Water 7.
On the dock, Iceburg and Gin greeted the members of the Navia Kingdom expedition team. Although it was their first time meeting in person, Edmond and several other senior members of the team had already seen Iceburg's photograph. Recognizing him immediately, they exchanged introductions under Gin's guidance before heading toward Tom's Workshop, located just outside the city.
The young exchange students and other ordinary crew members were awestruck by the peculiar architecture and unique geography of Water 7. Meanwhile, at the front of the group, Edmond, Kuro, Harden, Selkirk, and Yasopp surrounded Iceburg and Gin, engaging in conversation.
Iceburg bore visible scars on his face—injuries that clearly weren't from shipyard accidents but rather from fights. Edmond, ever the straightforward one, couldn't help but inquire about them. After all, the slender and somewhat frail-looking young man before them was one of the inventors of the Sea Train, a remarkable shipwright whom William held in high regard.
With the death of the fish-man Tom and the uncertain fate of Carter Flamm, Edmond was understandably concerned about Iceburg's safety, especially given the unrest in the Grand Line.
Iceburg hesitated for a moment at Edmond's question before offering a wry smile and touching his scarred face. He began recounting the events that had led to his injuries.
Lacking experience in running a shipyard of his own and wanting to understand the root causes of Water 7's decline, Iceburg had chosen to follow in William's footsteps upon arriving in the city. He decided to work under other shipbuilders to gain insight and experience for his future endeavors.
Thanks to his exceptional shipbuilding skills and charismatic personality, Iceburg quickly secured a job at a shipyard, even amidst the struggling shipbuilding industry. Before long, his intelligence and craftsmanship brought in a significant number of orders for his shipyard, despite the dwindling demand.
However, this success made him a target. In an economic downturn, every order was a lifeline for the workers and owners of Water 7's shipyards. Over the years, disputes over orders had led to frequent brawls among shipyard workers, from the highest-ranking owners to the lowest laborers.
Unfamiliar with the city's environment, Iceburg was caught off guard and ambushed by workers from a rival shipyard. He narrowly escaped, sustaining only minor injuries.
Since then, Iceburg had been more cautious. However, this incident also revealed one of the city's major issues to him.
The declining trade routes caused by the Great Pirate Era, fewer orders, and rising resource prices were all external factors contributing to the city's decay. Internally, the rampant competition among the shipyards over the limited number of orders had led to a vicious cycle.
To survive, the shipyards continuously undercut each other, squeezing already narrow profit margins. Frequent brawls further deteriorated the city's security. The once-thriving shipbuilding industry that had brought prosperity to Water 7 was now trapped in a prisoner's dilemma. If this continued, even the introduction of the Sea Train wouldn't be enough to save the city—it would merely sink alongside it.
The expedition team, led by Edmond and the others, brought with them much-needed funding and manpower. The exchange students were young, physically strong, and full of energy. While the East Blue's shipbuilding technology couldn't compare to Water 7's, Iceburg was confident that, under his leadership, these individuals would only improve.
"I plan to establish a shipyard. Since Dock No. 4 went bankrupt, no one has taken over its operations. We can acquire it for a relatively small amount of money. Compared to the other shipyards in the city, our biggest advantage is our current financial stability. I intend to use strategies like undercutting prices to drive the other competitors out of business and eventually acquire them," Iceburg explained, as if justifying his plan to Edmond and the others. After all, his strategy involved burning money in the short term, essentially operating at a loss. Since the funds came from Edmond and his team, he felt compelled to convince them.
Moreover, Iceburg had witnessed firsthand the cutthroat competition among the city's shipyards. Frequent brawls meant he would need the protection of Edmond and his team to carry out his plans.
Edmond and Kuro exchanged glances but didn't respond immediately. It was Gin, with his usual stoic expression, who finally spoke. "Iceburg, as I've told you before, we won't interfere much with how this money is used."
Kuro quickly adjusted his glasses and smiled. "Mr. Iceburg, Lord William greatly admires your talents. The initial funding is his personal investment in you. How you choose to use it is up to you. You don't need to worry about us opposing any reasonable proposals. While we're on this island, we'll do our best to assist you. However..."
At this point, Selkirk interjected, "However, once you have your own shipyard, we hope you can first build a ship for us."
Iceburg looked puzzled. "Of course, that's not a problem. But from what I've observed of the ships you have docked at the port, while the shipbuilding technology and designs from the East Blue may appear a bit crude, I can see a lot of clever ideas and inspirations in them. It doesn't seem necessary to come all the way to Water 7 to build a ship. Besides, even if the ship is built, the Calm Belt and the Red Line would make it nearly impossible to bring it back to the East Blue."
"No, the ship we want can only be built here in Water 7. More specifically, it can only be built with the assistance of the inventor of the Sea Train," Edmond said, fixing his gaze on Iceburg and enunciating each word. "And you don't need to worry about how the ship will return to the East Blue, because what we want to build is a steamship capable of crossing the Calm Belt."
"So, you're after the Sea Train's steam engine," Iceburg said with a smile, though he quickly added a word of caution. "With all due respect, you might be underestimating the Calm Belt. Its greatest danger isn't just the lack of wind—it's the countless massive Sea Kings that inhabit it. Even if steam power solves the issue of propulsion, the presence of Sea Kings remains an unavoidable challenge."
Harden let out a raspy laugh, as if Iceburg's words were highly amusing.
Seeing Iceburg's confusion, Kuro explained, "While steam power is still in its infancy, our shipyards in the East Blue have already made some progress. What we're truly interested in, and hope to incorporate into our ship, is the acoustic technology used in the Sea Train's tracks."
At first, Iceburg didn't understand. But then, as if struck by a sudden realization, his expression turned to one of astonishment.
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