One week later, in Water 7.
"This is it, Pops. Once I have a ship of my own, I'll come find you all in the New World!"
On the shore, Chronos waved goodbye to the massive white whale before him.
Whitebeard had ultimately agreed to let Chronos set sail alone, for it was his child's wish.
"Gurarara! Chronos, the next time we meet, you'd better be a captain in your own right!"
Whitebeard bid a temporary farewell to the child who made him proud. Although he wanted Chronos to inherit everything from him, he also supported his decision to go to sea.
As they parted, Marco and the others, with tears in their eyes, said their goodbyes to Chronos one by one.
The day Chronos had declared his intentions, he had nearly been forced to vomit from drink ten times over. The reluctant feelings of his brothers were truly hard to bear.
"Goodbye, Chronos~"
The white whale figurehead of the Moby Dick spoke, bidding Chronos farewell in human language.
"Yeah, see you next time, Moby," Chronos said with a smile. This was his parting gift—using the power of the Soul-Soul Fruit to awaken the Moby Dick's Ship Spirit.
With him gone, an old companion had arrived. He hoped it would bring some comfort to Pops and his brothers.
Only after the white whale slowly disappeared from sight did Chronos, ignoring the astonished gazes of the passersby who recognized the Whitebeard Pirates, set off to find the world's number one shipwright.
"Where are we going? To build a ship?" the armored Angeles asked Chronos curiously as she drew near.
Her large wings once again attracted the attention of many passersby, but because Water 7 was a very tolerant city, there were no strange looks.
"Of course. I want to see if the guy hailed as the world's number one shipwright can improve on some blueprints from a few hundred years ago. It would be best if he could create an amazing ship that can travel by sea, land, and air. That would make things much more convenient."
Chronos replied. This Angeles was the only one who had insisted on coming with him.
Firstly, it was because Chronos's stories had captivated her and made her want to leave. Secondly, Angeles was also a proud Sky Warrior who loved to fight, but Whitebeard was a bit stubborn on that point.
And so, Angeles had come along with Chronos.
Chronos had no objections. After all, having an aerial unit with excellent Observation Haki was a good thing for him.
"Ohh~"
Angeles nodded while looking at the scenery of Water 7 with innocent eyes.
This was the first time she had seen a city that wasn't pure white. Well, it should be the second time; the first was in Shandora.
Angeles sensed the emotions of the various passersby one by one, but she didn't detect any ill feelings, which greatly increased her fondness for the place.
After asking a random passerby for directions, Chronos locked onto his target.
A short while later, Chronos led Angeles to the edge of a somewhat dilapidated scrapyard.
"This doesn't look like a place where a master would be," Angeles commented bluntly after a few glances.
"A mountain needn't be high; it's famous if a deity resides there. A sea needn't be deep; it's magical if a dragon dwells within," Chronos said casually. Sensing someone inside with his Observation Haki, he walked straight up and knocked on the door of the simple, damaged room.
"Hello, is anyone home? I'm here to have a ship built."
"What does that mean?" Angeles, who had never heard this proverb, looked a little lost.
"It means that a place's value is determined by what's inside, not its appearance. A place with the world's number one shipwright is the world's number one shipyard," Chronos explained. At the same time, he glanced at the surrounding junk and added, "Of course, this place should just be a scrapyard. Maybe being a shipwright isn't very profitable?"
"Hahaha, my apologies, young lady, young man. My place certainly isn't very impressive~"
As he spoke, the door opened, and a round-bodied, sallow-skinned fish-man with horns appeared, looking full of vigor.
Tom the fish-man. He had built the Oro Jackson for the Pirate King, Roger, and would in the future build the Sea Train that saved Water 7's trade.
Judging by his works, Tom the fish-man was undoubtedly worthy of the title of the world's number one shipwright.
At the very least, Chronos couldn't quite comprehend the principles behind how the Sea Train was built.
"Hello, Master Tom. I heard you built a magnificent ship for Uncle Roger, so I've come to trouble you as well," Chronos said with a smile. He held a great deal of respect for this old gentleman.
"Oh, a friend of Roger's? Here to build a ship? Hahaha, no problem! I'll definitely build you a magnificent ship!" Tom said heroically, but he immediately became a little reserved.
"However, the price might be, hehe, I'll be sure to use all my best skills!"
Due to Water 7's annual great tsunami, the Aqua Laguna, the water level here had been rising year after year, causing trade to decline and the economy to worsen.
For the sake of Water 7, the city he loved, Tom had poured all his heart, soul, and half a lifetime's savings into researching the Sea Train to save the city.
Therefore, Tom was a bit short on money.
"Money is not an issue, Master Tom. We just found a legendary treasure," Chronos said, taking out a gold brick from his System Space and handing it to Tom.
Tom's face lit up, and he shouted, "Flam! Iceberg! We have an honored guest! Come and entertain them!"
Soon, two spirited young men appeared before Chronos. One seemed very lively, while the other was much calmer.
Iceberg stepped forward to welcome Chronos inside and, from who knows where, produced a pot of tea to serve him.
Chronos took a polite sip. Not bad, the tea had a fresh fragrance.
Angeles, on the other hand, was a bit reserved, as she felt she had been caught bad-mouthing the place to its owner's face.
"So, what are the customer's requirements?" Tom asked seriously, holding a small notebook.
"These are the design blueprints for an ancient ship we found in that treasure hoard. It's said to be able to fly to an altitude of ten thousand meters, even to the moon. Could I trouble Master Tom to see if it can be recreated, and if current technology can improve it? It would be even better if you could add sea navigation, diving capabilities, and even the ability to travel on land."
Taking out the design blueprints for the Ark Maxim, Chronos stated his requirements.
Although ancient technology was like black magic, modern technology had also progressed. Chronos had faith in Master Tom's craftsmanship.
"Ancient design blueprints!?"
Tom's expression changed. But seeing Chronos actually produce a stack of blueprints, he quickly took them and scanned them ten lines at a time.
After a rough look, Tom breathed a sigh of relief internally. They were ancient design blueprints, but not the ancient ones he was thinking of.
"So? Can it be done?" Chronos asked. He knew Tom's secret, but that didn't matter to him.
"It can be done," Tom nodded, displaying the confidence befitting the world's number one shipwright.
"However, little brother Chronos, the raw materials used in these blueprints are too extravagant. It would probably require tens of thousands of tons of gold, enough to build hundreds or even thousands of ships of the same size. Furthermore, the energy source required is lightning, and the engine is also a problem. I have the magnificent skill to build it, but I don't have the raw materials!" Tom said, half-joking.
"With the current situation, I could use similar materials to create an almost identical ship. But to add the functions you want, little brother, that would be magnificently impossible. This ship's ability to fly relies on gold and lightning. It would need at least a thousand tons of gold as a base material."
"If you could cut back on some things, little brother..."
"So if I have a thousand tons of gold, Master Tom, you can achieve all my goals?" Chronos interrupted.
Tom was stunned for a moment, then nodded.
"That's right, but..."
"Then it's no problem. I have both the gold and the lightning," Chronos said with a smile. With a wave of his hand, the large empty space in the room was filled with gold, and arcs of lightning began to flicker across it.
In order to build a fine vessel of his own, Chronos had specifically requested a portion of Shandora as raw material.
Master Tom did not disappoint Chronos; his craftsmanship was far superior to that of the God Squad that Enel had commanded.
Tom was stunned, then began to tremble slightly. To be able to build such a ship was also the supreme glory for a shipwright!
As for Chronos's actions, Tom didn't care. This sea had too many legends.
"Then leave it to me magnificently! I will build that dream-like ship!" Tom laughed heartily.
"Mr. Chronos, will your ship need weapons?"
At this moment, Flam also jumped out, his face full of excitement. A big client!
Chronos looked at this little guy, the future Franky, the shipwright of the Straw Hat Pirates.
This kid was indeed a talent. He wanted to recruit him, but his bond with Tom was too deep, making it difficult.
"If possible, I do need some high-powered weapons. But I see this blueprint already has them. If you can understand them, I'm willing to let you design the weapons," Chronos said generously. The Ark Maxim could create thunderclouds, amplifying the power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit to launch island-destroying attacks.
However, Angel Island wasn't large, only a few kilometers in the official setting, but even so, it was more than enough.
Flam was undoubtedly a genius. If he could innovate on the weapon designs of the Maxim, Chronos would be the one to benefit.
"Really? Then it's a deal!"
Flam was excited. He had become a shipwright out of his love and respect for Mr. Tom, but in reality, he preferred making weapons.
Without Mr. Tom's guidance, Flam would likely have become a mad scientist.
"Mr. Tom, let me see the blueprints!"
Flam leaped up, snatched the blueprints from Tom's hands, and began to examine them closely.
"Hey! Flam, show some respect to Mr. Tom!" Iceberg scolded.
"Pfft!" Flam stuck out his tongue disdainfully.
The two apprentice brothers started arguing again.
"Haha, please excuse them, little brother Chronos," Tom said with a laugh, but he didn't stop them.
"It's nothing. Aren't they full of spirit?" Chronos gave a rather high evaluation.
"Consider this gold the deposit and raw materials. I'll be coming by these next few days. If it's not enough, just let me know anytime. Master Tom, I'm counting on you."
"Mm, you can leave it to the magnificent me!"
The two shook hands, and the agreement was made.
...
For the time being, the matter of shipbuilding was left entirely to Tom's family. Chronos took Angeles to experience the local customs and culture of Water 7.
Mizu Mizu Meat, the Bull-Fish public transport, the special sea salt from the Aqua Laguna, and the masked carnival on certain days.
Water 7 was also an interesting place. Or rather, every island on the great sea had its own unique and interesting things.
At night, Chronos, who was still full of energy after a day of strolling, stayed alone in his hotel room and opened the system.
[One Combat Unit Summoning Card, one Technical Talent Summoning Card, one World-Class Treasure Summoning Card, one Random Item Summoning Card, one Random Character Summoning Card, one Sky Island Dial Upgrade Card, one Lightning-Type Skill Summoning Card, one Pirate Native Character Large Summoning Card]
Unknowingly, Chronos had become a hoarder, accumulating many summoning cards.
Now that he was preparing to set sail alone and intended to gather a crew, Chronos decided to use a few cards to see how things went.
"Combat unit, technical talent, world-class treasure, and lightning-type skill. Let's use these four first," Chronos decided after some thought.
The random summoning cards were unpredictable because they were random. If he summoned a character from a slice-of-life series, it would be difficult to place them.
The same went for the large summoning card; too many people would also be hard to place.
It was safer to test the waters with two specific character cards, plus a treasure and a skill.
[Ding! Combat Unit Summoning Card activated]
[Ding! Summoning the first person—Jackie Chan Adventures: Tohru. Tags: Super Strength, Chi Magic Successor, Physical and Magical Hybrid]
Tohru, a character from Jackie Chan Adventures. Initially in the mafia, he later joined the protagonist's group, transitioning from a combat tank to a magic tank. He was one of the rare characters who became stronger after being redeemed.
He could pull a hundred-ton gold statue, wrestle with a giant serpent tens of meters long, snap stalactites with his bare hands, shatter the outer shell of a water tower, and force his way through compacted cement ground. After bearing the weight of the entire collapsed Section 13, he was only unconscious for a short while.
After learning Chi Magic from Uncle, he shone in many episodes. In the grand finale, he and Uncle used a reverse spell to seal the demon Shendu and the eight demon chi of Drago. In a future special, he could even casually open a spatial tunnel.
As the saying goes, the good chi secretly protects the great mage's apprentice, and perhaps his grand-apprentice as well.
Chronos had a very good impression of Tohru, especially since he possessed the unique Chi Magic.
[Ding! Summoning the second person—Lupin the Third: The Blood Seal of the Eternal Mermaid: Hawk. Tags: Super Strength, Dual Axes, Cyborg]
Lupin the Third, the phoenix of the anime industry, has been airing for fifty-four years, with seven TV series, eleven theatrical films, and twenty-eight special episodes.
From the hardcore adult-oriented dark villains of the original manga to a romantic fairy tale for adults, it is a crystallization of the work of many outstanding animators over decades and cannot be explained in a few words.
To give a popular example, Hayao Miyazaki participated in the animation design of Lupin the Third and directed the theatrical film considered the starting point of the Lupin spirit.
However, this has little to do with the character Hawk, who is based on the American folklore giant lumberjack—Paul Bunyan, a legend of pioneering.
He possesses monstrous strength, wields two axes, and can block bullets. The fledgling Goemon's pride, his swordsmanship, was caught by Hawk with just two fingers.
He smashed the engine room of a ship; casually caught a meter-long fragment of an engine after an explosion; broke out of prison by ramming and bending iron gates; and emerged unscathed after crashing a motorcycle into a tree or falling off a cliff at over a hundred kilometers per hour. He could easily chop down a wooden temple in a few minutes.
He seems to be a being beyond common sense, but the world of Lupin the Third has always contained various supernatural phenomena.
Hawk was originally a ruthless character who had slaughtered two thousand soldiers on the battlefield, then disappeared in an explosion thirty years before the plot.
In a deleted scene, after Hawk's hand was cut off in the final duel with Goemon and he failed, he returned to his mansion and saw another Hawk, revealing his identity.
Unfortunately, as he is a character from a special side story, Hawk doesn't have much screen time, with this one special being his only major appearance.
Chronos might have been more interested if he came with the technology to create a cyborg Hawk, or if it were Goemon, a character from the entire series.
But a purely physical Hawk was clearly no match for the physical and magical hybrid Tohru.
[Ding! Summoning the third person—One-Punch Man: Sneck. Tags: A-Class Hero, Snake Bite Fist]
Sneck, known as "Snake Bro" in One-Punch Man. Although his personality is somewhat scummy, he will step up at critical moments, living up to the name of a hero.
It's just that he's never won a fight, a true legend of undefeatedness.
Having faced ruthless characters like Saitama, Deep Sea King, Suiryu, and Gouketsu, Snake Bro is a regular in high-tier matches, except he only fights and never wins.
Tohru, Hawk, Sneck. The choice between these three was obvious at a glance.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, you have obtained—Jackie Chan Adventures: Tohru]
[Accompanying Characters: Tohru's Mom, Jackie Chan, Jade Chan, Uncle...]
[Implanted Identity: A descendant of Wano Country from overseas. Wishing to make his mother proud, he chose to go to sea to make a name for himself, but failed due to his dislike of eating fish. He was once shipwrecked and rescued by the Host, who arranged for him to work in an antique shop. He is filled with gratitude. Due to the need to appraise antique jewelry from the City of Gold, he has invited Tohru to come.]