Chapter 138: Water 7 – Enel's Silent Frustration

Seeing Iceburg approaching, Marco casually waved and greeted him, "Long time no see, Iceburg-san."

"It's only been two years," Iceburg replied, his gaze shifting to Takumi and Enel. "Are these two part of Whitebeard's crew? I don't recognize them."

Marco waved dismissively. "It's normal that you don't. They're not part of our crew—at least, not yet. That could change later."

Marco glanced meaningfully at Takumi. He couldn't convince Takumi himself, but he was confident Whitebeard could. After all, Whitebeard had a reputation for being the most influential man in the world—no one could refuse his invitation.

Takumi was well aware of Marco's intentions, but he couldn't be bothered to argue.

Enel, however, stared at Iceburg and asked, "Are you the one in charge here?"

Iceburg scratched his head. "You could say that."

A nearby shipwright interjected, "Our company, Galley-La, was built by Iceburg-san. He's also the mayor of Water 7. Not just this factory—Iceburg-san runs the entire city!"

Marco smiled. "Impressive! You're the mayor now."

Iceburg waved his hand modestly. "It's really just because the people have been overly kind to me. Anyway, you guys didn't come here just to chat, did you? What's the problem?"

Marco gestured towards Takumi's ship. "These two have a hole in their ship's deck. They need it patched up."

"Ah, that's not a big deal." Iceburg turned to the shipwright. "Schedule the repair for them."

The shipwright sighed. "Iceburg-san, we've got a massive backlog of orders, and we're severely understaffed. Even though their ship's damage is minor, we can't let them skip the line, right?"

Iceburg rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "You're right. Orders need to be handled in sequence. Staff shortages are a serious issue. Tell you what, I'll put out a hiring notice to bring in more workers in the coming days."

"That's fantastic!" the shipwright said excitedly. "Finally, we'll get some new help!"

"And I need to hire a secretary, too. The workload's getting overwhelming. I can't manage everything myself anymore," Iceburg added with a sigh.

Takumi: "..."

Looks like I've come at just the right time...

Takumi knew that the future secretary Iceburg was talking about, as well as some of the skilled shipwrights at Dock One, were CP9 agents undercover.

This round of hiring would likely bring them in...

Was Iceburg hinting at something by mentioning it right in front of him?

Takumi couldn't help but feel amused.

But after thinking it over, he decided not to worry about it. The system's progress missions didn't follow a predictable path—he couldn't just decide to trigger them. They were always aligned with his actions and decisions.

In other words, the missions were flexible.

So, there was no need to complicate things. He would just go with the flow.

With that in mind, Takumi said, "Besides fixing the hole, I want the ship's appearance changed as well."

Enel: "?"

"The appearance?" Iceburg looked surprised as he glanced back at the ship. "I think it looks fine. It's unique—definitely not the kind of ship used by ordinary folks."

"Looks like you've got good taste," Enel smugly agreed, before turning to Takumi in confusion. "I think the ship's exterior is fine. Why change it?"

Takumi, indifferent, responded, "I don't need it to be unique. Make it look more ordinary."

Enel was visibly frustrated.

Marco covered his mouth to hide his laughter.

Iceburg, glancing between Takumi and Enel, asked, "So, who's in charge here? Are we changing the appearance or not?"

Takumi, with his usual calmness, replied, "Change it."

Enel wanted to argue, but he knew he had no say in the matter...

"Change it..." Enel reluctantly agreed, though his tone was filled with resentment.

"Alright, let's make it happen," Iceburg said, looking to the shipwright. "When can we fit them into the schedule?"

"The day after tomorrow," the shipwright calculated. "If they want the exterior modified too, it'll take a bit more time. Plus, the ship's internal structure is odd. We can't move those gears, right?"

"Absolutely not!" Enel insisted. "If even one part is out of place, the ship won't fly."

"Okay, okay," the shipwright muttered, "I get it..."

"Fly?" Iceburg raised an eyebrow. "Your ship can fly?"

The shipwright, skeptical, cut in, "There's no way. Ships don't fly—he's exaggerating."

"No, no, it's true," Marco said with a grin. "Their ship can actually fly."

Iceburg was surprised. "Really?"

Takumi, growing tired of the conversation, asked, "So, when will the ship be ready?"

Iceburg, still processing the revelation about the flying ship, rubbed his chin. "Considering our current staffing issues, I can only spare three or four workers for the modifications. It should take about two or three days. You can pick up the ship in five days."

"Alright," Takumi said calmly, before turning to walk along the waterfront toward the bustling streets.

Enel quickly followed behind.

Marco, watching them walk off, chuckled and shook his head. "That guy's attitude hasn't changed at all. Iceburg, don't take it personally—he's always like that. Anyway, we'll be heading off for now. I'll leave the ship in your capable hands."

Iceburg smiled. "No worries. You youngsters go have fun. If you need anything, just come find me."

"Will do," Marco waved, then turned and jogged to catch up with Takumi and Enel.

As they walked away, the shipwright muttered, "What a bunch of weirdos. Ships don't fly... Iceburg-san, you don't really believe them, do you?"

Iceburg shook his head. "No, Marco isn't the type to joke about something like that. When we finish modifying their ship, you'll see for yourself whether or not it can fly."

Takumi, now walking along the waterfront, passed under two arched bridges before spotting a newly opened tavern.

Marco, noticing where Takumi was heading, rubbed his chin and muttered, "This guy really is a hardcore drinker. He's probably got a tolerance on par with Pops."

Enel, unimpressed, asked, "You keep calling him 'Pops.' Is he really your father?"

Marco smiled warmly. "Not by blood, but he's more of a father than anyone else. Pops is the most generous, honorable, and strongest man in the world."

Takumi, uninterested in their conversation, entered the tavern.

Since it was nearing noon, the tavern was packed with customers.

Fortunately, there were still a few empty seats at the bar.

Takumi walked straight to the bar, taking a seat. He glanced at the tavern's owner, who was polishing a glass behind the counter.

The man was large, dressed all in black, and slightly shorter than Enel—around 2.5 meters tall. His hairstyle, with two horns protruding like a bull's, and his wooden expression gave him a distinctive appearance.

Takumi instantly recognized him.

It seemed CP9 had already infiltrated Water 7...