Do It Yourself, Eat Well and Dress Warm

Fishman Tom single-handedly lifted a finished wooden boat dozens of times his own body length.

With a grunt, Tom hurled the boat into the air, then with his other hand, he tossed the three masts from his shoulder, which precisely slotted into the pre-drilled holes on the boat.

The boat splashed down onto the sea, sending up a huge spray of water.

Tom laughed heartily, brushing the dust off his hands.

"Truly the world's greatest shipwright—this craftsmanship is nothing short of miraculous..."

A sharp whistling sound cut through the air. Leon, who had already sensed the danger, stood his ground, flicking his right leg upward to send the incoming cannonball flying into the sky.

The sudden explosion drew Iceburg out of the small house.

"What are you up to now, Franky!"

Seeing Franky's wary expression, Iceburg followed his gaze and spotted the strange Navy man standing in front of the small house, his body wrapped in bandages.

Leon quietly observed the youth before him—a yellow shirt on top, triangular swim trunks below, clearly in the throes of rebellion.

Cyborg Franky.

This was the first member of the main crew he'd encountered since crossing over.

"Since you're an old acquaintance, I'll let it slide this time."

"Hope you'll build me a Gundam someday as an apology."

Iceburg and Franky didn't understand what the strange Navy man meant, but his demeanor didn't seem like he was here to capture Mr. Tom.

"Hey, you two! The man's here in style!"

"As men, we should welcome him in style too!"

Hearing the commotion, Tom walked over, accompanied by a frog walking upright on its hind legs.

"Hello there, Navy lad. I'm Tom, a shipwright."

"I'm Leon. I've long heard of your reputation, Mr. Tom."

Leon extended his hand. Tom looked a bit surprised, then opened his wide mouth to reveal two rows of sharp teeth, laughing heartily.

Their hands clasped firmly together.

"So, young Leon, have you come to arrest me, a fishman?"

"?"

"I'm here to ask Mr. Tom to repair a warship for me."

"Me? A warship?"

"Hahahaha, what an interesting kid. Come inside and talk."

Invited by Tom, who seemed inexplicably cheerful, Leon entered the small house of Tom's shipbuilding company.

Tom sat across from Leon, with Iceburg and Franky standing stiffly behind him.

"Forgot to introduce you, young Leon."

"This is Yokozuna."

Tom pointed to the frog beside him, its expression serious.

Yokozuna stood and bowed. Leon returned the gesture with solemn respect.

Yokozuna.

Just the name suggested a sumo master, and moreover...

Leon carefully observed the horizontal pupils of the frog Yokozuna. This wasn't an ordinary frog—this was one that might unlock Sage Mode!

"And these are Iceburg and Franky, my two apprentices."

These two were minor figures, nothing compared to the frog sage.

After the introductions, Tom looked at Leon with a serious expression.

"Young Leon, don't mind me asking, but with so many shipwrights in Water Seven, why come to me, a fishman stained with sin, to fix your ship?"

Leon nodded and said, "What you're really asking, Mr. Tom, is why I, a Navy man, would seek out a shipwright who once built ships for the Pirate King, right?"

"The reason is simple: you're the best shipwright in the world, as far as I know."

"Besides, a ship becomes a pirate ship when it flies a skull flag, and a Navy ship when it flies a seagull flag."

"In terms of the ship itself, what difference is there between a pirate ship and a Navy ship?"

Leon's words made Tom burst into laughter again.

"Young Leon, you're the most interesting human I've met since Roger!"

"For that alone, I'll use everything I've learned to fix your ship. But..."

"Kokoro!"

Franky suddenly spoke up. A tall woman with flowing green shoulder-length hair pushed open the door and entered.

"Oh? We have a guest."

Kokoro spoke in surprise.

Though already middle-aged, Kokoro's silhouette alone was enough to captivate anyone—just as long as she didn't turn around to show her face...

It was like a bobblehead doll come to life, topped with a crescent-moon mouth that took up half her face...

"Hello, I'm Leon."

Leon greeted her politely, then lowered his head, forcing himself not to look at Kokoro.

Leon! Hold strong! Be polite!

Kokoro just chuckled and didn't press further.

She began handing out meals to everyone, and thoughtfully passed a portion to Leon as well.

Having just eaten his fill, Leon found it hard to refuse now.

Rice with curry...

Guess I'll use it to cut the grease.

The atmosphere in the little hut instantly grew more harmonious. Everyone tucked into their food in silence, while Kokoro started sharing the news she'd heard earlier.

"Oh, right, I heard another lumber ship got robbed by pirates."

"Ever since the Pirate King was executed, pirates have been popping up everywhere. This city's hopeless—completely swallowed up by the age of pirates."

"With the floods from the 'Gods of Water,' lumber and iron can only be imported from the outer islands..."