One Piece: Starting with Sharingan, First Mate Uchiha

Dock No. 1 in Water Seven.

This is the heart of the entire Water City and the pinnacle of shipbuilding technology in the world.

Countless muscular craftsmen toiled on the scaffolding, sweating profusely.

"Wow, this is amazing! Everyone here looks incredibly strong!" Luffy exclaimed, his eyes sparkling as he gazed up at the massive, unfinished ships.

In order to repair the Going Merry as soon as possible, the Straw Hat crew came straight here.

"Oh, are you the guests who came in for boat repairs earlier?"

A young craftsman wearing a white baseball cap and with a distinctive rectangular nose jumped down from a height.

His expression was very easygoing, and he was holding a saw in his hand.

Kaku, one of the five foremen at Carrera.

"I'm Kaku, and I'm in charge of inspecting your ship. Since it's an 'assessment,' I need to go to the site to take a look."

The next second, to everyone's astonishment, he did not walk towards the door, but instead leaped into the air, jumping towards a high-rise building hundreds of meters away.

"Whoa! We've fallen!" Luffy exclaimed.

However, Kaku's figure was like a light bird, leaping and darting at high speed among the intricate city rooftops.

Each step felt incredibly light, as if unbound by gravity.

"That jumping ability..."

Viktor thought to himself, "Moonwalk, huh? No wonder he's a CP9 agent. It's a waste of his talent to be a carpenter in a place like this."

Just then.

"Coo coo".

The cooing of pigeons drew everyone's attention.

A tall man in a black suit, with a pigeon wearing a tie perched on his shoulder, was silently watching them.

He also carried a saw, but his demeanor was completely out of place with the bustling craftsmen around him, making him appear particularly cold and gloomy.

Rob Lucci, one of the five foremen.

"Who's that guy? He has a pigeon on his shoulder!" Luffy curiously leaned closer.

The pigeon suddenly spoke, its voice high-pitched:

"I'm Hadori! He's Lucci! What are you pirates doing here? Goo-goo!"

"Wow! The pigeon is talking!" Luffy exclaimed in surprise.

At that moment, Clay, the raven that had been perched on Viktor's shoulder, seemed to understand something.

It flew up and cawed twice, seemingly communicating with the pigeon.

"What? Clay, you're saying this pigeon is a ventriloquist? Actually, it's that guy talking?" Luffy looked shocked.

Amidst the commotion, Victor did not laugh.

His gaze passed over Luffy and fixed intently on the silent Rob Lucci.

Under the shadow of that top hat, Lucci was also looking at Victor.

Their eyes met in mid-air.

……

A moment later, in the president's office of Carrera Corporation.

The group finally met the legendary figure of the Water City, Mayor and President of Carrera—Espagu.

This is a charming man wearing a striped suit, with a little mouse named "Tyrannosaurus" perched on his shoulder.

"Repairing the ship?" Esbagu looked at the group of energetic young people in front of him, seemingly in a good mood.

"Carrera can fix any ship in the world, as long as you can afford it."

Money is not a problem!

Nami slammed the three heavy suitcases heavily on the table with great enthusiasm and opened the clasp.

"Splash—"

The cash, totaling 300 million pegories, was piled up like a small mountain.

"This is 300 million Berries!" Nami said, hands on her hips, her face radiating the confidence of a wealthy woman.

"Use the best materials and the best craftsmen to repair our Going Merry! Reinforce it! Decorate it!"

"Wow! What a grand gesture!" The surrounding craftsmen whistled.

Aisbagu was amused by this hearty attitude: "In that case, then we shall..."

Just then, the office door was pushed open.

Kaku, who had returned, walked in, followed by a pale-faced Usopp.

"How is it, Kaku?" Esbagu asked.

Kaku took off his hat, holding a detailed medical report in his hand.

He glanced at Luffy and Nami, whose faces were full of anticipation, and finally shook his head gently and sighed.

"..."

Aisbag took the report and quickly glanced through it.

As his gaze moved downwards, his relaxed expression gradually disappeared.

He put down the report, looked up, and stared directly into Luffy's eyes:

"I'm sorry, Straw Hat Luffy."

"This ship... is beyond saving."

These words were like a thunderclap, exploding in the office.

Luffy's smile froze instantly.

"Huh?...What are you talking about, old man?" Luffy blinked, as if he didn't understand. "Hopeless? What do you mean?"

"How is that possible!" Nami rushed forward. "We have money! Three hundred million Berries isn't enough? Five hundred million will do!"

"All we need to do is fix the keel! Even replacing a few planks would be fine!"

"It's not about the money, miss."

Espagu stood up, his voice icy cold and devoid of any warmth:

"The keel is the spine of a ship. It runs from bow to stern and supports the entire structure of the ship."

"Once the keel breaks, the ship is 'dead'."

He pointed to the data in the report:

"This Merry... its keel is completely broken."

"The fact that it was able to carry you all the way back from the Sky Island, and even to Water Seven, is itself an inexplicable miracle in shipbuilding history."

"However, miracles have their limits."

"If it is forced to go out to sea, it will disintegrate on the surface of the sea during the next storm or even the next turn."

"At that time, it will take all of you... down to the bottom of the sea."

"No way!!"

Luffy slammed his fist on the table, shouting, "The Going Merry is strong! It won't sink! You're a quack! We need to find another shipwright!"

"Luffy!"

A hand was placed on Luffy's shoulder, stopping his rampage.

Viktor walked up. His face was also very pale.

He looked at Esbagu, with a last glimmer of hope:

"Is there really... absolutely no way?"

"Even if... even if it's the legendary 'Adam Tree'? Even if it means dismantling and rebuilding the entire ship? As long as it can be saved..."

"I am a shipwright."

Espagu interrupted Viktor:

"I would never lie about the life or death of a ship; that would be an insult to the craft of shipbuilding."

Espargo pointed to the sea outside the window:

"A ship is a pirate's home, and also their life. To keep a ship that has already been 'sentenced to death' and is on the verge of falling apart at any moment sailing on..."

"This is not kindness, this is irresponsibility towards the lives of your crew members."

Do you want to watch your companions perish at sea because of your indecisiveness?

boom.

These words shattered Viktor's last glimmer of hope.

Reason told him that Espagu was right.

As the first mate, he was responsible for the lives of everyone on board.

The Going Merry has already fulfilled its mission; forcibly extending its life would only lead to tragedy.

"Are you kidding me?!"

A heart-wrenching roar erupted.

Usopp, who had been standing trembling in the corner, suddenly charged forward like an enraged lion.

"The Going Merry is our partner!!"

Usopp's eyes were red and swollen, tears welling up in his eyes, but he stubbornly refused to let them fall.

"It took us to so many places...it worked so hard...how can we just throw it away like trash because it's old and broken?!"

His reaction was unusually intense, far exceeding what is usually expected.

Because at that moment, he saw more than just the Going Merry.

He saw himself as someone who was powerless against the general on Long Chain Island.

I saw myself in that way—someone who couldn't even repair a ship properly and could only hold others back.

If it's "broken," it should be "discarded."

So... will I be abandoned one day because I can't keep up with everyone else?

This deep-seated fear and inferiority complex erupted completely at this moment, transforming into an attack on the shipwright.

"The so-called world's best shipwright... it's all a lie!"

Usopp snatched the money box Nami had placed on the table and hugged it tightly to his chest:

"In the end, you guys just find things troublesome! You're just not skilled enough! A bunch of second-rate craftsmen!!"

"Usopp!" Luffy shouted.

"I won't listen!!"

Usopp stepped back, his eyes filled with disappointment and despair:

"I will not abandon the Going Merry... never!"

"Since you won't fix it... I'll fix it myself!!"

After saying that, Usopp, carrying the heavy money box, rushed out of the president's office without looking back and disappeared at the end of the corridor.

"Usopp!!" Nami wanted to chase after him.

"Stop chasing."

Espagu sat back down in his chair coldly: "Let him calm down. Facts are facts."

A deathly silence fell over the office.

Luffy lowered his head, his face hidden by his straw hat.

Nami covered her mouth, tears silently streaming down her face.

Viktor looked in the direction Usopp had left, a deep sense of powerlessness welling up inside him.