Chapter 10: New Bounty Announcements and Pirate Ship Completed

Three days later.

Water 7 was now in sight.

"Gion, hasn't the Navy placed a bounty on you yet?" Kuke asked as he glanced at the latest bounty posters.

Kuke's bounty had increased from 440 million Berries to 500 million.

Boa Hancock and her sisters had also been placed under bounty.

This added over three thousand achievement points to Kuke's total. However, he was most eager to see Gion's bounty, which still hadn't been issued.

If Gion's bounty were to be released, it would surely exceed several hundred million Berries, providing a massive boost in his achievement points.

"Has the Navy not realized it yet?" Kuke looked at Gion curiously. "Or are they still holding onto some hope for you?"

Gion speculated, "They're likely too embarrassed to make it public. They don't want the world to know that I've defected, and they certainly don't want to admit that the Holy Land was invaded with a Navy officer as the main culprit."

Kuke gazed at the massive silhouette of Water 7 in the distance and began to ponder.

He couldn't let the Navy hide the truth for long. The revelation would have an even greater impact, and Gion's bounty was crucial.

"We'll split up as usual. Hancock, you and your sisters should continue gathering supplies. And remember... don't just buy things for me," Kuke reminded Boa Hancock for the third time.

"You're the captain, aren't you? Shouldn't that be expected?" Hancock murmured softly.

Sighing, Kuke responded, "This will be the last chance to stock up for a while. Everyone needs supplies, Hancock, including you. You should focus on yourself too. I'd rather see you dressed up beautifully, like in a qipao."

Currently, Hancock was wearing Kuke's oversized male clothing, which was a bit loose. She had nothing else to wear and had been forced to borrow his clothes.

"A qipao?" Hancock blinked her large eyes, thinking, *So Kuke likes me in a qipao?*

After all, a Pirate Empress without her qipao just didn't seem right.

"I understand now," Hancock said, her motivation soaring.

"Make sure you buy clothes for various professions too. We need to be able to disguise ourselves if necessary," Kuke added, keeping his tone serious.

Behind him, Gion playfully pinched his side. Was all that really for disguises?

"Keep a low profile. Building the ship will take time," Kuke reminded Hancock, who was wearing a hat to cover her identity.

Together, Kuke and Gion carried a massive chest containing ten billion Berries to the shipyard. They approached the famed Galley-La Company, whose leader was the soon-to-be Mayor of Water 7, Iceburg.

Kuke outlined his request:

"I want the main structure of the ship to be made entirely from Adam Wood. The ship should have at least one hundred individual rooms, along with essential facilities like a training hall, swimming pool, library, and relaxation room."

Iceburg, recognizing Kuke's name and reputation, treated this as the greatest challenge of his career.

"Mr. Kuke, fulfilling all these requirements, along with a comprehensive weapon system, will make the ship quite heavy, which could affect its speed."

"I don't need a weapon system or cannons. The ship should be able to move on land, submerge underwater for short periods, and ideally, it should have a propulsion system that can launch the ship forward for short bursts of speed," Kuke explained.

Instead of compromising speed with heavy artillery, he preferred to rely on his crew's strength. A ship that could travel on land, sea, and air, and even escape rapidly when needed, would far surpass the capabilities of the Thousand Sunny.

Iceburg quickly jotted down all the requirements in his notebook.

"Mr. Kuke, do you have any preferences for the ship's appearance?" Iceburg asked.

"Make it crimson," Kuke replied without hesitation.

"It will take about ten days to gather enough Adam Wood," Iceburg said.

Kuke nodded in approval.

After leaving behind a significant sum of Berries, Iceburg immediately contacted Franky.

"No way. I already said I'm done building ships for pirates. Have you forgotten how Tom-sensei died?" Franky replied, his voice filled with bitterness.

"Franky, this time we're building for Kuke, the man who dared to invade the World Government. Are you sure you don't want in?" Iceburg pressed.

There was a long pause.

After a few moments, Franky finally replied, "I'll do it. I'll use everything I've learned to build him the best ship possible."

...

After leaving Galley-La Company, Kuke glanced at Gion, who shook her head.

She hadn't detected any World Government spies at the shipyard.

Feeling relieved, Kuke settled in for the wait. Time passed quickly.

Ten days later, the ship was finally complete.

In the shipyard stood a magnificent, crimson-colored pirate ship, gleaming like the rising sun over the ocean.

"It's so beautiful!" Boa Hancock and her sisters excitedly explored every corner of the ship.

Every detail had been crafted to perfection. The finest shipbuilding techniques combined with Kuke's lavish spending had produced the ultimate pirate ship.

"Time to place the ship spirit!" Kuke thought to himself as he retrieved the ship spirit, a reward from the system, and installed it into the vessel.

"This is my home now," a faint, childish voice echoed from the ship, full of joy.

Gion looked around, startled. "Did I just hear something?"

Franky's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the ship. "A ship spirit? That's... impossible."

...

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