Nearly half a month passed in the blink of an eye, and Master Tom finally completed the Ark Maxim capable of traversing land, sea, and air.
On the day of the unveiling ceremony, Chronos arrived with his group, ready to take possession.
Jade and the others had long grown familiar with the place. The children came bouncing over, accompanied by several masks floating around them.
These were the tools Chronos had promised Jackie Chan—the means to keep a close watch on Jade and the others.
"Jade, this is a junkyard. Please walk slowly and watch your step. Otherwise, I shall appear on your face and traverse this distance in your stead," said a red, demonically terrifying mask in the air, speaking with earnest deliberation.
Upon hearing this, Jade looked utterly defeated.
"Come on, Hong Ying! You're the mask I chose! Why are you siding with Uncle Chronos to boss me around?"
The mask known as Hong Ying chuckled again.
"Because my purpose for being created is precisely this—to watch over you and prevent you from encountering danger."
Jade fumed but could do nothing about it.
Jackie Chan watched the scene with satisfaction and gave Chronos a thumbs-up.
You really know how to handle her!
Chronos smiled. Valon had demonstrated through action that only someone immune to Jade's intimidation and cute antics, and who remained highly focused, could keep her in check.
Thus, nothing was more detached and attentive than Homies following orders.
Although many Homies possessed independent thought and could even rebel, their consciousness could be pre-adjusted accordingly.
Arriving at the entrance of Tom's workshop, Master Tom was already waiting for everyone.
Seeing Chronos, he beamed with joy—this was his major benefactor, after all!
"Ready to receive your magnificent new ship, Chronos?"
"Of course. That's exactly why I'm here."
After the exchange, Tom didn't hesitate and led the group deep into the workshop.
At the simple harbor connected to the bay, a silent behemoth rested.
Steel and gold formed the perfect combination, with hues of gold and silver exuding a touch of elegance—a fusion of ancient technology and modern craftsmanship.
Compared to the Ark Maxim from the original storyline, which had a wooden exterior, inexplicable oars and propellers, a bright red "God" character, and an odd, unattractive golden face, the Ark Maxim developed by Tom exuded the cold beauty of technology from bow to stern.
Truly worthy of being the teacher of Franky, who could build an entire wooden ship in seconds, spare time for intricate carvings, and still consider aesthetics!
Chronos took one look and fell in love with this vessel.
"Thank you, Master Tom. I'm very pleased! There will be a reward for you~"
"Hahahaha, as expected of the remarkable Chronos!"
Tom was delighted at the prospect of more gold.
"I contributed too! Not just the cannons—I even improved the Thundercloud Creation Device inside.
With enough electricity, after charging for a few seconds, you could blast away half of Water 7 itself!"
As someone capable of using cola as an energy source to create the Coup de Burst that could make ships leap and fly for a kilometer, Flam's weapon development skills were incredibly unorthodox.
Hearing this, Tom's smile shifted, turning somewhat helpless.
Of his two apprentices, Flam was undoubtedly the more talented one. Unfortunately, he was more passionate about weapon development.
All Tom could do was encourage him to apply his talents to shipbuilding as much as possible.
How should one put it? Weapons themselves are not inherently evil, but those who wield them recklessly are.
When Chronos heard that Flam had directly improved the Thundercloud Creation Device on the Ark Maxim, he couldn't help but marvel.
What terrifying talent indeed~
Thinking this, Chronos decided to give it a try.
He let Jade and her companions, who had long been unable to contain their excitement, board the Ark Maxim to choose their future rooms and browse through furniture selections.
Meanwhile, Chronos sought out Tom and Flam for a private conversation.
"Master Tom, Flam, I'll be direct. I've recognized Flam's potential and would like to invite him to become the shipwright and weapons scientist on my ship. I will fully support his development," Chronos stated plainly to Tom.
"I believe you can see it too, Master Tom - Flam's potential exceeds both our expectations. He should venture into broader horizons."
Upon hearing this, Tom fell into deep thought. Hadn't he been thinking the same thing?
"Hey! What nonsense are you spouting!"
Before Tom could respond, Flam jumped up angrily:
"Stop daydreaming! I'm not leaving my master! I will fulfill my master's dream and help him complete the Sea Train!"
Chronos paid no mind to the young man's hot-headedness, simply smiling as he looked at Tom.
"Don't you want to hear what your master thinks about this?"
Flam was taken aback and looked at Tom, only to find hesitation on his master's honest face!
"Master, you wouldn't..."
"Flam, Chronos is right. Your talent is remarkable, even greater than mine. Given time, you will undoubtedly become a better shipwright than me. But I can also see that while you enjoy shipbuilding, you're more passionate about creating weapons, aren't you?"
As Tom spoke, he smiled, remembering the day he first met Flam.
"When we first met, I saw your talent - building a cannon with your bare hands in a junkyard, and making it fire too.
Even when building ships with me, you've always leaned toward various warships, adding weapons to them - bigger, more numerous, more powerful cannons.
As your master, I naturally hope you'll inherit my shipbuilding skills. But as family, I want you to follow your passions even more.
So, Flam, set sail!
Staying with me would restrict your ability to create firearms the most - I can't stand seeing ships damaged.
Become a truly remarkable man and create the world's greatest cannons!"
Tom slapped Flam on the shoulder and laughed heartily.
Like Whitebeard, Tom didn't want to limit his apprentice's path because of himself.
"Master..."
Tears streamed down the unruly youth's face as he choked with emotion.
The young man who had once refused the Pirate King's invitation now found himself unable to form words.
Chronos smiled - it seemed this was settled. He did enjoy collecting geniuses.
After Flam's emotions stabilized, Chronos slowly began to speak again:
"As repayment for Master Tom's assistance in helping me develop the Ark Maxim, Master Tom, I believe your Sea Train project is completely achievable.
Therefore, I will invest in you. All the lacking funds will be solved by me, until the Sea Train appears on this great ocean."
Without mentioning anything related to Flam, Chronos resolved Flam's final concern.
"You guy!"
Flam's voice was hoarse as he called out, but no sound came out.
Tom also shed tears, but they fell while he was laughing heartily.
He never imagined he could achieve both goals simultaneously—the Sea Train and securing his disciple's future.
Wiping his tears, Flam raised his head, looked at the warship-sea vessel developed by himself, his master, and his senior brother, and grinned.
"Your warship is in my hands now!"
Patting his chest, Flam guaranteed.
"Mm, I'll leave it to you then."
...
After Flam confirmed he would board the ship, a farewell banquet was held at Tom's Workshop.
The location was still Uncle Peng Peng's kitchen, but this time Little Fu Gui and Jun Shiro joined in.
Although Uncle Peng Peng was quite displeased about sharing his kitchen, he didn't mind after seeing Little Fu Gui and Jun Shiro's internal energy cooking methods.
Coach, he wanted to learn this!
Tom drank heavily from a large tankard of beer, his face flushed red, bidding farewell to Flam.
Iceberg also rarely refrained from bickering with Flam, and the two brothers began reminiscing about old stories.
Secretary Kokoro smiled as she watched the scene.
The atmosphere throughout Tom's Workshop was excellent.
By the next morning, Jackie Chan and Tohru had also bought everything needed in Water 7 with Jade and the others, decorating rooms and meeting living requirements.
At Chronos's request, the Ark Maxim was designed to be very large, with a total of six floors.
The first floor was the deck for daily activities, complete with lawns and soil, housing the helm room, navigation chart room, planting area, and breeding area.
The second floor contained the girls' rooms, dessert parlor, library, infirmary, etc.
The third floor housed the boys' rooms, main kitchen, bar, aquarium, etc.
The fourth, fifth, and sixth floors were the armory, research and development department, and energy layer, respectively.
From top to bottom, the design shifted from daily life to core technology, with each lower floor being sturdier and more secure.
Chronos had the idea of transforming the Ark Maxim into a Homie, but he intended to make it a top-tier Homie directly, so some trial and error was still needed.
At Tom's Workshop harbor, under the watchful eyes of Tom, Iceberg, and others, the Ark Maxim slowly set off.
Chronos stood in the energy room, fierce lightning crackling in his hands before merging into the energy battery. As the indicator lights representing stored electricity lit up one by one, they eventually reached full capacity, glowing green.
Whoosh...
The sound of air being displaced echoed as the Ark Maxim gradually ascended into the sky.
Flam clung to the deck, waving vigorously at Tom and the others until the tiny figures below were no longer visible and Water 7 shrank to the size of a sesame seed.
High in the sky, the Ark Maxim reappeared here after a long absence.
"Wow~"
Jade stared at the clouds and mist before her, letting out an exclamation of awe.
Nudging Little Fei Die beside her, Jade lowered her voice and said,
"I knew following Uncle Chronos would let us see sights like this!"
"Thank you for the compliment."
In a flash of lightning, Chronos appeared, smiling as he responded to Jade.
Jade grinned and gave a thumbs up.
Looking at Tohru, who was feeling a bit seasick, and Jackie Chan taking deep breaths, Chronos shrugged.
"How does ancient technology feel?"
"A bit too intense..."
Jackie Chan said weakly.
"Are we heading to the New World now?"
"Not yet."
Chronos raised a finger, then flipped his wrist and produced an Eternal Pose.
"I suddenly remembered something—there seem to be some good Devil Fruits in the Grand Line too, so we need to make a stop there first."
"Where?" Jackie Chan asked, puzzled.
"The medical holy land, Drum Kingdom."
"And while we're at it, we'll have the doctors there check if you have acrophobia or motion sickness that needs treatment."
Chronos grinned mischievously.
"In these two areas, you might need to learn from Jade and the others."
Jackie Chan and Tohru looked over at the five children, each full of energy and bouncing around.
"Jade, are you really okay? I mean, you're not feeling unwell anywhere?"
"I'm fine, Uncle! Or rather, being able to see scenery like this, I couldn't be better!"
Jade glanced at the somewhat high railing with a hint of regret. If not for that mask, she would have even leaned over the deck to get a better look.
"Uh... What about you, Fu Gui? Any secrets?" Jackie Chan asked humbly.
"Secrets?"
Little Fu Gui scratched his big head.
"Not really? I'm just used to chopping vegetables and mincing beef in the air, so I'm not really afraid now."
Jackie Chan withdrew his gaze—this was probably a case of "ignorance is bliss."
Chronos patted Jackie Chan's shoulder reassuringly.
Then he walked up to Flam. "You can look forward to it. I promised to train you to the fullest, so among the Devil Fruits we're about to search for, one should be reserved for you."
"Huh?"
Flam turned his head in confusion. A Devil Fruit for him?
"Uncle Chronos!"
Jade raised her hand at that moment.
"Is there a Devil Fruit for me?"
"Then you'll have to tell me first what kind of power you want."
With that one sentence from Chronos, Jade fell silent.
It seemed she wanted every kind of power.
...
The journey to the Drum Kingdom was faster than expected.
Traveling through the sky allowed them to avoid the terrifying sea storms on a large scale, and the speed of the Ark Maxim, enhanced by the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, was incredibly fast.
The Straw Hat Crew took only 68 days to travel from the East Blue to Sabaody Archipelago, including their time in the East Blue.
The so-called "Around the World in Eighty Days" might suggest the world isn't as vast as one might imagine.
Upon arriving at the Drum Kingdom, communication went smoothly. Chronos was exceedingly generous, and the old king at the time was also a wise ruler who understood development.
Trading two Devil Fruits he had unintentionally obtained in his youth for gold, a hard currency, was a very worthwhile deal.
Moreover, since Chronos and his group had arrived from the sky, the old king had no desire to start a conflict with them, especially since Chronos offered a very favorable price.
The Paramecia-type Munch-Munch Fruit and the Paramecia-type Mushroom-Mushroom Fruit.
In the storyline, these were the Devil Fruits of Wapol and his brother Mushuru from the special episodes.
The power of the Munch-Munch Fruit was quite remarkable—after eating it, the user could consume anything and either incorporate it into their body or synthesize new things.
For example, they could combine scrap steel into new alloys that didn't previously exist, or even eat parts of their own body to alter their physique, such as making themselves thinner.
In the movie, Wapol even swallowed his older brother Mushuru, gaining the power of the Mushroom-Mushroom Fruit.
Considering that the Munch-Munch Fruit can merge two humans into one, perhaps the key isn't swallowing the Devil Fruit itself but the Ability User.
If not for the Soul-Soul Fruit, Chronos would have considered eating the Munch-Munch Fruit. However, with the Soul-Soul Fruit, no additional assistance was needed.
After the transaction was completed, everyone returned to the Ark Maxim. The Drum Kingdom was too cold; although Jade and the others wanted to play in the snow, they couldn't endure it for long.
Chronos had initially considered searching for the Human-Human Fruit, which was theoretically supposed to appear on the snowfields of the Drum Kingdom, but due to the extreme cold, he gave up.
Finding Flam, Chronos directly tossed him the Munch-Munch Fruit, which resembled two large jaws clamping together.
Chronos said, "This should be a very suitable power for you. It allows you to eat anything and freely combine them inside your body, even making them part of your physique."
For a future modification fanatic like Flam, the Munch-Munch Fruit was a perfect match!
"Wh-what a Super power!"
As expected, upon hearing about the Munch-Munch Fruit's abilities, Flam's eyes immediately lit up, and his mind began envisioning ten thousand different transformation methods.
Gulping it down in one bite, Flam then made a displeased face.
"The taste of this thing is so not Super!"
"That's just how Devil Fruits are."
No sooner had the words been spoken than—whether it was an illusion or not—Flam's jaw seemed to have grown a size larger out of nowhere.
A wave of hunger struck, and Flam's stomach began to growl; he was feeling rather hungry.
"First, you're not allowed to eat our ship. Second, I recall you stored a bunch of firearms in the weapons room."
With Chronos's reminder, Flam dashed off to the armory, opened his hippo-like mouth wide, and began devouring everything ravenously.
When he finally reappeared before everyone, Flam had transformed into an iron-clad man covered head to toe in blades and guns.
"Flam's Great Transformation!"
Showcasing his weaponized body, Flam laughed heartily.
"Pervert!"
Jade exclaimed from the bottom of her heart, while Jackie Chan silently covered his niece's eyes.
Amid the clamor, the Ark Maxim set sail once again toward the New World.
Chronos held the compass, steering the course. He himself served as the ship's navigator, especially after eating the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, which allowed him to perceive the weather.
"Log Bird!"
The Large Guidance Bird appeared; Chronos hadn't left this creature behind.
Comparing the hand-drawn chart from Jackie Chan with the direction indicated by the Guidance Bird's head, the Ark Maxim advanced accurately toward Torrance Island.