Zephyr planned to use this batch of trainees as the foundation to raise a new force. Once they had grown to a certain level within the Marines, he would consider what came next.
On the Red Line, Mariejois.
The Five Elders paid no attention to the adjustment of the Shichibukai members. In their view, it was perfectly reasonable. At this moment, they were dealing with another matter.
This time, they were not in that exclusive office, but in a garden in Mariejois.
Carefully trimmed potted plants grew luxuriantly. The Five Elders were either sitting or standing, cups of hot tea in their hands, looking more like they were on vacation than discussing official business.
Not far away, Spandam stood there looking somewhat nervous. Perhaps it was nerves, or perhaps his collar was tied too tightly, but he appeared slightly uncomfortable.
Spandam was now the chief of CP5. He had reached that position not through his own strength or competence, but through the connections and influence of his father, Spandine.
After all, a trained rank-and-file Marine armed with a gun was assessed as having a Power Level of 10, while Spandam's Power Level was only 9.
If not for Spandine, forget standing here and speaking with the Five Elders, Spandam probably would not even have been qualified to set foot on Mariejois.
"You've made progress on those blueprints you mentioned?"
Even with Spandine pulling strings for him, Spandam normally would not have been qualified to report directly to the Five Elders. The reason he was able to come here was because Spandam also wanted to prove himself and climb higher through his own efforts.
Through Spandam's efforts, he had eventually found something that interested the Five Elders.
The blueprints Saturn was asking about were the design plans for Pluton. Spandam had previously taken the initiative to report that he had found leads on Pluton's blueprints.
At present, Pluton itself lay buried deep beneath Wano Country. The Five Elders were aware of this, but they were still interested in those blueprints.
After all, if the blueprints truly existed, it meant that terrifying Ancient Weapon could potentially be mass-produced.
"I'm still investigating."
Spandam's voice lacked confidence. After all, he still had not obtained the blueprints.
"But the investigation has currently reached a dead end. According to the intelligence I've gathered, those blueprints should be in the hands of Tom, a shipwright in Water 7."
"Tom?"
Saturn did not immediately remember who Tom was. Seeing Saturn's confusion, Spandam hurriedly explained, "Yes, the Fish-Man... Tom."
"Evidence?"
Nusjuro placed the teacup in his hand back on its saucer. The impatient sound of porcelain striking porcelain made Spandam's shoulders twitch.
"There is no conclusive evidence at present, but the possibility is very high. He's one of the finest shipwrights, and he had contact with the Roger Pirates.
As long as we designate him a criminal and conduct a thorough search, we'll definitely be able to—"
"Spandam!"
Hearing Spandam say there was no conclusive evidence and that it was merely highly likely, Saturn rose to his feet as well and walked over to him.
"Three months ago, you knelt before these stone slabs and swore that the blueprints definitely existed, demanding full responsibility for the matter.
And now you want us, based on something that is merely 'highly likely,' to torture the finest shipwright among the Fish-Men?"
Cold sweat slid down Spandam's spine. Naturally, he had no idea that a genuine Pluton was lying beneath Wano Country.
The Five Elders had ordered him to investigate merely as an additional precaution, yet Spandam's actions could only be described as audacious.
If he actually found something, that would be one thing. After all, Ancient Weapons were objects that touched upon the World Government's most sensitive nerves. If there was evidence that Nereus was secretly building Pluton, perhaps even Imu would change their mind.
But if the investigation turned up nothing, it would amount to the World Government proactively violating the agreement with Nereus that their Boss had personally ordered.
Following the principle that the more one did, the more mistakes one made, while doing nothing meant making no mistakes, the Five Elders did not want to take that risk.
"The Great Pirate Era needs to end. Ancient Weapons are the sword of justice. We should be the ones to possess them!
Everything I do is for the sake of the World Government, for justice—"
The Five Elders paid no attention to Spandam's hollow, grandiose speech. Instead, they considered how this matter should be handled. If Tom really did possess those blueprints, then, rounding things off, it meant Nereus possessed Pluton.
And if Poseidon also awakened in this generation, then Nereus, with two Ancient Weapons under his control, would inevitably become an extremely difficult threat to deal with.
"As long as you can obtain decisive evidence, the World Government can support you. But before you have any evidence, you are forbidden from doing anything risky."
In the end, the Five Elders decided to outsource the risk and have Spandam bear it himself.
If Spandam acted on his own without evidence, the Five Elders would wash their hands of the matter entirely, pretend they knew nothing about it, and allow Nereus to deal with Spandam as he pleased.
If it turned out to be true, then they would have to seek instructions from Lord Imu.
Spandam failed to notice just how deadly the situation could become. Although he sensed there was some risk involved, with the World Government behind him, he did not take it too seriously and decided to gamble once more for the sake of his bright future.
He immediately headed for Water 7. By the time Spandam arrived, Franky was researching a new weapon he had built, a tremendously powerful cannon called the "Super Franky General Cannon."
As Water 7 continued to recover, the number of pirates coming here also increased. Although insurance services existed, more and more companies had also begun strengthening their own armed forces.
Defensive cannons installed inside the shipyards became an excellent choice, and Franky, who had some talent for weapons, privately received quite a few orders.
Iceburg, however, was very dissatisfied with this situation. It was not because Franky had orders, but because Iceburg felt that, as a shipwright, constantly making this kind of weapon would bring trouble to Tom.
As usual, the two of them started arguing. But as the argument went on, Franky accidentally lit the cannon shell's fuse.
Although it was only loaded with a firework shell, it still exploded against the iron door of a warehouse twenty meters away, scattering ribbons and paper scraps everywhere while leaving a huge dent in the door.
Spandam, who had just been about to push the door open and enter, was blasted away on the spot, receiving quite the "welcome."
"Bakanky! Look what you did!"
"That was because you were messing around!"
"That's enough."
A deep voice interrupted their argument. Tom walked in from outside with a miserable-looking Spandam, then drove the two of them away.
Afterward, Spandam took out his identification, stated his identity, and said that he wanted to speak with Tom alone.
Once only Tom and Spandam remained in the room, Spandam's attitude changed as well.
Spandam jumped onto an old wooden table and looked down at Tom from above. The pose made Spandam feel more intimidating.
Spandam had some understanding of Cipher Pol's interrogation methods. Torturing Tom into a confession was obviously out of the question, but Spandam wanted to use this method to break down Tom's psychological defenses and make him voluntarily reveal the truth.
That lasted until Spandam tried to grab Tom by the collar.
Spandam exerted all his strength. The muscles in his arms tightened and veins bulged. Although he managed to pull up Tom's collar, Tom himself did not budge an inch.
Then, as Spandam shifted his footing, his foot landed on a patch of machine oil left on the table.
His foot slipped, his center of gravity gave way, and he toppled straight off the tabletop, smashing the back of his head heavily against the concrete floor.
"You attacked a government official!" Spandam shrieked from the ground, his voice echoing through the warehouse.
"I didn't touch you. You fell down on your own."
Spandam climbed back up, dusted off his suit, and pulled out a document with his face flushed red.
"I'm the chief of CP5. About your attack on me—"
"There's surveillance here."
Tom pointed at the Visual Den Den Mushi behind him, cutting Spandam off immediately.
After all, Tom was currently an innocent man. He had nothing to fear.
Spandam also seemed not to have expected Tom to install surveillance in a place like this, and simply froze.
"Is there anything else? If you don't have any actual business, I need to get back to work. His Majesty Nereus has assigned me quite a few tasks."
The name Nereus made Spandam's expression darken again. Before he came here, Spandine had specifically warned him not to use his old methods. If he truly enraged Nereus, no one would be able to save him.
"Tom, stop pretending. You've been exposed!"
After straightening his clothes, Spandam once again threatened him in a stern voice.
"Exposed for what? Why don't I know about it?"
"Pluton's blueprints. Do you really think I don't know they're in your hands? As long as you hand them over to me, I guarantee nothing will happen to you!"
"But I... really don't have it."
Tom scratched his head, looking extremely simple and honest, while inwardly he was already filled with contempt for Spandam.
He had indeed possessed the thing, but he had handed it over to Nereus long ago.
If Spandam had the ability to obtain information about the blueprints from Nereus, then Tom would admit he was impressive.
That was why Spandam's words sounded utterly ridiculous to Tom. After all, Spandam could never find the blueprints and therefore could not possibly possess any evidence.
Given the Ryugu Kingdom's current situation, as long as Tom did not admit anything himself, Spandam had no way to do anything to him.
"I still have work to do. If you keep delaying me, I'll file a complaint to His Majesty and say that you delayed the construction of the ship he ordered for Her Highness."
Spandam had failed to threaten Tom and had instead been successfully threatened by Tom once. He could only leave resentfully.
However, he had not given up on the idea in his heart. He felt that Tom definitely had a problem, but if he could not use special methods... then infiltration was the only choice.
Spandam firmly believed that as long as enough time passed, Tom would eventually reveal a flaw, and then he would have the chance to prove himself!
Naturally, he himself could not be the one to do such arduous undercover work. He would have to find a group of reliable helpers from the Cipher Pol branch.
Tom did not report the matter. He planned to wait until he next returned to Fishman Island to visit his family and tell Nereus about it face-to-face. That way, there would be no risk of being eavesdropped on.
Meanwhile, on Fishman Island, Nereus was teaching Yamato some combat techniques.
This was part of the promise Nanamo had made back then, the condition for getting Yamato to deal with Trebol. Since it was something Nanamo had agreed to, Nereus naturally did not object. He was simply helping his daughter fulfill her promise.
Although Yamato's combat system fundamentally came from Kaido, Nereus understood Kaido well enough to see where Yamato differed from him. Based on Yamato's own fighting habits, he made some slight adjustments.
"Mr. Nereus, what exactly... is Devil Fruit awakening?"
After witnessing Doflamingo's awakening in Dressrosa, Yamato had also become curious about that power. At the very least, when it came to her own Okuchi no Makami, she had yet to gain any understanding in that regard.
"It's very simple. When your body and mind are both able to keep up with your ability, the new power that results is what we call awakening.
To put it plainly, once your physique and your mind have both grown to a certain level, awakening will happen naturally."
Strength of both mind and body was the prerequisite for awakening. It did not sound complicated, but it carried considerable danger.
"Devil Fruits eaten by inanimate objects are all Zoan-type. That's because among Devil Fruits, Zoan-types possess the clearest wills of their own.
Tame it, and its power will be completely yours to use. But there is also the risk of failure."
"What happens then?"
"You become a dull, stupid beast that can only act on instinct. Those Jailer Beasts in Impel Down are examples of failed awakenings.
You're not at the stage where you should be trying to master that yet. Don't think too far ahead."
Being overly ambitious was not a good thing. For many things, it was better to proceed step by step.
"Mr. Nereus, I have another question. Sister Nanamo told me that when my father was in the Rocks Pirates, he was only an apprentice?"
In front of Nereus, Yamato restrained her resentment toward Kaido and did not directly call him a rotten old man. Instead, she asked about events from many years ago.
"That was quite a long time ago. Back then, he caused quite a commotion on Fullalead Island. Even among the rookies, he was an extraordinary fellow.
"He just happened to catch Xebec's interest, so Xebec asked me to recruit your father.
"Don't let his appearance as a brute fool you. He's actually very calculating. He came to Fullalead specifically to attract Xebec's attention, and before long, he joined us."
There was a certain implication in Nereus's words, but Yamato did not notice it.
"I also heard... that you once gave my father guidance?"
"You could say that. I know him quite well. Why?"
"Well... could you tell me what my father's weakness is?"
After only a few sentences. Yamato straightforwardly stated her true purpose.
She wanted to obtain some kind of shortcut from Nereus. Just like how Crocodile was unable to undergo elemental transformation when exposed to water, once one grasped a powerful person's weakness, it could often make things much easier.
"I can't answer that question for you. In my eyes, he's full of weaknesses, but for you, it would be difficult.
Even your current techniques still haven't broken away from your father's style. There's nothing wrong with following his path, but before you carve out your own, if you want to defeat him in that kind of way, you can only rely on your raw strength.
But your father is also a monstrous talent, and he's older than you. If you don't plan on simply waiting until he ages, then you won't surpass him without putting in several times the effort."
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