With the guarantee of the world's greatest shipwright, Raynor was naturally at ease.
"I want to build two ships. Besides this one, there's another."
Seeing Tom sit back down to study the blueprints again, Raynor couldn't help but remind him.
"Hmm?"
Tom looked puzzled. "Another one?"
"It's right underneath," Raynor pointed.
Tom had been so engrossed that he hadn't noticed there was another blueprint underneath the first one.
He placed the second blueprint on top and gave it a cursory glance.
Compared to the first ship, this one was far less impressive in terms of size, craftsmanship, and complexity. It would be much simpler to build.
"This ship is relatively simpler. But why do you..."
"Wait... Hmm???"
Just as Tom was about to ask why Raynor wanted two ships, he shot up from his chair again.
He slammed his hand onto the blueprint, his face flushed with anger. "Kid, are you messing with me?!!"
"I'm not messing with you," Raynor shook his head, his expression serious.
"You say you're not messing with me, but look at what you've written!"
"The entire ship is to be made of gold, and it has no propulsion system whatsoever! How is this not a joke?!"
"And do you have any idea how much gold it would take to build this?"
"You..."
"I know," Raynor replied, his tone still calm and unhurried.
In the next second, with a wave of his hand, a pile of glittering gold instantly filled the rest of the office.
"Holy—!!"
The sudden appearance of the gold bathed the entire office in a golden glow, causing Tom to curse involuntarily.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, Raynor quickly stored the gold back into his system space.
Then, with a smile, he said, "That's just a part of it. I'll have the gold needed for the Ark ready for you."
"As for the propulsion system, you don't need to worry. Just build the Ark according to the blueprints."
With Jace around, they had an endless source of power.
"However, I have one condition. The construction of the Ark must be kept confidential. It must be done in secret. Absolutely no one else can know."
After all, using gold to build a ship—an Ark—would be earth-shattering news anywhere.
If word got out, countless pirates would come coveting it. Even the Marines might send people to investigate, leading to unavoidable trouble.
Gulp.
Still recovering from the sight of the gold, Tom swallowed subconsciously, realizing the situation a beat later.
"D-Don't worry. I understand."
As soon as he finished speaking, he walked up to Raynor, looking him up and down, scrutinizing him from every angle.
"Kid, what's your name?"
"Raynor."
"Raynor??" Tom rubbed his chin, his mind flipping through memories like a slideshow. A moment later, he shook his head. "I haven't heard your name."
"It doesn't matter if you haven't heard it now. Once you finish building the ship, it won't be long before my name shakes the seas."
Meeting Tom's gaze, Raynor spoke calmly, as if stating a trivial fact.
Looking at the confidence in Raynor's eyes, Tom paused for a moment, then burst into laughter.
"Good! I'd like to see just what kind of name a kid like you can make for yourself on the sea!"
"By the way, kid, besides this Ark, the main ship will also cost a fortune. And since I'm personally handling it, my fee is astronomical. Can you..."
Before Tom could finish, Raynor raised a hand to interrupt him.
"Don't worry about money. If the ships you build satisfy me, I'll pay you double!!"
"Good! Good! That's what I like to hear—响当当 (Resounding)!!"
Tom rubbed his hands together excitedly. "I love working with straightforward big clients like you."
"But building these two ships will take a long time. Especially your main ship—it has too many details and the craftsmanship is complex. do you have that much time?"
Even with him personally overseeing it, building two ships to perfection would take at least several years.
"You don't need to worry about that. We'll be staying here for the foreseeable future. My requirement is that every detail of the ship must be as close to perfection as possible."
"We won't leave until the ships are successfully built!"
"Deal!"
With Raynor's assurance, Tom punched his right fist into his left palm confidently. "Since you put it that way, leave it to me."
"Kid, I haven't built such a large ship in years. And one made entirely of gold as raw material... I've never even heard of such a thing."
Pausing slightly, Tom looked at Raynor very seriously.
"I truly hope that one day I hear your name and the name of this pirate ship echoing across the seas!"
As the world's greatest shipwright, Tom pursued more than just money.
He hoped that every ship he built would find a worthy master and one day become famous across the ocean.
He wanted everyone to know that Tom built that ship.
"Don't worry, I won't let you down," Raynor replied with a faint smile.
In a few years, the names of Rocks, Roger, and other great pirates would resound throughout the New World.
That would be the era where hundreds of flowers bloomed.
Raynor calculated the time. By the time these two ships were finished, the timing would be just about right.
It would be time for him to truly face those legends.
"Alright, I believe you. It's settled then."
"Give me a few days to clear my current workload, and then I'll get my team started on your ships!"
"I'll be counting on you!"
...
Time flew by, seasons changed, and years passed.
The year is 1472 of the Sea Circle Calendar!
Raynor had spent a full eight years in Water 7.
During the first year, he led his crew to experience the local customs and culture.
It had to be said that Water 7 was an incredibly livable city, a place brimming with an uplifting and energetic spirit.
If Skypiea offered a dreamlike, magnificent wonder, then Water 7 offered romance and vitality.
Unlike watching it in the anime, one could only truly appreciate its beauty by experiencing it firsthand.
Of course, with the beauty came the hardships.
Spending eight years in Water 7 meant Raynor had also experienced the massive tsunami known as "Aqua Laguna" eight times.
Fortunately, each time was merely a close call without real danger.
Over these eight years, Raynor had spent at least seven of them staying entirely within Water 7. The remaining time was spent traveling to handle certain matters.
Aside from training, Raynor spent most of his time reading ancient books and manuscripts.
In his System, Navigation Points were earned by recruiting crew members and obtaining Devil Fruits. But the final method was exploring historical ruins and reading ancient texts.
Although the points gained this way were less than the other methods, they added up. Over eight years, Raynor had accumulated a significant amount of Navigation Points.
"Open System," Raynor commanded silently.
[Opening System Panel...]
Host: Raynor
System: Grand Line Voyage System
Swordsmanship: Lv 49 (50/200,000)
Observation Haki: Lv 25 (26/250,000) — [Future Sight]
Armament Haki: Lv 25 (26/250,000) — [Internal Destruction]
Conqueror's Haki: Lv 19 (20/300,000)
Navigation Points: 20,000
Subordinates: Linlin (Iron Balloon Talent), Jace (Rumble-Rumble Fruit User), Shakuyaku (Soul-Soul Fruit User), Roger (Golden Lion Ability User), Streusen (Cook-Cook Fruit User), Rupert (Pocket-Pocket Fruit User), Shadow, Hajrudin
Fortune Points: 20
System Warehouse: Massive amount of Gold, Pure Gold, Marine Rokushiki Manuals
After eight years of accumulation, Raynor had mastered all six forms of the Marine Rokushiki. His swordsmanship and three types of Haki had also improved significantly.
Every time he earned Navigation Points, he immediately invested them into different attributes, so his current balance was relatively low.
As for Fortune Points, in eight years, he hadn't obtained any major treasures, and his peaceful life hadn't triggered any Fortune Events. After spending 100 points previously, only 20 remained.
Besides his own training and that of his crew, Raynor kept a close watch on news from the outside world.
He knew that Rocks D. Xebec had built his reputation during these years.
As for Roger, Shiki (Golden Lion), and Whitebeard, they were currently only somewhat famous—still a step below Rocks.
Raynor picked up the latest newspaper from the table. The front page featured a photo of the wild and unruly Rocks.
The headline read that Rocks had once again plundered a World Government-affiliated kingdom.
Upon hearing the news, Kong (Steel Bone) was furious and led numerous Marine officers to capture him.
During the battle, several Marine warships were destroyed. Rocks, unable to withstand the combined might of Kong and the others, was injured and fled.
"Hehe... truly a formidable guy. And this isn't even his peak yet. I'm afraid in a few more years, he will become a genuine threat to the Marines and the World Government," Raynor sighed with emotion.
One could only believe half of what the Marines printed. Their choice of words needed careful scrutiny.
Based on facts, the Marines would deliberately spin the narrative to make it seem like they had the upper hand.
In Raynor's view, saying Rocks was "injured and fled" likely meant it was at least a stalemate, not the pathetic defeat they described.
"The era of turbulence is finally arriving!"
"I've been lying low for eight years. It's time to go out and see the world."
Placing the newspaper back on the table, Raynor murmured to himself.
"Captain! Captain! There you are, I've been looking for you all morning."
"Our main ship is finished! Boss Tom sent me to get you. Linlin and the others are already there, waiting for you."
A voice called out from afar, getting closer. Soon, a muscular young man with a physique that barely looked human came running up.
Rupert. Apart from Tom and his apprentice Den, Rupert was the best shipwright in the company.
Like Tom, he was a fish-man, specifically a Horned Cowfish Fish-man.
Over their eight years together, Rupert had been deeply captivated by Raynor's stories of the outside world and the adventures at sea. He was also won over by Raynor's strength and charisma. Eventually, upon Raynor's invitation, Rupert joined the Raynor Pirates.
When Raynor left, Rupert would go with him.
Originally, Tom was Raynor's first choice, and Den was his second, but both declined. They had no strong desire to sail the seas and preferred to stay in Water 7.
Raynor didn't force them. Although there was a gap between Rupert's skills and theirs, by world standards, Rupert was still top-tier.
Additionally, Rupert was a Devil Fruit user: the Paramecia Pocket-Pocket Fruit (Poke Poke no Mi).
This ability allowed the user to create pockets anywhere on their body, capable of storing items much larger than the pockets themselves.
In the original story, the user was Blamenco, the 6th Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. He stored items in a pocket near his chin, famously pulling out a giant wooden mallet during the Paramount War.
As a shipwright, Rupert's pockets were on his belly.
He stored all sorts of shipbuilding tools inside, accessible instantly. It was incredibly convenient—practically a fruit made for his profession.
It was worth mentioning that Rupert's potential was excellent, rated as A-rank.
As for his combat strength, it was roughly on par with Streusen. Since one was a cook and the other a shipwright, Raynor wasn't overly strict about their fighting prowess. As long as they could protect themselves, that was enough.
"Eight years... it's finally done!"
Hearing the news, the corners of Raynor's mouth lifted. For eight years, he had looked forward to this moment every single day. Today, it was finally here.
Actually, building the main ship and the Ark shouldn't have taken eight years.
But Tom wasn't working solely for Raynor.
While other tasks in the company were handled by his apprentices or subordinates, complex problems still required Tom's personal touch.
Moreover, Tom was also tackling Water 7's great problem—building the Sea Train to counter the threat of the tsunamis. Balancing all these tasks had dragged the timeline out until now.
But Raynor wasn't annoyed. In his opinion, the timing was perfect. It was time to set sail again!
And this time, he would make his name renowned across the seas!
"Let's go. Let's take a look."
With his mind entirely on the ship, Raynor couldn't wait another second. The two of them hurried to the coast where Tom and the others were working.
Tom, Den, the other shipwrights, and the crew of the Raynor Pirates were already there, waiting for him.
Beside them, a massive ship covered in a black cloth sat quietly by the shore.
"It looks promising."
Raynor's eyes lit up as he looked at the silhouette. He felt an urge to rip the black cloth off immediately.
"Raynor, you're here."
Tom greeted him casually. After eight years, the two had become close friends.
"Yeah," Raynor nodded.
"Hahahaha... Raynor, I didn't let you down! I've finally built this pirate ship!!"
"The entire structure uses Adam Wood as the primary material. As for the rest, I used the best materials available for you too."
At this point, Tom leaned in closer to Raynor, rubbing his hands and lowering his voice. "Who asked you to pay so much, eh?"
Raynor rolled his eyes at him.
"Don't worry, Raynor. With Master and me working on it, you can be completely assured of the ship's quality!"
Den, standing nearby, patted his chest in guarantee.
Seeing the beaming smiles on his face and the other shipwrights', it was clear they were extremely proud of their work.
"In that case, let me see your masterpiece!"
Raynor walked to the front. Under the expectant gazes of the crowd, he grabbed the black cloth and yanked it down hard!
Whoosh!
In the next second, a massive, brand-new pirate ship was revealed to everyone.
"Wow!!!"
"Is this really our pirate ship??"
"It's absolutely perfect!!"
"As expected of the world's greatest shipwright!!"
Stars practically appeared in everyone's eyes. They were completely awed by Tom's supreme craftsmanship.
Although the Ark Maxim (Golden Ark) had been finished long ago, it lacked a propulsion system, and in terms of size and complexity, it couldn't hold a candle to the ship before them.
Looking at the pirate ship that matched his vision exactly, Raynor was deeply shaken. His excitement took a long time to settle. After a moment of silence, he murmured:
"The 'Totto Land'... is finally born!"
Raynor had named this ship long ago.
Totto Land! (The Land of All Nations)
...