After sailing the seas for another month, Raynor led everyone to their next destination: Water 7.
As the number of crew members continued to grow, their original ship could no longer meet their daily needs.
They needed a pirate ship with a larger scale and more functionality.
A pirate ship could be considered the symbol of a pirate crew.
In the future, the famous Four Emperors of the New World would all have signature ships exclusive to their fleets: The Straw Hat Pirates' Thousand Sunny, the Red Hair Pirates' Red Force, the Whitebeard Pirates' flagship Moby Dick, and so on.
The Raynor Pirates were gradually taking shape, and their biggest need at this stage was to build a ship that was truly their own.
Of course, in addition to the main ship, there was the Ark Maxim.
He already had the blueprints for the Ark, a massive amount of gold for raw materials, and Jace's Rumble-Rumble Fruit to power it.
Everything was ready; all that was left was to start construction!
...
With the pirate ship sailing at full speed, the outline of a city soon appeared on the horizon.
"Haha... We've finally arrived at Water 7!"
Linlin, sitting at the bow, jumped up in excitement.
When the others saw the scene before them, their expressions turned from joy to amazement.
"So, Water 7 is this beautiful!"
As far as the eye could see, a massive fountain towered in the very center of the city. The water cascaded down, flowing through the entire town. It was, quite literally, a city built upon the water.
"We're going to be here for quite a while. There's plenty of time to enjoy the view later. First, let's go find someone,"
Raynor said, somewhat dampening the mood as he looked at the awestruck crowd.
"A shipwright?"
Hearing Raynor get down to business, the others became more serious.
"But Captain, can they really build the pirate ship you've envisioned?" Jace scratched his head, sounding uncertain.
On the way here, Raynor had explained the general structure of the future ship to them. It was several times more complex than any pirate ship they knew of. Building it would be no easy feat.
Raynor smiled at their concerns, full of confidence. "Don't worry. The world's greatest shipwright is here. With him on the job, there won't be any problems."
Tom. The grandmaster of shipbuilding, and the mentor of both Franky and Iceburg.
If there was anyone in this world who could bring Raynor's envisioned ship to life, it was him.
Since this was just a business discussion regarding the ship's construction, after docking at the port, Raynor took only Roger with him to Tom's company.
They asked for directions as they walked, taking some time to find the place.
...
Tom's Office.
Learning that the man before him was the world's greatest shipwright, Roger couldn't help but take a few extra glances out of curiosity.
"What do you need? Buying, building, or repairing?" Tom glanced at the two and cut straight to the chase.
Everyone who came to him was there for one of these three things.
"We want to build a ship," Raynor replied honestly.
Accustomed to this, Tom nodded and pressed on. "What kind of ship do you want to build?"
"Do you have blueprints? If not, we have several designs here for you to choose from, free of charge."
Answering these daily questions was second nature to Tom.
"Here are the blueprints."
With a smile, Raynor placed the designs he had drawn onto the table in front of Tom.
Tom straightened the papers. Just looking at the dimensions, he looked up with a frown. "Length 660 meters, width 200 meters, height 100 meters. Are you serious?"
It wasn't that he couldn't build it, but in his decades of experience, very few ships of this magnitude existed.
For a young kid to suddenly ask for such a colossal vessel, he had to double-check.
Raynor wasn't surprised by Tom's reaction and nodded affirmatively. "You read that right. Those are the dimensions."
Receiving confirmation, Tom lowered his head to study the blueprints again.
Before long, his previously relaxed brow furrowed once more as he muttered under his breath.
"Beautiful... this design is truly beautiful. But building it will be tricky!"
"So many functional zones, yet so distinctly layered. Very impressive!"
"Installing this many cannons?!"
"Huh? A specialized cabin below the waterline? What's the purpose of this design?"
Tom was now completely immersed in the blueprints, forgetting Raynor's existence entirely. At times he looked excited by the ingenuity of the design, at other times he frowned in thought.
Time ticked by. Half an hour passed quickly. Throughout the entire process, Raynor didn't say a word, quietly watching Tom.
Phew—
After examining the final detail, Tom let out a long breath and nodded in appreciation. "Who drew these blueprints? They're excellent."
Raynor chuckled lightly. "I did."
"You?" Tom looked at Raynor suspiciously.
The young man before him looked no older than seventeen or eighteen. To have designed such an exquisite vessel was indeed surprising.
"If you really designed this, it's practically perfect. It not only has all the functions of a standard ship but also incorporates unique ideas."
"Although there are a few unreasonable parts, they are harmless to the ship as a whole."
"But..." Tom suddenly changed his tone, looking troubled. "To build such a massive ship and ensure its stability, the materials required..."
"I have Adam Wood. We can use that."
"What?!!"
Raynor's bombshell statement made Tom jump out of his seat. His eyes burned with intensity. "You actually have the Treasure Tree Adam? That's the best material for shipbuilding!"
"If you use Adam Wood, then there's no problem at all. As for the other parts, those will be much easier."
Raynor nodded slightly. "Adam Wood will be the primary material. For everything else the ship needs, use only the best."
Tom's eyes lit up. A big client!
"Good! I haven't built such a large ship in years. And with such excellent materials... don't worry, leave it to me!!"
"I guarantee, once this ship is launched, it will be the best ship in the world!!"
Tom patted his chest confidently.