Next Bonus, 100!!
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Jin "watched" Nami and her surroundings.
Despite the vast distance, everything appeared before him like a miniature map—tiny, yet incredibly clear and vivid, as if he were standing right there.
"Is this the 'God's-eye view' from the fourth evolution?" Jin mused, processing the new sensation. "A massive boost to my Observation Haki?"
A thought suddenly struck him. Nami didn't have a crew emblem. She hadn't been granted any permissions yet.
Did that mean his senses weren't limited to just his crew?
"It's a synergistic effect between the Rumble-Rumble Fruit and the Magnet-Magnet Fruit," Ai's voice explained. "You've forgotten, Master. The Empress has already recorded the magnetic fields of the entire country. After the evolution, by combining the electromagnetic senses of those two fruits with your Observation Haki, the Empress can now monitor every island in the nation."
It all clicked into place.
Of course. Back on Skypiea, Enel had used the same principle to monitor his entire island.
If the evolved Empress now possessed a similar function, then so did he.
His ability to read Nami's thoughts was a resonance between that electromagnetic sense and the Memo-Memo Fruit's power to read memories.
His earlier misjudgment was simply a product of old habits.
"What happened with the East Blue Trading Company..."
Jin's thoughts cleared. He recognized this for what it was—one of the World Government's standard tactics for suppressing the growth of a powerful new kingdom.
A hegemonic power couldn't just stand by and watch a potential rival rise.
He'd seen the writing on the wall when the smear campaign first started in the newspapers. His countermove—leaking the Poneglyph translation method—had successfully tied up their resources for a time.
But the World Government, now fully aware of the threat he posed, wasn't going to let him be. This was their next move.
"I held back before because I was still growing," Jin's gaze turned cold. "But I've evolved now. If I still have to put up with this crap, what was the point?"
He was patient when he needed to be, but when it was time to act, he never hesitated.
"If I can pinpoint Nami's location," he thought, "that means..."
Teleportation.
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Cocoyasi Village.
Air Force Base.
Inside Nami's office, Kaya's father had come to consult with her. He knew she had connections high up in the kingdom and hoped that she could make them understand the gravity of the situation.
He never expected to feel the gaze of the King himself...
As the two of them stood there, stunned and uncertain, a seven-pointed star suddenly materialized in the air.
"What is that...?"
Nami and Kaya's father stared, their eyes wide with disbelief as Jin's form appeared in the shimmering light.
"Your... Your Majesty!"
"Shh," Jin said, holding a finger to his lips. "Don't draw attention."
Nami looked at him, her curiosity piqued. It hadn't been long since they had last seen each other, but she could sense a profound change in him.
"I know about what happened to Ron," Jin said. "I already have a plan. Mr. Foss, I want you to pull all of the company's ships and personnel back to Cocoyasi Village. Under the pretext of cooperating with the investigation, suspend all activities."
"But... the losses will be immense," Foss—Kaya's father—stammered.
Jin shot him a look. "This isn't just a business problem anymore. Do you understand?"
"Yes! I'll see to it at once," Foss said quickly.
"Good." Jin nodded, watching him go.
Foss was a merchant. As the head of the company, his first consideration was profit. Suspending all activities was like slitting his own throat.
But Jin, as the king, had to consider the bigger picture. The company's current losses were insignificant.
He turned to Nami.
"Nami, I need you to mobilize your forces and secure the area. There may be a fight."
"Understood," Nami nodded. She and the air force base were, of course, part of the military, responsible for the defense of the Conomi Islands.
"However," Jin said, "your current strength isn't enough to handle what's coming. I'm taking you somewhere."
He had her inform her subordinates so her sudden disappearance wouldn't cause a panic. Then, he opened a portal and brought her back to the Empress.
He had Ai run a full diagnostic on her to determine the best path for her development.
While he waited, Jin took the opportunity to assess the changes in the demonic carrier after its latest evolution.
As he'd expected, the fourth evolution had unlocked a host of new functions and permissions.
First, an upgraded teleportation ability.
It had changed in two ways. First, it was no longer limited to those with a crew emblem. It was now a map-wide teleport, covering the entire area monitored by the Empress. Farther, wider.
Second, the teleportation ability could now be granted to second and third-rank officers, though they would still require his permission to use it.
Second, Devil Fruit recovery.
If a crew member who had been granted a Devil Fruit died, the fruit would now automatically be recovered by the demonic carrier. For example, if Ace, who already had a Devil Fruit before joining, were to die, the carrier would acquire the Flare-Flare Fruit.
Third, Devil Fruit activation.
Within a certain radius of the demonic carrier, the "activation" of its acquired Devil Fruits would be enhanced.
Fourth, new Devil Fruit techniques.
During the evolution, Jin had glimpsed the techniques developed by the past users of the fruits, and the memories had been integrated into his own. With the Memo-Memo Fruit, he could now pass on these memories and techniques to new users, saving them countless hours of development time. Of course, everyone was different. The same fruit, the same technique, would manifest differently in different people. That was for them to figure out on their own.
Fifth, new positions.
First, the second-rank positions: Vice-Captain, Commander-in-Chief, Grand Fleet Admiral, Chief Secretary, Surgeon General, Director of Intelligence, and Quartermaster General. A total of seven positions, each with two deputies who would hold the third rank.
Next, the third-rank positions. In addition to the deputies of the second-rank officers, the existing positions of Cook, Boatswain, Gunner, Doctor, Intelligence Officer, Secretary, Executioner, Musician, and Helmsman had been expanded. Furthermore, seven new positions had been added: Scientist, Shipwright, Judge, Communications Officer, Scout, Sniper, and Negotiator. Each of these positions now had two additional slots, for a total of three people per position. Each of these positions also had four deputies, who would hold the fourth rank.
Next, the fourth rank. In addition to the deputies of the third-rank officers, the fourth rank was also granted to those with the titles of Elite Crewman, Officer Candidate, Honored Crewman, and Death Squad. Each of these titles had a maximum of twelve slots. If a crew member with one of these titles was promoted to a higher rank, their slot would become vacant and could be filled by someone else. For example, if an Officer Candidate was promoted to Deputy Shipwright, his Officer Candidate slot would open up. However, the total number of positions was fixed. It was a one-in, one-out system.
And finally, the fifth rank. It could be appointed by the first or second-rank officers. Or, anyone who had "served" on the demonic carrier for more than three years would automatically be granted the position of "Crewman." There was no limit to the number of Crewman positions.
And sixth, an updated permission system.
The second, third, fourth, and fifth ranks, all under the command of the first rank, now formed a complete organizational structure, each with its own corresponding responsibilities and rights.
The first rank was self-explanatory. The Captain was in command of everything, his authority absolute.
The second rank assisted the Captain in managing the organization, could appoint crew members, could grant two Devil Fruit abilities, and had access to the teleportation, repair, and Munch-Munch space abilities.
The third rank assisted the Captain and the second-rank officers, could grant one Devil Fruit ability, and had access to the teleportation ability.
The fourth rank assisted the Captain and the second and third-rank officers and could grant one Devil Fruit ability.
The fifth rank had unrestricted access to the non-public areas of the demonic carrier and was entitled to all the standard crew benefits, such as free meals, lodging, and showers, as well as a uniform and a weapon.
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~ 70 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon
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