Chapter 134: Water 7 - The Origin of the Sea Train

Takumi and Enel had been sailing on the Grand Line for nearly half a month. Along the way, they passed two unnamed islands.

Takumi sold off half of the treasure he had taken from Perona and purchased most of the supplies they needed on the islands. His system's storage, which had an enormous capacity, was now nearly full.

Of course, when buying things, Takumi didn't take Enel along. Even though Enel was technically part of his crew, Takumi didn't intend to let him know too much.

As their ship sailed over a section of ocean where train tracks floated beneath the surface, Takumi knew they were nearing Water 7.

"What's that?" Enel suddenly noticed a large, scarred frog swimming nearby, wearing nothing but a fundoshi.

Takumi glanced at the frog and said nonchalantly, "That's just Yokozuna, a sumo frog that challenges the Sea Train every day."

"Sea Train? What's that?" Enel looked completely confused, clearly having no idea what Takumi was talking about.

But one thing was certain—Takumi might be young, but not only was he strong, he also knew an astonishing amount of information.

The Sea Train, Takumi explained, was a train that traveled across the sea, running along tracks built between Water 7 and the surrounding islands. It had been constructed by Tom, the shipwright of Water 7, and his two apprentices over ten years.

The Sea Train emitted sounds that repelled Sea Kings, and its tracks floated on the water, unaffected by storms or waves. As a result, those riding the Sea Train had no need to fear attacks from Sea Kings, and it could operate even in rough weather.

Tom, the shipwright, was once a close friend of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, and had used the legendary Adam Wood to build Roger's ship, the Oro Jackson. However, after Roger's execution, Tom was put on trial for the crime of building a ship for the Pirate King.

During his trial, Tom presented his concept for the Sea Train to the judges, convincing them to delay his execution so he could build it. After fourteen years, Tom completed the Sea Train, which became known as Puffing Tom.

Although Tom's achievements were great, just as he was about to be pardoned, he was framed by a powerful official of the World Government. As a result, Tom was taken to Enies Lobby and executed.

By now, Tom had been dead for two or three years. Of his two apprentices, one remained in Water 7, while the other, unable to accept Tom's death, tried to stop the Sea Train carrying Tom to Enies Lobby. He was gravely injured and was probably still being treated and modified on another island.

The giant frog, Yokozuna, had been Tom's pet. Every day, it tried to challenge the Sea Train. Yokozuna was scarred and beaten because it couldn't accept Tom's death or the injury of Tom's apprentice, Franky. Franky had been struck by the train while trying to stop it, but Yokozuna believed he was dead. That's why the frog kept ramming into the Sea Train, injuring itself repeatedly.

Takumi had no desire to explain all this to Enel. It was a long story, and explaining it in a few sentences wouldn't do it justice, so he remained silent.

Enel, having gotten used to Takumi's cold demeanor since leaving Skypiea, didn't press the issue further. He knew that if he annoyed Takumi, he'd just get another beating.

"The frog's coming this way... What's it doing?" Enel asked just as Yokozuna started swimming toward the ship, looking like it was about to crash into them.

Before Takumi could say anything, Enel shot a bolt of lightning at the frog.

Yokozuna was instantly paralyzed by the electric shock and fell into the sea.

"Hmph! Dare to mess with my ship? You're asking for death!" Enel sneered.

Takumi: "..."

But Yokozuna, having slammed into the Sea Train for years, had built up quite a resilient body. Enel's shock hadn't been strong enough to kill it.

After all, Enel had only used a few million volts.

"It's still alive, huh? Blue Sea creatures are tougher than I thought..." Enel muttered disdainfully. "Consider yourself lucky you fell into the sea. Next time, I won't just knock you out."

Takumi had no interest in listening to Enel's chatter and said, "Let's go."

"Got it," Enel replied, quickly using his powers to continue flying the ship forward.

Before long, they approached two white platforms floating on the sea, connected by a small footbridge. One platform had a streetlight, while the other, slightly larger, held a house.

"Someone lives here?" Enel commented, surprised.

As their ship flew under the small bridge, a plump woman with yellow-green hair styled in two pigtails, wearing a uniform and a high hat, staggered out of the house, bottle of alcohol in hand. Her name was Kokoro.

"Hm? Are you train robbers?" she slurred with a drunken laugh before taking another swig from her bottle.

"Train robbers? Don't be ridiculous," Enel scoffed.

"Hohoho, if you're not robbers, then what are you?" Kokoro asked, amused.

"What are we..." Enel thought back to the conversations he'd overheard on the islands they had visited. People had been talking about pirate kings and bandit kings, so he pointed at Takumi and said, "He's going to be the King of Travelers!"

Takumi nearly punched Enel.

Since when did this guy become so eager to talk to random people?

"The King of Travelers?" Kokoro blinked, then burst into laughter. "Hahaha! You're quite the character, aren't you? So, where are you headed? Food Town Buchi? San Faldo? Or perhaps Water 7?"

Having heard from Takumi earlier about their destination, Enel replied, "Do you know Water 7?"

"Of course," Kokoro said, taking another sip. "It's a fantastic place, known for its world-class shipbuilding industry. The ships built there are often commissioned by the world's elite—quite impressive! It's where the best shipwrights and repairmen in the world gather."

"Sounds promising," Enel said, turning to Takumi with some excitement. "Let's get the ship repaired there and find ourselves a skilled shipwright!"

"Your ship's broken?" Kokoro asked, rummaging through her house before emerging with a piece of paper. "Give this to a man named Iceburg. Tell him to take good care of your ship. Water 7 is huge, so don't get lost!"