Wasted Ship Island.
Tom, Iceburg, Franky, and a giant frog named Yokozuna, the three people and one frog, stood in front of a steam locomotive.
This was the result of three days of their hard work in assembling it.
Franky was so excited that he hugged Yokozuna the frog, and he joyfully shouted:
"Mr. Tom!
This is great, we have already assembled the locomotive.
Next, as long as it runs on the sea train tracks, we will succeed!"
"Hahaha! It's still too early! Let's do a trial run first!"
Tom laughed loudly as he hugged the locomotive with both hands.
To test whether the train could run on the sea, the three of them had already built a short track near the coast of Wasted Ship Island.
Under the terrifying brute force of this bull-horn Fishman, the steam locomotive, weighing hundreds of tons, was easily lifted and placed at the starting point of the track.
Before Tom could even give instructions, Franky's eyes gleamed with golden light, and he volunteered:
"Mr. Tom, let me drive this train!"
"Hahaha! It seems you can't wait, then you start the train!"
Franky chuckled, quickly ran into the locomotive's power room, and began to add coal and light a fire.
A moment later, billowing black smoke emerged from the steam locomotive, accompanied by a "thump, thump, thump!" roar, and the locomotive slowly started moving, its metal wheels spinning faster and faster.
However…
The steam locomotive had only traveled less than twenty meters when the entire locomotive plunged uncontrollably into the sea, scaring Franky so much that he quickly abandoned the train and jumped into the sea, narrowly escaping the fate of being buried at the bottom of the ocean.
Seeing this, Tom immediately jumped into the sea with a "splash!", creating a large spray of water.
He wasn't going to save Franky; he knew the latter's swimming ability very well. As long as he wasn't thrown into a giant ocean current whirlpool, he would usually swim back alive and kicking.
He was going to save the steam locomotive!
If he scrapped a steam engine every time he failed, his wallet couldn't withstand such waste!
Fishmen are darlings of the sea; compared to on land, they can fully display their racial talents in the sea.
Soon, Tom climbed ashore, carrying the steam locomotive on his shoulders from under the sea.
Franky, who had just swum ashore from the sea, shook his wet blue hair and said with a speechless expression:
"Mr. Tom, didn't you say the locomotive you built could travel on the sea?
Why did it plunge into the sea…?"
Hearing this, Tom immediately laughed and scratched his head.
"Ah hahaha! There's nothing that can be done about it…
This situation occurs because, in addition to the insufficient buoyancy of the tracks and the floating device of the carriage, the sea train is not fast enough…
I'm also very troubled!
If the efficiency of the steam engine could increase from eight percent to over fifteen percent, it should be able to enter a balanced state, right?"
"What if another machine device were used to provide power, and the energy efficiency could reach over twenty-five percent, or even forty percent?"
Hearing this somewhat familiar voice, Tom turned his head in surprise, looking at Sephiroth who was slowly walking from a distance.
"If that's the case… then that would be truly amazing!
Perhaps the sea train would be able to travel directly on the sea, hahahaha!"
"Oh!? Then I think you should be very interested in this thing."
Sephiroth opened a design blueprint he was holding in front of Tom.
Although the blueprint in his hand was crude and almost devoid of details, this was all he could rack his brains to recall in the past few days…
"Can you tell me its working principle?"
Tom the shipwright looked at the mechanical principle diagram and the rough cross-section of the internal combustion engine in the young man's hand, and he couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
He dared to boast in front of the judge that he could build a sea train connecting multiple islands within ten years.
That was because his own mechanical engineering skills were very impressive, and he knew that as long as he broke through a few technical difficulties, he could make the sea train a reality.
Therefore, when Tom the shipwright saw this internal combustion engine blueprint, he instantly understood many things.
"This is a thermal engine that uses diesel as fuel and can convert heat energy into power…"
Sephiroth explained the knowledge of internal combustion engines he learned in high school as thoroughly as possible to the Pirate King World's greatest shipwright, hoping that the other party could quickly grasp the existence of this machine.
Franky, who had crowded over, listened to Sephiroth's explanation from the side, and a look of excited joy immediately appeared on his face:
"Mr. Tom, this thing is so interesting! I feel like we can try it!"
"Hahahaha! It's really amazing!
Young man, you are willing to tell me the principle of this machine, you are a truly outstanding man!"
If Franky could understand it, then it was naturally even less of a problem for Tom, his teacher, to grasp it.
"Young man, could you show me the relevant part dimension drawings?"
Hearing this, Sephiroth decisively shook his head and casually brushed him off:
"I don't have anything like that at all; I just thought of this on the fly."
As a surgeon, if someone asked Sephiroth about medicine, he could elaborate in detail and speak eloquently.
But…
Mechanical engineering?
It's a completely different field; it's already good that he could draw a rough principle diagram of an internal combustion engine. Asking him for part dimension drawings and such was really asking too much of him!
"Oh! Is that so! Then you are also very impressive, young man…
By the way, what is this machine called?" Tom said with a smile.
"Internal combustion engine."
...…
After discussing the internal combustion engine with Tom, Sephiroth rode the marlin towards home.
Professional matters should be left to professionals.
Regarding the sea train project, this was all he could do.
Of course, he wasn't without extra gains; at least he earned the favor of Tom, Franky, and Iceburg.
If he ever needed their help in the future, given their personalities, as long as it wasn't too much trouble, they should all assist him…
When Sephiroth returned home, a guest had already arrived in his living room, and the Boa Sisters were sitting on the nearby sofa, waiting for his return with the guest.
The guest was Hughes Hilk, the president of Hughes Shipyard Company. He was a red-haired middle-aged man, burly with a rugged face, dressed in a sharp black suit.
"Sephiroth, it's really you… It's great that you're alright!
I heard that your passenger ship was attacked by pirates…
By the way, where is your father, Parl?" Hughes Hilk said excitedly.
"He was killed by pirates while protecting me…"
As he spoke, Sephiroth sighed softly, his eyes a little dim.
The man named Karl D. Parl was a great father who could sacrifice his life for his son.
Karl D. Sephiroth's mother died of illness not long after he was born, and his father raised him alone.
Therefore, in the original owner's heart, his father was the most important person to him…
Hearing this, Hughes Hilk also sighed softly. He looked at Sephiroth and said solemnly:
"How about this!… Sephiroth, how about you come to work at the shipyard company from now on?
Although the company is not doing well now, you will still have a stable income if you work for the company…"
"No, thank you for your kindness! Uncle Hilk, to be honest, I plan to join the Marine…"
Upon hearing this, the Boa Sisters, who were nearby, immediately exclaimed in surprise, speaking in unison:
"Marine!!!" × 3
"Sephiroth, why do you want to become a Marine?" Boa Hancock's delicate brows furrowed slightly, her tone full of confusion.
"Because… I not only need strength, but also a force capable of rivaling the Beasts Pirates to get revenge…
Joining the Marine is my best option right now."
Sephiroth's eyelids were lowered, his expression unreadable, but his tone was very firm.
The Marine in the One Piece World is formed by the World Government and serves the World Government's allied nations and the Celestial Dragons.
The Marine has no power to interfere in the internal affairs of its member countries, nor does it have the right to disobey orders issued by the World Government. Their duty is solely to maintain order in the seas, combat pirate forces, and help the World Government do some dirty work, even sometimes helping to cover up when Celestial Dragons commit murder…
However, even with all its constraints and drawbacks, it is undeniable that the Marine has a very mature system for cultivating talent.
Anyway, after this period of training, Sephiroth had come to realize that while he did possess Conqueror's Haki and the Mythical Zoan Vampire Fruit, he lacked a systematic way to grow stronger and couldn't maximize the effects of these abilities.
As a result, even if he spent ten hours a day training, he only felt a slight increase in his physical fitness, and in terms of combat experience, he was still almost a blank slate…
This world has never lacked top powerhouses who grew through continuous battles: Roger, Kaido, Charlotte Linlin, Edward Newgate…
But…
Compared to self-taught individuals, Sephiroth, who had received systematic education in his previous life, still preferred structured training, and the Marine was one of the more reliable institutions for that.
"Is that so? Both strength and influence are necessary…"
Boa Hancock murmured softly, deep in thought.
Seeing this, Hughes Hilk stood up from the sofa, gently patted Sephiroth's shoulder, and sighed:
"Alas! Sephiroth, since you've made your decision, I won't try to persuade you anymore.
If you ever need my help in the future, you can come find me…"