When Jin awoke from his deep sleep, he felt refreshed, his mind clear and body renewed.
Stepping out onto the deck, he froze in place.
Before him, packed into the snowy clearing, stood thousands of people. Faces flushed from cold and fervor, they all shouted in unison.
"King! King! King!"
Jin blinked rapidly.
"What… the hell? Is this a protest, or some kind of rally?" he muttered.
Their reaction grew even louder when they saw him appear, cheers rolling like thunder.
On his shoulder, the little holographic AI flickered into view. "Master, they are hoping you will become their new king."
"Hah?!" Jin's eyes bulged.
"Me… a king?"
His expression looked exactly like someone being told to fight a Sea King barehanded—utter disbelief.
"Yes," Little Ai said simply.
Jin scratched his head, dumbfounded. The thought made no sense. "What the hell is wrong with these people? Picking a stranger at random to be king?"
But then again… this was the world of One Piece. Logic wasn't exactly common here. Oden, Yamato—half of the powerful figures he knew of acted on pure, ridiculous impulse.
"According to my analysis of this world's data," Little Ai explained calmly, "their decision is optimal."
"…What?" Jin frowned, then thought it through.
Since Roger's execution and the dawn of the Great Pirate Era, the seas had grown increasingly chaotic. In this world, strength—raw, brutal power—was everything.
Ordinary people had only two choices: fight desperately, or cling to life in submission.
Those who fought either became Marines, or pirates, chasing freedom and blood across the oceans. Those who stayed behind… they endured, quietly, meekly, living in fear.
Dalton and the people of Drum had endured eight long years under Wapol's tyranny without ever rising up. They had spent their lives like turtles retreating into their shells, too fearful to resist.
And now? A stronger man had appeared, one who crushed Wapol in an instant. To them, it was simple: obey the stronger. Resist? That was unthinkable.
"Spineless…" Jin muttered.
Then a thought struck him. "Wait. You can understand their language?"
"Yes, Master," Little Ai chirped. "While you slept, I collected and analyzed external speech. The translation matrix is now complete."
Jin's eyes lit up. "Perfect."
He turned his gaze downward. Beyond the blizzard, the people stretched as far as he could see, a sea of heads bowing toward him.
He thought quietly. I've just arrived here. Both the ship and I need time to grow stronger. Staying put, building a base, is far safer than drifting aimlessly.
But I can't just agree outright. History already gave the perfect example. When offered the throne, refuse it three times. Make them beg me.
Smirking, he turned away and walked back inside.
The crowd fell into confusion.
"What does that mean?"
"Does he not want to be king?"
"Or… have we not shown enough sincerity?"
Dalton frowned thoughtfully. "Perhaps he didn't understand. I will speak to him directly."
He leapt onto the deck cautiously—only for the metal beneath his boots to gape open into a massive mouth.
Before he could react, he was swallowed.
Dalton plummeted into darkness, crashing painfully against steel as his chin slammed the floor. The sharp sting made him groan.
"Dalton," Jin's voice rang above him, "didn't I tell you not to approach?"
Dalton looked up—and nearly choked in shock. The youth stood there, speaking words he could actually understand.
"You—weren't you—"
Jin smiled faintly. Through Little Ai's live translation, his words flowed fluently. "I couldn't before. But now I can."
Dalton's jaw slackened. In just one night?
Was this man… a god?
But there was no time to dwell.
"Well then," Jin said calmly. "What is it you wanted to tell me?"
Dalton knelt with deep respect. "You defeated our former king and saved our nation. The people are grateful. They wish for you to be our new King."
"…Is that so?" Jin tilted his head. "Is that just your opinion, or the will of the entire island?"
Dalton hesitated.
"Enough," Jin said with finality. "Return to them. I am merely passing through. I'll stay a while, then leave."
The steel warped with a groan, and Dalton was expelled, landing in the snow outside in a heap.
"Dalton, you're back!"
"Well? What did he say?"
"Did he agree?"
Dalton brushed the snow from his shoulders grimly. "No. He said he would only rest here for a time, then depart."
The news spread quickly.
The villagers grew uncertain. Could they truly force him to stay if he wished to leave?
Inside the ship, Jin stretched his arms. "Little Ai, prepare a training regimen for me."
"Yes, Master."
Though the carrier could evolve infinitely, he couldn't rely solely on the ship. His own body had to grow stronger as well. Otherwise, he would become another Spandam—a coward hiding behind power he couldn't wield.
Especially in this world where Conqueror's Haki existed—the ability to crush enemies from the level of the soul. If his will wasn't strong enough, even an invincible ship would be meaningless.
And since he knew that temporal energy now slumbered in his body, his potential was limitless. The desire to unleash it burned hot in his veins.
Who wouldn't want to throw fists at the Four Emperors, and kick the Admirals into the sea?
"But damn… the cabin is way too cramped." Jin frowned.
"Suggestion," Little Ai chimed. "Use the Munch-Munch Fruit's power to expand the interior."
Jin's eyes gleamed. "Of course! Good idea."
The Munch-Munch Fruit could consume anything, making it part of the body—or merge it into something new.
"But what should I swallow?"
A brilliant thought flashed through him.
The royal castle.
With Wapol dead, the castle by right was spoils of war. In the world of pirates, that made it his prize.
"Let's do it."
Stepping outside, Jin eyed the looming fortress. He willed the ship forward.
A deep, resonant sound rumbled through the air—like the mournful song of a whale in the abyss. It rolled across Drum Island, making every listener's skin crawl.
The roar of a Devil Fruit.
"What was that?!"
"Don't know… but it's terrifying."
Near the castle, heads turned.
"Look! The ironclad ship!"
The warship exhaled steam, its hull shrouded in black-and-crimson vapor. Slowly, impossibly, it lifted into the air.
Hovering twenty meters above the ground, the deck split apart, jaws yawning wide. From within, strange flames poured out, washing over the massive castle.
"Ahhh…"
The sight left every throat dry. People could only gape, stupefied.
Dr. Kureha, clutching her plum wine, frowned, her voice grave. "An awakening… this is the awakening of a Devil Fruit."
Her eyes narrowed. What is this man's origin?
The Munch-Munch Fruit had changed hosts just one night ago, and yet it had awakened?
A Paramecia awakening at that? She had never heard of such a thing.
"Fruit awakening?" Dalton's voice quavered. "Doctor Kureha… is it really that strong?"
"Strong?" Her lips curled into a grim smile. "In the first half of the Grand Line… unless he crosses the Navy or a handful of others, he is untouchable."
Another roar shook the sky.
Before their eyes, the massive royal castle dissolved, devoured whole by the warship.
Dalton staggered back, gasping. Too powerful. Far, far too powerful.
He clenched his jaw. We must keep him here. He must not leave.
That very day, Dalton traveled across villages, convincing mayors and leaders. Together, they approached Jin again, begging him to take the throne.
Jin folded his arms. "Can you really speak for everyone? I told you, I'm not interested in being king. I may be soft-hearted, but…"
When Dalton and the others returned empty-handed, they did not relent. Instead, they gathered petitions, signatures from every villager, urging him to stay.
Some even came to the warship, sitting cross-legged outside in silent protest. Their message was clear—until Jin became king, they would not move.
Jin rubbed his temples, groaning.
"Oh come on… what are you people doing?"