Suo Yu Bay, Blue Clam Shipyard.

The time is early morning, the sun just rising, and the sea is still shrouded in a thin layer of mist, yet this renowned shipyard in Suo Yu Bay has already come to life.

On the slipway, the dragon bone of a large ship under construction lies like the spine of a stranded whale, quietly resting, supported by numerous thick wooden frames, while the shipwrights stand on the scaffolding beside the dragon bone like scavengers enjoying the heritage of a whale fall, holding axes and drills, scattering countless wood shavings.

On the other side, a giant winch creaks slowly turning, with ropes thicker than a child’s arm pulled taut, extending all the way to the water surface, tied to the stern of a ship newly formed and ready to be launched, and the craftsmen on both sides watch with eager yet serious expressions, closely observing the wooden boat’s entry into the water.

On the southernmost side of the shipyard, close to the sea, the former "Flying Fish Oil Barrel" has been moved here from the pier.

Its overall shape isn’t much different from three days ago, still low and slender, clearly not yet started the renovation process.

However, the detailed plans for future transformation and the parts that need special attention have been planned over the past few days.

Having just finished his morning exercise and taken a shower in his hotel room, Xia Nan, with slightly wet short black hair, now stands on the wooden scaffold beside the "Flying Fish Oil Barrel," examining this pirate ship ready to begin its transformation.

This "Blue Clam Shipyard" was introduced to him by Hera, said to be one of the top shipyards in Suo Yu Bay, Xia Nan himself had inquired among adventurers in the tavern, and it definitely is, even occasionally receiving orders from the Gulf Chamber of Commerce and the Governor Mansion.

Of course, accompanying it, is its shipbuilding cost far exceeding the market average price.

If Xia Nan had to pay out of his pocket, even if he were willing, he would likely feel a real hemorrhage deep inside.

Luckily, this time the expense is being covered by Baron Farrow.

He even utilized his special approval officer status, leveraging his relationship with the shipyard, to greet Xia Nan and shuffled some priorities, not to mention inviting some of the usually busy old shipwrights over to assist Xia Nan with the pirate ship transformation.

Xia Nan doesn’t know how much all this costs.

But if factoring in the baron’s network’s hidden value, four-digit Gold Coin is definite and even slightly exceeds what would be paid as entrusted reward.

Undeniably, at least in shipbuilding, or specifically in this Blue Clam Shipyard, one gets what they pay for.

In a few days, even Xia Nan, who previously was entirely ignorant about ship transformation, now after thorough explanations from those experienced old shipwrights, has a rough idea in mind on how to transform his pirate ship.

First and foremost, regarding the main ship body.

The "Flying Fish Oil Barrel" originally customized by its former owner "Oil Hand" Bern, with a low and slender body, sides close to the water, ensures speed while maintaining an extremely low visible profile, combining speed with stealth, which fits Xia Nan’s needs without requiring much alteration.

Just replacing those planks near the dragon bone and bow, which are severely worn due to long-term high-speed navigation and frequent beaching, should be enough.

Also to clean the barnacles off the ship’s bottom, carefully check the seams of the hull planks, smooth uneven places, to minimize resistance as much as possible.

Then there’s the ship’s figurehead and ram.

As a pirate ship sailing the vast ocean, the figurehead is said to be the soul of the entire ship.

Previously, the Flying Fish Oil Barrel had no figurehead, the ram was merely a hard wooden block wrapped in iron, lacking any aesthetic appeal, and its battle-tested appearance somewhat reduced its practicality.

Xia Nan is certainly going to replace them.

But he’s still contemplating on the form his new figurehead should take.

The main consideration is whether to make the figurehead personalized, akin to the emblem on a pirate flag, so at first glance others can recognize his identity; or abandon the appearance entirely, focusing solely on practicality to increase recognition difficulty.

Focusing on practicality isn’t an issue, but in this ocean, like his gradually fermenting "Haiya" nickname within the adventurer community, having a certain degree of recognition can help Xia Nan avoid many unnecessary troubles.

Simply put, if somehow he made quite a name for himself in the Southern Islands in the future, ordinary pirates might see his sea ship and flee directly, not daring to approach.

He needs to weigh the pros and cons before making a decision.

Finally, there are various trivial and complex issues such as mast inspections, sail upgrades, rigging replacements, and internal space optimization in the Flying Fish Oil Barrel.

When all these steps are completed, the Flying Fish Oil Barrel will be reborn.

By then, Xia Nan thinks about naming this first sea ship of his life personally.

"What should it be called?"

No need to be too grandiose, simpler is better.

Considering his current "Gray Sword" and "Haiya" nicknames, perhaps to call it...

While contemplating, suddenly footsteps approach from behind.

Perception silently activates, Xia Nan turns around, looking toward the direction of the sound.