Gojo looked toward the bank manager and said, "Let's make a deal. I like the price you're offering me."
The manager's eyes lit up slightly. Without hesitation, he stepped forward and extended his hand. Gojo met it halfway, their handshake firm—sealing the agreement.
As soon as the deal was struck, the guards and servants who had come with the manager sprang into action. The faint clinking of gold and treasure echoed through the room as they began carrying everything out from the treasure room of Gojo's ship, hauling it carefully back toward the bank. Gojo and the manager followed just behind them at a steady pace.
Inside the bank, nearly half an hour later, the manager had everything arranged. Large stacks of cash—850 million berries—were presented before Gojo. The sheer amount filled the room with a quiet weight.
Gojo glanced over it once, then nodded, a faint, satisfied smile forming. A clean deal.
Now that he had the money, Gojo wasted no time. He immediately returned to his ship and headed straight back to the Galley-La Company shipyard. The familiar sounds of hammering and construction greeted him as he stepped in, soon finding Iceberg.
Without delay, Gojo handed over the remaining 50 million berries, completing the total of 300 million berries given in advance for the ship's construction.
Gojo then looked at Iceberg and asked, "How long do you think my ship will take to be constructed completely?"
Iceberg folded his arms slightly, his expression calm yet focused. "I've already started making the arrangements," he said. "Fortunately for you, Adam Wood is available on the black market right now. Using my connections, I've already secured it, and it should arrive in around two days."
He paused briefly, as if mentally going over the process ahead.
"And as soon as the Adam Wood arrives, I'll begin working on your ship immediately. As for the other requirements—furniture, fittings, and miscellaneous materials—I've already set things in motion to acquire them. They should all be ready by then."
The distant sound of tools striking metal echoed faintly as he continued.
"Once everything is in place and we start working at full capacity, your ship should be completed within three to four days." He looked back at Gojo, confident. "So from now, I'd say around one week should be enough to finish your new ship."
Gojo listened quietly, the timeline settling in his mind. One week… that's fast.
Gojo looked at Iceberg, then gave a small nod. "That will be for the best," he said calmly. "As you know, I am considered wanted by the World Government, and I have quite a large bounty on my head."
A faint breeze passed through the shipyard.
"Although the chances are very low that I would have to leave the island," Gojo continued, his tone steady, "if, for some reason, I am forced to leave Water Seven, then my request to you is this—complete my ship's construction without caring about anything else… unless I am confirmed dead."
For a brief moment, the weight of his words lingered in the air.
Iceberg looked at him, then smiled—calm, assured, almost amused by the seriousness of it. "You don't have to worry about that," he said. "We are professionals."
He shifted slightly, folding his arms as the sounds of ongoing construction echoed behind him.
"Until we receive definitive news that you are dead, or that you've been captured and locked away in Impel Down, we will not stop working on your ship."
There was a quiet confidence in his voice, one built on years of experience.
"At the end of this deal, we won't suffer any kind of loss," he continued. "After all, this ship is being made from Adam Wood." A faint smirk touched his lips. "If you fail to contact us in time or don't complete the payment as agreed, then we'll simply sell the ship to another buyer."
He glanced toward the stacks of materials nearby, as if already picturing the finished vessel.
"A ship made from Adam Wood will attract countless buyers. There will be no shortage of people willing to pay for it." He looked back at Gojo. "So we don't worry about things like that."
Gojo nodded after hearing this. Iceberg's words carried solid logic, and he understood it well. From Iceberg's point of view, even if Gojo were captured or killed and failed to provide the remaining 500 million berries, the ship made from Adam Wood alone would still fetch an extremely high price on the market.
No loss on his side… makes sense.
Feeling reassured, Gojo said, "Very well. Then I will come to meet you again after one week—hopefully to see my ship ready."
Iceberg gave a short nod, his expression unchanged. The two shook hands once more, firm and professional, before Gojo turned and left Iceberg's office.
…
After leaving, Gojo searched for a suitable place to stay and eventually checked into a decent hotel. He had already docked his ship at the Galley-La Company shipyard, paying the required docking fee without issue.
For the next few days, Gojo allowed himself to experience a somewhat normal life in Water 7.
However, the city lacked wide, open spaces for his usual routines. So instead, he shifted his focus toward refining his swordsmanship. Inside his hotel room, with only the faint creak of wooden floors beneath his feet, he carried out his physical training—repeating movements, maintaining discipline.
Again and again, he practiced his sword stance.
Slow. Precise. Controlled.
Each swing cut through the air with a faint whistle, over and over, as he stuck strictly to the basics.
No shortcuts… just repetition.
On the other side, Kaku, Lucci, and Kalifa had already seen Gojo in Water 7. The moment they confirmed it, the information was reported to their higher-ups without delay.
Because of that, not only did CP9 become aware that Gojo was in Water 7, but the Marines also received the news.
Yet, despite knowing his location, the Marines held back.
They couldn't act recklessly in Water 7.
Gojo was not only extremely powerful but also known to be ruthless. Any attempt to capture him within the city could easily spiral into chaos, endangering civilians and causing large-scale destruction.
And more importantly… strength mattered.
A single Vice Admiral would not be enough to handle him.
To capture Gojo, multiple Vice Admirals would be required—at the very least.
Because of this, the Marines decided to keep a close watch on Gojo's movements. They wouldn't act within Water 7—not yet. But the moment he left the safety of the island, they would strike without hesitation, aiming to capture him at a different location where collateral damage could be controlled.
A quiet hunt had already begun.
As for CP9, they were not idle either.
Behind the scenes, in silence and shadows, they began brewing their own plan against Gojo. Unlike the Marines, they weren't thinking about capture.
They were planning an assassination.
Whether they would succeed or not, however… was an entirely different matter.
Meanwhile, days passed for Gojo in Water 7.
One day blended into the next in an almost peaceful rhythm. No battles. No chaos. Just a rare stretch of calm.
He kept up with his basic training inside his room, the soft thud of his footsteps and the faint whistle of his blade cutting through the air becoming a daily routine. At other times, he wandered through the city—crossing narrow bridges, walking alongside flowing canals, and occasionally stopping by small stalls to taste the local delicacies Water 7 had to offer.
The city moved around him, lively and unaware.
For now, Gojo simply enjoyed his time there, waiting patiently for his ship to be completed.
And then, after almost a week had passed…
Another group arrived at Water 7—the Straw Hats, fresh from their treasure hunt in the sky islands.
Their ship sailed near the Water 7, marking the beginning of new movements beneath the surface.
Gojo, however, remained completely unaware of their arrival.
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