In the blink of an eye, it had already been ten days since Rorschach and his team returned to Water 7.
That day, Rorschach finally received word from Iceburg—his warship was finally completed.
Upon hearing the news, Rorschach was overjoyed. He rushed back overnight from a pleasure town several hundred miles away.
During those ten days, he and his warriors had swept the seas within five to six hundred miles of Water 7, completely eliminating all pirates in the area.
With the remaining time, the team, aside from their daily intense training, spent their days experiencing the customs and culture of nearby islands—a rare chance to enjoy life outside of battle.
While joyful times were memorable, they could also easily breed complacency.
Rorschach, ever mindful of his assessment mission, already had his thoughts set on the G2 Marine Branch.
During this time, he had been contacted by Vice Admiral Gumir, the base commander of G2, who reported that pirates were rampant in the seas near G2 and that strong reinforcements like Rorschach were urgently needed to clear them out.
After the battle at Queen Spring City, Rorschach was credited by Marine Headquarters with taking down a total bounty of 2 billion Berries.
This accounted for roughly one-third of his overall assessment target.
Among the defeated, the most significant bounties came from Glievor and Chinjao.
Glievor had a bounty of 760 million, and Chinjao's was 542 million.
The rest of the defeated pirates were hard to tally, so Sengoku rounded the total.
As a result, Rorschach was promoted to Rear Admiral of Marine Headquarters.
Law, having slain over 300 pirates including Daz Bones, was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.
Hibari, having slain over 100 pirates including Absalom, was now a Headquarters Major.
Other warriors were promoted to varying degrees.
Bepo was promoted to Lieutenant, while Pamela had the most significant leap, jumping from Private Third Class to Headquarters Ensign, leaving Bepo so stunned he lost his appetite for days.
As their commanding officer, Rorschach generously handed out 2 billion Berries in red envelopes to inspire continued effort, sending his 200 Marines into ecstatic celebration.
On average, each person received 1 million Berries, far exceeding their normal salary.
Rorschach didn't mind the expense at all.
This money came from Jonathan.
Out of a full 100 billion Berries, around 20 billion had been spent on shipbuilding materials and labor fees for Iceburg.
With over 70 billion left, it was impossible to spend it all.
Not to mention, Marine Headquarters had also credited them with military merit and bounty rewards from the recent battle—another massive windfall.
Garp had used three warships to transport Jonathan's 100 billion Berries donation back to Marine HQ.
He had wanted to spend a few days vacationing in Water 7, but Sengoku, obsessed with Berries, berated him furiously.
According to Zéphyr, when Garp returned to HQ, Sengoku was so excited he hugged him and kissed him hard, laughing for over an hour—almost to the point of facial paralysis.
Now, rumor had it among the Marines that Sengoku might have "swung that way"...
Dock One, Water 7
When Rorschach, accompanied by a group of excited Marines, arrived in a rush, the first thing he saw was a massive ship the size of a small mountain, covered by an enormous canvas.
Beneath the over-100-meter-long warship stood only Iceburg, Franky, Barry, and Dirus.
According to Iceburg, to maintain secrecy over key internal parts of the warship, he and Franky had personally worked overnight for the final three days to complete the assembly.
"Hahaha! It's finally done! These ten days felt like a century. That old guy Jonathan's twin-mast ship only took five days. Mine took more than half a month!"
Rorschach suppressed his excitement and quickly approached the shipwrights.
"Mr. Iceburg, Franky, Barry, Dirus—thank you all so much."
Rorschach shook Iceburg's hand, his face beaming with joy.
"Haha, this is what we should do. In fact, building a massive ship made entirely from the Adam Tree was a major test and improvement for us shipwrights—we should be thanking you!"
Franky laughed heartily, crossed his arms, then suddenly struck a ridiculous pose.
"This week has been totally SUPER for me—I gave it everything I've got!"
Words of thanks felt insufficient, so Rorschach had something more tangible in mind.
"Pamela!"
He shouted behind him, "Bring the stuff over!"
"Yes, Rear Admiral Rorschach!"
The ten-meter-tall giant Pamela smiled and carried over a large chest, gently placing it in front of the group.
"What's this?" Iceburg asked curiously.
"A small token of appreciation. Consider it an apology for the Sea Train track incident and a thank-you for all your hard work."
With a wave from Rorschach, Pamela quickly opened the chest lid.
The moment it opened, everyone's eyes widened.
Iceburg and Franky gasped.
Dirus' eyes bulged.
Barry drooled instantly.
"Be... Berries! So many Berries! These… these are for us?!"
"Yes, a total of 1 billion Berries," Rorschach replied with a smile.
At that moment, Barry and Dirus felt like Rorschach's smile was literally gleaming with golden light.
Too dazzling to look at directly.
"I'm rich! I can sleep on a bed of Berries!"
With trembling hands, Barry reached for the money—only to be stopped by Iceburg.
With a serious expression, Iceburg said, "Rear Admiral Rorschach, we can't accept this money."
"Iceburg~" Barry looked over pitifully, but was ignored.
Iceburg continued, "You're already the hero who saved Water 7. Besides, you've already paid for the ship—and generously so. It's more than our usual fees. So…"
Rorschach interrupted, smiling as he patted Iceburg's shoulder and walked toward the massive canvas-covered ship.
"Just take it, Mr. Iceburg. I'm not short on money. You can use part of it as municipal funding for Water 7. I'll also need you to help maintain the local Marine Branch operations. If you refuse again, I'll be unhappy."
"Hahaha, Iceburg, just take it! A real man should be bold! Since Rorschach insists, accept it cheerfully!" Franky laughed.
"Yeah, yeah! Take it!" Barry and Dirus nodded rapidly, eyes fixed on the chest of Berries.
"…Fine, I'll accept it then." Iceburg sighed—unable to win against Rorschach—and took the money.
He glanced at the drooling Barry. "Each of you three take 100 million Berries. The rest goes into Water 7's municipal fund. Any objections?"
"No, no, none at all," Barry nodded like a pecking chicken.
Meanwhile, Rorschach had walked under the giant canvas, gazing at the sleek, glossy hull of the warship that the canvas couldn't fully cover.
"Rear Admiral Rorschach, as the ship's owner, why don't you unveil it yourself?" Iceburg said with a smile as he approached.
"Alright!"
Rorschach had been dying to do just that.He reached out, grasped the air, and with a sweeping motion, manipulated the atmosphere to lift the entire massive canvas into the air—revealing the warship in its full glory.
This maneuver drew gasps of astonishment from Franky and the others.
Soon after, a streamlined, light-blue, three-masted sailing ship appeared before Rorschach.
At the bow, a majestic, divine, and domineering dragon head was carved.
Below the dragon head, the front edge of the hull was adorned with tightly interlocking, large-scale carvings that resembled scales, looking incredibly imposing.
Three thick, straight masts—two smaller and one larger—stood upright at the front, middle, and rear of the ship.
On the white sails hanging down, there were seagull motifs depicted in flight.
On both sides of the hull, ten dark cannon ports were installed.
Beneath the cannon ports were two external steam-powered paddle wheels.
"This is the Justice Seagull, a ship entirely built from Adam Wood. It cost nearly three billion Berries and is the most expensive vessel ever constructed by our Galley-La Company," Iceburg approached with pride on his face.
Franky also smiled as he looked up at the large ship ahead and introduced, "This is the Soaring Mad Dragon, 120 meters long, 50 meters wide, and 50 meters high. The ship can accommodate over a thousand people for long-term living. If it weren't a warship, with just a few dozen people aboard, it would be the most luxurious vessel in the world. But even with limited living and entertainment space due to the number of people, it still qualifies as one of the Navy's rare super warships!"
As he spoke, Franky jumped up onto the deck. "You can all come aboard and take a look. This will be your home at sea from now on."
"This ship is huge! Bigger than our navy vessels. It must be slow, right?"
Hibari laughed and jumped onto the ship alongside Rorschach.
Everyone, filled with curiosity and joy, boarded the ship—which was of large warship class—and began exploring all around.
"With this kid's ability, speed is nothing to worry about." Law pointed to Rorschach. "By the way, didn't you have them install some special device on the sides of the ship last time? What's that for?"
Rorschach recalled it too and quickly pulled aside Franky, who was excitedly spraying spittle as he started his enthusiastic explanation.
"You mean… this?" Franky grinned as he walked to the ship's side, pressing firmly on several protrusions along the inner hull.
With a few crisp clicks—
The next moment, two long slits opened above the cannon ports on either side.
Then, folding frames snapped open with a "whoosh," spreading out like the wings of a prehistoric pterosaur, stretching fifty to sixty meters wide—massive in size.
"So cool! What is that?!"
Hibari's eyes lit up as she rushed to the edge to look out.
"These are the wings of the ship!" Rorschach said with visible delight, eyes glinting with excitement. "From now on, this ship can not only sail the seas but also soar into the skies! These are the flight wings I personally designed for the Wind Thunder Qilin."
"I still think Justice Seagull sounds better. It aligns with the Navy's sense of justice," Iceburg said with a smile.
"Nonsense! Didn't you see the dragon head on the bow? That's why I say Soaring Mad Dragon fits best—and it can fly!" Franky retorted.
"I think something like Sea Overlord Supreme sounds better. Very domineering!" Barry said, holding two stacks of Berries and blissfully inhaling the scent of fresh ink.
"But this is my ship, so I'm calling it Wind Thunder Qilin!"
Rorschach grinned and raised both hands in front of him.
Everyone stared blankly for a second at his movement before their expressions shifted.
"You… what are you trying to do?" Barry gulped nervously.
"Obviously, test fly it! The wings are already open," Rorschach replied matter-of-factly.
"Let me off first! I'm afraid of heights!" Barry's legs trembled as he tried to jump off the ship.
But outside the Qilin, violent air currents had already erupted in the dock, blowing everyone aboard in all directions, forcing them to grab onto anything they could.
"Rise!"
Rorschach shouted and thrust his hands upward!
Amid the fluttering of the winged appendages on either side and the creaking of the hull, the hundred-meter-long warship began to lift off from the floor of Dock No. 1, pushed upward by powerful air currents!
"Not enough wind!"
The smile on Rorschach's face grew wider. His body began to expand and elongate as he entered beast form.
With his transformation, the airflow around them accelerated drastically.
In the next instant—
Boom!
A huge cloud of dust and wind exploded from beneath the Qilin, stirring a sandstorm inside Dock No. 1.
Then, to a chorus of astonished shouts, the massive ship rose into the air and soared skyward!
"We… we're flying!!"
Hibari jumped onto the ship's railing, her long black hair dancing wildly in the wind, her eyes filled with excitement.
"Careful not to fall!"
Rorschach shouted a warning, then made his way to the dragon head at the bow, manipulating the airflow to support the large wing frames on both sides, lifting the heavy warship out of Dock No. 1 and into the skies above Water 7.
"B-Be careful, Rear Admiral Rorschach!" Iceburg's face turned pale with fear.
If a ship this size fell from the sky, it would crush countless buildings.
And if it hit people, they'd be beyond recognizable.
"Relax! I'm stronger than ever!"
Rorschach said casually, gleefully manipulating the whirling air currents, accelerating the wings as they soared above the sea.
As the Wind Thunder Qilin took flight, vast shadows blanketed the buildings and streets of the upper city, prompting residents to look up in astonishment.
Then, mouths dropped open in disbelief as they saw a massive ship gliding through the air dozens of meters above.
"Amazing! Lucci! Did you see that? That ship… it's actually flying!"
In front of the Galley-La Company headquarters, Kaku was full of awe, so excited his nose turned red.
Beside him, Lucci merely glanced up with a calm expression and said nothing.
Nothing about Rorschach surprised him anymore.
His mindset had become as steady as an old dog's.
In the lower city, a little girl named Emily, helping her mother at a barbecue stand, stared in amazement and envy at the sky-blue ship soaring above.
"I wish I could ride that flying ship… Could I catch clouds from up there?"
Before her words had even finished, a breeze swept around her body.
Then, under her astonished gaze, a spherical air bubble enveloped her and quickly lifted her into the sky, flying toward the massive ship.
Marguerite set down the barbecue and took a few steps before stopping.
She smiled, watching her daughter ascend.
She knew that air bubble well, and wasn't the least bit worried.
The last time the Rakurana tsunami came, it was that same bubble that carried her and her daughter to safety in the upper city.
Hundreds of meters above the sea, everyone aboard cried out in amazement, stunned by Rorschach's feat.
That day, Rorschach piloted the freshly built Wind Thunder Qilin around Water 7 in a glorious circle before finally descending to rest on the ocean's surface.
"Brothers! Tomorrow we set sail for G2!"
Rorschach raised his right hand.
"Woohoo! Set sail!" the soldiers roared in unison.
(End of Chapter)
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