Chapter 174: Ten-Year Promise! Perfect Masterpiece
At the same time.
Lotte and the others finally arrived at the shipyard.
The shipyard from ten years ago.
Had now been renovated and expanded considerably. Shipwrights in work uniforms came and went.
Even Lotte couldn't immediately pinpoint the location of Tom's workshop. Releasing Observation Haki to sense it wouldn't be easy either.
He simply chose the most straightforward method.
"Excuse me, do you know where Tom's workshop is?"
"We're looking for him about something. Consider us one of his old friends."
Lotte stopped a passerby and asked calmly.
Logically, Tom's workshop shouldn't have been discovered building Roger's ship yet, so in the entire New World.
It enjoyed extremely high prestige.
The passerby was stunned for a moment after being asked. Then he showed an unsurprised expression and said.
"You're here to see Master Tom too, huh."
"He should still be working inside the boathouse right now. If you're looking for him, it's best to wait until he takes a break—otherwise, Master Tom will get angry."
After all, in the current New World, Tom's workshop's reputation was among the absolute top. Many famous ships came directly from his hands.
Lotte nodded calmly and said.
"Don't worry, we know how to handle it. Just tell us the location."
The passerby pointed toward a shipyard at the port.
"Master Tom should be working right there now. If you're going to find him, just head in that direction."
Lotte and the white cat on his shoulder exchanged a glance.
Then without hesitation, he stepped forward toward the shipyard.
Moments later.
A massive shipyard came clearly into view, with people coming and going inside.
There were also two guards at the entrance.
When they saw Lotte and the white cat approaching, they immediately became alert and stared fixedly.
"Ahead is the shipbuilding area. Unauthorized persons are not allowed inside."
"If there's something you need, we can pass the message along."
The guards' attitude wasn't overly hostile, as they knew many people coming to see Master Tom usually had some reputation or wealth.
Lotte only nodded calmly.
"In that case, please pass along this message: the item entrusted to him ten years ago is about ready to be collected."
Hearing Lotte's words.
A puzzled look appeared on the guard's face. But he still nodded obediently, turned around, and planned to report this to Master Tom.
Lotte and the white cat waited quietly for a while.
Soon, they saw the guard hurrying back out. He quickly bowed to the two and said.
"Master Tom asks you to come in now."
His heart was equally full of surprise.
After all, Master Tom rarely stopped working for anyone. He had no idea what kind of background this person had.
Lotte nodded and walked in with the white cat.
It didn't take long.
They saw Tom, dressed in work clothes, turn his head beside the massive ship's frame. He looked gravely at the middle-aged man Lotte had transformed into.
"The item you mentioned from ten years ago—what exactly is it?"
If Tom remembered correctly, ten years ago he had only agreed to one thing: building a pirate ship for the Azure Emperor Lotte.
But how did this unfamiliar middle-aged man know about it?
The other shipwrights around also turned their heads in confusion.
Clearly, they didn't understand why Tom looked like this. Was this matter more important than the ship they were currently building?
Seeing the puzzled looks from those around.
Lotte simply shrugged calmly.
"If you want to know, it's probably better to talk somewhere quiet."
Master Tom glanced at the people around him.
He instructed calmly.
"For now, continue working on this ship without me. I have something to discuss with this guest."
"Understood?"
The others showed astonished expressions—this was the first time their work had been interrupted for someone else.
But they still obediently nodded.
"Understood."
Then Master Tom led Lotte and the white cat to a sealed warehouse.
He turned around and said calmly.
"Now, you can tell me your purpose."
Lotte nodded calmly.
With the release of his transformation technique, Lotte finally revealed his original appearance.
"This face—you shouldn't have forgotten it, right, Mr. Tom?"
As this appearance emerged.
Tom's face also showed an expression of disbelief, quickly turning into joy.
"Mr. Azure Emperor… you're safe?"
After all, ten years ago, Lotte's name was known to almost everyone on the seas, yet he had disappeared completely for ten years.
To be honest.
This was something no one had expected—even Tom had doubted Lotte's survival. Only seeing him today finally put his heart at ease.
After all, that ship was his proudest masterpiece.
Yet it had remained docked and unused all this time—this was hardly good news for any passionate shipwright.
But what puzzled him was.
"Mr. Azure Emperor, why hasn't your appearance changed at all from ten years ago?"
"Are you really that Azure Emperor?"
After all, according to what Tom knew, there were people who could transform to mimic others' appearances. But for this youth to show no change after a full ten years.
It was truly hard to believe.
Lotte's mouth twitched slightly. He helplessly glanced at Tom.
Calmly, he extended his palm. Verdant branches instantly coiled upward, thoroughly sealing off the entire warehouse just like before.
"This is the technique I used ten years ago—you should remember it clearly, Tom."
"The reason my appearance hasn't changed has its reasons. Don't delve too deeply into it—otherwise, I wouldn't have been gone for ten years."
"How's the ship I entrusted to you back then?"
Seeing Lotte use the ability, Tom finally let go of his doubts. He breathed a sigh of relief, the corners of his mouth rising as he looked at Lotte with full confidence.
"Don't worry!"
"That's a ship built with the Adam Wood!"
"The most perfect masterpiece in history!"