Chapter 67: Completed! The Dream Ship
"Thank you all so much for the escort. Here is your commission. Each shipowner also chipped in a small bonus. It's not much, but it's a token of our gratitude. As for the pirates' bounties, we can't cover them right now, so we'll wait for the Navy to come and then transfer the funds to you."
Wall and two others bowed at ninety degrees.
Eric accepted the money and added one last request: "You're too kind. Please be sure to keep this confidential. Don't let the Navy know about us."
"Of course! You're our saviors!"
Thanks to this escort, Water 7 had secured six months' worth of materials and food—no more worries for half a year.
...
"Hey, Mr. Tom, you really went all out for your city. And to think I thought you were an honest guy…" Eric grumbled as he confronted the fish-man Tom.
"Hahahaha! I knew I was right about you. Now that we've got the materials, let's get to work building this incredible ship!"
Tom, the horned fish-man, deflected the topic and steered it back to shipbuilding.
A certain movie once said: "Turns out, not only can't you trust beautiful women, but honest-looking men are just as suspicious!"
That thought was only internal—but Kurumi, Esdeath, and Da Vinci all turned to glare at him. Clearly, they were telepathic.
As the chief engineer, Da Vinci began assigning roles.
"So only Chiron, Uncle Kullikay, and I are building the ship? The rest of you are here to cheer us on?"
"Of course! Captain-kun wouldn't seriously expect us girls to do hard labor, would he?"
"If we're cheering, at least get us proper cheerleader uniforms. What's the point in staying in regular clothes?"
"Ara, then please select the uniforms for us, Eric -. We'll be more motivated if we're dressed in something you like."
"Hmm, I'm kind of curious about Eric 's tastes too."
"Wait—someone just crossed the line. Aren't you afraid of censorship?"
"We didn't go overboard, Captain-kun~"
"Someone just said 'overboard'!"
...
Using her Swallow-Swallow Fruit, Da Vinci manufactured the ship's parts section by section based on her blueprints. The warship's hull was made of three custom alloys, layered into four steel tiers:
The outermost layer, exposed to seawater, used corrosion-resistant nickel-chrome alloy, 5mm thick.The second layer used ultra-hard tungsten steel alloy, known for hardness, toughness, and corrosion resistance. It was 10cm thick.The third layer was high-toughness tungsten-cobalt alloy, designed to absorb explosive impacts. Thickness: 3cm.The innermost layer—what crew inside could touch—was again tungsten steel, 2cm thick, to withstand any interior damage from, say, Kurumi and Esdeath's battles.
The internal bulkheads used 1cm-thick tungsten steel to separate compartments. Crew cabins were fitted with soundproofing for quiet rest.
Da Vinci proudly declared: "Not a single screw or bolt in the entire warship!"
"…So all my work is welding, huh?"
Since the ship was fully welded into a single structure, Eric —being a thunder-powered human—was "honored" with this tough job.
"Of course! I specifically designed the materials for your ability. With your electric power, you'll weld the plates with no gaps or air bubbles. We're counting on you, Captain-kun~"
"Sure, sure… Guess I'll go get a welding technician license when this is over."
Eric , face shadowed, continued welding tirelessly, with noticeable dark circles under his eyes.
...
"Mr. Eric ! This is the bounty payment from the Navy—wah!"
Wall, arriving with a few subordinates and three crates of cash, was shocked.
"Mr. Eric , what happened to you?!"
Eric , after eight straight days of labor, had messy hair, bloodshot eyes, black under-eyes, and a smell that made people want to back away.
"It's nothing… just been working eight days straight."
His voice was drained of all energy.
"You'll die at this rate! Please rest properly!" Wall pleaded.
"Mm… what was it you needed again?"
Eric 's brain was too fried to remember the beginning of the conversation.
"I… I came to deliver your 300 million Berries bounty payment! Mr. Eric , please go to bed now!"
"Hehehe… Three hundred million…" Eric giggled like an idiot.
"Doctor! Someone get a doctor!"
...
Da Vinci removed the stethoscope. "Neurological fatigue from overwork and sleep deprivation. Nothing serious."
"It's extremely serious! What kind of crew lets their captain work himself stupid for eight days straight?!"
Wall was furious.
Everyone gathered around Eric , their faces full of worry.
Even Da Vinci sighed. She hadn't expected Eric to push through welding nonstop, ignoring everyone's warnings.
Kullikay suddenly spoke up. "Let him rest today. He'll bounce back tomorrow. I don't know why he worked so hard, but today we'll take over. Let's get it done!"
"Ohhh!" Even quiet little Polky raised a fist.
Eric hadn't meant to overdo it either. But the Monthly Task 6 was to complete his ship—and like someone possessed, he insisted on doing it himself. Naturally, in just eight days, building a warship was impossible.
So, perfectionist Eric failed Monthly Task 6…
...
Sea Calendar Year 1511, Month 3, Day 1.
As soon as Eric woke up, the system greeted him:
[You have new mail]
[Monthly Task 7: Complete construction of your own ship]
'So why the hell did I push myself so hard for Task 6?!' Eric screamed in his mind.
[Objective: The single-mast starter boat can no longer support your growing crew. Build your dream ship together! Rewards: Matching equipment blueprint / 3 Achievement Points / 3 Bond Points]
'The rewards are exactly the same!'
After Waking up from a full day and night of sleep, Eric read the message and felt utterly defeated.
"Eric -~ Are you awake?"
Kurumi entered with breakfast.
"Yeah, just woke up."
She placed the tray down, scooped a spoonful of porridge, blew on it gently with her cherry-pink lips, and offered it.
"Here, open wide. Ah~"
"Ahh…" Eric obediently opened his mouth.
Now wasn't the time for "I can feed myself." Anyone who watches harem anime knows better.
"Good boy~"
Only the soft tapping of the spoon in the bowl could be heard. For that moment, the world felt calm.
...
"Captain-kun! Feeling better?"
As Eric and Kurumi entered the shipyard, Da Vinci spotted them from her perch.
"Yeah! Sorry for the trouble."
"Don't be silly. No one could handle working that long."
"Ah, Eric !"
Esdeath ran up and pulled Eric 's head into her chest. "Even though I like your weak, bedridden side, I prefer you healthy."
'Just let me suffocate between these holy mountains…'
Stare
Everyone's eyes pierced Eric like arrows.
"Hahahaha, looking better already! You're a real man. Haven't seen such hard work in years."
Tom approached with his two apprentices.
"As expected of Mr. Eric ! To work through illness, driven by passion for his ship!"
Pervert Franky—who wasn't a cyborg yet—spoke in respectful tones, despite being older than Eric .
'Also, I'm not sick anymore. I've recovered.' Eric muttered inwardly. "Without me, how would you finish the welding?"
"You're wrong. While you were working, Da Vinci invented a perfect welding machine. We all have one now."
Akame held one up.
Da Vinci proudly posed, hands on her hips.
"Just select the metal and guide the nozzle—it welds flawlessly! I call it the 'Da Vinci Welder'!"
"Waaah! You finally made something useful!" Eric cried, hugging her and fake sobbing.
Bonk!
She hit him hard. "What do you mean 'finally'?! All my inventions are useful!"
"With us helping, this ship might be done within the month."
Da Vinci smiled, estimating the finish date.
"I can't wait. Our dream ship…"
"Mr. Eric ! Let us help too!"
Wall arrived with dozens of shipwrights. "We want to help our benefactor finish his dream vessel!"
Everyone had heard of Eric 's eight-day work marathon and were touched by his dedication.
"You guys… you're too kind!"
With the extra manpower, the ship's construction accelerated. With each day, its shape became clearer. And finally, on March 15th, it was completed.
[Monthly Task 7 Complete: Build your own ship. Rewards: Electromagnetic Defense System Blueprint / 3 Achievement Points / 3 Bond Points]
...
"Why the big sheet over it? We helped build it—don't we already know what it looks like?"
Eric voiced the ultimate buzzkill question.
"Hahahaha, think of it as a ritual. Like unveiling the bride's veil on your wedding day…"
Tom began his explanation.
"These days, people meet and date before marriage anyway."
Ignoring him, Tom continued, "The moment you pull the cloth back—bam! A man knows this is the companion he'll travel the world with!"
"Ohhh!" Clap clap clap!
Everyone applauded Tom's rousing speech.
"Now then, pull it off, Mr. Eric ! Meet your future partner!" Wall said.
Gulp
Eric swallowed hard. "Everyone, together now. This is our shared creation—our partner."
Together with his seven crewmates, Eric pulled the massive sheet aside—and the ship was revealed.
"!!"
Though all had worked on it, they couldn't help gasping in awe.
The gleam of steel under the sunlight, the sheer mass of the iron beast—it was finally real.
The towering bridge and watchtower gave it an imposing, balanced profile. Though lacking sails or masts, it didn't look strange at all.
The bulbous bow beneath the waterline, though unattractive, helped reduce wave resistance and improve fuel efficiency and speed.
Two triple-mounted Mk7 turrets, one fore and one aft, with 406mm barrels and 20-meter gun lengths, stood as intimidating weapons. (Though they looked smaller than the stubby cannons seen in anime…)
Between the forward turret and the bridge sat a high-mounted electromagnetic railgun. Two parallel 10-meter rails, with a hidden section not yet deployed, could launch 20kg, 50kg, and 100kg shells.
"This is the most beautiful ship I've ever seen," even fish-man Tom admired. No man could resist the charm of steel machines—let alone a ship made entirely of steel.
"It's all thanks to your help. Without you, we'd never have finished it so quickly."
Eric sincerely thanked everyone.
"Mr. Eric ! Quick, name your ship!" Franky called out.
Eyes glowing, Eric declared, "Then let's call her... the Eternal Dreadnought!"
(END CHAPTER)
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