OP: My Aircraft Carrier Evolves#150+151: Shanks and Mihawk! The Uniqueness of the Swim-Swim Fruit, and an Audience with Jinbe!

Kuraigana Island.

The ruins of the fallen kingdom were still stark against the landscape, but life had already begun to reclaim the scars of war.

Greenery, vibrant and lush, sprouted from the very soil enriched by blood and bone.

Inside the ancient castle, Mihawk was at the stove, searing a fish fillet.

The sizzle and the rich aroma filled the stone hall.

Nearby, at the long dining table, Shanks was reading the newspaper.

"So, Doflamingo lost, huh?" he mused. "This king must be something special. Is he really a rookie who just popped up in the last three years?"

"Hn," Mihawk grunted. Pan in hand, he slid the perfectly cooked fillet onto a plate and set it down in front of Shanks.

"The Marines and Cipher Pol have looked into him. He appeared on Drum Island three years ago out of nowhere and inherited Wapol's throne."

"Sounds a little like Doflamingo's story, doesn't it?" Shanks said, scratching his head. "You don't think he's some Celestial Dragon's bastard son, do you?"

"It's unclear," Mihawk said, wiping his hands and taking a seat. "He's a suspected Devil Fruit user, but the specifics are unknown."

Shanks frowned, running a hand through his red hair. "What a headache..."

Mihawk shot him a sidelong glance and picked up his knife. "A headache? I don't think you're talking about the king."

"Why not?" Shanks sighed. "He's the king of a member nation, a young powerhouse, very ambitious... any one of those things is a headache on its own."

Mihawk scoffed. "More of a headache than your own conflicted heart? You've been freeloading here for half a month, Shanks. Is it because you're too scared to face Uta?"

Shanks had already told him everything. They had been rivals in swordsmanship for years, long before the arm was lost—a friendship forged in the clash of steel. As a master swordsman, Hawkeye was not one for eloquent words, but his perception was razor-sharp. He could see straight into a person's heart.

And Shanks was rarely this indecisive.

Except when it came to the people he loved most.

"Back then... we were the ones who left her behind. Does she hate me for it?" he murmured. "And with Elegia destroyed... does she remember what happened? What would I even say to her?"

"If someone were threatening her, it would be easy. I'd just cut my way in and get her out. But from what I've seen, she's not being threatened. She's happy on that stage. She's shining."

"What if me showing up just drags up the past and hurts her all over again? Maybe... maybe it's better if I just stay away."

He was too close to it.

When he'd first seen the news in the New World, he'd been furious, ready to storm in and demand answers from Gordon. You old fool, how could you let this happen to my daughter?!

But after arriving, after making a trip to Hannabal and seeing Uta's performance for himself—the fear and hesitation had set in.

That's why he was here. He needed Mihawk's help to investigate quietly, to make sure he didn't cause a misunderstanding that could hurt Uta even more.

It was a feeling only a father could understand.

Mihawk cut into his fish with practiced elegance and took a bite. "My advice is to go directly to this king. I have a feeling he's planning something."

Shanks leaned forward. "Did you find something?"

"An intuition," Mihawk replied flatly. "A swordsman's intuition."

Shanks stabbed a piece of fish with his fork, shoved it in his mouth, and chewed aggressively. The doubt in his eyes slowly hardened into resolve.

—————————

Wano Country.

Headquarters of the Beasts Pirates.

Kaido took a long swig from his gourd.

"So, Joker was beaten too, huh? That king... how old did they say he was, twenty-something?"

"That's what the papers say," Queen confirmed.

"In that case, Hanafuda's loss wasn't so disgraceful," King said. "This newcomer is clearly a rising star with immense potential."

Jack stayed silent in the corner, not daring to speak.

The Beasts Pirates of today, though they had occupied Wano for years, were a far cry from the powerhouse they would become. The Numbers? Not yet. The Gifters? Not yet. The Tobiroppo? Still just kids...

The crew was held together by Kaido and his three All-Stars. But an army of grunts couldn't build Kaido's dream. The resistance in Wano was constant, his forces spread thin. He hadn't managed to train a single truly powerful subordinate. In his final battle against Luffy, nearly all his top fighters were recent recruits. And his own damn daughter... was an Oden fanboy, obsessed with backstabbing her own father.

Kaido was just... so tired.

"Has Hanafuda gone to find Ace of the Spade Pirates?" Kaido asked.

"He has," Queen said.

"Let's hope he succeeds," King said, a note of unease in his voice. "Knowing the World Government, if he fails again, I fear..."

—————————

West Blue.

With Crocodile's management and a constant influx of capital, the Bounty Hunters' Guild had expanded completely. In just over half a year, it had established branches on hundreds of islands across dozens of countries in the West Blue.

Guild hunters could now accept a wide variety of missions based on their rank—from finding lost people and pets to protecting merchant ships and assassinating targets, to hunting down pirate captains and fighting in wars.

The model was a success. For both clients and hunters, it was a reliable platform. The Guild's growth was explosive.

Crocodile was already preparing his next move: to push back into the Grand Line.

"So, Doflamingo lost too," he said, a smile spreading across his face as he read the paper. "Excellent news."

The stronger Jin became, the better his own chances of obtaining Pluton.

—————————

Cocoyasi Village.

Genzo and the villagers cheered as they read the news. The sight of the black dragon flag brought them a sense of security.

A fighter jet screamed overhead. They were used to it by now. The kids all dreamed of becoming pilots—far more glamorous than sailing a ship.

The East Blue Trading Company's shipping and trade ventures were proceeding smoothly.

When other crews saw that flag, they gave it a wide berth.

Even the most ignorant pirate had heard the story of the golden treasure trap. The Buggy Pirates had been scared off just like that. Buggy now harbored a deep and abiding hatred for whoever had spread that false rumor.

—————————

South Blue.

Kid and Killer had been at sea for over half a year and still hadn't found a single Devil Fruit. They were furious. The news of a man who had defeated a Warlord only added to their despair. How could they possibly compete with that?

But they would not give up.

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

After leaving Mock Town, Jin had the demonic carrier consume two more Devil Fruits.

The first was the Paramecia Sui Sui no Mi—the Swim-Swim Fruit. A Devil Fruit that seemed almost useless in the wrong hands. It was supposed to belong to the Donquixote Family's Señor Pink.

Its power allowed the user to treat any surface as a liquid, to "swim" through the ground or walls. A rapid, subspace-like form of movement.

Why a Paramecia and not a Logia? Did it involve some kind of alternate dimension?

Jin was actually looking forward to this one. Some fruits that were mediocre for a person could have bizarre and powerful effects on the carrier.

Just as he'd expected, after consuming the Swim-Swim Fruit, the demonic carrier gained the ability to "navigate" through a different dimension. This wasn't a separate space like the Uta World. It was... a conceptual ability.

The power to "sail" anywhere.

Through walls, through trees, through the air...

Even through space.

Furthermore, the fruit allowed the carrier to synthesize "water." But this wasn't ordinary drinking water. It was ultrapure water—water with absolutely no impurities. The kind of perfectly "clean" substance that was nearly impossible to acquire, and absolutely essential for scientific research like Lineage Factor manipulation.

Vegapunk would have killed for this.

The second fruit was an animal-type: the Cat Cat Fruit, Model: Leopard.

It was supposed to be eaten by Rob Lucci, the so-called once-in-800-years genius of Cipher Pol. Now, it was in Jin's hands.

Its effect on the carrier was... average.

But seeing it made Jin think of the other fruits held by CP9...

Especially the Door-Door Fruit.

'Another conceptual, space-related power... If I could get my hands on it, would it enhance my teleportation abilities? The members of CP9 should be undercover in Water 7 right now... And the shipwrights there are the best in the world. Plus, the Sea Train technology... I'll have to make a trip there soon. And Moria... he's got some good Devil Fruits too. I wonder if Brook has drifted there yet?'

He was already planning his next upgrade. Thirty Devil Fruits... it sounded like a lot, but if he broke it down, it wasn't impossible.

As he was plotting, Robin's voice cut through his thoughts. "King, a call from Hannabal."

"Hn?"

Jin had been on his way back to Drum Island when, one after another, Mayor Enru and Wilson had contacted him.

"One of the Seven Warlords, Jinbe the Knight of the Sea, has arrived in Hannabal. He requests an audience with you."

Jinbe?

Jin's mind immediately connected the dots. He had a good idea of what this was about.

The Fish-Man Island problem.

The world of pirates wasn't just populated by humans. There were Fish-Men, Giants, Minks, Longarm tribesmen, Dwarves...

The Giants, due to their individual strength, were generally respected, though they were still sometimes tricked and captured to serve as gatekeepers.

The other races... their lives were a constant struggle.

But the most unfortunate of all were the Fish-Men. In the sea, they possessed strength far superior to humans. Theoretically, they should have been the kings of the ocean.

Instead, they were forced to live ten thousand meters below the surface, their people scattered, their mermaid women prized as slaves by nobles and the wealthy.

Crews like the Arlong Pirates only dared to flex their muscle in the East Blue. If they tried that on the Grand Line, they'd be crushed in an instant.

The cruelty of humanity was deeper than the sea, higher than the sky.

—————————

Hannabal.

The king's flagship was docked.

All the important figures of Hannabal had been notified and had come to welcome him. Mayor Enru, Captain Wilson, the underground boss, Gordon... and a few new, wealthy-looking faces.

"Quite the crowd," a voice said.

Penguin and Shachi, Law's crewmates and friends, had just docked and were witnessing the grand spectacle.

"I heard Bepo went to Melcyse to find Law."

"Yeah, I think so."

"What about Hakugan?"

"He's the new helmsman of the Salamander."

"And I heard that old man Wolf's airplane actually flew!"

After witnessing Jin's power, Law had temporarily disbanded the Heart Pirates, sending his crew out to train and grow on their own.

"It's so crowded," Penguin said, trying to see over the cheering crowd.

"Hannabal is getting more and more popular," Shachi said. "Rich people and big merchants are all coming here, looking for new thrills, new business opportunities. They even started a cruise line that travels to all the major countries to bring in the high rollers."

Because of their skill, Penguin and Shachi had been hired as guards for the cruise ship, and they had fought off more than a few would-be robbers.

"I hear the king who defeated two Warlords and is constantly expanding his territory is here," Penguin said. "Who wouldn't want to see him?"

"Yeah," Shachi agreed. "After that article in the paper, his new title, the 'King of Paradise,' is really starting to stick. The New World has its Four Emperors... and Paradise has its king."

"If it was just Hanafuda, people might have been skeptical. But he took down Doflamingo too."

"He's too strong."

"There's a rumor going around that he only got control of Melcyse because he defeated the Pirate Empress."

"And another one says he beat Crocodile in the West Blue, but no one knows about it."

"Damn... does that mean he's beaten four of the Seven Warlords?"

"If he takes down the other three—Mihawk, Jinbe, and Moria—he'll be the Emperor of Paradise!"

"Jinbe and Moria are one thing, but Mihawk... he's the World's Greatest Swordsman. There are so many powerful swordsmen in the world, and he's at the top. He's the real deal."

Penguin and Shachi didn't notice the two cloaked and hooded figures standing behind them.

It was Mihawk and Shanks.

Unable to bear Shanks mooching off him any longer, Mihawk had reluctantly agreed to accompany him.

Shanks nudged Mihawk with his elbow. "They're talking about you... Mr. World's Greatest Swordsman."

Mihawk heard the teasing tone in his voice and had the sudden urge to cut the fool down. 'I come all this way with you, and this is the thanks I get?'

"Hey, I heard that Shanks guy is a pretty good swordsman too," Penguin said. "He fought Mihawk to a standstill multiple times."

"Yeah," Shachi agreed. "If he hadn't lost his arm, Mihawk might not be the World's Greatest Swordsman."

"Overall, Shanks is probably stronger, right? He's a Yonko, after all."

Shanks's eyes lit up. This kid knows what he's talking about...

Mihawk's hawk-like eyes narrowed.

Penguin suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

"Actually, I think Mihawk is the better swordsman," Shachi said. "Shanks couldn't beat him before he lost his arm, and he definitely can't beat him now."

"Yeah, that's true," Penguin agreed.

Mihawk's hand, which had been resting on the hilt of his sword, relaxed a little.

"By the way," Penguin said, "how did Shanks lose his arm? Did Mihawk cut it off? Or was it someone else? It's not like he was just swimming and got it bitten off by a fish, right?"

"Haha! No way! What, was it a Sea King or something?"

"More like a Sea King steak," Shachi joked.

Shanks's face fell. 'And just like that, you've lost your bright future.'

Just as Shanks and Mihawk were both about to knock the two idiots out, a series of screams erupted from the docking area.

"AHH! IT'S THE KING!"

"IT'S HIM!"

"YOUR MAJESTY! I LOVE YOU!"

"YOUR MAJESTY! MARRY ME!"

Jin had just reached the gangplank when a chorus of shrieks and cheers erupted from the crowd.

He glanced over. Women of all shapes, sizes, and ages. The guards were holding them back, thankfully.

Mayor Enru and Captain Wilson wiped the sweat from their brows. If there was another assassination attempt, how would they explain it?

"The crowd is too enthusiastic!"

"Protect the king!"

Several of the wealthy merchants and nobles noticed their own companions and wives swooning, licking their lips.

"Hey! Get a hold of yourself! You're drooling!"

"Why are you unbuttoning your shirt?! You're going to expose yourself!"

"Get that big gut of yours out of the way! You're blocking my view of the young, fresh, strong king! What if he notices me...?"

Jin smiled and waved to the welcoming crowd, showing his friendly, approachable side.

He was a politician now. He'd seen it on TV and in real life. He'd never done it before, but he was a quick study.