OP: My Aircraft Carrier Evolves#170+171: Water 7, Steamships! Iceburg, Franky, and Kuma's Move!

Night fell on the Moby Dick.

A shadowy figure moved across the deck, light on his feet, slipping past the watchful eyes of the lookouts.

For Ace, who'd grown up stealing and scrapping his way through life, this part was easy.

He’d already cased the joint.

He found the captain's quarters.

The man was hailed as the king of the seas. Surely he wouldn't be the kind of coward to lock his door...

But Ace wasn't stupid enough to just knock and announce his intentions, either.

No.

He simply didn't have the energy left to be stupid.

When he'd woken up earlier that day, a division commander named Thatch had filled him in on his situation.

He was a prisoner.

Whitebeard had brought him aboard his ship.

His crew had been captured as well. They were alive, for now, but... who knew for how long?

"Gugaaaa..."

A colossal snore rumbled through the wall.

'Now's my chance.'

Ace transformed into fire.

The downside to his ability was that it offered no cover in the dark, and there was no hiding the heat it gave off.

He had one shot!

He had to make it count!

With his body wreathed in flame, Ace lunged, driving his knife toward the world's strongest pirate.

SLAP!

CLANG!

"Gwah!"

"Oi... what're you doin', kid?" Whitebeard mumbled, his voice thick with sleep. "Knock it off, it's late..."

He swatted at the fiery form of Ace as if shooing away an annoying mosquito, and then immediately started snoring again.

"..."

It was like a bad joke.

Still in his flame form, Ace was sent tumbling out of the cabin and into the hallway.

Blood...

The slap had given him a nosebleed.

How was he supposed to pull off a sneak attack against that?

————————————

While Ace began his long and painful tenure on Whitebeard's ship, the sun was setting on Water 7.

Warm, golden light bathed the famous city of shipwrights.

From the conning tower, Jin could already see the towering sea walls that protected the city's unique architecture. Waterways crisscrossed between the buildings, seagulls wheeled between the masts of the ships in the harbor, and the clouds on the horizon were a riot of color.

Back in Nanohana, Alabasta, Jin had parted ways with the six Charlotte siblings.

The timber and steel he had acquired from Little Garden and Alabasta had been sent back to Drum Island and Hannabal.

Using the Munch-Munch Fruit's synthesis ability, the materials were used to upgrade the infrastructure and begin construction on a new colosseum.

During that time, he had also integrated the three new Devil Fruits that Big Mom had sent him.

The Paramecia Bubble-Bubble Fruit.

The Zoan Ox-Ox Fruit, Model: Giraffe.

And the Zoan Dog-Dog Fruit, Model: Wolf.

Familiar, weren't they?

That's right. They were the three Devil Fruits belonging to CP9's Kalifa, Kaku, and Jabra, who were stationed here in Water 7.

It was clear that to appease Big Mom and complete the Five Elders' mission, Stussy and Cipher Pol had paid a hefty price.

Whether they were gifts or sold at a discount, they had clearly scrambled to get their hands on three Devil Fruits to ransom their agents.

And of these three, aside from the Bubble-Bubble Fruit, none of them really fit the Big Mom Pirates' style.

They preferred fruits related to food—butter, candy, mochi...

No wonder Oven had said it would take time to gather the remaining three.

Devil Fruits may have been the cursed treasures of the sea, but they weren't exactly growing on trees.

Even the worst of them could fetch a hundred million Berries at auction.

The integration of the Zoan fruits didn't seem to have a major effect on the demonic carrier, at least not yet. But Jin had a feeling that every fruit had its purpose. Perhaps after the next evolution, the Zoan fruits' role would become clear.

The Bubble-Bubble Fruit, on the other hand, had made cleaning the ship's machinery a breeze. And bathing. It had greatly improved the quality of life for the crew.

Jin opened the ship's interface.

—————

[Primary Authority: Captain Jin]

...

[Next Evolution Requirements: Soul Crystals (6,567/10,000) | Refined Steel (180,000/10,000 tons) | Gold (4,420/100 tons) | Silver (240/500 tons) | Rare Earth Metals (98/2,000 tons) | Biological Matter (13/30)!]

—————

The next evolution was still a long way off.

The Empress (Ship) docked.

A Yagara Bull, Water 7's unique aquatic transport, guided them through the city's waterways and water elevators.

News of the arrival of the King of the Winter Blossom Kingdom, one of the Seven Warlords, the man known as the "King of Paradise," spread quickly.

Iceburg didn't dare to delay, rushing back from the shipyard.

————————————

The Galley-La Company headquarters—Iceburg's residence—was the largest and most heavily guarded building on the island.

Kalifa set down a cup of tea and stood behind Iceburg.

Jin glanced at her.

She had long blonde hair, wore tinted glasses, and was dressed in a yellow top and a black miniskirt, with black, thigh-high boots and fishnet stockings. Her fair skin was just visible beneath the mesh.

She was the perfect image of a sexy, undercover agent. A deadly combination for anyone with a uniform fetish.

She was Iceburg's secretary, his trusted confidant. It was only natural that she would be present for this meeting.

"Is there something important I can help you with, Your Majesty?" Iceburg asked cautiously. "For you to come all this way in person..."

He had every reason to be cautious. Jin's recent, meteoric rise to power had made him the hottest topic in Paradise.

Iceburg knew better than to cross a man like that.

"I've come to discuss a business proposal," Jin said, getting straight to the point.

He had two objectives in Water 7: one overt, one covert.

Meeting with Iceburg was the overt one.

Stealing the Paramecia Door-Door Fruit was the covert one.

Ever since the demonic carrier had developed its "teleportation" ability, Jin had become intensely interested in this particular fruit.

The teleportation hadn't come out of nowhere. The Munch-Munch Fruit had a similar, remote-retrieval effect. And the integration of the Castle-Castle Fruit, along with the absorption of temporal energy during its evolution, had greatly enhanced that effect.

What would happen if he added another space-related fruit to the mix?

"A business proposal?" Iceburg asked. "Shipbuilding, I presume?"

"The Fish-Man Tom..." Jin said with a smile, "—created the Sea Train, a marvel of steam power. A truly great achievement."

Iceburg's face remained impassive. It wasn't that he was emotionless. It was a mask. The loss of Tom, who had been like a father to him, had forced him to mature, to hide his true feelings. It was how he'd earned the moniker "Iceburg."

He knew that the World Government would never give up its pursuit of the Pluton blueprints, and he was prepared for the worst.

Unfortunately, despite his precautions, he had a snake in his own house. He had underestimated the patience and persistence of Cipher Pol.

"It's a shame Tom is gone."

A shame? Iceburg looked at Jin.

The world's opinion of Tom, due to his connection to Roger, was more negative than positive. Roger was a criminal, and so, by association, everything connected to him was tainted.

"The steam boiler technology he used in the Sea Train," Jin continued, "is going to usher in a new age of steam power."

Flattery costs nothing. Jin wasn't about to pass up an opportunity to get on Iceburg's good side.

"An age of steam power?"

"Steam can power a train," Jin said. "Why not a ship? The Marines already have their steamships. I believe it's the way of the future. And so, I would like to commission your company to build several such ships for me."

The advantages of a steamship over a sailing vessel were obvious. It would be a crucial part of the "logistics" network Jin planned to build. Air transport could never fully replace sea transport.

But his experience with developing his fighter jets had taught him that some things were best left to the professionals.

The Munch-Munch Factory could synthesize materials, but a ship was just too big. The cost in soul crystals and other resources would be immense, and the return on investment would be low.

Cheap labor was more cost-effective.

But the advanced technology of the Marine steamships was a closely guarded secret of the World Government. They would never just hand it over to him.

So he had to settle for the next best thing.

<><><><><><><><>

Iceburg and Franky had both worked on the Sea Train. They were intimately familiar with the technology.

They had built the Thousand Sunny for Luffy. Jin suspected that it incorporated some of Pluton's technology.

'Steamships?' Iceburg was lost in thought. A flood of ideas filled his mind. As a key member of the Sea Train construction team, he was no stranger to steam power, but to build such a ship...

Jin saw his hesitation. "As long as you can build them," he said with a smile, "I'll handle the World Government. Ten ships. I've looked into it. A Marine steamship costs about 500 million Berries. We'll use that as our price."

Was it expensive? No. It was the standard price. A Marine sailing vessel cost 300 million, and about 30% of that was graft and kickbacks. The cost of a steamship was undoubtedly higher.

And when the age of ironclads arrived, a single warship could cost tens, even hundreds of billions of Berries. It was a money pit.

Of course, the technology tree in the world of One Piece was a mess. Some islands were still in the dinosaur age. The world was still in the age of flintlocks and black powder.

And yet, eight hundred years ago, "robots" had existed.

Vegapunk, the scientist who was 500 years ahead of the world, was more of an archaeologist, recreating super-ancient technology.

In short, not only was the world fragmented, but so was its technology. There was no "industrial revolution" to speak of. You couldn't just apply the logic of his old world to this one. After all, cola could be used as fuel.

If space pirates suddenly invaded, or if a "space age of sail" began, Jin wouldn't have been surprised.

Ten ships... five billion Berries?? Iceburg was stunned. He didn't know where Jin's confidence came from, but there was no reason to turn down an order like that.

"As long as the World Government gives its approval for Water 7 to build steamships," Iceburg said, his voice firm, "the Galley-La Company can get it done."

————————————

After seeing Jin off, Kalifa immediately relayed the news to Blueno at the tavern, who then reported to Spandam.

"Ten steamships?" Spandam was shocked.

"We have to stop..." He caught himself. "How much?? Five billion Berries??"

A greedy glint entered Spandam's eyes. The number made his mouth water.

A plan began to form in his mind.

"No, don't stop it," he said. "On the contrary, we're going to help him. We're going to help that king complete this transaction. This is our chance to test Iceburg. The construction of a steamship is much more complex than a sailing vessel. The secret might be hidden in the real blueprints. Lucci and Kaku, as two of the five foremen, will undoubtedly be involved in the construction. Then, all we have to do is create a few... technical problems. Put Iceburg in a difficult position. To solve the problem, he'll have to consult the blueprints. Hahaha! And then, your mission will be complete, won't it?"

Of course, Spandam had his own selfish motives. While capturing Iceburg and stealing the blueprints, he would also be pocketing the five billion Berries.

No—

It was because of that idea that he was now so eager to facilitate the deal. He even contacted his father.

Spandam was a vile and despicable man. He would do anything to advance his career.

And his father, Spandine, the former commander of CP9, was the one who had ordered the Buster Call that had destroyed Ohara and had signed Nico Robin's first wanted poster. He was just as rotten.

Upon hearing his son's plan, Spandine had agreed without a second thought.

And so, when Jin contacted the Five Elders, CP9's intelligence and recommendations had already been discussed. They found the plan acceptable.

However, they wanted a 10% "surcharge" for the license to build the steamships.

Jin agreed, but on the condition that he could pay in installments over five years.

With his expanding territory, his annual Heavenly Tribute was increasing. And there was the fee he had to pay as a Warlord. His expenses were considerable.

Fortunately, his businesses on Drum Island, Hannabal, and Asuka Island were starting to turn a profit. And his trade with the Four Blues, and the spoils from his "pirate hunting," were also bringing in a decent income.

And there was another benefit: he could use "Dream" to offset the Heavenly Tribute. The hallucinogenic mushrooms were a huge hit with the Celestial Dragons.

—

With the World Government's permission in hand, Jin and Iceburg finalized the contract at the Galley-La Company.

The commander of CP9, Spandam, had come all the way from Enies Lobby by Sea Train to witness the signing. He was exceedingly polite to Jin, all bows and smiles.

Although Jin was now a Warlord, he wasn't a pirate. His bounty was "0."

In Spandam's eyes, they were the same kind of people: nobles, the elite.

And besides, he was planning on stealing Jin's five billion Berries. Unfortunately for him, Jin had only paid a 500 million deposit. The rest would be paid in installments as the construction progressed.

'500 million? I'll let Iceburg hold on to it for a while. It'll be mine soon enough.' A dark look crossed Spandam's face.

————————————

During his stay, Jin wandered around the city, sampling the local cuisine. He confirmed that CP9's Blueno had already obtained the Door-Door Fruit.

But he didn't make his move just yet.

After the contract was signed, he left without any fuss. The Empress set sail for the Florian Triangle, the location of Thriller Bark.

————————————

Night.

In the ship-disassembly district, the Franky Family was having a rowdy party in their bar.

Led by "Iron Man" Franky, the "Family" was a group of ship-disassemblers and bounty hunters.

As the night wore on, the partygoers began to drift away, until only Franky was left, sitting alone on a sofa, nursing a bottle of cola.

A look of loneliness crossed his face.

In the midst of the noise and the revelry, the joy had belonged to everyone. Only this moment belonged to him.

Creeeak...

The door opened.

"Hey, we're closed," Franky said without looking up.

"It's me."

Iceburg walked in.

"Well, well, what a surprise. The mayor himself, gracing our humble abode." Franky said, pretending not to know him, his voice laced with sarcasm.

"You've probably heard about the steamship order. I'm going to need the help of every shipwright in Water 7, including you."

Ten steamships was a massive order. Iceburg asking for help wouldn't arouse CP9's suspicion. And besides, he wasn't just asking Franky.

"And we get a piece of the action? It's too late now. We'll discuss it tomorrow and give you an answer."

"Alright."

"I'll see you out," Franky said. He got up and walked over to Iceburg. As they shook hands, he passed him a slip of paper. He then walked him to the door.

Just as they were about to say goodbye, a ship docked in the waves, and a tall, bear-like figure leaped from its deck.

"..."

Franky and Iceburg's eyes both went wide.

That man...

Kuma glanced at the two of them. "Is CP9's Spandam still on the island?" he asked politely. "Where is he staying? Do you know?"

The "slaves" who had been captured during the Sorbet Kingdom incident... it was all closely tied to Cipher Pol. It was far from a righteous organization.