"Jin-san, we're approaching the Shipyard Island."
The captain's voice rang out from inside the ship.
"Got it," Jin replied, then turned to Kuina. "That's a decent island ahead. You can look around if you're interested—or stay onboard if you'd rather not."
"I want to see the ship," Kuina answered without hesitation.
"Boss, can I come too?" Kuma asked hopefully.
"Of course. You're my gold-rank underling—you've earned your spot next to me and your big sis," Jin said without pause.
"Yes!" Kuma roared with joy.
He'd spent his whole life hidden away from humans—stepping out into the open like this, walking alongside Jin and Kuina, was already a kind of dream.
Walking down the bustling merchant road on Shipyard Island, Kuina and Kuma were acting like a pair of wild tourists. Kuina darted around checking out every shop, and Kuma's massive body squeezed through crowds as he followed her everywhere.
"Slow down, you two. Just grab whatever you want. This boss is loaded," Jin said casually, his voice dripping with rich-guy arrogance.
"Obviously," Kuina said, as if it was a given.
"Kuma, let's hit the clothing shops. You've been wearing that raggedy pair of shorts for years. Time for an upgrade," Kuina declared, already pulling him toward the next street.
Ignored and abandoned, Jin followed behind them like an overburdened dad with shopping bags.
One hour later…
"You two are unbelievable. You've practically pillaged this entire district. If I'd known it'd be like this, I would've left you both on the damn boat."
Jin had spent the last hour trailing them through store after store, hauling his weighted vest the whole time. At this point, it might as well have been another form of training.
"Stop bitching. Take me to the bounty office—I want my license. Then we'll go see the ship," Kuina said impatiently.
"…Tch. Shopping spree's over and now you're rushing me?" Jin muttered. "Fine. Whatever. It's this way."
After leaving the bounty exchange, Jin handed their cash haul to Kuma. Kuina climbed onto the big guy's back to babysit the goods—she'd earned it after an hour of stomping through bounties.
Jin took out Langatt's Vivre Card, checked the direction, then led them toward a quieter, more remote part of the harbor.
"Jin, this place is sketchy as hell. You sure this ship isn't a scam?" Kuina said, eyeing the surrounding warehouses suspiciously.
"We're close. You'll see for yourself. Scam? Hah…"
Jin smirked.
Clang—clang—clang!
The sound of hammering echoed as they neared a giant iron gate. Jin pushed it open to reveal five tall, broad-shouldered men—each over two meters—hard at work.
The noise stopped as one of the men turned.
Langatt.
"You again? What, you think we'd run off? Here to check up on us?"
"Hardly. I was passing through. Thought I'd take a peek. Don't flatter yourself," Jin replied coolly.
"Whatever. Since you're here, might as well take a look around. You're the client."
Langatt gestured for Jin to follow him deeper into the shipyard.
As they walked, Jin's eyes scanned the materials piled along the way. Then he asked, "Aren't you gonna introduce your brother?"
Langatt gave a sideways glance. "He doesn't like strangers. Don't expect conversation."
"Fair enough. You two are pretty weird," Jin quipped.
Langatt raised an eyebrow. "Says the guy who commissioned a warship with no weapons."
Kuina, who'd been silent until now, laughed. "He's got you there, Jin."
Kuma chimed in with a nod. "Boss does talk to himself a lot."
Jin scowled. "We're done with this topic."
Changing the subject, he asked, "So you said before—Blue Silkwood can only make ships about 85 meters long, right?"
Langatt nodded. "That was true until recently. But during our latest logging trip, we found a massive root—buried in the mud. Huge piece of Blue Silkwood. With that, we can stretch the hull to 110 meters."
Jin's eyes narrowed with thought. "Then build the ship at 80 meters. Use the rest for a reinforced upper deck. And don't bother with side cannons—I don't need 'em. I want strength and speed. Fuck the weapons. Comfort comes first."
Langatt raised an eyebrow. "You're really confident in your own strength, huh?"
"Didn't I tell you last time?" Jin said, his voice firm. "Give it everything you've got. All your craftsmanship, every damn ounce of pride. As proof of my sincerity, I'm throwing in an extra hundred million Berries. Don't let me down."
This story is inspired from various fanfics i have read from around the world so if you find any similarities please dont mind . Thank you
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T/N :
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