"Bad news."
"Teacher Garp, I'm afraid the Dog Head Warship can't be repaired."
Garp immediately pulled a long face.
"Damn it! It's not some Dog Head Warship! It's my—Hero Garp's personal warship!"
Leon had expected that reaction, and a knowing smile spread across his face.
"But there's good news, too..."
"On my way back, I happened to find a replacement for the Dog Head Warship!"
"Oh?"
As Garp looked on in confusion, Leon slowly pulled a dog-head hat from his pocket.
"Here. Doesn't it look a lot like the dog-head figurehead on the Dog Head Warship?"
"Even if you switch to a standard-issue warship, you could still stand at the bow wearing this. Wouldn't that be enough to represent the Hero Garp standard?"
As Leon spoke, Garp's forehead was already covered in dark lines.
Pow!
Garp still had plenty of fight in him; his fist was as fast as lightning.
"You little brat! Is there no such thing as respecting your elders in that head of yours?!"
"We expect to stay here for a week to record the magnetic field."
"Within a week, I want to see a warship exactly like the original!"
"Otherwise... aren't you a great swimmer?"
"From now on, whenever I go out to sea, you can tow the ship out in front!"
Under Garp's threat, Leon left the Marine base with a huge bump on his head, sighing as he went.
"Does nobody have a sense of humor these days?"
With Leon's current physique, a mere bump disappeared in no time. He followed the road to a shop that rented Bulu.
These creatures, known as "Bulu," were one of Water Seven's defining features and its main form of transportation.
After paying 500 Beli to rent a single-seat Bulu, Leon officially entered Water Seven.
But it wasn't long before he realized that the Water Seven of today looked rather different from the one he remembered from twenty years later.
Not far ahead of him, a group of burly shipwrights were carrying tools they normally used to repair ships, ready to duke it out!
"Damn Morgan Shipbuilding Company! How dare you steal our customers!"
"You're asking for trouble!"
"Hmph! You people from Da Qi Shipbuilding Company have some nerve saying that!"
"If you hadn't secretly lowered your prices, would we have lost every last customer?!"
The two groups stood at the brink of a fight, the tension thick in the air.
"If Morgan can't attract customers, that's because you're no good at your jobs. And you have the nerve to blame us!"
"Fine!"
"Then let's see what Da Qi can do!"
"Get 'em, boys! If you're not afraid to die, you're not afraid to become ghosts either!!!"
"Hang those damn Morgans from the streetlights!!!"
At the slightest provocation, the two groups launched straight into a brawl.
Blades sank into flesh and blood sprayed everywhere. The brutal scene would have needed to be completely censored before it could be shown.
"They've got plenty of spirit..."
Leon calmly walked past them, with no intention of getting involved.
Leon wasn't some hero who could make a grand entrance, exude kingly charisma, and get two opposing sides to burst into tears and make peace.
Besides, their conflict wouldn't be solved here. Only when Fishman Tom built the Sea Train, a marvel that defied common sense, could Water Seven truly be saved.
The streets were nearly deserted. The few people who appeared hurried along as if in a great rush.
The Bulu beneath Leon, calm until now, suddenly grew restless. He paddled his four legs frantically underwater, carrying Leon at high speed to a shop by the water.
"Takoyaki! Freshly grilled Water Water takoyaki!"
Bulu turned its head, its neat, pearly white teeth on display as it gazed at Leon pleadingly.
"So you're hungry?"
Leon patted Bulu's head.
Tender, springy Water Water Meat was another specialty of Water Seven. Leon had just eaten, but since he was here anyway...
"Could I get ten servings of takoyaki...and ten servings of fried meat patties, too?"
The shopkeeper was delighted to have a customer. He didn't even ask whether Leon could eat that much, and quickly packed up the food.
The freshly cooked Water Water Meat actually bounced in Leon's hand.
He fed a serving to Bulu, who could hardly wait any longer.
Leon picked up a piece of Water Water Meat and popped it into his mouth. He didn't even need to chew it much.
The Water Water Meat slid down Leon's throat as if it were alive.
"Whoa!"
If Leon were in the world of Cooking Master Boy, he would have heard a chime in his ears, seen a flash of lightning in his mind, and then fallen into a fantasy.
A miniature Leon swam through a world filled with Water Water Meat...
After eating his fill, Leon didn't forget to ask the shopkeeper where he could find shipwright Tom.
Only a shipwright as skilled as the world's greatest could possibly repair the Dog Head Warship within a week.
But as soon as Leon mentioned Tom's name, the shopkeeper's friendly expression abruptly changed.
He took a cautious look around to make sure no one was nearby, then glanced nervously at Leon's Marine uniform before lowering his voice.
"Marine, what do you want with that guy?"
"I heard he's a good shipwright, and I want to ask him to repair my ship."
"I thought the Marines were finally going to take action..." The shopkeeper visibly relaxed, but still cautioned Leon, "That guy's connected to the Pirate King."
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