Chapter 39: Chapter 39: Change of Plans, Heading to Water 7
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Shakky was staring at Hiro. "Too? As far as I know, only one Celestial Dragon was killed during Fisher Tiger's raid on Holy Land Mariejois. From your use of the word 'too,' it seems the Celestial Dragon was killed by you, Hiro. It appears your 'big brother' has taken the blame for you."
Hiro couldn't help but hold his head, only just realizing. He had assumed Fisher Tiger, like him, had killed a Celestial Dragon. Now that he thought about it, after Fisher Tiger saved them, the remaining Celestial Dragons were basically under the protection of the CP organization and the World Government. Fisher Tiger couldn't possibly have killed a Celestial Dragon who was under such protection. It seems Fisher Tiger had indeed taken the blame for him.
Now, he had another reason to recruit Fisher Tiger. He couldn't let Fisher Tiger take the blame for his actions.
"If you want to find Fisher Tiger, you may need to hurry. The navy and world government are searching for him all over the world. According to my sources, many fish-men on Fish-Man Island are planning to aid Fisher Tiger, not letting this hero, who dared to challenge the world government, face the navy alone," Shakky advised. Hiro was surprised at the information Shakky had, considering she spends all her time in a dive bar. Yet, it makes sense given her extensive network of connections, even reaching as far as Fish-Man Island.
Upon reflection, Hiro remembered that in the original story, Hatchan brought Monkey D. Luffy and his crew to Shakky's place on Sabaody for a coating. Shakky's intimate relationship with the residents of Fish-Man Island was clear, which would explain her knowledge about their intentions. He said to Tesoro, "Let's go, we need to find Fisher Tiger!"
Without hesitation, Tesoro stood up, ready to join Hiro on this mission. However, as they prepared to leave, Shakky chuckled, "The fish-men can swim there, but how about you two? Do you even have a ship?"
Hiro smacked his forehead in realization. He and Tesoro didn't even have a ship. How were they supposed to find Fisher Tiger without a way to travel there? It's not like they, as Devil Fruit users, could just swim there. That would be like serving themselves up as a meal for underwater creatures!
A bigger problem crossed Hiro's mind. Even if they did have a ship, they had no idea how to sail. When he first arrived in this world, Hiro was young and had no experience in navigation. As for Tesoro, he was a swordsman. He could fight, sure, but could he sail? He probably couldn't even find the helm.
Seeing their helpless expressions, Shakky burst out laughing. "I knew you guys would be stuck. So, here's a solution: a friend of mine is heading to Water 7 soon. You could catch a ride with him. Water 7 is famous for its shipwrights, to whom navigating is as simple as eating or drinking."
Hiro and Tesoro exchanged a look of surprise and relief. They simultaneously thanked Shakky, "Thanks, Shakky!"
Seeing their eagerness, Shakky led them to her friend. When they met him, they were taken aback as Shakky's friend turned out to be a king who was visiting Sabaody and planning a trip to Water 7 to see Tom's sea train under construction. It left them amazed at Shakky's vast network, which certainly helped in her intelligence business.
The trip from Sabaody Archipelago to Water 7 wasn't far, only a few days' journey by sea. However, with Fisher Tiger currently on the run from the navy, they felt anxious. Their urgency was unhelpful, as even if they found a crew and acquired their pirate ship within a day, the return to Sabaody would still take several days. All they could do was to channel their anxiety into productive energy, training on the ship.
The king's ship was extravagant, with dining utensils made of gold. This luxury provided an opportunity for Tesoro to start practicing his Devil Fruit ability. During the training, Hiro discovered that Tesoro was indeed a perfect match for the Gold Gold Fruit. Even though he had only just been introduced to gold, he was already able to control and shape it into various forms. He even created a life-sized, pure gold statue for the king, which delighted the king so much that he gifted Tesoro ten kilograms of gold to assist with his Devil Fruit training.
Time flies when you're training, and soon they arrived at Water 7. The unique fountain-like city left both Hiro and Tesoro deeply impressed. The entire city seemed like a massive fountain surrounded by gates with numbers, indicating the dock numbers. They followed the king's ship to Dock One.
After disembarking, the two began their mission. They had two goals in Water 7: to find a shipwright to join their crew and to purchase a pirate ship. They had already agreed on the ship, with Hiro responsible for finding a crewmate, and Tesoro tasked with earning enough money to buy the ship. They set a time and place to meet, then split up.
Hiro wandered around Dock One, hoping to find a suitable crewmate. However, after exploring, he discovered that while many shipwrights possessed excellent craftsmanship, none of them seemed suitable due to their lack of strength. But it made sense; in the era of great pirates, shipwrights with both shipbuilding skills and strength were highly sought after in any pirate crew.
However, this realization left Hiro somewhat despondent. Was he supposed to settle for just anyone? After some thought, he shook his head. This was not what he wanted. According to his plan, every member of his crew should be strong enough to help him confront the Celestial Dragons in the future. He didn't want to have to worry about their safety during battles.
At that moment, a man at Dock One caught his eye. This man was tirelessly promoting the ship he built to all the customers at Dock One. He was even pitching to a navy officer, which ended in an awkward apology. He didn't discriminate; he was trying to sell a large, comfortable ship to a woman too, who hastily left, causing the man to insist he wasn't a pervert.
The reason Hiro noticed him was that he felt a hint of threat emanating from this man.
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
-- Power
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