Hiccup and the others quickly grabbed the oars and began rowing as quickly as possible, and gone away just in time to avoid the train.
"That was close," said Hiccup.
"That hunk of metal is trying to kill us!" Snotlout yelled.
"Is a ship?" Chopper asked.
"No way, something that they can heavy should even be able to float," said Fishlegs.
Hiccup then noticed that the frog was staying right in the path of the train. "Hey, what are you doing? Get out of the way!"
The frog didn't budge an inch and ended up getting hit by the train as it went by.
"That had to hurt," said Astrid as the frog fell into the sea.
Everyone then just watched, perplexed as the train carried on by until it disappeared off into the distance.
"It looks like it was spitting out smoke," said Chopper.
"That's because it was a train," said Hiccup.
"What a train?" Tuffnut asked.
"It's a mode of transport that runs on rails on land," Hiccup explained. "I've only seen them in books, but normally there only on large islands, and they definitely can't ride across the water."
Then a little girl poked her head out from the train station and saw their pirate flag.
"Pirates?" she said. "Granny! Granny! We've got pirates!"
"Huh, is that true, Chimney?" said a voice. "Okay dokey, in that case, better bring granny that transponder snail."
They then watch as an overweight old woman emerged from the train station with a face that resembled a toad. Her face was completely red, and in her hand, she was holding a bottle of whiskey. The moment she stepped outside, she then suddenly collapsed in the little girl rushed into the office.
"It's going to be a big pain if they call for help, and the Marines show up," said Toothless. "What should we do?"
"Here it is, granny," said Chimney handing her grandmother the transponder snail.
"Uh, hello," said the woman speaking into the transponder snail. "Who is this? Sorry, you got the wrong number."
"Well, she's totally drunk," said Snotlout.
Hiccup, Astrid and Fishlegs then jumped down onto the platform in order to talk to the two of them. To give them some reassurance, they had also given them some of their lunch, and there were more than happy to eat it.
"This stuff is good; it would go really down well with booze," said the old woman.
"Yummy," said the little girl. "My name is Chimney…" She then gestured to the small cat next to her. "…this is our kitty cat Paws. And that Granny Coco."
"You fellas wouldn't happen to be train robbers, would ya?" Coco laughed.
"My name is Hiccup, and the only thing I'm interested in is becoming King of the Pirates," said Hiccup.
"Really?" said Chimney.
"It's my dream," said Hiccup.
Coco laughed. "I like you, your funny."
"By the way, Chimney is what Hiccup said true. Was that thing a train?" Astrid asked.
"You probably never seen anything like it seen as the only one in the world," said Chimney. "In a way, it is a train, but it's called a sea train called the Puffing Tom."
"How does it work?" Hiccup asked curiously.
"It uses a steam engine to turn its power wheels and runs on a railway," Chimney explained.
"Railway?" Fishlegs blinked.
"Uh-huh," Chimney nodded and pointed at the space between the platforms. "If you look close, you can see the tractor right below the waves. The train goes the same route every day; it takes people from one island to the next. It carries ships and packages and other stuff too."
Upon closer examination, they could see the shadow of railway tracks just beneath the waves.
"Wow, funny we didn't notice it before," said Tuffnut.
"No kidding, we ran right into it," said Ragnar.
"You should be more careful. Didn't you see the signal?" Chimney asked. "There's a bell ringing and everything."
"Is that what that thing is for?" said Snotlout, pointing at the signal. "I thought that thing was just here to welcome us. How are we supposed to know?"
"But if we can figure it out, then that frog shouldn't get it, would he?" said Ruffnut.
"Yeah, it was rather rude for you to hit him like that," Tuffnut nodded.
"Oh, you saw the frog?" said Chimney. "That's Magni."
"Got to say that frog was quite a strong swimmer," said Hiccup.
"Either way, I wouldn't worry about him; he's pretty tough," said Chimney. "In fact, that wasn't the first time he challenged the train and lost. He is really kinda a pain. If you want to see him again, just hang out here; I'm sure he'll pop up."
"Oh, so that's why he didn't run," said Snotlout. "Wow, I thought that frog was stupid, but it turns out he was just being super manly."
"Easy for you to say!" Chimney snapped angrily. "You don't have to put up with him all the time! I can't even count the number of times he's broken the railcar and just imagine what it's like for the passengers when he slammed into the train."
"It is pretty crazy," said Hiccup. "Now curious why he keeps on challenging the train."
"Then you best saviour curiosity because we shouldn't mess with that thing," said Astrid.
"Anyway, after this, were you folks headed off to?" Coco asked. "The sea train runs to all sorts of places. There's the town the Spring Queen, Saint Kaia… There's the gourmet town, Kvasir… or the Carnival town Novta. They are all fun places to go, and if you happen to work for the government, you can take a special train at even fancier than the Puffing Tom."
"Gourmet town Kvasir?" Fishlegs frowned, remembering hearing that name before. "Oh, that's the place those people we met on the island were talking about."
"You're right," said Hiccup.
"So are we gonna go on the train?" Tuffnut asked excitedly.
"If we do that, we have to leave the ship behind," Hiccup pointed out. "I don't see any reason for taking the train since we have a working ship. We're still going to follow the log."
"Oh, where is it pointing to?" Chimney asked.
"Should be someplace east of here," said Fishlegs looking at the log pose.
"I see, were in that case, it's Water 7 for sure," said Coco. "The train you saw on the way here just came from Blue Station on that island. They call it the city of water; I think you'll like it."
"Water 7, huh?" said Astrid folding her arms.
"They've got great shipyards; you might say that they claim to fame. When it comes to both their first-class, they are always coming up with some fancy new technology to build boats for the World Government."
"Whoa, then they must have some awesome shipwrights too," said Hiccup.
"Some? More like damn near all of them. The city is like a regular shipwrights convention."
"That's very convenient, considering that we need a ship repair and looking for a shipwright to join our crew," said Hiccup.
"Is that so? In that case, just hang on a sec," said Coco and rose to her feet though she nearly toppled over. "Upsy-daisy… you can do it."
"Where is she going?" Hiccup frowned.
"Maybe to get more whiskey," said Snotlout.
Coco soon returned with a piece of paper. "I've got a present for ya. This is a little map of the city and a reference letter. Just give this to a fella named Iceberg, and I promise he'll fix your ship right up good. Water 7 is a pretty confusing place, be sure not to get lost."
"You have a big heart, don't you," said Fishlegs as he took the map.
"We'll be heading back to Water 7 soon, so maybe we'll see you there," said Chimney as they boarded their ship.
"Sounds like a plan to me," said Coco. "And if you like, I can even give you folks a tour of all my favourite drinking holes."
"Sounds good; we'll try to keep a lookout for you," said Hiccup.
"It'll take about a week for the log to lock onto the next island, so you have plenty of time to do some sightseeing."
"Great, should be fun," said Hiccup and then looked to the crew. "Everyone ready? Time to set sail!"
"Yeah!" everyone cheered.
"Thanks again for the map and reference letter!" Astrid waved. "Wish glad to run into you on the way, literally."
With that, they unfurled the sails and began making their way to Water 7.
"Have a safe trip!" Chimney waved.
"Better keep an eye out for all those Government types down there!" Coco yelled.
Everyone was just relaxing as they were making their way gently to the next island on the ship.
"What a nice wind," said Fishlegs. "We might make it out to Water 7 even faster than I thought."
"I'll be happy either way," said Chopper.
Astrid looked at Hiccup curiously. "So, how are we going to find a shipwright?"
Hiccup rubbed his head. "That is going to be quite the hurdle. Finding someone that good and wants to come along with a bunch of pirates won't be easy to find."
"Either way, we at least have a week, and a log pose is set, and even if it is, we don't have to leave straight away," said Ragnar.
"True, but it is dangerous for pirates to stay in one place too often," said Toothless. "Especially on an island where a lot of Government officials visit. Ideally, we should try to find one before the log pose is set."
"Someone we make a new friend. I'm happy," said Chopper.
"We're lucky that we ran into the train station on the way," said Astrid. "That map we got will be a big help, I mean, all we have to do is follow Coco's directions to the Iceberg guy, and we're set."
Fishlegs was looking at the map and frowned. "Actually, it might be a little harder than you think."
He then handed Astrid the map, and it looked like a kid had drawn it with crayon.
"Stupid drunk," Astrid groaned.
The twins looked over her shoulder and looked at one another.
"It looked perfectly fine to me," said Tuffnut.
"Yeah, I mean, how can you not see the directions," said Ruffnut.
"And how can the two of you make any sense of that doodle?" Snotlout asked questionably.
"We're experts of abstract art," said Tuffnut.
"It's not supposed to be art; it's supposed to be directions," said Astrid.
"Moving right along," said Hiccup. "Since we're going to be a Water 7 for a while, I think it would be wise to give you all your allowance."
"Sounds good to me," said Snotlout.
"I can't wait to explore this new island," said Fishlegs.
"Allowance! Allowance!" the twins yelled repeatedly.
A few hours later, they were still sailing towards Water 7, and Snotlout was hugging onto the mast.
"Why are you hugging the ship, Snotlout?" Hiccup asked.
"Just thinking back on all the memories we've had on this ship, it almost makes me sad that we're going to get rid of all the scars," said Snotlout. "But will all be worth it to get the Tiger the repairs she needs."
"I feel the same way," said Ragnar. "I'm proud of the battle scars like anyone else, but she is taking a real beating since we've entered the Grand Line. The deck squeaks, and we got leaks popping up everywhere. No one wants to admit it, but if we don't fix this soon, we're as good as sunk."
"True, but with all the money we have, not only will we be able to repair her, but we can power her up too," said Hiccup.
"Then let's get some more cannons," said Snotlout.
"Let's just see what the shipwrights say before we make any decisions," said Hiccup. "It will depend on how much the repairs will cost before we can even think about giving her some upgrades."
"Hey, I think with there!" said Toothless as he looked out to sea.
Everyone then excitedly made their way to the bow.
"He's right; I can see Water 7!" said Hiccup.
When they got closer, they got a better view of the island, and all of them were completely amazed.
"Lovely," said Heather.
"Wow," said Fishlegs.
The entire island was like one giant water fountain; water was shooting out from the middle of the island and floated down several canals, seven of them in total back into the sea. They could also see several large steel doors with large numbers printed on them.
"This place is amazing," said Hiccup. "It's like a giant water fountain."
"That's nuts; I've never seen anything like it," said Snotlout.
"And I thought the Sea Train was a big deal," said Ragnar.
"Oh, wow," said Chopper. "That's a lot of water. Do you think it all comes from the ocean?"
"That's what it seems like," said Heather. "Then it was out of the fountain, goes with canals and falls back into the sea."
"I can only imagine what the architect had to go through to make a fountain that big," said Hiccup.
"No joke, they would have to control the water output so they wouldn't flood the entire island," said Astrid.
"Do any of you have any idea what those numbers mean?" Toothless asked.
"That's a good question," Fishlegs pondered.
"They look like walls, but they could be some kind of gate," said Ragnar.
"I think that's exactly what they are," said Hiccup. "I imagine that those are dock gates to allow the shipwrights are lower in new ships or something."
"And anyway, I think that the station upfront," said Astrid noticing a station called Blue Station. "Must be the same one that Coco was talking about. Still, I wonder whether harbours at?"
"Inside the town maybe," Fishlegs offered.
"Hey, hold on!" said a nearby fisherman. "Pirates shouldn't sail at the front. You've got to be more discreet! Use the backstreet entrance over there instead!"
"Oh, okay, thank you!" Fishlegs yelled as they turned cause towards the backstreets.
They began making their way through the backstreets and noticed that there were even more canals; there wasn't a single road insight.
"Whoa, so many boats," said Astrid.
"It's almost like the city is floating; I wonder how it works?" Hiccup wondered.
"Everything is flooded everywhere, aren't the building is going to be filled with water too?" Chopper asked.
"Not all; the houses here were built with a submerged foundation in mind," said Heather, much to Chopper's confusion. "If you look closely at the walkway, you will understand."
Chopper looked down at the walkway and saw that the buildings appear to be on stilts.
"You're right; it's like the city is sitting on stilts," he said.
"I see; it certainly lives up to its name," said Ragnar.
They then passed the coffee shop where the owner was outside cleaning the tables when he noticed them sail by.
"Whoa, hold on a sec!" he yelled. "What do you pirates think you're doing here in town? You not looking to plunder, are you?"
"No, we're just looking to get our ship repair," Hiccup assured him.
"He just asked that as if it was not a big deal?" Fishlegs blinked.
"In that case, there's a little cable just ahead of here," said the owner. "Anchor your ship there for the time being!"
"Will do; thanks for the help," said Hiccup.
"They just keep waving us off?" said Tuffnut.
"Of course they do; we're flying a pirate flag," Toothless pointed out.
They soon found the cape that the cafe owner was talking about and anchored near the shore.
"It should be okay to anchor here, right?" Snotlout asked.
"Don't see why not; it certainly far enough from the city," said Ragnar.
"Works for me, furl the sail," Hiccup ordered.
Toothless began pulling the rope in order to furl the sail, but when he pulled it to secure it, it snapped.
"Are you trying to break the ship!" Snotlout yelled.
"Hey, all I did was poor on the road like I normally do," said Toothless.
Fortunately, the sail was now badly damaged and soon sprung back into place, but this just proves how fragile the Going Tiger truly was.
"By the Eternal Flames, the Going Tiger is fine about this easy we're lucky that we made it here at all," said Toothless.
"By the way, are not scared of pirates here, are they?" said Fishlegs folding his arms. "Don't any of you guys think that's kind of strange?"
"It's because we're shipyard customers like everyone else," said Toothless.
"Probably not concerned about pirates because they have enough security to deal with them if they misbehave," Heather assumed.
"Chances are there plenty of Marines here too," Ragnar added. "It comes with the territory, huh?"
"You mean the going to have us arrested?" Snotlout yelled.
"I don't think that will be a problem since we're paying customers and all."
"I suppose so."
"Still, we need to be wary of Marines and Government officials," said Hiccup. "The local authorities might not arrest us, but the Marines will see us on sight."
"Then we better get right down to business," said Astrid and pulled out Coco's reference letter. "We also need to find this Iceberg guy. Hopefully, you'll be able to take care of the Going Tiger's repairs for us. Then we need to find a place to cash in our gold for Gil."
"Agreed," said Hiccup. "You, me and Snotlot can do that."
A few moments later, Snotlout grabbed the bag of gold, and they began making their way into town, leaving Ragnar and the others on the ship.
"Be sure to fix that mast by the time we get back, Toothless!" Snotlout yelled.
"You guys, just be careful out there," said Ragnar.
"Looks like I missed my chance to go with them," Chopper moaned.
"You can go with me later if you like," Heather offered.
"Really?" Chopper beamed. "Can we go to a bookstore?"
"Yes, of course," Heather laughed.
"I think it's probably best that we trade the gold before anything else," said Hiccup as he and the others continue to make their way into town.
"I say that we should go to the shipyard first," said Snotlout as he carried the bag of gold.
Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "You really want us to stroll into town with this massive bag of gold?"
"But we would still be dragging Gil around if we traded."
"True, but it would be a lot smaller, so people won't notice it as much."
"Plus, if we cash it in, you will be the one carrying all the money," Astrid added.
"I'm not sure I like the sound of that; it almost sounds like you don't want me taking care of the gold," said Snotlout looking at her. "I'm more than capable of taking responsibility."
Hiccup and Astrid just gave him dull works.
"What? Name one time I have been irresponsible?"
"There was the time that you abandoned Toothless on the way to my village," said Astrid.
"Arlong's fault," Snotlout huffed.
"There was a time when you got completely plastered on Whiskey Peak," said Hiccup.
"Bounty hunters fault."
"There was also the time you tried to con your way in becoming captain of the crew."
"Seahorse's fault."
They were about to continue when they came across a bridge that led into the city.
"Is that the only entrance into the city?" Astrid frowned. They looked at the giant sign over the entrance, which read 'Rental Bullshop'. "What's a Rental Bullshop?"
"No clue, but it sounds like they rent out something," said Hiccup. "But I don't see why one would rent a bull."
"There's only one way to find out," said Snotlout and then proudly made his way across the bridge. "We want to rent some bulls!"
"How about you by now what they are before renting them?" Astrid snapped.
The store owner looked at the newspapers they entered. "You want to rent some bulls, you say? How many people?"
"Three of us," said Hiccup.
"What kind would you like? There are three ranks… Squire… Knight and King. For your little group and thinking to Squires will do just fine."
"We still have no idea what we're renting," said Hiccup as they pulled the owner deep into the store. "We only just arrived about an hour ago."
"Oh, so you follow the log pose to get here?"
"That's right," said Hiccup.
"That's quite an achievement, but if you're not from around here, this is probably the first time you've ever heard about Bulls," he said as he pulled two boats in front of them.
All three of them nodded.
"Well, to make a long story short, then they are Squire Bulls," he said, pointing ahead of them.
They could see people riding on top of boats that appeared to be pulled by some sort of fish that resembled a horse, but it was hard to tell us the only thing above the water was their necks.
"You can find them all over town. As you can see, they're a type of fish that swims with their head above the water. Since the whole city is flooded, we have a lot more canals than walkways; because of that, pretty much everyone around here uses the Bulls in their daily life. If you want to go sightseeing, you'll need one too."
"So they use the Bulls to pull those little boats?" Astrid asked.
"Actually, the boat part is mounted on their back," the owner explained. "So, in fact, it's not much more different than riding a horseback on land."
He then dropped the boats into the water next to a pen filled with Bulls. "Go ahead and take a look at the Bull pet over there if you want to pick one out. They don't bite. It will be 2000 Gil for 2 to passenger Squires."
"Ah, they're cute," said Astrid as they looked at the different coloured Squires.
"They sure do look like horses," said Hiccup and then a black one probably licked him on the face. "Oww, that will wash out any time soon."
Everyone just merely laughed.
"Says since that one seems to like you so much, I'll mount him for you," the owner laughed as he opened the pen.
The black Squire then started swimming out of the pen alongside a blue one, and then they instinctively dived down and positioned themselves directly beneath the votes.
"Are they all right carrying heavy stuff?" Snotlout asked as he lifted the bag of gold.
"Yeah, these guys are built for power," said the owner as he strapped boats onto their backs. "The people around here use them for moving all the time. That is a big bag, though, and I asked what inside?"
"Gold," said Snotlout simply.
The owner laughed. "That's a good one. Well, whatever it is, it will be okay."
Snotlout then opened the bag revealing all the gold. "See…"
"Whoa, give me," said the owner looking at the gold astonished.
"Not if you want a broken arm," Astrid threatened, cracking her knuckles.
"I do what she says; she doesn't bluff," Hiccup advised him.
Astrid then glared at Snotlout. "This only proves the point that you're irresponsible!"
"I had to show him; he didn't believe me," said Snotlout as if that explained it all.
"Wow, I sure wasn't expecting that," said the owner. "Like I said, that'll be 2 million Gil for two Squire Bulls."
"Don't try and change the price on us!" Hiccup snapped.
"Oops, I mean 5 million Gil."
"You've just increased the price again!"
"Ha, ha, can't fool you."
Hiccup rolled his eyes. "I knew we would have to watch out for thieves. I think it's best if I carry the gold from now on."
"Agreed, and I'll keep an eye on Snotlout," said Astrid as she reached for her wallet. "Now it was 2000 Gil originally."
"Thank you," said the owner taking the notes. "Speaking of gold, do you know where we get ours cashed in?"
"Well, there are quite a few places, but you are probably clean them all out trying to trade in that much treasure in one shot. If I were you, I would check out downtown on the shipbuilder's island."
"We're not really familiar with the area," said Hiccup. "Do you think you can give us directions?"
"It's right over there," said the owner, pointing, but there were so many buildings that it was impossible to tell which one he was actually pointing to. "Here, take this."
He then tossed Hiccup a map of the city. "Oh, a map. Thanks for the help, but we will be able to find the shipbuilder's yard downtown too, right?"
"Yep, best one in the world."
Hiccup mounted his Bull and looked to the others. "Then it should be perfect; we can head straight to the shipyard the moment we trade in our gold."
"Well, you're not gonna hear any complaints with me," said Snotlout.
"That's a first," Astrid muttered of the two of them mounted the same Bull.
"Once that's done, we can then find a shipwright," Hiccup continued.
"Then what you say we get going?" Astrid smiled.
"See you later!" the owner yelled, waving at them. "Thanks for your business, and have a safe trip!"
With that, the three of them began making their way downtown with high spirits.