They soon arrived at the harbor. From afar they could already see the bustle. Many large ships were moored along the port.
Sleighs loaded with all kinds of goods weaved through the crowd.
Before getting off, Ethan secretly slipped some Berry into one of the sleigh's compartments. It was not much. If he gave too much it would not be good for Old Cook. After saying goodbye, he went to look for a ship bound for Water 7.
Inside the docks there was a passenger ship called the Mary that sailed to Water 7. Ethan and Robin bought two first-class cabin tickets and boarded.
The interior of the cabins was fairly clean.
The captain of the Mary, Ivo Braun, had once been a commissioned officer at Marine Headquarters. Later, he was badly injured in a naval battle and, combined with his age, eventually retired.
This ship, the Mary, was named after his wife, in memory of his departed beloved.
People who lived and worked on the Grand Line, especially captains, usually had some story or background.
Ivo relied on his old connections with Marine Headquarters to gain some advantages on these seas.
For example, he could pay less of those inexplicable state taxes, and also avoid being squeezed by certain Marine branches.
After staying in port for two days, the Mary departed on a sunny, calm day. This voyage would head directly to Water 7.
With no stops and no detours, the speed of the ship was quite good.
They did not encounter any stubborn pirate ships along the way either, which was a stroke of luck.
The only unusual thing was that they saw a giant's silhouette in the clouds above.
Everyone on board ran out to watch this scene. According to Ivo, this giant phantom was one of the mysterious legends of this sea.
Seeing that phantom meant everyone's luck was very good today. Ethan asked curiously,
"Captain, could you tell us what other mysterious legends there are?"
Seeing the crowd in high spirits, Ivo rolled up his sleeves and started talking.
"It is said that above these seas there are gods living in the sky. Each of these gods is at least several hundred meters tall and wields a long spear.
"Sometimes there is one, sometimes two or three appear together here. Those who see the gods' phantoms will be blessed with good fortune.
"The last time this ship saw a god's phantom, a young man proposed to his girlfriend and she agreed on the spot."
Hey, hey, captain, do not slip in your own side stories.
"Then captain, you just said there were other legends in this sea. What are they?" Ethan asked.
"Oh, in this sea there are also occasional ships that fall from the sky. They say ships of all kinds drop down, pirate ships and merchant ships alike.
"Some people have investigated and found that some of those ships are from decades ago, yet they choose this moment to fall, with all their cargo still inside. It is a real unsolved mystery.
"Some even guess that there is another island above our heads, an island in the sky, hahaha," he laughed.
The other passengers laughed along with him. Only Ethan did not.
Because he knew exactly where this was. He knew for sure that there was a Sky Island above and he even knew how to get there.
But now was not the time to go.
He would need an extremely sturdy ship before considering Sky Island, otherwise it would be too dangerous.
In his previous life, the Going Merry had retired right after the Sky Island adventure. He had cried watching that episode.
He was definitely going up to Sky Island someday. The Lightning Fruit was simply too important. If it was given to the right person, it would guarantee at least a Marine Admiral level of combat power, and a strategic-class admiral at that.
Lightning's speed was troublesome to deal with, and its applications were incredibly broad.
Electromagnetism, using lightning to temper the body, speed, destructive power, all of it was top tier.
Whether he would eat it himself, he would decide when the time came.
After listening to the mysterious legends of these seas, Ethan went back to his room and continued keeping a low profile to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Finally, after a week, they arrived at Water 7.
The conceptual inspiration for Water 7 came from the water city of Venice. Its waterways were highly complex. Besides normal water routes at ground level, there were also waterways that extended downward from the heights of the city.
The local residents raised a creature called Yagara Bulls, which they used as a means of water transport.
Aside from being used for transportation, Yagara Bulls had very strong carrying capacity and could be used to help with moving house.
The rental cost for a small Yagara Bull with a two-person seat attached was one thousand Berry. The city beneath the waterline was their true home.
Because Water 7 was struck every year by a huge tsunami known as Aqua Laguna, the "Water Gods," which engulfed the entire city, the residents paid special attention to weather reports related to it.
That way they could make preparations for disaster prevention before the Water Gods came to the city. The island also provided temporary shelters for the people.
After Aqua Laguna swept through the city, it left a high concentration of sea salt on the eaves of houses. The residents would use this salt left by the Water Gods to cook.
This strange and beautiful cityscape was very interesting to Robin. Before attending to their business, she dragged Ethan off to ride a Yagara Bull and tour the city.
They also tasted the local specialty, "water meat." The meat was extremely tender, and with just simple cooking and a sprinkle of special sea salt it became delicious.
After that, the two of them went to the post office and sent the manuscript of "Water Margin" to the World Economy News Paper.
Finally, they checked into a hotel in the center of Water 7. In a city with a thriving tourism industry, the hotels were all excellent. The various services and facilities left Ethan and Robin very satisfied. They allowed themselves to relax completely.
The next day, Ethan had Robin stay at the hotel to read, while he disguised himself and went near Tom's Workers to scout things out, checking whether there were any CP agents currently monitoring the area.
With Ethan's current strength, the people from the CP units should not be able to hide from him.
Why be so cautious? Because this shipwright Tom was no ordinary person, but a legendary shipwright.
A horned fish-man, Tom had raised Iceburg and Franky and taught them shipbuilding.
More than twenty years ago, Gol D. Roger had asked him to build a pirate ship. Using the precious Tree of Adam as wood, he had constructed the Oro Jackson.
After Roger's execution, Tom was taken to Enies Lobby for trial, charged with the crime of having built a ship for the Pirate King.
At that time, he presented the design and concept of the Sea Train to the chief judge, which changed the ruling and delayed his execution, giving him time to build it.
After fourteen years of construction, he laid down the tracks for the Sea Train, Puffing Tom.
Later, he was framed by Spandam, then the commander of CP5, and was taken to the courthouse plaza at Enies Lobby and sentenced to death.
Anyone connected to the Pirate King tended to be trouble.
The World Government hated Roger, who had ushered in the Great Pirate Era, to the core. He had dared to ignite the will of rebellion and freedom.
Even Roger's own son called it the most sinful bloodline in the world.
On top of that, Tom himself carried a huge burden, the blueprints to the ancient weapon Pluton.
That was a power the World Government feared deeply. Sending intelligence agencies to watch him was perfectly normal.
So Ethan was very cautious about coming to meet Tom.
(End of Chapter)
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