<><><><><><>
The boiler began to burn a massive amount of soul crystals, releasing a golden light that powered the engine.
The pistons and machinery of the engine room were bathed in a golden glow, releasing a massive amount of steam, gradually "coming to life."
The process spread throughout the ship. The demonic carrier shed its outer disguise, revealing its true form.
A silver, cold, steel warship, its streamlined hull a thing of beautiful, technological elegance.
Soon, wisps of golden "flame" began to emanate from within the hull, from every seam, spreading outward.
At almost the same instant, on the island, Kuma; in the West Blue, Crocodile; and at Arlong Park, Law, all heard a whale's song that seemed to originate from the very depths of their souls.
A deep, rumbling sound, echoing from the abyss of space and time, resonating in their souls, shaking their very being.
"That's..."
Crocodile was stunned. The mark on his chest was burning, radiating an intense heat. But it didn't burn.
Through the mark, he could dimly see the massive warship, wreathed in golden flame, as if it were coming alive, and he was... moved.
It was a monster. A terrifying monster.
A single glance, and an overwhelming pressure washed over him. He was filled with a sense of awe, a desire to prostrate himself.
And he wasn't the only one.
Kuma and Law saw it too.
Their minds were reeling.
The warship erupted in a blinding golden light, bathed in golden "flames."
It was like a golden sun, blooming in the sea.
"The sun," Kuma whispered, his heart pounding.
"The Sun God? Is it Nika?!"
His people had worshiped the Sun God Nika for generations, believing that the Drums of Liberation would one day echo throughout the world.
Until then, all they had to do was endure.
It was a very Kuma way of thinking.
Before his eyes, the sea, in the golden flames, began to warp and twist.
Wherever the light touched, everything—the sea, the air, all of it—was bathed in a golden light, merging into one.
It formed a "domain" that stretched for ten nautical miles.
Yes, ten nautical miles.
In an instant, under the immense power, space blurred, collapsed, and twisted, becoming a strange, dream-like, seven-colored world.
It was similar to the phenomenon that occurred when the "demon" of the Sing-Sing Fruit tried to pull the real world into its illusion.
But the anomaly caused by the demonic carrier was even stranger, more incomprehensible, and extremely dangerous.
In truth, with this domain in place, almost no one could harm the evolving demonic carrier. Having a powerhouse stand guard was just an extra layer of insurance.
—————————
Inside the carrier, Jin, in a meditative state, merged with the ship, becoming one with it.
His blood, his body, his hair—they all began to burn with a golden flame.
The massive amount of soul crystals, all burning at once, released an incredibly powerful energy that washed over him, cleansing and reforging his body.
Not only that, but Jin's Haki coalesced, his mind and body becoming one, and he could sense everything, everywhere.
He saw the Devil Fruits, their "Forbidden Domains" now burning with the golden flame.
This was how the demonic carrier was fusing with the new fruits, increasing its affinity with them.
In other words, the carrier's evolution was also related to the fruits it had fused with. It would take on a new form in the next stage.
And through the "demons" within the fruits, the collected wills of their past users, he could vaguely see their experiences.
The stronger the user, the more of their experiences were projected into the fruit, the stronger their will.
To the point where it could become the dominant consciousness of the "demon" and influence the next user.
Jin thought of Luffy's awakened Nika fruit...
His "Imagination." Was it a possession of Luffy's will?
And Uta.
She had been controlled by the "demon," causing the destruction of Elegia. It was highly likely that it was the resentment of a past user.
And now, in the burning of the soul-flame, the wills of all the past users were melting away like snowflakes.
Ordinary methods couldn't harm the "demons," but the flame released by the soul crystals was no ordinary flame.
It could harm them.
During the evolution, Jin's consciousness was incredibly clear. He was extracting experience from the wills of the Devil Fruits. It was as if he were fighting alongside them, experiencing their battles, and in the process, his own spirit was growing stronger.
This upgrade was much more intense than the previous two.
Jin felt that his body, mind, and will were all being transformed, reborn.
His mind was still, and his whole body was glowing.
And not just him. The demonic carrier as well.
In the collapsing space, it was constantly writhing, extending tentacles to absorb the Spacetime energy, forming a massive cocoon of light.
—————————
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
The distorted domain, with a gust of sea breeze, gradually returned to normal. The hazy sea became clear.
Jin awoke from his meditative state. A powerful force filled his body, and with it, a sense of invincibility.
He was brimming with life, his spirit soaring.
"Strong..." Jin said, feeling the power in his body. His eyes were deep, and he gently clenched his fist. The third upgrade had been a baptism, a sublimation.
It wasn't just a matter of strength.
The very essence of his being had been transformed.
He felt that he could live much longer now.
And his comprehension, his reflexes, his five senses, his ability to learn—all of it had been enhanced.
The questions he'd had about the different applications of Armament Haki... they were all answered. He could now use it with perfect freedom.
And he had new insights into the training of Observation Haki and the control of Conqueror's Haki.
He had entered a "superhuman" state.
After a long while, Jin came out of his reverie and opened the carrier's interface.
——————
[Primary Authority: Captain Jin]
[Hull Data: Length 85m | Width 25.2m | Height 14.6m | Weight 2750 Tons]
[Internal Space: 2.5 x 1.2 x 0.5 km³]
[Next Evolution Requirements: Soul Crystals (7365/10000) | Refined Steel (48,000/10000 tons) | Gold (4.2/100 tons) | Silver (11/500 tons) | Rare Earth Metals (68/2000 tons) | Biological Matter (3/30)!]
——————
The other stats hadn't changed.
"The requirements for the next evolution have increased dramatically," he noted.
"Any new abilities?"
He summoned Ai to check the new functions.
Function One: New Fruit Abilities.
Under the burning of the soul-flame, a part of the past users' "experiences" with the fruits had been recorded and extracted by Ai.
Some of the fruits, when used by the demonic carrier, were incredibly effective.
Like the Chain-Chain Fruit.
When used by a person, the chains were grown from their flesh and had limited strength. But when used by the demonic carrier, combined with the alloys created by the Munch-Munch Fruit, they were nearly indestructible.
The same was true for the other fruits.
He would have to practice with them to see their full potential.
Function Two: New Crew Positions.
Doctor, Helmsman, Intelligence Officer, Executioner, Secretary, and Musician.
And a "vice" position had been added to the existing roles. For example, the Boatswain now had a Vice-Boatswain, a fourth-tier authority.
The fourth-tier authority did not include the ability to use a Devil Fruit, but the other benefits were the same as the third tier.
Function Three: Spatial Transference.
As the primary authority, Jin could now use the marks on his crew's badges to open a spatial portal and teleport.
Or transfer small amounts of supplies.
"Isn't this the same kind of teleportation circle Imu uses?" Jin thought. "It consumes soul crystals. The greater the mass, the greater the consumption."
<><><><><><>
~ 80 Advanced Chapters Available on my Patreon!
https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)
~# Every 100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter!
~# Add to Library!