Meanwhile, Spandam seemed to have composed himself, his tone returning to normal: "Shabody? What intelligence could possibly come from such a place? I'm busy!"
Busy, yet you have time for coffee? Teo thought bitterly, quickly getting to the point: "It's intelligence related to Water Seven."
"What did you say?" Spandam's tone suddenly rose, followed by the sound of a chair collapsing and his furious shouting: "Damn chair! Why did it break all of a sudden?!"
After a few quiet moments, Teo cautiously continued: "Sir?"
"Go on."
"Yes, sir." Teo summarized the situation briefly.
"I see, I see, hahaha…" The Den Den Mushi mimicked Spandam's arrogant laughter, rivaling even the notorious Uchiha laughter elite. "Well done, you two. Immediately gather all information on Biznis and fax it to me. Then investigate his shipping routes."
The Den Den Mushi, equipped with special attachments, could function as a fax machine, enabling remote office work.
"Yes, sir. And the explosion we're investigating?"
"Forget it for now. What's there to investigate in a place that explodes every day?" Spandam didn't care about anything else. He only wanted to find Biznis quickly, to corner Tom Studio and extract the location of the Pluto blueprint.
With the Sea Train project nearing completion, any charges against Tom for supposedly building a ship capable of making a pirate king would soon be nullified, making it harder for Spandam to capture the world's top shipwright.
Given Tom's fame and contributions, Spandam needed a plausible excuse to act against him. Any hint of connection between Biznis and Tom Studio was enough to justify investigation.
Meanwhile, Zhang Da Ye, having "falsely accused" the old trickster who troubled him, felt elated—so much so that during training he impulsively challenged Tom.
"Tom, I feel unstoppable again!"
Tom lifted his head, put down the cookie he had bitten a notch out of, and casually donned his gear.
Previously, he might have thrown the cookie away, but after enduring hunger and Zhang Da Ye's guidance, he developed a habit of not wasting food.
He set the cookie aside to eat later and poured himself a cup of hot tea, remembering Zhang Da Ye's phrase: "Tea first, then battle."
In terms of combat, Zhang Da Ye had improved greatly. His 30-second sword duel with Tom ended—well, better left unsaid, but much stronger than before when Tom ended it in three moves.
Rui Mengmeng was amazed by Tom's swordsmanship and decided to learn from Artoria instead—normal humans simply couldn't replicate Tom's style.
How could one retract their head into their neck to dodge attacks?
How could one bend down to pick up a falling hat while continuing to fight?
How could one ignore joint limitations and twist however desired?
Better to learn moves normal humans could actually use.
Rui Mengmeng started basic sword training with Artoria, while Zhang Da Ye used breaks to check if he had gained any new abilities.
Nothing yet—recovery powers and magic didn't manifest instantly, requiring more observation, so no rush.
Zhang Da Ye planned to practice with Rui Mengmeng once she mastered the basics, hoping he would no longer be the weakest in the tavern.
That evening, the tavern opened as usual. Yesterday's "flying building incident" remained a popular topic.
Some mentioned that the Navy transported several corpses from the base, claiming bounty hunters had gone overboard, causing deaths.
Zhang Da Ye casually inquired and learned there were ten bodies, all human traffickers, captured before death.
"Looks like Vice Admiral Kadarou is fine." Zhang Da Ye knew the Navy had spared him public scrutiny, perhaps to save newly appointed Admiral Kizaru some embarrassment or to avoid punishing a single officer over a few criminals.
Soon after, an inconspicuous old man shuffled in.
The doorbell rang, but Zhang Da Ye paid little attention, assuming a regular patron.
However, noticing Artoria's serious expression, he followed her gaze:
White-haired, deeply wrinkled forehead, round glasses, a scar over the right eye, a beard like a barcode. Anyone unfamiliar would find his smile kind.
Zhang Da Ye signaled himself to act as if he didn't know him.
Artoria saw his hand signal: 13. She recalled Zhang Da Ye mentioning the island's strongest, the "Pluton King" Silbaz Riley of the Shabody Archipelago GR-13, right-hand of the Pirate King.
"One bottle of STAR-WINE." Riley sat at the bar, wearing a yellow long-sleeve shirt, white cloak, and beach shorts—a chaotic outfit.
Zhang Da Ye poured the wine, opening a bottle favored by Roger in the past—so Riley's preference was expected.
"Don't worry, young lady. I mean no harm." Riley noticed Artoria's guarded stance, smiling nonetheless.
Artoria stayed by Zhang Da Ye's side, cautious of this immensely strong pirate.
Riley drank directly from the bottle, scanning Artoria, Rui Mengmeng, and Tom, finally focusing on Zhang Da Ye. "Seems like you know me?"
"Ah? Your name, sir? I believe this is our first meeting. Were you a former regular here?" Zhang Da Ye felt uneasy—Riley seemed to have come intentionally.
"Haha, I am…"
"Yo, isn't this the plated old Riley? Heard you lost everything gambling a few days ago, now you're back drinking?" A shipwright greeted him familiarly, patting his shoulder.
Zhang Da Ye confirmed: Riley hadn't even bothered trimming his beard or changing his name—haphazardly living as a plated craftsman, clearly undisturbed.
If the Navy didn't know he was here, it would be a miracle—they likely ignored him because he caused no trouble.