OP: My Aircraft Carrier Evolves#23+24: Legitimacy of the Throne, the Will of the Five Elders! Hina's Undercover Investigation! Marine Intelligence and Vice Admiral Tsuru's Plan!

When you're out in the world, your identity is what you make it. This story was Jin's way of ensuring the legitimacy of his claim to the throne.

First, as an illegitimate son, he had a blood connection and thus a right to inherit.

Second, he had been chosen by the people and recognized as their ruler.

As far as the World Government was concerned, it was a plausible story. And it was one they could sell to the other member nations.

If the governments of member nations could be overthrown at will, if kings could be replaced on a whim, and the World Government did nothing... then why would any of them pay the Heavenly Tribute?

The implicit deal was that in exchange for the tribute, the World Government would ensure the safety of their kings.

Once that deal was broken, the authority and credibility of the World Government would be called into question.

Doflamingo had been able to usurp a kingdom, but he was a former Celestial Dragon, and his family had once ruled that very nation. It was a special case.

For anyone else, the World Government and the Marines would have certainly intervened.

Jin knew that he would inevitably have to deal with the Marines and the World Government in the future. He needed a reasonable, legitimate identity.

"If you're the king of Drum Island, what are you doing here?" Hina asked.

"Drum Island is a winter island. I came to Asuka Island to purchase supplies and do a bit of sightseeing. Is there a problem?"

"So that ship is yours?"

"That's right. And the moment I arrive, this happens... Hey! I expect an explanation from you Marines! If I don't get one, I'm taking this to the World Government!"

Hina listened. It all seemed to check out. She didn't have the authority to make a decision, so she reported to Vice Admiral Comil.

"Is that so?"

Involving a member nation was above Comil's pay grade. He had no choice but to file a report and send it to Fleet Admiral Sengoku.

—————————

"I see," Sengoku said after hearing the report. "I'll inform the Five Elders. Until then, try not to antagonize him."

After hanging up, the Fleet Admiral picked up another Den Den Mushi and called the direct line to Mary Geoise.

"Wapol?" one of the Elders said. "That idiot is dead? And a new king has been chosen? Have the Marines investigate. Make sure it's not the work of the Revolutionary Army. Also, it's time to collect this year's Heavenly Tribute. See if this new king is cooperative. As long as he pays, we don't need to concern ourselves with him. A tiny nation like that is more symbolic than anything else."

The Five Elders conferred. In a few short sentences, the matter was settled.

Drum Island, Wapol... in their eyes, it was all utterly insignificant, not even worth a second thought.

The Will of the Five Elders was passed down through the ranks.

A few words from the top, and the people at the bottom were run off their feet.

Vice Admiral Comil had to stay on Asuka Island to capture the pirates from The Dead End Race. He couldn't leave.

And so, the thankless task fell to Lieutenant Commander Hina.

Comil's orders were clear.

First, do not anger Jin.

Second, under the pretext of making amends, escort Jin back to Drum Island and investigate to make sure the Revolutionary Army wasn't involved.

Jin agreed. He'd anticipated the Marines' objective. An investigation like this was standard procedure.

Until he had the power to overthrow the world, he had to bide his time. He didn't have a hero for a grandfather, a revolutionary for a father, or a Yonko for a backer.

"Lieutenant Commander, are you sure you need to follow me around like this?" Jin asked, shooting a glance at Hina and the soldiers behind her.

"Of course," she replied, her expression serious. "Asuka Island is crawling with pirates. To ensure your safety, Your Majesty, Vice Admiral Comil has ordered me to protect you until you have safely returned to Drum Island."

"Alright then," Jin said with a smile. "In that case, I need to purchase some supplies. You can all help."

"I'll just go back to the ship to get some money. Perhaps you should wait here, Lieutenant Commander. I wouldn't want my money to go missing..."

"..." Hina's eye twitched. 

A Lieutenant Commander in the Marines steal his money? But she couldn't make a scene. She stood at the bottom of the gangplank and watched him go.

"Ai, disguise mode," Jin ordered. "Standard sloop."

The demonic carrier could partition its internal space. All Hina and her men needed to see was the interior of a normal ship.

He then gathered the rest of his crew and gave them their instructions, choosing a few of the more clever ones to act as the visible crew.

With everything arranged, Jin disembarked with a chest of money.

And so, a squad of Marine soldiers became a free labor force, hauling massive quantities of food and other supplies to the docks.

"Hey, this guy... is he serious? Is he really using us as free labor?"

"And he even had Lieutenant Commander Hina give him a shoulder massage! The nerve! I'm so jealous..."

"Look at him, enjoying himself. I kind of want to kill him."

The exhausted soldiers, seeing their king relaxing under a beach umbrella and being waited on by their beautiful Lieutenant Commander, were seething with rage.

"Hey! Don't slack off!"

"WHO'S SLACKING OFF??"

After a long afternoon of hard labor, a dozen tons of supplies were loaded into the ship's hold. Hina then accompanied Jin on an inspection of the ship.

She found it strange that such a large ship had such a small crew, but she couldn't find anything else out of the ordinary.

"Lieutenant Commander, it's getting dark. Are you planning on staying on board? We don't have any ladies' quarters," Jin said.

Hina's eyes darted around. Everything seemed normal, but she had a gut feeling that something was very wrong. A sense of unease settled in her heart. It was as if a giant beast, a demon, was lurking in the shadows of the ship, watching her, ready to swallow her whole.

That feeling was oppressive, frightening.

Was it just her imagination?

It wasn't. It was the invisible "Domain" of the awakened Munch-Munch Fruit, suppressing her own Bind-Bind Fruit.

She didn't understand it. But her professional instincts, her sense of duty as a Marine, told her she needed to investigate further. She was a confident woman. She wouldn't run away.

"King Jin's ship is so large," she said. "Surely you have a spare room? And what if pirates attack? It would be easier to protect you if we were on the same ship."

"In that case, Lieutenant Commander," Jin said with a grin, "why don't you stay with me in the captain's quarters? A personal bodyguard would be the safest, wouldn't it?"

Hina's beautiful eyes narrowed. "Alright. If the King doesn't mind."

"LIEUTENANT COMMANDER!" her men exclaimed.

"THAT GUY IS NO GOOD!"

"HE'S TOTALLY INTO YOU...!"

"DON'T FALL FOR IT!"

"..."

Jin shot them a sidelong glance. "Hey, you pack of simps. Get back to your own ship. We're about to set sail, and there's no room for you here. Not unless you want to be thrown overboard to feed the fishes. Now, get lost."

The soldiers glared at him, fuming. They'd worked like dogs all day, and now he was calling them simps?

"Don't get too cocky, you bastard king!"

"Watch it, or I'll knock you out!"

But despite their grumbling, a single look from Hina was enough to send them scurrying back to their own ship.

A group of grown men, tamer than a pack of dogs.

"Pathetic," Jin sighed.

...

As he watched the Empress and the Marine warship leave the port, Vice Admiral Comil felt a sense of unease. They should have been here by now.

"Did something go wrong?" he wondered. "Was the destination not Asuka Island? Gasparde... did that shameless bastard betray the Marines again?"

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

With a Marine warship as an escort, no pirate crew was foolish enough to cause trouble.

After a four-day voyage, they arrived back at Drum Island.

Throughout the journey, Hina had been true to her word, staying by Jin's side, eating and living with him.

However, Jin had made no improper advances, limiting himself to a few playful teases.

A beautiful woman, yes, but one with thorns.

Dalton, having heard the news, was waiting at the docks with a contingent of guards. A crowd of enthusiastic citizens also lined the shore.

"Is that a Marine ship?"

"What are they doing here?"

"I don't know."

The people murmured among themselves, a hint of worry in their voices. For most, their feelings toward the Marines were more of fear than respect.

When Wapol was in power, the Marines hadn't come to save them.

"Lieutenant Commander Hina, would you like to come ashore for a while?" Jin asked.

"Of course," Hina readily agreed. The escort mission was just a side task. The main objective was to investigate the situation on Drum Island.

Jin disembarked. The guards formed a line, and Dalton stepped forward, bowing deeply. "Your Majesty!"

The citizens all bowed as well.

Hina, observing from behind, felt most of her suspicions melt away. Jin hadn't been lying. He really was the king.

And it seemed he was well-loved by his people.

"Any trouble while I was away?" Jin asked.

"None, Your Majesty," Dalton replied, shaking his head.

In a place like Drum Island, as long as the king didn't cause trouble, the people could live in peace. The only real threat was pirate invasions. It was a remote corner of the world. Great wealth was out of the question; a full stomach was all they needed to be happy.

The fact that the people hadn't revolted even under Wapol's tyranny was a testament to their resilience.

Jin had noticed this, which was why he had enacted his twelve new laws—to try and change their ways, to give them a bit of drive.

To get them to compete.

But that wasn't enough.

He was already planning his next move: to expand outward, to take control of non-affiliated or ownerless islands like Hannabal Island.

On one hand, it would expand his territory and population, opening up new opportunities for development.

On the other, each island had its own unique mineral resources, which were essential for the demonic carrier's upgrades.

Jin had Dalton and his men unload the supplies from the ship, then arranged for a banquet in the town to entertain the Marines.

With plenty of food and drink, the soldiers, who had been grumbling for the entire journey, finally cracked a smile. The townspeople were also gracious hosts, and the air was filled with laughter and song.

Hina wandered through the town alone, asking about the new king. Everyone she spoke to, young and old, had nothing but praise for him.

He was a messenger from the Gods, descended from Heaven to judge the darkness and bring the light.

A wise and benevolent ruler who had single-handedly crushed a pirate crew.

A master statesman who had invented the Ice Mushroom, opened up foreign trade, and brought great wealth to the nation.

In short: Wapol deserved to die, and the new king was the GOAT.

One word: Incredible.

"Is he really that good?" Hina wondered, amazed. She was beginning to see the young man in a new light.

She thought back on the past few days. He had seemed to be teasing her, to be making a move on her, but in reality, he had been as steady and unreadable as a seasoned veteran.

Shrewd, capable, intelligent, and bold.

He was a force to be reckoned with.

That was her assessment.

She also breathed a sigh of relief.

"It has nothing to do with the Revolutionary Army," she thought. "Just an internal power struggle on Drum Island. Hina can rest easy."

—————————

She returned to her warship, reported her findings to Vice Admiral Tsuru, and requested permission to return to Headquarters.

"Just a moment," Tsuru's calm voice came through the Den Den Mushi. "You can't come back just yet. I've just received some new intelligence. It concerns that king of yours."

"Eh??" Hina was surprised. "What is it?"

"Vice Admiral Comil waited on Asuka Island for three days," Tsuru explained. "Not a single pirate ship showed up. At first, we thought Gasparde had given us a fake destination to trick us. But after a thorough investigation, we confirmed that Asuka Island was indeed the finish line."

"Then what happened?" Hina asked. She joked, "Did Gasparde go crazy and kill them all? Hina doesn't believe that for a second."

"No," Tsuru said. "It was someone else. Our informant on Hannabal Island sent a report. The night before the race, a newcomer signed up... and bet 100 million Berries on himself to win. Do you know who that person was?"

Hina froze. "Don't tell me... it was King Jin?"

"Yes—"

Tsuru confirmed. "—He participated in 'The Dead End Race.' He was the first, and only, participant to reach the finish line. And he did it right under your noses, collected the token, and then had a Marine Lieutenant Commander personally escort him home."

Hina was speechless.

A stampede of a million seahorses galloped through her mind.

She'd been played.

The entire Marine force had been played!

And here she was, feeling sorry for him, even defending him. It turned out he was the biggest shark of them all.

In an instant, a wave of shame, anger, and indignation surged through her, rushing to her head.

The thought of how he had played her and the Marines like a master chess player for the past few days, all while sitting back with his legs crossed...

Her face flushed with rage, and she could feel steam coming out of her ears.

"Damn him! That bastard! Hina is so angry! Hina is going to drag him back to headquarters!" She clenched her fists, her knuckles cracking, her teeth grinding. If Jin were in front of her right now, she would have skinned him alive.

"Wait, Lieutenant Commander," Tsuru said, her voice sharp. "Don't do anything rash. Gasparde, the Giant Brothers, and the Fish-Man Willy were all in that race. They've all disappeared. It's not a coincidence. There's only one possibility: King Jin eliminated all of them on his way to the finish line. That man is strong. He's not someone you can handle."

What??

Hina's competitive spirit flared.

"Furthermore," Tsuru continued, "he is the king of a nation affiliated with the World Government. He is not a pirate. The Marines have no authority to arrest him."

Hina calmed down a little. "But he participated in a pirate race."

"So what?" Tsuru replied. "He may have participated, but he executed pirates. Not only do the Marines have no reason to arrest him, but we should probably be giving him a medal."

Hina was stunned.

She was right. A king who actively took on pirates, who solved problems for the Marines... he was a model king.

A great and wise ruler.

How could they arrest him?

Hina collected herself. "In that case, Vice Admiral, you said I can't return yet. Is there a new mission?"

"There's one more piece of intelligence—"

Tsuru said. "—Two days ago, the front man Gasparde used to control Hannabal Island was taken away by his own subordinates. Our analysis suggests that he's interested in Hannabal Island. Headquarters also has a plan to bring Hannabal Island under our control, which was supposed to be implemented after the race. But now, with Gasparde missing and this king in the picture, the plan has to be changed. You are to stay there for the time being. Probe the king's intentions. Act as a bridge between him and Headquarters."

Hina stood at attention. "Yes, ma'am!"

"And, Vice Admiral... would it be alright if Hina were to... test his strength? Just in case the intelligence is wrong."

Tsuru knew Hina's competitive nature. A little humility would do her good.

"You may," she said. "But don't go too far."

"Yes, ma'am!"

After hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Hina's reason had returned, but she still couldn't swallow the bitter pill of having been played.

Hina cracked her knuckles.