OP: My Aircraft Carrier Evolves#156+157: The Five Elders' Summons, a New Warlord! Ace's Advance, Seizing the Tyrannosaurus Fruit!

"But will he accept?"

"I believe he will. That king has been relentlessly expanding his territory. The title of Warlord would grant him the authority to legally plunder..."

"And besides, we've already given him a great deal of support. This will be a good test of his loyalty."

After some discussion, the Five Elders decided to summon Jin, appointing him to replace the defeated Hanafuda as the newest of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.

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The New World.

This chaotic sea, flooded with the "trash" from the Four Blues, was a place of daily slaughter, a constant struggle for fame and fortune.

On a deserted island...

"KILL HIM!"

"He's finished!"

"TAKE HIM DOWN!"

"Hanafuda! Never thought you'd end up in our hands, did you? HAHAHA...!"

A horde of pirates charged forward, their roars echoing across the island.

Gunfire and cannonballs erupted.

"DIE, MONSTER!" a pirate yelled, leaping high into the air and bringing a massive greatsword down on the head of the half-transformed Tyrannosaurus.

"ROOAAR!" Hanafuda bellowed, his head hardening with Armament Haki.

With a loud CRACK, the greatsword shattered.

In the pirate's moment of shock, Hanafuda swiped his claws, and the man was torn into four bloody pieces.

The gruesome scene didn't deter the other pirates. Anyone who made it to the New World was a hardened killer.

"Hanafuda's been stripped of his Warlord title! Your 500 million Berri bounty is ours for the taking!"

More pirates swarmed in, eager to claim his head.

"DAMMIT!" Hanafuda roared at the sky. "DAMN YOU ALL! COME OUT AND FACE ME! FIGHT ME WITH HONOR!"

He knew. He knew the World Government was behind this, that they wanted him erased.

Without a guide from Cipher Pol or the World Government itself, how could these greedy, foolish pirates have known his exact location, the place he had chosen to hide and recover?

But his true enemies remained hidden, using these pawns to humiliate him.

He whipped his dragon tail, and his scythe shot up from the ground, sweeping through the approaching pirates.

A chorus of screams filled the air as bodies were torn asunder, limbs and blood flying in every direction.

"FIRE CANNON!" a pirate yelled, and a jet of thick flame erupted from a flamethrower, an indiscriminate attack that scorched everything in its path.

The flames licked at Hanafuda's wounds, and he roared in agony, collapsing to one knee.

Rocket-propelled grenades slammed into his body, exploding on impact.

"YOUR HEAD IS MINE!" a pirate shouted, leaping onto Hanafuda's back and smashing a Haki-infused fist into his skull, sending him sprawling.

More pirates piled on.

"It's over."

On a ship in the distance, a CP0 agent, clad in a tall, hooded robe, watched with cold indifference.

He didn't think Hanafuda could possibly survive.

He gave the order to depart. Their presence, their identities, could not be exposed. If word got out that the World Government eliminated Warlords who had outlived their usefulness, how would the others react?

Hanafuda's roars echoed across the island. He was still fighting, but it was the desperate struggle of a cornered beast.

Not long after the CP0 agent had left, another ship quietly approached the island from the opposite side.

It was the Red Hair Pirates.

With Shanks away, Benn Beckman was acting as temporary captain.

"Beckman," Yasopp said, "are we really going to save that guy?"

"Hanafuda has always been one of Kaido's men," Lucky Roux added, tearing into a piece of meat. "He's no saint."

"It's what Shanks wants," Beckman replied.

And with that, the discussion was over.

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"A Warlord of the Sea."

At Marine Headquarters, Admiral candidate Gion had personally delivered a letter from the highest authority in the World Government, the Five Elders.

It was a summons for King Jin, appointing him to replace Hanafuda as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.

That's right, a summons. Not an inquiry, not a request for his opinion. It was a command. The decision had been made; the letter was a mere formality.

Jin was the king of a member nation. The World Government "summoning" him was, technically, within their rights.

But it was still a shocking development.

Not just Gion, but Sengoku, the three Admirals, Tsuru—the entire Marine high command—were all taken by surprise.

But upon reflection, it made sense.

Although Jin wasn't a pirate, he had defeated a Warlord and had built a formidable power base in Paradise. He had both the strength and the notoriety. In fact, he seemed to be the perfect candidate for the Warlord system.

"Do you accept?" Gion asked.

Jin chuckled. "Since it's a summons, my opinion doesn't really matter, does it?" He could read between the lines of the brief letter. This was a test of his obedience.

'So I've finally caught the attention of the Five Elders...'

He knew that if he refused, they would change their strategy toward him. The many conveniences he currently enjoyed would disappear. As for "Dream" and the attention of the Celestial Dragons... that wouldn't be enough to sway the Five Elders.

There were ranks among the Celestial Dragons. Idiots like Saint Jalmack were at the bottom. The heads of the various families were in the middle. And the Five Elders, the God's Knights, and the others who protected Imu were at the very top. The top could easily control the bottom.

"Another title doesn't really make a difference to me," Jin said casually. "—If they want me to be a Warlord, then I'll be a Warlord."

In truth, putting aside the Five Elders' command, the title of Warlord would be a great help to him. Before, he'd had to be careful when causing trouble in Paradise. With this title, and the legal right to plunder that came with it... Paradise would be his playground.

And besides, of the current Warlords, Crocodile, Hancock, and Jinbe were already working with him. That meant that at any Warlord meeting, he could easily secure four votes. Mihawk and Doflamingo... he knew them as well. That just left one fat homebody. Taking him down wouldn't be hard.

With a little more effort, the Seven Warlords would be his. The entire power structure of Paradise would be under his control. He would be the undisputed King of Paradise.

The Seven Warlords of the Sea... we'll have to discuss who the real king is.

"Good. I'll report to Fleet Admiral Sengoku at once," Gion said, relieved.

Jin's acceptance of the Warlord position would be a great help in stabilizing the current turmoil caused by the successive defeats of other Warlords. It would also reduce the pressure on the Marines. And unlike the other Warlords, he had a clean record. He'd even killed a number of pirates. He was a breath of fresh air.

"Right now?" Jin said, his eyes tracing her powerful form. "We've only just met. Why don't you stay for a drink?"

Gion hesitated for a moment, then smiled. "Alright. I'll just go back to my ship to make my report. I'll be back in a little while."

As she walked toward the port, she glanced at his ship. It looked ordinary, but she had the strange feeling that it was... different. Bigger.

Has the ship... grown?

Is it my imagination? She hadn't paid close attention before. Who pays attention to the size of a ship? It was just a vague impression. A ship can't grow. Impossible.

She must have been seeing things.

She returned to her command room and reported the news of Jin's acceptance. Sengoku was relieved. He then informed the Five Elders. The news would have to be announced, widely reported.

With her official duties out of the way, Gion returned to meet Jin.

As they talked, Jin noticed a change in her. The initial suspicion and hostility were gone, replaced by a warmth, an enthusiasm.

It turned out that Gion was close to Vice Admiral Tsuru, and she had learned the truth about the East Blue gold treasure incident from her. She was deeply impressed by his methods. She, too, enjoyed a bit of "fishing." It was a meeting of like minds.

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

In a secluded bay, the Spade Pirates ship was anchored.

Skull handed a newspaper to Ace. "That king... he actually agreed to become a Warlord. I'm surprised."

"Are you?" Ace said, glancing at the paper. "His power base is in Paradise. Doesn't being a Warlord suit him perfectly? The only surprising thing is that it took them this long to make him one."

Though Ace was often reckless and impulsive, sometimes he could cut right to the heart of the matter, Deuce thought.

"Alright," Ace said, "let's get back to the main topic. Whitebeard."

The name hung in the air, heavy with meaning.

"Whitebeard..." Skull's voice was grim. "He's the only man who could ever go toe-to-toe with the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger. A living legend. And now, he's undoubtedly the strongest man in the world. The man closest to the One Piece. Every piece of intelligence I've gathered says the same thing: whatever you do, do not mess with Whitebeard."

"The strongest man in the world," Ace said, a fire burning in his eyes. He wasn't intimidated; he was energized.

"The tricky part is, how did he become the strongest?"

"This isn't a footrace or an arm-wrestling match," Deuce said.

"In terms of pure combat power, if it's a one-on-one fight, I think Kaido is probably stronger," Skull offered.

"Everyone has their own 'strongest.' It's a fun topic to debate over drinks. Who's stronger, the Four Emperors or the three Admirals? And among the Four Emperors, who's the strongest? They say Kaido is the 'Strongest Creature,' Big Mom has the 'Strongest Family,' and Shanks has the 'Strongest Crew.' But Edward Newgate... he's called the 'Strongest Man' because of the way he lives. If you violate his code of honor, he becomes a terrifying force. And in the world of pirates, that code of honor is the 'sake cup.' The men who have exchanged a sake cup with him are his sons. And Whitebeard will never tolerate one of his sons being killed. Absolutely never."

"If someone hurts one of your own, you can't let it slide," Ace said, nodding. "Even if it's another Emperor. Of course, I'm the same way."

"True," Deuce said. "But there are different ways of looking at it. When one of your own gets hurt, are you angry because they're one of your own, or because you've lost face, or is it a calculated display to maintain the unity of the crew...?"

"Which one do you think Whitebeard is, Deuce?" Ace asked.

"Based on what Skull said... Kaido is a dangerous warmonger, Big Mom is more of a businesswoman... As for Shanks, we don't know much about him. So I guess that makes Whitebeard the 'righteous' pirate. His fleet and his territory are constantly expanding. If a free pirate enters his territory, he orders one of his commanders to go meet them. If they submit, they're left alone. If they resist, they're crushed."

Although the New World was divided among the Four Emperors, there were still pirates, like Ace and his crew, who refused to bow to them. But in the end, they all had to make a choice: join one of the Four Emperors for protection, be destroyed by them, or carve out a territory of their own.

That was the harsh reality of the New World.

"Alright, let's get down to business," Skull said, unfolding a sea chart and placing chess pieces on it. "The white king is Whitebeard. The white pieces surrounding him are his commanders. Decalvan Brothers, the A.O. Pirates... and several other crews are currently trying to take his territory. Although they haven't officially allied, they all launched their attacks at the same time. It seems the other Emperors have a hand in this. Kaido, for example, is furious about Hanafuda's death, because there are signs that one of Whitebeard's crews was active in the area where he died. In any case, Whitebeard's commanders are on their way to crush the rebellion."

Skull moved the pieces. The black pieces entered Whitebeard's territory, and the white pieces moved to intercept them.

"So the white king's defenses are weak right now?" Ace said with an excited grin.

"Four of Whitebeard's main ships have been dispatched. The mothership, the Moby Dick, is like a naked woman... This is our chance to take the head of the strongest man in the world."

Ace reached for the white king.

As they were talking, a Fish-Man watched them from the bay, then dove into the sea.

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Fish-Man Island.

In the magnificent Ryugu Palace, Jinbe, having returned from Hannabal, was reporting to King Neptune.

"This new Warlord king... he has his own territory, his own power base. He is someone worth cultivating a relationship with."

"Won't that draw the ire of the Whitebeard Pirates?" Prince Fukaboshi worried. "Although Pops gave us permission to make contact..."

"I don't think so," Jinbe replied. "Pops genuinely wants peace for Fish-Man Island. His crew is the same."

King Neptune nodded slowly, but a flicker of worry remained in his eyes. He was worried about Whitebeard's age, his health. How many more years could he hold on? The fact that he had suggested Jinbe make more contact with the outside world... it was a sign that he could feel himself growing old.

"You've done well, Jinbe."

Jinbe left the palace and went to the Sea Forest. A Fish-Man with the mark of the Sun Pirates hurried over to him. "Boss! I found them!"

"Where are they?" Jinbe asked urgently.

The news that "Spade" Ace had defeated Hanafuda had left Jinbe deeply unsettled. And Ace had burned Whitebeard's flag right here on Fish-Man Island. His intentions were clear. He had to be stopped. He couldn't allow Pops to suffer any more injuries, not even a single scratch. He had decided to stop Ace himself.

—————————

"We meet again, brother."

In the dim light, Hanafuda slowly opened his eyes. He was so weak that even that simple act took all his strength.

"Is... is that you?"

Jin looked down at him. He was in a bad way. All four of his limbs were shattered, his body was covered in wounds, and the stench of decay was in the air.

"Yasopp brought you here. You were on your last breath. I used a forbidden drug to give you a final burst of energy. Do you have any last words?"

Hanafuda gave a bitter smile and sighed. "I never thought you'd be the one to bury me. Such is life. I have no last words. If you could... scatter my ashes in the sea."

"Alright," Jin said. "I'll do that. By the way, have you found any other Devil Fruits recently? Where did you put them?"

Hanafuda froze.

'Damn you! I'm on my deathbed, and you're still trying to get something out of me? Have you no conscience??'

"Guess not," Jin said. "Then you can rest in peace."

He stopped the life-sustaining treatment.

And while the body was still warm, he took the Devil Fruit.

Dragon-Dragon Fruit: Ancient Zoan, Model: Tyrannosaurus Rex.

The body didn't go to waste, either. He burned a small finger bone and scattered the ashes in the sea. The rest he gave to Judge for his research.