After the "friendly" farewell with Garp, life for the Roger Pirates returned to its usual loud and chaotic routine. But as the crew got bigger, a serious problem started to become more and more obvious.
"Hey! Nozdon! Move your foot, you're stepping on my logbook!" Bluemarine's annoyed voice came from a corner of the deck.
"Ah? Sorry!" The large, pointy-headed Nozdon quickly moved his foot, but in doing so, he bumped his back into Miller Pine, who was busy polishing his hammer.
"You bastard! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!" Miller Pine shouted, glaring at him. His huge hammer was lying on the deck, taking up almost a third of the walkway.
"It's all Punk Rock's fault! He leaves his junk everywhere!"
"What did you say?! This is my latest invention, the Portable Fully Automatic Barbecue Machine Number Three!"
Near the ship's railing, Kyle and Isaac were practicing their sword fighting, but they barely had any room to move. Kyle nearly tripped over some drying clothes several times. He used a burst of speed to create some distance and sighed as he looked at the chaos on deck, all caused by the lack of space. For more than a dozen tall and brawny pirates, the ship they had "borrowed" felt as cramped as a can of sardines. They had to sleep in shifts, wait in line for food, and even their parties felt crowded.
"It looks like it's time for a bigger ship," Rayleigh said, appearing next to Kyle. He had stopped cleaning his sword and was now looking over the crowded deck.
"Kuhahaha! I was thinking the same thing!" Roger suddenly appeared from the captain's cabin, planting a foot on the railing. "Listen up, lads! This ship is too small for us now! Let's build the greatest ship in the world!"
"Oh oh oh oh!" The crew's complaints immediately turned into excited cheers.
"Build a ship? Where are we gonna do that?" Jabba asked, taking a swig of his drink.
"If we're talking about shipbuilding, there's no place more famous on the Grand Line than Water 7," Spencer said, stroking his chin and offering his expert advice.
Kyle's eyes lit up instantly. Water 7… the city where a legendary pirate ship would one day be built, home to the world's best shipwrights. A famous name immediately popped into his head: the fish-man, Master Tom.
"Alright! Then it's settled!" Roger declared, pointing toward the horizon. "Our destination is Water 7! Set sail!"
…
Several days later, a massive city built on water appeared on the horizon, and the Roger Pirates stared in awe. Giant fountains shot water high into the sky from the city's center, and countless canals spread out like a spiderweb. Strange creatures that looked like seahorses, called "Yagara Bulls," pulled small boats through the waterways, creating a unique and lively scene. The city was built in layers, with strange but beautiful buildings that were full of life and creativity.
"Whoa! Amazing! This city is huge!" Nozdon said, his mouth hanging open.
"A city on the water… a true masterpiece of engineering," even the well-traveled Spencer said with admiration in his eyes.
As their ship slowly sailed into the harbor, Roger looked at his crew's amazed faces and grinned. "Alright! You're all dismissed! Before we find a shipwright, go have some fun and see what this city is all about! We'll meet back at the harbor tonight!"
"Oh oh oh!" The crew scattered in an instant. Miller Pine headed straight for a bar, Colonel Mu Gulian lit a cigar and walked toward a building that looked like a weapon shop, and the others all paired up and went their separate ways.
Soon, only Roger, Rayleigh, Jabba, and Kyle were left on the deck.
"Alright, time to get down to business," Roger said, clapping his hands together. "Let's go ask around and find the best shipwright in this city!"
"I don't think it will be that easy," Rayleigh said thoughtfully. "The best craftsmen usually have strange personalities. They might not want to build a ship for a pirate crew."
"That's a problem…" Roger said, stroking his chin as he thought.
"I think… I might have heard a name," Kyle spoke up at the perfect moment.
The other three all turned to look at him.
"Oh? Tell us, little Kyle," Jabba said, leaning in with interest.
"Master Tom," Kyle said, pretending to think hard. "Yeah, I think that was his name. They say he's a fish-man, but he's the best shipwright in the world. But… I also heard he's a stubborn old guy with a bad temper who only takes jobs he actually likes."
"A fish-man shipwright? The best in the world?" Roger's eyes lit up. "Kuhahaha! Sounds interesting! He's the one! Let's go find this Tom guy!"
With Kyle's "accidental" guidance, they asked around and quickly found Tom's shipyard, "Tom's Workers." It was a huge shipyard on the outskirts of the city. The air smelled of fresh sawdust and machine oil. Even from a distance, they could hear the clang of hammers and the sound of hearty laughter.
When the four of them walked into the shipyard, a round, powerful-looking fish-man with bull-like horns and a blue shirt immediately caught their eye. He was holding a giant hammer, pounding a thick wooden plank into the ship's keel. Each strike was powerful and precise, as if he were creating a piece of art.
"Hey! Who are you?" a young shipwright called out, stopping them.
"We're here to see Mr. Tom," Rayleigh said politely.
The bull-horned fish-man stopped his work and turned around. He had a wide, friendly face and a booming voice. "I'm Tom! What can I do for you? DON!" He had a strange, powerful way of ending his sentences.
"We're pirates," Roger said, not even trying to hide who they were. "We want you to build us the best ship in the world!"
"Pirates?" Tom's smile faded slightly. He looked Roger and his crew up and down. "You guys want me, Tom, to build you a ship?" The other shipwrights in the yard started to look nervous.
"We're not just any pirates!" Roger grinned, showing off his white teeth. "And we don't want just any ship! We want a ship that can carry us around the world, a ship that can conquer this sea!"
Roger's voice wasn't loud, but it was filled with an undeniable presence, a Haki that seemed to ignite the air with the power of his dream. The entire shipyard fell silent. The doubtful look on Tom's face slowly disappeared, replaced by genuine interest. His large eyes were fixed on Roger, as if he were trying to see into the man's soul.
"Around the world?" Tom repeated, and then he burst into a thunderous laugh. "Wahahaha! You're a loud-mouthed brat! DON!" He walked over to Roger, his massive body casting a shadow over them. "You want me to build you a ship? Fine! But what makes you think you're worthy of a ship fit for a king?" Tom's eyes grew sharp.
Kyle knew this was a test. Tom didn't care about their identity or how much money they had. He wanted to know if these men had the spirit to command a ship built by his own hands.
Roger wasn't fazed by Tom's intimidating presence. In fact, his smile grew even wider. "Because I am Gol D. Roger! The man who's going to conquer the entire sea!"
Tom stared for a moment, then laughed even harder than before. "Wahahahahaha! Interesting! Very interesting!" He turned, grabbed a bottle of sake, took a long drink, and then tossed the bottle to Roger. "I like your spirit, brat! But spirit isn't enough."
"How about this," he said, holding out his massive hand. "Let me see your current ship. A ship carries the soul of its owner. Let me see what your 'soul' looks like!"
For the next hour, Tom and two of his shipwrights carefully inspected the Roger Pirates' ship. He tapped on the wooden planks and examined the scars on the mast. His expression changed from curious to surprised, and finally, to one of deep respect.
"These marks… they're from Marine cannonballs… this crack was made by a huge Sea King… and this part looks like it was cut by a powerful sword strike and then patched up with whatever you could find…" Tom said, tracing the many scars on the ship as if he were reading an epic story. "You sailed through all those storms in a ship this small?" Tom turned to Roger, his eyes no longer filled with any doubt.
"Kuhahaha! She's our trusted partner!" Roger said, proudly patting the ship's rail.
Tom was quiet for a long time. Finally, he broke into a wide, hearty grin.
"Alright! I'll take the job! DON!"
"That's great!" Roger shouted, pumping his fist in the air.
"But…" Tom's tone suddenly became serious. "If you want a ship that can conquer the world, you can't use ordinary wood." He paused, then said each word carefully, his voice filled with a deep reverence.
"To build the best ship in the world, you need to use the strongest wood in the world—the Treasure Tree Adam!"