OP: My Aircraft Carrier Evolves#27+28: Getting a Celestial Dragon High, Gaining World Government Recognition, and Making a Grand Entrance! Reactions from All Sides, the Undercurrents of the Era

"Dream?"

Inside the ship's cabin, in a room of unparalleled luxury, Saint Jalmack, wearing his glass helmet, had his slave women strip naked and take turns warming him with their bodies.

It was a scene of utter absurdity.

But the CP0 agent was used to it.

"Yes," he said. "It has mycelia like tobacco. When used, you smoke it like a cigar. It brings a profound sense of pleasure to both mind and body. A feeling of freedom, of euphoria, as if you're flying, floating in a dream world. It's non-toxic and has no medicinal properties, but it is slightly addictive. However, as long as it's not consumed in excess, there are no ill effects. I've already had the slaves try it. According to them, one puff is enough to make them dream of the most wonderful things."

Saint Jalmack was skeptical. "This is the tribute from that new king? He couldn't afford the Heavenly Tribute, so he's trying to pass this off as a substitute?"

"He paid the tribute," the CP0 agent replied. "This is a gift. He hoped you would try it. If you find it to your liking, he proposes to use it in place of the Heavenly Tribute in the future."

"He paid?" Saint Jalmack said. "Well... since he's being so respectful, this Saint will graciously take a puff—"

Following Jin's instructions, the CP0 agent took a bit of the mycelia from the mushroom and placed it in a crystal pipe. He lit it and had a slave take the first puff.

After confirming there were no issues—just one puff, and the female slave was lost in a beautiful illusion, a smile on her face as she began to dance with joy—Saint Jalmack was intrigued.

"Is it really that good? Quick, let me try."

He removed his glass helmet. Wisps of smoke curled into his mouth, quickly spreading through his body, stimulating his nerves.

"..." His vision filled with a field of green grass. He was chasing butterflies, playing, filled with an indescribable sense of joy.

The Celestial Dragons, who considered themselves the "Descendants of the creators," were born with everything.

Money, power, women... material possessions were theirs for the taking.

But their spirits were empty. Combined with their twisted worldview and absurd beliefs, it led to all sorts of bizarre behavior.

Ever since he had been attacked in the Goa Kingdom, Saint Jalmack had been the subject of ridicule back in the Holy Land. He had been depressed and miserable for a long time. He hadn't been happy in ages. This trip was supposed to be a way to clear his head.

And now—one puff of smoke—and he was experiencing a long-forgotten joy. The spiritual pleasure was intoxicating, and he was completely hooked.

It was better than any high he'd ever known.

—————————

After a long while, Saint Jalmack, who had been lying like a lump of clay on a pile of women, sat up, eager for another hit.

"Is this all there is? It's not enough! Go tell that king to hand over all of his 'Dream' to this Saint!"

The CP0 agent paused. "The king informed me that 'Dream' can only be produced on Drum Island. The annual yield is only 300 plants. This year, there are only 100 left. He had planned to sell them to other kings for 1 million Berries apiece to purchase supplies. As you know, Drum Island is a harsh, cold land. It was a great struggle for them to gather the 100 million Berries for the Heavenly Tribute. His people have already suffered greatly this year."

Saint Jalmack was unmoved. "What's that got to do with this Saint? They're just peasants. If they starve, they starve. Can't they just go catch fish in the sea? What a bunch of idiots."

"You're right, of course," the CP0 agent said. "But with the Revolutionary Army causing trouble these days... what if they overthrow the new king? Who will harvest 'Dream' then?"

That gave Saint Jalmack pause. "You have a point. Go tell him to hand over the rest of the 'Dream.' This Saint will speak to the World Government on his behalf. From now on, his kingdom will be exempt from the Heavenly Tribute. 'Dream' will be designated as an official tribute for Mary Geoise. If he does a good job, he will be handsomely rewarded."

"Yes, my lord," the CP0 agent replied. "And the 100 million Berries we collected this year... shall we return it?"

"Return it?" Saint Jalmack scoffed. "Of course not. How would this Saint explain that? Wait... don't we have a Devil Fruit on board? Consider it payment. Take it to him. Let him eat it. A little something to help him protect himself. Can't have him getting killed by some filthy pirates."

"As expected of Saint Jalmack," the CP0 agent said, bowing. "A true sage among the Celestial Dragons. You've thought of everything."

Saint Jalmack just giggled, lost in the haze of the smoke.

The CP0 agent turned and left. He had spoken up for Jin not because he had been bribed, but because he had seen the power of "Dream." He knew the Celestial Dragons' weaknesses all too well.

They would be clamoring for it. That king was about to hit the big time. And if he played his cards right, established a good relationship with the king now, he could bide his time and eventually seize control of the "Dream" plantation.

Or the king himself...

—————————

"IT WORKED! IT WORKED!" Jin was ecstatic. A hundred million Berries for a Devil Fruit from a Celestial Dragon... it was a steal.

The Celestial Dragons' values were different from those of ordinary people. They lived for pleasure. A Devil Fruit was just a toy to be tossed to a slave.

"Dream" was a new species that Ai had accidentally created in the breeding chamber. It was a hybrid of a local poisonous, hallucinogenic mushroom and several other fungi with hypnotic properties. It was from the same batch of experiments as the Hypno-Shrooms and Poison-Gas Shrooms.

Jin's plan for Hannabal Island and Asuka Island was to build mushroom factories there. Drum Island was too cold for optimal breeding.

When he'd heard the Celestial Dragon was coming, he'd wracked his brain for a way to handle the situation, and then he'd had a flash of inspiration.

No matter what world you're in, what do the "celestials" want? What do they lack?

It's all the same. They want to get high.

And Jin had no qualms about corrupting them.

The CP0 agent had started with the stick, lecturing Jin about the rules of the World Government. Then he'd moved on to the carrot, talking about how he had spoken up for him to Saint Jalmack. It was a classic manipulation tactic.

An average person would have been completely taken in.

But Jin was from the information age. He'd seen every trick in the book.

The CP0 agent's little games were child's play.

But Jin played along, putting on a show of being completely duped, thumping his chest and promising his undying loyalty.

After handing over the rest of the "Dream," the CP0 agent left a communication Den Den Mushi for future contact and departed.

True to his word, Saint Jalmack, when contacted by the Five Elders, gave the new king a glowing review.

The World Government officially recognized the renaming of the Drum Kingdom to the Winter Blossom Kingdom and Jin's succession to the throne. The news was announced to all member nations and published in the World Economic Journal.

With the official procedures out of the way, the meeting at Marine Headquarters concluded.

As expected, now that he had the World Government's official recognition, Fleet Admiral Sengoku readily agreed to all of Jin's conditions.

Including his request to be trained by Vice Admiral Garp—

And just like that, Jin's identity crisis was resolved. He was no longer an unknown. He had made his grand entrance onto the world stage.

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

"The Winter Blossom Kingdom... Jin."

In the royal capital of Alabasta, King Cobra scanned the newspaper. When he saw the article on the second page, he wasn't surprised.

The World Government had sent out an official notice yesterday. It was the standard procedure for a change in leadership of a member nation.

"Wapol is dead, and the country has been renamed," Cobra mused. "I hope the lives of the people on Drum Island will improve."

He was a compassionate man. He had met Wapol at the Levely and had been appalled by his "Doctor Hunt" decree.

But even though Alabasta was a major power and the former Drum Kingdom was a small nation, they were both member nations. He had no right to interfere in their internal affairs.

Besides, Alabasta had its own problems. In recent years, pirate attacks and climate change had taken their toll on the country's stability. He had no energy to spare for the affairs of other nations.

—————————

Rainbase.

Crocodile, in his capacity as one of the Seven Warlords, had been using the city as his base of operations for some time now.

He strode through the door, his long coat sweeping behind him. On the sofa, a woman in a light purple cowboy hat was reading the morning paper.

"Drum Island, a new king?" Crocodile sneered. "A small country with a population of less than a hundred thousand. Is it even worth our attention, Nico Robin?"

Robin turned the page. "It's not far from Sandy Island..."

A short while ago, Crocodile had found the "Devil Child," Nico Robin. After wiping out the pirate crew she was with, they had formed a partnership.

The deal was simple: Crocodile would help Robin find the locations of the Poneglyphs, and in return, she would decipher the information about the Ancient Weapons for him.

After his defeat at the hands of Whitebeard, Crocodile, seeing no other way to surpass the old man, had begun his search for the Ancient Weapons.

Perhaps overwhelming military power was the only way to achieve his ambitions.

"You should be more concerned with our plan," Crocodile growled. "Find those clues, and find them soon."

It had been sixteen years. He had waited long enough. He had lain dormant long enough.

"I will," Robin said agreeably. Years on the run had honed her ability to read people, to tell them what they wanted to hear.

—————————

Sabaody Archipelago, Shakky's Rip-Off Bar.

Shakky glanced at the second page and immediately flipped past it. The change of leadership in some tiny kingdom was of no interest to her.

The next page.

"Iceburg, owner of the Galley-La Company, elected mayor of Water 7!"

"Tom's student?" Rayleigh said, taking a sip of his drink. "So his legacy lives on."

"By the way, what's the headline today?" he asked. "Seems like something big. I heard a lot of people talking about it on the way here."

Shakky flipped back to the front page and unfolded it for him.

"MAJOR INCIDENT IN THE SORBET KINGDOM!!! BARTHOLOMEW KUMA, THE TYRANT, LAUNCHES A ONE-MAN REVOLUTION!!!"

The accompanying picture was of a towering, bear-like figure, silhouetted against a burning city, looking like a demon emerging from the flames.

"The Sorbet Kingdom is in the South Blue, isn't it?" Rayleigh mused. "A one-man revolution... The Revolutionary Army is getting bolder."

"Roger started the Great Pirate Era," he continued, a note of melancholy in his voice. "And all these years, the world has just gotten more and more chaotic. The undercurrents are strong."

Shakky lit a cigarette and took a long, slow drag.

—————————

Hannabal Island.

At the docks, a crowd of "citizens" lined the path, gongs and drums banging, firecrackers popping. A long banner was stretched across the entrance.

"HIS MAJESTY ARRIVES TODAY AT HIS LOYAL HANNABAL ISLAND!"

After Wilson had returned and taken the boss into custody, rumors had begun to fly. The only thing anyone knew for sure was that something big was happening.

Some of the pirates, sensing trouble, had already fled.

Others, who had settled here and started families, were reluctant to leave. Where else could they go in this vast, chaotic sea?

Still others were waiting to see what would happen.

Soon, a pirate who had gone to Asuka Island to investigate returned with the true story: only one ship had reached the finish line.

The token had been taken.

By Gasparde?

No. By the madman who had bet 100 million Berries on himself.

All the other contestants, including Gasparde, had been eliminated by him.

Who was he?

Where did he come from?

The terms of the bet had been leaked. If the madman won, the boss would have to pay out 35 billion Berries.

And if he couldn't pay?

The madman would take everything.

In other words, Hannabal Island was about to get a new boss.

And when the news broke that Jin was a king, a wave of panic swept through the island. A number of the more free-spirited pirates fled.

The rest were left in a state of anxiety, unsure of what this new boss would be like.

And now, he had arrived.

The demonic carrier docked, and a deep, whale-like roar echoed across the sea, drowning out all other sounds.

"That ship..."

A sense of awe, born from the very depths of their being, washed over the crowd.

Two massive figures leaped from the deck and landed on the docks with a thud that shook the ground.

They were over a dozen meters tall, their presence overwhelming.

"It's the giant brothers, Bobby and Pogo!"

"He's subdued them?"

The giant brothers set up a gangplank, and the young king made his entrance. He stood at the top, looking down at the crowd, the sun at his back.

He was silhouetted against the light, a radiant, blinding figure. Those who tried to look at him were forced to lower their heads, as if in submission.

From the port, Lieutenant Commander Hina, a cup of coffee in her hand, saw the spectacle and a small smile played on her lips.

She knew that Jin's arrival time, his grand entrance—it was all carefully orchestrated, using the sun and the positioning to create an atmosphere of power.

And she had to admit, it was very effective.

Not far from the docks, Wilson and his men had set up a stage with another banner:

"A WARM WELCOME TO HIS MAJESTY, THE KING, ON HIS VISIT TO THE HANNABAL SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION!"

Yes, a special administrative region.

What did that mean?

Jin had made a promise.

For five years, the status quo on Hannabal Island would be maintained. Pirates, merchants, even Marines could all dock here freely.

For that period, Hannabal Island would be a free island.

Eating, drinking, gambling—nothing was off-limits.

At the same time, he had declared the waters around Hannabal Island a no-fight zone. Anyone who violated this rule would be hunted down by the kingdom's navy.

And he'd announced that he'd reached an agreement with the Marines and World Government—they would be enforcing this rule too.

The pirates were stunned.

"So if we hide out here, we'll be safe from the Marines and our enemies?"

"Does he mean Hannabal Island is going to be a pirate sanctuary?"

"Looks like it."

A smattering of applause broke out, then grew into a thunderous roar.

—————————

Jin stayed on Hannabal Island for three days, setting up a new administrative body with Wilson at its head. For the most part, he kept the old boss's system in place. The old boss, in turn, had been "rehabilitated" and was now Wilson's second-in-command.

Of course, Jin also promoted some new faces, like the giant brothers and a number of pirates who had surrendered and repented.

Hannabal Island had always been a pirate den. He couldn't just copy the model he had used on Drum Island.

"I have too few trustworthy people," he thought. "For now, this will have to do. I'll deal with the lingering problems later."

Hina handed him a newspaper. "You could try placing a recruitment ad, like this."

"Oh?" Jin took the paper. The World Economic Journal had a classifieds section.

Morgans really is a genius.

"I could give it a try," he said. As he was folding the paper, he saw the headline. His eyes narrowed.

Bartholomew Kuma?