Although they returned earlier than expected, Hina had successfully conducted a full-scale saturation strike.
Just as she claimed, a single one of their warships was equivalent to an entire fleet under the Demon-Slaying Order.
Take the main cannon, for instance—its rate of fire was over three times faster than that of the Navy's capital ships.
Not to mention the superior range, explosive power, and precision of the shells.
In every aspect, it completely outclassed the Navy's heavy warships.
In fact, with proper use of its range advantage, one such warship could theoretically wipe out an entire naval fleet.
After all, it boasted a firing range of 22 kilometers...
Meanwhile, the Navy's own battleship cannons could barely reach a little over 1 kilometer.
With a top speed of 30 knots, the warship could easily kite an entire enemy fleet. No question about that.
Of course, Hina had also discovered a few shortcomings that needed addressing.
One of the biggest issues? Observation methods.
Yes, the main cannon could fire up to 22 kilometers, but standing on the bridge with binoculars only gave them a sight range of around 12 kilometers.
In other words, any target beyond 12 kilometers was effectively out of visual targeting range.
Sure, the ship was equipped with Observation Haki Radar, but as previously mentioned, that system's maximum detection range was roughly ten times the user's base Observation Haki range.
Take Hina, for example—her current coverage was about 300 meters.
That means the radar extended to about 3 kilometers—not even close to binocular range, let alone the 22 km maximum firing distance.
To fully match the cannon's range, the ship's captain would need to have a base Haki detection radius of 2.2 kilometers.
And how many people in the entire sea could do that?
So for now, while the Observation Haki Radar was useful, its effectiveness in artillery combat was extremely limited.
---
Hina spent nearly an hour in the meeting room detailing the issues.
Some were minor—easy to tweak.
But others were major problems without any clear solutions.
"Roy, what's your take?" He asked.
As the head of the Ship Design Bureau, Roy was the authority here.
"Captain, most of the issues can be handled, but the Haki radar? That's a tough one. Maybe we go with the old-school solution for now?"
"Old-school?"
"Yes. We can add a mast to the superstructure and build a lookout post on top."
Classic. The age-old solution: height equals sight.
Hina's 12-kilometer visibility was limited because she was viewing from within the bridge.
But what if they raised the observation point by 20 or 30 meters?
Naturally, the line of sight would extend further. Maybe not 22 kilometers, but definitely an improvement over 12.
Crude? Yes. Effective as a stopgap? Absolutely.
"Agreed. Roy, get to work on the design. Kairo, once it's ready, start retrofitting the battleship immediately."
"Yes, Captain!"
Then he turned to another officer.
"Seras, what's the status of the close-in weapon system I requested?"
From the start, Hina had felt that deploying just ten heavy machine guns per ship for anti-air and close-range defense was far too lacking.
So she had asked Seras to develop something more advanced.
Fast fire rate. Capable of unleashing a dense barrage. High firepower. Automation, if possible.
"Captain, the specs you gave… we just can't hit them all in the short term," Seras admitted with a shake of his head.
The list had included:
1. Over 1000 rounds per minute.
2. Range exceeding 2 kilometers.
3. 30mm armor-piercing rounds.
4. (And ten more requirements...)
The reality was that most of it simply wasn't feasible right now.
The limiting factor wasn't design—it was manufacturing capabilities.
The tech just wasn't there yet.
It was like trying to build 3nm microchips without a photolithography machine.
Same logic applied here in the world of pirates.
The truth was, their current tech base was too underdeveloped in many areas.
"Then what if we just increase the number of heavy machine guns?" Hina offered after some thought.
"That's doable. You can mount as many as you want—even 50. But each gun needs two operators, which means bringing dozens of extra crew aboard." Roy explained.
"That'll reduce living space, strain supply capacity, and cut into ammo storage."
True enough. The guns themselves weren't the issue—it was about logistics and trade-offs.
"Do it. Equip each battleship with at least 30 heavy machine guns. I want full 360-degree coverage—no blind spots in the fire net."
After careful consideration, Luo Lan made the call.
Even if such firepower wouldn't be needed in normal operations, they couldn't take any chances for the upcoming mission to Volcano Island.
A major battle was likely, and the current configurations weren't enough.
---
The meeting dragged on.
Beyond the modifications discussed, Luo Lan instructed Roy to improve on any newly discovered issues.
Meanwhile, a second batch of two warships was ordered into production.
Design to completion in 20 days—a tight schedule.
Luo Lan also tasked Smoker and Hina with training four new qualified naval crews within the same 20-day window.
The goal: all four warships launching simultaneously in one month.
With assignments finalized, Luo Lan headed toward the training center to cultivate.
But then...
Seras quietly approached and stopped her.
"Captain, I've just finished something really cool. Wanna check it out?"
"What is it?"
"Heh... remember that flying machine you once described to me?"
"Wait—you mean a plane? You actually built one?!"
His eyes widened in disbelief.
"Let's go. Now. Show me!"
"Yes, sir!"
Ten minutes later, Luo Lan was staring at the finished prototype.
And the moment he laid eyes on it, he was stunned by how familiar it looked.
If memory served, this thing looked exactly like the Morane-Saulnier L, one of the world's first true fighter aircraft from his past life.
Good heavens...
Seras, you mad genius... did you transmigrate too?
How else could it be this accurate?
Sure, from a modern perspective, the aircraft was rudimentary.
But there was no denying—it was a real combat aircraft.
Even by his past world's standards, this model was revolutionary for its time.
"Can it fly?"
"Theoretically, yes. But we haven't test-flown it yet."
"Then let me do it." He said, eyes gleaming with excitement.
He was going to be the first person in this world to fly a plane.
And he couldn't wait.
---
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