Chapter 52: Heading to water 7

On the Going Merry, Nami stood at the bow, her pretty face lit up with a happy smile as she observed the calm sea. "The sailing route is correct! We should reach the next island on the record pointer soon," she announced. Sailing with her friends and fulfilling her dream of drawing a sea map of the world felt like a dream come true.

Unconsciously, Nami glanced at Ace, who was wearing a cloak carefully sewn by Kaya and drinking black tea blended by Laki. Her face blushed. How could Ace, that bad guy, be so specially trained? She thought of Ace's special training sessions for her, leaving her both confused and stronger. Although the training seemed unconventional, using the Thunder Fruit's ability to practice with precise control, it had indeed made her more powerful. Her beautiful eyes sparkled with a newfound depth.

"I said, I've already recovered, so I don't need to wear this cloak and drink black tea, right? With such nice weather, shouldn't we have a glass of cold beer?" Ace remarked calmly to Kaya.

"No, Ace, your recovery speed is impressive, but you still need to be careful not to leave any hidden dangers," Kaya replied, her face red as she avoided looking directly at him. She recalled Ace's special training for her during their voyage, a mix of strength and vulnerability that left her blushing and burying her face in her medical book.

Nearby, Laki and Conis noticed the abnormal behavior of Kaya and Nami, their faces turning red. Though Ace's targeted training for them was more standard, they couldn't help but feel affected. Conis and Laki glanced at Ace, their eyebrows slightly tinged with red.

"The captain is so poorly managed by the crew," Ace said listlessly, though a thick smile played at the corners of his mouth.

"Snort!" Vivi wrinkled her nose cutely at Ace before hiding behind Nojiko. Exercising her Sand-Sand Fruit required precise control of water absorption, a challenging and embarrassing task. Vivi's face turned red as she pondered Ace's methods.

Nojiko, who had temporarily entrusted control of the Merry to the ship spirit Merry, saw Ace's antics. Her mature, pretty face turned red as she shot him a dirty look. When Ace provided her with special training, he emphasized the importance of hand speed and coordination with breathing for a sniper. Nojiko's face reddened as she remembered his instructions, her usual maturity giving way to flustered thoughts.

Robin, reading a history book, put it down and blushed slightly. She was aware of the special training Ace had given the girls. He hadn't stopped her from using her fruit ability to detect his methods, perhaps to familiarize her with it in advance. Despite her emotions, Robin acknowledged the strength she had gained. Ace had told her that her fighting talent was among the highest, and her survival mentality had given her valuable experience. Now, she felt stronger, ready to explore the real history.

As she put down her tea cup, she glanced at Ace and caught him smiling at her.

Robin quickly picked up her teacup again, taking a sip of black tea to hide her emotions. However, I don't seem to hate it, she thought, her red lips curling into a slight smile.

"Nami, everyone, why are you all acting so weird?" Tashigi asked, tilting her head cutely as she carefully wiped Shigure.

The girls remained silent, each focusing on their tasks. Nami took out the chart and examined the navigation route. Nojiko took over the Merry's control, Vivi adjusted the sail, and Kaya buried her face in her medical book. Conis played her harp while Laki sorted ingredients. Robin took several more sips of black tea.

Suddenly, the Merry swayed, and Tashigi screamed. "Vivi! Don't touch the sail!" Nami blushed and yelled.

"It's not all my fault. Nojiko didn't control the rudder well either," Vivi retorted, her face red.

"Nami, you didn't look at the route carefully. We're off course," Nojiko added, also blushing.

Conis grabbed her flying harp, and Laki accidentally tore a bag of pepper, sneezing uncontrollably. Kaya noticed her medical books were upside down, and Robin, failing to activate her ability in time, spilled tea on her face.

It was clear that their minds had been elsewhere, distracted by thoughts of Ace's special training.

Ace laughed at the scene. "Ha ha."

The girls glared at him, their faces red. It's all your fault!

"Oh, I understand, everyone is like this because of Ace's special training... Wow!" Tashigi started to say, but Nami, Vivi, Kaya, and Nojiko quickly covered her mouth.

"Hey, look, there's a frog swimming freely," Ace suddenly said, standing up and staring at the sky.

"What a lame excuse... Wait, are there really frogs swimming free?!" The girls followed his gaze and were stunned. A giant frog was swimming in the waves.

"Woo!" A whistle sounded across the sea.

"Quack!" The giant frog, hearing the whistle, moved forward crazily.

"Hahaha, this is interesting. Let's see what this frog is up to," Ace laughed. He explained that this frog was once a pet of Tom's studio and had been challenging the sea train daily since Tom's death, resulting in countless scars.

The girls, curious about the frog and the distant whistle, quickly returned to normal. They controlled the Merry in an orderly manner, chasing after the giant frog.

"Woo!"

Boom! Boom!

Amidst the women's exclamations and a piercing whistle, a huge vehicle appeared, completely black with carriages like a steam train. It collided with the railroad tracks, catching everyone's attention.

"This is a sea train unique to Water 7! I can't believe such transportation exists," Nami exclaimed, taking out a logbook and referencing the sea train's description.

"It's amazing that such a huge vehicle can sail on the sea," Kaya said, her eyes shining with wonder. She had never read about such incredible things in books before. The sea is truly remarkable. It's wonderful to be Ace's ship's doctor, she thought, biting her red lips and her eyes reflecting her thoughts. If there's more special training next time, should I be more proactive? Kaya blushed at the idea.

"Amazing!" Laki and Conis were equally astonished, marveling at the sea train. The sea was far wider and more fascinating than the Sky Island.

"Look at that frog!" Nami suddenly exclaimed. The girls turned to see a giant frog blocking the sea train's path, posing in a classic sumo wrestling stance.

"It doesn't want to collide with the sea train, does it?" Vivi asked in shock.

"I'm afraid so. Look at the scars on that frog; it's probably happened before," Nojiko pointed out.

"Will it be smashed into a pulp?" Robin habitually said something horrible, causing Vivi to shudder.

"Quack!" The giant frog screamed and hit the sea train. With a loud boom, it was sent flying into the air, legs flailing, and then slowly sank into the sea.

Ace laughed, admiring the frog's bravery. "You are truly brave, facing the sea train despite your weakness."

The girls nodded in agreement, recognizing the frog's courage through their Observation Haki. In this sea, anyone with such bravery, whether human or animal, deserved recognition.

The sea train passed smoothly, heading towards a station marked "Sift Station." A little girl with green hair tied into two high braids, wearing lipstick and barefoot, poked her head out of the station. Next to her was a blue rabbit-like pet.

"Granny! Pirates are coming!" the little girl shouted.

"What? Pirates? Did you read that right, Chimney?" a drunken voice responded from the station. An old woman, similarly adorned with bright lipstick and a stationmaster's hat, staggered out. She tried to take the phone bug from the little girl but fell face-first.

The girls watched speechlessly as the old woman lay unconscious.

"Haha, what a funny old lady. If we were dangerous pirates, you wouldn't have time to sound the alarm," Ace laughed.

The old woman was Kokoro, a mermaid who once admired Tom and came to Water 7 from Fish-Man Island. She married a human and had a child who was part mermaid. The little girl, Chimney, was Kokoro's granddaughter and a quarter mermaid. Ace looked at Kokoro, now old and bloated, with a strange expression, noting how Oda's designs for older women often starkly contrasted their younger beauty.

"Oh? From your tone, you aren't train robbers," Kokoro slurred, looking at Ace.

"Of course not. This is our first time seeing a sea train. We're here to go to Water 7 to record magnetism," Nami explained, showing the record pointer on her wrist.

"Haha, so that's it," Kokoro laughed.

"Granny, your wine doesn't smell very good," Ace smiled, pointing at Kokoro's bottle.

"Huh? This is good wine. Are you trying to trick me into drinking it?" Kokoro grinned.

"Try this, my chef's carefully brewed wine," Ace said, as Laki handed him a bottle. He tossed it to Kokoro, who, despite being drunk, caught it quickly.

The girls watched with twitching eyes as Kokoro opened the bottle and drank heavily. "Good wine!" she exclaimed.

"This is unique, brewed by the best chef in the world," Ace said, making Laki blush.

"Well, people who brew such good wine can't be bad," Kokoro grinned.

Kokoro introduced herself, and Chimney explained about the giant frog. Laki brought snacks, making Chimney very happy.

"Are you looking to modify your pirate ship?" Kokoro asked after another sip of wine.

"That's right. The Merry needs some upgrades for sailing the Grand Line," Nojiko replied.

"Hello, my name is Merry, and I am Ace's ship spirit," Merry, looking like a little girl, waved.

"Incredible! This ship spirit is truly special," Kokoro murmured. "You've shown great care for your ship, and you've shared fine wine with me. Here's a map of Water 7 and a letter of introduction. I'm an old friend of Iceburg, the boss of the best shipbuilding company in Water 7. With this letter, he'll help you. If you can't find a satisfactory shipwright, some gangsters on the streets might be good at boat repairs."

Taking the letter from Kokoro, Ace and the crew continued their journey towards Water 7.