Heh… so now… can anyone tell me who here is the best shipwright?
Fang Yi chuckled lightly as he surveyed the ground littered with World Government agents.
These guys were nothing but small fry. With him and Shanks teaming up, the fight had been over in seconds—utterly one-sided.
"Y-You bastards!"
One CP5 agent managed to crawl up, glaring viciously at Fang Yi.
"You little punks! Do you know who we are? We're CP5, a secret agency directly under the World Government! And you dare interfere with us? You're dead!"
"Oooh, the World Government, I'm so scared!" Fang Yi mocked, digging at his ear casually. "Come on then—hit me!"
Bang!
The CP5 agent fired a signal flare into the sky, his face twisted with manic rage.
"You're finished, brat! I'll make sure you understand the price of crossing us!"
"Tch." Fang Yi curled his lip, completely unconcerned. He had let the man fire that flare—otherwise, with his speed, the agent never would've had the chance.
"This young man, you should run! They're World Government agents… and besides, I don't build ships anymore."
Tom looked at Fang Yi with concern. He knew perfectly well Fang Yi had stepped in to draw the heat away from him. But in Tom's eyes, this was no solution—only dragging Fang Yi into danger alongside him.
"Run? Hahaha… too late, you'll never—"
"Too noisy."
Before the agent could finish, Shanks' boot smashed into his jaw, sending him flying.
Fang Yi smiled faintly and exchanged a glance with Shanks. Shanks nodded back, then grabbed the rest of the groaning CP5 agents and tossed them into a single pile, stacking them like a small hill.
"Brother Tom, what's going on? Why are these guys targeting you?" Fang Yi asked quietly once it was done.
"They came after Tom-sensei because he built Roger's ship!" Iceburg quickly explained.
He knew who Fang Yi was, and he understood—having Fang Yi's help here was far better than trying to face the Government alone.
"I see." Fang Yi nodded slightly. "I can drive them off for now. But if the Government has set its sights on you… Then you might not be able to stay here much longer."
"That's right, Tom-sensei! If you suffer just because of this nonsense, Captain Roger himself would be furious if he knew!" Shanks said, walking over and brushing dust from his hands.
"Wahahaha! A man should live boldly and proudly. Don't worry, they won't do anything to me. You two, though—you directly attacked Government agents. That'll cause no small amount of trouble for you, won't it?" Tom laughed heartily.
In this era, pirates generally avoided open clashes with Marines or the World Government. They sought treasure, not confrontation.
But Fang Yi only shrugged.
"We're pirates. They're our enemies by default. Adding more charges to our name doesn't bother me."
Tom could only sigh and smile wryly at his fearlessness.
"Shanks, let's clear out the rest of them first. We can talk to Tom-sensei afterward." Fang Yi said, spotting reinforcements arriving in the distance. He pulled his bow and nocked three arrows at once.
"If Barrett finds out, he'll be mad. Another fight, and we didn't call him." Shanks chuckled, drawing the sword at his waist.
"Not my fault!" Fang Yi laughed back and let his arrows fly.
Swish—swish—swish!
The arrows detonated among the oncoming agents, and Shanks charged straight in, cutting through them like a storm.
"This fight's boring."
In less than ten minutes, the two had crushed the reinforcements as well.
"To make sure you don't forget—my name is Fang Yi, captain of the Dragon Wolf Pirates!" Fang Yi declared with a smile, one boot planted on the face of a CP5 squad leader.
That leader had managed to use two Rokushiki techniques—Soru and Tekkai. While his mastery was rough, it still made him one of the stronger fighters in the group.
But everyone knew: Tekkai was a trap.
So when he tried to harden his body against Fang Yi's and Shanks' attacks, he was instantly overwhelmed and flattened, unable to move.
When the dust settled, Fang Yi and Shanks left the docks together, laughing casually as though nothing had happened.
They didn't go directly back to Tom's workshop. With so many eyes around in broad daylight, being seen with Tom might only draw him more trouble later.
"You kids went overboard this time!" Tom scolded as he returned to his workshop. Fang Yi and Shanks were already there waiting.
"Hahaha, don't mind that, Brother Tom. Let me introduce some of my crew!" Fang Yi laughed, gesturing to the newcomers. "This lovely girl is our cook, Tiffani. And the cool, quiet one here is Jessica, a musician."
By then, Tiffani and Barrett had already returned, having finished exchanging the Skypiean gold. They arrived just in time to find the fighting already over.
"A musician, eh? Wahahaha, that's wonderful!" Tom roared with laughter.
"Hehehe, you all chat. I'll make some food so we can talk properly over a meal!" Kokoro, smiling warmly, rose to her feet.
"I'll help you, Auntie!" Tiffani chirped, immediately stepping forward.
"Yahuhuhu! What a sweet girl. I'm no 'sister,' dear—'Auntie' suits me better!" Kokoro chuckled, leading Tiffani into the kitchen.
"So, little ones, what brings you to Water 7?" Tom asked after sitting down with a cup of water.
"After the Dragon Wolf was finished, we went to Loguetown to see Captain Roger off." Fang Yi's voice softened slightly. "Now we're heading for the New World. Passing through here, we thought we'd visit you… but ended up running into this mess instead."
"I've heard about Roger," Tom sighed. "He was a great man."
"Mm. I believe his final words will ignite a new era. But tell me, Brother Tom—why does the Government truly want you? Using Roger's ship as an excuse seems flimsy. There must be something else." Fang Yi leaned forward, serious.
Shanks and Barrett turned to Tom as well. Fang Yi had suggested earlier that Tom must be holding something the Government desperately coveted—something more than just a ship.
"Hmph! They're just being unreasonable! Back when Tom built for Roger, who could've predicted he'd become Pirate King?"
Cutty Flam pouted angrily at the side.
"Flam!" Iceburg quickly shook his head, signaling him to stay quiet and not disrupt the conversation.
"Tch," Flam grumbled, then stomped toward the kitchen.
"I do have some suspicions…" Tom muttered, shaking his head. But he didn't continue.
Instead, he forced a grin and said:
"Right now, I'm designing something called the Sea Train. As long as I have time to complete it, then even if they execute me afterward, I'll die with no regrets! A man should live proudly!"
"The Sea Train? What's that?" Shanks asked, intrigued.
Tom's eyes lit up. He launched into an enthusiastic explanation of his concept and the progress he had made. Once he got talking about shipbuilding, nothing could dampen his spirit.
Even Fang Yi—who already knew of the Sea Train's existence—and Barrett, who usually cared nothing for inventions, couldn't help but be impressed.
"If this works, it'll be a monumental creation," Shanks said with awe.
"Exactly! Wahahaha! But… I don't know if the Government will give me enough time." For the first time, Tom's smile faltered, revealing concern.
"Brother Tom, why not just relocate? That way, the Government won't be able to find you so easily. You'd have the time you need to finish your research," Fang Yi suggested.
"No." Tom shook his head firmly. "Anywhere else would be too inconvenient. This is the City of Water—the shipbuilding capital. For materials, for labor, for everything—this is the only place that makes sense."
Fang Yi frowned. "But even if we distracted them this time, they'll just come back again."
Shanks and Iceburg nodded, agreeing that lying low elsewhere—even temporarily—might be wiser.
"Don't worry. I believe once I reveal the Sea Train, the World Government will be swayed. They won't just allow me—they may even help fund it." Tom said with confidence.
"…If it were me," Barrett finally spoke, his voice hard and cold, "I'd let you build it. And the day it's done, I'd execute you. The Government will never tolerate a master shipwright of your caliber who refuses to be under their control."
Fang Yi, Shanks, and Iceburg all nodded in grim agreement.
But Tom only laughed louder.
Hahahahaha! Then so be it! If I can complete the Sea Train, I'll have no regrets. That's what it means to live as a man—with pride!