OPTC Chapter 228 A Noisy Dinner
Tom's Workshop—that was its official name. But people also called it "the warehouse under the bridge," a rather literal nickname.
Scrap Ship Island might have looked like a junkyard, and the warehouse under the bridge might have resembled a shady front company. For Perona, who was used to living in a princess-like bedroom, the sight was enough to make her hesitate at the door with disdain.
If it weren't for the polite manners everyone had drilled into her recently, she probably would have thrown a tantrum already.
To live in such a simple place, yet spend ten years here working hard to create the Sea Train and save Water Seven—that kind of perseverance won everyone's respect.
They all braced themselves, deciding no matter how rough the conditions inside might be, they would show no complaint.
But as it turned out, they were far too naive. Back in Sabaody, even Uncle Goodman could spend hours expanding and decorating a room for them. How could the home of three world-class shipwrights be lacking?
The spacious warehouse gave them plenty of room to work with. Bedrooms, living room, kitchen, bathroom—everything was there. All the furniture was handmade by the three craftsmen.
Though there was nothing extravagant or ornate, their craftsmanship showed perfectly what "simple yet refined" truly meant.
Since they'd never had so many guests before, the dining table wasn't big enough and there weren't enough chairs. So, in just five minutes, the three of them built an extended table and eight new chairs from materials lying around.
The craftsmanship was solid enough that even Tom, weighing several hundred kilos, could sit without the slightest worry of collapse.
During the process, Perona muttered that the chairs looked too plain, saying what kind of chair she preferred. Iceburg overheard her and, without hesitation, crafted exactly what she described: a tall, high-backed armchair straight out of a European castle.
Perona was stunned. "Ama… amazing."
Zhang Da Ye tapped her on the head. "Don't trouble people with random requests."
"Oh." Perona nodded obediently—then, as soon as his back was turned, stuck her tongue out and made a face at him, mimicking Tom's mischievous expression almost perfectly.
Once the new furniture was moved into the living room, Kokoro served tea and went to prepare dinner. Meanwhile, Zhang Da Ye told Tom about recent events on Fishman Island.
"So there's a new princess on the island, named Shirahoshi? And those missing Celestial Dragons ended up there? A lot has happened over the years." Tom chuckled.
Zhang Da Ye asked, "You haven't been back all this time?"
Iceburg explained, "Tom-san has spent the last ten years entirely focused on the Sea Train. He simply hasn't had time to return."
Since Shirahoshi was only six, it made sense Tom didn't know of her yet.
And considering Tom was technically still a criminal, if he suddenly returned, people might think he was running away in guilt.
"Dahahaha! In a few days, I'll finally be able to visit again." Tom laughed. "Kokoro should want to return too, right?"
"What?" Rui Meng Meng exclaimed in surprise. "Miss Kokoro is also a fishman?"
"No," Tom corrected. "She's a mermaid."
"Whaaaat!?" Brook practically shouted with joy, as if discovering a new continent. "Impossible! Miss Kokoro is a mermaid? But she walks with legs!"
For a seventy-year-old skeleton, calling a fifty-something Kokoro "miss" didn't sound wrong at all.
Then Brook learned something new: after age thirty, mermaid women's tails split into legs, allowing them to walk on land like humans.
"Yohohoho! Then their clothing habits must be like humans too!" Brook straightened his bow tie, stood up, and walked toward the kitchen. "Miss Kokoro, may I see your—"
Before he could finish, Zhang Da Ye punched him flat. "When will you fix this perverted hobby of yours, you pervy skeleton!?"
Brook sat up, clutching his face. "Don't be like that, Da Ye-san! It's rare to meet a mermaid. Please, let me fulfill my dream!"
From the kitchen, Kokoro poked her head out. "What's going on?"
"I—"
"Friendship Justice Punch!" Before Brook could speak, Zhang Da Ye smashed him again. "Help me beat this pervert! I refuse to believe we can't fix him!"
"Correcting perverts is everyone's duty." Ye Yan stepped up, stomping down. "Justice Trample!"
Tom followed right after, delivering a series of meow-meow punches.
Shark Chili lifted his foot, then hesitated. The scene was already too brutal—he didn't have the heart to join in.
Artoria and Rui Meng Meng, both past victims of Brook's indecent requests, chose neither to help him nor to pity him.
Perona clutched the hem of her dress tightly. She wanted to kick him too, but didn't dare.
Seeing Kokoro's confused expression, Zhang Da Ye quickly reassured her. "Don't mind us. We're just… bonding."
Kokoro accepted it immediately. After all, Iceburg and Franky often bonded that way too. Just another small scuffle.
But Franky's ears perked up at one word. "Pervert? That skeleton's a pervert too?"
…
After the ruckus, Brook sat at the dinner table with a row of lumps on his skull.
That night, Kokoro served her specialty: curry rice. Potatoes, carrots, chicken—all stewed together. To Zhang Da Ye, it was basically a hearty stew.
Still, Kokoro's cooking was delicious. At least Tom didn't react the way he did with Zhang Da Ye's meals—taking one bite, then immediately rushing off to cook eight dishes and a soup himself.
To everyone's amusement, Yokozuna the giant frog also had a seat at the table. He handled utensils with practiced ease, showing he held a position in this household similar to Tom's in the tavern.
Watching him eat happily, Zhang Da Ye finally asked, "By the way, I've always wanted to know. Yokozuna's a frog, right? So how can he swim freestyle?"
"I taught him! Pretty amazing, right?" Franky said proudly.
"Gi~Lo…" Yokozuna's face looked both happy and awkward.
Iceburg ruthlessly exposed him. "Actually, back then, every time Idiot Chi got upset, he tried to teach Yokozuna freestyle swimming. He just wanted an excuse to blow off steam when Yokozuna failed. But over time, Yokozuna actually learned it."
"You're talking nonsense, Baka-Bagu! I believed from the very beginning that I could teach him!" Franky slammed the table. "Don't believe me? Next, I'll teach that cat to swim butterfly! He'll learn, I swear!"
Zhang Da Ye gave an awkward but polite smile. Teaching Tom to swim? Franky wasn't nearly qualified yet.
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