99 the Sea Monarchy!

"Tom's Shipbuilding Company has now moved to Shipwreck Island at the end of East Street in the port area. We need to land here and then cross the entire port area to get there," said a young boy as he led Nicholas to the port area.

The boy had volunteered himself as a guide to Nicholas as soon as he got off the ship. It was evident to Nicholas that the boy perceived him as a generous person, given the large, old box he carried.

Throughout the journey, the boy fulfilled his duties as a guide admirably, explaining in detail the layout and situation within the Water 7 Capital.

According to him, due to the recent sinking risks around the Water 7, many shipyards had relocated to the main island, causing land prices to rise. Consequently, many factories moved to remote areas, with Shipwreck Island being the most prominent.

Being the most advanced shipbuilding region globally, a plethora of ships was born here every day. However, an equal number of ships were scrapped, leading to the accumulation of abandoned vessels on Shipwreck Island.

Nicholas initially couldn't comprehend why shipyards would choose such a location.

But upon arriving at Shipwreck Island and observing its terrain, Nicholas understood why Tom made that decision.

Shipwreck Island was virtually surrounded by the sea, offering Tom, a fish-man, and Kokoro, a mermaid, the ability to escape into the ocean at the first sign of trouble.

With the ocean favoring fish-men, even a Vice Admiral from Marine Headquarters might struggle to capture Tom. If Tom was determined to flee, deploying fleets would be futile.

Indeed, the ocean served as a fish-man's domain, providing significant advantages to their race.

Guided by the boy, Nicholas traversed much of Shipwreck Island, finally arriving at Tom's shipbuilding studio.

No sooner had they arrived than the door of Tom's shipyard opened, and Kokoro came forward to greet them.

Kokoro greeted them with a teasing smile. "What a rare guest! I never expected the notorious pirate Nicholas to be so young..."

It seemed as if Kokoro was seeing Nicholas for the first time.

Listening to Kokoro's sarcastic words, Nicholas was at a loss, wondering how he had offended this mermaid.

"Kokoro, if you have something to say, spit it out. And how did you know I arrived in Water 7?" Nicholas interrupted Kokoro's pointless banter unceremoniously.

Nicholas was mentally prepared for his whereabouts to be exposed, but not this soon, not immediately after he got off the ship, with Kokoro receiving the news so quickly.

Kokoro didn't seem particularly intimidated by Nicholas's words.

She calmly replied, "The news of your arrival was seen by many little guys, and they told me about it. Also, do you know, that idiot Tom hasn't had a good night's sleep for how long, all because of your ship?"

Ever since a mysterious merchant delivered top-grade Adam wood and sporadically provided large quantities of Sea Stone and various rare shipbuilding materials, Tom had almost gone mad.

In Tom's eyes, the ship he was crafting for Nicholas would be the pinnacle of his shipbuilding career, surpassing the Oro Jackson he built years ago.

"Kokoro, is Nicholas here? Bring him in," Tom's booming voice suddenly echoed from inside the shipbuilding studio, indicating that Tom also knew Nicholas had arrived.

With Tom's words ringing out, Kokoro led Nicholas into the working area of Tom's shipbuilding studio.

It was Nicholas's first time in such a place. The design drawings were mostly completed in Tom's studio last time, so this was his first time seeing the working area.

Here, he saw a huge ship lying quietly in the dock. Around the working area were scattered tools and materials, with a roaring furnace not far away. Tom stood there continuously adding various materials into it.

"Nicholas, the bottom part of your ship covered with Sea Stone hasn't been completed yet. If you want this big guy finished, you'll need to wait two more days," Tom said, focused on smelting the Sea Stone, without even turning his head.

"No problem."

Two days' wait was acceptable to Nicholas. After waiting for so long, two more days wouldn't matter.

"Well then, Kokoro, you take Nicholas to find a place to stay first, while I finish up the work on my hands."

Watching Tom's concentration, Kokoro nodded, then gestured to Nicholas with her eyes.

"By the way, Nicholas, what's in the box you're carrying?"

After entering the guest room, Kokoro served some snacks and tea, then curiously asked Nicholas.

Nicholas didn't say much. He simply opened the huge box he had been carrying all along, revealing a plethora of skeletons inside.

Originally, Kokoro thought it might be plundered treasure, but upon seeing the contents, she was taken aback, and even the seaweed mousse in her mouth accidentally lodged in her throat.

After gulping down some tea, she finally recovered.

However, the way Nicholas looked at her was somewhat unusual, indicating that in Kokoro's impression, Nicholas now belonged to the category of those eccentric pirate crews she had encountered in Water 7.

"Don't misunderstand. I'm just helping a friend bring back the bodies of his deceased crew members for burial."

Nicholas explained, and Kokoro remained skeptical, as she had encountered countless pirate crews in Water 7, some of which were quite bizarre.

Just then, Tom's voice came from inside.

"Nicholas, how did you come up with those ideas? I dare say this ship will be my most outstanding work."

Upon entering, Tom appeared particularly enthusiastic. With Adam wood for the keel, Sea Stone covering the ship's bottom, and various rare materials and technical requirements on the ship, some of the technical problems were even challenging for him, only solved after extensive research in the largest library in Water 7.

"It wasn't my idea, but something I saw from elsewhere."

"Elsewhere? In some book?"

"Sort of..."

Nicholas replied, choosing not to elaborate further.

How could he explain? Many of the things inside were inspired by science fiction movies in his world. Even the technical requirements he proposed for the ship had to consider the technological tree of this world. He was afraid that if he made it too futuristic, Tom wouldn't be able to build it.

It could be said that compared to the pirate ships still relying on sails for navigation on the open sea, Nicholas and his crew's pirate ship was undoubtedly a futuristic vessel from another time.

"So, what name do you plan to give this child?" Tom asked casually while sipping on a bottle of wine.

Nicholas fell silent for a moment before earnestly saying, "Monarchy, the Sea Monarchy!"