms
1,564 Blades
[Crew:]
Bartholomew Kuma – Cook
Crocodile – Gunner
[Next Evolution Requirements:]
Soul Crystals: 745 / 2000
Refined Steel: 3 / 2000 tons
Gold: 0 / 10 tons
Silver: 0 / 30 tons
Rare Earth Metals: 0 / 300 tons
Active Biomass: 1 / 10 units
"Hannabal's purge netted me a batch of Soul Crystals… And the mines in Orutia should handle the mineral shortage."
"Once I leave Alabasta, I'll head into the wild zones—grind a bit, gather materials, and then level up the ship."
The 'wild zones', of course, referred to the boundless open sea. Rich in enemies, creatures, ruins—and loot.
But Jin had a rule:
Never overharvest one land.
He wouldn't exploit Alabasta to its bones. It was time to look outward—time to explore.
Time for a global voyage.
—
"Global voyage?"
Robin stood nearby, clad in her usual dark denim outfit—simple, tight-fitting, elegant.
She was tall, poised, and undeniably beautiful. But it wasn't just her looks that caught the eye.
Beneath the brim of her hat, her forehead gleamed smooth, her brows gracefully arched like painted strokes. A high nose bridge. Thin lips. A scholar's demeanor.
She carried herself with grace and restraint. Composed, elegant… but distant.
Her deep eyes shimmered with intelligence—and a wariness hard-earned.
She had seen too much: Betrayal, flight, death, isolation.
Robin had learned to hide behind a shell of indifference. It would take more than kind words to pierce her guard.
Even in the original plotline, though she boarded the Merry here, It wasn't until the Enies Lobby arc that she truly trusted the Straw Hats.
Jin studied her quietly.
Yes… it was time for a real conversation.
"I've heard your story."
Robin tensed.
Muscles stiff. Breath shallow.
"No need to get nervous," Jin said softly. "I don't care about that."
"All the news says the Devil's Child destroyed Ohara…" "Is it true?"
He paused—then shook his head.
"You don't have to answer. Everyone has a past. Everyone has secrets."
"I didn't bring you aboard out of sympathy."
"I brought you here because you've survived the sea longer than most."
"Because you're brilliant."
"I'm about to begin exploring some ancient islands. Maybe even forgotten kingdoms."
"I need a scholar. Someone who can decipher the mysteries we're going to face."
"In exchange, I'll protect you. And I'll support your research—including the deciphering of the Poneglyphs."
Robin's heart lurched.
She couldn't help but exclaim—
"You do realize… deciphering the Poneglyphs will bring disaster?"
Jin smiled.
"So what?"
"Is a king not allowed to have a hobby?"
"In fact…" "I'm just like you."
"I'm very interested in the secrets that the World Government doesn't want us to know."
It was no secret—the World Government's authority was built upon four pillars of dominance: Military force, Scientific advancement, Control of public opinion, and Monetary power.
The Poneglyphs—and the truth they held—were a direct threat to the narrative they spun.
Though Jin already knew some of the secrets behind them, He wasn't a scholar. He had no real credibility.
But Robin—
Daughter of Ohara's famed archaeologist Olvia. The only survivor of the Tree of Knowledge. A woman hunted across the world.
Her interpretations carried authority. Reputation.
Robin gazed at Jin. Tried to read his expression.
But all she saw was sincerity.
"…You want to find Pluton, too?" she asked, testing.
Jin laughed.
"Pluton?"
"I don't need Pluton."
"I've got something better."
"Don't believe me?" He winked. "Then just wait and see."
—
By now, they were nearing the coast.
Robin turned her eyes to the horizon, where strange white dunes sparkled.
At first, she thought it was snow.
But then—she realized. It was salt.
Endless sea salt, crystallized from the ocean due to Alabasta's arid climate and blistering heat. It formed entire beaches of glistening salt, blending seamlessly into the desert.
Just as she was about to comment, the deck trembled beneath her feet.
"Nggh…"
A strange, low hum echoed up from below. It wasn't a sound—it was a feeling. Like the call of a whale from the deep sea.
It seeped into her bones.
Robin shivered.
Then—
The masts began to fold. Planks slid inward. The entire ship seemed to fold into itself.
"Wha—?!"
The hull shifted. The floor swelled. The world tilted.
Robin stumbled, nearly toppling over.
"Careful," Jin warned casually. "Fall into that ultra-saline seawater and one gulp will leave you saltier than a pickled fish."
He reached out, steadying her by the waist.
Robin stiffened. She wasn't used to people touching her.
But as the shaking worsened, she lost her balance again—and fell straight into Jin's arms.
That's when she noticed—
No matter how violently the ship rocked, Jin stood firm. Like he had roots in the earth. Stronger than any tree.
She looked down—
And her eyes widened in shock.
The ship… was standing up?
Yes.
It had grown four silver metallic limbs. Massive and sturdy.
With them, the ship stepped onto the salt flats like a titan.
Each step thundered against the desert floor.
Robin's mouth fell open.
The ship… was walking?
Was she hallucinating? Was this a dream?
She closed her eyes. Breathed. Opened them again.
Still walking.
Still real.
Now, she saw it clearly—
A massive silver beast, twenty meters tall and forty meters long. Its body gleamed with armored plating.
Atop its head, three sharp horns. Around its neck—thick bone-like frills.
It looked like…
"A dinosaur?!"
Jin grinned. "Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Ancient Zoan Type: Triceratops Form."
Robin gasped.
"The ship… is a Devil Fruit user?!"
"Mhm," Jin nodded. "Though it's actually much more complicated than that."
He didn't explain further. He didn't need to.
Robin had seen enough to know—
He wasn't bluffing when he said he didn't need Pluton.
Once the mech stabilized, Robin finally stepped away from his arms and bowed her thanks.
—
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The desert trembled with each step of the metal beast.
The walking ship marched across the salt flats, then deeper into the sands of Orutia.
Behind it—massive footprints.
Moments later, they arrived at the mining zone Jin had already mapped out.
The land was dry, buried under dunes.
Jin, Kuma, and the others leapt down and got to work.
They became miners for the day.
And Kuma…
With the power of the Paw-Paw Fruit, began bouncing away entire mounds of sand, dirt, and stone.
Boing! Boing! Boing!
Each bounce cleared massive trenches—Even more efficient than a modern excavator.
And just like that…
They hit the first ore vein.
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