One Piece: Starting as the First Mate of the Lothar Pirates

“Let me tell you, let me tell you,” the second brown bear quickly replied. “Newgate, you’re just a little late. If you had arrived earlier, you could have experienced the great adventure of the Golden Island with us.”

"Sky Island? Golden Land?"

Having spent too much time in Little Ocean Park, Newgate clearly lacks worldly experience.

At this moment, upon learning that there were islands and even golden cities at an altitude of 10,000 meters, he was deeply shocked.

At the same time, a glint flashed in his eyes; he was slightly tempted by the adventure to the Sky Island.

“Hahaha, Newgate, don’t worry, there will definitely be another chance to go in the future, and you can come along then.” Rocks walked out of the captain’s cabin on the second floor.

After saying that, he glanced at the four men on the deck and said, "Men, I've just thought about it. Money is meant to be spent. Our first priority is to spend money. Anyone have any ideas?"

"I I I..."

The second brown bear was the first to raise his hand and say, "I want to buy a thousand honey cakes."

"You idiot, Xiong Er, all you care about is honey. You don't even know how to spend money properly. If you have money, you should definitely go to a club with young models!" Black Bear Boss rubbed his hands together.

Ignoring the silly brothers, Luo Chuan offered his opinion, saying, "Captain Rocks, let's put everything else aside for now. First, can we get a real big ship that belongs to us?"

Both the previous one and the current one were requisitioned from other seafaring vessels.

Putting aside size and quality, the hygiene conditions alone made Luo Chuan quite uneasy.

With dozens of old men living on a boat, it's impossible for it to be very clean.

“Luo Chuan, you’re right. I almost forgot. The reason I wanted to raise money was to buy a ship and get it started.” Locke nodded repeatedly.

“If you’re looking to build a new ship, the next stop on the tracking compass is the famous Shipbuilding Island, Water City,” Newgate said.

"Hahaha, then it's decided, men, target is Water Seven, let's go!" Rocks waved his hand.

……

……

City of Water.

The famous shipbuilding island along the Great Sea Route.

This is a complex water city crisscrossed by waterways.

From a distance, the city resembles a giant fountain with a three-tiered design.

Because the city of water is attacked by the water gods every year, the water level in the city rises year after year, so the city as a whole is constantly rising.

A city exists on the water, and a metropolis also exists underwater.

As a shipbuilding island renowned for its great sea route, the shipbuilding industry of the Water City is considered the best in the world.

The most famous shipbuilding company among them is Carrera, which is said to have been passed down for hundreds or even eight hundred years.

The name Carrera is also related to a mysterious shipbuilding organization from eight hundred years ago.

"Hurry up, hurry up! Today is a big day, or we'll miss out on the fun!"

"The winner of the quadrennial Outstanding Shipbuilder award may become the successor of the Carrera Company!"

"The two who made it to the finals this time, one of them is the president's personal disciple, and the other is a fishman named Tom!"

"Huh? A fishman? Isn't that a fish? Fish can be boatmen?"

Along the way, the residents of the Water City were discussing the matter.

When Luo Chuan and his delegation arrived at Carrera's headquarters, the selection process for this grand shipbuilding event had already concluded.

Unsurprisingly, the man who claimed to be President Carrera's personal disciple became the final winner.

Tom, the master craftsman of the Fishman Ship, came out in second place.

This was something that could have been predicted long ago.

In this world, most people hold prejudices against the fish-people race.

Tom, a young man with a passionate heart who wanted to become the world's number one shipwright, was also ostracized because of racial issues.

Others' entries could use the best materials, but even if he had money, he couldn't buy good materials and could only find usable wood and parts on the abandoned ship island.

Even so, he still made it to the finals with his skills, surprising many people.

Unfortunately, winning is still too difficult.

The shipbuilding companies in Water City will not allow a fishman to get ahead.

This was a selection whose outcome was predetermined!

Even so, young Tom was not defeated; the light still shone in his eyes.

Because... a man should have complete confidence in his ship!

"Brother Fisherman, I've taken a liking to your craftsmanship. Could you please help us build a ship?" Luo Chuan asked with a smile.

……

Chapter 19 Mjolnir, Thor's Hammer

About an hour ago, Luo Chuan and his party arrived at the City of Water.

Young Newgate, the white-bearded man, volunteered to stay behind and guard the ship.

Luo Chuan, Lockes, and the four silly brothers each carried a bag of treasure as they landed in Water City.

Not long after entering the city, they heard about the quadrennial shipbuilding competition.

Their trip to the Water City was primarily to find a reliable shipbuilder to construct ships, and they certainly couldn't miss such a grand event.

If possible, Lockes would also like to hire a highly skilled shipwright to handle the ship's daily maintenance.

By the time Luo Chuan and his three companions arrived at the competition venue, the judging process had already ended.

The president's protégé stood proudly below the podium.

The young murloc who came in second place went unnoticed and left alone in silence.

Rocks and the three goofy brothers immediately decided to commission a custom-made ship from the champion, but Luo Chuan immediately rejected the idea.

Others may not know, but Luo Chuan knows better than anyone the exquisite shipbuilding skills of that young fishman named Tom.

The title of the world's number one shipbuilder is not just for show!

Even the ship of the future sea-sleeping Jie was designed by him!

Rather than placing his hopes on a complete stranger, Luo Chuan naturally preferred to deal with Tom, an 'acquaintance'.

And so, the meeting we are having now came about.

……

……

Water City, backstreet, underpass.

This is the headquarters of Tom Shipbuilding Works.

The small room was filled with all sorts of design drawings, full of whimsical ideas.

"Excuse me, things are a little messy."

The young horned fishman Tom hurriedly tidied up a few times, then took out several treasured black tea bags from the cabinet and brewed a cup of tea for each of the four people from Luochuan.

The tea has a delicate aroma; it's not high-end, but it's the best Tom's has to offer.

"May I ask your names?" Tom's gaze swept over the four people, pausing briefly as he passed Lox, finding them somewhat familiar.

"My first mate will be in charge of everything regarding the ship," Lockes said, pointing to Luo Chuan.

"I am Luo Chuan." Luo Chuan nodded.

"I am Tom, Mr. Luo Chuan. Are you sure you want to order a ship from me?" Tom asked seriously.

"If it weren't for building ships, we wouldn't be here," Luo Chuan said, shrugging.

"Then what kind of ship would you like to build, sir?" Tom asked.

Regarding the ship's specific design, on the way here, Xing Si Tuo Ya Xun Tan^, and finally Luo Chuan drew a rough sketch.

Luo Chuan immediately took out the sketch and began discussing it with Tom using the drawing as a guide.

This discussion lasted for a full two hours.

Just as Rocks and the three goofy brothers were about to fall asleep, the fishman shipwright Tom frowned, shook his head, and said, "Sorry, I'm afraid I can't do this job!"

"What? Why didn't you say you couldn't do it earlier? You made us waste so much time!" Lox suddenly stood up, his face grim.

Luo Chuan waved his hand, signaling Lockes to calm down, then looked at Tom, whose face was full of confusion and difficulty, and said, "Why can't you do it? With your skills, you should be more than capable!"

Tom gave a wry smile and said, "I do have the necessary skills, but I have nothing else besides those skills."

"If the initial startup funds are insufficient, there's no need to worry about that," Luo Chuan clapped his hands.

With a whooshing sound, the Black Bear Boss opened several sacks that he had casually tossed at the office entrance, pouring out a floor full of gold, leaving Tom completely stunned.

“Our budget is sufficient. This is the initial deposit, and we can add more if needed. In addition, there will be a substantial reward if the ship is completed,” Luo Chuan said.

The young fishman Tom rubbed his hands together, admitting that he was somewhat tempted.

During his years in Water City, he could only take odd jobs to barely make ends meet.

What Tom was more interested in than the reward promised by Luo Chuan was the unlimited budget to build a ship.

This is something he has never done before!

Despite being tempted, Tom ultimately shook his head.

"Any other questions?"

"Even if the budget is sufficient, I am a fishman and not well-regarded. I will never get access to the best materials. Besides, I am alone and have limited energy. Building the large ship you want will take a lot of time."

Tom revealed his predicament.

"So, I suggest you go to Carrera. They have the best materials, the best shipwrights, and plenty of manpower. They'll definitely be able to finish your ship in a spectacular fashion!"

Tom really wanted to take on this rare big deal, but out of his integrity, he laid all the stakes out in the open.

"Hahaha, what an interesting merman!" Rocks looked at Tom and nodded appreciatively.

"Captain, is time a problem?" Luo Chuan asked.

“No!” Rocks shook his head.

"Big Bear, Little Bear, are you willing to follow Tom to handle the trivial matters like materials?" Luo Chuan asked again.

"what……"

"Leave it to us. It's more reassuring to build our own boat!" the Black Bear leader told his younger brother.

Luo Chuan's gaze immediately returned to Tom, and he said, "Then I think there shouldn't be any problems now."

"it is good!"

Since the guests had put it that way, all he could do was respond to their requests.

"In that case, I'll take the job."

"Then, I wish us a pleasant cooperation in advance!"

Luo Chuan extended his hand to shake hands with Tom.

Just then, a splashing sound of water was heard.

"Who is it?"

Rocks flashed into the shower curtain-covered bathroom.

"Wow~"

A girl's startled cry rang out.

"Mr. Tom, help!"

Behind the shower curtain is a bathtub well, which connects to the inland river of the Water City.

At this moment, a young and beautiful mermaid girl cowered in fear to the side.

Wow~ It's a mermaid!