Not long ago, in an office in Water 7, the president of Galley-La Company and the actual administrator of Water 7, Iceburg, stared blankly at the few people in front of him, his eyes filled with disbelief.
“It’s all your fault. The World Government asked you to hand over what they wanted, but you stubbornly refused. Otherwise, things wouldn’t have come to this.”
“Kaku?!”
“If possible, I wouldn’t want to hurt you either. I had hoped to leave behind good memories in this city.”
“Kalifa…”
“You’ve inherited your teacher’s stubbornness? That’s not exactly a good habit.”
“The bartender, Blueno…”
“You’re all… members of the World Government?”
“Yes. Infiltration is effortless for us. But don’t worry, we have always been diligent and responsible in our work. Up until now, there have never been any issues with the jobs we handled.”
“It’s just that our mission is nearing its end, and we must do everything we can to achieve our objective.”
The number of CP9 members was not large. Even within the World Government, qualified CP9 agents were considered elite forces, only deployed for important tasks. Having talented CP9 agents like Lucci and Kaku waste years working as shipwrights was already a foolish decision made by Spandam.
For the sake of the blueprints of the legendary ancient weapon, they were willing to waste their time, but they could not afford to waste it endlessly.
Their infiltration had allowed them to gather some intelligence, so as the mission deadline approached, they had chosen to resort to force.
In today’s increasingly chaotic seas, a new voice had emerged within the World Government.
Rather than constantly fearing the revival of the ancient weapons, some believed that the World Government should seize control of them, putting a definitive end to the Great Pirate Era. However, this faction’s views were not accepted by the World Government’s higher-ups, as it went against the balance they sought to maintain.
That said, they did not entirely reject the idea. While they did not see the need to end the Pirate Era, they did agree on the necessity of controlling the ancient weapons.
“Mr. Iceburg, the ancient weapons could become a force for justice, yet you refuse to assist us. For all the people in this world still suffering at the hands of pirates, you choose not to save them.”
“Impossible. If these weapons are revived, the world will descend into a struggle for their power, and the casualties will only continue to rise.”
“So, it seems you do not trust the World Government.”
“Kid, I just don’t trust in the hearts of humans.”
Iceburg had never trusted the World Government. He had never even considered handing over the blueprints of Pluton to them. He had carefully devised a series of plans, but in the end, Lucci and the others found some clues.
And ultimately, they found them on Franky.
There was nothing Iceburg could do. He had believed his plan was flawless, yet he never expected that half of the people around him were spies. His so-called secret plotting was practically done in the open.
The Sea Train carrying Franky quickly departed from Water 7’s station. They needed to send Franky away before “Aqua Laguna” arrived.
Due to its location, this massive tsunami struck the entire city every year, and today just happened to be the day of its arrival.
“Mr. Iceburg, it’s time to take refuge. Aqua Laguna will be here soon…”
They knew Iceburg had suffered a serious blow, but in the face of such a massive tsunami, not taking refuge meant certain death.
“You all go ahead. I’ll follow later.”
“But…”
“Go on, Iceburg. I’ll bring Franky back.”
“!?!”
A familiar voice echoed in Iceburg’s ears. Tom, who had disappeared for years, once again appeared before him.
“Teacher Tom!”
“You’ve done well over the years. Under your management, Water 7 has developed splendidly.”
All this time, Tom had been working in the Beasts Pirates’ territory, engaged in the construction of shipyards. By now, the Beasts Pirates’ main warships had all been reinforced and modified, vastly improving their sailing capabilities. Maritime transportation within their territory had also become much more efficient.
Tom would occasionally sneak back to Water 7 to check on his disciples. However, to avoid suspicion, he would only take a quick look from afar before leaving, never making contact with them.
Had Franky not been discovered this time, he still wouldn’t have revealed himself.
“But, Teacher… Franky is already on the Sea Train…”
“I know. Didn’t I also disappear from the Sea Train back then?”
Patting Iceburg on the shoulder, Tom gave him a reassuring gesture—just like when they were kids—before leaving Water 7, following the city’s internal canals.
…
Outside Water 7, several Fish-Men were waiting alongside Tiger. However, they were not in the water; instead, they were perched on the shoulders of a giant crocodile.
Tom was never an exceptionally strong Fish-Man in terms of combat ability. To ensure the safety of this senior, Tiger would always accompany him whenever he goes outside if time permitted.
As for this giant crocodile, it was Tiger’s partner and the fourth member of the Beasts Pirates’ Behemoth Unit.
Following the land combat weapon, Emboar and Tyranitar, and the aerial combat weapon, Hydrachton, this was their newest weapon for naval warfare—Feraligatr.
With the Aqua Laguna approaching, the ocean’s waves were already surging violently. Even for the Fish-Men, maintaining balance in such conditions was difficult. If they were alone, they would usually dive into the depths to avoid the tsunami’s effects.
But with something to rely on, it’s different. Feraligatr’s body remained extremely stable under the waves, like Jingu Bang* amidst the towering waves, even if its underwater posture wasn’t as dashing as one might imagine. [TN: Jingu Bang is the magical staff wielded by the immortal monkey Sun Wukong in the Chinese novel Journey to the West or if you have read The God of High School manhwa, it’s Jin Mori’s weapon.]
Its limbs and tail had to move constantly to maintain stability, which was precisely why the Fish-Men were sitting on its shoulders.
“Uncle Tom, you’re finally back! We’re all ready.”
“Thank you all. I know this is a personal matter, but that disciple of mine is very important to me…”
“It’s no trouble at all, Uncle Tom. Everyone recognizes your contributions. Whether it’s the New Fishman Island or the construction of other islands, you’ve done so much to help.
Besides, this isn’t our first time doing something like this.”
Rescuing people from the World Government wasn’t a common occurrence, but among those who had done it, Tiger had freed more people than anyone else. After all, he was the one who liberated all the slaves of Mariejois—something no one else had ever managed to replicate.
“Let’s go, everyone. We need to catch up with that Sea Train ahead of time!”
Not just anyone could command the Behemoth Unit’s members. Aside from direct orders from Arceus, they typically only heed the words of their partners. Tiger was the only one who could direct this Feraligatr; other Fish-Men at most are just hitching a ride on it.
“Roar~”
Feraligatr shifted its body, revealing the red bony plates on its back as it surfaced above the water. Then, twisting its body, it began chasing in the direction of the Sea Train.
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