OP: My Aircraft Carrier Evolves#80+81: Crocodile's Second Fruit! A Test from Vice Admiral Gion!

Inside a large office building purchased by the Bounty Hunters' Guild.

Jin and Crocodile met.

"Everything went smoothly?" Jin asked.

"Capone Bege is a valuable bargaining chip," Crocodile said. "He knows a lot of secrets. He's been throwing his weight around the West Blue for years and has made plenty of enemies. They were more than happy to see him fall. He tried to escape a few times, but failed. He's in a warehouse at the docks now, under Mr. 1's personal guard."

"Good."

"By the way," Crocodile continued, "there's a banquet at the Marine base tonight. All the local bigwigs have been invited."

He briefly explained the situation.

Lunia was facing a change of command, which was why Headquarters had sent someone to assess the situation.

"So, Rear Admiral Enru is hoping his son will inherit his position? Turn Lunia Port into his own little family kingdom?"

"More or less."

Jin wasn't surprised. Did people really think nepotism was unique to pirates? The Marines were no different. The practice of father passing the torch to son had been going on for ages.

You could argue that the later years of the pirate era had become a game of "Who's your daddy?"

When it was revealed that even a certain rookie was Rocks's son, there weren't many fathers left for Buggy.

But Whitebeard had been the craftiest of them all. He'd taken both Rocks's son and Roger's son and made them his own.

Was there some kind of perverse satisfaction in hearing those familiar faces, those spitting images of his rivals, call him "Pops"?

"The Bounty Hunters' Guild wouldn't have been established so quickly without the help of that father-son duo," Crocodile said. "You pay them, they get things done. I'm worried that if there's a change of command, and Headquarters sends in some hard-liner, it will affect our operations. You know my situation. I'm still a Warlord. A Vice Admiral like Gion won't be pleased to see me here. So..."

Crocodile looked at Jin.

"You want me to feel out Gion's position, to get a read on Headquarters' stance, so we can be prepared."

Crocodile nodded. It was refreshing to deal with someone intelligent. He didn't have to spell everything out.

"Alright," Jin said. "I'll go meet with her."

The Bounty Hunters' Guild was one of his ventures. When it needed his support, he couldn't just stand by.

"One more thing..." Crocodile produced an exquisite wooden box. "A Paramecia-type Devil Fruit."

"Oh? Which one?"

"The Kilo-Kilo Fruit."

Jin raised an eyebrow.

Miss Valentine's fruit?

According to her, after eating the fruit, she could freely manipulate her weight, from one kilogram to ten thousand kilograms.

It sounded... weak.

The powerhouses of the pirate world could lift warships with ease. Kaido could lift the entire island of Onigashima, which weighed millions of tons.

Ten thousand kilograms—ten tons—was nothing.

But... was that really all there was to it?

The Kilo-Kilo Fruit. The name itself suggested a power to control weight. In theory, its upper limit should be infinite, and its lower limit should approach zero.

The ten-thousand-kilogram limit was probably just a reflection of its user's weakness.

"Excellent. I'll absorb it," Jin said with a smile. Only two more Devil Fruits, and the demonic carrier would be ready for its third evolution. He couldn't wait to see how much it would change, what new functions it would gain.

After taking the fruit, Jin was very pleased with Crocodile's performance. "Crocodile... interested in a second Devil Fruit power?"

Crocodile froze. "A second Devil Fruit?"

"Hey, eating a second fruit will kill you, right? Or are you saying..."

Crocodile's mind flashed to the warship. It had already displayed the powers of more than one Devil Fruit. And Jin was still collecting them, still interested in the powers of others...

His expression turned deadly serious.

"Don't tell me... you've found a way to use two fruits?"

His eyes began to burn with a fervent heat.

One Devil Fruit was powerful enough. But what if you could pair it with another that covered your weaknesses? A Logia with a Zoan, a Paramecia with a Zoan...

Or two fruits that complemented each other.

How strong would that be?

Jin smiled faintly. "I don't know how to eat two fruits. But... I can give you a second fruit's ability."

Crocodile's mind raced. "Can I choose the ability?"

"You can," Jin replied. "But the options are limited. Right now, I have the Mushroom-Mushroom, Candy-Candy, Hell's Red Serpent, Calm-Calm, Bomb-Bomb, Spring-Spring, Kraken-Kraken, Castle-Castle."

Jin deliberately left out the Munch-Munch Fruit—that power was his and his alone to develop.

The Triceratops fruit had been given to Kuma.

Crocodile considered the options.

To be honest, none of them were particularly appealing.

What fruit would best complement his Sand-Sand Fruit? What combination would unleash its true power?

"I'll have to think about it," Crocodile said.

"Alright," Jin said. "If you have a specific fruit in mind, and you can find it, let me know. Actually, I think the Bomb-Bomb Fruit would be a good fit. Your massive sandstorms... imagine if every grain of sand was an explosion... Total annihilation."

A glint appeared in Crocodile's eye. It was an intriguing idea.

"I'll wait," he said. "I'll consider the other options first."

If he could have a second ability, and he could choose it, he was going to be greedy. He was going to find the one that was perfect for him.

—————————

Night.

With Crocodile's arrangements, Jin successfully gained entry to the Marine base and the banquet being held in Gion's honor.

He brought Reiju with him as his date.

Robin was a wanted woman.

Not suitable.

Maya was still too young.

Kuma? Putting aside his bounty, his sheer size would be enough to make most people uncomfortable. It would be... an acquired taste. After all, a man like Gaban, who had dared to challenge his own preferences and marry a giantess, was a rare breed.

Reiju's age and status made her the perfect companion.

And, having received a royal education from Germa, her aristocratic bearing and graceful demeanor were far superior to Jin's.

As expected, the moment she entered, clad in a magnificent gown, she captured the attention of all the local nobles.

Her beautiful, medium-length pink hair framed a delicate face. Her skin was fair and flawless. A pale pink dress cinched at her slender waist, her curves alluring and graceful. Her long legs ended in a pair of pink high heels. Her smile was sweet, her eyes like a painting, her movements elegant—the very picture of a princess.

And she was, in fact, a princess.

The princess of the Germa Kingdom.

Jin had used his real name to attend the banquet. He wasn't a pirate. He had no reason to hide at a high-class gathering like this.

On the contrary, it was Rear Admiral Enru and his son, along with a retinue of minor nobles, who were tripping over themselves to curry his favor.

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When they heard that the King of the Winter Blossom Kingdom and the Princess of Germa had arrived, the Enrus were ecstatic.

It didn't matter how small the other's country was. Was he a king of a member nation? Was she a princess of a member nation?

Yes? Then that was all that mattered.

In a word—prestige.

If you throw a party in a small town and the mayor or the richest man's daughter shows up, every guest in the room looks at you differently.

The banquet was a Western-style buffet. Long tables laden with all manner of delicacies filled the grand hall.

Golden, crispy pork cutlets, juicy matsutake mushrooms, rich foie gras…

And of course, fine wines and champagne.

Though Jin and Reiju weren't the guests of honor, Rear Admiral Enru still approached them with warm enthusiasm.

Captain Onoran stood beside him, a wine glass in hand, listening to the conversation with a standard-issue aristocratic smile plastered on his face.

It was utterly fake.

The moment he learned that Drum Island's population was less than one hundred thousand, a flicker of disdain had entered his eyes. His interest in Reiju, however, grew exponentially.

Lunia Port had a permanent population of three hundred thousand, with another forty or fifty thousand pirates, merchants, and travelers passing through every day.

This guy just had the title of king.

'One day', Onoran thought, 'I'll be a king, too.'

He and his father had ambitions. They'd been the local despots here for twenty years. They had no intention of handing over their vast enterprise to anyone else.

It may have been a Marine port now, but a man has to have dreams. In the future, it would be the Kingdom of Lunia.

They were going to build a new Lunia.

Compared to his son, Rear Admiral Enru was far more sincere—or at least, he appeared to be.

He understood how power worked.

If he wanted to turn a Marine asset into his own family's property, he couldn't do it alone. He needed the support of those at the top.

At the very least, he needed a king of a member nation to speak up for him at the Levely, or even just to cast a vote in his favor.

It didn't matter how many subjects this king and princess ruled, or how much territory they controlled. As long as they had a seat at the table, they were worth building a relationship with.

That included a Warlord like Crocodile. The man could speak directly to King Cobra. He was a valuable connection.

Onoran understood this in theory, but he was a second-generation scion. He'd had a smooth ride his whole life, constantly praised by the local gentry. He lacked his father's hard-won wisdom. His only saving grace was that he still listened to his father.

—————————

The moment Vice Admiral Gion stepped into the banquet hall, Rear Admiral Enru's attention snapped away from Jin and Reiju.

He offered a quick apology, promising to continue their conversation later and telling them to enjoy themselves. Then he and Onoran went to greet the Vice Admiral.

Though other nobles quickly moved in to fill the void, Jin's gaze was drawn elsewhere.

Across the room, he met the eyes of Vice Admiral Gion.

An unspoken acknowledgment passed between them—the kind that only exists between the powerful.

Gion wasn't an "Admiral Candidate" yet.

According to Hina, that would likely happen next year. The Marines held their biennial promotions this year, which meant a major personnel reshuffle at Headquarters. The old had to retire, the new had to be promoted. Many positions were a "one-in, one-out" situation. If the person above you didn't move, you were stuck.

Beside Vice Admiral Gion stood another young female officer, a Lieutenant Commander.

She was about 180cm tall, wearing a strapless dress under her Justice coat and a hat adorned with a seagull pin. She had long, strawberry-blonde hair, green eyes, and full lips—a very sensual look.

After a few moments of enthusiastic conversation, Rear Admiral Enru led Gion over to Jin and made the introductions.

When she heard the words "Jin of the Winter Blossom Kingdom," a flicker of surprise passed through Gion's eyes, though her smile never wavered.

The Lieutenant Commander, however, was less composed.

"It's you!" she exclaimed. "The king who defeated Hanafuda!"

Rear Admiral Enru was taken aback. "Hanafuda? You don't mean the Warlord known as the King of Lizards?"

His surprise was genuine. The affairs of the Grand Line were a world away from the West Blue. He didn't pay much attention. But the title of Warlord was famous enough. And he'd been defeated? And even the people from Headquarters were talking about it?

This king... he was no simpleton. He'd been playing dumb, acting unassuming.

"Ah, Hanafuda was just going easy on me," Jin said with a humble wave of his hand. "That's the only reason I managed to win."

Hanafuda had, after all, made a significant contribution to the development of Hannabal Island. The man deserved a little face.

"You're too modest, Your Majesty," Gion said, her tone casual, though her eyes were sharp. "I heard about you from Captain Hina. She was very impressed. And this young lady is?"

Captain Hina?

Reiju shot Jin a sidelong glance. So that's how it is. Love 'em and leave 'em. What a scumbag.

"Vinsmoke Reiju, of the Germa Kingdom," Jin replied smoothly. "Captain Hina... yes, it's been a while. I do miss her. Has she finished her training? The base on Asuka Island is all ready for her to take command."

"Just about," Gion said. "Building the unit and training the new recruits took some time."

The Lieutenant Commander's eyes darted back and forth, looking like she was about to burst with a question but holding her tongue.

Headquarters was only so big. There were only a handful of female officers. Naturally, they stuck together. There were few secrets between them.

Seeing that the two of them were deep in conversation, Rear Admiral Enru's expression soured. Who's the star of this show? It's supposed to be me.

He quickly interjected, offering to introduce Gion to the other officers on the base. Gion, not wanting to be rude, couldn't refuse.

As they walked away, Reiju leaned in. "So, Captain Hina," she whispered, "what's the story?"

"What do you think?"

"Hmph. Men."

"What's that supposed to mean? You're overstepping. Have you forgotten? You're my maid. Or... are you jealous?"

Reiju froze. That's right. In the time they had spent together, she had almost forgotten that she was a prisoner, that she had no right to question him. By all rights, she should hate him. She was just his maid.

But... when he said it like that, why did she feel that strange pang of discomfort, that ache in her heart?

Jin saw the color drain from her face and realized his words had been a little too harsh.

He moved closer, his arm sliding around her waist, and whispered in her ear, "For life, of course."

For life?

Was this... a confession?

Her mind went blank.

He held her close, and the scent of him, the sheer masculinity of him, filled her senses, and her heart began to pound.

Her knees felt a little weak.

A deep blush spread across her face.

"You idiot," she whispered. "There are people here. Don't be so intimate. What if someone sees?"

"So it's alright if no one's around?" Jin whispered back. "In that case, tonight..."

Reiju's face was now so red it felt like it was about to catch fire. "W-what are you talking about?" she stammered.