Water 7. A city with an incredibly ancient and storied history.
Over 800 years ago, the legendary shipwrights of this very island constructed the apocalyptic Ancient Weapon: the battleship Pluton. Even today, shipbuilding remained the absolute core of the island's culture and economy.
However, because navigating the Grand Line strictly required Log Poses, and freely traveling between specific islands required rare Eternal Poses, establishing stable, long-distance maritime trade was incredibly difficult. The various islands were mostly isolated.
With business steadily declining, the major shipbuilding companies of Water 7 were constantly engaging in violent, bloody gang wars to fight over the few clients that actually arrived. To make matters worse, the island was slowly sinking; the sea level around Water 7 was constantly rising, leaving the civilian population in a perpetual state of panic and despair.
To solve this impending crisis, the legendary Fishman shipwright, Tom, proposed an impossible miracle: the Sea Train.
By constructing a network of floating tracks across the ocean, he planned to physically connect the surrounding islands. The Sea Train would drastically boost trade, bring a massive influx of shipbuilding orders back to Water 7, and stimulate the economies of the connected islands.
The concept was genius. Floating tracks wouldn't be destroyed by tsunamis, the train wouldn't require a Log Pose to navigate, and the sheer noise and vibrations of the steam engine tearing across the water would actively scare away Sea Kings. It was a technological marvel.
However, because Tom had constructed the Oro Jackson—the ship of the late Pirate King, Gol D. Roger—over a decade ago, he was currently branded as a severe criminal by the World Government. He was only granted a temporary stay of execution; if he successfully completed the Sea Train, his monumental contribution to society would theoretically pardon his crimes, and he would regain his freedom.
In Bardock's eyes, this was just the World Government bullying an honest, hardworking man. Every single one of Roger's actual crewmates was currently out there enjoying a peaceful retirement, yet the guy who simply built the boat was the one facing the death penalty?
Of course, Bardock knew the dark truth. The World Government likely didn't care about the Oro Jackson at all. They just desperately wanted to extort the blueprints for Pluton that Tom was secretly hiding.
Acquiring the Pluton blueprints was actually one of Bardock's primary objectives for visiting Water 7. He didn't particularly want to build the apocalyptic battleship himself, but he absolutely refused to let the World Government get their hands on it.
Because of his massive butterfly effect on the timeline, Bardock couldn't guarantee that the CP9 agents would fail to find the blueprints like they did in the original story. If possible, it was best to completely sever the World Government's hopes right now.
Unfortunately, the journey to Water 7 was a complete logistical nightmare.
The White Dragon encountered the absolute worst, most erratic weather the Grand Line had to offer. They sailed through a catastrophic super-storm, followed immediately by a barrage of giant hail—and calling it 'hail' was an understatement; it was basically raining massive, solid icebergs. What should have been a one-day flight ended up taking over a week.
To top it all off, they arrived just in time to intercept Water 7's catastrophic, annual super-tsunami: Aqua Laguna. The sheer scale and ferocity of the apocalyptic wave were so terrifying that, even flying safely in the sky, Bardock didn't dare approach the island until the disaster fully passed.
"What kind of geological anomaly creates a tsunami of that magnitude every single year?" Bardock muttered, watching the colossal wall of water violently wash over the lower levels of Water 7 from high in the clouds. Honestly, the fact that this city still existed was a structural miracle. "Does it have something to do with the moon's gravitational pull?"
"Who knows?" Robin smiled, always happy to share local trivia. "But according to the books, after Aqua Laguna sweeps through the city, it leaves behind a highly concentrated layer of sea salt on the rooftops. The local residents scrape it off and use it as a premium seasoning for their cooking."
'High-concentration sea salt?' Bardock thought, rolling his eyes. 'Isn't salt literally just sodium chloride crystals? There's no such thing as "high-concentration" solid salt. That sounds like a total marketing gimmick invented by a local merchant to boost tourism.'
Once the apocalyptic tsunami finally subsided and the sea calmed, the White Dragon descended from the clouds, landing smoothly on the ocean surface to sail in like a normal ship.
"Enel, cast your Mantra over the island," Bardock ordered. "Check if there are any Marine ambushes waiting for us. While you're at it, locate a Fishman named Tom, and two humans named Iceburg and Cutty Flam."
Because of the extreme weather delays, Bardock was slightly worried that Kuzan or another Marine Admiral might have already arrived and set a trap. Fortunately, with Enel acting as an omniscient, island-wide radar, it was impossible for the Navy to ambush them.
Enel closed his eyes, his electromagnetic waves washing over the city. A moment later, he shook his head. "No Marines on the island. I don't hear anyone talking about capturing us, either. As for your targets... they are located in that direction. An area filled with massive piles of scrap metal."
"Good. We'll go find them first, and then we can take a tour of the city. I heard the local Aqua Meat is incredible," Bardock smiled, taking the helm and steering the White Dragon toward the Scrap Island.
Scrap Island. Tom's Workers.
"Hey, Franky! I told you to stop building those incredibly dangerous, stupid warships!" Iceburg yelled, glaring at the blue-haired teenager tinkering with a massive cannon.
"Shut up, you idiot Iceburg! I'm going to build a Battle Franky that can completely obliterate a Sea King! Stop annoying me!" Cutty Flam—who preferred to go by 'Franky'—yelled back.
The two apprentices were like oil and water; the moment they were in the same room, they would instantly start bickering.
"You—!"
Iceburg was about to continue the argument, but he suddenly paused, his eyes catching the brilliant glint of sunlight reflecting off the water. "Franky, someone is approaching the scrapyard."
Franky turned around, pulling down his goggles. His jaw dropped. "Whoa! That is SUPER cool! Is that entire ship plated in solid gold?!"
"I'm going to go get Mr. Tom," Iceburg said, turning and jogging back toward the workshop. "If they're sailing into the Scrap Island, they must be looking for him."
Franky, however, eagerly sprinted directly toward the docks to meet the approaching vessel.
"Hey! Your ship is SUPER cool! Can I come aboard and check it out?!" Franky yelled, waving his arms.
"Of course. Feel free to take a look, I'd love to hear some professional feedback," Bardock smiled, knowing exactly who this kid was and his incredible talent for shipbuilding.
Franky leaped onto the deck, his eyes instantly locking onto the ship's propulsion system. "Whoa! You guys have massive rotors and Dials... this is a flying ship, isn't it?! SUPER! But honestly, the primary engine propulsion is a bit weak for a ship this heavy; it probably doesn't fly very fast, right? Man, these Dials are fascinating! Wait a minute..."
Franky paused, squinting at Bardock. "You guys look SUPER familiar!"
"Hey! Are you some kind of disgusting pervert?!" Perona shrieked, instantly picking up Mansherry and floating backward to create distance. She was glaring in absolute horror at the fact that Franky was wearing nothing but a tiny, dark blue speedo and an open Hawaiian shirt. She was half a second away from blasting him with Negative Hollows. "Can't you see there are ladies on this ship?!"
"Ah! You've got it all wrong, Miss!" Franky grinned, striking a highly exaggerated, flamboyant pose by connecting the stars on his forearms. "I am not a pervert... I am a SUPER PERVERT!"
"Oh, I understand," Chopper nodded solemnly. "He's a super pervert," Leo agreed, completely failing to grasp the nuance of the conversation.
Seeing this incredibly bizarre interaction, Bardock instantly and permanently scrapped any fleeting thoughts he had about eventually recruiting Franky to be the crew's shipwright. Nope. Absolutely not. The guy would completely derail the crew's entire aesthetic. Iceburg was definitely the more normal, competent choice, but Iceburg's lifelong dream was to become the Mayor and protect Water 7.
"Tahahaha! You're those famous adventurers who found the City of Gold! You did it with a DON!"
A massive, booming laugh echoed across the scrapyard. Tom, the colossal Yellow Horned Cowfish Fishman, walked up to the docks. He had instantly recognized the crew from the front page of the newspaper. More importantly, his eyes briefly locked onto Nico Robin, recognizing the sole survivor of Ohara.
"Oh! That's why you looked so familiar!" Franky gasped, stars literally forming in his eyes. "You guys are SUPER amazing! Is the Golden City actually made of gold?! Does this ship use ancient lunar technology?! How does—?!"
"Now, now, Flam. Don't pester our guests with endless questions. That is not the behavior of a man who does it with a DON!" Tom laughed, gently scolding his apprentice before looking up at the deck. "I assume you're here to see me?"
"Mr. Tom," Bardock smiled respectfully, gesturing toward the deck. "We did indeed come to visit you. We have some highly important business to discuss. Would you care to step aboard? And while you're here, we'd love some professional advice on our ship."
Tom rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a moment before letting out a hearty laugh. "Tahahaha! Why not?"
The legendary shipwright stepped aboard the White Dragon.