Paulie laid on the floor drenched in sweat, his body imbued with wounds, his chest heaving as he gasps for breath reluctantly while staring at the huge vessel he'd built before his vision slowly fades away.
"Paulie-san!"
His fellow shipwrights exclaimed as they dashed towards him, their smile never leaving their lips. "You did great, buddy."
A few days elapsed briskly; subsequently, the ship was successfully built. The finished ship stood tall and sleek, its polished wood shining under the sun. The hull was strong and curved like a blade ready to cut through waves.
Along both sides rested rows of heavy cannonballs stacked neatly beside polished cannons, ready for battle. Below deck, the rooms were compact but sturdy, crew bunks lined with hammocks, a storage room filled with supplies, and a small armory secured with iron locks.
The deck above was wide, with thick ropes coiled perfectly and a towering mast carrying bright white sails. At the very top, the pirate flag snapped in the wind — black cloth with a bold symbol: a stylized face and glowing blue eyes, sharp and unmistakable, representing Gojo. The blue shimmer seemed almost alive as it waved proudly, declaring their presence across the sea.
With a precisely executed puff of smoke, Paulie smirked, tossing away the immense cloth he had employed to shroud the ship, compelling the trio to stagger backwards with their mouth agape.
"Hey, don't tell me that is.." Jake swallowed, his cigarette falling off his lips.
Paulie along with other shipwrights could only smile, realising this was the only possible way for them to thank the pirates for saving the mayor's life and defeating the government's secret agents who'd disguise themselves to steal the blueprints of an ancient weapon.
Gojo loosened his blindfold, his blue eyes shimmering brightly gazing at the newly built ship by the world's greatest shipwrights. "Paulie-san, is this.. "
"Yes it is," he said, "I know it isn't sufficient, but I hope you will accept this vessel. I built this ship for you all to sail around the world, and trust me—this vessel is undeniably robust, strong enough to withstand even a cannon blast."
Ryuken let loose of his sheathed sword, counting his step as he approached the new vessel. "A ship. We've acquired a ship!" He sprinted forward, hoping to become the first person to set his foot aboard.
"Not so fast." Gojo lumped forward with a smirk, his silhouette fading away as he appeared on the deck before his first mate landed.
"Damn you, Gojo. I thought I would be the first."
"...hehe, not on my watch."
Jake joined them shortly after as the trio scouted the ship in excitement, their smile never fading away from their lips.
"Damn, it's big!"
The Galley-La shipwrights could only smile in silence seeing the joy and excitement on the faces of the pirates. Gojo leaped down from the deck and appreciated the shipwrights for their hard work and consistency for the past weeks without having much rest in order to finish the promised ship.
"Thank you very much, we'll never forget what you've done for us and I pledge I'll use this ship to sail around the world and become the pirate king."
The shipwrights raised an eyebrow after the bold sentence. "You what? Pirate king?" They squawk.
"Yes. I'll sail around the world and become the next pirate king. I'll make sure to visit once again after I've archived my goal." Gojo pledge. "Don't you dare die on me guys, because we'll come have a drink with you."
"That's a bold declaration, kid. It won't be easy as you think it is."
"Don't worry, if he says he'll be the pirate king, then we'll be there to make it happen." Jake muttered with a wide smile.
"Then I'll be looking forward to it. Trust me, we won't die. I guess I'll be looking forward to read more entertaining article as you sail through the Grand Line." Iceburg clutched his fist, his voice firm and solemn.
"I bet." Gojo chucked, shook hands with them once again before hopping into the vessel.
"By the way, kid. Aren't you going to give it a name?" Paulie asked.
"Oh, good question," Gojo messaged his temples for a second. "Sorcerer. That's its name from now on."
"Sorcerer, huh? Sounds like you." One of the shipwrights uttered, crossing his hands behind his neck. "I've been wondering for a while, where are the rest of your crew? I've been curious about it since you guys first arrived here."
"Oh about that, we are just three right now." Gojo confirmed..
"Three? That's crazy! Figured you'd have more than a thousand fleet since your bounty is way too high for a rookie."
"Is it? I mean that's too low." Gojo laughed it off.
"Heh? Too low? Are you out of your mind?" Iceburg stepped forward. "Attaining a higher bounty signifies that you will be pursued relentlessly not only by marines and pirates but also by bounty hunters, all of whom will hunt you across the vast expanse of the sea.."
"You think too much about it, old man. I haven't really done much about it and when I do, the whole world will turn upside down, hehe."
"I haven't seen a pirate like you. Who really are you, Gojo Satoru?" Iceburg's curiosity pivoted upwards.
"Take care, old man. I'll be on my way." Gojo hopped into the ship releasing an exasperated sigh after the relentless questions from the mayor.
"Three won't be enough. Don't you think it's about time to recruit more members?" Jake hummed, trailing his hands on the ship's helm.
"Yeah I do think it's about time we do. Anyway, let's get the party going."
The crew waved at Iceburg and the shipwrights stationed at Galley-La before hurling the ship into the sea, ready to navigate onto the next island ahead.
Jake fetched the Log Pose from his pockets and steadied the ship on the right course before the banquet. The water was calm, the sun casting its luminous glow far down toward the horizon.
"Cheers to our new ship!"
"Cheers to our new ship!"
The trio slammed their barrels at each other and drank a lot while savouring the fried chicken as they sang and laughed together on the Sorcerer, exchanging stories and all sought of jokes in a sync.
The weather was calm but cloudy, no unusual wind aiding their course impelling further as Jake monitored the Log Pose strapped on his wrist.
The Sorcerer was a vast ship way bigger than the previous vessel the crew had used to navigate throughout the east blue. The News Coo spotted the pirate ship from the sky as it descended below, delivering the newspaper about the incident that transpired in Water 7 while receiving a few coins from Jake.
"Are you kidding me?" Ratling his hair furiously, Jake could only laugh as he read through the article detailing his captain.
"Ryu, come look at this." Jake whistles for Ryu to join him, which he did nonetheless.
Giving out the exact key points of the incident imbued on the newspaper to their captain, he could only smile and laugh at it without a care of guilt or being chased by marines.
"Hm? What's that?" Gojo pointed at a finger the far horizon propelling his comrades' scrutiny. "Let's keep advancing, if they want we could pay them a visit."
"Definitely that's not the marines."
"Pirates, of course."
The pirate ship sailed in their direction, drawing inexorably closer; the vessel towered over the Sorcerer, its flag shredded, its mast broken, and yet the crew hurled their cutlasses, swords, and guns into the air. "Let's steal that ship," the captain muttered, massaging his brown beard.
One of the underlings could attest that it would be suicide to raid the other pirates' ship, but still, he could not defy his captain's orders. He pondered to himself, gritting his teeth, his stomach emitting a loud growl that compelled him to remember they had not eaten in three days.
"Let's steal some food."
Boom! Boom!!
They welcomed Gojo's crew with a volley of cannonballs, whereas Jake steered the ship, deftly dodging the incoming fire.
"If they want war, let's give it to them." He reloaded his two pistols with a wide grin.
"Let's not spoil the fun so quickly. Let's welcome them as well." Gojo hopped onto their ship, standing between the captain and his underlings. "Yo!"
He sent the captain hurtling into the broken mast with a decisive kick. "Is that it?"
"Captain!!"
The crew uttered in unison, pointing their firearms at the white-haired, blindfolded freak.
"Bye bye."
Gojo dismissed himself as the pirates shot one another in a flash, not realizing what had just occurred in that brief expanse of time as they collapsed to the floor, bleeding profusely.
"Jake, let's keep going. Weaklings aren't meant to be in the Grand Line."
Jake took his position before the helm and guided the ship along the course the Log Pose indicated, while Ryuken collapsed onto the floor with a smile.
"I'll take a quick nap."
"Suit yourself."
.....
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