Labeling someone was an extraordinarily effective tactic under certain circumstances. At the very least, given the prevailing sentiment on Fishman Island, Kawamatsu could find no grounds to refute him, nor did he want to.
But he still could not understand the bizarre phenomenon of a Triceratop being able to fly.
If he broadened his horizons a little more, perhaps one day in the future, Kawamatsu might even see a Pteranodon pull back its own face and use it as a slingshot, among many other bizarre sights.
Despite appearing simple, Zoan-type abilities could sometimes produce unexpected surprises.
If certain human-modification techniques were incorporated, they could produce even more outrageous scenes.
Water 7, however, also had plenty of unusual creatures, such as the Sumo Frog beside Tom that could swim freestyle and survive in the ocean.
“Excuse me, you two. There’s an insurance matter that requires… requires you to take action…”
Holding a folder, Monet arrived in the backyard to inform the pair of their assignment, only to see Sasaki flying through the air in an absurd fashion.
The sight was so far beyond common sense that Monet struggled to process it, and the folder slipped from her hands, scattering its contents across the ground.
“Let’s stop here for today and deal with our actual work first.”
Setting down his wooden sword, Kawamatsu picked up the weapon beside him and prepared to depart.
“I think we can continue. How about we compete to see… who can settle this insurance claim first?”
“That’s not a bad suggestion. Monet, where did the problem occur?”
“Some pirates at Shipyard No. 3 are refusing to pay the remaining balance for their ship. Their pirate flag is…”
Monet briefly summarized the situation, and Kawamatsu and Sasaki split up to take action.
Water 7 possessed an extensive network of waterways. Like the water city of Venice, numerous waterways ran throughout the city, allowing Fish-Men to move around even faster.
Using this dense network of waterways, Fish-Men and Merfolk could reach any part of the city at tremendous speed.
Sasaki took an even more direct approach. His enormous body rose vertically from the ground, and he flew toward the designated location, boarding the enemy ship like a heavy-lift helicopter and reaching the battlefield one step ahead of Kawamatsu.
After all, Kawamatsu could not simply charge straight through and destroy people’s homes. He had to take a few detours to reach his destination, whereas Sasaki only needed to fly there in a straight line.
“His Majesty has always had a need for aerial forces… I suppose there’s some logic to it.”
Although Sasaki could travel in a straight line, his helicopter—or rather, his heli-ceratops—could merely fly. It was far from swift.
Using the waterways, Kawamatsu arrived not long after Sasaki. They quickly dealt with the pirates attempting to default on the remaining payment, and whatever happened afterward was no longer their responsibility.
“You’ve filed three insurance claims already this month. At this rate, your premiums will go up next year.”
If peace could be maintained for a while, the premiums would decrease. Conversely, they would also rise, but the local shipbuilding companies did not mind the increased premiums.
Although they sometimes failed to receive the remaining payment, they had already collected the deposit, and the ships had not been stolen. As long as they found an opportunity to sell the ships again, they would still turn a profit overall.
If the ships were stolen, that would be a complete loss. Moreover, when dealing with exceptionally vicious pirates, it was no longer merely a matter of money—their lives could also be at risk.
In the environment of the Great Pirate Era, being able to buy peace of mind was already quite fortunate.
These premiums helped keep the company running. In Water 7, with its strong business atmosphere, they understood the calculation perfectly well.
Spending a little money allowed them to protect their property more effectively. They were no strangers to the business owners who had committed suicide after going bankrupt in previous years. Sometimes, a business failure truly could crush a person completely.
As for Kawamatsu and the others, providing protection services to local companies was merely a supplementary business. They were also responsible for safeguarding the operation of the Sea Train.
Although it was still the Sea Train, aside from being completed at a different time, its nature also differed greatly from the original timeline.
In the original timeline, Tom had been sentenced to death for building Roger’s ship, and constructing the Sea Train had earned him a stay of execution.
After the Sea Train was completed, its tracks belonged to the World Government.
Things were different now. Tom had never been guilty of any crime. Although the Sea Train had been built to give Water 7 a better future, ownership of its tracks belonged not to the World Government, but to the Ryugu Kingdom.
Tom himself also held an equity stake through his technology contributions.
Constructing the tracks had required a considerable investment, and their subsequent operation also required maintenance expenses. They were currently recovering those costs through operating fees.
Although the World Government recognized the Sea Train’s advantages, it had no intention of popularizing this mode of transportation.
Rather than a closely interconnected sea, what they needed was a world of isolated islands with little contact between them.
However, Water 7 was very close to Enies Lobby, and the local World Government officials did not want to abandon the island and allow it to decline. That was why they had promoted the Sea Train in this region.
If they wanted to spread it throughout the world, the local officials would no longer have any say in the matter. It would depend on what the Five Elders thought.
Judging from the World Government’s current attitude, when exactly the Sea Train would spread across the world remained unknown.
Using the excuse that the new technology still required observation, the World Government continued to treat the Sea Train as part of an experimental program. Whether or when it would be implemented depended entirely on their whims.
If Imu ever decided to step in and micromanage things again, perhaps the Five Elders would immediately order Sea Trains to be constructed throughout the world.
Tom himself, however, had no thoughts about such matters. As the creator of the Sea Train, he was already thoroughly satisfied with having built several tracks in Water 7 and revitalized the city.
Young people from Fishman Island often came here. Even though Tom did not return to Fishman Island, he could still learn about its changes from them.
Both the place where he lived and the place where he had been born were growing stronger and prosperous, while his apprentices had become accomplished in their craft.
For an old man, Tom had spent these past few years with a near-constant smile on his face, even when watching his two apprentices argue.
At this moment, Franky was arguing with Iceburg over something, and the source of their dispute was the weapon Franky had modified for Sasaki.
“You call that a sword?!”
“How is it not a sword?! Does being able to spin somehow make it not a sword?!”
“That’s obviously a drill! What in the world are you building every day?!”
The spinning sword was Sasaki’s weapon. Although he also practiced swordsmanship, compared to a traditional swordsman like Kawamatsu, Sasaki did not seem particularly orthodox.
But ever since witnessing Sasaki’s Triceratops helicopter, Kawamatsu found absolutely nothing wrong with Sasaki’s new weapon.
At this moment, he was telling Tom some stories about Ryugu Palace.
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