Chapter 208: Water 7
Ark Island!
Back on the same mountaintop plaza as before, Luo Han stood with Sora, Ellis , and Akatsuki . Behind them was a massive 4-meter-tall bundle stuffed with clothing and daily supplies.
"You're leaving already?"
Aishi was reluctant to see them go. They had just returned to Ark Island and barely finished their meal before Luo Han announced he was heading out.
What annoyed her more was that he wasn't taking her—or even Cole—with him. Instead, he was leaving with Ellis and the other two beautiful women. Aishi couldn't help but feel jealous.
She shot Luo Han a resentful look, but he pretended not to notice.
"Yeah, time's tight. I'm not taking the ship either. Since there's no housing on Ark Island, we'll leave it here for you all."
"Where will you stay then?"
Sister Shao was puzzled. "Don't tell me you plan to float in the sky the whole time?"
"No worries," Luo Han smiled. "I've been wanting to build my own ship for a while now. I heard there's a famous shipyard in Water 7 on the first half of the Grand Line."
"I'm heading there to have one built, then I'll return to the New World."
"Sounds good," Sister Shao nodded. Since he already had it all planned out, there was no reason to argue.
"Then we're off."
Without further delay, Luo Han took flight with Akatsuki and Sora, while Ellis joined him in the air as they flew toward the Red Line.
"Goodbye!"
Cole, Aishi , and the others waved as the four of them disappeared into the distance.
…
This time, they didn't fly over the Red Line. Instead, they took the undersea tunnel via Fishman Island to reach the first half of the Grand Line.
Back in Sabaody, Luo Han had used Kyoka suigetsu to discreetly steal a permanent Log Pose to Water 7 from a Navy officer.
Following its direction, they flew at high speed for fifteen days until they reached the skies above Water 7.
The island resembled Venice, a floating city of canals. At this point in time, the sea level along its coast hadn't risen as much as it would forty years later, so the island's surface area was much larger.
Of course, Luo Han didn't know any of that. He looked down thoughtfully.
"Why are there so many Marines here?"
Ellis frowned. Her Observation Haki sensed numerous Marine presences across the island.
"They're probably here to receive newly completed warships. Water 7's shipbuilding industry is thriving. Constant naval orders are likely part of the reason," Luo Han speculated.
"Regular orders help shipwrights refine their craft. The better they get, the better the ships. It's a cycle."
"So how are we supposed to go down? Akatsuki 's size draws way too much attention," Ellis said seriously. "You can't afford to be flashy right now."
"It's fine."
Luo Han smiled mysteriously. "They can't see us."
After a pause with no reaction from the three women, Luo Han activated his ability.
The group descended from the sky and made their way to the location of a particular fishman Luo Han had sensed earlier.
They arrived at Dock One, standing in an open area surrounded by piles of shipbuilding lumber.
"Aren't you curious about how my power works?" Luo Han couldn't help but ask.
He had expected at least some curiosity, especially after showing off.
"You already used it back in Sabaody. If I was curious, that ship has sailed," Ellis said, completely uninterested.
Sora felt the same—by now, she was used to Luo Han's arsenal of bizarre abilities that didn't match his so-called "Force Field Fruit."
As for Akatsuki , she simply didn't speak. Since leaving Fishman Island, she'd mostly remained quiet, observing the human world.
Luo Han pouted. No reaction at all. Maybe he should stop flaunting his powers—no one seemed impressed anymore.
"Tom! I'm here to collect the ten battleships," said a Marine rear admiral, handing a folder and pen to a shipwright. "This is the next batch of twenty ships—ten medium and ten large. Look it over and sign if everything's good."
"Wahaha!"
Tom, the fishman shipwright, laughed as he accepted the folder. He skimmed it briefly, paused at the cost section, then calmly signed his name.
"I trust Rear Admiral Victor to have everything in order."
He returned the documents. Rear Admiral Victor smiled, eyes gleaming, then passed the folder to his aide.
"I'll be counting on you then, Master Tom. These ships must meet all standards."
With a final glance, Victor turned and left.
Once the Marines were gone, Luo Han and his group stepped forward.
"You're Tom, right?"
"Who's there?"
Tom turned, his expression changing the moment he saw Akatsuki 's towering figure.
"P-Princess Akatsuki !!!"
He bypassed the others and rushed to stand before her, blinking hard.
"It really is you! Princess Akatsuki … weren't you confined by your father? What are you doing here?"
"Mm," Akatsuki nodded slightly.
Tom's eyes shifted to Luo Han and the others. His expression darkened. "Did you kidnap her?!"
"No, Tom!"
Akatsuki panicked and quickly explained, "I came with Luo Han on my own. Don't worry, my father agreed."
Her eyes silently warned Tom—stay calm, Luo Han is not someone to provoke.
"Ah, I see! Wahaha! Sorry for the misunderstanding."
Tom laughed heartily, relaxing instantly. He turned and asked, "Hope I didn't startle you?"
Luo Han was speechless. That quick? He'd expected to have to fight.
"No worries."
Luo Han waved it off. "Actually, we're here to ask you to build a ship for us."
"A ship?"
At the mention of shipbuilding, Tom became serious. "What kind of ship are you looking for?"
He glanced at Luo Han again. Something about the man seemed familiar.
Wait… wasn't he—
Tom quickly fished out a wanted poster from his bag and compared the image to Luo Han's face.
"You… you're Blue Demon!"
His voice trembled. He couldn't believe it—the infamous pirate who attacked Mary Geoise just days ago was standing in front of him… asking for a ship.
Tom's instinct screamed to refuse. If the World Government found out, he'd be dead.
But with Princess Akatsuki already caught up in it, he had no way out—and no courage to say no.
"Don't worry!" Luo Han smiled. "We're just here for a ship. No one will know."
"When it's done, I'll even stage a robbery and pay you full price. That way, you're off the hook."
Looking at the shaking Tom, he added, "Not bad, huh?"
"But… they already saw you!" Tom cried, pointing at the crowd nearby, many of whom were already whispering and pointing at them.
Luo Han chuckled. So did the three women—they didn't say a word.
Just then, a shipwright walked past the group and approached Tom.
"Tom, you've been mumbling to yourself for a while now. What's up?"
Tom didn't answer. He simply stared at the worker.
The man flinched under the intense gaze. "Hey! Is there something on my face? I like women, okay? Don't get weird on me."
Tom was stunned. Four living, breathing people—including the stunning Princess Akatsuki —were standing right there, and the guy hadn't seen them?
"You're not seriously—" the shipwright stopped mid-sentence and ran off in a panic.
Rumors said fishmen were stronger than humans in every way. He wasn't about to test that personally.
"It's Luo Han's ability. No one can see us standing with him," Akatsuki explained.
"Alright," Luo Han added. "Tom, let's talk somewhere private."
"Alright, follow me."
Realizing this wasn't the place, Tom led the group to a quiet part of the island, far from prying eyes.
They didn't go to his office—Akatsuki was far too large to fit inside.
"Blue Demon, what kind of ship do you want?" Tom asked without delay.
"First and foremost—big."
"You've seen Princess Akatsuki 's size. Anything smaller won't do."
"Second—it should have grassy areas, an aquarium, and a fridge. As for the kitchen, design it however you want."
"What about materials?" Tom asked. "Ship durability and longevity depend on the wood. The best material is Adam Wood. Ships built from it can survive any sea. It's every Grand Line pirate's dream."
"But it's rare, expensive, and hard to come by."
"Money's not a problem," Luo Han said. "Can you get Adam Wood here?"
"It'll take some time," Tom admitted. "No merchant ships have gone to buy any recently."
"You have a permanent Log Pose to that island, right?" Ellis interjected.
"A permanent Log Pose? I don't have one," Tom replied, then added, "But many merchants here do. They travel there often. I'm sure with your… charm, they'll lend you one."
"As long as they exist."
Ellis looked at Luo Han. "Let's go—"
"What's the island called, Tom?" she asked.
"It doesn't have an official name, due to frequent wars. But we usually call it Adam Island," Tom explained.
"Then let's head to Adam Island, Luo Han," Ellis said.
"Alright. Wait a moment."
Luo Han activated his spiritual sense and scanned for a permanent Log Pose.
Within moments, he found one—inside a luxury hotel.
(END CHAPTER)
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