The news that Mock was the Pirate King's biological son was instantly confirmed, and the fervor only grew with time.
The devil's lineage and the emergence of The Pirate King's Two Sons instantly set the entire sea abuzz once more.
Is a new era for pirates truly upon us?
Naturally, none of this had anything to do with the Marine 16th Branch.
At that moment.
Dante was down at the 16th Branch Dock, supervising everyone as they moved the 'Fatherly Love - Family Joy' Special Delux Foot Spa, a private custom order for the Whitebeard Pirates.
That's right, the product had been built.
It was just a bit massive, nearly half the volume of a large three-masted ship.
The main body was composed of blue-and-white, and its design had been deliberately modeled after the Whitebeard Pirates ship, the Moby Dick.
Since it was ordered by the Whitebeard Pirates, how could it lack their unique flair? Therefore, Dante had specifically instructed his men to modify the appearance based on the Moby Dick, and had even thoughtfully carved the Whitebeard Pirates flag onto it for them.
He believed that just seeing this design alone would satisfy the Whitebeard Pirates.
"Careful, careful! This is a special order from a major client, so don't bang it up!" Dante directed the movers from the side of the dock, urging them to handle it with care.
Since this object was simply too large, an indivisible unit, and filled with high-tech components, he decided after some thought not to have Kuma send it flying. Instead, they would use a transport ship to deliver it to New World via Dressrosa.
After that, they would notify Mock to have the Whitebeard Pirates come to the nearby waters to pick up the goods.
With business expanding to other seas, he believed more and more people would order their products in the future. They couldn't possibly rely on Kuma to send everything flying, could they?
If that happened, what would Kuma do if he encountered a sea area he didn't recognize? Or what if the coordinates were off when he sent something flying?
What if a customer received the goods but claimed they didn't, or if they actually didn't receive them? They couldn't have Kuma personally deliver every single package.
What if Kuma had something urgent to attend to or met with an accident? So, to expand their delivery service, a complete logistics system was essential.
He decided to simply take this opportunity to establish one right now.
They just needed to deliver the goods to several designated stations in the Four Blues and the Grand Line, then notify the buyers to come and collect them.
Although this consumed more manpower and resources, it was still better than relying solely on Kuma for deliveries.
As for door-to-door delivery, that hadn't been implemented yet.
After all, their current manpower, resources, and military strength didn't quite meet those requirements yet.
You had to remember that the outside world was incredibly dangerous. While Kuma's status as a Shichibukai could indeed deter some people, there were always a few bold souls who didn't fear death.
What if they saw that Kuma wasn't on board and tried to rob the ship directly? They couldn't have Kuma tail every single shipment.
If they did that, how would it be any different from just letting Kuma deliver everything? Why even bother starting a logistics service? As for whether they'd offer door-to-door service in the future, that would depend on how far Vegapunk's technology and the 16th Branch developed.
Of course, Kuma still had to make a run this time. Mock had applied to return for the New Year celebrations a few days ago, so Kuma needed to go pick him up.
Watching the workers carefully loading the bucket onto the ship, Dante nodded in satisfaction. This was, after all, the Sea Emperor's first time coming to shop, so they had to be careful not to ruin their reputation.
Just then, while Dante was supervising the work, a boisterous laugh rang out.
"Bwahahaha! What are you up to, kid? What is that? And why does it have the Whitebeard Pirates flag on it?"
Hearing the voice, Dante turned to look at Garp, who had appeared behind him, stuffing snacks into his mouth while staring curiously at the massive bucket.
"This is a 'Fatherly Love - Family Joy' Special Delux Foot Spa specially customized for the Whitebeard Pirates."
He had seen a Marine warship approaching earlier, but after spotting the dog's head on the bow, he had stopped paying attention.
"Production is finished, and we are preparing to send it over now."
"A Foot Spa device? This big?" Despite hearing Dante's words, Garp still looked surprised.
"This is tailor-made specifically for the Whitebeard Pirates. Taking into account the main structure, unique atmosphere, and crew composition of the Whitebeard Pirates, eight master foot soaking craftsmen joined forces to create this, based on the pirate culture of family, father and sons, and brotherhood proposed by Newgate." Seeing Garp's curious gaze, Dante certainly wouldn't let this promotional opportunity slip away.
He waved his hand grandly and said loudly, "And that is not all. It contains plenty of the latest high-tech developed by the 16th Branch."
"Touch control panel, one-touch start, rapid heating with variable frequency constant temperature, plus fully automatic deep massage with multiple texture modes. It features a massive seventeen-by-six electric turntable for a precise fit to the soles, containing seventeen pairs of massage rollers. It can accommodate seventeen people soaking their feet at the same time. It is built specifically for large pirate groups, allowing the Whitebeard Pirates to spend their downtime outside of their busy adventures soaking their feet with their father and their children, enjoying the joy of family bonds between father and sons, strengthening the feelings between brothers, relaxing their whole bodies fatigue, and preparing for the next adventure!"
Seeing Garp stunned and blinking, Dante nodded with satisfaction.
'Look, he's shocked.'
Immediately, a confident smile returned to his face.
"Well? It's pretty good, right? Do you want to order one too?"
However.
"It actually sounds pretty good, it's just that..." Garp frowned, looking a bit puzzled as he spoke. "I have a question!"
"Please, ask!"
"Soaking feet together... aren't you afraid of infection?"
The dock fell dead silent. Dante froze.
The smile on his face stiffened.
Was this old guy intentionally here to ruin the show? *Cough, cough!* Feeling the stares of everyone around him, Dante hurriedly coughed twice and said with a serious expression, "That is not the main point. The main point is that kind of..."
He raised his hands and waved them upward. "Do you understand? It is that kind of family joy between father and sons, the harmonious affection between brothers! Soaking feet together represents a family sharing hardships and wealth! Of course, if you don't want to soak together, that is fine too!"
His tone shifted.
"We also have AquaBliss Foot Spas designed specifically for individuals here. Just state your requirements, and the eight masters will tailor-make a bucket suitable for you. If you order now, being among the first five hundred not only gets you a discounted price, but we will also give you a Romance Dawn Style Foot Soaking Medicine Pack, supplies are limited, a rare opportunity!"
Seeing Garp, who still looked like he wanted to say something, Dante hurriedly changed the subject again.
"By the way, what brings you here at this time? Could it be some matter? Do you need my help?"
"Oh, I almost forgot." Garp slapped his forehead, seemingly remembering something, and said with a grin. "Where is Zephyr? I came over this time to see how that guy Zephyr is doing. Is he still yelling about blowing something up?"
"Zephyr-Sensei? He is inside. Calculating the time, Zephyr-Sensei should be getting off work soon, so you will arrive just in time if you walk over!"
"Ah, is that so? Then I will go find him!"
"Go ahead!" Dante waved his hand, smiling as he ushered Garp inside. "You had better hurry, or who knows where Zephyr-Sensei will run off to once he gets off work!"
Only after Garp had walked far away did he turn his head, silently staring at the Whitebeard Pirates customized Foot Spa.
Robin walked up from the side and said with a suppressed giggle, "Are we still going to send it over now? Don't let it ruin our reputation."
However.
"Send it! Of course we are sending it!" Facing Robin's words, Dante scoffed. "You are speaking too superficially. Do you think the father-son bond of the Whitebeard Pirates is that fragile, that superficial? It really is too shallow. Being able to soak their feet with their Pops, they will definitely be very happy."
He waved his hand grandly.
"Send it quickly! Do not delay the exchange of feelings between father and sons!"
===============
Dear Readers and Fans,
For those eager to dive into next chapters earlier before others, I invite you to join us on Patreon. By becoming our Patron, you not only gain access to exclusive advanced chapters but also help us continue this endeavour and expand it further.
https://www.pat reon.com/8Ashes8
(no space)
You can read upto 7 Chapters in advance.