After a long time at sea, before Luo Ya had even spotted the next island, he noticed something speeding toward the Black Pearl.
Luo Ya hurriedly activated the Jet Propeller and leaped forward. Behind him, a train thundered past, carriage after carriage.
As it rolled along, a giant yellow frog appeared in front of the locomotive. It had black hair tied into a little braid.
Its entire body was covered in crisscrossing scars.
The frog struck a pose in front of the train and slammed into it head-on.
Bang! The frog went flying. Luo Ya finally understood where all the scars on its body had come from.
Thinking it over—the train, the frog blocking the train—wasn't this Water 7?
Realizing where he was, Luo Ya forgot all about nearly getting hit. He sped up excitedly, ready to give the Black Pearl a complete upgrade.
As the Black Pearl picked up speed, the port of Water 7 appeared before him.
The harbor was packed with ships of all kinds.
After asking the port workers for directions, Luo Ya followed a canal into Dock 1 of the Galley-La Company.
When he reached his destination and moored the ship, a man approached him. The man had a strange beard on his chin and wore a black top hat.
A pigeon perched on his shoulder. Behind him followed a man whose nose resembled a rectangular wooden plank.
The man hadn't opened his mouth, yet Luo Ya heard, "Hello. Are you looking to have a ship modified or to buy one?"
"Interesting. Seeing ventriloquism in person is pretty amusing. Have Iceburg upgrade this ship for me. I'll pay him for the materials in Beli."
"Black coat, white shirt, black pants. No sword at his waist, but calluses on his hands from frequently holding one. And then there's that face!"
By then, Lucci and Kaku had also recognized Luo Ya, but they didn't panic. After all, they were merely foremen at the Galley-La Company now.
After acknowledging his request, they contacted Iceburg through a Den Den Mushi.
When Iceburg learned that the Black Flame Swordsman, Luo Ya, wanted his ship modified, he said he'd be there shortly.
While waiting, Luo Ya lit a cigarette. He gestured to the two men, but they waved him off, so he smoked by himself.
Before he'd even finished the cigarette, Iceburg arrived with the blonde bombshell Kalifa.
As soon as he saw Iceburg, Luo Ya got straight to the point.
"I want the bottom of this ship lined with Seastone. You can handle the rest however you like, as long as it's fast and sturdy. The materials are in the cabin. Help yourself.
"As for your fee, charge whatever you think is fair."
Damn, you make fast and sturdy sound so easy! Iceburg grumbled inwardly. Outwardly, he agreed and went aboard the Black Pearl to inspect it.
Luo Ya was a little surprised that Iceburg had agreed so readily, but he hadn't considered that the newspapers were still running stories about his city-wide massacre.
Iceburg had no intention of provoking a madman like Luo Ya, who could wipe out a country and massacre a city at the drop of a hat.
Once Iceburg had figured out the ship's structure and power system, he came back out and started cursing.
"An entire Treasure Tree Adam, and he turned it into this thing! The hull construction and overall design are complete crap. And the heat-to-kinetic-energy conversion is a steaming pile of shit!"
It was clear that Iceburg truly cared about shipbuilding.
Luo Ya chuckled. "Heh, you can modify it however you like. There are probably three or four hundred million Beli still on the ship. If that's not enough, tell me. You're the experts, so I'll leave the technical stuff to you."
When it came to things he didn't understand, Luo Ya only cared about the result, not the process. He wouldn't interfere with how Iceburg redesigned the ship, as long as the result satisfied him.
In other words, if he wasn't satisfied with the result, the consequences were anyone's guess.
Iceburg agreed excitedly. A ship made from an entire Treasure Tree Adam was extremely rare. Normally, Treasure Tree Adam was only used to make a ship's keel.
He called Lucci and Kaku over, and the three of them launched into an intense discussion about the ship. As for the Devil Fruits and Great Grade Swords that had originally been aboard, Luo Ya had absorbed them during the voyage.
Apart from some food and Beli, there was basically nothing valuable on the ship.
Put another way, the Black Pearl itself was the most valuable thing aboard.
Seeing Iceburg engrossed in his work, Luo Ya got up, ready to go explore Water 7.
Only then did Iceburg remember, and he asked Kalifa to accompany Luo Ya and show him around.
With Kalifa guiding him, Luo Ya left Dock 1 of the Galley-La Company.
"Mr. Luo Ya, Water 7's layout is complicated, and the routes are all waterways. I'll rent a Yagara Bull so I can show you around and introduce you to the city."
"Heh, no need. Kalifa, shouldn't you get back to Iceburg and continue your undercover work? You still haven't found any information about Pluton, have you?"
"You! How do you know that?" Kalifa stared at Luo Ya in alarm, her right index finger thrusting toward him.
Shigan! With a smack, Luo Ya caught Kalifa's finger in his hand.
"Don't panic. If you want to learn more, come find me tonight. I'm interested in learning Rokushiki, too."
With that, Luo Ya released Kalifa's finger, leaving her standing there, unsettled and suspicious.
With his hands in his pockets, he headed farther into town.
As Luo Ya walked through the streets of Water 7, he noticed that the city's buildings were all unusual, towering structures. Every year, this place was struck by a massive tsunami known as the Gods of Water—Aqua Laguna.
Yet the buildings stood tall without collapsing. It really was a remarkable place.
He hadn't gone far when he spotted a large crowd gathered around, clutching Beli. Curious, Luo Ya went over to take a look. There was a little pushcart.
A middle-aged man was grilling a large slab of meat on the cart. It was tied by one end and hung upside down.
Seeing this, Luo Ya pulled out some Beli and joined the eager crowd.
Unfortunately, each batch the man cooked was nowhere near enough for everyone watching. He could only sell it in order of arrival, so by the time the line reached Luo Ya, several more batches would have to be cooked.
Still, Luo Ya didn't feel annoyed. First come, first served—that much he understood.
Besides, Luo Ya firmly believed that food tasted better the longer you waited. Waiting was part of the fun.
If he drew his sword and started cutting people down over something like this, then he really would have gone completely mad.
At last, Luo Ya's turn came with the fourth batch of grilled meat. With a grand sweep of his hand, he bought the entire batch.
Luo Ya's appetite had finally become as monstrous as a pirate's. If the plates on the table weren't stacked high every time he ate, it felt as if he hadn't eaten at all.
This much meat was only a little snack.
One bite, and he could tell it was different from ordinary meat. It was softer and more tender, with a smooth texture. Even though it was grilled, it was incredibly juicy. In short, it was delicious.
This had to be the Aqua Meat from the original story, the kind Luffy ate that was so delicious it made his whole body go limp.
Satisfied, Luo Ya ate the Aqua Meat as he headed in another direction, ready to continue exploring Water 7.