Franky's foolishness was driving Iceburg mad.
Anyone with half a brain could see it: Tom San fate would never be as peaceful as he claimed. More likely than not, he would soon be swallowed by crisis. And yet this idiotic boy still clung to the belief that their teacher would be fine.
It was unbearable.
It was stupid!
The two were still shouting at each other when, out in the harbor, a ship appeared, sailing swiftly toward shore.
"Are we almost there?" A young voice spoke from the deck.
"Captain, we'll be docking soon. Looks like a bustling city, much larger than Long Ring Island."
"And a lot more normal than Long Ring Island, too."
The voices on the ship overlapped, a chorus of banter and excitement. The young man who had asked the first question broke into a smile.
That young man was Rojen. After a long journey, the Logan had finally arrived at Water 7.
The ship glided toward the coast, bumping once against the dock before settling into place.
"Alright, everyone, we're here. Prepare to disembark." With a light command, Rojen leapt ashore.
"Hah! Finally! Hurry it up!"
"Whoever's slowest stays behind to watch the ship!"
Laughter and shouts rang out as one figure after another vaulted from the deck. The drop to the port was a good four or five meters, yet every one of them landed with effortless poise, feet planted firmly on the ground.
At last, only one figure remained aboard. He looked back at the now-empty ship, then forward at his companions, scratching his head with frustration.
"Hahaha, Sixth, make sure you guard the ship well. Don't worry, we'll enjoy the island's sights for you."
"Heh, that's what you get, old Sixth. Too slow, as always."
"Don't blame your brothers. You never take training seriously. No wonder you can't keep up."
Dragon-Elephant Six stood at the bow, fists clenched, glaring after them. At last he gave a cold snort and turned back toward his training.
"Enough fooling around. Let's head into the city," Crocodile barked, cutting off the teasing.
The group assembled, their personalities as varied as their strides. Rojen walked at the front, the others flanking him or falling just behind, forming an unconscious shield around their captain.
From a distance, their presence was unmistakable. They carried themselves with a distinct air, one that any seasoned traveler could recognize instantly.
The air of pirates.
Which meant, these men were pirates!
At the docks, Franky and Iceburg noticed them the moment they appeared. Both their faces changed drastically.
"Pirates! They're pirates!" Franky scrambled to his feet, nearly tripping in his haste.
Iceburg, who only moments ago had been shouting in anger, now wore a grim expression.
Their eyes darted at once to the flag fluttering over the ship.
"The Red-Eyed Skull!"
The banner flapped in the wind, its sinister insignia grinning wildly, as if mocking the world itself, ferocious, arrogant, and terrifyingly unique.
Iceburg swore he had never seen a pirate flag so unsettling.
"Who… who the hell are these people?"
As the two froze, the group of newcomers shifted direction and strode toward them.
"Iceburg, they're coming this way! They're heading straight for us!" Panic crept into Franky's voice. For someone his age, pirates were still the stuff of nightmares.
The distance closed quickly.
When the pirates finally halted in front of them, their sheer presence pressed down like a storm. Iceburg and Franky both flinched, their bodies trembling, sweat beading heavily across their foreheads.
The men flanking Rojen were terrifying.
Two giants, each at least two and a half meters tall, built like fortresses. The one on the right bore a massive crocodile across his shoulder, his expression twisted and feral, enough to make a child scream at a glance.
Faced with such figures, Franky and Iceburg dared not breathe too loudly, their eyes locked in place, too afraid even to move them.
"Hey, friend, do you know where Tom San is?"
They had tried to pretend not to notice, but the strangers stopped directly in their path. The young man at the center spoke, his tone casual yet cutting straight to the point.
"Tom San…?"
At the sound of that familiar name, Iceburg and Franky froze, their eyes snapping toward him.
He was young, about their age, yet there was something strange in his gaze, an old, weathered weight that didn't belong to someone so youthful. A faint smile played across his lips as he studied them.
"What business do you have with Tom San?" Iceburg was still sizing him up, but Franky blurted out the question first.
"You idiot…" Iceburg groaned inwardly, fighting the urge to smash his fist into Franky's chest. They didn't know who this man was, or what he wanted, yet Franky was already asking questions recklessly.
"Oh?" The young man's brows lifted. "So you do know where he is."
Rojen felt a spark of luck. These two familiar-looking kids clearly knew something.
"Damn it!" Iceburg's pupils contracted. He could no longer afford silence.
"Who are you people?" he demanded.
Rojen shrugged and pointed casually to the pirate flag fluttering over the Logan.
"You can see it for yourself. Pirates."
"Pirates! I knew it!" Franky shouted.
Rojen could only sigh helplessly. Wasn't it obvious? This world was crawling with pirates, why act like it was some shocking revelation?
"You're here to make Tom Sensei build you a ship, aren't you?! I'll never tell you where he is!" Franky roared, glaring furiously at the group.
"Sensei?" Rojen blinked, then chuckled.
Of course. That explained the familiarity. The fiery boy was none other than Franky, which meant the other one had to be Iceburg, the future head of Water 7.
"You idiot!" Iceburg's face went pale as he clamped a hand over Franky's mouth.
He knew this fool would only make things worse, and in just a few careless sentences, Franky had already given away exactly what the strangers wanted to know.
This… this was the very definition of a pig-headed teammate!
"Please, take me to Tom San. I have something important to discuss with him."
Now certain that Tom was still safe for the moment, Rojen's eyes flashed, though his tone remained calm. Behind him, Dragon-Elephant and the others moved forward, surrounding Iceburg and Franky with heavy steps.
Faced with their overwhelming presence, Iceburg could only sigh and shake his head.
"…Fine. I'll take you." The ever-composed Iceburg chose the only option left.
Ten minutes later, under the reluctant guidance of the two apprentices, Rojen and his crew arrived at Tom's Workers.
"You wait here. I'll bring our teacher," Iceburg said tersely, pulling Franky along with him. His expression was tense, cautious.
Rojen didn't press. Instead, he wandered over to a table in the waiting room and casually picked up a newspaper from the pile.
But the instant his eyes fell upon the page, his pupils constricted violently.
Shock froze across his face.
"This is…!?"
(End Of This Chapter)
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