With the Dock fully prepped, there was no need for further discussion... operations officially commenced.
Dante placed immense value on this Dock, now the exclusive property of the Marine 16th Branch. From this point forward, the branch would no longer need to procure vessels from outside sources.
At the same time... they had secured a new stream of revenue.
One had to remember, this was the Great Pirate Era! How could shipbuilding not be a goldmine? So, without hesitation, he decided to overhaul the entire fleet of the Marine 16th Branch, replacing every ship that needed it.
Currently, the Marine 16th Branch's fleet consisted of three main categories: regular Marine Headquarters warships requisitioned from the top brass, vessels captured from Pirate crews, and ships purchased from various other shipyards.
Among these, the quality of the captured Pirate ships varied wildly. Although most had been cherry-picked, the caliber of Pirate crews in the East Blue was... lackluster, to say the least. Consequently, high-quality Pirate ships were a rarity.
This portion of the fleet could now be entirely phased out and replaced with Warship models exclusive to the Marine 16th Branch.
Naturally, there were some stylistic deviations from the standard Marine Headquarters Warship. These were designs he had specifically commissioned Dr. Wolf and Franky to create.
After all, if they fielded a fleet composed entirely of Marine Headquarters Warship models... it would be a bit too eyecatching for a mere branch base.
A single branch possessing over a hundred naval Warship vessels, who wouldn't be suspicious upon seeing that? It was better to keep things moderate.
And speaking of which...
Even if they wanted to mass-produce that many Warships, they currently lacked the capacity.
Although their proprietary hull structures were no weaker than standard Marine issue, and they could even manufacture vessels comparable to a Large Warship, complete with their unique Propulsion Wheel, the problem was... they simply didn't have that much Seastone!
Even if they wanted to build them, production would be severely limited by materials.
Currently, their Seastone was almost entirely sourced from the Black Market. It was not only exorbitantly expensive but also available in meager quantities.
After all, Seastone was hard currency in this world.
Even though Kaido had been vigorously expanding mining operations in Wano Country, the output wasn't massive. Most of it was spoken for long before it left the ground, leaving very little to trickle down into the Black Market.
Of course, right now, Dante just wanted to stay quietly in the East Blue. What was the point of building so many identical Marine Warships anyway? Sturdy ships with a unified aesthetic were more than sufficient.
As for the phased-out vessels: if they were still seaworthy, they would be repurposed for civilian use. If not... he would see if the Dock could salvage them. Those that could be stripped for materials would be dismantled, those that couldn't... would simply be chopped up, dried, and used as firewood.
In any case, nothing would go to waste.
As for selling ships...
Dante sighed with emotion, his heart bleeding a little as he looked at the Warship replacement expenditure table in his hand. He muttered to himself, "Better... start with the East Blue first!"
--**--**
East Blue, Goa Kingdom.
Foosha Village, inside the Party's Bar.
"Luffy, on vacation again?" The patrons drinking at the tables looked with amusement at the lad in the straw hat. "Heard you beat someone up two days ago? Did you get fired?"
"I didn't get fired!" Luffy widened his eyes, protesting with dissatisfaction. "Why do you have to ruin my good name out of nowhere..."
"What good name? Two days ago, someone from my Construction Site passed by your cafeteria and saw you thrashing people with their own eyes. It was a fierce brawl, you even smashed the rice bucket! You must have eaten too much again, cleaned out the cafeteria, and got the sack for it. You even got your Foreman hauled away too!"
"Eating until you're full can't be considered too much... it's just eating!" Luffy stiffened his neck, arguing back. "...Can the rice eaten by a working man really be counted?"
What followed was a string phrases like, "I just wanted to be full!", "The Foreman is a good guy!", and "The Foreman getting arrested wasn't because I ate too much!"
His rambling defense caused everyone to burst into laughter, the entire Bar, inside and out, was filled with a cheerful, lively atmosphere.
Seeing the crowd laughing heartily, Luffy didn't mind. A grin returned to his face as he walked over to the Bar Counter and sat down. "Makino, I want a glass of Iced Tangerine Juice!"
"Please wait a moment!" Makino looked at Luffy from across the bar counter, smiling helplessly. Then, her expression turned slightly concerned. "Is your Foreman okay?"
She had heard the rumors about their Foreman.
It seemed to involve deducting employee wages, and she had also heard whispers about... suspected harm coming to loggers for fear of exposure. It sounded very serious, almost as if human lives were involved.
"Gulp, gulp~" Luffy downed the Tangerine Juice in big mouthfuls, then looked at Makino with a grin. "The Foreman is a good guy. I believe in him, he'll definitely be out soon!"
As he spoke, he raised his head in confusion, noticing a giant screen mounted on the wall behind Makino.
"What is this?"
"Is that so? That's good then. Since Luffy thinks he's a good person, maybe he really was wrongly accused." Makino breathed a sigh of relief internally, nodding with a smile before turning to follow his gaze to the screen. "This was sent by your company. They said they installed it for free in various bars. As long as we agree to keep it up, we can purchase alcohol from them at a discounted price. Look at this-this is the Tangerine Wine I specially ordered from them."
She picked up an orange-tinted bottle and gave it a shake.
"The price is very affordable, and the taste is quite good, too! Starting today, our Bar won't just sell iced beer and Tangerine Juice, but Tangerine Wine as well!"
"Is it really that tasty? Can I try some?"
"You can't do that yet!"
"Is that so? Forget it then!" Luffy was only momentarily curious. Compared to alcohol, he preferred eating meat. Sipping his Tangerine Juice, he looked up at the Screen on the wall with genuine curiosity. "What's on it?"
"On there? It's mostly just advertisements, but they're quite interesting." Makino smiled as she wiped a Wine Glass, then seemed to recall something. "Oh, right, there are also advertisements for ships. It's from a newly built Dock in the East Blue, maybe you'd like to watch!"
Just as she finished speaking, perhaps by sheer luck, the image on the Screen suddenly shifted.
An old man wearing a formal suit appeared on the display. He stood on a prepared stage, backed by a huge Screen displaying bold text...
[After ten years of rigorous effort, culminating of sweat, blood and tears! With hundredfold investment! Making a ship that belongs to the people of the East Blue! By the people of East Blue!]
Immediately afterward, the backdrop changed again. A Warship emitting a sleek light blue glow appeared, instantly locking Luffy's gaze.
'Ship! A Pirate ship?!'
The old man in the suit on the screen spoke again, his voice brimming with professional pride. "Behold the debut masterpiece of our Dock, a fusion of elegant design, surging performance, and eco-friendly technology!"
"With dynamic hull lines and naturally flowing proportions, it is where elegance and comfort exist in perfect harmony!"
"Available in Champagne Gold, Ridge Green, Starry Blue, Glacier Grey, Deep Space Black... featuring Nine Life Color Options that capture the very essence of nature, allowing you to choose the hue that defines you!"
"It is more than a ship, it is a comfortable, secure Smart-Voyage Sanctuary!"
Following the pitch by the self-proclaimed Designer, Dr. Wolf, Luffy's eyes immediately burned with fervor as he stared intently at the screen.
And that wasn't all.
At the very end:
"Order now, and we'll include a complimentary Huge Luxury Refrigerator! With massive capacity to stock all your ingredients at once, you and your partners can enjoy a relaxing Barbecue Feast even in the middle of a long Voyage!"
"What are you waiting for? Act now! Den Den Mushi Number: XXXXX."
As the final Den Den Mushi Number flashed on screen, and just as the rest of the Bar was drawn in by this advertisement...
*Bang.*
A loud slam of a hand against a table rang out, snapping everyone's attention back. The patrons turned their heads one by one, looking toward the bar counter with annoyance. But before they could complain...
Luffy stood up excitedly, his eyes burning as he fixed his gaze on the Screen. He raised his fist and shouted with absolute conviction, "I want to buy it! I need to buy it!?"
Instantly, everyone in the Bar was stunned by Luffy's intense tone.
They all knew that this ship was not cheap! Although the advertisement made it look incredible and tempting, based on Luffy's wages, it would take at least thirty years to save up, and that was assuming he didn't eat or drink, and held no banquets during that entire time.
"Hahaha~"
A moment later, cheerful laughter erupted in the Bar once more.
"Luffy, give it up. Do you plan to set sail in thirty years?"
"Better buy a Small Boat first!"
"Stop dreaming, you can't afford that!"
However, facing the crowd's ridicule, Luffy's expression remained unchanged. He stared firmly at the Screen. "I, Monkey D. Luffy, will definitely buy this ship!"
At this moment.
That sentence.
That look in his eyes.
The Straw Hat Kid, standing firm in the face of mockery, instantly caused the crowd to fall silent. Some even revealed expressions of shame.
That's right... how could they mock someone else's dream? Just as everyone looked guilty and raised their hands, ready to offer encouragement to this young man full of dreams...
*Creak~*
The Bar door swung open again! It seemed someone had walked in, but the crowd didn't pay attention, assuming it was just another patron.
"Luffy! Why aren't you at the Construction Site yet?"
"Ahhh~? Isn't the Foreman away? He said I didn't need to go today."
"Your Foreman has been released and is gathering all the workers right now to announce new work!"
"I'm going right now!"
Hearing the Mayor, who had rushed in breathless, Luffy quickly pulled down his Hat, turned around, and ran out with a grin.
As if the solemn determination from just seconds ago had never happened.
"Got work again!"
"..."
This scene plunged everyone into silence once more.
Immediately after...
"Hahaha~, Luffy is still his old self!"
Another burst of cheerful laughter resounded through the entire Bar.
===============
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