The construction of a traditional wooden ship often required over a hundred processes.
From selecting timber to building the framework.
The most time-consuming part of the early stages was the wood's anti-corrosion treatment and cutting components like ribs, keel, and hull planks.
Adam Tree wood was the finest shipbuilding timber in this world. Just the preliminary anti-corrosion treatment alone could take several years.
The giants of Elbaf had prepared pretreated lumber for Silas. Even so, just the cutting took nearly a year.
Then came half a year of war.
The giants hid the cut lumber and only brought it out again after the war ended. While rebuilding their homeland, they did not forget to help their benefactor build a new ship.
Framework construction, hull plank installation, sealing, and deck laying.
When Silas returned, what he saw was a behemoth 200 meters long and 60 meters wide.
This was built completely to giant standards.
Because Silas had initially considered Ripley's size. Ordinary ships were too cramped for Ripley, so he had chosen to build a larger vessel.
But later Ripley ate the Mini-Mini Fruit and could freely control her size, making such a large ship somewhat cumbersome.
However, this was not an unsolvable problem.
"Ripley, you should be able to shrink this entire ship a bit, right?"
"Of course!"
After a year, Ripley's mastery of her fruit had become perfect. Shrinking a 200-meter ship to one-tenth its original size was child's play for her.
However, Silas was not in a hurry to shrink the ship.
Because their ship was about to welcome a "little" guy. Before solving her size problem, the 200-meter ship would be more convenient for her to move around.
"Linlin, long time no see. Do you still remember me?"
"You are..."
For Silas it had only been half a year, but for Charlotte Linlin, it had been a full year and a half since she had seen him.
A year and a half was enough for a five or six-year-old child to completely forget about him.
Fortunately, Linlin had not forgotten him.
But the way she remembered made Silas both expectant and somewhat amused.
"You are the ice cream uncle!"
Seeming to think of something delicious, Linlin looked at Silas and immediately started drooling.
Compared to a year and a half ago, Charlotte Linlin still had a chubby appearance. According to Carmel, during the half year when the Marines controlled Elbaf, due to lack of sufficient food and frequent battles with Marines, Linlin's figure had slimmed down.
But after the Marines left and life became comfortable again, Linlin's figure began rebounding.
Silas thought of the future Linlin.
When wandering the seas with an uncertain future, she had maintained a good figure, not only slender but also beautiful, earning the title of Pirate Empress.
But later, as she aged and became so powerful that even Marines did not want to provoke her, comfortable circumstances quickly turned her into Big Mom.
If the future Pirate Empress Boa Hancock had been born in the same era as young Linlin, who would claim the Empress title would be unknown.
Exercise was definitely necessary!
Silas looked thoughtfully at Linlin, while Linlin, with her mind full of ice cream, did not yet know what trials awaited her future.
After a year and a half, the favorability he had previously built up had almost completely disappeared.
So Silas decided to first satisfy Linlin's request.
You gave Charlotte Linlin endless ice cream.
Charlotte Linlin's favorability +30.
Current favorability: 50 (Close)
Charlotte Linlin: Ice cream uncle is the best!
For gluttons, feeding them was indeed the easiest way to increase favorability!
Of course, the feeding had to be moderate.
Being too indulgent with children would not do.
"Silas, are you ready to set sail again?"
"What, cannot bear to let me go?"
"Tch, clearly at such an advanced age, yet more shameless than before."
Mother Carmel originally did not want to give Silas any pleasant expression, but after thinking, she still lit a cigarette and said calmly, "I am entrusting this child Linlin to you. You were right. Continuing to let her stay on Elbaf would benefit none of us."
Over the past year, Charlotte Linlin's eating disorder had erupted more than once. The more food-scarce the environment, the more easily her eating disorder is triggered.
When strong fighters were nearby, they could stop her, but once there were no powerful beings around, Charlotte Linlin would eventually cause great trouble on Elbaf.
So even though Charlotte Linlin was only seven years old now, Carmel had no choice but to entrust her to Silas.
"Do not worry, I will teach her well. Regarding her constitution, I already have some ideas. This return to Sphinx might solve it incidentally."
Kureha's medical skills plus the Hormone-Hormone Fruit plus his understanding of Haki, Silas did not believe he could not figure out Linlin's constitution.
As long as Linlin could change her constitution from passive to controllable, the possibility of her eating disorder erupting would definitely decrease greatly.
"Also, thank you for a year ago."
Silas had not forgotten the sudden gust of wind from a year ago. Though it only bought him a little time, that small amount helped him escape from three top-tier fighters' encirclement.
"Skip the thanks."
Carmel exhaled a cloud of smoke. "If not for rescuing Elbaf, you would not have needed to oppose the World Government."
Just like many years ago. If not for her, Silas would not have become a government fugitive, transforming from an adventurer into a pirate.
Of course, expecting her to give Silas a pleasant expression was impossible.
"Captain, time to set off!"
"Mr. Silas, we are all ready!"
Two graceful, charming figures stood on the new ship's deck waving at Silas. Seeing them, Silas's face broke into a brilliant smile.
"Good, I am coming right up!"
"Tsk."
"Carmel, did you just click your tongue?"
"I was just going to say, treat them well."
Time was the most merciless thing. Sometimes after a moment of anger, by the time you regret it, you discover nothing can be salvaged.
Silas was getting younger and younger.
While she had already grown old.
"Hehe."
Silas chuckled, his peripheral vision glancing toward Pure Gold's coordinates.
"Carmel."
"Mm."
"Do not die too early."
"I am already quite old."
"How about I ask Kureha to teach you some secrets of eternal youth?"
"Get lost!"
"Haha!"
Silas boarded the ship, seeing Ripley smiling happily without any sadness about parting from family. Rocks still had his cool expression but, like Newgate, was already anticipating new adventures.
Charlotte Linlin sniffled, energetically bidding farewell to Carmel and the House of Lambs children, because Carmel had told her she was sick and needed to go with Silas to see a doctor.
Charlotte Linlin did not doubt this.
Because in her view, whether Silas or the brothers and sisters on his ship, they were all familiar people who definitely would not harm her.
In fact, besides Silas, who would harm whom was still uncertain.
Kozuki Toki's eyes also showed anticipation.
No longer struggling with going directly to Wano Country, wherever they went would be an exciting adventure for her.
But before that...
"Toki, Linlin, you are both going to train!"
Happy days were short-lived.
Just the next day, Kozuki Toki and Charlotte Linlin welcomed hell.