All the pirates, including their Ability User captain, were safely subdued.
This time, the entire incident was finally brought to a complete end.
Let me briefly explain what happened next.
The townspeople, who had been plunged from heaven to hell and then back to heaven again, were overjoyed. The emotional rollercoaster had been so intense that their relief at finally being safe was overwhelming. They had truly been on the verge of being killed or kidnapped.
The mayor and everyone in town expressed their gratitude even more profusely than after the previous pirate raid. Over half the townspeople were crying from relief and joy, which, to be honest, made me a little uncomfortable.
After enduring a torrential downpour of thank-you's, we worked with the townspeople to secure the pirates, just like before.
So, I ended up back in the town jail. But with the sudden influx of prisoners, they quickly ran out of space. They ended up locking us up in the warehouse of an unused ship, heavily secured.
I'd already informed the Marines about the situation, including the fact that the ship they sent to escort us last time had been destroyed. They were sending a warship from another base to transport the prisoners.
We just had to wait for it to arrive before handing everyone over.
It looked like the warship would arrive even before my ship was finished, which meant I'd be seeing this whole incident through from beginning to end.
On the bright side, the town was covering all my lodging and food expenses as a thank you for helping defend them. That was a really nice gesture.
It's not like I'm short on cash, but I figured I might as well accept their generous offer. Honestly, I felt like I'd earned it.
A few days later, the pirates were safely handed over to the Marines.
Then, a few more days passed, and finally, my ship was finished.
The entire town gathered for the launch ceremony, which also served as a final inspection. It made me feel a mix of happy and embarrassed.
It's a one-person ship, so it's not huge, but it's designed for comfort during long voyages.
The space is decent, and the amenities are pretty impressive. There's a cozy bed, a simple kitchen, and surprisingly spacious storage compartments cleverly built into every nook and cranny. It's actually better equipped than a decent business hotel.
There's also a proper jail cell—or morgue, depending on the circumstances—for holding bounty targets.
The structure is quite sturdy, so with proper restraints, transporting live captives should be perfectly feasible.
It cost a bit, but I even had Sea Stone restraints specially procured. I'm impressed they managed to get their hands on those.
And then there's another room I specifically requested: a small study.
It's cramped, but it features a reasonably large and comfortable desk for one person, storage for stationery and other supplies, and a bookshelf built into the wall. You could call it my personal workspace.
That's right—it's a room for writing novels.
Even at sea, when an idea or inspiration strikes and I think, "I need to write this down now!" I can quickly put it into words.
Beyond the living quarters, the ship's other features and construction were equally impressive.
Since I'd be sailing it alone, it was naturally designed for solo operation. Despite its compact size, it retained excellent maneuverability while boasting surprisingly robust durability for a vessel of its class.
Apparently, the shipwright reinforced it with a variety of materials and employed ingenious assembly techniques. Though much of the technical jargon went over my head, the proud artisan who'd trained in Water Seven boasted about it endlessly.
He told me they put extra effort into the project because it was for the town's benefactor.
And the centerpiece of their efforts was a special device they focused on more than anything else: a large windmill installed inside the ship, specifically in the cockpit.
Well, "large" is relative. It's only about 1.5 meters in diameter—appropriately sized for an indoor installation.
At first glance, you might think it's just some kind of ventilation fan, but it's actually the ship's engine.
Think of a steamship. They burn coal or fuel to generate steam, which turns a turbine that drives the ship. No wind needed, no rowing required—it moves with far greater power than either.
This ship works on a similar principle. Instead of a steam engine, this windmill is connected directly to the paddlewheel, generating thrust.
Of course, simply bolting a windmill to a ship wouldn't generate enough power to move it, but that's where my Paper-Paper Fruit ability comes in.
Since the windmill is made of paper and wood, I can activate it with my ability just by touching it. Once I touch it while it's stationary, I can keep it spinning just by concentrating, even after I let go.
Spin this turbine vigorously, and its rotation transfers through a series of gears to the paddlewheel, propelling the ship forward. You can even adjust the spinning speed to accelerate or decelerate as you please.
As an added bonus, the steering wheel also incorporates similar paper and wood components. Once you touch it, you can steer the ship hands-free.
Honestly, the trial run exceeded my expectations.
Maybe it's because the system uses paper, but it felt incredibly natural to handle from the very first moment. The movements were fluid and effortless, far smoother than any ordinary ship. Seriously, this thing handles like a dream.
The only downside? The turbine is fragile. While it might not break immediately, continuous use will inevitably lead to fatigue and failure.
Since the ship was made of paper and wood, even though my ability could significantly enhance its strength, it would still be a consumable item.
Depending on how often I sailed, I'd probably need to replace it every few months.
When that time came, I was told I wouldn't have to come all the way back to Elena. I could just have a new one made at the nearest Construction Guild and install it myself. The design was simple, and they even gave me the blueprints.
Of course, they said I was welcome to come back here if I preferred. They even offered to build it for free next time.
With my original purpose for visiting this town successfully accomplished, I set sail on my newly built ship, leaving the town of Elena, where I had spent quite some time. All's well that ends well.
When we set sail, the whole town came out to see us off again. Honestly, it was a little embarrassing, a bit awkward to be seen off like that.
The voyage back to our island base was smooth sailing, thankfully. Perfect. We had a great ship.
During the journey, I immediately put the study to use, channeling my overflowing creative energy into writing. I finished the story in just a few days, before we even arrived.
The story was based on my experiences from this trip—not the pirate attacks or anything like that, but simply from visiting shipyards, observing, listening, and learning.
The protagonist was a man who had once worked as a master shipwright in a large town. Due to family circumstances, he had to leave the shipyard and now spent his days making ship parts in a small factory back in his hometown.
One day, Marine and World Government officials visited the factory, requesting a detailed inspection of the parts being produced there.
The Marine is currently pushing for the development of even more advanced warships to combat the pirates infesting the seas. They highly value the technical prowess of the components produced by this factory and are considering incorporating them into their future warships.
The protagonist feels his old passion rekindle at the thought that the parts they make could contribute to the Marine's mission to protect the world.
However, a rival industry giant, also dealing in similar components, believes their own products are far more suitable for these cutting-edge warships. They dismiss the components from a small-town factory as inadequate and resort to underhanded tactics to sabotage the protagonist's team and steal the honor of having their parts chosen.
Can the protagonist and his team overcome the rival company's insidious schemes, crafting and delivering the world's finest components...?
The title is "Downtown Battleship."
I'm going to set up a meeting with Eddie-chan right away and submit it. I really hope she finds it interesting!
***
Oh, and there's one more thing...
Shu-kun was among those who came to see me off. I patted his head and said, "You'll be a good big brother too, Shu-kun, and protect your younger siblings, okay?" He blushed a little, brushed my hand away, and said, "I know that!" I guess head pats might be a bit embarrassing for boys?
Anyway, that reminded me of something else I'd meant to tell him.
"Hey... I know it's kind of late to mention this, but... my name isn't actually Shu, you know?"
"Huh? Really? Everyone at the shipyard and in town calls you 'Shu-bo,' so I just assumed..."
"Well, it's not really a nickname, just a shortened version of my name. So it's not exactly wrong, I guess."
"Hmm... so what's your full name?"
"Shuraiya. Shuraiya Baskud. Oh, wait—Shuraiya's my first name, right?"
And that's pretty much how I talked to Shu-kun—or rather, Shuraiya-kun, who's about to become a big brother. That's all there is to it.
In the One Piece World, surnames usually come first, so having a given name first is unusual. But I guess it's not unheard of in some regions.
If I visit Elena again in a while, maybe I'll get to meet Shuraiya-kun in his new role as big brother. And when I do, I'd love to say hello to his little brother or sister, who will probably be born by then.
To be continued...