OP: My Aircraft Carrier Evolves#31+32: The Mythical Zoan Demon Sword, the Snake-Snake Fruit, Model: Hell's Red Serpent! A Clash of Awakenings, Initiating Evolution!

"This is the place..."

Jin walked into the deep shadows, observing the layout of the room. Izaya and Maya followed him in.

They were shamanesses. They could pray to their "god" for power, to create a barrier to ward off the evil ki of the Seven Star Sword.

Especially Maya.

She was the most gifted shamaness the tribe had seen in its recorded history.

"Gods," "barriers"... it all sounded very mystical. But after seeing the powers of Imu and the Five Elders—and the eight-hundred-year-old robot that could use Conqueror's Haki.

Was it so unbelievable?

No. Not at all.

Jin saw that the sword was sealed by a triple-layered defense.

First, the outer barrier.

Second, a smaller magic circle within the room, with the three sacred jewels as its focal points.

And third, a sarcophagus made of Seastone.

Over the centuries, the markings on it had faded and become blurred.

Four years from now, Saga, while being pursued by pirates, would accidentally touch the sword with his blood, awakening the demon within and opening the sarcophagus. His Will would be consumed by the demon, and he would end up taking control of a Marine training base, nearly causing a catastrophe.

"You two should go outside," Jin said. "And stay back. I can handle this on my own."

He didn't want Izaya and Maya to be controlled by the sword if their wills weren't strong enough. That would just make things more complicated.

"Be careful," Maya said, worried.

"We will pray for you from outside," Izaya said. "If you are controlled by the sword..."

"I won't be," Jin said confidently. "Don't worry."

Even the early-story Zoro had been able to destroy the sword. And even with the power of friendship and all that other shonen nonsense, it still proved that the sword's power had waned significantly over the centuries.

After Izaya and Maya had left, Jin took a deep breath and slowly pushed open the heavy lid of the sarcophagus.

The first thing he saw was the jewel-encrusted pommel of the sword.

Then, the hilt, about a foot long, with a pattern like white snake scales.

An octagonal guard.

A double-edged, straight blade, a sharp point.

The spine of the blade was covered in intricate patterns, like a magic circle, or the strange, swirling patterns of a Devil Fruit.

This was a true "sword," not a single-edged "katana" like the ones Zoro and Mihawk used.

As a sliver of light fell upon it, the jewel in the pommel began to glow, and a faint green light emanated from the blade.

"Take it..."

A disembodied voice wormed its way into Jin's mind, trying to entice him, to make him pick up the sword.

"Idiot," Jin scoffed.

His mind was clear. His body and soul, having been infused with Spacetime energy during his journey to this world, had become exceptionally "pure."

This level of temptation was nothing.

He reached out and took the sword.

VMMMM...

A green, flame-like energy erupted from the sword, crawling up his hand, trying to invade his mind.

The "demon" Will within the sword, along with a flood of memories of resentment and pain, crashed against Jin's consciousness.

If he couldn't withstand it, if his consciousness "fainted," he would be controlled by the sword, a mere tool for its "resurrection."

Uta, under the control of the awakened "demon" of the Sing-Sing Fruit, had destroyed an entire country.

Flashes of slaughter, death, and destruction. Wails of agony, cries of pain, roars of rage.

These were the experiences of the Seven Star Sword, a reflection of the countless tragedies that had unfolded before it.

A tidal wave of negative emotions washed over him.

But...

Jin's body and mind were like a black hole, swallowing all the images, all the sounds, into the darkness.

"You want to control me?" he sneered. "You picked the wrong person."

A dark-red, flame-like energy swirled around him, the tell-tale sign of a Devil Fruit awakening.

The Paramecia Munch-Munch Fruit Awakening!

It could swallow anything.

From matter to emotions, to souls... it was a black hole that could contain all things.

After discovering his "bond" with the carrier, Jin had begun to train, to master the power of that bond and to develop the fruit's abilities.

This was his ace in the hole against the Seven Star Sword.

Awakening vs. Awakening.

The "demon" within the sword sensed the danger.

It began to tremble violently, trying to break free.

At the same time, green flames erupted from the hilt, radiating an intense heat.

"Too late," Jin said. His hand and arm turned black, coated in Armament Haki. He ignored the green flames and held fast to the hilt.

Suddenly, the blade began to stretch and twist within the green flames. In an instant, it had transformed into a giant red serpent.

It had a ferocious, crocodile-like head, with two sharp, scimitar-like white fangs. Its neck was like a cobra's hood. Its body was entirely red, covered in intricate patterns that gave off a sense of forbidden power. Its tail was like a rattlesnake's, emitting a mesmerizing ringing that could draw out and amplify one's hidden desires.

It was...

The serpent from the legends, the one that had tempted Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit.

Mythical Zoan, Snake-Snake Fruit, Model: Hell's Red Serpent.

The great serpent hissed.

It opened its massive jaws and lunged at Jin.

WHAM!

Jin threw a punch, his fist wrapped in Armament Haki, and slammed it into the serpent's head, knocking it sideways and sending it crashing through a wall.

—————————

Outside, Izaya, Maya, and the other villagers saw the massive, house-sized serpent's head and were frozen in shock.

"A snake?! What's happening?!"

"What's going on?!"

They had no idea.

The giant serpent hissed, a ring of green flames swirling around it.

A dark, blood-red "Ki" began to spread out from its body.

It was entering its awakened state, becoming a being of flame and energy.

The green light spread, and when it touched one of the villagers, he shuddered, his eyes glowing red. He began to walk forward, as if in a trance.

"Kill him..." he muttered.

"Hey! Wake up!"

"Stop him!" Izaya shouted.

Jin appeared, knocking the entranced villagers unconscious with a single kick. "You need to get back, farther away! Don't come any closer!"

Faced with the ferocious serpent, Izaya and her people obediently retreated.

Jin leaped into the air and delivered a powerful upward kick. Only a strong attack, imbued with Armament Haki, could harm the "Demon."

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The ruins crumbled, trees splintered, and dust filled the air.

He was putting on a show, demonstrating the danger of the sword, the difficulty of subduing it.

Otherwise, someone might get the idea that the sword wasn't so dangerous after all, that Jin had gotten a great deal, and demand that he return it.

Generosity can breed resentment. Human nature was not to be tested.

The powerful aura, the violent force... everyone was in awe.

Watching the fierce battle, Maya clasped her hands to her chest and began to pray.

An invisible wave of spiritual energy spread out, "touching" the barrier, "touching" the sacred jewels within the room.

Her mind resonated with the barrier and the jewels, as if she had flipped a switch on some kind of container.

VMMMM!

A powerful "ki" erupted from the ground, forming a massive, bowl-shaped barrier that enveloped the giant serpent.

Then, the three sacred jewels floated out and shot toward the serpent.

"Stored Haki... from an ancient era?"

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

Jin's eyes narrowed.

With the appearance of the ancient Haki, he could feel the Hell's Red Serpent being suppressed.

It wasn't the barrier or the jewels themselves. It was their energy, flowing into the serpent's body.

Another Will was awakening.

Just like Luffy, when he was "possessed" by Nika.

"There's another soul within the Hell's Red Serpent!"

Jin realized. "—Is it the shamaness who sealed the sword with her life? Hey! Don't ruin my plan! I need the serpent's demon will to fully manifest so I can swallow it whole."

A person can’t eat two Devil Fruits because their conflicting wills and rules would tear each other apart. The body simply can’t endure that kind of internal clash. No matter how strong your Haki is, can you really coat your own heart and lungs?

But Jin was going to use that very conflict—to use the rules of the Munch-Munch Fruit—to control the serpent's "demon."

During its first evolution, the Munch-Munch Fruit had already demonstrated its ability to suppress the "Demon" of the Mushroom-Mushroom Fruit.

As if it had heard Jin's "voice," the other Will within the serpent slowly receded.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

A surging, terrifying, violent aura shattered the barrier and shot into the sky, blasting apart the clouds.

The sea churned.

The island trembled.

Dark clouds gathered.

A thick darkness enveloped the island, and lightning flashed.

It was like the apocalypse.

This was the kind of phenomenon an awakened "demon" should produce. Before, it had been sealed by the other will.

Jin squinted. The wind howled, and a crushing pressure descended upon him, whipping his hair, a heavy weight pressing down on his very soul.

"Hssssssss!"

The writhing, green-flamed serpent, now in an "elemental" form like a phoenix, soared into the sky, then plummeted down.

Its massive head, like a storm cloud, spitting lightning, fell from the sky, lunging at Jin.

The sight was breathtaking.

—————————

Izaya's eyes widened. This was the curse they had endured for generations. Once it was awakened, who could possibly escape?

The villagers trembled with fear.

"Look out!" Maya cried out, her voice filled with worry.

The wind howled.

Jin looked up, his gaze resolute, and faced the green-flamed serpent.

He spread his arms wide.

As the green flames crashed into him, he withstood the initial wave of the spiritual attack.

Then, his body "split open."

A dark "hole" appeared.

The serpent plunged in.

Endlessly.

A brilliant light engulfed the area. Izaya, Maya, and the others couldn't see what was happening.

The process continued for some time before the intense light finally began to fade.

The wind died down.

The sea was calm.

"KING JIN!!!"

Maya's pupils contracted. She clapped a hand over her mouth in horror. The Seven Star Sword was embedded in Jin's chest.

"Did... did he fail?" Izaya said, her voice trembling.

"Hey! Are you alright?" the villagers cried out, terrified.

Suddenly, with a crack, a fissure appeared on the jewel in the pommel of the sword and began to spread.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

More cracks appeared.

Jin opened his eyes. The "hole" in his chest closed, and the Seven Star Sword shattered, turning to dust and scattering in the wind.

The Devil Fruit's power was gone. The sword, naturally, crumbled.

He "saw" a woman, who looked like Maya, now free, bow to him in thanks. Then, she floated into Maya's body.

A gust of wind blew past.

Maya suddenly fainted.

"Maya!" Izaya caught her just in time, her voice filled with alarm.

"She's fine," Jin said. "The shamaness's soul that was sealed in the sword has passed on her remaining power to Maya. When she wakes up, she'll be... different."

"Then... the Seven Star Sword...?" Izaya asked, her voice filled with a mixture of disbelief and hope.

"As you can see, it's gone. The curse on your people has been lifted."

"Really?" a villager exclaimed.

"That's wonderful!"

"We're finally... free."

"Long live King Jin!"

"LONG LIVE THE KING!"

They cheered, tears streaming down their faces.

"Alright," Jin said. "I've been injured. I need to go back to my ship to recuperate for a while. There will probably be outsiders coming to investigate. You should be careful."

He had the third fruit. He couldn't wait to get back to the carrier and start the upgrade.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty," Izaya said, her tone now deferential. "Our people have lived here for many years. We have our ways of dealing with outsiders."

This man had lifted their curse. He was their savior. And the mushroom plantation he had proposed would allow their tribe to prosper. He was their future. He was a lifeline they had to cling to.

If she were forty years younger, Izaya would have offered herself up for a political marriage.

But... she glanced at Maya. She might be too old, but Maya wasn't. Fourteen... in a few years, she would be ready.

—————————

Jin quickly returned to his base of operations. He had his crew protect the villagers then he returned to the carrier.

On the way, he encountered some Marine soldiers from the training base, as well as some other outsiders who had been drawn by the commotion.

Merchants.

Adventurers.

Bounty hunters.

An island with ancient ruins was a gold mine for them. Who knew what treasures might be hidden there?

It was predictable.

As the chaos of the Great Pirate Era continued, more and more outsiders would flock to Asuka Island for leisure and profit.

In the original story, Saga had been corrupted by the sword because pirates had come looking for treasure and had attacked Maya's tribe.

The waves of the new era were rising. No one would be spared.

If you wanted to ride the waves, you needed one thing: absolute strength.

—————————

He sailed the ship away from Asuka Island and anchored it in a reef.

Inside the carrier, Jin took a deep breath, calming himself, his mind slowly disengaging from the battle.

[Note: Requirements met. Evolve now?]

"Finally," Jin said, a grin spreading across his face. Three Devil Fruits, one of which was a Mythical Zoan, even rarer than a Logia.

He had high hopes for the carrier's second evolution.

He didn't hesitate.

"EVOLVE!"

[Notice 1: Evolution initiated. Please clear all living beings from the ship within 1 minute.]

[Notice 2: During evolution, all ship functions will be suspended. Please wait patiently for the upgrade to complete.]

[Notice 3: Avoid any damage to the hull during evolution. Damage will consume energy and may even lead to evolution failure.]

Jin had already scouted the area. It was off the main shipping lanes, surrounded by shallow reefs, with no Sea Kings and stable weather.

"For the next evolution," he thought, "I'll need to find a trustworthy guardian."

The boiler in the engine room began to burn a massive amount of soul crystals, releasing golden flames that powered the steam engine.

"Woooooooooom..."

The ship came alive.

From the smallest components to the railings to the steel plates, everything began to writhe and twist. A massive amount of heat and steam was released, forming a dark-red, flame-like cloud that enveloped the carrier, burning like a great fire and reaching for the sky.

Space warped.

A bird flew into the cloud and was instantly vaporized.

A hazy light.

Indistinct shapes.

[Upgrade Time Remaining: 47:59:55]