Since the Jerry Shipyard had to be rebuilt, Brook and the others would have to stay here for a few days, waiting for the immensely strong Fish-Man Tom to get the shipyard back up and running.
Brook had also been keeping an eye on Old Jerry, trying to figure out where he had hidden the Pluton Blueprints. But Old Jerry hadn't let anything slip.
Antonio had gotten a few more Den Den Mushi from Smog Yimi's ship, adding them to his growing army of Den Den Mushi friends. Shakky often slipped out to explore Water 7 and gather information.
After several days of hard work by the Jerry Shipyard staff and the Smokescreen Pirates, the shipyard's framework was finally back in place. Professional shipwrights really worked fast.
That evening, the shipwrights, exhausted from a day's work, finally returned to their rooms to rest. The shipyard would reopen tomorrow, and Fish-Man Tom would soon be setting sail for a while.
Old Jerry was in his bedroom, half asleep, when a ghostly figure so blurry that its shape was impossible to make out appeared over his bed, staring down at him.
"Jerry, I took the Pluton Blueprints. Don't worry~"
The eerie, drifting voice jolted Old Jerry awake. His eyes flew open, and cold sweat immediately broke out across his skin. The ghost was right in front of him, emanating the stench of death.
He abruptly squeezed his eyes shut and flailed wildly. Only when his blows struck the bedframe and pain shot through him did he open his eyes wide again, warily scanning his surroundings.
"A ghost? A Devil Fruit power? Oh no! The Pluton Blueprints!"
Old Jerry actually believed a ghost had taken the Pluton Blueprints. He hurriedly got dressed and, despite the late hour, rushed to a place in the shipyard where scrap was stored.
He looked around to make sure no one was there, then flipped a switch and entered a hidden room. Opening a safe, he took out a stack of yellowed blueprints. The word Pluton was written on them: the design plans for the Ancient Weapon Pluton.
"Thank goodness, they're still here!" Old Jerry ran a hand over the blueprints, but his face instantly went pale. He'd been tricked!
Before he could turn around, a sharp pain shot through his neck, and he passed out. Brook's figure came into view.
"Who would've thought they were hidden here? My ghosts searched every inch of your room and still couldn't find them. That was quite a search!"
Brook took the Pluton Blueprints. Now all he had to do was clear himself of suspicion, so he left a note.
'The justice that walks in darkness—CP5.'
"Memory Seahorse, eat away a little of his memory from tonight. Be careful!"
The pink Memory Seahorse could only suck away a tiny bit of Old Jerry's memory. Then Brook carried Old Jerry back to his bedroom and let him sleep.
They were leaving tomorrow anyway. Who knew when Old Jerry would remember to check the hidden room?
The next day.
Old Jerry woke up aching all over. Why did he feel more tired the more he slept? His arm even had a dark bruise, though he didn't remember bumping into anything yesterday. His neck hurt, too. Had he slept on it wrong?
After breakfast, all the shipwrights gathered to see Fish-Man Tom off. Brook also decided to raise a pirate flag and give the new ship a name.
"Today, the Hell Pirates are founded here in Water 7! Our new ship will be called the Yomi!" Brook announced to his crew.
With the shipwrights' help, they quickly painted a new pirate flag: just a skull, two bones, and the word "Hell." They also painted the word "Yomi" on the ship.
"Tom, you have to come back!" Old Jerry shouted, afraid Brook would lure away his brilliant apprentice.
"Master Jerry, I'll find a way to save Water 7 and come back!"
Tom was now essentially working for the Hell Pirates. They had paid a high price for him: Smog Yimi and 300 million Beli. Fortunately, the money had been stolen from the Smokescreen Pirates.
Old Jerry had even taken the Smokescreen Pirates Brook had left behind and hauled off every crew member with a bounty to collect the reward. He didn't spare even pirates worth a few million.
That left the Jerry Shipyard with even fewer guards. As he put it, they could always take fewer orders or pay a high price to hire powerful foremen again.
The Hell Pirates: Captain Brook, navigator Shakky, intelligence officer Antonio, shipwright Tom, pet Memory Seahorse. Setting sail...
"Captain Brook, where are we headed next?"
Navigator Shakky asked. It had taken them long enough to officially form a pirate crew. Other pirate crews were heading toward the Sabaody Archipelago, while hers was sailing back along the route to recruit more crew members.
"Let's head to Asuka Island first. We have an Eternal Pose for it!"
Brook had never been satisfied with his Cane Sword. He wanted to get his hands on the legendary Demon Sword. It had to be a high-grade blade!
"Got it," Shakky replied, then immediately discussed it with Fish-Man Tom, who was now at the helm. He was an experienced sailor.
"Captain Brook, how can we put an end to the infighting in Water 7?"
Fish-Man Tom looked at Brook, who was even older than he was, and asked earnestly.
"Where the roads reach, wealth will follow. Connect Water 7 to other prosperous islands, and you'll stimulate the shipbuilding industry there. Then the shipyards won't have to fight over orders. You can also build up your own strength and bring the seven major shipyards together into one large company. They can coordinate their work and share the profits."
"I understand the idea, but opening dedicated routes between Water 7 and other islands is too difficult. And the chances of uniting the seven major shipyards are slim."
"Invent a track that floats on the sea and won't be destroyed by Aqua Laguna, then connect the surrounding islands with the Sea Train. That will save Water 7. I believe you can do it. These eyes of mine have seen the future.
"You can also search for that material while traveling with us, and build up your strength. Become a famous figure, then return to Water 7 and put your plan into action!"
"That sounds possible, but does a material for building floating tracks really exist?"
"I swear on my name that it does!"
"I understand, Captain Brook. I'll find that material! I'll build a Sea Train connecting the islands and bring Water 7 back to its former glory!"
Fish-Man Tom was fired up, his eyes blazing with determination. He had clearly believed Brook's grand promises.
And so, the Yomi followed its Eternal Pose straight to Asuka Island in search of the legendary Demon Sword.
Meanwhile, Moore Thomas of the World Economic News Agency had finally pinpointed the locations of several pirates. He sent out several Mobile Den Den Mushi that Brook had left behind, carried by Seagull News Birds, to find their rightful owners.
Hopefully, those strangers could understand the instructions for using and caring for the Mobile Den Den Mushi. They'd better not let them die, or all Brook's effort would go to waste.
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