Water 7.
A miraculous island, famed throughout the world for its exceptional shipbuilding techniques.
The best shipyard company in the first half of the Grand Line was located here.
At the same time, it served as the central hub for several bustling islands and the high-speed sea trains that traveled across the ocean.
The island attracted countless skilled shipwrights!
Legend had it that seventy percent of the Marine's ships each year were crafted on this island.
It could be said that this was a city-kingdom in close cooperation with the official government.
The mayor of Water 7 was Iceburg, commonly referred to as Mayor Iceburg.
He was also president of the Galley-La Company, and the legendary master shipwright Tom's personal top student.
Beneath the surface prosperity, however, the island held a deeper, little-known secret.
Eight hundred years ago, one of the Ancient Weapons, the warship Pluton, had been built by the shipwrights of this very island.
The island's wealth brought joy to its people year-round.
Even the terrifying tsunamis, powerful enough to engulf the entire island, never wiped the smiles from their faces.
But now…
The normally bustling Galley-La Company had fallen into silence.
Dock One was in chaos, and Mayor Iceburg's office was in utter disarray.
This was the aftermath of a terrifying revolt that had erupted days ago.
Two brilliant shipwrights, Lucci and Kaku, who had served at the shipyard for five years, along with Iceburg's most trusted secretary, Kalifa, suddenly launched a devastating attack.
In a short time, they effortlessly defeated all the strong shipwrights in the yard.
Then, strutting arrogantly, they stormed into the mayor's office and injured him.
They even spread word that the mayor had been attacked by criminals.
The sudden upheaval shattered everyone's lives.
Galley-La Company, the cornerstone of Water 7' prosperity, was thrown into uncertainty due to Iceburg's unconscious state.
And today, the chairman was finally beginning to awaken.
But this island, just having survived one disaster, was about to face yet another wave of formidable visitors…
…
One week after the revolt.
In Mayor Iceburg's bedroom at Galley-La Company.
Wrapped in bandages, Iceburg's dark gray eyes, filled with fear, stared at two overwhelmingly imposing figures before him.
His deep voice seemed to mutter defiance at fate, yet the power of the men before him made his throat tremble as he spoke:
"You… you're here for the Pluton's blueprints too!?"
"You're too late!"
As the city's mayor, Iceburg was not out of touch with information.
The Starry Sky Pirates, having schemed to acquire the Ancient Weapon Pluton, had been stripped of their Shichibukai title.
A few months ago, this news and the enormous bounty list had set the seas ablaze.
At the door, the scattered shipwrights sent to protect him only made Iceburg realize that the Starry Sky Pirates' visitors were not here on friendly terms.
Yet Luffy's face bore a slight frown.
His eyes, as deep as the starry sky, gazed past Iceburg toward the waterways of the city, the freely sailing ships, and the high-speed sea trains rushing onward to unknown destinations.
Robin stood silently by his side.
The rest of the Starry Sky Pirates remained at the door, quietly watching, saying nothing.
After a long moment, Luffy finally returned his gaze to the injured Iceburg.
His calm voice gave nothing away, yet the air itself seemed heavier.
"We don't need Pluton."
"What!?"
Iceburg's eyes narrowed, filled with endless suspicion.
Now, he trusted no one.
But as a powerless man, he had no choice, and continued:
"Then… why have you come to me!?"
"For your apprentice, Franky."
Without hesitation, Luffy answered firmly:
"We want to invite him to join the Starry Sky Pirates."
Whoosh~
A whirlwind swept past the window, banging against it with a BANG BANG, swirling once before disappearing.
Iceburg pressed his lips together, then slowly composed himself. It was as if he had anticipated Luffy's intentions, and he said coldly:
"So… you're still after Pluton!?"
Though he didn't know exactly how the slip happened, the fact that the blueprints were in Franky's hands had indeed been discovered!
Otherwise, Lucci and his group wouldn't have injured him and spread the news, prompting Franky's rescue.
The World Government agents were too powerful!
Even a half-cybernetic Franky had been easily defeated.
They had no chance of winning, and after defeating Franky, Kalifa had rendered him unconscious.
Iceburg learned the rest from the shipwrights' accounts.
Yet…
Lowering his head, a gleam of resolve sparked in Iceburg's eyes—a thought he had never had before:
I should tell them everything.
He didn't know if the news from the Grand Line was true, or if the Starry Sky Pirates were truly capable of challenging the Four Emperors…
But Iceburg understood that alone, he could never rescue Franky or protect Tom's blueprints.
Raising his head, Iceburg decided to answer every question and reveal everything to the pirates before him:
"Franky… has been taken!"
Having realized everything, a flicker of hope, the last hope he had, shone faintly in Iceburg's eyes as he looked at Luffy.
Luffy's voice was steady as he asked:
"CP9?"
He hadn't expected such a sudden turn.
Originally, he had planned to find Franky and then head straight for the New World.
In the original timeline, Robin should have been captured by CP9 and taken to Enies Lobby.
But now Robin couldn't be captured by someone like Lucci, so Luffy had ignored this minor agent from the original story.
For the Starry Sky Pirates, CP9 was now a small organization easily crushed—even Koby could defeat its strongest agent, Lucci, one-on-one.
Over the years, Luffy had selectively forgotten this part of the plot.
Yet he also forgot that CP9's first mission in the Water 7 was not to capture Nico Robin, who could read the Rio Poneglyph…
It was to search for the Pluton blueprints, hidden for 800 years!
Thinking of the Pluton designs, Luffy realized…
They had been passed to Iceburg by the fish-man Tom.
This meant Pluton's creation might be connected to fish-men.
And two of the three Ancient Weapons had direct links to the fish-man race: Pluton and Poseidon, whose power was inherited by the fish-man princess.
Even the journal of their ancestors mentioned that the king of that era favored humans outside the Celestial Dragons and considered appointing them as new rulers.
Thus, the fish-men might still be hiding untapped secrets.
Hearing Luffy's knowledge, Iceburg hesitated briefly, then sighed:
"Even CP9 knows… seems your intelligence work is thorough enough…"
"Then I'll be straightforward."
His expression was helpless, yet resolute.
"As long as you can save Franky…"
"…you will get the Pluton blueprints!"
"The prerequisite is ensuring Franky's life is safe!"
This was the only way Iceburg could imagine rescuing Franky.
If the World Government got the blueprints, both he and Franky would have only two fates:
Either enslaved for life, forced to create Pluton for the government, worse than death…
Or killed outright.
But in the hands of the pirates, the chance of turning the tide increased dramatically.
Yet…
As Iceburg finished speaking, Luffy shook his head suddenly.
In a flash, he turned.
"Robin, get a record pointer from Enies Lobby."
"Yes."
Robin responded cleanly and efficiently, without hesitation.
They already knew what they needed from Iceburg.
The rest, Luffy could anticipate.
He didn't need to waste words convincing Iceburg that his pursuit was for Franky alone.
But as Luffy stepped toward the door, he paused.
One last glance back, his eyes shone with a resolute, unyielding light.
"No one can take…"
"…the person I want!"