OPTC Chapter 172 First, We Need to Apologize to Uncle Goodman
The first time boarding the ship, Zhang Da Ye decided to show some respect to the rope ladder and climbed up step by step instead of just leaping onto the deck.
But before he even reached the top, the people above had already started exclaiming in surprise.
"Wow! What a beautiful ship!"
Unable to hold back his curiosity, Zhang Da Ye quickened his pace, scampering up the ladder in a few leaps to join the tour.
The foredeck was simple, equipped only with a wheel and a chair. Without a doubt, that would end up being Artoria's special seat.
A little further back was the foremast with a square sail. Usually, people would paint their crew's emblem on it.
The middle section of the deck was like a small square, or courtyard, meant for leisure and gatherings. From here, one could enter the cabins.
Behind that stood the main mast. In addition to its square sail, it was fitted with a fore-and-aft sail to adjust for wind pressure.
Around the mast, a small garden had been built. It was only decorated with coral for now, no plants yet. At the very top was a small lookout post.
Inside the ship, the top level was a small bar, designed similarly to Zhang Da Ye's tavern but on a smaller scale.
The lower levels contained dormitories, a bathhouse, toilets, an infirmary, a dojo, and a library. There was also a restaurant, a kitchen, and a massive food storage room, all perfectly suited to their needs.
Looking at the ship, which was almost tailor-made to his specifications, Zhang Da Ye felt a strange sense of time distortion. Did he tell Uncle Goodman his requirements just yesterday? Or had he actually explained everything to Den a month ago?
"Is there something you're unhappy with?" Jinbei noticed his expression.
"No, I'm actually very satisfied. I just find it strange… I told Camie once about the kind of ship I wanted, but with her memory, I doubt she could have remembered all this." Zhang Da Ye reasoned, knowing Camie's usual scatterbrained behavior.
Jinbei was at a loss for words. You really do know her well. In truth, when King Neptune asked about the ship's details, Camie had struggled hard to think of an answer. Finally, she raised one finger and declared, "Big Brother Da Ye wants a really awesome ship!"
"What kind of ship is that?"
"A really awesome one!"
"How awesome?"
"Super awesome!"
…
Luckily, Papagu the starfish nervously stepped in to clarify everything. Though he didn't stand out much, Papagu was far more reliable than Camie, and he remembered every detail Zhang Da Ye mentioned.
The only issue was that Papagu was so terrified of royalty he nearly fainted when meeting Neptune.
"In short, you have Papagu to thank for this," Jinbei said, choosing not to mention Camie's embarrassing part and instead highlighting Papagu's contribution.
"So it was him." Zhang Da Ye nodded in realization. "Now that I think about it, we always forget about him when we talk. Please thank him for me, and also thank King Neptune and Queen Otohime for their generosity."
Jinbei hopped back onto the whale shark and untied the rope connecting it to the ship. "Well then, my mission here is done. I won't intrude further."
"Leaving so soon?" Zhang Da Ye envied him a little. Being able to summon whale sharks as personal transportation was ridiculously convenient.
Jinbei smiled. "I need to hurry back and report. Besides, you all probably have plenty to prepare. Meeting again at sea will be more fun."
"In that case, next time we'll host you aboard our ship," Zhang Da Ye said, then suddenly thought of something. "By the way, did Mr. Den give this ship a name?"
Jinbei paused, then remembered. "Ah, yes. When it was completed, Mr. Den asked Queen Otohime to name it: the Hope-Diamond."
"Hope-Diamond," Zhang Da Ye repeated, then tried to translate with his clumsy English. "The… Hope… Diamond?"
Tom the cat covered his eyes with a paw, utterly embarrassed by his master's terrible pronunciation.
Jinbei explained, "It means the Star of Hope. You could simply call it the Hope or the Amber."
Zhang Da Ye showed no shame. His English level was what it was. "That sounds much better anyway. Way better than what I had in mind… the Forward Tom."
"Meow?" Tom glanced at the figurehead, then at his master. Honestly, he thought naming the ship after him would've been pretty great.
After seeing Jinbei off, everyone just stood on the ship in silence, staring at one another. Only Tom was bouncing around, running to the bow, then climbing up the lookout tower.
This was his family's ship—his master's was his. Determined to explore every corner, he even changed into a sailor uniform for the occasion.
"Boss, your plans just got thrown off again. What now?" Rui Meng Meng asked.
"What else? First thing we need to do is apologize to Uncle Goodman," Zhang Da Ye said with a pained look. Uncle Goodman had been so serious yesterday—he might have even stayed up all night drafting designs.
But now, with the ship already in their hands, wouldn't that make it seem like they were mocking him?
Artoria said, "It's not like we could have done anything about it. Who would've expected such a surprise gift?"
"That sounds like false modesty…" Zhang Da Ye muttered, then gave up when he saw Artoria's puzzled expression. "Alright, fine, you don't mean it that way."
"In any case, we should bring gifts when we apologize," Shark Chili said. "If I recall correctly, that old man likes wine and anything that makes him look good in front of others."
Of course Shark Chili would know. Even after just a few meetings, he understood Goodman perfectly. Though, Goodman was a pretty easy man to figure out.
Artoria added, "As for wine, I saw some in the storage room. There are also plenty of Fishman Island sweets and various foods."
In fact, not just food. A quick glance had shown that everything was already stocked—furniture, bedding, daily necessities, even cat beds. Two of them, actually: one a round basket style, the other like a small crib.
"Then let's take some wine and snacks from there. Sharing Fishman Island's wine with friends will definitely earn us some face."
The sweets from Fishman Island were world-famous too. Even Big Mom coveted them, though she could only buy limited amounts. If she had more strength to spare, she might have picked a fight with Whitebeard just to seize the island.
After picking out the gifts, Zhang Da Ye called over an overly excited Tom. "The Hope needs someone to watch her. Who wants to stay behind?"
"I'll stay. I won't let a single scratch touch her!" Artoria volunteered, though her eyes kept wandering toward the food storage room. It was a little too obvious.
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