What an arrogant pirate!
Enel was thoroughly irritated by Marco. But despite his annoyance, something about Marco left him deeply shocked.
The spot on Marco's body where his lightning had struck had already fully healed!
Who the hell is this guy?
Is it a Devil Fruit power? Enel wondered, astonished that Marco could regenerate his injuries so quickly.
"Anyway, since the Marines are coming, it's best to keep a low profile," Marco said, pointing at Enel. "I know Takumi can handle himself, but you, lightning guy, need to watch yourself."
Enel twitched in frustration. "The name's Enel! Got that?!"
"Enel, huh?" Marco replied casually, before turning back to Takumi. "Takumi, Pops wants to see you. Got time to come with me? The Moby Dick is anchored just outside."
By Pops, Marco was referring to Whitebeard, captain of the Whitebeard Pirates, one of the Four Emperors of the New World, and widely regarded as the strongest man alive.
Takumi: "..."
Can I say no?
Seeing Takumi's reluctance, Marco grumbled, "Hey, you promised back at the Baratie in the East Blue. You nodded back then, remember?"
Takumi: "..."
That's true...
At the time, Marco had asked Takumi to visit Whitebeard if they crossed paths in the Grand Line, and Takumi had indeed nodded. But back then, it had just been a casual nod to move the conversation along.
I really underestimated this guy...
"Fine," Takumi finally said. "I'll come by later."
Marco's face lit up immediately. "Great! You promised, so no backing out now!"
Takumi, feeling trapped, muttered, "I always keep my word."
"I believe you," Marco said with a nod, then asked, "When do you plan on meeting Pops?"
Takumi thought for a moment before replying, "Tonight."
Marco raised an eyebrow. "It's still early. Are you planning to explore Water 7 first?"
Takumi gave a slight nod.
By then, their ship had reached its destination—Dock One, the most renowned shipyard in Water 7. The large gate was marked with a giant "1," indicating that this was the legendary dock.
On both sides of the gate, a short wooden fence stood between the dock and the rest of the city. Anyone could easily jump over the fence instead of using the gate, so its main function seemed to be as a landmark rather than an actual barrier.
At least, that was Takumi's assumption.
"You guys might want to avoid flying the ship directly in," Marco suggested. "I've only been to Water 7 a few times, but I do know the rules at Dock One. Outsiders aren't usually allowed in."
"Hmph," Enel scoffed. "A pirate who follows the rules? How laughable."
Marco chuckled, "There are different kinds of pirates. You can't judge everyone the same."
Takumi ignored their banter, jumping off the ship without a word.
He was well aware of the dock's rules and saw no harm in following them to avoid unnecessary trouble.
As soon as his feet touched the ground, a familiar system notification echoed in his mind.
Ding! Congratulations, host, for successfully reaching the sign-in location: Water 7. Sign-in progress: +10%. Current total progress: 10%. New reward: Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique.
Immediately, knowledge about the Water Dragon Bullet Technique flowed into Takumi's mind. The technique could form a powerful water dragon by controlling surrounding water, launching it at enemies with great force.
The jutsu's power was quite formidable, especially in a place like Water 7, where water was abundant.
Takumi wasn't particularly excited, though. It made sense to receive a water-based skill in a place surrounded by water, after all.
"See? Your captain's already off the ship," Marco remarked to Enel with a smirk.
"I see that. I don't need you to point it out!" Enel snapped, parking the ship along the waterway outside Dock One. He jumped down after Takumi.
Marco, having retracted his phoenix wings, wasn't in a hurry to return to the Moby Dick. He decided to stick with Takumi and Enel for a while.
Enel glared at Marco. "Why are you tagging along?"
Marco shrugged. "You're here to get your ship repaired or modified, right? I know the boss here. I can introduce you."
"Hold on," a worker in a jumpsuit interrupted, stepping in front of them. "You're outsiders, right? State your business before you enter the dock. We don't allow strangers to just walk in."
"We're here to see Iceburg," Marco said calmly.
The worker paused. "Mr. Iceburg? He went out earlier this morning and hasn't returned yet. Are you here to repair, buy, or meet with him for personal reasons?"
Marco pointed at the ship. "Probably to repair it."
The worker glanced at the ship parked outside the dock. "A repair job, huh? Mind if I take a look first?"
Marco glanced at Takumi, who nodded in approval.
Taking that as a signal, Marco gestured for the worker to proceed.
The worker jogged over to the ship and did a quick inspection.
Meanwhile, Takumi casually glanced around. He noticed that beyond the low fences marking the entrance to Dock One, none of the familiar faces he expected to see were present.
Based on the timeline, CP9 agents should already be undercover in Water 7 by now.
CP9 was a secret government intelligence organization specializing in covert operations for the World Government. Their mission in Water 7 involved gaining the trust of Iceburg to steal the blueprints for the ancient weapon, Pluton.
In the future, CP9's undercover operation would run smoothly—until they encountered Luffy's crew, of course.
Before long, the worker returned, wiping sweat from his brow. "It's not too bad—just a hole in the deck. It'll take a couple of days to patch up, though. The factory's pretty busy lately, and we're short on skilled shipwrights, so it's first come, first served. Once the other ships ahead of you are done, we'll fix yours. By the way, that ship of yours has a really strange design. All those gears inside—doesn't that affect its speed?"
"Hmph. Foolish," Enel sneered. "Do you think normal sailing can match the greatness of the Thunder God? Flying is the only way."
Takumi: "..."
Marco burst out laughing. "Hahaha! Takumi, your crewmate's arrogance is hilarious!"
The worker, still confused, muttered, "Flying? This ship can fly?"
Enel, irritated by the worker's doubt, snapped, "Of course it can! Don't compare my masterpiece to those basic vessels that can only sail in water!"
The worker stared blankly. "He... seriously believes that? Is his head okay?"
Marco couldn't stop laughing.
Enel's frustration boiled, but with Takumi around, he forced himself to hold back.
"Hey, Iceburg's back!" the worker suddenly called out.
Not far away, a tall man with short dark-blue hair, dressed in an orange-striped shirt, walked toward the dock. Though not as tall as Enel, he had a distinctive presence, his lips painted black.
"Hm? Someone from Whitebeard's crew?" Iceburg asked, spotting Marco immediately. He recognized him instantly—Marco's pineapple-shaped hair made him hard to miss.