Rowan looked at Old Fitz, then glanced at Robin, surprise flashing in his eyes. He hadn't expected to meet someone here who had a connection to Robin's mother.
"You… know Mama?!"
The seventeen-year-old black-haired girl's fists clenched slightly, a rare display of emotion crossing her usually composed face.
Old Fitz met Robin's gaze, leaning back with a faint sigh. "Of course. I sailed with her for a time, searching for the history tied to my family."
"A demon child, Nico Robin… though she never admitted to having a child, I should have realized it sooner." A trace of regret flickered in Old Fitz's eyes.
Robin bit her lip. For the first time, the calm, composed expression she usually wore faltered, revealing a flash of sorrow.
Old Fitz paused, then said gently: "Do you want to know about your mother? Sit for a while, and I'll tell you what I know."
Robin hesitated, then turned to Rowan.
"If you want to listen, then listen. It's still early."
Rowan nodded, giving her his full support.
Old Fitz smiled at Rowan. "Ghost Hand Rowan, huh? You're nothing like the cold, indifferent man the rumors describe. Those World Government papers are rotten to the core."
He pushed open the door to the small wooden hut and invited both inside.
The interior matched the exterior: cluttered and chaotic, books and papers stacked haphazardly. Yet neither Rowan nor Robin seemed to mind as Old Fitz placed two small wooden stools for them to sit.
Through Fitz's words, Robin learned about her mother, Olvia. Her expression remained calm, silent, and tearlessshe held her emotions tightly.
"That's all I know," Fitz concluded, taking a swig from his wine pot, gaze lowering slightly.
Rowan, while not deeply invested in Robin's personal history, was fascinated by one revelation: the ancient weapon Pluton.
Three legendary weapons existed in the world: Pluton, Poseidon, and Uranus.
Pluton was a ship, rumored capable of destroying an entire island with a single broadside. It had been the pinnacle of collaboration among the greatest shipwrights and scientists of the era.
And Old Fitz's ancestor had been one of Pluton's shipwrights.
To trace the roots of his lineage and that era, Fitz had sailed with Olvia and a team of archaeologists, seeking lost history, though their discoveries were few.
Silence filled the hut for a moment. Fitz swallowed another mouthful of wine before speaking to Rowan and Robin:
"All that needed to be said has been said. You two didn't come here just to chat, I take it. You're here for a ship, right?"
Robin nodded slightly, looking down. Rowan confirmed with a firm nod.
Old Fitz slapped his forehead. "I should have guessed…"
He sighed. "Can't an old man enjoy his twilight years in peace? If I help you and the World Government finds out, I'll have to disappear again."
Rowan simply smiled, silent.
Seeing Robin, Fitz's resolve hardened. "There's no ignoring the daughter of an old friend. Very well… let's see if this old bag of bones can be useful one last time."
He rose. "Do you have the materials? Don't tell me you came to me without anything. I can't build a ship out of thin air."
Rowan shook his head. "Materials are here. We brought only one main piecea branch of adam wood."
Fitz's eyes gleamed. "The forty-two-meter adam wood branch? That ended up in your hands? Excellent! With this wood as the keel, I guarantee a ship that will leave Warships in the dust!"
He chuckled. His ancestors had once built the power units for Pluton; though much of that knowledge was lost, in ship design and speed, Fitz remained among the world's elite.
Rowan placed a bag of eighty million Berries in front of him.
Fitz grinned, accepting it. After inspecting the money, he said, "Enough, enough. Even buying the finest supplementary materials, I'll have a few tens of millions left. No worries about wine for the rest of my days."
He stood, bag in hand, and left the hut. After a couple of steps, he paused, turning to Rowan.
"By the way…"
"The Marines have already targeted you. World Government intelligence will likely know you're here very soon. Even if I assemble shipwrights, it will take at least seven days to complete. If a Warship shows up within that week…"
"Don't worry," Rowan interrupted calmly. "No Warship will interfere with your construction. I'll handle any problems myself."
Fitz chuckled, pushing open the door.
Robin rose and followed Rowan out, whispering a quiet, "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Fitz replied, closing the door behind them.
With a top-tier shipwright like Fitz leading the effort and a small team of assistants, all additional materials were procured that same day.
As for the blueprints, Fitz had designed a hull optimized for speed, but lacked the necessary robust wood to realize ituntil Rowan brought the adam wood branch.
Skipping the design stage would have slowed construction, so Fitz's expertise ensured the ship could be completed in just seven days.
As Fitz and his team labored day and night, a Marine fleet led by a Headquarters Rear Admiral, consisting of five Warships, gradually approached Shipwright Town.
Finally, on the afternoon of the second day, the Marine fleet arrived.