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Tamarisk.
The eastern port of Alabasta, the same one the Straw Hats departed from in the original story. The Empress docked.
Jin dropped off Crocodile and Mr. 1.
Then, the ship continued north.
The sun beat down. Crocodile raised his left arm—a perfectly whole, undamaged hand—to shield his eyes from the blistering heat.
Sunlight filtered through his fingers, casting a shadow that failed to hide the shock and joy on his face. Years ago, after losing his hand, he had replaced it with his signature golden hook. He never thought he would have it back.
Beside him, Mr. 1 was equally stunned. "Boss... your hand!"
He was completely bewildered. "What happened?"
Crocodile lowered his hand. He didn't answer, instead asking, "What happened to you after you boarded the ship?"
Mr. 1, full name Daz Bonez, was a formerly infamous assassin and the user of the Paramecia Dice-Dice Fruit. He had joined Baroque Works after learning Crocodile was its leader. He was the man who had helped Zoro learn to Cut Steel and had even blocked a slash from Mihawk during the Summit War.
Baroque Works didn't employ slackers; it was full of talent. As a team, they were a disaster, but individually, they were all stars.
"After we boarded," Mr. 1 said, "—we fell into a dark space. Then... I was knocked out."
He rubbed the back of his head. "The punch was surprisingly... gentle. It knocked me out, but it didn't hurt much."
Crocodile glanced in the direction the ship had gone. Someone who can knock out Mr. 1 with a single punch... is there another powerhouse on that ship?
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"The repair function works on authorized crew members," Jin summarized aboard the demonic carrier. "It consumes soul crystals, and there's a period of weakness after the repair is complete."
He opened the ship's interface.
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[Primary Authority: Captain Jin]
[Hull Data: Length 48m | Width 22m | Height 12.6m | Weight 150 Tons]
[Internal Space: 420 x 108 x 42 m³]
[Abilities: Munch-Munch | Mushroom-Mushroom | Candy-Candy | Hell's Red Serpent | Calm-Calm | Triceratops]
[Armaments: Main Cannons (3) | Heavy Cannons (5) | Firearms (1239) | Blades (1564)]
[Crew: Bartholomew Kuma (Cook) | Sir Crocodile (Boatswain)]
[Next Evolution Requirements: Soul Crystals (745/2000) | Refined Steel (3/2000 tons) | Gold (0/10 tons) | Silver (0/30 tons) | Rare Earth Metals (0/300 tons) | Biological Matter (1/10)!]
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"The purge on Hannabal Island gave me a nice boost in soul crystals," Jin mused. "And the mine is more than enough to cover the mineral requirements. After we leave Alabasta, I can head into the 'jungle' to grind for a bit, level up, and then upgrade again."
The "jungle," of course, was the vast open sea. He needed all the soul crystals and Biological Matter he could get.
But you don't foul your own nest, and you can't shear the same sheep forever. It was time to see what other regions had to offer.
It was time for a trip around the world.
"A trip around the world?"
Robin, still in her dark, cowgirl-style outfit that accentuated her long, sexy, and capable figure, looked at him from under the brim of her hat.
This was a woman of exceptional beauty, but it was her quiet, scholarly, and steady temperament that was truly captivating.
However, a faint trace of unease, of melancholy, of suspicion toward all outsiders, lingered in the depths of her eyes. It was not something an ordinary person could see.
She had been through too much. Her home destroyed, a life on the run, conspiracies, betrayals... She had endured too much.
Robin had to protect herself with a thick, impenetrable shell.
Without a major, life-altering event, it was unlikely she would ever trust anyone again.
In the original story, although she had boarded the Going Merry here in Alabasta, it wasn't until the Enies Lobby incident that she had truly come to see the Straw Hats as her family.
Jin figured he needed to have a heart-to-heart with her.
"I've heard your story," he began.
Instantly, Robin tensed, her heart pounding.
"Don't worry," Jin said. "I don't care about any of that. The news reports... the 'Demon Child' who destroyed Ohara... is that the truth? You don't have to answer. Everyone has their own past, their own secrets. And I'm not keeping you on this ship out of pity. I'm keeping you for your years of experience on these seas, and for your vast knowledge. I'm planning to explore some ancient islands, to visit other countries. I need a scholar to help me with that. In exchange, I will protect you. I will support your research. Including... your work deciphering the Poneglyphs."
The color drained from Robin's face.
"Don't you know," she said, her voice barely a whisper, "that deciphering the Poneglyphs will bring disaster?"
"So what?" Jin replied. "Is a king not allowed to have a hobby? The truth is, I'm just like you. I'm very interested in the history that the World Government is so desperate to keep hidden."
The Poneglyphs were a direct threat to the World Government's control over the narrative, over history itself. Although Jin knew some of the details, he wasn't an authority. He had no credibility.
But Robin, the daughter of Olvia, a scholar of Ohara, a major criminal wanted by the World Government... she was famous. Her interpretations would be seen as authoritative.
That was the power of a reputation.
Robin's eyes, honed by years of survival, studied Jin's face, trying to read him.
But there was nothing there.
He seemed completely sincere.
"Are you looking for Pluton, too?" she tested.
"Pluton?" Jin laughed. "I don't need Pluton. I have something much better. Don't believe me? Look."
They were approaching the coast. A vast expanse of white "snow" was visible. It wasn't snow; it was salt. The high temperatures and lack of rain had caused the salt to crystallize, forming a massive salt flat that bordered the desert.
Robin was wondering what he wanted her to look at when the deck suddenly lurched.
"Woooooooooom..."
A deep, distant cry, like the song of a whale from the depths of the ocean, pierced her ears and resonated deep within her soul.
Goosebumps broke out on her skin, and she couldn't help but shiver.
In the next moment, the mast and the wooden planks of the deck all flipped over and disappeared into the ship's hull, as if they were being "swallowed."
The entire ship began to shake. The deck bulged upward.
Robin, unsteady on her feet, stumbled and began to fall.
"Careful," Jin said, catching her by the waist. "The water below is hypersaline. One mouthful, and you'll be tasting it for a week."
Robin was unaccustomed to such close contact, but the ship was pitching so violently that the moment she tried to stand, she fell back into his arms.
She realized then that, despite the ship's violent movements, Jin was standing as steady as a tree, his feet planted firmly on the deck.
She looked down, and her eyes widened in disbelief. The ship that had been sailing on the sea... was standing up.
Yes, standing.
Silver, metallic limbs had sprouted from its hull. It stepped out of the water, its heavy body striding across the salt flats.
Robin was speechless.
The ship was walking.
Did I eat a bad mushroom? Am I hallucinating? Am I seeing things?
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them again. She was not hallucinating.
She looked closer. It was a giant, silver, steel beast, over twenty meters tall and forty meters long. Three sharp horns protruded from its head, and a thick, bony frill protected its neck. It looked like... a dinosaur.
"Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Ancient Zoan, Model: Triceratops," Jin said.
"A... a Devil Fruit... ship?" Robin gasped, incredulous.
"It's more than you can imagine," Jin said, not elaborating further.
As long as he showed her what the ship could do, he was sure she would believe that he had no interest in Pluton.
Once the ship had stabilized, Robin thanked him and stepped out of his embrace.
The metal beast strode deep into the desert, leaving a trail of massive footprints. Soon, they arrived at the mine Jin had located.
Kuma, his Paw-Paw Fruit activated, began to repel the sand, dirt, and rock. He was more efficient than an excavator, and they quickly reached the ore vein.
"This iron vein has been mined before," Ai's voice reported, "but there's still about five million tons of ore left. And it's rich with copper, silver, lead, gold, and rare earth metals. That Five Billion Berries was an absolute steal."
The mine had been abandoned because it was located in a desert, hundreds of miles from civilization. The heat, the lack of water, and the transportation costs were too high.
But now, the Munch-Munch Fruit factory was open for business.
The massive quantities of iron ore were swallowed by the carrier, and in a matter of seconds, they were refined into steel.
A living host would have been exhausted by such a feat. But the demonic carrier just consumed soul crystals.
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