OP: My Aircraft Carrier Evolves#158+159: An Invitation from Big Mom! War, and a Slaughter at the Port!

Hanafuda had been delivered courtesy of Shanks, saving Jin the trouble of hunting him down for his Devil Fruit later.

After hearing that Hanafuda had lost to Ace, Jin had guessed the Five Elders would move to tie up loose ends and eliminate him.

First, in the original story, Hanafuda did, in fact, die.

Second, even without that foreknowledge, one could infer his fate from the downfall of other Warlords like Crocodile, Moria, and Doflamingo.

The Warlord system was the World Government's check against the Four Emperors. Its members had to possess sufficient strength and reputation.

Once you were defeated, your reputation plummeted. You would naturally be stripped of your title and replaced by someone stronger.

Otherwise, the World Government wouldn't have secretly approached Ace to gauge his interest in joining.

If Ace hadn't refused, Hanafuda would have been dead long ago.

Another Devil Fruit acquired. Nice.

Jin opened the ship's interface.

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[Primary Authority: Captain Jin]

[Abilities: Munch-Munch, Mushroom-Mushroom, Candy-Candy, Hell's Red Serpent, Calm-Calm, Triceratops, Bomb-Bomb, Ton-Ton, Spring-Spring, Kraken-Kraken, Castle-Castle, Kilo-Kilo, Barrier-Barrier, Tone-Tone, Chain-Chain, Steel-Steel, Slow-Slow, Rumble-Rumble, Cat-Cat: Leopard, Silver Spider, Tyrannosaurus]

[Next Evolution Requirements: Soul Crystals (6,207/10,000) | Refined Steel (0.1/10,000 tons) | Gold (4,420/100 tons) | Silver (86/500 tons) | Rare Earth Metals (68/2,000 tons) | Biological Matter (10/30)!]

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"The Biological Matter requirement for the next evolution is one-third complete."

"As for the rest... I can get the steel and silver from Alabasta."

"And the soul crystals... now that I have the title of Warlord, doesn't that mean I can do whatever I want in Paradise?"

"Go wherever I please?"

Jin stretched languidly.

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Shanks and Yasopp stayed in Hannabal for a few more days. After saying their goodbyes to Uta, they prepared to head for the East Blue.

After getting an earful from Uta and being subtly mocked by Jin, Shanks's pride had taken a hit.

So he was having Yasopp escort him—a convenient excuse to visit his home.

Mihawk had also departed.

He was used to traveling alone and had only come because Shanks had personally invited him.

Just as Jin was about to leave, he received a piece of intelligence from Cipher Pol.

He postponed his departure.

A massive ship, flying a pirate flag, was docked at the shore.

The flag's emblem was a skull wearing a bicorne hat, surrounded by flowing pink hair and lipstick, one hand waving.

Anyone with half a brain would recognize it.

It belonged to the Big Mom Pirates.

The flag of Charlotte Linlin, one of the Four Emperors of the New World.

As a pirate force powerful enough to rival the World Government, they could effortlessly annihilate any nation in Paradise.

The moment their flag appeared, everyone—pirates and Marines alike—had to be on high alert.

The common folk could only tremble in fear.

"Hannabal?"

At the ship's prow, Charlotte Galette let out a bored yawn.

She had pink hair, yellow eyes, and wore bright lipstick that contrasted with her pale skin. A purple cape was draped over her red minidress and high heels, and a brown ornament adorned her head.

She was the 18th daughter of the Charlotte Family, the Minister of Butter for Totland.

"Hey, Galette," a voice drawled. "That's no way to talk about Mama's last husband—our last father. It's not very polite, you know! Hehehehe!"

A tall, slender man with a pointed face and heavy makeup let out a strange laugh.

Charlotte Perospero, the eldest son of the Charlotte Family and Totland's Minister of Candy.

He chuckled, then turned to a tall woman who was standing with her arms crossed and her eyes closed. "Isn't that right, Smoothie?"

Smoothie, the Minister of Juice and one of the Three Sweet Commanders, was a half-Longleg with a pair of astonishingly long legs.

She opened her eyes and gazed at the docks.

"Cut the chatter," she said coolly. "Let's just get Mama's task over with."

Charlotte Linlin's hobbies included finding husbands, having children, hosting tea parties, and collecting rare and exotic creatures.

Jin, as a rising star in Paradise—handsome and powerful—had naturally caught her eye.

She had dispatched Smoothie, Perospero, and Galette, along with five hundred pirates, from the New World to Paradise.

It was a show of force.

They were here to deliver a tea party invitation to the Winter Blossom Kingdom, to "invite" Jin to be a guest in Totland.

Of course, the unspoken message was clear:

'You don't have the right to refuse.'

Like a summons from the Five Elders, it was a mandatory draft notice.

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"The Big Mom Pirates."

Jin sat in his chair, his chin resting on his hand, and looked at the three standing before him.

It was a polite invitation on the surface, delivered with smiles.

But it was an undeniable threat.

As core members of a Yonko crew, Smoothie, Perospero, and Galette all carried themselves with an air of arrogance, a hint of contempt.

They knew that Jin had defeated Hanafuda and Doflamingo, but so what?

They were just Warlords.

Did anyone really think a single Warlord could stand against a Yonko's crew? How naive.

And so, they were confident.

"Is something wrong, King Jin?" Perospero asked, his voice deceptively genteel as he held out the invitation. The king had yet to accept it, and his patience was wearing thin.

"Surely you're not thinking of refusing Mama's tea party? That would be a shame, wouldn't it?"

The Charlotte children varied in strength.

The weak ones were still young.

Or they were like Perospero and Galette, who relied on their Devil Fruits but had failed to develop them properly.

The strong ones... were like the woman standing before him now. Smoothie.

There were still two years until Luffy set out to sea. Jin didn't know how strong Smoothie was at this point in time. But given her age and her status as a Sweet Commander, even if she wasn't as powerful as she would be in the future, she was still a force to be reckoned with.

Jin nodded slowly. "My schedule is already full. I can't say for sure if I'll be able to attend the tea party. I'll have to see when the time comes."

He had other things to do. He planned to consolidate the powers and resources of Paradise first. He didn't have time to deal with the New World.

It was a polite refusal.

A strange look flashed in Perospero's eyes.

"King Jin," he said, his voice low, "an invitation from Mama is a rare and precious thing. And it is not to be refused... Are you refusing?"

Jin scoffed. "And what if I am?"

Smoothie and Galette both looked surprised, incredulous.

"Do you have any idea what will happen if you refuse?" Galette demanded.

"What will happen?" Jin countered. "Will the Big Mom Pirates come charging into Paradise to fight me? I'd welcome it. I can guarantee you this: I might not die, but the Big Mom Pirates will be wiped from the face of the earth."

It wasn't a bluff. The Four Emperors were confined to the New World for a reason. Did he really think they didn't want to expand their territory?

The moment they dared to leave the New World, never mind the other three Emperors watching like vultures, the full might of the Marines would descend upon them.

Even a powerhouse like Whitebeard had been defeated at the Summit War—and that was with several high-ranking Marines holding back.

"Big Mom? So what? You're just hiding behind her name. If Charlotte Linlin herself were here, I might have to think twice. But you..."

"Go back to where you came from. And if you want a fight, I'll be happy to oblige."

<><><><><><><><>

Perospero stared at Jin, who was the picture of calm. He could see a deep, unshakeable confidence in his eyes, a strength that was not intimidated by the name of a Yonko.

"How exciting," Smoothie said, her expression cold. "A man should be this assertive and confident—provided he has the strength to back it up. Do you have enough strength to make an enemy of the Charlotte Family?"

She was a woman of great responsibility, fiercely loyal. She would not allow her mission to fail.

"Have you thought this through?" Jin asked. "Once we start, there's no going back for you."

Smoothie drew her longsword, making her intentions clear.

Perospero and Galette also drew their weapons, flanking her.

"Barrier Box."

Jin raised a hand, and a square barrier of energy formed around them, trapping him and the three Sweet Commanders inside.

He didn't want the collateral damage to destroy Hannabal.

A Devil Fruit? Smoothie noted.

"Butter Bind!"

Galette attacked first, a wave of butter shooting from her hands to control the battlefield and restrict her opponent's movements.

The Paramecia Butter-Butter Fruit. It could create and manipulate butter to restrain opponents.

"Candy Wave!"

Perospero also attacked, releasing a massive wave of purple syrup that pooled around the edges of the space like a swamp.

The Paramecia Lick-Lick Fruit. It could create candy and syrup of various shapes and could turn anything it touched into candy. Another control ability.

It was clear that their goal wasn't to kill him, but to subdue him, to teach him a lesson.

After all, he was a guest invited by Charlotte Linlin.

If they failed their mission, there would be consequences.

A crackle of electricity, and Jin "vanished" from his chair.

WHAM!

Before she could even react, a fist slammed into Galette. She was sent flying backward, her back hitting the barrier, and she was knocked unconscious.

"What??"

Perospero was horrified. He quickly waved his candy cane, creating a thick "candy wall" around himself.

CRASH!

The hard candy wall shattered into a thousand pieces.

An unstoppable force surged through the air.

Perospero was also sent flying, coughing up blood. He crashed to the ground, unable to get up.

Smoothie, stunned, acted on pure instinct.

"Juice Giant!"

Her body and her weapon grew to a massive size, her form wrapped in an invisible armor of Armament Haki.

The Paramecia Squeeze-Squeeze Fruit. Its main ability was to wring out moisture, to "squeeze" the juice from anything it touched.

She used her Observation Haki, and through the haze, she could just make out a flash of "lightning." The speed was incredible.

A fist rushed toward her, carrying with it an immense pressure.

It was like a bolt of lightning from the heavens. A blinding light exploded in front of her eyes, and a massive force crashed into her.

The punch, imbued with incredible power, slammed into her body, creating a sound like rolling thunder as electricity coursed through her.

Smoothie's body shuddered violently. She felt her "juices" boiling. She was completely paralyzed, arcs of electricity dancing across her skin.

She stumbled backward, the ground cracking beneath her feet, each step leaving a deep fissure.

The attack didn't stop.

After three more punches, Smoothie's back was against the barrier. She had nowhere to retreat. A final, vicious punch descended.

The blow was like hitting a water-logged sponge. A massive amount of liquid, of juice, erupted from her body.

She collapsed to the ground, limp and powerless, her body shrinking back to its normal size, tiny arcs of electricity still flickering across her skin.

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Jin returned to his chair and glanced at the three of them. They hadn't intended to kill him, so he had spared their lives.

'A ransom... three Devil Fruits in exchange for these three... that's not too much to ask, is it?'

'If they pay, that's six fruits in total. If they don't... I kill them, and it's still three.'

Jin was beginning to realize that having others "deliver" Devil Fruits to him was much more efficient than hunting for them himself.

Good deeds go unrewarded, while crime pays handsomely.

He was getting good at this whole kidnapping and extortion thing.

Especially with the Four Emperors and the Seven Warlords, who had their own vast territories and large crews, and thus, a much greater chance of acquiring Devil Fruits.

He had them all put in Seastone cuffs and locked away.

As for the five hundred pirates they had brought with them...

"Mayor Enru," Jin said, "your arena is still short on laborers, isn't it?"

"It is, a little."

"Wilson. It's time to test your men's training. The First Fleet will handle this. Anyone who resists... is to be killed."

At his command, Wilson, the captain of the kingdom's First Fleet, stationed in Hannabal, led his men to surround the Big Mom ship.

The scene drew a lot of attention.

"Is that... Wilson?"

"He's surrounding Big Mom's ship?"

"Did the negotiations break down? Are they going to fight?"

"Damn... that king has some serious balls. He's going after a Yonko's ship? Isn't he afraid of Big Mom's retaliation?"

The pirates on Smoothie's ship were also confused. They'd thought this would be an easy job. How had they ended up surrounded?

"Hey! What do you think you're doing??"

"Do you know who we are?? Look at the flag!"

"We're from a Yonko's crew!" they shouted, indignant, feeling that they had been insulted.

"Where is Lady Smoothie?"

"What do you want?" another pirate, sensing that something was wrong, demanded.

"Smoothie of the Big Mom Pirates and her associates threatened and attacked the king, a serious violation of the kingdom's laws," Wilson announced, his voice booming. "By order of the king, you are all under arrest. You have the right to resist, but any who do will be executed on the spot!"

Behind Wilson, defensive fortifications had been erected. Soldiers armed with Kar98k rifles took their positions. Others adjusted the aim of the cannons.

They were the new recruits from Drum Island, Hannabal, and Asuka Island, all of whom had undergone the formal training program Jin had developed, a hybrid of his home world's military training and the unique characteristics of the world of One Piece.

As expected, the pirates of a Yonko's crew, arrogant and unruly, were not about to surrender to a bunch of weaklings from Paradise.

"Dammit!"

"Kill them!"

"Who the hell do you think you are?? You think you can make us surrender??"

Wilson's eyes turned cold. He waved a flag. "Open fire!"

BOOM!

The 130mm coastal defense cannon, already loaded, was the first to fire.

A Haki user on the ship, intending to leap into the air and cut the cannonball in two, had just drawn his sword when the shell was already upon him.

What??

He was stunned. The shell wasn't round; it was a pointed cone. And it was much faster than he had expected.

The distance was too close.

This coastal defense cannon was one of Jin's own "creations." Its shells traveled at three times the speed of sound.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

A single shell was all it took. The ship was blown in half, the people on board sent flying by the massive explosion, their bodies torn to pieces.

To make matters worse, the explosion had set off the ship's powder magazine, and a massive mushroom cloud rose into the sky.

But the individuals in the world of One Piece were truly tough.

Even in the face of such a powerful explosion, half of the pirates had survived. They leaped ashore and charged, their swords drawn.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The Kar98k rifles opened fire, their faster bullets, higher rate of fire, and greater destructive power tearing through flesh and bone.

Blood sprayed through the air as one pirate after another fell to the ground.