The following morning, under the warm sunlight, Will and the others sold their old ship at the port. Laden with a massive pile of luggage and suitcases bulging with belly, they made their way together toward the sea train station in Gourmet City.
They hadn't bothered to disguise themselves or hide, so the moment they reached the platform the guards stationed to watch over the sea train recognized them instantly. One guard's eyes widened in shock.
"You… you're that guy! 'Madman' Will, bounty of 700 million belly?!"
"And 'Blind Swordsman' Issho, bounty of 60 million belly!"
"And that woman! Nico Robin, the 'Devil Child' with an 80 million belly bounty!"
The cries spread like wildfire. Panic rippled through the station in seconds.
"Everybody shut up!"
Will frowned at the rising clamor and let out a fierce roar. The sound wave rolled outward like a sonic blast; people clapped their hands over their ears, faces pale with terror, and instantly fell silent.
Satisfied, Will wasted no more words. He strode straight to the train, stopped in front of the attendant at the carriage door, and asked in a cold voice, "When does it depart? How long until we reach Water 7?"
"I-immediately!" The attendant snapped to attention, voice tight with nerves. "We should arrive in just a few hours!"
"Very good."
Will nodded, pleased with the speed. He turned to the crowd that had obediently covered their mouths and said indifferently, "Relax. As long as you don't interfere with the train's normal operation or come bothering us, none of you will be in any danger."
With that, he ignored their reactions and walked directly into an empty carriage. The passengers watched the infamous 'Madman' Will—the man rumors claimed would dismember enemies with every move—step aboard without a hint of hostility. Tension eased across the platform, replaced by stunned surprise.
Inside, the carriage was surprisingly spacious. Even someone three meters tall could walk around without feeling cramped. Will had expected as much and wasn't surprised. After all, the sea train's designer, Tom, was a true professional; of course he would have accounted for passenger height. Will remembered that in the original story, even Rob Lucci—who stood over two meters tall—and Franky had plenty of clearance from the ceiling. That was precisely why he had chosen to ride the sea train in the first place.
The group casually stowed their belongings on the seats and settled down to rest. The moment Nami sat, something seemed to occur to her. She leaned over the back of Will's seat and whispered anxiously in his ear, "Will, is it really okay for us to be this high-profile the whole way? I have a bad feeling that openly exposing our location like this will make the Marines send people after us. Won't that mess up our plan to buy a new ship?"
"Marines?" Before Will could answer, Enel grinned. "If anyone dares get in our way, I'll just drop a Thunder Judgment on them and call it a day." He pulled an apple from his pocket and took a loud bite, clearly not sparing the Marines a second thought.
Will felt much the same. A faint spark of anticipation lit his face. "Building a new ship will take several days anyway. If the Marines show up, it'll be the perfect way to kill some boring time."
Nami slapped a hand to her forehead in exasperation. "I knew I shouldn't have asked…"
Robin offered a gentle smile and comforted her. "Don't worry, Nami. For a special city like Water 7, the Marines usually act with caution. Unless there are special circumstances, they rarely have troops stationed on the island. Most of the time they wait until the pirates or criminals leave the city before making a move—to avoid causing too much of a scene."
Carina thought for a moment and added, "From what I've gathered, Water 7 is a city built entirely on water. There don't seem to be any Marines stationed there at all. So we should be fine until we successfully buy the ship and set sail."
Will listened to the conversation behind him but didn't join in. His gaze drifted to the calm sea outside the window, eyes thoughtful. The moment Nami had mentioned exposing their location and possible Marine pursuit, his mind had gone straight to Admiral Aokiji—Kuzan. He remembered how that man had taken a special interest in the "little girl" Robin, the one he had deliberately let escape. In the original story, when he learned the Straw Hats and Robin were on Long Ring Long Land, he had gone there on his own to interact with them. Later in Water 7 he had even secretly said goodbye to Robin and told her to live well.
Will didn't know whether Aokiji's actions came from simple kindness, some personal sense of "justice," or something else entirely. What he did know was that Aokiji must already be aware Robin had joined his crew. So once their location and destination became public, the odds were high that Aokiji would come after them alone.
Will wasn't the least bit afraid. On the contrary, he felt excited. As for the chance of two or more Admirals showing up… he considered it extremely low—practically impossible. The three Admirals of this era all preferred to act solo. They weren't like the old days when Garp and Sengoku would team up for missions. Besides, his current bounty still wasn't high enough to warrant that kind of concentrated effort. Only the Four Emperors or Revolutionary Army leader Dragon would likely receive such treatment.
Chug-a-chug!!
Just as Will stared out the window, lost in thought, a sharp whistle sounded outside. The sea train began to accelerate, smoothly pulling out of the station and onto the open sea.
"Wow~!"
Chopper, pressed against the window, stared at the water rushing by and couldn't help exclaiming, "I didn't expect this so-called 'sea train' to actually run right across the ocean!"
Carina smiled and explained the details she had gathered earlier. "It runs on a special track. I don't know the exact principle, but the track floats completely on the sea surface and never sinks. It can also withstand storms and waves. Plus, the sea train itself emits a sound that Sea Kings dislike, so they never attack it. That's why the sea train has operated without a single accident since it launched. It's actually safer than traveling by ship. The only downside is that the routes are fixed, so it's not as flexible as a regular ship."
Chopper's eyes sparkled with new understanding. He nodded blankly, clearly feeling he had learned something useful.
Afterward the group continued chatting about their ideas and requirements for the new ship. No one showed the slightest nervousness about their exposed location.
With nothing better to do, Will opened the System panel again and spent another 10,000 Purity Points on a ten-pull.
[Obtained a slight Physique enhancement] [Obtained Skill: Breathing Method]
[Breathing Method: When activated, a special breathing rhythm rapidly restores physical damage and fatigue while sharpening mental focus, allowing the body to exert far greater strength.]
"Breathing Method?" Will's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. He decided to test it right there in the carriage. The skill produced no flashy side effects—no bulging muscles or torn clothes—so it wouldn't draw any attention.
He glanced at the 8,000 Purity Points left in the panel, then closed it. Leaning back, he slowly shut his eyes and secretly activated the newly acquired skill.
Instantly his breathing became smooth and effortless. His body felt light and relaxed, yet his mind remained crystal clear and his senses grew remarkably sharp.
"A good skill," he murmured. When he opened his eyes again, a satisfied smile curved his lips.
The rest of the journey passed without incident. The sea train glided smoothly along its tracks and arrived at its next stop—the station in Spring Queen City, St. Poplar.
Strangely, the moment all the other passengers had disembarked, the sea train immediately restarted and continued out onto the sea instead of waiting for new riders. At the same time, the attendant Will had spoken to earlier thoughtfully brought the group a generous supply of wine, food, and fruit before quickly leaving the carriage.
The crew was initially wary, but after Issho quietly confirmed the man harbored no ill intent, they accepted the offerings without hesitation.
An hour later the sea train pulled into another stop. This wasn't a city or an island, but a simple transfer point known as Shifting Station.
Three figures immediately stepped out of the station building. One was a little girl with a somewhat naïve expression, her green hair tied in two pigtails, wearing slippers and a touch of lipstick. Beside her hopped a small blue rabbit with a very prominent red nose. The moment Will saw that nose he thought of Buggy the Clown—and the "hand" he had carried with him on his adventures for so long. Apparently its owner had no intention of coming to retrieve it.
The third figure was an old woman wearing a station master's hat, her fluffy green hair framing a face that also bore a trace of lipstick. She was short and stout, and she held a large bottle of wine in one hand.
The trio approached the sea train and were immediately surprised to see that only a single carriage had any passengers. They turned and walked straight toward it.
The little girl peered through the window, spotted Will, and immediately pointed at him, shouting, "Ah! You're the guy from the newspaper!"
Will showed no irritation. Instead he smiled and raised a hand in greeting. He knew exactly who the three of them were. In their eyes he was probably just another pirate with a massive bounty, but he didn't particularly care.
Kokoro, the station master, watched the kind and harmless expression on his face, then lifted the bottle and took several large gulps. A subtle gleam flashed in her eyes. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, grinned broadly, and said, "So the reason there are no other passengers on the sea train is probably you, eh, little brat?"
Will smiled back and replied lazily, "You'll have to ask the driver and the attendant in charge of the carriages about that, old woman. I, Will, am a well-known good citizen. How could something like this have anything to do with me?"
"Hahahahaha!"
Kokoro burst into loud laughter, then said, "What an interesting little brat. You're heading to Water 7, right? Planning to buy a new ship?"
"That's right," Will answered directly. "I already sold my last ship, so I'm going to have a new one built in Water 7—one that can carry me and my crew on our continued adventure."
"Adventure, huh…" A flicker of nostalgia crossed Kokoro's eyes before she quickly recovered. She reached into her clothes, pulled out a piece of paper, and smiled. "Lucky for you, I happen to have a letter of introduction right here. When you reach Water 7, go straight to a man named Iceburg. You can buy the ship you want from him. Trust me—the ships that guy builds are top quality."
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