Chapter 120: Ship Spirit! Ship Spirit!
As the expressions of the four individuals shifted, Adrian couldn't help but raise his hand in a reassuring gesture.
"Please rest assured," he began, "I have no ill intentions…"
However, simple words failed to drive out the lingering suspicion in their gazes.
Undeterred, Adrian continued, "During my journey a few months ago, I posed the same question to Mr. Crocus while passing through the Twin Cape of the Reverse Mountain. He told me that the Oro Jackson, the legendary ship of Gol D. Roger, currently lies under the safekeeping of the Roger Pirates' Vice-Captain, the Dark King, Silvers Rayleigh."
Tom's features relaxed at this revelation. "So, you're acquainted with Crocus?"
Adrian clarified, "Not exactly acquainted. We exchanged a brief conversation, sharing information."
Tom, seasoned and sharp despite his age, recognized the significance. Crocus, the ship's doctor who had sailed alongside Roger during their final, momentous voyage, was no ordinary figure. The fact that Crocus had divulged anything about the Oro Jackson indicated a profound bond—one that transcended mere professional duty.
Tom was certain: the White Ghost must have paid a substantial "price" for this knowledge. The camaraderie among Roger's crew ran deep, unfathomable to outsiders.
The information deliberately withheld by the White Ghost likely held immense importance, compelling Crocus to entrust the decision to Rayleigh—the man who stood by Roger's side through thick and thin.
Yet, even Crocus remained unaware of the true state of the Oro Jackson, the ship that had once navigated the treacherous waters to reach the fabled Laugh Tale in the New World.
Tom's sigh carried weight. "In truth, I know the whereabouts of the Oro Jackson."
Adrian leaned forward, curiosity piqued. "Could you share it with me?"
"Come with me…"
Tom led Adrian through the cluttered warehouse behind the workshop. His hands felt their way past various discarded items until he discovered a concealed door. With a creak, he opened it, revealing a dimly lit, semi-open pit.
The pit's "walls" consisted of remnants from countless ships, their surfaces uneven and weathered. At the pit's base lay a deep pool of water.
A faint beam of sunlight slanted down from a circular hole in the sky, its diameter spanning several meters. The light illuminated a sailing ship moored on the water's surface within the pit.
This was no ordinary vessel—it was a colossal three-masted sailing ship, weathered by countless storms.
The once-scarlet sails now hung bleached and tattered, bearing faint scorch marks from fire and gunpowder. The hull, striped and rough, bore deep scars, and the cannons flanking its sides had rusted into uselessness.
Two golden mermaid figureheads adorned the bow symmetrically, but the right mermaid had lost half of her tail. At the front, a large, dark-brown ram shaped like a spear had been violently snapped off, leaving a jagged stump.
Yet the most grievous damage lay in a massive slash that nearly cleaved the ship in two, slicing through the hull and deck. The bow had separated entirely from the main body, a testament to the forces that had assailed it.
And yet, inconceivably, this battered vessel—the Oro Jackson—had completed the unprecedented Great Voyage alongside the Roger Pirates merely two years prior!
Tom's eyes welled with emotion as he introduced the ship to Adrian, a mix of nostalgia and regret coloring his voice. "This," he said, "is the very Oro Jackson you sought."
Adrian approached silently, studying the Pirate King's ship. The immense destructive force that had wrought such havoc upon this vessel, primarily constructed from the legendary Treasure Tree Adam, defied imagination.
"Since Roger's execution in Loguetown last September, the World Government and the Marine Headquarters have relentlessly pursued and executed anyone associated with the Pirate King. The remnants of the Roger Pirates were the first to be targeted."
In a calm and measured tone, Tom recounted the tale of how the Oro Jackson met its demise, as if he himself had witnessed the tragic events unfold.
"The sea was like a flower that had been blown apart. The ocean currents that had been surging and rushing in the dark depths of the sea roared as they washed over the entire sailing ship. Under the golden Buddha light, an extremely powerful shock wave hit the deck of the Oro Jackson. The haki penetrated the extremely tough wood, and the incredible weight pressed the hull forward…"
"...The Treasure Tree Adam wood shattered, the crimson sails burned, and there echoed the agonizing groans emitted by the ship's keel, burdened beyond its designed limits. As the ship crossed the endless ocean, the wooden materials snapped one after another, the intricately carved ship railings shattered into pieces… and the Buddha's hand gripped the iron hammer at the ship's bow…"
"…The lower half of the Oro Jackson almost perpendicular to the sea surface, seawater rushing in violently from the front half. A massive cleaving strike, like a cloud-cutting sword, breaking the keel like thunder. Several old crew members, along with waves, foam, whirlpools, and shattered wood, were submerged by the converging seawater, leaving behind a string of silent bubbles…"
"Finally, it was the last journey of this ship - the Return to Waters 7."
Adrian, eyes slightly closed, meticulously sensed every detail of the Oro Jackson. In that moment, a peculiar and faint mental plea reached his consciousness. The supposedly "dead" Pirate King's ship, the Oro Jackson, was calling for help!
Adrian's eyes snapped open, excitement filling them.
"Mr. Tom," he urgently declared, "this ship is not yet lost!"
"What?" Tom's confusion mirrored Adrian's urgency.
Adrian raised his palm. In the dimly lit surroundings, a faint azure glow emanated from his hand, enveloping the Oro Jackson completely. The ship's fate hung in the balance, and Adrian's determination burned brighter than ever.
As time passed, the faint azure glow focused on the main mast, specifically on the pirate flag at its highest point!
The Roger Pirates' flag bore the emblem of a giant white skull, adorned with two circles of wave-like white mustache sprouting from the upper jawbone. Behind the skull, a pair of slender, crossed skeletal bones stood.
Under the eerie illumination, this legendary emblem exclusive to the Roger Pirates gradually shifted into a ghostly blue hue.
In a sudden twist, the ghostly energy detached from the pirate flag, morphing into a luminous sphere suspended in mid-air. Within the sphere, vague shadows flickered.
The azure light ball hovered to a stop on Adrian's upturned palm, steadily shrinking until it resembled a half-virtual ghost, roughly the size of an adult's palm.
Tom's eyes widened in shock. "A ship spirit?!" he exclaimed.
Despite being a legendary shipwright, Tom had never sailed with a pirate crew. He had never encountered a ship spirit in his entire life, let alone witnessed one materialize before him.
Adrian's excitement surged. "Exactly!" he declared. "This is the ship spirit of the Oro Jackson!"
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-- Power
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