One Piece: Fist of the World

Early the next morning, while several people were still asleep, an old man entered their house.

After a brief commotion, everyone got dressed and gathered in the living room.

"I heard some noise here last night, so I figured you were back."

The old man looked at Rod and Naylu with relief in his eyes, then shifted his gaze to Nia and Gray, who were resting on the bed.

"Is this the crew you've found? It seems you've decided to set sail."

"Long time no see, Dr. Wolfe."

Rhodes greeted the old man with a smile. During their childhood, they had received a great deal of care from the old man.

When they had first arrived in this world, Rhodes was just a young boy, and Naylu was even younger. If Dr. Wolfe hadn't taken them in, it would have been incredibly difficult for the two children to survive. Even with Rhodes's golden finger, they might have perished before it could truly develop.

Dr. Wolfe looked at the people before him one by one, his eyes filled with emotion.

He had watched these individuals grow up, whether it was Rod and Nero, or later Law, or Penguin and Shachi. In his mind, they were like his own children, and he had always known that they weren't the type to settle for an ordinary existence.

Not to mention, they had been actively preparing to go to sea since their childhood, and he had witnessed it all.

"As a friend, this is all I can do. Come with me!"

A mysterious smile playing on his lips, Wolfe gestured to these individuals and led them towards the woods behind the mountain.

Understanding dawned in Rhodes's eyes, and he took the lead, following Wolfe. Nelu disregarded Gray's protests, lifted him from the bed, tossed him onto Bepo's back, and together they ventured into the depths of the woods.

"This is it, my research room."

The group traversed the woods, and after about four kilometers, Dr. Wolfe halted before a stone wall. He then tapped a specific section of the wall, revealing a switch. Upon pressing the switch, a door suddenly slid open in the stone.

Surprise etched on their faces, several people followed Dr. Wolfe into the secret chamber behind the stone wall. Descending the long staircase, the walls on both sides had been modified and emitted a faint glow.

Penguin couldn't help but exclaim:

"I didn't expect you had a secret laboratory! Damn, you kept it a secret from us for so long. This is a secret base that no one can refuse!"

"You bastard, you never believed what I said!"

"You're the bastard old man. You hid such a fantastic secret base so deep."

Penguin's eyes sparkled with novelty and excitement, a thrill of adventure coursing through him.

"Huh? Scientist!?"

Gray, who was lying on Bepo's back, suddenly became alert and peered around the hidden laboratory with a tilted head.

"Let me tell you, I'm a genius inventor. I've been working on a flying machine. Once my invention is complete, it will be much easier to travel to other islands. Everyone can simply take a flying machine to get there directly instead of drifting on the sea."

"I see, this is a brilliant idea. My name is Gray, and I'm a scientist. My dream is to build a battleship even more powerful than the legendary Pluton!

However, what is the power source of the aircraft you just mentioned, and how does it maintain altitude? And if it's flying in the sky, if it encounters strong convective weather, how can the safety of the aircraft be guaranteed? How can it be cushioned and landed smoothly upon descent..."

Following Dr. Wolfe's lead, Gray launched into a series of rapid-fire questions, his mind racing with possibilities.

"Wow! What an amazing boat!"

"I didn't expect there was a ship hidden underneath!"

"Is this for us?"

A few exclamations interrupted Gray's rapid-fire inquiries, and everyone followed Wolfe's footsteps to the bottom of the laboratory, where a beautiful ship was docked on an underground river. But...

"This ship hasn't been finished yet."

It was a half-completed vessel. Only the basic hull had been constructed, and the design of the masts and decks was still pending.

"Yes, I was going to give you my submarine, but you didn't seem to like it very much."

Facing Wolfe's slightly resentful gaze, Rhodes awkwardly turned his head away.

Although the yellow submarine that accompanied Law throughout the original story was excellent, he still preferred an ordinary sailboat with a spacious deck where he could bask in the sun.

"You guys just help me out. I think you want to finish your ship, too!"

"Let me go!"

Gray excitedly jumped off Bepo's back and gazed at the half-built ship before him with fervent anticipation.

He finally had the chance to realize his vision!

"Let me be clear, there is no material here that can support you in building a super battleship."

"I know, I know."

Giving a perfunctory reply, Gray rushed to the half-finished hull and stroked it obsessively, a whirlwind of ideas swirling in his mind.

"I just want to remind you not to install too many cannons. We don't have that many people on the ship to operate them."

Looking at Gray, who had become completely engrossed in his world, Rhodes could only shout the reminder loudly in his ear.

From his dream of building an invincible battleship that surpasses Pluton, it was evident that he was a heavy firepower enthusiast.

After receiving a mumbled affirmative response from Gray, Rhodes turned to look at Dr. Wolfe.

"It seems our shipwright wants to work alone."

"This kid should still be injured."

Looking at the bandages wrapped around Gray's body, Wolfe hesitated.

"Hahaha, didn't you also improve your device immediately after you fell from the sky?"

Snort!

Hearing Rhodes bring up his embarrassing past, Wolfe snorted coldly, then waved his hand, signaling them to leave quickly.

"Well, let's go buy some things. We need to prepare a lot of supplies when we go to sea."

In the following days, Gray was consumed by the construction of the pirate ship, engaging in intense discussions about various plans with Dr. Wolfe.

Bepo and Law were busy assisting them. They had been helping Dr. Wolfe with mechanical work since they were young, so they had some experience in this area.

Moreover, as they were about to part ways, Law also wanted to spend more time with this old man who had always taken good care of him.

As for Penguin and Shachi, they took Rhodes and his friends to the nearby Happy Town to purchase supplies. Unlike Rhodes and his group, who had arrived here later, these two had grown up here since childhood and knew the inventory of every store intimately.

Time flew by, and half a month passed quickly. Their pirate ship, fueled by Gray's fervent passion, was improved day by day and was finally completed one morning.

(End of this Chapter)