Donquixote Doflamingo was an extraordinarily sharp individual. Having chosen to collaborate with Shiraishi, he naturally devoted himself wholeheartedly to the partnership—especially since his current influence and personal strength paled in comparison to Shiraishi's.
Though Doflamingo was an intensely ambitious rising star among the Supernovas, Shiraishi possessed absolute confidence in his ability to rein the man in.
Uchiha Madara, on the other hand, held a far less favorable opinion of Doflamingo.
Ace was absent from the ship during this period, having departed for the East Blue to settle matters concerning his deceased mother. Kikyo and Unohana Retsu were resting and recuperating back on Sky Island. Thus, only Shiraishi and the battle-obsessed Madara currently remained aboard the Shukaku.
"Does a guy like that even hold any real value for collaboration?"
Gazing at Doflamingo's departing form in the distance, Uchiha Madara didn't hold the man in high regard at all. He couldn't grasp Shiraishi's reasoning for valuing someone like Doflamingo so heavily.
"He might not seem like much right now, but he could turn out to be an unexpectedly useful pawn down the line."
In response to Shiraishi's words, Madara shook his head with a cool scoff: "You certainly possess no shortage of self-confidence."
"Perhaps so."
Observing Shiraishi's calm composure, Madara let out a cold smirk: "Things in this world rarely unfold as you desire. The longer you live, the more you realize that reality is filled with nothing but unavoidable pain, suffering, and emptiness."
Madara had clearly seen right through Shiraishi's underlying calculus, which was precisely why he couldn't resist mocking him.
"The core tenets you and I believe in remain fundamentally different, Madara..."
"In this world, wherever there is light, shadows will inevitably exist. As long as the concept of 'winners' exists, there will always be 'losers.' The selfish desire to maintain peace is what triggers war.
And the desire to protect love will inevitably give birth to hatred. They are bound by cause and effect, completely inseparable from one another. That is reality—do you truly not understand this by now?"
The philosophy Madara referenced stemmed back to the Fourth Great Ninja War, when Shiraishi had employed an extraordinarily slow, highly inefficient method to unite the Shinobi World.
The grand vision Shiraishi mapped out was simply too massive, introducing far too many unpredictable variables into the equation.
Having arrived in this new world, Shiraishi seemed to be falling back into his old habits—tolerating unnecessary complications and holding back.
Naturally, Madara viewed Shiraishi's current approach as entirely redundant. Why bother collaborating with someone like Doflamingo through diplomatic negotiation?
Using forced measures—such as controlling him directly through Shiraishi's specialized neural toxins—would be vastly superior to this mutual game of deceit and usage.
Consequently, Madara was deeply dissatisfied with Shiraishi's cautious methods and reserved posture.
"Haha. Madara... are you actually worried about me?"
What kind of bizarre mental gymnastics leads him to think I'm worrying about him?
Madara found Shiraishi utterly exasperating at times. Nevertheless, Shiraishi stepped forward and patted his shoulder lightly: "The mastermind behind Patrick Redfield obtaining the Vampire Fruit isn't someone who can truly stay hidden behind the scenes forever either."
The Shukaku traveled at exceptional speeds. Under Moyade's expert navigation, it took less than a week to arrive at Water 7, the City of Water.
"Looks like construction on the Sea Train is already underway..."
The construction of the Sea Train was primarily tied to the legendary fish-man shipwright, Tom the Horned Trunkfish Fish-man. As the master who raised Iceburg and Franky while passing down his ship-building craft, Tom possessed a colossal frame and superhuman strength, capable of lifting an entire ship with a single hand.
Years ago, Gol D. Roger requested Tom to construct a ship for him. Using timber harvested from the Treasure Tree Adam, Tom successfully built the famous Oro Jackson.
Following Roger's execution, Tom was arrested and brought before a Judicial Ship trial for the crime of building the Pirate King's vessel.
During the proceedings, he presented his design and concept for the Sea Train to the presiding judge, persuading the court to grant a stay of execution so he could complete its construction.
The events at Loguetown had indirectly accelerated the situation surrounding Tom. As the massive, imposing Shukaku sailed into the harbor of Water 7, the overwhelming aura it radiated threw the local Marine garrison and World Government personnel into absolute panic.
Given Water 7's unmatched ship-building craftsmanship, Shiraishi's primary goal in visiting the city was to procure sufficient raw materials and engineering schematics to construct a full warship fleet for the Sunagakure Pirates.
Water 7 featured an intricate network of waterways. Aside from standard water-level transport, channels extended downward from the elevated reaches of the city.
The local residents raised aquatic creatures called Yagara Bulls, using them as primary mounts for water transportation. Beyond navigation, Bulls possessed remarkable carrying strength, making them invaluable for heavy transport and moving home goods.
Because Water 7 was struck annually by Aqua Laguna—the massive, devastating tidal wave known as the Water God—the local citizens paid strict attention to meteorological reports.
This ensured the populace could prepare disaster precautions and evacuate to temporary high-ground shelters before the storm hit.
After Aqua Laguna swept over Water 7, it left behind an exceptionally high concentration of sea salt across the rooftops, which the locals collected and used to season exquisite local dishes.
Historically, the Ancient Weapon Pluton had been engineered right here in Water 7. Furthermore, the Pirate King's vessel had originated from these docks as well, cementing the island's reputation as the global epicenter of shipwrighting and naval manufacturing.
As the iconic flag of the Shukaku fluttered across the water, thunderous cheers echoed from the shipwrights across the docks.
To these shipbuilders, the arrival of the Sunagakure Pirates meant one thing: a massive, ultra-wealthy client had landed.
As for capturing them to claim the Marine bounties? Virtually nobody was suicidal enough to attempt that. Every core member of the Sunagakure Pirates possessed the horrifying individual combat power required to annihilate an entire nation.
Upon arriving in Water 7, Shiraishi prepared a vast supply of specialized timber. These materials were taken directly from trunk sections carved off the Gedo Mazo (Demonic Statue of the Outer Path) before they crossed over into the One Piece world.
Compared to traditional wood, the timber harvested from the Gedo Mazo's trunk possessed incredible flexibility, high structural elasticity, and unmatched durability. Shiraishi intended to use this wood directly as the foundational core for building their new line of battleships.
When Shiraishi and his crew first arrived in the East Blue, these massive Gedo Mazo timber logs had been hidden on a small, deserted island. Later, after establishing their main base on Sky Island, the crew transported the materials up into the clouds.
When the Shukaku underwent its overhaul, the new keel selected was crafted entirely from this Gedo Mazo timber. At the time, even the elite engineers of the Vinsmoke Family had marvelled at the incredible quality of the raw wood.
Therefore, Shiraishi's visit to Water 7 was aimed squarely at leveraging the city's vast, world-class ship-building industrial power.
Water 7 currently housed seven major shipbuilding dockyards. Years before Iceburg would unify these seven companies into Galley-La Company to become the primary shipbuilder for the World Government, these seven docks engaged in fierce, relentless competition for high-value contracts.
Tom Workers, Tom's independent company, did not belong to any of these seven major dockyards. Consequently, his firm faced heavy suppression and political persecution from rival competitors.
Unlike Tom, who lacked political backing, the seven local dockyards maintained deep, intertwined connections with both the World Government and powerful pirate fleets operating out of the New World.
The moment Shiraishi's crew dropped anchor, representatives from all seven shipbuilding companies rushed out to initiate contact.
"I didn't expect you to hold assets here in Water 7 as well..."
"Hee-hahaha...! A portion of these assets originally belonged to the Goa Kingdom, after all."