OP: My Aircraft Carrier Evolves#62+63: Subjugating Germa, An Expanding World, and the Promise of Luffy and Ace!!

Flayed alive.

Death by a thousand cuts.

His face carved away piece by piece.

The most terrifying images Judge could conjure flooded his mind, one after another—paralyzing him with sheer, abject terror.

A sound from the depths of hell—the chime of the serpent's tail—amplified his terror, twisting it into horrifying hallucinations.

"Save... save me..."

Judge's arrogant facade crumbled, revealing the sniveling, selfish coward beneath.

In the face of true danger, he was less than any common man.

The sound of Jin's approaching footsteps was a death knell, and Judge scrambled backward on the floor like a frightened insect.

"How pathetic."

Jin loomed over him. Judge's face was twisted with terror, his features contorted in raw panic.

"Now, who's the inferior one???"

Jin slammed his foot onto Judge's chest.

Judge's mouth opened in a silent scream.

A flicker of movement. Jin brandished his blade, and the fiery serpent coiled down the steel, burrowing into Judge's body.

It was a pain that felt like his very soul was being devoured from the inside out.

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...!"

His screams were unending.

It was over.

Germa 66 was built entirely around Judge. With him defeated and captured, they had no capacity left to resist.

—————————

"Munch, munch, munch..."

With a cheerful hum, Ai directed the demonic carrier to swallow every last one of Germa 66's ships into its sub-space.

"What... what is that?!"

Judge, Reiju, Law—and their crews—even Robin, could only stare, dumbfounded and horrified.

The demonic carrier, its maw gaping wide, was like a monster.

No—it was something far more terrifying.

The sub-space of the Munch-Munch Fruit could expand indefinitely with everything it swallowed. It was, on its own, a top-tier Devil Fruit.

Wapol had simply been too inept to ever realize its true potential.

Even Blackbeard, after acquiring the Dark-Dark Fruit, had journeyed to Drum Island specifically to claim the Munch-Munch Fruit.

And now, fused with a model carrier from another dimension and irradiated with Spacetime energy, it had not only fully Awakened—

—it had evolved.

In moments, the Germa Kingdom vanished from the face of the sea.

—————————

One day later.

The Empress, flying the black dragon flag of the Winter Blossom Kingdom, docked smoothly at a southern port.

"There are a lot fewer ships than usual. Did something happen??" Jin, now back to his normal, handsome appearance, asked a dockworker with a sunny smile.

"The night before last, the kingdom and the Marines from the port base launched a joint raid on the black market and the pirate harbors," the worker explained. "Count von Dinden and the port admiral were both arrested for smuggling and tax evasion in collusion with pirates. A bunch of merchants got caught up in it, too. That's why it's so quiet. But don't worry, it'll be bustling again in a few days. As long as you're a legitimate merchant and follow the law, you've got nothing to worry about."

The chaos of the previous night had left its mark.

Even some of the dockworkers had been arrested, which had conveniently erased any record of the Empress's previous visit.

"Alright. Let's start on the shopping list."

Robin and Maya, along with a few crew members, disembarked.

Devouring Germa 66 had not only granted the demonic carrier a massive amount of new space, but it had also provided Jin with a substantial influx of cash.

If he weren't worried about attracting unwanted attention, he would have bought out the entire port.

Jin had already discovered that the technology and civilization of the North Blue were far more advanced than in many of the nations within the Grand Line.

Some kingdoms here were already seeing the beginnings of capitalism and industrial development.

The cheap goods from here... sent to the primitive islands of the Grand Line... could be traded for gold, minerals...

And those things, back in the North Blue, were high-end commodities.

The profit margins were astronomical—a hundred, even a thousand times the initial cost.

"No wonder Marine Headquarters mostly turns a blind eye to the internal smuggling," Jin thought. "The money is just too good."

He pulled his gaze back from the town and opened the ship's interface.

——————

[Primary Authority: Captain Jin]

[Hull Data: Length 48m | Width 22m | Height 12.6m | Weight 150 Tons]
[Internal Space: 2.5 x 1.2 x 0.5 km³]

[Abilities: Munch-Munch | Mushroom-Mushroom | Candy-Candy | Hell's Red Serpent | Calm-Calm | Triceratops | Bomb-Bomb | Spring-Spring]

[Armaments: Main Cannons (56) | Heavy Cannons (325) | Firearms (12,068) | Blades (11,564)]

[Crew: Bartholomew Kuma (Cook) | Crocodile (Boatswain)]

[Next Evolution Requirements: Soul Crystals (385/2000) | Refined Steel (50,000/2000 tons) | Gold (12/10 tons) | Silver (35/30 tons) | Rare Earth Metals (300/300 tons) | Biological Matter (3/10)!]

——————

The demonic carrier's internal space was now comparable to a small island.

Its firepower had increased dramatically.

At the same time, Ai was busy cataloging Germa 66's technology—the experimental data on Lineage Factor, memory alloys, and more.

Judge, unlike his clone soldiers, had no "fearless and loyal" programming.

Under the influence of the Red Serpent fruit, he was completely under Jin's control.

He told them everything.

And with him under control, Reiju, her brothers, and the entire clone army were powerless to resist.

Everything has its pros and cons.

Germa 66 had dominated the North Blue with Judge's technology. And now, because of him, it had been destroyed.

—————————

On the castle balcony, under the shade of a parasol, Jin had Ai open a skylight, letting him bask in the warm sun.

He was enjoying the simple pleasures of travel.

"You bastard! Let us go! We're a member nation of the World Government! If we go missing, they'll come looking for us!" Reiju snapped as she placed a piece of peeled fruit in Jin's mouth.

"Are you worried about me, Miss Reiju?" Jin asked, taking a light bite.

"Who's worried about you, you bastard!" she fumed.

She was filled with self-loathing.

It was her fault. She had led the wolf into their home.

Her father had been captured.

Germa 66 was finished.

She wanted nothing more than to unleash the full force of her poison and kill him. But she didn't have the guts.

Her father, her brothers... they were all in his hands.

What could she do?

She was a fish on the chopping block.

All she could do was be threatened.

Be bullied.

Be played with.

And besides, she wasn't even sure if her poison would work on him. His power was terrifying, his abilities even stranger.

It wasn't just him. That "Bear" was a monster, too.

That night, she and her brothers had joined forces against him, and they had been beaten so badly it had made them question their own existence.

But how could such a powerful person be completely unknown?

—————————

"King-ya."

Law appeared on the balcony.

Jin motioned for him to sit.

Finally free, Law sat down and couldn't help but say, "Threatening a girl... it's not exactly honorable, is it?"

He could sympathize with Reiju's plight.

He, too, had been a combination of beaten and coerced into joining this pirate crew. And now, the thought of ever leaving seemed like a distant dream.

So his words were as much for himself as they were for her.

A subtle way of saying: You're a real piece of work.

Jin chuckled.

"A fruit picked by force may not be sweet," he said, "but it still quenches your thirst. Wouldn't you agree?"

Law was silent.

Jin took a sip of juice. "In this day and age, a virtuous woman is harder to find than a needle in a haystack. But... where there's a will, there's a way. As long as we're on the same page... even if she's a little cold at first, there will come a day when she unbuttons."

Law's face was grim.

Jin changed the subject. "What do you think of the data and treatment plan for the Sapphire Scale disease?"

At the mention of medicine, Law's expression turned serious. "It's a genetic disease I've never seen before. Even more troublesome than Amber Lead Syndrome. Dr. Kureha's diagnosis and treatment plan are both very innovative. Even I can't find any fault with them. I can perform the surgery. But the organ transplant, the blood transfusion..."

Jin gestured behind him. "That's why I came looking for them."

Law glanced at the Germa 66 flag.

He was speechless.

Who would have thought that the Germa Kingdom, a member of the World Government, a power that had stood for four hundred years in the North Blue, would be destroyed because someone needed a cure for a disease?

Thinking about it that way, Law actually felt a little better.

Compared to the Vinsmoke family, his situation wasn't so bad.

Happiness, it seemed, was built on the suffering of others.

With that thought, his mind began to race.

This man's strength was immense, his influence not insignificant. Could he use him to take down his sworn enemy, Doflamingo?

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

The disappearance of Germa 66 didn't cause any immediate ripples in the North Blue.

The kingdom was too powerful, too mysterious, and had no fixed base of operations.

They've disappeared? They're probably off causing trouble somewhere.

The other nations were more than happy to see them go.

Only the Underworld, which maintained contact with the Germa Kingdom—figures like the Shipping King, Giberson; the Loan Shark King, Du Feld; and the News King, Morgans—sensed that something was wrong.

"Oi, oi! The Germa guys have gone dark! And they still owe me a billion Berries!" Du Feld contacted Morgans. "Have your birds heard anything?"

"Nothing," Morgans replied, puffing on his cigar. "Aren't they still working as mercenaries, wandering around? Let's hope they make their payments on time. Otherwise... By the way, any new figures of interest lately?"

"There are," Du Feld said. "The usual price."

"Wuhahaha! You're more of a loan shark than I am! Tens of millions for a single piece of information."

"It's exclusive intelligence," Morgans said. "You'll make even more with it, won't you?"

"Alright, talk."

"That new king of the Winter Blossom Kingdom, Jin, is expanding his territory and trade. He might need a large amount of capital. And Alabasta is having financial troubles. When the Heavenly Tribute is due next year, they'll be desperate for funds. What do you think? A good deal, right?"

"Wuhahaha! Hannabal Island and Alabasta's Nanohana... two very juicy morsels indeed."

Du Feld, also known as "God of Fortune," was the underground financial emperor of the pirate world.

It was said that his wealth was enough to buy a country.

He controlled countless factions through high-interest loans. Even the Celestial Dragons were in his debt...

What was even more terrifying was that he had used his money to infiltrate both the Marines and the Revolutionary Army. He had even funded Vegapunk's "SSG" project.

Scientific research requires money and resources, an astronomical amount.

Germa 66, to fund their operations, worked as assassins and mercenaries. It was no surprise that they had accepted funding from Du Feld.

—————————

Reiju's words had served as a warning to Jin. Germa 66 wasn't just any pirate crew. They were officially recognized by the World Government.

Their disappearance would cause ripples.

After careful consideration, Jin had Judge make a few calls.

But he had no intention of letting Germa 66 go. A talent like Judge had to be put to good use.

Reiju and her brothers, on the other hand, could act as the public face of Germa 66, maintaining the kingdom's network of connections.

That would be beneficial to him as well.

The southern port, the crossroads of the North Blue, was the center of a vast trade network that radiated out to the surrounding countries.

Goods from all over the world were exchanged here.

It made Robin and Maya's shopping trip much easier. A day later, the Empress, laden with a massive amount of supplies, set sail, heading for the next kingdom on their route.

—————————

In the afternoon.

Basil Hawkins sat on a wooden crate on the deck, reading his tarot cards.

His crew watched anxiously.

The captain's fortunes had helped them escape disaster time and time again. The entire crew had become fanatical believers.

When in doubt, consult the cards.

He flipped a card.

"..." His expression changed.

Misfortune...

Great misfortune...

He couldn't believe it!

For the past two days, every reading had been the same. It was as if a dark cloud of bad luck was hanging over the North Blue.

"We must follow the guidance of fate—" he said. "—We must go ashore. The North Blue seems... cursed, as of late."

"Go ashore? Captain, we're pirates. How can we go ashore??"

"We'll find an uninhabited island and hide there for a while."

"Yes, sir!"

No one questioned the captain.

Their faith was in fate.

Not long after the Hawkins Pirates had departed, the Empress, flying its black dragon flag and sitting low in the water, sailed past.

It looked like a heavily laden merchant ship. A fat sheep.

"Strange. I thought there were supposed to be pirates around here," Jin said, scanning the horizon with his spyglass. He had been hoping to be robbed.

The next upgrade required 2,000 soul crystals. He was still a long way off.

And soul crystals had many uses:

They powered the carrier.

They healed his wounds.

They enhanced his training.

They were consumed when he used his fruit abilities...

Before, when the carrier was at a lower level, it wasn't as noticeable. But as it upgraded, as its power increased, so did its consumption.

Jin had thought he could use the clone soldiers as a substitute, but it took ten of them to produce a single soul crystal. They were just AIs with implanted "programs." And the resources and cost to produce ten clone soldiers was at least 100 million Berries. The cost-benefit ratio was too low.

Wild pirates, on the other hand, spawned all over the sea. Weren't they a much better source?

People were cheaper than machines.

And so, Jin went "fishing," visiting the various countries of the North Blue and meeting with some of the kings of the member nations.

Robin proved to be invaluable. She assisted him in his diplomatic efforts, helping him navigate the different customs and protocols.

His activities also attracted the attention of the Revolutionary Army operating in the North Blue, and a report was sent up to their leader, Dragon.

—————————

East Blue, in the mountains of the Goa Kingdom.

Dragon stood on a tree branch, watching two young boys chasing each other through the forest.

"Ace! Wait for me!"

"Hey, Luffy! You're too slow!"

A fond smile touched Dragon's lips.

Whenever he came to the East Blue, he always made a point to come back and see him.

He wasn't a good father. All he could do was watch Luffy's growth from afar.

"Chief, a call from Gild Tesoro."

"Is it urgent?"

"It's about the North Blue..."

A gust of wind, and Dragon was gone, heading back to the Wind Granma (Dragon's Ship).

—————————

On a coastal cliff with a wide view, Ace leaped from the forest and landed, gazing out at the sea.

Luffy burst from the bushes.

A sudden gust of wind sent his straw hat flying.

"Ah...!" Luffy yelped, his hand shooting out to grab it and jam it back on his head.

"That was close! Too close!"

He ran up to Ace's side and, shielding his eyes with his hand, looked out at the sea.

"It's beautiful, isn't it, Ace?" he said with a grin.

"Yeah," Ace said, also smiling. But in his smiling eyes, a deep flame burned, like a candle in the dark.

A sense of impatience, of eagerness.

He adjusted the brim of his hat and looked down at a small boat that was ready and waiting. "Only five months left."

Ace's birthday was January 1st.

At the end of this year, he would be seventeen.

"Remember the promise?"

Luffy nodded. "Yeah!"

Ace looked out at the sea.

"One day, we'll go out to sea and live however we want! Freer than anyone! We'll set sail as pirates when we're seventeen!"

Luffy flashed a wide, toothy grin. "And I'm gonna be King of the Pirates, Ace!"