Chapter 59: The Dream Ship Design
[Spent one month with Esdeath, gained 1 Bond Point]
After nearly a month of pirate-hunting, Eric and his group of four finally returned to the winter island of the Future Nation as the end of the month approached.
"From the warm climate of the summer island back to the freezing cold of the winter island… it's unbearable." Eric still couldn't forget those lightly dressed, devil-bodied, angel-faced ladies back at the beach.
"Ara, I think what you really can't forget are those girls in swimsuits," said the ever-perceptive Kurumi, seeing right through his poor excuse.
"Not at all! I couldn't take my eyes off the three of you in swimsuits—how could I possibly look at anyone else?" the newly enlightened Eric hurriedly denied. Admitting it would just be plain stupid.
Usually quiet, Akame decided to expose him: "He spent about half the time sneaking glances at our bodies, and the other half peeking at other women's swimsuits. When he looked at us, most of his focus was on Esdeath's chest, my thighs, and Kurumi's feet… mmph—"
"W-Wait!" If Akame kept talking, Eric would be completely exposed. He quickly clamped his hand over her mouth to stop her.
"Ara, looks like I win," Kurumi, who was stared at in two places, flashed a victor's smile.
"Hmph, not a chance. Isn't that right, Eric ?" Esdeath, holding Eric 's head between her hands, showed her infamous icy smile.
"I love every part of all of you! Don't compare! Don't fight anymore!"
"Geez~ you're finally back." Polky, who had lost to Eric in the David tournament, came forward to greet them.
"Phew~" puffed Kullikay, the five-cigarettes-a-day uncle. "Polky was really worried about you, Captain."
"Geez~ Uncle!"
"Hahaha, we brought gifts for you all. Are Da Vinci and Chiron still busy?"
"Here you are, Captain Little Bro. Didn't expect you to be so punctual."
"Captain, from the feel of your Observation Haki, your recent training's been a bit lax."
"Ugh…" Eric was speechless. Although the mission was supposed to be his, Kurumi and Esdeath had done most of the heavy lifting. Eric rarely had to fight. And then there were the beautiful views of the summer island… his hidden slacker nature had resurfaced and he'd slacked off for several days.
"Indeed, that won't do. I'll train him properly from now on. You're the man who's going to reach the peak of this world with me—how can you slack off like this?" Esdeath's words sent cold sweat down Eric 's back.
"N-No thanks, I think Teacher Chiron's lessons suit me just fine…"
"I think someone strong should personally supervise the captain. No one's more qualified than Esdeath," said even the gentle Chiron, betraying Eric . 'I trusted you! I can't believe even you, bushy-browed Chiron!'
"Ara, I'll also help Eric grow stronger. Leave the Observation Haki training to me."
And just like that, Eric was surrounded.
...
"Here, these are your gifts." Though feeling a bit down, Eric still handed out the gifts he bought. Everyone had stayed behind on the frigid winter island—they'd worked hard too.
"Oh! Are these Den Den Mushi? Or are they Visual or Fax Snails? Thank you, Captain-kun!"
"Please try not to dissect them. Someone—probably a PhD student—once got fined and arrested for pouring salt on a few snails. I don't want any animal rights groups coming after you."
"Huh?" Da Vinci blinked, confused.
"Geez~ such pretty clothes and accessories. Thank you, Captain."
"Uh, thank Akame for that. She remembered your preferences and body measurements to help pick them out… Don't be shy, I just paid for it—I don't know your sizes! Now you're making me embarrassed too!"
"Kid, what's with this annual medical exam voucher?"
"Uncle, you smoke too much. I hope you'll get regular checkups and prevent any future lung issues."
"..." A giant vein popped on Kullikay's forehead. He said nothing. 'I'm just too kind…'
"Captain, this 'Glossy Hair Conditioner' and this book, 100 Ways to Groom Your Beloved Horse's Mane—are these for me?"
"Yeah, I saw that Teacher Chiron has long hair and a horse's tail, so I picked these. I know I can't give you what you really want (immortality), but I hope you like them."
"..." Chiron stared at the gifts silently, then thanked him: "Thank you, Captain. Next time, let me know ahead of time, and I'll tell you what I actually need."
Others whispered from the sidelines:
"As expected of the Captain… he actually left Chiron speechless."
"But you can tell he really put thought into the gifts. Just… some of them weren't quite right."
"Confused Eric is so cute~ Ah! I wanna snuggle him in my sleep."
"Ara, you can rest eternally hugging a cold corpse after Esdeath's interrogations."
...
After the "heartwarming" gift-giving, Da Vinci gathered everyone and made an announcement:
"After a month of experiments, using my Swallow-Swallow Fruit ability, I've combined nearly every obtainable metal—some in pairs, some in threes—and created over 3,000 alloys. Among them are ultra-hard, ultra-tough, corrosion-resistant, lightweight, and highly durable variants."
"There's even a shape-memory alloy! I've named it 'Da Vinci Memory Alloy!'"
Eric thought to himself: 'Isn't that the one Wapol invented?'
"Thanks to these alloys and Vegapunk's blueprints, Chiron and I designed the most advanced ship we're capable of creating! It has not only excellent defensive and surveillance capabilities, but also long-range artillery, powerful firepower, and sailing speed and maneuverability far beyond any sail-powered battleship!"
"The only downside is…"
"It's expensive, right? How much?"
Eric understood. A ship this good must cost a fortune. Price often reflects quality—unless you're being scammed, of course.
"T-Ten billion Berries?" Da Vinci whispered uncertainly.
"..." Silence. Ten billion was astronomical. Most ships cost tens of millions. Even Marine battleships, with superior artillery and size, only cost around one billion Berries.
"To build this ship, we want to go all-out with top-tier standards so we get it right the first time. According to our estimates, materials alone will cost about ten billion."
"...That doesn't even include labor, does it? How big is this ship?" Eric asked, brain finally online.
"Length: 245 meters. Beam: 37 meters…"
"Okay, I get it." Eric cut her off mid-sentence. The sheer volume of this warship meant there was no way their small crew could build it quickly.
"We're going to Water 7…" To build the dream ship.
(END CHAPTER)
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