After the Carrier swallowed the royal castle whole, Jin gave an order: a new city hall was to be built in the nearest town by the docks, a place to handle affairs of state.
The twelve reform decrees he had announced were already sprouting roots—tax offices, schools, new departments of administration—all moved into this small but complete building.
For the first time, Drum Island had the faint outlines of a real nation.
When Dalton, Jason, and the others finished their reports, Jin turned to Viera, placing the old engineer into the care of the Chief Medical Officer.
Ships that were devoured by the Carrier, if they had not collapsed or shattered, could be spat back out for use again. Among them, the Salamander, Gasparde's stolen Navy vessel, was a prize. Even within the Marines, it was considered cutting-edge—a formidable battleship for Drum's future navy.
At its heart lay the steam engine and its great boiler.
Viera had spent years tending them, a master at stoking the fires, adjusting the flow, repairing parts. Jin needed that knowledge. He wanted Viera to pass it down, to raise up a new corps of engineers for the kingdom.
Jin himself knew the theory of steam and fire, the mechanics behind it—but knowing and doing were two different things. Only a veteran's hands could keep the heart of a ship alive.
And Viera's were such hands.
Then Jin turned to the pink-haired child.
"This is Anaguma," he said, introducing her to a small figure who padded forward.
The girl blinked, startled. "A… deer?"
Chopper huffed. "Reindeer! I'm a reindeer!"
Anaguma gasped. "He talked! The deer talked!"
Chopper's blue nose twitched indignantly. "I told you, I'm a reindeer—and not just any reindeer! I ate the Human-Human Fruit: ordinary human model!"
Jin smiled, crouching slightly. "Don't be fooled by his size. He's strong. Very strong."
Chopper's little hooves flailed, cheeks burning. "Idiot! Even if you praise me, I won't be happy about it… you jerk!"
Jin chuckled. "Chopper, take her to see Doctor Kureha."
"Mm!"
Once they left, the guards rushed in.
"Your Majesty—the Marine commander is here. She insists on speaking with you."
"Oh?" Jin sipped from his orange-peel tea. "Bring her in. The rest of you, go."
Dalton and Jason filed out, nearly colliding with Hina as she strode in. Her face was a mask of cold composure, but her sharp eyes burned with something fiercer.
The ministers exchanged glances.
"How did His Majesty get tangled with a Marine commander? And such a beauty?"
"Could it be…?"
"Maybe."
"Handsome king, beautiful commander—they'd make a fine match."
"Don't tell me she'll be queen someday?"
The gossip spread like wildfire. The thought alone was thrilling: a king and a Marine commander, bound together.
Inside, Hina paused at the threshold, steadying herself with a breath before stepping in, smile fixed.
"Finished your inspection, Commander Hina?" Jin asked casually, stirring his tea. He already knew she was here on more than courtesy. And truth be told, he wanted her to carry reports back—reports that would fix his identity as a legitimate king in the eyes of the World Government.
After all, the heavenly tribute would have to be paid. Better to be a lawful king than a hunted pirate. Pirates boasted of freedom, but what was it really? A leash of chaos, built on the suffering of the weak. To escape oppression, they became oppressors. To chase liberty, they sowed death.
How different were they from the Celestial Dragons?
He would be neither pirate nor Marine's hound. He would be a king. And one day—when the storm came—he would rise higher still.
"The inspection's complete," Hina said smoothly, her smile edged with something unreadable. "And you truly are a remarkable king. The young, the old—all sing your praises."
Jin waved the compliment away. "That's their trust in me. Care for some tea?"
"No." She folded her arms. "But I've heard the tales. That you alone crushed the Razor Pirates' attack. Quite a feat."
"Ah, luck, nothing more."
"Too modest. Why don't we test that luck? A sparring match."
Jin chuckled. "Sparring? Dangerous idea. What if I scar that lovely face? I couldn't possibly bear the guilt."
"..." Hina's eye twitched. "Who asked you to take responsibility? Less talk, more fight."
"Oh?" Jin leaned back, amused. "And if I refuse?"
"Then take it as a wager. If I win, you tell me the truth—about Gasparde, and the other missing pirates. If you win, I'll… let you decide my fate."
Jin sipped his tea, studying her. Clever girl. She had noticed the gap in the story, the missing pieces. She wasn't here to arrest—she was here to gauge. To probe whether the Navy should treat him as foe or ally.
"Very well," he said at last, setting down the cup. "Let's fight."
He vaulted through the window, leaping from rooftop to rooftop until the snowbound mountains embraced him. Hina followed close, coat snapping in the wind.
Deep in the wilderness, where snow lay thick and lakes were frozen white, Jin landed lightly.
A pink-clad leg sliced down through the snow like a guillotine, aimed at his skull.
"Ah? A surprise attack? Where's the Marine code of honor?"
Jin twisted, her kick missing by inches. The strike shattered ice beneath them, cracks spiderwebbing out.
Hina spun, her other leg sweeping wide, snow erupting around her.
"Tempest Kick—Blossom Dance!"
The flurry rose into the air, each snowflake hardening into a slicing vacuum blade, tearing through ice and trees alike.
Jin raised his fist and shattered them one by one. Then, with a stomp, he propelled himself forward, seizing her leg mid-spin.
"So fast!" Hina gasped, the world lurching as he heaved her bodily into the air, slamming her down across his shoulder in a brutal arc.
The ice cracked beneath her fall.
"Not hurt, are you, Commander?" he teased.
Hina spat snow, scrambling back up. "Hina does not hurt! Again!"
"Oh, good. Then I'll stop holding back. But if it gets too painful, don't be shy about screaming. Out here in the wilds, no one will hear…"
She gritted her teeth.
Hina was no weakling. She was Smoker's contemporary, a fighter with both Devil Fruit and Six Powers at her command. By Marine standards, her strength was commendable.
But Jin?
Jin was no ordinary man. His body, reforged by spacetime's touch, his strength and speed blooming beyond measure, his will tempered in battle—she was outmatched from the first clash.
He pummeled her without mercy, fists like hammers, body a storm. He didn't even call upon Haki—his raw power alone was enough.
By the end, Hina could barely stand. Nose bloodied, cheek bruised, she sank to the snow.
"I… lost," she admitted, breath ragged. "What do you want from me?"
Jin crouched before her, smiling faintly. "You."
Her eyes blazed. "Shameless!"
But after a heartbeat's hesitation, she clenched her jaw, cheeks burning, and closed her eyes.
"Then… get it over with."