As Miguel spent more time talking with the woman standing before him, he began to realize just how deeply passionate she was about her craft. Every time she mentioned her "babies," her eyes lit up with pride, and she would eagerly show off her creations, explaining every little detail about them as if she were presenting priceless treasures. The more she spoke, the clearer it became to Miguel that her work wasn't just a hobby—it was her entire world.
Her enthusiasm gave Miguel an idea. "Hey," he began, a faint grin on his face, "you're clearly obsessed with your 'babies.' Why not use them to travel the world? Don't you want your creations to be known everywhere, admired by people in every corner of the sea?"
The woman froze mid-sentence, her hands still gesturing in the air as she processed his words. Slowly, a faraway look came into her eyes, and her lips curled into a faint smile. It was clear she was already imagining something grand—perhaps a crowd cheering, admirers praising her inventions, her name being spoken in awe across the seas.
"Hah," she finally said, her tone smug and confident, "it seems my skills are exactly what you need. And honestly, who wouldn't want the genius of the great Mei Hatsume on their side? Very well, I'll accept your invitation." She puffed out her chest a little as she introduced herself.
Her name immediately made Miguel think of another anime character, much like what had happened when he met Gyutaro and Ume.
Without wasting a moment, Mei began controlling the metal scraps scattered around her, pulling them together with precision and speed. In mere moments, she had crafted a sleek motorcycle so she wouldn't have to walk. At the same time, she reforged the armored suit Miguel had broken earlier, clearly preferring to remain hidden behind it.
"Are you shy or something?" Miguel asked with a teasing smirk.
Without hesitation, Mei punched him—not hard enough to injure, but firm enough to make her point.
"Come on, I was just asking," Miguel said, rubbing his arm.
"It's not about shyness," Mei replied firmly. "It's for my lungs. The pollution here in Spider Lily has been killing them since I was a kid. Without this gear filtering the air, I'd be coughing my guts out in minutes."
Miguel simply nodded, understanding, and began leading her toward where he sensed Borsalino's presence. On the way, they passed through streets littered with rusted junk and scavengers digging through piles of scrap metal. To Mei, it was a familiar sight—this wasteland was the only home she'd ever known.
A few minutes later, they arrived at the docks where Borsalino, Gyutaro, and Ume were stationed. The scene spoke for itself—several unconscious locals lay sprawled across the ground, clearly having been taken down in a fight. Borsalino was lounging lazily, arms behind his head, while Gyutaro and Ume stood alert, clearly acting as guards. Judging by the setup, it seemed Borsalino had tasked them with protecting the ship.
"What happened here?" Miguel asked.
Ume and Gyutaro exchanged proud looks, while Borsalino merely gave him a disinterested glance before closing his eyes again.
"No matter," Miguel said with a shrug. "Everyone, this is Mei Hatsume—our soon-to-be mechanic and shipwright. Say hello."
Gyutaro's eyes widened as he looked at Mei's armored figure with genuine awe. Ume gave her a warm smile, and Borsalino didn't bother to move, simply glancing once before looking away.
"Woah! A REAL ROBOT!" Gyutaro shouted in an exaggerated, childlike tone of excitement.
"Hello," Mei replied, her voice deep and raspy through the helmet—the same as when Miguel had first met her. She then stepped forward, removed her armor piece by piece, and revealed herself fully. Without hesitation, Ume ran over and threw her arms around Mei, hugging her tightly in welcome to the crew.
---------------
More than a month had passed since Mei Hatsume officially joined Miguel's pirate crew. Her induction had been marked with a celebratory ceremony that Miguel himself arranged, welcoming her into the Deus Pirates as more than just a shipwright—she was now family. In return for her loyalty, Miguel did something that astonished the entire crew: he removed the physical limits of Mei's body, freed her from the curse of the sea that afflicted all Devil Fruit users, and gave her the means to grow endlessly in both skill and strength.
With this newfound freedom, Mei's mind immediately turned to her next grand project. She wanted to create what she proudly dubbed her "greatest baby"—a ship worthy of carrying Miguel across the most dangerous seas in the world. It would be one of the strongest vessels ever built, yet designed in a way that allowed her to continuously upgrade and modify it using the magnetic powers of her Devil Fruit, which they had identified as the Jiki Jiki no Mi after consulting the crew's Devil Fruit encyclopedia.
Since the Deus Pirates' current vessel was nothing more than a ship Miguel had seized from Golden Lion Shiki, Mei insisted on dismantling it completely. For more than three weeks, she oversaw the project, tearing the old ship down piece by piece while salvaging any usable parts. She began the rebuild with the keel, crafting it from rare, dense hardwoods sourced from nearby islands. To enhance durability, she coated the keel with layers of high-grade steel plates—seamlessly fused to the wood with her magnetic control—making the ship's foundation nearly impervious to damage from cannon fire or collisions.
Once the frame was reinforced, Mei turned her attention to the ship's armaments. Instead of simply reinstalling the dozens of traditional cannons, she melted them down and reconstructed their parts into four massive electromagnetic cannons. These weapons could launch projectiles at incredible velocity and with pinpoint accuracy, drawing power directly from the magnetic energy she generated. The design allowed them to fire specialized ammunition, including armor-piercing rounds and magnetic grapples for boarding enemy ships.
The propulsion system was her boldest innovation. Rather than relying solely on sails, she incorporated a hybrid drive: a set of retractable metal propellers powered by a heat-and-electricity engine she had crafted from scavenged parts and custom alloys. This system, fueled by both combustion and magnetic induction, gave the ship the ability to move even when the wind was dead, and to make sudden bursts of speed that could outpace most vessels in the New World.
By the time Mei was done, the Deus Pirates' new vessel was nothing short of awe-inspiring. Its hull stretched long and sleek, forged from reinforced black steel seamlessly fused with dark hardwood, giving it the menacing elegance of a predator slicing through the sea. The ship's bow jutted forward in sharp, blade-like protrusions, designed both to intimidate and to ram through weaker ships if necessary. The plating was etched with intricate, almost ritualistic markings—faint silver lines that caught the light and made the vessel look as though it carried some ancient, forgotten power.
Rows of jagged spines and angular battlements ran along the deck and upper structure, giving the impression of a floating fortress bristling with defenses. At its flanks, curved, fin-like armor extended outward, helping to stabilize the ship in high seas while also serving as protective barriers for the electromagnetic cannons housed within. From the aft section, the hybrid propulsion system emitted a faint hum of power, while bursts of steam and arcs of blue lightning occasionally danced along its metal framework.
Hanging beneath the keel were two massive, hook-like anchors, suspended on thick, magnetically reinforced chains that could be raised or lowered with a thought from Mei. When deployed, they could be used as both mooring tools and devastating weapons in battle, capable of dragging enemy ships into close quarters.
When viewed from a distance, the ship looked less like a man-made vessel and more like a war-beast carved from steel and shadow, sailing under its own grim will. The crew couldn't help but stare at their new home, equal parts awe and pride in their eyes, while Miguel simply smirked, knowing this "greatest baby" would soon make its name feared across the seas.
"Say hello to my greatest masterpiece, I named it Black Citadel," Mei said as she presented the ship towards Miguel, Borsalino, Gyutaro, and Ume, who had only their mouths wide open.