"Bad news! The Mist Pirates are back!"
A young shipwright came running in, panic written all over his face as he shouted in alarm.
"What?! That bastard dares to return?!"
Tom, the horned fishman, roared in fury. He grabbed a massive shipbuilding hammer and charged out without hesitation.
"Tom! Don't be reckless! Watch out for Etsumi's mist!" Jelly shouted desperately, coughing up blood. The sight of this made the surrounding shipwrights even more anxious.
...
"Captain Brook, this looks bad! These shipwrights seem to think we're the Mist Pirates!" Shakky observed, her expression turning grim as she noticed the murderous glint in the workers' eyes.
"Etsumi, you bastard! I'll kill you!"
Tom stormed out, swinging his massive hammer straight at the Mist Pirates' newly built ship.
Clang!
A chilling sword aura slashed through the air, blocking Tom's path. Only then did he realize that the figure standing on the deck of the ship was a stranger.
"Call Etsumi out right now! I'm going to kill him!"
Tom's rage burned fiercely. With his overwhelming strength, he had no reason to fear a despicable man like Etsumi.
"Mist Etsumi has already been defeated by me. He's now my prisoner," Brook stated coolly, his sword still radiating cold killing intent. "If you want his life, buy it with his bounty—150 million Belly."
"The heavens have eyes! That heartless bastard Etsumi was taken down the moment he set sail! This is karma! Hahaha!"
A senior shipwright burst into hysterical laughter, tears streaming down his face. The other workers cheered in relief. However, despite their joy, the destruction of Jelly's shipyard weighed heavily on their minds—rebuilding it would require a massive amount of money.
"You actually defeated Mist Etsumi?! That's great! Hand him over—I'll cut him down myself to avenge my master!"
Tom, who had no money, completely ignored Brook's mention of the bounty. Kill Etsumi first, then turn in the body for the reward—wasn't that common sense? What kind of fool asks for payment upfront?
Shakky had the same thought. She covered her face, sighing.
Captain Brook still hasn't figured it out, has he?
"This ship is now my spoils of war! Don't even think about smashing it!"
Brook quickly stepped in when he noticed the shipwrights picking up their hammers, ready to destroy the newly built vessel. A powerful sword aura swept across the area, halting them in their tracks.
"Everyone, stop!" Tom's deep voice carried authority, silencing the shipwrights. "No matter what kind of ship is built, a ship itself has no concept of good or evil. Whether it saves lives or destroys the world, its creator must still take responsibility for it. We shipwrights do not have the right to deny or condemn our own creations! A true man must stand by the ships he builds!"
Brook and his crew were momentarily stunned. Even the shipwrights exchanged confused glances.
Weren't you the first one who tried to destroy it, Tom?
And now you're acting all righteous? So you're the noble one, and we're the fools?
At that moment, the severely injured Jelly, supported by his workers, slowly stepped forward. His eyes fell on the newly built ship—the same one that had just been used to attack his shipyard. Then, he turned his gaze toward the captured Mist Etsumi, still restrained in Brook's grasp.
"Thank you, brave warrior, for avenging us. We are truly grateful." Jelly's voice was hoarse but sincere. "Would you be willing to hand Mist Etsumi over to us? And… could we reclaim the wealth he stole from us?"
The moment Jelly spoke, he essentially tried to claim all of Brook's spoils. Shakky's expression darkened. She understood their dire need for funds to rebuild the shipyard, but this was pushing it.
"Old man, that's a bit much," Shakky said bluntly. "Even pirates don't rob like that. Mist Etsumi is a notorious pirate with a 150 million Belly bounty. Why should Brook just hand him over? He fought hard to capture him—everything he owns now belongs to Brook.
"Of course, as long as you agree to one condition, I'll agree to your request!"
Brook initially refused Jelly's request but then stated his own terms.
"What condition?"
Jelly, severely injured, felt even weaker. He had no idea what Brook would demand. Was it the blueprint? Had he been exposed?
"If possible, I want this horned Fish-Man, Tom, to be my shipwright. In exchange, I'll give you the Mist Etsumi and all the treasure he stole."
"Impossible! Tom is the backbone of Jelly's Shipyard, our protector. There's no way we can let him leave to become a pirate!"
Old Jelly strongly opposed the idea. Tom was his most outstanding apprentice, and with age catching up to him, he needed a successor. He had already decided to pass down the Pluton blueprints to Tom.
"Don't you want to create something that could save Water 7? Maybe I can give you some ideas."
Brook's words immediately caught Tom's attention. He had always wanted to help Water 7, boost its economy, and put an end to the chaos among the seven major shipyards.
"You have a plan to save Water 7?" Tom asked curiously.
"Tom, you can't leave! This place needs your protection!"
Old Jelly quickly stopped the Fish-Man from getting any ideas. He couldn't let Brook lure him away.
"How about this—let Tom work as my shipwright for two years, and I'll pass on the concept to him. How does that sound? Add in Etsumi's bounty and a few hundred million Belly as payment to rent Tom for two years. That's a great deal, isn't it?"
Brook's words immediately brightened everyone's eyes. This way, Tom could pursue his dream while Jelly's Shipyard would receive funds for reconstruction. Everyone would benefit.
Old Jelly hesitated. Two years… he should still be alive by then. He could just hand the Pluton blueprints to Tom later. But right now, the shipyards in Water 7 were in constant conflict, fighting over business. If Tom left, it would be difficult…
Tom, on the other hand, was surprised that Brook was willing to spend so much Belly to hire him. Two years for nearly 200 million Belly per year? And the possibility of finding a way to save Water 7? It was a tempting offer.
In the end, after much persuasion from the shipwrights and Tom himself, Jelly reluctantly agreed.
...
Etsumi, having had all his memories consumed by the Memory Seahorse, was reduced to an idiot. He was handed over to Jelly's Shipyard, where Jelly and Tom led the workers in beating him to a pulp before turning him over to the Marine branch in exchange for his bounty to fund the shipyard's reconstruction.
Brook moved everything from his old pirate ship to his new one, leaving the old ship with Jelly's Shipyard to be refurbished and sold.
Jelly still worried about the shipyard's safety once Tom left, so Brook left behind the remaining members of the Mist Pirates. They had all lost parts of their memories but were still promising talents. He entrusted Jelly with training them.
...
Inside the shipyard's office, Jelly was still trying to squeeze some extra Belly out of Brook to compensate for losing Tom's protection.
"Why do these pirates seem so dumb now? Like a bunch of rookies!" Jelly muttered suspiciously.
"How should I know? Maybe I beat them so hard they forgot who their mothers were. Or maybe they're just scared stiff."
Brook then unleashed his chilling aura and eerie ghostly energy, making Jelly instinctively back away.
"That's seriously terrifying… Maybe they really did get scared into insanity," Jelly admitted.
With that, he gave up on trying to squeeze any more money out of Brook. The funds from Etsumi's loot would have to suffice.
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+100 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg