When Tom followed Kael down the long staircase and reached the end of the underground space, he was completely stunned by the sight before him.
This was a dockyard of unimaginable scale.
The entire underground had been hollowed out, easily the size of several football fields. Countless Light Stones were embedded across the domed ceiling, illuminating the shipyard as bright as day.
All kinds of heavy machinery and precision instruments, some Tom had seen before and many he had not, were arranged neatly around the perimeter.
But the most eye catching thing of all was the colossal presence at the center of the dock.
It was a ship.
A massive ark with a bizarre silhouette, overflowing with an aura of sanctity and authority.
It hovered silently in midair. Enormous golden wings spread from both sides, accompanied by several pairs of oars. A complex propulsion assembly sat at the stern, while the bow bore a solemn statue of a goddess.
"Th this…" Tom nearly dropped his cup. His eyes bulged, his jaw hanging open wide enough to swallow a fist.
As a shipwright who had spent his entire life with ships, he could feel the technology and power packed into this vessel.
It was not driven by currents or sails.
It was not even steam powered.
It simply floated there, defying common sense, as if it were a world unto itself.
"It can fly?" Tom's voice trembled, not from fear, but from pure exhilaration.
"Yep." Kael stood beside him, enjoying his expression like a kid showing off a brand new toy. "It's only a half finished product. It can barely stay up by relying on Jet Dials, and the power problem still hasn't been solved. I snatched it from some guy who called himself a 'god.' But most importantly…"
Kael's face twisted in disgust.
"It's ugly as hell!!"
"A flying ark…" Tom murmured.
He strode beneath the vessel and reached up with his rough, calloused hands, stroking the cold smooth hull like he was caressing a lover.
His eyes glittered with obsession.
"Incredible… absolutely incredible design! This propulsion structure… I've never seen anything like it! It's insane! Subarashii!"
Like a child who had finally gotten the toy he had dreamed of, Tom ran circles around the ark, knocking here, peering there, gasping nonstop in amazement.
Kael did not interrupt. He just watched, amused.
He knew that for a master shipwright like Tom, a great ship that surpassed its era was more irresistible than any fine liquor or treasure.
After a long while, Tom finally stopped, still reluctant.
He rushed back to Kael, eyes blazing with excitement.
"Kael, you brat! Showing me this… what does it mean?"
"It's simple." Kael's smile turned serious. "Uncle Tom, I need you to rebuild it into the strongest, fastest, toughest ship in this world."
He pointed at the ark, his tone carrying unquestionable dominance.
"Power, weapons, defense, endurance, every single aspect. I want the best of the best. Money is not a problem. Materials are not a problem. Manpower is not a problem. I'll give you the highest authority, the best team, and the fullest resources!"
Kael spread his arms, as if embracing the entire dockyard.
"I want you to forge for me a final weapon capable of overturning the world, a vessel that can carry every ounce of my ambition!"
Tom's heart pounded wildly.
Surpass the Oro Jackson.
That thought struck his soul like lightning.
The Oro Jackson was his life's pride, the legendary ship that carried the Pirate King's dream.
And now Kael was handing him the chance to create an entirely new legend.
What was a shipwright's lifelong dream, if not to use his own hands to build a ship that would be remembered for ages and sung about by future generations?
"Haha… hahahaha!" Tom threw his head back and laughed, his voice bursting with boundless pride and fighting spirit. "Kael, you little punk! You really know how to give a man work!"
He pounded his chest hard, the sound thundering like a drum.
"Leave it to me! I, Tom, swear on the name of the world's number one shipwright! I will make it a ship that even the gods will tremble before!"
"Good." A satisfied smile appeared on Kael's face.
He knew Uncle Tom's fire had been fully lit.
"But…" Kael abruptly shifted gears, rubbing his chin. "This ship has one small problem right now."
"What problem?" Tom asked immediately. He was already in work mode.
"The design is wild, but a lot of it is too rough. Flashy, not practical. And the power system…"
Kael's expression turned a little strange.
"It's kind of unstable."
"Power system?" Tom fired off professional questions in rapid succession. "If it's electrically driven like you said, is it the generator? Not enough output? Or the energy conversion rate is too low?"
"Neither." Kael's face grew even more awkward. "The generator is a living thing. And it has a bad temper. Sometimes it goes on strike."
"A living thing?!" Tom was shocked all over again.
Using a living creature as a generator?
What kind of lunatic fantasy was that?
"Oh, right." Kael clapped his hands. "The ship's original owner, meaning the generator, is also down here. I haven't decided what to do with him yet. How about I take you to meet him?"
A malicious grin spread across Kael's face.
He figured letting Uncle Tom, a practical craftsman, meet Enel, that self proclaimed god with a head full of divine nonsense, might create a very interesting chemical reaction.
"Fine! Let's see!" Tom's curiosity was fully hooked. "I want to see what kind of creature can power a ship this big!"
Kael led Tom across the massive dockyard and deeper into a separate sector.
The guards here were noticeably tighter, and the air felt heavier.
They finally stopped in front of a cell built entirely from Seastone.
Through the small viewing window, a man with long earlobes could be seen chained to the wall with the same material. His head was lowered, his expression hidden.
As if hearing movement outside, the man slowly raised his head.
It was an unbearably arrogant face, his eyes filled with contempt, rage, and undisguised killing intent.
"You lowly mortals!"
Enel's voice was hoarse, yet still carried that lofty, superior authority.
"You dare imprison me, a god! When I get out, I will use endless thunder to reduce your pathetic little island, and your filthy souls along with it, into scorched earth!"