"Cover Story Serial · Straw Hat Crew, Part 11 · 'The Princess of the Desert Kingdom'"
"In the royal capital of Alabasta: ever since the old king fainted from rage after the death of Warlord William, Crown Prince Cobra has ascended to the throne, acting as regent for the past two years. His governance has been orderly, corruption and graft have greatly declined, and the nation has grown increasingly prosperous
"But this tireless dedication has cost Cobra dearly—his hairline. Not yet thirty, and already half bald, he often finds himself brooding over his reflection in the mirror every morning."
"Today, however, is different. Cobra hasn't stopped smiling, even humming little tunes. Why? Because his beloved wife is finally pregnant. He can only hope for a sweet and sensible baby boy…"
...
In an instant—
Not only the hotel entrance, but even the three streets nearby were packed to the brim with people, nothing but a sea of heads as far as the eye could see.
The hotel's fat owner, Kado, who just yesterday had been fretting about declining business, was now dumbstruck by this terrifying wave of popularity.
Blocking the entrance, he tried his best to keep the crowds from barging in and disturbing Vice Admiral Nao's rest.
But alas…
The people's enthusiasm wasn't something he could stop. In the end, he had no choice but to compromise, selecting a group of representatives to accompany him inside to meet Nao.
Those chosen were overjoyed, bringing carefully prepared gifts as they tiptoed behind Kado up to the second-floor corridor, hoping to knock and give Mr. Noxia a surprise.
However—
When they arrived at the door, both Kado and the group froze.
The door, which should have been closed, stood wide open.
Looking inside, the room was completely empty. Nao and his companions were nowhere to be seen.
——————--
"The sky finally cleared, huh."
At a southern dock, Nao lay lazily in a deck chair, squinting at sunlight filtering through the clouds. "So, Bell-mère, how bad's the damage inside the cabin?"
"Not bad, better than I expected," Belle-mère's voice came from inside. "Repairs are done, It won't affect setting sail. But compared to that…"
The cabin door suddenly creaked open, and she stepped out with a bitter face, muttering, "I still can't get over not getting back the deposit money…"
The deposit was a whole 50,000 Berries—no small amount at all!
"No helping it. Once word got out, we had to slip away quietly," Gion chimed in as she came from the storeroom, smiling as she handed everyone a glass of juice. "If we'd gone back down to check out properly, leaving wouldn't have been so easy. Chances are we'd have been roped into at least three days and nights of feasting."
"True enough."
Nao sipped his orange juice, crossing one leg over the other with contentment. "I hate crowds the most. As long as our efforts yesterday weren't in vain, it's fine. Just feels a little strange, though—sailing off without even a single person seeing us off…"
"Who said no one's here to see you off?" Gion suddenly cut in. "Look—over there."
"Hm?"
Nao instinctively turned his head, and froze.
On the eastern shore, a rotund figure was running with all his might toward them, waving frantically to catch the ship's attention.
Wasn't that Tom the Fishman?
Nao raised an eyebrow. After a moment's thought, he gestured for Shia, who was about to set sail, to hold off for now. The ship slowly turned and came to a stop, waiting quietly.
Before long, Fishman Tom reached the ship.
"Mr… Mr. Nao…"
Even after climbing aboard, the old man was still gasping for breath, his face pale. Clearly, he had run all the way from a great distance, afraid of losing even a single second.
Noxia quickly helped him aboard, casually pouring a glass of juice and handing it over.
"Take your time and catch your breath, Uncle Tom. No need to rush."
Tom had barely taken a sip when he nearly choked in surprise.
"Y-you… you know me?"
"Of course. The world-famous shipwright, Fishman Tom. I've heard of you for a long time."
Noxia spoke with a meaningful smile.
"In fact, I went to visit you the day before yesterday. Unfortunately, your apprentice told me you had gone out to sea to buy materials and weren't home."
Tom's old face immediately flushed red.
"It was this old man's fault… I was far too wary, even mistook you for one of those people, Mr. Nao."
He put down the glass with a heavy sigh.
"I never expected… ah, I am truly ashamed…"
"There's nothing to be ashamed of. It's only natural to be cautious." Nao smiled it off. "We'd never met before, after all. It's perfectly understandable."
Tom gave a bitter smile and shook his head.
Then, as if making up his mind, he suddenly stood up straight—before dropping to his knees before Nao, bowing his head heavily against the floor.
"Uncle Tom, what are you doing?!"
Nao was startled, hurrying to lift him up. The old man was even older than Garp—Noxia couldn't possibly accept such a bow from him.
But Tom stubbornly stayed down, kowtowing twice before finally letting Nao help him up. His face was solemn as he said:
"The first bow is to thank you, Mr. Nao, for saving the lives of my two foolish apprentices, Iceburg and Franky."
"The second is to thank you and the ladies here," he glanced partly toward Gion and the others, "for your tireless efforts through this day and night—saving my homeland and sparing countless civilians from disaster."
"You're exaggerating, Uncle." ao said with a smile, spreading his hands. "We're marines. Even if we were here on vacation, this is still part of our duty."
"There is no such thing as mere duty."
Tom shook his head firmly.
"Just as this old man, who deceived and misjudged you at first, cannot in good conscience accept your kindness without giving something in return…"
He took a deep breath, then spoke with gravity:
"Though it may not be enough to repay your debt of gratitude, if I do nothing, my heart will never be at peace. So I beg you, Mr. Nao—allow me to use what little skill I possess as a shipwright… to build for you the strongest warship in the world!"
The declaration was so sudden, and the old man's words so bold, that the women nearby exchanged astonished glances.
Gion blinked in surprise.
"The strongest… warship in the world?"
"Yes—the strongest!"
When it came to the field he was most proud of, Tom's voice brimmed with confidence. He straightened his chest, eyes shining brightly:
"Just as that brat Franky said—the trash churned out by Helena Company is unworthy of Mr. Noxia! I swear, if you grant me this chance, my next creation will surpass even the one I built for the Roger Pirates. It will be, in the truest sense, the world's strongest warship!"
Noxia was slightly taken aback, staring at Tom's unwavering expression in silence.
He could see it clearly: Tom was a shipwright of the purest kind. His intentions were just as pure. The matter of Franky's supposed crimes meant nothing to him.
This old man… he only wished to dedicate the sum of his life's knowledge to repaying a debt of gratitude.