Hm?
As the group approached the shabby little house, they noticed the door was open.
Spandam hesitated for a moment, then grinned before stepping forward and kicking the slightly ajar door wide open.
"You lot!"
"Search the place! See if there are any suspicious blueprints!"
"Yes, sir!"
Once inside, Spandam acted as if he owned the place, casually picking up an unknown object near the door, fiddling with it for a moment before tossing it to the floor and sprawling onto the couch.
"People actually live here?"
Frowning at the stench, he found it hard to believe that the blueprints for Pluton could be hidden in such a filthy place.
But the reports said that the legendary blueprints were in the hands of Tom, the Fishman.
If he got his hands on them and presented them to the Gorosei, he could marry a Celestial Dragon, get promoted to CP0, and reach the peak of his career.
———
However…
Despite tearing the place apart, his CP5 subordinates found nothing.
Frustrated, Spandam jumped up from the couch and kicked one of his men.
"Useless trash! I'll do it myself!"
He rummaged through every drawer and cabinet, flipping the place upside down.
Finding a small stack of Berries, barely enough to count as pocket change, he shamelessly stuffed it into his own pocket.
The CP5 agents exchanged glances, their eyes filled with disgust and silent judgment.
After turning the house inside out and still coming up empty-handed, Spandam smashed a few more things in frustration, then motioned for his men to leave.
But before they could—
Laughter echoed from outside.
"Hahaha! Kisame, you're way too generous!"
"With all this money, I can build an even better ship!"
"Shut up, Franky! That money belongs to Master Tom! If I catch you touching it, I'll cut off your hands."
"Tch, it's not like Master can spend all of it. What's wrong with me using a little?"
"Hahaha! You two better work hard to fix Kisame's ship!"
"Kisame, are you sure you weren't born on Fishman Island?"
"Nope."
"Huh? Why's the door open?"
Franky walked up to the doorway, only to find a group of strangers standing in the mess they'd made inside.
His face darkened instantly.
"Oi! Who the hell are you guys?!"
"You broke into someone's house and ransacked it?!"
"Since when are thieves this bold?!"
Spandam, who had been just about to leave, froze for a moment.
Then, when he recognized the Fishman Tom among them, his frustration vanished, replaced by glee.
"Heh… Finally, I found you, Tom!"
Straightening his posture, Spandam tried to compose himself before swaggering out of the house.
But to everyone else, he looked completely ridiculous.
"You should know who I am… and you should also know why I'm here."
"I don't know what you're talking about!"
Hearing Spandam's words, Tom's heart trembled, but he didn't hesitate to shake his head in denial.
If the World Government's CP agents had come knocking, there were only two possible reasons:
1. he had built a ship for the Pirate King.
2. the Pluton blueprints.
The first crime had already been acknowledged when he built the Sea Train—Enies Lobby knew about it.
So if they were coming for him now, it could only be about the Pluton blueprints.
But… how did the World Government even find out?
"You don't know?"
Spandam raised an eyebrow and shifted his gaze to the others, a sly grin spreading across his face.
"Heh… These must be your apprentices, right?"
"If you can't remember, maybe they can come aboard my ship… as guests."
"Take your time to think it over."
A blatant threat!
"Bastard! Who the hell do you think you are?!"
Hearing his Master being threatened, Franky snapped, his neck tensing as he prepared to charge forward and punch the smug government officer.
"Calm down, Franky! They're with the World Government!"
Iceburg quickly grabbed his reckless friend.
Hearing that, Franky stopped, but his murderous glare made it crystal clear he had already killed Spandam a thousand times in his head.
BAM!
"Huh?!"
Before anyone could react, the usually kind and gentle Fishman suddenly swung his massive hand And slapped Spandam flying.
Tom's expression was firm and unyielding as he boomed:
"DON'T THREATEN MY FAMILY!"
Spandam's mangled form was now plastered against the wall, looking like a distorted painting.
It took him a long moment to recover, before he wailed, his face streaked with snot and tears—
"YOU… YOU DARE HIT ME?!"
Then, his face twisted into rage
"KILL THEM! Leave the Fishman alive, but take out everyone else!"
"DON'T YOU DARE!"
Tom's deep voice rumbled, stopping the CP agents in their tracks.
"They are employees working on the Sea Train for Enies Lobby."
"If you touch them, you better be ready for the consequences!"
"Tch!"
Spandam spat a mouthful of blood.
The Sea Train project was a sensitive matter—he couldn't risk making a mess of it.
But then, he sneered.
"Fine. Then just hand over the blueprints of the 'Ancient Weapon, Pluton'—"
"And I'll leave immediately!"
Just as he expected
The moment the words "Ancient Weapon" were spoken, Tom's heart wavered.There was no hiding it now, But so what?
He was still valuable to Enies Lobby.
The government wouldn't dare touch him.
"Ancient Weapon…?"
"I don't know. I don't have any such blueprints."
"I'm just a shipwright!"
Hearing Tom's continued denial, Spandam flared up in rage.
"Damn it! Stop lying!"
"Old man, I've already given you enough respect. I've done my research—those blueprints are in your hands!"
Ancient Weapons? Sounds like something pretty important…
Standing in the back, Kisame observed Spandam's over-the-top reaction and couldn't help but think to himself.
At the same time, he could tell—this so-called "fellow Fishman", the chubby old man, was definitely lying.
And more than that—He might've gotten himself into some real trouble.
The World Government, huh?
If Kisame remembered correctly, Kizaru had mentioned they were the top bosses of the Marines.
But this guy…
He seems way more pathetic than Kizaru or Garp.
"I'll say this one last time—Ancient Weapon, Pluton… I have no idea what you're talking about!"
"…Good. Very good."
Spandam sneered at Tom's adamant refusal.
Right now, he was itching to capture this Fishman and interrogate him properly, But the Sea Train project made things complicated.
It wasn't just a Judicial Island matter—even the Five Elders saw it as a major priority.
Since Tom wouldn't talk, Spandam had no choice but to hold back for now.
He had arrived brimming with confidence, but now he was clutching his aching jaw as he stormed off.
"Hmph! Old man, isn't the Sea Train's trial run coming up in a few days?"
"Let's see how you handle things then!"
"We're leaving!"
With a wave of his hand, Spandam led his men out in a flurry, heading off to report to the Five Elders.
———
Tch, tch…
As Spandam strutted past, Kisame silently shook his head.
This guy…
Even when running away with his tail between his legs, he still acted high and mighty.
Where does he even get that confidence from?
"Commander Spandam, are we really just letting this go?"
"Let it go? In your dreams! From today on, station two men to monitor them around the clock!"
"I'm heading to report this Pluton matter to the Five Elders!"
"Understood!"
Spandam clenched his jaw in frustration.
"Damn it! I finally got this chance—I won't let him get away that easily!"
Then, a thought struck him.
"Oh, and that guy carrying a door on his back—look into his background!"
With that, Spandam and his men marched out of the scrap shipyard.
Not long after, A desperate scream rang out.
"AAAAHHH!!! WHICH BASTARD TOOK MY MONEY?!"
Franky had just realized his wallet was missing.
(End of Chapter)
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