OP: My Aircraft Carrier Evolves#130+131: The Concert, The World's Greatest Diva, and Uta's Debut! A Shock for Shanks!

Skypiea had long been on Jin's list of targets—a personal treasure vault waiting to be claimed.

It held not only a vast fortune in gold, but also a Logia-type Devil Fruit—the Rumble-Rumble Fruit—and a Poneglyph.

Furthermore, securing Skypiea would allow him to deploy his fleet of aircraft to the sky, far from the prying eyes of the World Government.

After the incident with Hanafuda, Jin was certain that Cipher Pol had agents embedded on Drum Island, Hannabal, and Asuka Island.

He just couldn't make any overt moves against them yet.

For now, he was still playing the part of a "loyal king."

But before his journey to the sky...

Back in Hannabal, while construction of the grand arena was still in full swing, a new, magnificent music hall already stood tall against the skyline.

It was modeled after the stadiums of his past life, though it was far larger, with a special "Giants' Section" for the island's larger patrons—at a premium, of course.

A ring of VIP boxes for nobles and wealthy merchants circled the top.

The entire venue was constructed from a high-performance alloy synthesized by the demonic carrier, strong enough to withstand the collateral damage of a Vice Admiral-level battle.

Of course, Jin had made it perfectly clear that anyone who dared to start a fight here would learn the true meaning of the word "cruelty."

"Not bad..." A voice chirped. "As long as the diva and the music don't disappoint, a venue like this could attract a high-end clientele. An island full of nothing but pirates isn't exactly conducive to long-term growth."

"Big News" Morgans, as always, was in his full albatross form.

He was the picture of an elegant gentleman. A crisp, light-colored shirt was buttoned to the neck, adorned with a bow tie and layered under a sharp blue suit jacket. A gold pocket watch hung from his breast. Over it all, he wore a black cloak that draped over his feathered tail. His ensemble was completed with a pair of red-and-white striped trousers and pale leather boots. He even carried a cane, looking every bit the part of a medieval lord.

The Zoan-type Bird-Bird Fruit, Model: Albatross.

Awakened.

While Jin had no interest in Du Feld's loan sharking, he was very interested in the president of the World Economic Journal.

So, for the music hall's debut concert, he had personally invited Morgans.

It was partly for publicity, and partly to build a relationship.

Morgans wasn't the only one.

Jin had also invited King Cobra and Princess Vivi of Alabasta.

The King of Kilauea and Sherlock.

From the Germa Kingdom, Judge and Reiju had come—mainly to show their faces and quell any inconvenient rumors.

From Asuka Island, Commander Hina and the shamaness Izaya.

A number of his own people had also received invitations: Dr. Kureha, Dalton, Wilson, and others.

Mayor Enru stood at the entrance, greeting the guests.

Brogy, along with his two giant underlings, Bobby and Pogo, stood guard. Their massive frames, clad in gleaming armor, were an imposing sight.

Cobra and the other royals were already seated.

Jin personally escorted Morgans inside.

The open-air venue, which could hold ten thousand people, was designed not just for concerts, but for sporting events as well, a way to diversify Hannabal's "entertainment" offerings and give the high-rolling pirates and gamblers a way to unwind.

Morgans was highly impressed.

"It's not as extravagant as Tesoro's Gran Tesoro," he commented, "...but it has a certain style."

Gild Tesoro's golden ship was now a world-famous entertainment city, a place even the Celestial Dragons frequented.

Hannabal was a long way from that level.

But Jin's goals weren't so lofty.

With natural-born divas like Uta and Carina, and Gordon, the former leader of Elegia, Jin had been planning his media strategy since he was back in the East Blue.

The first step was to make them famous. Once they had a following, he could start slipping in a bit of his own messaging. Certain catchy, seemingly innocent songs were the perfect vehicle for propaganda, for influencing the masses.

And Uta's Sing-Sing Fruit possessed a powerful "infectious" quality, able to create a deep, resonant connection with anyone who heard her voice.

And so, the Hannabal Music Hall was born.

Director: Gordon.

Lead Diva: Uta.

When Carina returned, she would be the secondary diva.

The acting head of the dance department was Porche.

Jin had left the specific operations entirely to Gordon. He was just the money, the man who had organized the construction.

Gordon had once been a world-renowned pianist and musician. He had connections. As the former king of the island of music, he knew how to run a theater. In this, he was the authority.

And ever since he'd learned that Jin had "killed" the musical "demon," he had been filled with a profound sense of gratitude. The loss of Elegia still hurt, but Uta was alive. That was all that mattered.

And now, Jin was supporting their musical dreams. The old man's body was filled with a new fire.

He had called upon his old network, contacted old friends, and invited them to form a new troupe in Hannabal. Jin had even offered to cover their travel expenses, allowing them to use the safe route through Mary Geoise.

Restoring the glory of Elegia—it was a duty he could not forsake.

At the same time, they had placed ads in the World Economic Journal, recruiting talented musicians and dancers. By the time the theater was built, they had already assembled a core team.

Once they were open, they would gradually expand.

—————————

After getting Morgans settled, Jin went to the next box to greet King Cobra, Princess Vivi, and their guards, Pell and Chaka.

He'd had Ai personally pick them up in his ship to ensure their safety.

Since his last visit and the signing of the trade agreement, the volume of trade between the Winter Blossom Kingdom and Alabasta had skyrocketed.

Jin's escort fleet, sailing the Salamander, made the round trip once a month, protecting the merchant ships. After a few foolhardy pirate crews who had dared to challenge the black dragon flag had been wiped out and their captains flayed alive, no one dared to cause trouble.

The biggest challenge was the chaotic weather of the Grand Line.

But after numerous trips, Jin and Ai had mapped out a relatively safe route. For over a year now, there had been no major incidents.

Jin sold Ice Mushrooms, various other fungi, and medical supplies to Alabasta, and in return, he purchased perfumes and other local specialties, which he then sold in Drum Island, Kilauea, and the Four Blues, making a considerable profit.

Cobra, in turn, collected taxes on the trade, replenishing the royal treasury and easing the country's financial burden.

The main reason for their success was that the trade between Cobra and Jin could bypass the Berri, using the "Merit Voucher" as a medium of exchange.

Jin could sell his goods for Berries, which went into his treasury to pay the Heavenly Tribute and other expenses. But when he needed to buy supplies, he could use the vouchers.

And, Jin still owed him for the mineral rights. Cobra had decided to forget about installment payments and just take the vouchers instead.

And if one mine wasn't enough? Alabasta was a vast, resource-rich country. What he lacked wasn't resources, but the means to turn those resources into money.

And Jin, who was short on resources, had the ability to turn them into valuable commodities.

It was a perfect synergy.

That was why Cobra had agreed to make this risky visit.

Jin was too important to Alabasta.

He had even entertained the thought of a political marriage between Vivi and Jin, with their child one day inheriting his throne.

But Vivi was still a little too young.

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

Jin chatted with Cobra for a while, then went to make the rounds with the King of Kilauea, Sherlock, and the three young kings.

Finally, the time had come.

The lights in the entire venue dimmed. As the audience murmured in surprise, a countdown appeared on the stage in the center of the arena.

10... 9...

The bright numbers flashed in the darkness, capturing everyone's attention.

When the countdown reached 0, a beautiful, clear voice, unaccompanied, rang out.

"Where the Wind Blows"

"Where is this wind blowing from, I wonder?"

"I ask, but the sky gives no reply."

"Where will this song end up, I wonder..."

Uta's voice echoed through the venue, silencing all other sounds, instantly drawing the audience into her "domain."

Cobra, Vivi, Morgans, Hina—every single person in the audience was stunned. A collective shiver ran through them, a tremor that touched both body and soul.

That voice... it was special. It pierced straight to the soul.

Uta was just singing.

But the power of the Sing-Sing Fruit was radiating from her, unseen.

The demon of Elegia was gone. But Tot Musica was still "alive," transformed by Uta into something new, something that was broken but unyielding.

Her fruit was in a state of advanced awakening.

Outside the venue, the pirates and onlookers who had gathered to see what was going on were all chattering noisily. But when the music drifted out, they all fell silent, listening, and then, involuntarily, they were drawn in.

Even rough-and-tumble brutes like the giant brothers were captivated, standing in silence.

The only sound was Uta's voice.

And then, it spread to all of Hannabal.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and listened to the song carried on the wind.

Birds landed on branches.

Beasts lay down in the grass.

Fish hung suspended in the water.

As she sang, the lights in the venue came up, illuminating Uta on the stage.

She finished the first verse.

With a single opening, she had captivated the entire audience.

They could all feel a tingling on their scalps, a trembling in their souls, as if they were being baptized.

Then, the music swelled, and more and more lights came on, like stars, illuminating the entire venue.

Morgans was already applauding, his mind racing. "Incredible! Where in the world did that king find her? She's a natural-born diva! No! From this day forward, she is the world's greatest diva! This is big news! Hahaha! This has to be the front-page headline tomorrow morning!"

The headline was already writing itself in his mind.

["A DEBUT IN HANNABAL! THE WORLD'S GREATEST DIVA HAS APPEARED!!!"]

What? Some people might disagree? There would be debate?

Perfect. Without debate, there's no attention. Without attention, how would he sell newspapers?

A hot topic like this... even if they hadn't paid for the ad, Morgans would have put it on the front page.

Backstage, Gordon listened to the silent audience and smiled.

A successful opening.

You have to grab the audience's attention from the very beginning.

Uta had done it.

Tonight's debut was already half a success.

"I hear the king invited the president of the World Economic Journal to write a column about tonight's concert," he thought. "Shanks and the others... they'll see the paper tomorrow, won't they? I wonder what their expressions will be."

—————————

Jin made his rounds and then returned to Morgans. They listened to the music and talked business.

"So you want to create a weekly entertainment magazine, under the banner of the World Economic Journal?" Morgans asked, swirling the red wine in his glass. He had a refined palate. Just from the aroma, he could tell it was a special vintage from the West Blue.

"A partnership, to be precise," Jin said. "I'll provide the funding, you'll provide the equipment and personnel. The content will be focused on entertainment and leisure. The eccentricities of a certain king, new songs, celebrity fashion, serialized novels... that sort of thing. To satisfy the public's curiosity and their desire for refinement. We could also do a 'World's Most Beautiful' competition."

Morgans laughed. "I see. So that's your real goal, isn't it? You have a thing for beautiful women."

"You see it, but you don't say it," Jin said with a grin. "That's how you stay friends."

"Hahaha..." Morgans roared with laughter. He had done his own research on Jin. Other than a weakness for women, he had no real flaws. But for a man of power, that wasn't really a weakness. Beautiful women were the cheapest of resources. With the exception of the truly top-tier ones.

"If," Morgans said, a glint in his eye, "you can also give me the exclusive rights to distribute this diva's records..."

"Of course," Jin said with a smile.

Morgans raised his glass. "To our success!"

Jin clinked his glass against his.

Jin didn't have any media professionals or a global network of reporters. Morgans did. It was the perfect opportunity to use someone else's resources to build his own empire.

Entertainment, making money... that was just a secondary objective.

The main goal was to prepare for the day when he could control the narrative, to build his own mouthpiece.

"I'll have Ai translate Journey to the West and some other books with a rebellious spirit, adapt them to the pirate world," he thought. "Web novels, too."

He couldn't help but chuckle at a morbidly amusing thought. His old phone and laptop—they were a treasure trove of TXT files. He was about to give the literary world of One Piece a little shock.

—————————

The concert wasn't just Uta. Gordon and a group of veteran musicians also took the stage, their performance more formal, but no less captivating.

And there was Porche and her troupe of long-legged dancers.

The sound of drooling could be heard throughout the venue.

Listening to the thunderous applause, Porche didn't miss her old, sunken captain, Foxy, in the slightest.

This stage... it was amazing.

The concert ended with Uta's rendition of "Unforgettable Tonight"—the lyrics, of course, had been translated.

The curtain fell, and the applause continued for a full ten minutes.

"That was wonderful! The best concert I've ever been to!"

"And I never thought I'd hear the style of Elegia played again in a place like this."

"That pianist... was that Gordon, the king of Elegia?"

Morgans was so moved he was crying, dabbing at his eyes with a handkerchief. It was a bit over the top, but it seemed he was a fan of Gordon's. A fan seeing their idol... it was a normal reaction.

Morgans took out a pen and paper and began to write furiously. In a few short minutes, he had completed a front-page article.

Jin read it over. It was filled with praise. He, in turn, praised Morgans' writing and talent.

A little mutual flattery.

—————————

The next day.

The morning edition of the World Economic Journal, with a rush print run, was delivered by the News Coos to all corners of the globe.

New World.

On a certain island, Red-Haired Shanks, Benn Beckman, and the rest of their crew were in the middle of a joyous feast.

"Hey, Captain! This is bad!"

The ship's doctor, Hongo, came running from the ship.

"What is it, Hongo?" Lucky Roux said, tearing off a chunk of meat. "Is it the three Admirals? Or have Kaido, Whitebeard, or Big Mom shown up?"

"No, it's not that! It's..." Hongo ran up to them and unfolded the newspaper in his hands. "Uta! It's Uta!"

"Hm?" Shanks, who had been raising a cup of sake to his lips, froze. His smile vanished. The entire crew fell silent, the festive atmosphere suddenly turning grim.

Shanks snatched the paper. His eyes locked onto the article, onto the photograph.

The report didn't name her, but there was no mistaking the girl in the picture.

It was Uta.

'What? Did Gordon take her out of Elegia? What happened?'

Shanks' expression was grave. He saw the location mentioned in the article. "Hannabal??"

Benn Beckman took a long drag from his cigarette and exhaled a cloud of smoke.

"Captain, we can't just ignore this."