Chapter 70: Water 7! Transform Freely
First Half of the Grand Line.
Water 7.
Even among the first half of the Grand Line, this was an extremely unique city. In the current era—before the Sea Train had been built—Water 7 wasn't as prosperous as it would be in later years.
But it was still absolutely a famous tourist city.
Most importantly,
Eight hundred years ago, the ancient weapon Pluton was built here.
As usual,
Large tourist ships docked outside, while smaller vessels could cruise along the waterways to enjoy the scenery of the entire city.
But the main mode of transportation was still a creature called "Blu."
A seemingly ordinary ship docked at the shore.
A golden-haired youth with two short sticks wrapped in cloth strips at his waist
Stepped onto the streets of Water 7.
The familiar system voice rang in Lotte's mind once again.
[Ding! Host's current location detected: Water 7. Would you like to sign in?]
Lotte narrowed his eyes slightly upon hearing this,
Then immediately mentally selected sign-in without hesitation.
[Ding! Sign-in at Water 7 completed!]
[Reward obtained: Improved Imperial Arm (Transform Freely – Gaia Foundation)]
As the voice fell,
Lotte's brow twitched slightly.
Imperial Arms were naturally no stranger to him—they were weapons from the anime Akame ga Kill!
It was said they were created by gathering the world's top craftsmen, using super-dangerous species as materials, combined with rare metals like Orichalcum and a series of secret techniques—ultimate weapons.
Every single one possessed extremely powerful abilities.
Among them, Transform Freely – Gaia Foundation was an extremely rare cosmetic-type Imperial Arm that allowed the user to transform into anything according to their will.
It had little use in direct combat, but was perfect for assassination and reconnaissance.
Though the ability this Imperial Arm provided was quite good,
Lotte still let out a light sigh.
While this transformation ability was far superior to Wood Transformation in level, it required the user to hold the Imperial Arm to activate it.
It wasn't a perfect fit for him.
Still, he could keep it for now—perhaps give it to a future crew member.
After adjusting his mood, Lotte continued strolling around Water 7. But only ten or so minutes later, many residents seemed to have received some news
And hurriedly ran out of their homes.
"Bad news! According to the weather report, Aqua Laguna is coming tonight!"
"Everyone, hurry and pack your things!"
"Tourists who want to stay—please head to the high-level shelters!"
As the words fell,
The people who had been enjoying themselves instantly paled in shock.
"What? Aqua Laguna is coming?! Wasn't it supposed to be a few days away?!"
"Damn it! Why is the weather forecast wrong again?!"
At the same time,
A loud alarm rang across the entire island.
"This is the Water 7 Weather Forecast Bureau. We are now issuing an Aqua Laguna warning to the whole island."
"It is expected to arrive this evening."
Lotte was strolling along the snack street
And raised an eyebrow upon hearing the shouts.
Every year, Water 7 was hit by a massive tsunami called Aqua Laguna (Gods of Water). If people didn't evacuate to higher ground in time, they would be completely swallowed by the waves.
No wonder everyone was panicking.
Just as Lotte was also planning to head to the upper levels for shelter, he suddenly heard an argument from nearby shipwrights.
"Aqua Laguna is coming! Hurry and get Tom to evacuate with us!"
"No way—Tom insists on finishing the ship he's working on today. That guy's strength is monstrous!"
"We can't drag him away at all!"
Water 7's Tom… if he wasn't mistaken, there was only one person it could be.
The man known as the world's greatest shipwright, who in later years used the precious Adam Wood to build the Roger Pirates' ship—the Oro Jackson.
Though Lotte currently had no plans to build a ship,
When he eventually formed his own pirate crew, he would definitely need a good one.
He calmly glanced at the two men.
Using Voice of All Things to see through their thoughts, he stepped toward the shipyard.
Guided by Observation Haki, he quickly locked onto his target. Using the newly acquired Imperial Arm, he transformed into a pitch-black cat.
He easily slipped into the shipyard interior
And saw Tom hard at work.
Nearby shipwrights were still trying to persuade Tom to evacuate.
"Aqua Laguna is coming soon—this ship definitely won't be finished in time."
"Hurry and come with us to take shelter!"
"Ms. Kokoro, please talk to him too. If he stays here, it's dangerous!"
As the words fell,
A beautiful female fish-man stood beside Tom.
She raised an eyebrow and said calmly,
"You guys go ahead without worrying about Tom. Follow everyone to the shelters."
"I'll handle things here."
Lotte's pupils widened instinctively.
This fish-man was the future Granny Kokoro?!
The change was too drastic!
He never imagined she was this beautiful forty-some years ago.
Truly, time was a merciless butcher—it had hit Kokoro and Charlotte Linlin hard.
Kokoro turned to look at Tom and asked seriously.
"Tom, Aqua Laguna is coming soon. How much longer do you need here?"
There were only two or three hours left until evening. If the ship couldn't be finished in that time, she would drag Tom away no matter what.
After all, this was Aqua Laguna.
Even as a fish-man, Kokoro couldn't guarantee her own safety.
Tom continued working without turning his head.
"Hmph! A manly man like me will never give up so easily!"
"A real man faces the ship he built head-on!"
He lifted the ship single-handedly and patched the bottom. Seeing this, the others gave up helplessly and turned to follow the crowd to the upper shelters.
Kokoro frowned and waited for Tom.
Now only the two of them remained in the entire shipyard. Lotte finally dispelled the Imperial Arm and revealed his true form.
He stood clapping lightly and praised with a smile.
"Truly worthy of shipwright Tom—such passion for the ship you built."
"You're even willing to abandon your own safety."
Lotte's sudden appearance
Instantly startled Kokoro. She turned sharply toward him.
"Who are you?!"
"This is the Water 7 shipyard—trespassing will get you arrested!"
She hadn't noticed at all how this person had slipped in. Was he a Devil Fruit user?!
Tom didn't respond to Lotte's words and continued focusing on his work.
Lotte calmly continued.
"If possible, I'd like to have a chat with Mr. Tom."
"For example… about the legendary ancient weapon Pluton."
Support me Read 100+ Chapters Ahead of webnovel!:
patreon.com/inkshield
-------------------------------