บท 73: Chapter 73
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"What should we do now?! Was the sea train made in vain? Mr. Tom spent over a decade on it!"
Franky was utterly convinced by Dak's words, becoming instantly flustered.
"Idiot! Calm down! Regardless of the World Government, Mr. Tom would never stop working on the sea train. He had already decided to build it before the World Government even approached us."
Here, the difference in their temperaments was apparent; Iceburg was significantly more composed, even though he was still visibly anxious.
Dak sat back leisurely, watching the two as if observing a drama unfold.
"Mr. Dak, how can we save Mr. Tom?"
Iceburg pondered for three seconds before confronting reality.
They lacked the means to save Mr. Tom themselves and couldn't stand against the World Government. Thus, Iceburg turned to the younger man before him.
This man had come here and disclosed such critical information, and Iceburg was certain he had some plans in mind.
"Why should I tell you?"
Dak didn't mind sharing the information directly, but he posed the question to see if it might lead to some unexpected benefits.
"We'll build the best shop in Water 7 for you! We might not be as skilled as Mr. Tom, but aside from him, there are no better shipwrights on this island."
Before Iceburg could respond, Franky eagerly jumped in.
Shipwrights possess diverse skills, not limited to shipbuilding but also designing various room layouts on ships, so constructing a top-notch shop was well within their capabilities.
"That's fine then, you'll do."
The branch's shop environment didn't need to be too exquisite, as it was merely meant to facilitate access.
However, Sceptile was to be stationed there, so perhaps designing the branch in a forest style would make it more comfortable for him.
Indeed, this was a pleasant surprise.
"So, what are the methods?"
"There are three."
Dak raised three fingers.
"That's great!"
Iceburg and Franky were already delighted before Dak detailed his suggestions, hopeful that at least one would succeed.
"First, Tom could hand over the blueprint of Pluto; second, you all could leave Water 7 and perhaps flee to Fish-Man Island; third, join an organization that isn't afraid of the World Government, preferably an enemy of the government, like the Revolutionary Army or... us."
Although Dak mentioned three methods, in reality, only the last was viable.
Tom would neither hand over Pluto's blueprints nor leave his beloved Water 7.
If Franky and Iceburg truly wished to save Tom, they would ultimately join the Mystery Hatchery House, though it remained uncertain if the master-apprentice trio would all join.
"This..."
Iceburg's face was grave, realizing immediately that the second method was impossible; he knew Mr. Tom too well.
As for the first method, he saw little hope.
"You could try convincing Mr. Tom to hand over Pluto's blueprints. The World Government's only goal is that; they wouldn't mind sparing his life."
Rayleigh, Crocus, Bartolomeo, Buggy, Shanks—all these individuals had survived; surely Tom wasn't doomed to die?
"I'll go and persuade Mr. Tom."
Franky didn't think twice, rushing outside impulsively.
"Discuss it somewhere private."
Iceburg didn't follow but reminded Franky as he disappeared into the cabin. Once alone, Iceburg turned back to Dak.
Thump.
Without wasting words, Iceburg knelt before Dak.
Dak raised an eyebrow, surprised, but then realized that kneeling wasn't such an extraordinary gesture in their world—it was often used in requests or to express gratitude.
"What are your plans?"
Dak could tell Iceburg had probably anticipated the eventual outcome and solution.
"If I join the Mystery Hatchery House and serve you for life, can we save Mr. Tom?"
Iceburg spoke plainly, as if selling his life was an acceptable trade for him.
Indeed, both Franky and Iceburg would lay down their lives for Tom.
Even Franky, who seemed a bit dim-witted, would try to save Tom in his own way, such as recklessly throwing himself in front of the sea train.
Stupid but touching.
"Welcome aboard, Iceburg. There are no hierarchies within the Hatchery House; from now on, we are partners."
Dak stepped forward, pulling Iceburg to his feet without directly addressing his question, "From now on, your family is our family, your dreams are our dreams; together, we'll create our era."
Although Dak initially targeted Tom, Iceburg was a fine addition too, younger and perhaps capable of surpassing his master in the future.
Plus, it wasn't certain whether Tom would join.
Dak planned to construct many special and mobile structures across the sea, such as gyms, Pokémon Centers, and other branches.
Without skilled shipwrights like Tom and Iceburg, those future plans would be challenging to realize.
"Ah, okay."
Iceburg seemed unaccustomed and awkwardly scratched his head.
"You'll see, I'm not just all talk."
Dak noticed Iceburg's reservation, which was normal since they had only just met.
Over time, Iceburg would see that Dak wasn't just a smooth talker.
Having gifted eggs of Smoochum and the Feather of New Moon—items worth billions of Belly—as welcome gifts, he had nothing else to be stingy about.
"What do I need to do?"
Suddenly being part of an organization left Iceburg feeling strange and somewhat lost.
"First, finish building the branch with Franky. I'll have Bon Clay bring people to help you. We might have two big deals in a week; then continue helping Tom with the sea train."
Dak nodded, recalling the plot details for this period, "The branch should have a forest-like style. Get some fresh, lush trees; Sceptile will guard the branch."
"Sceptile is?"
"That green big guy from last week."
Dak grinned and gestured.
"!"
Iceburg immediately remembered the powerful Pokémon that had scattered the Aqua Laguna with a flick of its tail.
No one understood the destructiveness of the Aqua Laguna better than these shipwrights, especially Iceburg, who had seen countless shipwrecks on Shipwreck Island.
Knowing Sceptile would be arriving soon eased Iceburg's mind considerably.
"When is the sea train expected to be completed?"
"If all goes well, by early next year."
Iceburg estimated before responding.
"That soon?"
It was now October of the year 1511 in the Sea Circle Calendar, just two months before the chaotic year 1512.
Dak hadn't expected the sea train to be completed so quickly, recalling it was supposed to finish in the latter half of the following year.
"Yes, because the Aqua Laguna didn't come to destroy this time, our progress wasn't severely disrupted like before."
Iceburg revealed a reason Dak hadn't considered.
This was not mentioned in the original story, and Dak had overlooked this detail.
"No problem, the difference isn't significant. On the day Tom goes to court, take Sceptile with you. Though he doesn't obey others, he won't allow harm to come to his companions."
Dak waved his hand, now that they were involved, Tom's death was out of the question, "Then bring Tom and Franky back to the main store."
Dak handed Iceburg a pocket token, demonstrating its use in person.
This deeply impressed Iceburg, who had never left Water 7. The wonders shown by the Mystery Hatchery House seemed like another world to him.
Iceburg clutched the pocket token tightly, understanding its life-saving importance—more crucial than any Pluto blueprint.
He resolved to keep it close even while sleeping.
"For now, just focus on that. Once you've dealt with the sea train, come help manage the branch. We're really short on hands."
Dak stretched and prepared to leave.
This visit had been very fruitful; Iceburg's joining meant that the Mystery Hatchery House had a solid technical foundation for its future endeavors in opening eight gyms and Pokémon Centers across the sea.
The Mystery Hatchery House needed such talents.
As for whether the World Government would agree—
That's a huge joke!
From the moment the Mystery Hatchery House decided to usher in the 'Pokémon Era,' the World Government had been a major obstacle, a bigger thorn than even the pirates, an organization that must be dealt with.
Whether or not Robin, Tom, or the Revolutionary Army was involved, the World Government would stand in their way.
Not acting now was partly because Dak had crossed too early and the original hadn't finished, so the full extent of the World Government's power was unclear.
If the Sky King Uranus was in their hands, the Mystery Hatchery House couldn't act recklessly, not knowing what it entailed.
The strength of Imu, the Five Elders, and the Knights of God was also unknown.
On the other hand—
The sea couldn't withstand the chaos of losing the World Government yet.
A supreme force needed to dominate the sea, more precisely, to suppress those ambitious figures.
Without the World Government, and before the Mystery Hatchery House could grow, the world would turn into a hellish place.
(End of Chapter)
บท 74: Chapter 74
[Check Out My P@treon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!! For $5][www.p@treon.com/zaelum] [Thank You For Your Support!]
I'm busy.
Extremely busy.
This was Dak's only thought after returning to the Mystery Hatchery House.
There was too much to do.
Bon Clay and Iceburg were handling the branch office affairs, and Sceptile had already followed Bon Clay to the northern shore of Water 7, where the store environment was being created to suit him.
Dak's main tasks were still untouched, as he was busy discussing the details of the first comprehensive trade with both the Navy and the Whitebeard Pirates.
The Whitebeard Pirates only intended to purchase ten Pokémon eggs. They weren't particularly in need of Pokémon power, purely wanting to add some interesting and magical companions to their ship.
The Navy, however, had bigger ambitions.
Sengoku had a huge appetite and initially wanted 4,000 eggs to create ten battleship-level Pokémon naval combat units.
A Navy admiral's ship typically carries about 800 personnel, so the idea was to replace half of these with Pokémon, forming units of 400 human and 400 Pokémon sailors per ship—a strategy envisioned by Sengoku.
Dak could only think: You're very ambitious.
4,000 eggs.
Dak couldn't even fathom it.
What, is Marineford too peaceful for you?
4,000 Pokémon babies—if a thousand of them turned out to be mischievous like Growlithe and slippery like Grimer, would the Navy base even function anymore?
Normally, you wouldn't have to do anything; the entire Grand Line's Navy would just come here to babysit.
Dak couldn't trust Sengoku with so many Pokémon; he knew the various species and their living habits, and there was no way they could properly care for them without casualties.
4,000 was simply too many.
Later, it seemed Zephyr personally visited the Fleet Admiral's office and let Sengoku take care of a Growlithe for three days, after which Sengoku quickly changed his tune.
From 4,000 eggs, he dramatically reduced his request to 400 eggs.
Moreover, Dak added several conditions to the deal, without which he wouldn't even sell the 400 eggs.
Conditions included:
- After the Pokémon hatch, their trainers must stay by their side continuously, caring for them until they mature.
- The Pokémon cannot be trained until they have matured.
- The Mystery Hatchery House retains the right to inspect the living conditions of the Pokémon at the Navy base at any time.
And many other stipulations aimed at ensuring the well-being of these Pokémon babies.
Eventually, a deal was struck.
Sengoku dispatched a unit of headquarters' rear-admirals to Water 7, near the Mystery Hatchery House branch on the north shore, where they constructed a small Navy base. A team of thirty learners was also stationed there.
A headquarters' rear-admiral sounds impressive.
But there are only a few dozen admirals, and with people needed to guard New World bases, go on missions, and maintain a presence at headquarters, they couldn't spare anyone to come to Water 7.
Remember, this is Paradise, and so close to Enies Lobby—why would they need an admiral stationed here? Sending a rear-admiral to oversee things was already giving a lot of face to the Mystery Hatchery House.
Little did they know that this rear-admiral was actually relieved; what's the difference between being stationed here and retiring?
Dak was satisfied with Sengoku's arrangements but now faced another dilemma.
What kind of Pokémon eggs should he sell to the Navy?
And what quality should these Pokémon eggs be?
Definitely not purple; the Navy couldn't afford a price tag of 400 billion Belly for that.
Even blue-quality Pokémon eggs cost 40 billion, and the Navy would need to request funds from the World Government to afford them.
Dak specifically asked Sengoku about his budget, and he mentioned getting 30 billion from the World Government, but nothing more.
30 billion, is that a lot?
Compared to individual pirate bounties, it's a substantial amount.
But consider how many pirates there are and the total amount of bounties.
In the future the combined bounty of the Straw Hat Pirates alone exceeds 8.8 billion.
The World Government comprises at least 170 member countries.
Doflamingo once intercepted a kingdom's tribute to the Celestial Dragons in exchange for a Warlord position, knowing full well how much was involved.
Perhaps that's why when he later demanded 10 billion Belly from King Riku of Dressrosa, he knew Riku could muster that sum—and indeed, Riku did manage to gather the money.
Considering Dressrosa's impoverished state under King Riku, the annual tribute to the Celestial Dragons must have been substantial, certainly around 30 billion Belly, otherwise, Dressrosa would have developed sooner.
As for the Germa Kingdom.
Managing to produce such a vast clone army under the World Government's nose without a bounty, being able to alter Sanji's bounty and conditions, the annual tribute they pay is unimaginable.
Even during the Sabaody Archipelago incident, a second-generation Celestial Dragon casually offered 500 million for a mermaid, indicating the immense wealth these individuals control.
So, 30 billion is not much for the World Government, not exactly pocket change, but they wouldn't miss it.
This was also a key reason why the Navy could never become independent from the World Government.
Dak now had a figure in mind.
30 billion could be spent without concern; any more would have to come from the Navy's own funds. They had the money, but not much more than 40 billion could be spared.
That settled it.
Magical Marketplace
Pokémon Egg (Blue): 500 Magic Coins
400 randomly assorted blue-quality eggs.
Purchasing from the Magical Marketplace at half the retail price, one blue-quality Pokémon egg costs 500w Belly.
400 eggs would then require 20,000 Magic Coins!
Dak had just over 10,000 Magic Coins on hand; where was he supposed to get that much money? He had no choice but to ask the Navy to pay a 20 billion Belly deposit first.
Using the pocket token's saving feature, this transaction was easily completed.
20,000 Magic Coins appeared in Dak's balance and then vanished, turning into [Pokémon Eggs (Blue) x400].
Once the Navy takes these 400 Pokémon eggs after a week, his Mystery Hatchery House will make a clean 20 billion Belly profit, or 20,000 Magic Coins.
A massive fortune!
The legendary Pokémon he had been dreaming of seemed within reach, beckoning to him just a week into the future.
Moreover, the remaining Magic Coins would be enough for him to exchange for a special ability seed!
In the world of pirates, anyone who masters Observation Haki could be considered a special ability trainer.
They could help their Pokémon predict opponents' moves using Observation Haki, thereby guiding or warning them.
But psychic powers are different; Observation Haki doesn't have offensive capabilities.
Now, Dak could hardly contain his excitement and joy, but there were urgent matters to attend to, so he forced himself to calm down and continue working.
400 Pokémon eggs in the store, plus the original little ones, nearly left him and Robin without a place to stand, even using Dak's bedroom and staff quarters.
Dak hurriedly called Bon Clay, asking him to stay with Sceptile in Water 7 for the next few days.
The Mystery Hatchery House would close for a week; the main store was locked down, inaccessible to anyone outside.
Robin also began a busy routine, checking the status of the 400 eggs daily. Although an accident was nearly impossible within the Hatchery House, vigilance was necessary.
After about a week, when the branch office and the Navy base were completed, Sengoku would send people to transport the eggs, with Zephyr and Kuzan probably working overtime to select suitable trainers.
Dak took the opportunity to let the 400 eggs benefit from the store's incubation lamps to speed up hatching.
The transaction with the Whitebeard Pirates wasn't urgent, so it could be delayed for a few days.
Dak still had plenty to do.
He needed to study the VIP features of the Pokédex and prepare Pokémon for the main mission.
He didn't have a moment to spare.
Dak was thinking of hiring again.
To create a superior Pokémon League, sufficient manpower was essential.
The Hatchery House had many vacant positions.
Such as researchers, medical staff, inspectors...
The former two were obvious, but inspectors represented the Hatchery House in periodic visits to clients to ensure Pokémon were treated fairly.
And future officials for various competitions and events...
"I need to hire more people."
Dak, alone in the manufacturing room tinkering with the Pokédex machine, muttered about future plans.
For now, getting research personnel in place was critical.
Dak couldn't manage training Pokémon hatchlings, ponder new Pokédex features, and communicate with Sengoku about transactions all at once.
Just do it.
Dak decisively put down his work, donned a white hooded cloak, and stepped out of the store.
Destination: random.
It depended on who he might meet.
...
Grand Line, Paradise.
Spring Queen City, also known as Saint Poplar or Saint Birch, a luxurious city filled with the 'breath of art', is one of the most favored tourist destinations among the wealthy on the Grand Line.
Saint Birch is also a city on the Sea Train route.
In the original story, after CP9's defeat at Enies Lobby, they were pursued by the World Government and Navy. Using the powers of the Door-Door Fruit, they fled Enies Lobby, took the Sea Train to Saint Birch, and earned money through performances to treat Rob Lucci's injuries.
Rob Lucci proved effective, leading the once derelict
CP9, under the World Government's pursuit, to rise to CP0 status within two years.
The bond among CP9 members, their unyielding commitment to each other, would have qualified them to purchase Pokémon. Unfortunately, being under the World Government, they had no chance.
Saint Birch is also known for another famous location.
Joy Street.
Stussy, the queen of Joy Street and one of the underworld leaders, is from there.
This woman has many identities, but her secrets have been unveiled; she is a clone created by Vegapunk using Miss. Bakkin's genes, obediently following his orders. Her long-term undercover mission in CP0 has been ongoing for over a decade.
Dak's current destination is none other than Joy Street in Saint Birch.
There, he encountered a group of unexpected individuals.
The Donquixote Family.
——————
Ps: Don't worry about earning too much money or crashing the monetary system; there will soon be very costly needs, and the author will spare no effort to balance the monetary system.
(End of Chapter)
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