Next Bonus, 100!!
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After experiencing the myriad benefits of the demonic carrier's evolution, Jin's will flickered, and he found himself on the conning tower.
As far as his eye could see, the flight deck split open, revealing rows of fighter jets.
The production of these jets had never ceased over the past few years.
'Now this is what a carrier should look like,' Jin thought.
The fighters were a part of the demonic carrier itself. They needed no pilots; he and Ai could control them directly.
In truth, the vast majority of the energy and Devil Fruit effects from the evolution process had been channeled into the carrier. Jin's role in this was akin to a human's "soul," or a fruit's "demon."
Theoretically, he had ceased to be a "person" the moment he crossed over. "He + the demonic carrier" was the complete entity.
He spent some time playing with the jets, launching and landing them.
Then, he returned to the sky island.
During the evolution, he had left Judge, Indigo, the clone army, and the others to vacation on Upper Yard.
He brought them all back.
Jin then commended Kamakiri, whom he had rescued from Shiki's stronghold.
After being captured, Shiki had tried to make him turn traitor, but Kamakiri had remained defiant, never once bowing his head.
For his loyalty, Jin bestowed upon him the title of "Honored One," granting him fourth-level authority and the power of a Devil Fruit—the Zoan-type Dog-Dog Fruit, Model: Wolf.
Jin only regularly used a handful of abilities. Many of the fruits he'd collected were just sitting there, going to waste.
After the upgrade, he had plenty of new positions to fill. He could easily expand the crew, rewarding those who were loyal, hardworking, and useful. It would also allow them to put the fruits to use and gain combat experience.
And the powers he granted, he could just as easily take away. He had no fear of betrayal.
Gan Fall also received the title of "Honored One" for his past service as the ruler of Skypiea. But Jin didn't give him a fruit. Gan Fall was old; he wouldn't be able to develop its powers. His mount, Pierre, already had the Horse-Horse Fruit. At this stage, Jin didn't particularly need it. He could always take it when Pierre was on his deathbed.
During this time, Ai also surveyed and drafted a construction plan for the "Celestial Palace."
Countless other small, tedious matters were also attended to.
Once everything was in order, Jin "teleported" directly to the Gran Tesoro in the New World to reactivate its core.
Its control console had long been "assimilated" and had entered a "dormant" state during the evolution. The Gran Tesoro's operations had been affected, but fortunately, Jin had given them advance notice, and Katakuri had made the necessary preparations. The impact was minimal.
Afterward, Jin and Katakuri caught up.
"The CIU has been making more frequent visits lately," Katakuri warned.
"They just won't let up," Jin frowned.
"I've heard that many innocent people have been branded as revolutionaries and arrested, their whereabouts unknown," Katakuri said, his voice laced with concern. "I think they've got their eye on this place. They want a piece of the pie."
It wasn't surprising.
The Gran Tesoro was an incredibly lucrative prize.
The CIU was a newly formed organization, and its ranks were filled with all sorts of characters. Many of them were using the crackdown on the Revolutionary Army as an excuse to extort money from various kingdoms and factions.
And with the Five Elders deliberately trying to suppress the Winter Blossom Kingdom and Jin himself, it was only natural that there would be moves made against him. The East Blue Trading Company and the Gran Tesoro, his most valuable assets, were obvious targets.
"Let's wait and see," Jin said. "Keep a close eye on them. Let's find out who's really pulling the strings."
There had to be a single mind behind this series of coordinated attacks. Unfortunately, the CP0 agent had no information for him.
Jin smelled something familiar in the air.
This person knew him well. Their methods were cunning, not a direct, bloody confrontation, but a slow, grinding attrition.
There weren't many people like that in this world.
A few faces flashed through Jin's mind: Crocodile, Doflamingo, Benn Beckman...
Doflamingo??
Jin contacted Hina.
"Check Doflamingo's recent movements."
"Alright," she replied.
Hina immediately had her people look into it. The G-5 base was close to Dressrosa, and with the help of King Riku and the others, she quickly got the information.
"He's been on the island the whole time, suppressing rebellions. Nothing out of the ordinary."
Jin was skeptical.
"Well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it," he said. "Until there's an open declaration of war, we'll just have to play their game."
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Jin arrived on Elbaf.
He wanted to test his new stats.
The Underworld.
A dark, desolate land.
Loki, bare-chested, swung his massive hammer again and again in the swirling snow, the muscles in his powerful arms bulging.
He had kept his promise. After being freed from the Treasure Tree Adam, he hadn't fled. He had stayed and trained relentlessly.
With every swing of his hammer, a fierce wind and a crackle of lightning would erupt.
The giant guard, Lode, stood at a safe distance, not daring to get any closer.
Just then, a figure appeared on a treetop, as if it had materialized out of thin air.
His aura was completely suppressed. There was no "sound," no ripple of ki. He was one with the world around him.
If it weren't for the clear silhouette, it would have been impossible to tell that a person was standing there.
The world is me, and I am the world...
It was a strange and wonderful feeling. His Observation Haki was resonating with everything around him, creating a similar "wave," allowing him to absorb "sound."
It had the effect of making him undetectable to other Observation Haki users.
They could see him, but they couldn't "hear" him.
Like the relationship between a stealth fighter and radar.
"Grrrrr..." A giant wolf saw Jin. Its fur stood on end, and it arched its back, lowering its head and baring its teeth as it slowly backed away.
It sensed the danger.
"Hm?" Loki stopped and turned his head. His eyes were covered, and he couldn't see Jin clearly, but he could feel the Giant Wolf's fear.
"Loki," Jin's voice cut through the silence. "Are you ready?"
"It's you??" Loki said, surprised. "You're here? When did you arrive?"
He couldn't believe it. Jin was right there, and he hadn't sensed a thing. His Observation Haki... it couldn't detect his presence??
Observation Haki was like a "mind's eye," a third eye for the strong. After his eyes had been covered, Loki had come to rely on it to see the world. But now... it was useless?
Had this guy gotten even stronger?
An invisible pressure, like a mountain, pressed down on him.
The Underworld suddenly fell silent, as if an unfathomable power had frozen everything in place.
"I will defeat you!" Loki declared, his voice a mixture of awe and defiance.
His fighting spirit flared, melting the snow around him, a torrent of will that whipped up a fierce wind.
Without another word, he charged, his hammer swinging in a deadly arc.
Jin leaped into the air to meet him.
"KILL!" Loki roared.
He moved forward, his every step shaking the very foundations of the Underworld. The force radiating from his hammer was enough to shatter a mountain.
Over the past year of fighting with Jin, his own strength had been growing by leaps and bounds.
In terms of raw talent and stats, Loki surpassed even Charlotte Linlin. He had been a legend from the moment he was born. What other newborn could have survived what he had? He was a freak of nature.
Before, Loki had never had a worthy opponent. Much of his potential had lain dormant. But after his six battles with Jin, he had learned a great deal.
He had spent his time in the Underworld meditating, searching for a way to defeat Jin, pushing himself to new heights.
He was confident that this one blow, imbued with all his Haki, lightning, and physical strength, was something even a Yonko couldn't withstand.
Jin didn't even seem to brace himself. He simply threw a punch, and it met Loki's hammer.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
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