OPTC Chapter 237 The Smoking Tom
"Even the cat needs a ticket?" Zhang Da Ye grumbled a little but still obediently paid up. He remembered that back at Sabaody Park, Tom hadn't needed a ticket.
Tom, however, found it perfectly reasonable. He recalled going to the cinema with Jerry, where they had even bought two tickets—despite the fact that the movie was about them.
Before boarding, everyone carefully looked over the train known as Water 7's hope: the Smoking Tom.
The sea train's front looked like an old-fashioned steam locomotive.
On its side were the words "Water7." Behind, it hauled both passenger cars and freight wagons.
Brook, Perona, and Tom all looked visibly excited at the sight of the sea train. For two of them, it was their first time seeing such a marvel; for Tom, it was just a reason to act happy for no reason.
After a moment of gawking, they followed the other passengers aboard.
The seats inside were sturdier than the hard wooden benches of old trains. The eight of them filled two full rows.
When the carriage was nearly full, the train gave a heavy rumble and slowly pulled out of the station. Soon, it picked up speed. The cowcatcher at the front plowed through the waves, splitting the sea apart as the train ran across the surface on its tracks—grinding against the logic of every great physicist's coffin lid.
"It's moving, it's moving! Yohohoho! No sails, no oars, yet it runs like this! Amazing!" Brook shouted at the top of his lungs, ignoring the stares of the other passengers.
Though he always dressed like a gentleman, his behavior often betrayed no manners at all.
Perona clutched her doll, eyes sparkling with excitement, though she didn't scream like Brook.
Artoria stared out the window at the scenery racing past, wondering if she should lay down a Wind King barrier on the sea train, to reach Food City even faster.
"Tell me, with all this noise, won't the sea train attract sea beasts and Sea Kings? And those floating tracks—how do they even support the train?" Rui Meng Meng asked curiously.
Zhang Da Ye, though once a science student, didn't have the physics knowledge to explain this. "No idea. If you told me this thing ate a Devil Fruit, I'd believe you."
"You're visiting Water 7 for the first time, right?" a friendly man in the row behind them leaned forward to chat.
After they confirmed it, he explained, "The Smoking Tom may be called a sea train, but in truth, it's still a ship. The tracks below act more like signposts than actual supports."
This man had clearly done his homework, eager to show off to outsiders, rather than being the type who would just mutter, "It's just a dumb train, nothing worth seeing."
"I see," Rui Meng Meng said. "Then what about the problem of sea beasts attacking?"
Zhang Da Ye wasn't sure how that explanation was "I see," because even if it was a ship, making it look and move like this still seemed wildly unscientific.
The friendly man was already answering, "Mr. Tom said he designed the sea train to make a noise while running—one that fish can't stand. So sea beasts and Sea Kings hear it from far away and flee."
So it was like sonar that drove fish away? And it worked on Sea Kings too? If that were true, it was incredible. Zhang Da Ye asked, "Then if Tom built one of these systems into our ship, couldn't we just cross the Calm Belt whenever we wanted? Power and no Sea King problem!"
The man fell silent. That was far beyond his knowledge. Crossing the Calm Belt so casually? This young man was way too bold!
The group, however, began to consider the possibility. But Ye Yan was the first to pour cold water on it. "If we really tried that, I think we'd die ugly."
"Why?" Zhang Da Ye asked.
Ye Yan replied, "In the booklet you gave me, didn't it say the Calm Belt is the nesting ground of giant Sea Kings?"
Zhang Da Ye looked at him as if he'd just met a new person. "Ye Yan, you finally remembered an important fact! I'm so proud. Perona, you should learn from Brother Ye Yan. He used to be an even worse student than you—he'd fall asleep five minutes into reading! But after our rounds of physical training…"
Perona blinked in confusion. Weren't they just talking about the Calm Belt? How did this suddenly involve her?
"Enough already," Ye Yan muttered, unwilling to hear his own black history aired. He brought the topic back, "If Sea Kings just hear an annoying sound, they might avoid it. But if you bring that noise into their lair, wouldn't they go berserk?"
"True." Instead of a noisy engine, maybe it was better to have the shark giant tow the ship—quiet and powerful. Or just capture a sea beast to pull them. With Artoria's sensing abilities, as long as they didn't do anything reckless, crossing the Calm Belt was still possible.
After sincerely thanking the man behind them for the explanation—leaving him satisfied with his knowledge showing—the group continued chatting while watching the scenery. Before long, the sea train arrived at its first stop: Saint Poplar, the City of Spring Queens.
This was the very place where CP9 had once worked to cover Lucci's medical bills after the Enies Lobby incident.
But this wasn't their destination. After waiting ten minutes, the train set off again. Soon, they arrived at Pucci Island, the Gourmet City.
Zhang Da Ye called for his companions to disembark, peeling Tom off the window where he had been plastered in distraction, and carried him off. Together, they left the station.
The famous Gourmet City looked more like a normal small town, with architecture not too different from Water 7—just fewer canals.
But the faint fragrance in the air set everyone's appetites stirring. Zhang Da Ye grabbed Tom, who was about to float away nose-first toward the scent, and asked, "By the way, Ye Yan, didn't you say yesterday we'd give the Flag Demons a holiday today? Should we approve it?"
"There's no need to spoil that lot," Ye Yan muttered. But he still waved his hand. "Fine, come out."
With his permission, the Flag Demons sprang out, happily accepting the group outing funds Zhang Da Ye gave them. "Thank you, Master! Thank you, Boss!"
"We really wanted our holiday back in Water 7 though…"
"Yeah, Swift Ear found so many great spots there!"
Ye Yan raised the Demon Banner with a glare. "Anyone else not want a holiday? Back inside!"
The Flag Demons vanished in a blink.
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