Barracuda Bay, Blue Clam Shipyard.
It was early morning. The rising sun had just climbed into the sky, and a thin mist still shrouded the surface of the sea, but this renowned shipyard in Barracuda Bay had already awakened.
On the slipway, the keel of a large ship under construction lay there like the spine of a stranded whale, quietly sprawled across the supports of countless thick wooden frames. The Shipwrights were like scavengers feasting on a whale fall, standing on the scaffolding beside the keel with axes and iron drills in hand, scattering wood shavings everywhere.
On the other side, a massive capstan slowly turned with a creak. A hemp rope thicker than a child's arm was pulled taut, its far end stretching all the way to the water and tied to the stern of a newly completed vessel just about to be launched. The craftsmen on both sides wore expectant yet solemn expressions as they carefully observed the wooden ship entering the water.
At the southernmost side of the shipyard, near the sea, the former "Flying Fish Oil Barrel" had already been moved here from the docks.
Its overall shape had not changed much from three days ago. It was still just as low and slender, clearly not yet having entered the refurbishment process.
But the detailed plans for its subsequent modifications, as well as the parts that needed special attention, had all been finished over the past few days.
Xia Nan had just finished his morning training and taken a shower in his room at the inn. His short black hair was still somewhat damp, and at this moment, he stood on the wooden frame beside the "Flying Fish Oil Barrel," studying the pirate ship that was about to begin its transformation.
Hera had introduced this "Blue