Chapter 278

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With 6,000 trading points acquired, Abel's 'wallet' instantly bulged again to reach 15,140 trading points.

But what really caught his attention was the last system notification.

[Medium-grade Wish Order Five-Star Review Count: 2/5]

Finally, he saw a new clue.

Perhaps once the number of five-star reviews reached five, the gateway to high-level trading privileges would open for him.

Although it still seemed far off, at least he now had a new goal to strive for.

...

A few days later, Abel, accompanied by Baby-5, arrived at the City of Water 7.

After Doflamingo became one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the Donquixote family had collected almost all the eternal pose to the islands in the first half of the Grand Line.

As an officer of the Donquixote family, Abel naturally had free access to them.

Moreover, he had never been secretive about his desires and directly told Doflamingo that he wanted to build himself a stylish ship.

Doflamingo laughed heartily at this and even funded him fifty million Berries, telling him that if he was going to do it, he should do it well.

In this world, a good ship is almost every seafarer's dream.

It can be compared to the sports cars in the real world.

Driving an old Jetta, how can you compare to someone driving a Ferrari with one hand?

It's that simple!

Furthermore, with the Donquixote family being so large and needing officers to travel everywhere, it's natural for each officer to be equipped with a ship.

But those were just ordinary ships.

The only one made with real care was the Flamingo.

That was Doflamingo's ship, and no one else would usually use it.

Thus, Doflamingo could completely understand why Abel would want to buy a good ship.

And wouldn't think too much of it.

However, Doflamingo had no idea that the ship Abel was planning to build would be a terrifying super battleship!

"Wow, Abel, look, all these people are wearing masks."

Baby-5 excitedly exclaimed.

Water 7 is a very characteristic place.

Aside from the intricate waterways and being attacked annually by the colossal tidal wave known as "Aqua Laguna", the city also holds a Mask Carnival during a specific period when residents dress up with masks.

Clearly, their arrival was well-timed, coinciding with the annual Mask Carnival of Water 7.

Additionally, the completion of the Sea Train, which took ten years to build, was drawing near, attracting countless people to witness this historic moment.

Consequently, the city was exceptionally bustling.

Rumors even suggested that Celestial Dragons might come to the ceremony.

Though it remains uncertain if it's true.

But, considering the number of unfriendly men in black suits arriving in Water 7 recently, the rumors might be factual.

After all, such historical events couldn't possibly lack the presence of Celestial Dragons, notorious for seeking amusement.

After strolling with Baby-5 for a while, Abel inquired about the location of Tom's Workers.

However, the vicinity was filled with concealed CP agents, causing Abel to frown and mutter about the inconvenience.

He had been somewhat careless.

Perhaps his previous behavior of asking for directions had already caught some people's attention.

Given Tom's significance, not only because of the nearing completion of the Sea Train but also concerning the blueprints of the 'Pluton', the World Government would never allow strangers to casually approach Tom himself.Abel also knew that the infamous Spandam had set his sights on Tom, waiting for the completion of the Sea Train to reveal his true intentions and demand the blueprint of Pluton from Tom.

This indirectly led to Tom's death.

Otherwise, Tom's contribution to building the Sea Train could have offset his crime of building ships for the Pirate King.

"Are we not going in?"

"It's not the right time yet. Let's go, we'll look elsewhere."

Abel refrained from acting rashly, instead taking Baby-5 to other workshops.

Although Tom was considered the world's greatest shipwright at present, Water 7 still housed many other talented shipwrights.

If a satisfactory answer could be obtained from another shipwright, there was no need to fixate on Tom alone.

However, after visiting several shipwrights, none of the answers satisfied Abel.

He required a ship that was larger, sturdy, yet didn't sacrifice speed.

Clearly, this was paradoxical.

To be sufficiently sturdy, one had to use hard and heavy wood, which would inevitably affect the ship's speed.

To maintain sufficient speed, lighter materials must be used.

It seemed impossible to have both.

As a layman, Abel could only suggest using the wood of the "Adam Tree," based on his memories, to build a ship that met his criteria.

This suggestion instead frustrated the shipwrights.

The Adam Tree was indeed one of the few trees in the world with unparalleled toughness; it could withstand the most brutal wars and stand unyielded.

Thus, a ship made from the Adam Tree would withstand great stress, possess tremendous toughness, and be very durable.

Simultaneously, the Adam Tree was not very heavy, so it wouldn't affect the ship's sailing speed.

In theory, this met all of Abel's requirements.

However, crafting a ship from the Adam Tree required exceptionally high shipbuilding skills due to its excessive toughness, which typical shipwrights couldn't even begin to process.

No one would risk their reputation, or even their life, for a bit of money.

After all, just a portion of Adam Tree wood on the black market was nearly two hundred million Berries!

Following Abel's idea to build a large ship, the material cost alone could range from six to ten billion Berries based on the blueprints.

The price was astonishing, even for Abel.

Eventually, one shipwright expressed that if Abel could provide sufficient Adam Tree wood and adequate compensation, he could attempt to build a ship.

However, it would take at least three years.

Abel nearly drew his gun in frustration.

Yet, after hearing the explanation, he calmed down.

There was no helping it; their skill level dictated the necessity of time if quality was to be prioritized.

Unless Tom himself took on the project, delivering the ship in a shorter period would be impossible.

Tom had unique shipbuilding skills and had even built the Pirate King's ship, the Oro Jackson, from Adam Tree wood.

In all of Water 7, no, the entire world, there was no shipwright more experienced than him.

And so, after all, they came full circle.

Abel was speechless.