With the reconstruction of the Jelly Shipyard underway, Brook and his crew needed to stay in Water 7 for a few days, waiting for the incredibly strong Fish-Man, Tom, to rebuild the shipyard.
Meanwhile, Brook had been closely observing Old Jelly, searching for any clues about the whereabouts of Pluton's blueprints. But so far, the old shipwright hadn't shown the slightest sign of giving anything away.
Antonio, aboard the Mist Pirates' ship, managed to acquire a few more Den Den Mushi, adding them to his ever-growing army of snail companions. At the same time, Shakky often slipped away to explore Water 7, gathering information.
After days of effort from both the Jelly Shipyard workers and the Mist Pirates, the shipyard's framework had finally taken shape. Professional shipwrights truly worked with remarkable efficiency.
...
That night, after a long day of labor, the exhausted shipwrights returned to their rooms to rest. By tomorrow, the shipyard would officially reopen, and Tom was preparing to set sail for a short journey.
In his dimly lit bedroom, Old Jelly was on the verge of dozing off when a shadowy, indistinct figure appeared above his bed, looming over him.
"Jelly, I'm taking Pluton's blueprints. No need to worry~"
The eerie, ghostly voice jolted Jelly awake. His eyes snapped open, and cold sweat instantly drenched his back. Right in front of him, the ghostly figure hovered, exuding an overwhelming aura of death.
Panicked, he shut his eyes and swung his arms wildly, only to strike the bedframe. Pain shot through his body, forcing him to regain his senses as he cautiously scanned the room.
"A ghost? A Devil Fruit user? No… The blueprints!"
Convinced that Pluton's blueprints had been stolen, Jelly frantically dressed and, disregarding the late hour, rushed toward a secluded scrapyard at the shipyard.
Glancing around to ensure no one was watching, he activated a hidden mechanism, revealing a secret chamber. Inside, he opened a secure safe and retrieved a stack of aged blueprints, the word "Pluton" written across them—these were the legendary blueprints of the Ancient Weapon Pluton.
"Thank goodness, they're still here!" Jelly sighed in relief, running his fingers over the parchment. But in the next instant, his face paled. He had fallen into a trap.
Before he could react, a sharp pain shot through his neck, and darkness consumed him.
Brook emerged from the shadows.
"So this is where you hid them? Damn, I turned your whole room upside down and still couldn't find them. You made me work for it!"
Grabbing the blueprints, Brook left behind a single note.
"Justice in the shadows—CP5"
"Memory Seahorse, erase a bit of his memory from tonight. Be careful with it."
The pink Memory Seahorse hesitated before reluctantly nibbling away a small fragment of Jelly's memory. Once the task was done, Brook carefully placed the unconscious shipwright back in his bed.
Since they would be leaving Water 7 soon, who knew when Jelly would even think to check the secret chamber again?
...
The next morning.
Jelly woke up feeling sore all over. Why did he feel even more exhausted after a full night's sleep? His arms were bruised, though he had no recollection of bumping into anything the day before. His neck ached too—had he slept in the wrong position?
After breakfast, the shipwrights gathered to send Tom off on his journey, while Brook made an important announcement to his crew.
"Today, in Water 7, the Hell Pirates are officially born! Our new ship will be called the Yellow Springs!"
With the shipwrights' help, they quickly painted their new pirate flag—a simple skull and crossbones with the words "Hell" emblazoned beneath it. The ship was also marked with its new name: Yellow Springs.
"Tom! You better come back!" Jelly shouted, terrified that his talented apprentice might be lured away by Brook.
"Master Jerry, I swear I'll find a way to save Water 7 and come back!"
Right now, Tom was practically employed by the Hell Pirates. They had hired him at a steep price—three hundred million Belly and a batch of Mist Gas Type-B. Fortunately, that money had been looted from the Mist Pirates, so it wasn't exactly a loss.
Old Jerry, that crafty guy, had even taken all the Mist Pirates' captured crew members with bounties and turned them in for rewards. He didn't let a single pirate worth a few million escape his grasp.
As a result, Jerry's shipyard had weakened its defenses even further. But in his own words, it wasn't a big deal—he could just take fewer commissions or hire some stronger foremen at a high price.
...
The Hell Pirates—Captain Brook, Navigator Shakky, Intelligence Officer Antonio, Shipwright Tom, and their pet, the Memory Seahorse—set sail.
"Captain Brook, where are we heading next?"
Navigator Shakky asked. It had taken them long enough to officially form a pirate crew. While other pirate crews were advancing toward the Sabaody Archipelago, theirs was sailing backward along the route to recruit more members.
"We'll head to Asuka Island first. We have a Log Pose pointing straight there!"
Brook had never been fully satisfied with his cane sword. He wanted to claim that legendary cursed blade—one said to be of a truly high caliber.
"Understood," Shakky replied, immediately consulting with Fishman Tom, who now held the helm. His experience made him the natural choice for steering the ship.
"Captain Brook, how do you plan to resolve Water 7's internal conflicts?"
Tom, the Fishman shipwright, looked at Brook—who, despite his skeletal frame, was even older than him—and asked seriously.
"When trade flows, wealth follows." Brook tapped his cane against the deck. "In other words, if Water 7 connects with other prosperous islands, its shipbuilding industry will thrive. That way, the shipyards won't need to fight over commissions anymore. At the same time, you could strengthen yourself and unify the seven major shipyards into one powerful company, organizing their work and profits under a single entity."
"I understand the logic, but establishing dedicated trade routes between Water 7 and other islands would be extremely difficult. And uniting the shipyards? That seems almost impossible."
"Then you need to invent something—a floating railway immune to Aqua Laguna's destruction. A Sea Train that links the surrounding islands. That would be the key to saving Water 7." Brook's empty sockets gleamed with determination.
"I believe in you, Tom. These eyes of mine have seen the future."
"A floating railway... But is there really a material strong enough to build something like that?"
"I swear on my name—it exists!"
"I see now... Captain Brook, I'll find that material!" Tom's chest swelled with determination, his eyes burning with newfound purpose. "I'll build a Sea Train that connects the islands and bring Water 7 back to its former glory!"
His spirit ignited, Tom fully embraced Brook's grand vision.
With that, the Yellow Springs followed its Log Pose toward Asuka Island, where the legendary cursed sword awaited.
Meanwhile, at the World Economy News Paper, Mortomas finally pinpointed the locations of several pirate crews. He dispatched a fleet of News Coo birds, carrying transponder snails Brook had left behind, to deliver them to their rightful owners.
Hopefully, those recipients would be able to understand the instructions on how to use and care for the snails. Otherwise, they might end up killing them by accident, wasting all of Brook's careful efforts.
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+100 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg