I reached the top of Pirates

Chapter 257, Section 256: The Return!

On the vast ocean, near the City of Water, a small black boat, its hull adorned with green candlelight, resembling a coffin, races swiftly through the waves.

The figure on the ship held a large cross-shaped sword and casually swung it backward, creating a gust of wind.

Bang!
Under the reaction force, the small boat shot forward at high speed.

Whenever a ship sails in from afar, the figure sits on a high-backed chair in the center of the ship, looking aloof and arrogant.

When no one was around, the man stood up again, wielding his knife with fluid grace, entertaining himself.

Suddenly, the figure's gaze sharpened, and he gently raised his black knife to parry to the side. With a clang, an object was sent flying.

Mihawk's gaze narrowed slightly. He took a step, rose into the air, and reached out to grab it.

He landed back on the small boat, looking at the exquisite and sharp cross-shaped knife in his hand, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

"Is it that guy, Mercer?"

……

The sea area near Alabasta.

A luxurious mermaid-shaped ship sails on the sea.

cabin,

A six-meter-tall, pink-haired, petite girl sat on the sofa, swinging her legs and grinning at Jinbe:

"Lord Jinbe, you don't need to worry. We haven't been to Marine Headquarters yet. It's very safe there, isn't it?"

Otohime, standing beside him, nodded with a smile, "That's right, Jinbe. There's no need for you to take us back to Fishman Island. We won't cause you any trouble."

Shark Star, who already exuded a fierce aura, also said:

"Don't worry, Jinbe-sama, we'll take care of ourselves. We're not weaklings."

Jinbe had no choice but to nod, but he secretly resolved that he would protect the three royals even at the cost of his life.

They have been at sea for half a year, and he is very satisfied with the wonderful time they have spent there.

……

"嘤咛!"

Feeling as if she had been floating in the sky for a long time, she finally landed on the ground. Makino slowly opened her eyes and looked at the familiar ceiling.

As soon as she sat up, the thin blanket slipped off, and she suddenly felt a cool sensation on her body. Looking down, her pretty face immediately turned red, and she quickly pulled the blanket back up and carefully looked around.

He nervously examined his body, and when he realized he was unharmed, he felt a little disappointed, and gently patted his chest, feeling somewhat depressed.

Looking at her somewhat blankly, she asked, "Isn't he/she here?"

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a photo next to the pillow and a wine ring.

Looking at the photo, the memory resurfaced in her mind, her pretty face turned extremely red, and she gritted her teeth and said:

"That jerk."

She threw off the covers, got up, and used her clothes to cover herself so no one would notice her exposed skin. She then returned to her room and changed into clean clothes.

Stroking her ring and looking out at the darkening sky, Makino went to the bar on the first floor.

Looking at the people inside, he asked calmly, "Where is Mercer?"

Sitting on a stool, Yamato rested his chin on the bar counter and sighed with a bored expression:
"He went to Clockwork Island alone, damn it! He didn't even take me with him!"

Runti, standing to the side, pouted and said, "Shut up! You're out having so much fun, not coming back until it's time to eat. Who's going to wait for you?"

Peipei lay on the bar table, looking listless, with a straw in her mouth, blowing bubbles from her juice.

"That guy is infuriating!"

On the other side, Ace, who was playing cards with Chopper and the others, said speechlessly:

"You all know he likes to run around, so why care so much? Let's just have fun."

"Negative Ghost! Five consecutive hits! Ace, you get down!"

The next second, the five card players all knelt down, apologizing. Peipei sighed boredly, put her hands on her hips, and said discontentedly:

"You lot, after all these years, you still can't be immune to my weakest ghost doll. You're just too, too, too lazy. I'm going to teach you a lesson in place of Mercer."

Seeing Peipei's sudden outburst, the people inside exchanged bewildered glances. Had this girl taken the wrong medicine?
Makino sighed helplessly, subtly biting her left index finger against her lips, gently sipping her blood wine. But the next moment, her brows furrowed slightly as she murmured:

"The taste isn't right; it doesn't have that soul-stirring feeling."

Then she went up to the second floor and returned to Messe's room. At this moment, she heard humming coming from the bathtub in the bathroom. Sensing Erii's presence, she opened the bathroom door.

The little girl was happily taking a bubble bath when she saw Makino. Erii tilted her head and asked, "Want to take a bath together?"

Makino thought for a moment, feeling quite refreshed, but still nodded and smiled:
"Hmm, it's been a few days since we showered together. Since Mercer isn't here today, let's sleep together."

Erii nodded gently, "Okay, Makino, you smell so good and feel so smooth when you hug me."

Makino took off her clothes and sat in the bathtub. She was surprised to find her energy rapidly depleting as soon as she entered.

"This water?"

Erii said softly, "The Bubble-Bubble Fruit ability can wash away stamina bubbles, so it's more comfortable to sleep at night when your body is tired."

Makino, with an expression that suggested she had learned something, suddenly said:

"I'll treat you to a drink later."

He tilted his head in confusion: "Wine?"

"Is it the kind of guy my brother likes?"

"Would you like to give it a try?"

"Hmm, okay. I'll give it a try."

……

Sun rise.

Moses stood on the edge of the banquet hall atop the mayor's building, gazing at the vast ocean stretching into the distance.

Clockwork Island always feels magical, no matter how many times you see it; it's like a rosebud standing straight up in the sea.

It has thorns, yet it is incredibly tempting.

The technology here is advanced, and the geographical location is absolutely easy to defend and difficult to attack for ordinary people in the East China Sea.

Before long, footsteps could be heard from the entrance of the venue not far away.

Immediately afterwards, a dozen or so people came out, led by Dr. Clockwork and his wife.

Upon seeing Mercer, everyone's faces broke into genuine smiles.

"It really is Mr. Mercer, it's been a long time."

"Mr. Mercer is so elegant, slurp! I really want to lick his pectoral muscles."

"Shut up, or you'll scare our benefactor. The mayor said Mr. Mercer came to invite us to help build the island. What do you think?"

"Go!"

"I'm a little worried."

"Will he be unhappy if I don't go?"

Listening to their quiet chatter, these dozen or so people were technical representatives of the hundreds of people on the island.

All Moses needs to do is deal with them.

The doctor walked over to Moses and smiled, "My wife and I are very much looking forward to going with you. Now it's up to you."

Moses looked at them and smiled, "We all know each other. I also learned the January clockwork technique here."

Without further ado, I'm going to build a bustling metropolis.

I need your help. If you come with me, your lives will certainly not be as filled with worries about pirate attacks as they are now.

And I guarantee that after you join me, I will establish a dedicated department to research clockwork technology and provide funding for your research. Of course, we will share the results. Your primary task is to maintain the island's power system in good working order.

Hearing Moses's description, everyone was intrigued, but they were only truly interested in two people.

Research on safety and clockwork technology.

Now that Mercer has given them assurances, they are undoubtedly tempted.

Once someone spoke up, others chimed in.

"Is that so? Haha, then I agree. On behalf of our group, I agree to go with you."

"Me too, Lord Moses, I agree as well."

"But how do we get there? Is your ship big enough? There are hundreds of people living here."

The representatives took turns expressing their opinions and outlining their plans for moving.

Mercer stretched out his right hand and pressed it down on them, silencing the crowd's noise.

"Since you've all agreed, then leave the rest to me?"

His gaze narrowed slightly, and the floating power around him spread out. He raised his left hand from his side, and in the next instant, the entire island began to tremble.

The people in front immediately felt the ground begin to shake.

Immediately afterwards, the entire clockwork island was uprooted.

At the same time, the spiral base beneath the island was broken off, laid flat, and lifted into the air.

One of the sharp-eyed people suddenly glared, his mouth agape, stammering:

"Island, island, island! The island is falling! Quick, quick, prepare the emergency plan!"

"Ugh, what bad luck! This can't be happening. There were no strong winds or earthquakes today. How could the island have collapsed for no reason?"

“Mr. Mercer, come with me quickly, we need to take immediate shelter.”

Seeing people scrambling around like ants on a hot plate, yet some still calling out to him, Moses's lips curled into a slight smile, and his voice drifted over calmly:

"Don't worry."

As soon as the words were spoken, something incredible happened: their panicked expressions calmed down.

It is an advanced application of the color of the dominant color. The soft dominant color can have a unique calming effect on the spirit of living beings.

Although their expressions remained anxious, they stopped to listen to what Mercer had to say next.

Mercer laughed and said, "This is my relocation plan. I didn't bring a boat, so I'll take you all with me, including the island."

"Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh?!" Everyone's eyes widened, their mouths agape, staring at Moses in disbelief. Dr. Clockwork sniffed, his gaze filled with disbelief.
"You mean, you made this?"

At this moment, a young man exclaimed:
"Wow! Doctor, look! Our island is flying in the sky!"

The doctor glanced back and his eyes widened as he saw the surrounding environment rapidly receding.

And the wind is blowing on my face.

As a scientist and technician, he had a good ability to learn. He took a deep breath and looked at Moses with a puzzled expression:

"As far as I know, the only person who could do something like that is the Golden Lion who was killed by the Seven Warlords of the Sea, as recently reported in the Global Times?"

Moses nodded and chuckled:
"I was there when the Golden Lion left the stage, and now I have the Float-Float Fruit."

Dr. Clockwork rubbed his temples. The shock of the information was too great, but he knew without a doubt that he had latched onto a powerful patron.

The next second, he looked at Moses with surprise and said:
"The Float-Float Fruit? With such a convenient ability, the construction of island ships will surely become incredibly smooth, right?"

Moses: "Hmm!"

"I will place the main body of Clockwork Island in the middle of the island, towards the rear. Then, you, Doctor, will be in charge of surveying the entire island and drawing up the renovation plan."

The professor nodded seriously. "Don't worry, I will definitely build this island into the best mechanical island."

After saying that, the doctor asked curiously:

"What is the power source for our island-going ships? Is it a wind-powered, water-powered geared turbine? Or some other power source? Or is it boiler steam?"

Mercer smiled with satisfaction, truly a technical talent: "Then why can't I use my ability to levitate?"

The doctor smiled helplessly: "If you want to use your abilities as motivation, then you probably don't need us at all, right?"

If you want to build a lasting city, you probably wouldn't use yourself as the driving force, because people can't live forever.

You've come to us because you need our help, and our proudest achievement is undoubtedly our clockwork gear technology.

Mercer laughed and said, "You're right, that's right. We can use water and wind power to drive a clockwork gear turbine. The rest is up to you."

Funding and materials will be in place; my goal is to complete the island-ship city within two years.

"Okay, no problem. Let's go do other things first."

After speaking, the doctor led his men out to appease the island's residents.

Time passed quickly. Because it was carrying the island, it couldn't fly too fast. After a day and a night, the next morning, Moses looked down at the island ship that had appeared below.

Not bad, not bad, we can have breakfast at home later.

Mercer maneuvered the Clockwork Island to begin its descent, simultaneously using his abilities to flatten the island's base.

To the left of the island ship, behind the Chiropteran lake, a deep pit with a diameter of one kilometer appeared amidst churning earth and rocks.

As the island ship shook,
Clockwork Island was placed in a way that fits perfectly into this land.

The main metal pillar of Clockwork Island was also placed aside.

At the edge of the island, Moses looked at Dr. Clockwork who was approaching.

"The island ship is relatively safe elsewhere, but the forest at the stern is a paradise for wild beasts. I will have someone take you there to survey the terrain."

I'm going back now. You can wander around. The people next to you are winged creatures. You can go and chat with them when you have time.

"Yes, I usually stay in the central lake area of ​​the island ship."

The shaking of the island subsided.

Messer could sense several beams of Observation Haki sweeping over him.

The figure floated up and, to the doctor's astonishment, flew towards the central lake on the right.

As Mercer flew through the sky, looking down at the island ship, he said, "The specific construction plans will be left to the construction team that Old Sand will bring later."

Since we've decided to bring him on board, we need to involve him fully. Without investing a lot of effort, we can't make him feel a sense of belonging to this brand-new sea city.

After all, Lao Sha is a talented person.

He can handle matters involving the darker side of things.

It flew from the air and landed on the ship's deck.

Moses looked at the people on the deck and laughed:

"Hey! Everyone's here. Are you here to greet me?"

Ace pouted at Mercer:
"You just moved their entire island over here?"

"What else? Bringing only a few people would be too much trouble, and we'd have to send them back later. This is a one-time solution."

Sabo chimed in with a sarcastic remark: "What a convenient solution! But it's also quite good. Their clockwork technology is amazing; we can use it in many ways."

“Mése, do you know?” Runti said happily, “Yesterday at noon, a group of pirates came over, thinking of plundering our island.”

But as soon as they arrived, they were detected by our island-wide surveillance Den Den Mushi system.

Even more foolishly, they landed from the back of the island, and were quickly wiped out by the herd of ferocious beasts there.

This joke is quite funny, even though the creatures in the forest aren't very strong for us.

But in the West Sea, it is definitely at the top of the food chain.

"Were all those pirates wiped out?"

Moses asked, and Yamato, who was standing nearby, answered quickly:

"Yes, they were all wiped out. They didn't even last five minutes. The density of wild beasts in the forest behind them is very high. Those that have survived are the strongest ones."

Xiong Bao then said with a smile, "Bear and Chopper have now subdued the five strongest beasts there, and they are all quite obedient now."

Mercer laughed and said, "That's right."

"We will continue to strengthen education, and once they are completely obedient, I will remove the excessive greenery on the island to prevent the air from smelling bad when strong winds come."

Upon hearing this, Luo and the others' eyes lit up. Beating those tough-skinned beasts felt especially satisfying.

At this moment, Robin spoke up:

"You're back just in time. Dinner will be served in a bit. Go back and wash up first."

Mercer nodded, indeed looking somewhat travel-worn.

Back in the room on the second floor, as soon as I opened the door, I smelled a strong odor of blood.

Even with the window open, Moses could still smell the fragrance.

Seeing Erii lying in bed with one arm outstretched, fast asleep, Messe walked over, the scent growing stronger.

His lips twitched involuntarily. "It must have been that guy Makino who taught him."

He sighed and pinched the little girl's cheek. "You don't even know how to drink less."

He infused a ball of water essence into her body, then went to the bathroom.

Enjoy a relaxing bath accompanied by the sound of flowing water.

After taking a shower, Erii had already sat up in bed.

The white slip dress accentuated her fair skin.

She looked at Moses with a blank expression, then after a few seconds her eyes lit up with joy, and she stretched out her fair and delicate arms:
"Brother, you are back!"

He sat down on the edge of the bed, pinched her cheek with a hint of helplessness: "It's not that I don't want you to drink, but you can't just drink yourself into oblivion all at once."

Erii playfully stuck out her tongue. "Oh! I know, this is what Makino-nee gave me to drink."

Now they know how to shift the blame.

Rubbing his head, Moses said:
"Get up and wash up, breakfast will be ready soon."

Mercer got up and left the room.

Erii stuck out her tongue, thinking about how the two of them had kissed and drunk together last night.

Her beautiful eyelashes fluttered uncontrollably.

In the restaurant.

Breakfast is varied, including huge boiled snake eggs, various fried meat patties, steamed buns, hamburgers, and nutritious porridge.

As they enjoyed their meal, Robin's eyes flickered slightly. "The people from Clockwork Island are all here. You're not going out anytime soon, are you?"

Moses swallowed a piece of steak, thought for a moment, and said:

"I'll go to Chambord in a couple of days to see how Crocodile's preparations are going."

Later, I will bring him along to help with the construction here.

"Are you leaving again?" Peipei said speechlessly, but then laughed out loud: "Take me with you this time too."

Runti laughed happily, "Messer, take me with you too."

Holding a steamed bun with a meat patty in his hand, Yamato hurriedly spoke:
"I also need to go."

Sabo laughed and said, "Me too."

I want to go to each and every one of them.

Moses thought for a moment and nodded:

"Then let's go together. We'll sail on the sea, and the island ship will just float in the sky."

"yeah!!!"

"Hmm, Sabaody must be a lot of fun, right? I've heard that many different races gather there."

After finishing a hearty breakfast.

The ships sailed out of the island ship from the central lake along the inlet channel.

The massive island ship carried seawater into the sky.

Five days passed in the blink of an eye.

Ships flew over the red earth continent.

It landed in the waters near Sabaody Archipelago on the Grand Line.

Looking from afar.

Yarchiman Mangrove Island,
What you see.

(End of this chapter)