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Under the clear sky, wisps of black fog and brilliant sunlight were starkly divided by a stretch of blue sea.
Suddenly, a rift tore open in the fog, widening as if something had just burst through—but there was nothing there.
There was only the churning wake of something unseen, a trail of white foam on the blue.
A ship?
But where was it?
"The power of invisibility... not bad," Jin mused, standing inside the conning tower as he tested the new Devil Fruit ability.
"Invisibility itself isn't a weak concept at all. Absalom's use of it was elementary, limited to the surface. Its true potential lies in erasing one's presence—scent, sound, everything. Combined with the Calm-Calm Fruit, the effects could be incredible. Perfect for ambushes, completely bypassing Observation Haki."
Jin had long since realized that certain Devil Fruit combinations could be devastatingly effective.
He'd mused on it before. The Sing-Sing Fruit, the Pump-Pump Fruit, the Tone-Tone Fruit... combine them with the right performance, and you wouldn't just bring the house down.
You could probably bring down the world.
Absalom's understanding of "invisibility" was purely physical. But Jin believed that non-physical things—like scent and sound—could also be made "invisible."
And then there was conceptual "invisibility."
The power to subconsciously lower one's own presence, to be instinctively overlooked by an enemy.
It was like those people in real life who just seem to fade into the background, a "transparent" person no one ever notices.
The main character from Kuroko's Basketball was a perfect example.
Shiryu's ability to land a fatal blow on Garp during the battle on Hachinosu had to be related to his mastery of the Clear-Clear Fruit. He had likely made himself conceptually "invisible," causing Garp to subconsciously ignore him, his senses completely deceived.
If he developed the Clear-Clear Fruit in that direction, it would be an incredibly powerful ability.
Lost in thought, Jin deactivated the fruit's power. The demonic carrier shifted from its invisible state back to its disguise—a three-masted sailing ship, appearing from nowhere and carving a clean, white line through the sea.
Jin glanced back at the Florian Triangle, a place of perpetual, ominous fog.
"This trip was quite profitable," he thought. "Two Devil Fruits, over five hundred wandering souls... and I plundered Moria's entire fortune, an estimated 800 million Berries. Plus, now that I have control of Thriller Bark, it's basically a soul-crystal farming map."
"Other than Mihawk and Doflamingo, I've essentially brought all the Warlords in Paradise under my influence. And Jinbe and Fish-Man Island... they're not technically in Paradise, but they've clearly shown an interest in making contact."
Fish-Man Island was currently under Whitebeard's protection, and it was rife with internal conflict and racism. Jin had no desire to get involved right now—at least, not until after the Summit War.
Did people really think the Fish-Men's suffering was solely because of human pirates?
There were plenty of Fish-Men who despised humans, who were born with the belief that they were a superior race. They only played the victim because humans were stronger. If the roles were reversed... Arlong was considered a "hero" among his people. They looked down on ordinary humans for their "weakness," yet they cried foul when stronger humans oppressed them. The double standard was infuriating.
Of course, Jin didn't deny that there were gentle, kind, and innocent victims among the Fish-Men, like the idealistic Queen Otohime and Princess Shirahoshi.
Life was diverse.
Like Brook, for example.
"Yohohoho... it's a fine day today, isn't it, Your Majesty?"
Brook had apparently made up his mind. He had rung the bell, requesting a meeting with Jin.
After being "eaten" by the demonic carrier, Jin hadn't killed him.
For one, Brook was valuable. His "soul music" could add a new genre to Hannabal's music scene.
Second, there were still many mysteries surrounding him.
And third, the Revive-Revive Fruit was a special case. It operated on the level of the soul. If he rashly tried to integrate it into the carrier and Brook's will proved indestructible, it could cause a lot of trouble.
After his battle with Tot Musica, Jin had realized that fruits with a strong will of their own possessed a certain "independence." Mythical Zoans, for example, seemed to choose their own users.
The prime example: Nika.
It was hard to say if Luffy had eaten the Nika fruit, or if Nika had eaten Luffy.
Fruits like the Revive-Revive Fruit and the Soul-Soul Fruit were also unique.
After running its analysis, Ai had advised against integrating it for now, recommending a period of observation instead.
"So," Jin said, looking at Brook, "what is your choice?"
The skeleton, with his signature afro, maintained the elegant demeanor common among those from the West Blue.
"I will sign the contract," Brook said. "To be able to perform music—that is my dream. Besides, it was you, Your Majesty, who helped me reclaim my shadow. I am honor-bound to repay you. And I have no desire to return to that sunless fog."
Jin smiled. "Welcome to the Royal Music Troupe of the Winter Blossom Kingdom. This is a ten-year contract. We will provide the stage, the management, and everything else you need to reach the pinnacle of the music world."
Anyone who paid close attention to the world of One Piece would notice that beyond the adventure, there was a well-established media ecosystem—news, music, fashion, and more.
Morgans' news agency was at the top of the media world. Uta's music could be broadcast to the entire planet. Wapol's comeback had been boosted by the favor of a Miss World winner, proving the existence of beauty pageants. Fish-Man Island had famous fashion designers and even a fashion week.
And during the two-year time skip, Brook, with the help of his managers, had become the "Soul King" of the music world.
Luffy had only become the Fifth Emperor thanks to Morgans' hype.
It was clear that branding and public relations were becoming more and more important.
Take, for example, the "Prince Charming" who would be all over the news in a year's time, the hottest new thing since Ace: "The Gorgeous Supernova," "The Pirate Prince"—Cavendish.
He was the pirate equivalent of a pop idol. When he debuted, the newspapers followed his every move for days. Women even stole his wanted posters. For a time, he was the biggest name in the business.
But two and a half years later, the "Worst Generation" had burst onto the scene. They were all ruthless killers, and they became the media's new darlings. Cavendish, the "old-timer," was cast aside. He had been so furious that he'd gone to Dressrosa to settle the score.
It was no different from new and old celebrities fighting over the spotlight.
Brook signed the contract. In his current state, having just escaped one prison, with nowhere else to go, three years or ten made no difference to him.
Only after signing did Brook notice a special clause regarding "penalties for breach of contract."
No harassing women?
No peeking at panties?
A 500,000 Berri fine for each violation?
'Do they really think I, Brook, am that kind of person?'
A woman in a maid outfit entered the room, carrying a tray of tea.
Brook's soul-fire flared. As if triggered by some primal instinct, some latent memory, he slid to his knees before her.
"May I be so bold as to see your panties—"
WHAM!
The girl sent him flying with a single kick.
"Pervert!" she grumbled.
It was Perona's voice.
Her features were flawlessly delicate. She wore a gorgeous purple and black gothic maid outfit, a perfect gothic lolita.
After a thorough humbling from Jin, Perona had reluctantly submitted.
With Brook taken care of, Jin activated the Castle-Castle Fruit and sent him back to his room.
He leaned back and enjoyed a shoulder massage from his gothic lolita, sipping his tea and looking at his sea chart.
Sabaody Archipelago.
He had one other purpose for this trip: to travel to the Calm Belt near Sabaody to trade with Hancock.
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