That evening.
CP9 Commander Spandam's utterly miserable scream ripped through the ocean's silence, echoing under the setting sun.
When Nao woke up from his nap, he found it was already deep night. The moonlight was cool and clear, and a soaking wet Spandam was huddled by a small bonfire, staring at him with a gaze full of resentment.
It's not even raining, is it? He looked up at the sky in confusion.
Puzzled, but too lazy to ask, Nao rubbed his empty stomach and earnestly told Spandam: "I'm hungry."
Thump, thump, thump.
A flurry of eager footsteps instantly sounded. It was the black-suited agents, each holding various foods like canned goods, red bean bread, rice balls, etc., fiercely pushing their way forward.
"I have food here, Mr. Nao!"
"Mr. Nao, please try mine first! I made these rice balls myself!"
"Pick Vortex's! This is canned grilled meat, canned grilled meat that costs several thousand Berries!"
…
This enthusiasm left Spandam dumbfounded, unable to snap out of it for a long time.
Nao, however, had anticipated this. He smiled, thanked them, and took all the food in one go.
Did they think he needed to pick and choose?
What a joke. This little bit of food might not even be enough to fill him up! He wouldn't be polite with the CP9 agents. These guys definitely weren't good people and were completely different from him. The reason they were acting so lovestruck in front of him right now was simple…
That's right, after boarding the ship, he had activated the "Radiant Smile" skill on them. The purpose was to enjoy a few days of peace and comfort, so he wouldn't be subjected to a non-stop interrogation and torture by these agents before reaching Enies Lobby.
A temporary Charm value of 16 was effective on both men and women. As long as it didn't involve official business, Nao's words carried more weight on this ship than Spandam's.
"…"
Spandam just watched as Nao ate and drank, while his subordinates stood by, eagerly awaiting feedback and constantly asking if he was cold or warm.
Their appearance didn't resemble agents escorting a prisoner at all; it was more like palace maids awaiting the king's selection of consorts…
It was utterly absurd.
As for Nao…
He had been an agent for so many years, and he had truly never seen a prisoner about to be sent to a military tribunal who could be so leisurely.
Spandam smacked his lips, finally starting to come around. After a moment of hesitation, he spoke, "Even now, you're not worried at all. I say, brat, do you have a very powerful background?"
Does he have a high-ranking connection in the World Government?Or does he know a World Noble in Mariejois, which is why he acted like a reckless idiot, even daring to kill Prince William?
"No," Nao chewed on his grilled meat, blinking innocently at him. "My father was a small Marine officer at a branch base his whole life, hasn't been promoted in over a decade. My mother is just a civilian."
"Then did you rely on your own connections… or is there some incredible big shot who greatly appreciates you?" Spandam felt things couldn't be that simple.
"Neither."
Nao shrugged. "You can just grab any Marine who knows me and ask. Everyone at Headquarters knows it. I, Natsuya Nao, come from an ordinary background, and I'm just a very ordinary guy myself. How could I have any powerful connections or background?"
"…"
Spandam stared into Nao's eyes across the flickering flames. Nao's gaze was steady and clear—he didn't look like he was lying at all.
He really has no background?
So, killing William was purely an impulsive act?
Then what the hell is he acting so smug for?
Spandam scoffed, secretly cursing himself for being too cautious and actually being intimidated by a mindless kid.
He finally had no more qualms. In Nao's bewildered gaze, he stood up, stepped over the bonfire, came closer, and snatched all the food from Nao's arms.
"Huh? I wasn't finished yet?" Nao looked at him in astonishment.
"Still want to eat?" Spandam tossed a piece of grilled meat into his mouth, squinting at him, his lips twisted into a cruel smirk.
"I'm telling you, according to our CP rules, to prevent prisoners like you from escaping, you have to stay hungry on the way. It's not too late to eat once we reach Enies Lobby!"
"Oh, and also."
He then remembered what he had forgotten. He pulled out a pair of Seastone handcuffs from his pocket and clack! snapped them onto Nao's wrists and ankles. "Ha! Done. Stay properly locked up. Let's see if you can still resist now…"
When did I resist?
Nao frowned. He had been sleeping soundly before, so he naturally didn't know that Spandam had blamed the tripping and falling into the sea on him…
Also.
He wasn't a Devil Fruit user. What was the point of putting these on him, besides slightly restricting his limb movement? He was speechless for a moment, but seeing Spandam's triumphant look, he couldn't be bothered to expose him.
His stomach was still very hungry.
Nao thought for a moment, reached into his pants pocket, and pulled out a a fragrant, crispy piece of fried chicken
The first piece of fried chicken he pulled out was a drumstick. He quickly ate it in a few bites, tossed the bone into the sea, then pulled out a chicken breast from his jacket pocket, finished it, then reached into his other pants pocket and pulled out a chicken wing…
"Are you ever going to stop?!"
Spandam couldn't take it anymore and roared, "It looks like your pockets are a small warehouse! How do you have everything in there?! Are you a Marine or a warehouse keeper, you brat?!"
"Actually, to be honest, I am Rear Admiral Chang Naichao of Headquarters…"
Nao casually dropped a meme that no one would understand, feeling it wasn't quite satisfying enough, so he rummaged around in his clothes.
—Then, under Spandam's disbelieving gaze, he actually pulled out a large bowl of Luosifen (snail noodles) and buried his face in it, slurping…
Where the hell did all this come from?!
Are his pants pockets really a warehouse now?!
He refused to believe it, so he squatted down and rummaged through Nao's various pockets with great effort, but found nothing.
Just as he lifted his head to question him, Nao happened to pick up a large chopstick-full of sour bamboo shoots, less than ten centimeters from Spandam's nostrils…
What's that smell?
Spandam stared at the sour bamboo shoots in confusion, then instinctively took a strong sniff. The next instant, his features twisted in disgust from the pungent smell. He covered his nose and tried to move away.
However, perhaps because he had been squatting for too long and his legs were numb, he slipped and, splash! fell into the sea again, letting out a shriek…
The black-suited agents stood in a line, watching, dumbfounded.
Nao scratched his head, feeling a bit baffled.
This guy is clearly a despicable scoundrel, so how did it end up making me look like the villain instead…?
In the following days, this scene played out repeatedly.
A disheveled Spandam finally gave up on the idea of reclaiming the rattan chair and tormenting Nao. He sat obediently on the cold deck, a lonely and desolate figure.
He waited with bated breath, and finally, a few days later, he saw the outline of Enies Lobby…
And this also meant he had finally completed his mission and could send Nao to prison to await trial, no longer having to stay with this guy.
It truly wasn't easy…
As the boat docked, Spandam was almost in tears, unsure if it was from being wronged or from being choked by the Luosifen.
But as soon as one foot stepped off the speedboat, he was stopped by a person in a white coat, who looked like a CP0 member.
That person pulled him aside, whispered a few instructions, then handed him a document. After a cold glance at Nao, they turned and left directly.
The others still on the speedboat, who hadn't yet figured out what was happening, watched as Spandam's face changed from clear to gloomy.
After flipping through the document, his expression became even worse than if he'd eaten shit… He almost literally returned to the speedboat with a funeral face.
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin