Most of those who come to Water 7 for shipbuilding are pirates from the vast seas. And pirates are usually arrogant and domineering, often relying on their numbers and ferocity. It's not uncommon for them to try to skip out on paying their bills.
But why has Water 7 stood strong for so long? The answer lies in the fact that the shipwrights on the island are not only united but also very tough to deal with.
The powerful and ambitious pirate crews don't bother trying to skip out on their payments. But for those who do attempt it, they're usually not very significant figures in the grand scheme of things.
As evening approached, Wood and Robin braced themselves and went to Tom's workshop, where they finally met the legendary Tom himself.
Tom was a Fish-Man of the bullhead species, with a rotund body that resembled a large barrel. His skin was a blue-green hue, and his arms were adorned with red tattoos. He had a pair of small horns on his head, and his hair and beard were both white, giving him the appearance of a chubby, oversized raccoon.
Next to Tom were two young boys, one with blue hair and wearing goggles along with swim trunks. The other had purple hair and wore a white bandana. When Wood and Robin arrived, the two were in the midst of a squabble.
"Cocoro said you know Tiger and that he sent you as friends?" Tom asked, his gaze scrutinizing Wood and Robin as he held a beer mug in his hand. "But I've seen your wanted posters. You're the former Navy officer Wood, with a bounty of 120 million Berries, and you're the 'Devil's Child' Nico Robin, with an 80 million Berries bounty. How could people like you be connected to us Fish-Men?"
It wasn't surprising that Tom knew their identities. After all, the shipwrights on the island routinely conduct background checks on pirate clients before taking on any jobs. With so many pirates trying to cheat them, it's necessary to know who they're dealing with.
Since the incident with the Pirate King Roger, Tom had stopped building ships for pirates, especially since he was still under scrutiny by the government. While the achievement of building the Sea Train could offset the crime of building Roger's ship, Tom didn't want to make any mistakes that could give the authorities, like those on Enies Lobby, an excuse to arrest him.
"Actually, we..." Robin began, but Wood quickly cut her off.
"Actually, we really do know Fisher Tiger. Or, to be more precise, we were introduced by someone who calls himself the Fish-Man Sword Saint Yasuo," Wood said calmly.
Robin was stunned by Wood's words. This wasn't what they had planned. Weren't they supposed to back out of the commission by claiming they didn't have enough money? What was Wood thinking, coming up with a new story now?
Did Wood really believe that changing their story from knowing Fisher Tiger to knowing another big Fish-Man figure would make Tom believe them?
"Since I famously built the 'Oro Jackson' for Roger, I haven't made a ship for any other pirate. But you're not asking for a new ship, just modifications, so it's not really breaking any rules. And if you're being referred by a fellow Fish-Man, that's even less of an issue. But how do you plan to prove that you know my compatriots Tiger or Yasuo?" Tom asked, still wary.
Although Tom was focused on the Sea Train project, his workshop still needed to take on other work to make ends meet. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't mind taking on additional jobs during his downtime.
But Wood's background made things complicated. He was a former Navy officer, and given that Tom was still technically under a suspended sentence, he was suspicious. Recently, someone from the World Government, a man named Spandam, had learned that Tom possessed the blueprints for the ancient weapon "Pluton" and had pressured him to hand them over.
Given the circumstances, Tom suspected that Wood, with his sensitive background, might have been sent by Spandam to entrap him into revealing the blueprints.
However, instead of getting angry at Tom's suspicion, Wood calmly pulled out a piece of paper and a golden fish scale from his coat.
"This paper is Fisher Tiger's Vivre Card, and as for this scale, I believe Master Tom and Grandma Cocoro should be able to recognize who it belongs to," Wood said confidently.
When Wood and Tiger parted ways, Tiger had recognized Wood as a friend and benefactor to the Fish-Men. Naturally, he wouldn't leave him without a token of some sort. The Vivre Card and the golden fish scale Wood now held were gifts from Tiger when they were on a deserted island.
The Vivre Card indeed belonged to Tiger, though Wood didn't know much about the golden scale other than what Tiger had told him. According to Tiger, if Wood ever made it to Fish-Man Island, presenting the golden scale would earn him the respect and hospitality of the island's residents.
Upon seeing the Vivre Card and the golden scale in Wood's hands, both Tom and Grandma Cocoro's previously suspicious and wary expressions softened considerably.
Vivre Cards are known for allowing someone to track another's location and sense their well-being, making them something that's only given to those who are important. While Tom and Cocoro couldn't verify if the Vivre Card truly belonged to Tiger, they couldn't mistake the significance of the golden scale.
Different species have their own ways of identifying others. Humans might recognize faces, but Fish-Men and Merfolk use skin, scent, or even scales to identify one another.
The golden scale Wood held was unmistakably from the Royal Mermaid Princess Otohime of Fish-Man Island.
Otohime was a goldfish mermaid, and her tail's scales were a brilliant gold. Tom and Cocoro were aware that Otohime would sometimes gift these scales as lucky charms to outstanding Fish-Man warriors heading out on dangerous missions.
Otohime was the wife of Neptune, the king of the Ryugu Kingdom, but her popularity among the people of Fish-Man Island was even higher than Neptune's. Her warm-hearted, empathetic nature and ability to hear the voices of others made her beloved by all, earning her the affectionate title "Lady Otohime."
Given such a token, it was clear that Wood was indeed a friend of Fish-Man Island. With their doubts dispelled, Tom warmly invited Wood to share a drink and discuss the modifications to the pirate ship.