"The person who creates a weapon isn't responsible for its misuse," Gustave declared firmly. "The person who wields it bears that responsibility. If we held every craftsman accountable for how their creations might be used, then every blacksmith, shipwright, and toolmaker in the world should commit suicide - after all, anything they make could potentially become an instrument of harm."
Everyone present turned their attention from Cutty Flam and Iceberg to Gustave, surprised by his philosophical stance on responsibility and creation.
Chief Justice Jace felt particularly struck by these words, interpreting them as directed toward his own situation. After all, the World Government had condemned Tom simply for building Roger's ship - and Jace himself had been tasked with carrying out that judgment, though he'd ultimately resisted the pressure and offered the shipwright a chance at redemption.
"Excuse me, young man, but who are you?" Tom the shipwright asked with growing curiosity. This stranger had repeatedly spoken in his defense with remarkable conviction.
"My name is Gustave," came the simple reply with a warm smile.
"Gustave!" Tom's eyes widened with recognition and shock.
"Have you heard of me, Mr. Tom?" Gustave asked with mild confusion.
"I didn't expect to meet the famous Gustave here! When I spoke with my brother Jinbe recently, he told me about several distinguished guests who saved Fish-Man Island from a terrible crisis. One of them was named Gustave."
Tom the shipwright recalled his recent conversations with his adoptive brother.
"If your brother mentioned other guests named Tom, Po, Ace, and Luffy, then yes - that was us," Gustave confirmed with a smile.
"Then it really is you! I never expected to meet the heroes who saved my homeland here!" Tom bowed deeply to Gustave and his friends, his massive frame conveying profound gratitude.
"Please, there's no need for such formality," Gustave protested, helping the shipwright stand upright.
Kizaru, who had been listening to this exchange with growing interest, turned to Luffy. "Little Luffy, you went and saved Fish-Man Island? How come I never heard about this?"
The Admiral knew about their visit to the underwater kingdom - after all, his subordinates had towed their ship back to Marineford. But the specific details of their activities there had never reached his ears.
"Of course we did! We saved Fish-Man Island and Princess Shirahoshi!" Luffy declared with obvious pride, puffing out his chest.
THWACK!
Ace delivered a swift blow to his brother's head. "It was Uncle Gustave, Po, and Tom who actually saved Fish-Man Island! You had nothing to do with it! Why are you acting so proud?"
Luffy rubbed the growing lump on his skull and pouted defiantly. "Hey! When Shirahoshi got kidnapped, I was the first one to chase after her!"
"What does that have to do with saving the entire island?" Ace shot back immediately.
"Well... uh..." Luffy struggled for a response, gradually realizing that rushing off first didn't exactly constitute saving anyone.
Watching the brothers' daily bickering, Kizaru fought to suppress his amusement. The situation seemed too serious for laughter, though their antics were undeniably entertaining.
Fortunately, Captain Pete approached with a timely interruption. "Admiral Kizaru, sir! The attackers we captured have regained consciousness!"
"Good timing. Bring one up for questioning - let's see who had the audacity to attack us," Kizaru commanded with a casual wave.
"Yes, sir!" Pete immediately departed to retrieve a prisoner.
Upon hearing Pete's report, Tom, Cutty Flam, and Iceberg suddenly realized that the somewhat scruffy man in the yellow suit was actually a Marine Admiral - one of the three most powerful military figures in the world.
"Does my case really require an Admiral's personal attention?" Tom wondered aloud, his confusion evident.
"Oh no, this is a disaster! Master will definitely be implicated because of me!" Cutty Flam's panic intensified dramatically. Having his warships attack a judicial ship was bad enough, but involving a Marine Admiral elevated this to the level of high treason.
Sensing their growing anxiety, Gustave whispered reassuringly, "Don't worry. Borsalino just came here for dinner and happened to encounter this situation. Leave everything else to me."
Hearing Gustave address the Admiral so casually left Tom the shipwright feeling even more uncertain about the dynamics at play.
Soon Pete returned, forcibly escorting a captured attacker. He pressed the man to his knees on the dock.
"Speak! Who are you, and who ordered you to attack the judicial ship?" Pete demanded with authoritative anger.
"You'll get nothing from me," the prisoner replied with defiant stubbornness.
"Attacking a judicial ship is already a serious crime," Gustave interjected conversationally. "But add an assault on a Marine Admiral to that charge, and you're looking at immediate execution, aren't you?"
"What?! Attack an Admiral? I never did that!" the man protested immediately.
"No? Then perhaps you'd like to look at who's standing right over there," Gustave suggested, pointing toward Kizaru.
The prisoner's gaze followed the direction indicated, and his face went pale. "K-Kizaru! Admiral Kizaru!"
"Well now, your life is about to end. Are you really prepared to die for whoever's behind this? Is that person worth your life?" Gustave continued in a gentle, almost counseling tone. "If you reveal the mastermind, it could be considered cooperation that might reduce your sentence."
The prisoner's internal struggle was visible as he grappled with the unexpected presence of an Admiral and the severity of his situation.
"What a stubborn fellow," Gustave sighed dramatically. "Forget talking to him. Just drag him away and execute him."
Pete's eye twitched as he watched Gustave's performance. You're not my commanding officer - why are you giving me orders? However, seeing Kizaru's apparent approval, Pete began pulling the prisoner to his feet as if preparing for immediate execution.
"Wait! I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!" the man shouted desperately.
"I'm an agent of CP5 - a World Government intelligence organization! The attack on the judicial ship and Admiral Kizaru was ordered by my superior, Spandam! He's the mastermind behind everything!"
Everyone except Gustave showed expressions of genuine shock at this revelation. Gustave remained unsurprised because he'd already known the truth, while Luffy and his friends simply had no idea what CP5 actually did.
"Are you certain?" Chief Justice Jace finally spoke, his voice carrying grave authority. "Falsely accusing a CP organization is itself a capital offense!"
"I'm absolutely certain! You can question my other captured comrades - they'll all tell you the same thing! I have proof of my identity, and I can tell you exactly where Commander Spandam is located!"
The CP5 agent had apparently decided to reveal everything at once.
"Where's this proof?" Pete demanded. He'd already searched the man thoroughly during capture and found nothing.
"Here... right here," the agent replied, proceeding to regurgitate something from his mouth.
Pete grimaced as he put on gloves to examine the object - it was indeed an official CP5 identification card.
When Pete prepared to show the evidence to Kizaru and Chief Justice Jace, the Admiral waved dismissively - he had no desire to handle something so disgusting. Jace, however, donned gloves and examined it carefully, confirming its authenticity.
"Where is your commander Spandam currently located?" Jace asked with judicial precision.
"He was at 106 Fifth Avenue when this operation began. I don't know if he's still there now," the agent answered honestly.
"Captain Pete, take a squad and—" Jace began issuing orders.
"No need," Gustave interrupted. "I've already brought him."
With that declaration, he materialized the unconscious form of Spandam before the astonished group. While the CP5 agent had been revealing the location, Gustave had already transformed into lightning and retrieved the target.
Finding Spandam had been remarkably easy - the CP5 commander was still unconscious from Po's Conqueror's Haki demonstration.
Chief Justice Jace personally searched the unconscious figure and quickly located an official token confirming Spandam's identity as CP5 commander.
The situation had suddenly become significantly more complicated.