The pleasant ton-ten-kan of hammer against wood echoed.
During their descent from Skypiea, the octopus balloon that had cushioned their fall had unfortunately deflated midway. The resulting impact with the sea surface had left the Going Merry damaged in several places. Beginning with the leaking hull, a chain reaction of necessary repairs had commenced.
"Well, ha ha ha. I didn't expect it to break down this much one thing after another," Nami laughed.
"Is this a laughing matter!?" Usopp snapped. "Isn't it because we loaded too much gold? That stuff's heavy, you know!"
"Don't be ridiculous," Nami replied. "If we didn't load as much gold as we could, what else would we load?"
"Well, yeah, but..." Usopp trailed off.
While Nami checked the course using the Log Pose, Usopp kept working, never stopping his hands. The men had all been drafted to help with the ship's repairs as they sailed towards the next island.
"But the danger is real, you know," Nami admitted.
"Yeah," Usopp agreed. "There's a limit to my repairs, too. Listen, I'm a sniper, not a shipwright. It's obvious we need a professional to fix the Merry properly."
"...Time for a new ship?" Said Nami.
"Don't be stupid!" Usopp yelled.
Nami shrugged. "I was going to suggest it later anyway," she continued, unfazed. "Since Usopp feels this way too, why don't we get the Merry repaired? I think getting a skilled shipwright to fix her is the best option."
"That's a great idea! Since we need one anyway, let's find a shipwright to join our crew!"
Luffy grinned in agreement.
Usopp's patchwork repairs clearly had their limits. Having a professional fix the ship completely, and perhaps even having such a companion along for future repairs, would bring peace of mind. With Luffy, the captain, approving, the decision was practically made. The others were unlikely to object.
The only question was where to get it done... For that, Robin or Sora would likely have the most detailed information.
"We'll need to discuss it later," Nami decided.
"As long as they fix her up nicely, I have no complaints," Usopp added.
"But it'll probably cost money and take time," Nami pointed out.
"Well, yeah..."
"Shi shi shi! Until then, we'll just keep fixing her ourselves like always!" Luffy declared.
Crack!
Luffy, caught up in the moment, missed the nail with his hammer and struck the patched area and reopened the hole he had just tried to seal.
"Ah."
"LUFFYYYYYY!!!"
Making repairs only to break them again was counterproductive. Nami shrugged as if to say, "This is hopeless," while Usopp grabbed Luffy, who was working beside him, by the cheek and scolded him.
***
"If you want ship repairs, the place to aim for is Water 7."
"Water 7?"
"It's an island called the 'City of Water.' I've never been there myself, but I hear it's an island sustained by its shipbuilding industry, home to many shipwrights."
"Wow... I wonder if there's a shipwright there who wants to be a pirate?"
"Well, we won't know unless we go and try to recruit one."
Later, while enjoying tea served by Sanji inside the Merry, they brought up the topic, and Robin offered her knowledge. Like Olvia, Robin was a target of the World Government, making it difficult for her to travel freely between islands. Consequently, she had never visited Water 7 herself. Still, rumors of the place had reached her ears.
"I've heard that the Pirate King's ship was built there."
"The Pirate King's ship was built there!? Awesome!!"
"Awesome!!"
This unexpected piece of information sent Luffy's excitement soaring. Usopp was equally astonished, both boys sputtering crumbs of the bread crusts they had stuffed into their mouths. After receiving knuckle sandwiches from Nami for being messy, the two excitedly discussed what kind of shipwright they should recruit.
"He should be huge!"
"Idiot, we don't know if he'd fit on the ship!"
As Robin watched their cheerful exchange, Sora came inside from the deck.
"Having fun?"
"Oh, Sanji's mom! We want a shipwright to join us! Do you know anyone?"
"A shipwright? Let's see... Midgard is used as a major base, so I think they have shipwrights stationed there permanently for ship inspections and such."
"But wouldn't that mean poaching from Twilight?" Robin asked.
"It would," Sora admitted.
Of course, if the individual agreed, poaching might be possible, but actually succeeding would likely be difficult. A proper salary, plenty of work, and especially if they had family, would make them reluctant to leave.
However, it was also true that some might be swayed by the allure of adventure, enough to abandon everything for the pirate life. The Great Pirate Era, which began after Roger's death, had driven many such individuals to sea. ...Though Luffy didn't seem intent on going that far.
"Well, if we find someone interesting. If we meet someone we click with, I want to travel together! And let's look for a musician too!"
"Put that aside for now," Usopp interjected.
"That can wait," Nami agreed.
"Fufu, having a musician would be fun too," Robin smiled.
"Right!? You get it, Robin!!" Luffy exclaimed.
The group buzzed with excitement. Sanji, preparing dinner in the galley, glanced over at Sora, relieved to see her looking happy. He had been worried she might feel uncomfortable.
Just then—the ship lurched violently.
"Wh-What's going on!?"
Throwing open the door, they rushed onto the deck. Pedro, Zepo, and Zoro, who had been watching the course, were all staring in the same direction. In the near distance, a giant sea beast was thrashing about. Apparently, its struggles were causing the waves.
Were they fishing?
Shortly after, the sea beast's head was cleanly sliced off, silencing its struggles. Simultaneously, harpoons were fired, retrieving the massive carcass.
Looking closer, the ship itself was immense. It dwarfed the sea beast, which was already several times larger than the Merry, and was bigger even than a standard galleon. Naturally, the mark painted on the mainmast was that of Twilight.
"We must have entered Midgard's waters. They're likely combining patrols of the nearby seas with fishing."
Sora observed, unlike the wide-eyed Straw Hats, she remained calm, seemingly familiar with the area.
Robin, too, seemed to be seeing this for the first time and watched with keen interest.
"If we follow that ship, we'll reach Midgard quickly. Your Log Pose is probably pointing that way anyway, right?"
"...You're right. It's the same direction," Nami confirmed.
"Though, their ship is faster, so I doubt we can keep up," Sora added.
Even carrying the sea beast's carcass, the Twilight ship was enormous and inherently faster. The Merry, currently weighed down with as much gold as it could hold, couldn't pick up much speed either, and the distance between them gradually increased.
However, it wasn't long before an island came into view. Pastoral grasslands stretched to the horizon—and nestled within them stood a colossal fortress. The fortress wall spanned the island, bristling with numerous cannons.
"Whoa! Is this Midgard!?"
"This is just the outside," Sora corrected.
"Outside?"
"You see, the island called Midgard... it's dou-ble lay-ered."
The original island chain formed a donut shape. Midgard, Sora explained, was an artificial island constructed within the inner sea that the chain encircled.
Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper tilted their heads in unison, clearly not grasping the explanation.
"Double...?"
"Artificial island...?"
"I don't get it."
"...Well, it'll be faster to see it for yourselves."
Sora chuckled and steered the ship along the island's outer perimeter.
Soon, they encountered the giant ship they had seen fishing earlier. They expected it to head towards the inner sea as well, but instead, it passed alongside the Merry and continued in the opposite direction.
"What? Isn't it going inside?"
"That ship is too large to enter. The islands of the outer ring are connected, and the water becomes shallow enough for people to walk across during the annual low tide... A ship that size would run aground, even at high tide."
"So it's not that it won't go in, but it can't? That's rough."
"They probably could have dredged a channel... but I heard the original inhabitants were nomadic people, and they made a promise not to interfere with their way of life."
Sora wasn't sure of the exact details, her explanation trailing off vaguely. However, she mentioned it wasn't entirely inconvenient. Defending against only small ships wasn't difficult, and the inability of large vessels to pass served a defensive purpose. Most importantly, sub-mar-ines couldn't sneak in.
"This ship can enter the inner sea, so let's get closer to the fortress and request permission."
"We need permission?"
"It's not as strict as Skypiea. They just check if you're on Twilight's blacklist."
Apparently, it was easy enough to tell from the pirate flag, making entry quite simple. With dozens of ships coming and going daily, they likely couldn't afford to spend too much time on checks. Besides, Sora assured them, once they saw Luffy's face, they wouldn't be stopped.
Entering the island's inner sea, they saw another island in the distance.
"The island we just passed is Long Ring Long Land... That island visible in the inner sea is the main island of Midgard."
The inner sea was vast, making the island itself appear small from a distance. But as they drew closer, that impression was completely overturned.
"It's huge...!"
Everything was built on an immense scale. The ships, the buildings, the harbor. It was as if designed for beings ten times the size of ordinary humans. And for good reason. Giants lived on this island.
"Warriors for the island's defense. Laborers to help load and unload cargo. Quite a few giants work on this island."
"So many giants live here!?"
That explained the massive structures. Still, proportionally, humans were far more numerous. Sora mentioned there were plenty of inns sized for regular humans, suggesting they should dock there first and secure lodging.
No one objected. They moved the ship and docked it at the harbor. The area seemed to be characterized by districts, and the current one was lined with hotels and similar establishments.
"On Long Ring Long Land, the Log Pose will set, but Midgard isn't originally a Grand Line island, so the Log Pose won't set there. If you want to move on, you need to let it set on that outer island or buy an Eternal Pose here."
"Huh..."
"Whatever your destination, you can probably buy an Eternal Pose for it here."
Although, if Water 7 was their goal, they could just let the Log Pose set on Long Ring Long Land. Luffy and Usopp were already buzzing with excitement, their gazes darting everywhere.
Nami grabbed the two, who looked ready to bolt at any second, by the scruffs of their necks. "First things first," she reminded them.
"We need to exchange the gold. We can't walk around carrying all this, and it's inconvenient."
The sheer amount made carrying it dangerous, and while the area was safe, it was still frequented by pirates. Carelessness could lead to robbery. Therefore, the first order of business was to deliver the letter from Komurasaki and arrange for an intermediary to handle the exchange.
"Okay, let's split into groups."
One group would stay to guard the ship, while the other delivered the letter. Since only a minimum number was needed for each task, the division was simple.
Ship duty: Zoro and Pedro.
Letter delivery: Nami, Luffy, Usopp, Sora, and Sanji.
Free exploration: Chopper, Robin, and Zepo.
"There are many pirates on this island, but the Navy sometimes stops here for supplies, so be careful," Sora warned.
Midgard was apparently designated a non-interference zone; the Navy wouldn't pursue pirates there unless absolutely necessary. Still, having pirates and Marines on the same island often led to trouble, so caution was advised.
"Where are you guys going, Chopper?" Nami asked.
"We're gonna explore the island and look for books!"
"We'll check out what's being sold where, too," Robin added.
"Make sure you protect Robin-chan, Zepo," Sanji instructed.
"Don't need to tell me. I've known her longer than you," Zepo retorted.
Chopper's group, heading off to look for books, left the ship first. Zoro and Pedro were busy with something on the ship; Zoro, who usually trained with weights, was now holding his swords while Pedro seemed to be teaching him something.
Ignoring them, Nami's group disembarked and headed towards the island's central district.
"First, to get the exchange arranged... we need to meet Kaie-san."
"Who's that?"
"She's... well, the most important person in charge of security and things like that on this island."
The branch manager responsible for Paradise was also on this island, but Sora wasn't acquainted with him. Kaie, on the other hand, she knew through various connections, making her easier to approach and the logical choice for delivering the letter.
As a long-standing member of Twilight, Kaie was well-connected and suitable as an intermediary. Sora and Sanji planned to go their separate ways after meeting Kaie, which was why Sanji had accompanied them.
"Alright, let's go!"
As Luffy started walking into town, he collided with someone emerging from around a corner. Luffy only stumbled slightly, but the other person lost their balance and fell backward onto their bottom. It was a girl wearing a hooded jacket.
"Oww... Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going."
"Ah, my bad too."
Both had likely been distracted by the novelty of the island. Luffy offered his hand to the fallen girl, and she reached out to take it. And then, they saw each other's faces.
The boy in the straw hat. The girl with the distinctive two-toned red and white hair.
"...Uta?"
"—Luffy?"
They recognized each other instantly—childhood friends, now considerably older, standing before one another.