On the secluded bay's beach, the sea breeze whistled through mountains of gold and jewels.
Carina toyed with a coin she had "branded" with her new power. As the initial rush of the transformation faded, she closed her eyes, probing the limits of the fruit's logic, then slowly shook her head.
"It's not an absolute invisibility cloak," Carina admitted, looking at the shimmering berry. "The resonance I spread is a form of ultra-refined energy. If we run into an expert with high-tier Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation) or someone with a freakish natural intuition, they'll feel a 'glitch' in the air. Like an invisible eye staring at the back of their neck."
"If they scan the area with intent, the brand on an inanimate object will stick out like a sore thumb."
"That's more than enough," Ace replied, his broad palm snatching the coin from the air. He tossed it twice, the gold catching the sun. "On this sea, true masters of Observation are a rare breed. For infiltrating black markets, Warlord strongholds, or mid-level Marine branches, this 'glitch' is practically a divine miracle."
"Since we know the mechanics, let's run a field test on our own," Sabo suggested, his eyes bright with the tactical possibilities of subverting traditional Den Den Mushi communication.
"Alright. Hands in."
Carina held out her palms. Ace and Sabo stepped forward, placing their hands over hers. Buggy, who had been trying to sneak off to find a shady spot to nap, was unceremoniously yanked back by Sabo and forced to join the circle.
"Relax. Don't fight it with Haki."
Carina's violet eyes fluttered shut.
A heartbeat later, a strange, non-aggressive pulse rippled through their fingertips and merged into the depths of their consciousness. It was a subtle sensation—like a radio finally clicking into a clear frequency after a second of static.
—Contract established. Can everyone hear me?—
A crisp, melodic voice rang out directly in the minds of Ace, Sabo, and Buggy.
There was no movement of lips, no vibration of vocal cords. It was purely Carina's mental projection.
—I hear you perfectly— Sabo thought back, his eyes widening. —Zero delay. It's more stable than a high-end Den Den Mushi signal.—
—WAHH! It's really talking in my head! This fruit is a freak show!— Buggy's mental scream was so loud it made the others wince.
—Red Nose, lower your internal volume. You're shedding static everywhere— Carina snapped back.
—Mind your own business, girl! I almost threw out my back moving that Starfall Steel for Jeno, and now I'm a lab rat for a rookie? I'm definitely pocketing a few extra emeralds from this pile as 'hazard pay' later...—
Buggy's mental grumbling continued as he habitually calculated how to embezzle a private stash from the loot. However, as his thought finished, an eerie, deathly silence fell over the beach.
Carina and Sabo were staring at him with looks of pity and amusement.
"Red Nose," Ace's steady voice rumbled through the mental channel, carrying a weight of captainly "disappointment." "Your embezzlement plan was just broadcast to the entire group. We all heard it."
"HUH?!"
Buggy froze, cold sweat instantly drenching his striped shirt. He realized that in a relaxed state, without active mental blocking, the "Frequency Contract" shared his strongest surface thoughts directly.
"It's a misunderstanding! Captain! I was practicing my comedy routine!" Buggy shrieked out loud, waving his hands frantically as he slammed his mental barriers shut.
The Rule of Resonance.
After cutting the "group chat" test, Sabo rubbed his chin, looking at Carina with a sharp tactical gaze.
"Carina, what's the tax on your body?" Sabo asked. "If the crew grows—if we have hundreds of 'bugs' planted across the Grand Line while maintaining visual sharing—will your brain melt? What's the stamina drain?"
Ace also turned his gaze toward her. This was the make-or-break stat for their intelligence network.
"That's the beauty of this fruit," Carina said, her eyes glowing with confidence. "The contract and the monitoring are essentially 'passive rules'."
"It's like building a lighthouse. Forging the brand or signing the contract takes a bit of stamina. But once the 'vibrational brand' is set, maintaining the connection costs me nothing. No physical drain, no mental fatigue."
Carina snapped her fingers. "Unless I manually revoke it, or the branded person uses high-level Haki to 'shatter' the frequency from the inside, the contract is permanent."
No continuous consumption. Permanently effective.
A sharp glint flashed in Ace's eyes. As long as she didn't encounter a Haki master who understood how to "unplug" the connection, Carina could expand this network indefinitely.
"Since there's no burden, and vision can be shared..." Ace slowly looked up at the sky.
Above the cliffs, thousands of giant seagulls and albatrosses were circling, their cries filling the air.
"Carina, try changing your target. Sign them." Ace pointed to the swirling flock, his voice revealing the first layer of his grand strategy. "Since we lack eyes, we'll use the ones already in the sky."
Sabo caught the vision instantly. "Aerial visual sharing! Even if an enemy has Observation Haki, they'll just see ordinary birds. We'll have a 360-degree radar spanning dozens of nautical miles."
"Using a flock as a natural reconnaissance wing?" Carina smiled, a phantom thief's mischief returning to her face. "Leave it to me. Bribing a few greedy seagulls is easier than cracking a safe."
The Board is Set.
Ace watched Carina walk toward the cliffs with a bag of dried bait. His dark eyes reflected a cold, ambitious light.
He knew that with Carina's ability, they weren't just gaining an intelligence network. They were creating a Global Navigation System that ignored magnetic interference. They would no longer be slaves to the Log Pose or established routes.
The Eclipse Pirates could move through the "fog of war" of the Grand Line with total clarity. Every historical shift, every hidden treasure, and every Marine ambush would be laid bare on their chessboard.
In the Hold: Jeno's hammer rhythmically struck the Starfall Black Steel, merging the extraterrestrial metal into the Eclipse's very skeleton.
In the Forest: Leona emerged carrying two prehistoric beasts, ready to fuel the crew's transformation with a high-calorie feast.
On this desolate island, far from the prying eyes of the World Government, the Eclipse Pirates were completing their metamorphosis. The prototype of a crew capable of treating the entire world as a game of chess had been born.
30+ chapters are available now and daily updates! @patreon.com/Authorzero