Two days had passed. As Krieg suspected, the shadow of the World Government finally loomed over Water Seven.
A report from his undercover subordinates confirmed it: Spandam, Chief of CP5, had made contact with Tom.
Krieg reviewed the dossier. Spandam—the son of the current CP9 Chief, Spandine. A man of limitless ambition and zero talent, known for his self-centered nature and cowardice.
In the original history, he used his authority to torment Nico Robin, relying on his position rather than any actual strength.
So, he's finally here to snatch the blueprints for his promotion, Krieg thought.
Iceburg had already reported that Franky, albeit with a gloomy face, had disabled the weaponry on the Battle Frankies.
Interestingly, Franky seemed to have turned a corner, recently completing "BF-35" and successfully taking down a Sea King.
But if the weaponry was disabled, how is Spandam going to frame them?
Krieg pondered the possibilities. In the original timeline, Spandam used the ships themselves to attack the Judicial Ship.
If the cannons were gone, Spandam would have to rely on his own men's weapons while using Franky's ships as the "murder weapon." It was a clumsy plan, but Spandam was a clumsy man.
Krieg moved fast. He placed secret guards around Tom's Workers' office and instructed his unit to be ready for anything.
The Arrival of the Judicial Ship
Three days later, the Judicial Ship appeared on the horizon. Krieg immediately boarded the Magatsuno and intercepted the vessel. After a brief, polite exchange with the Chief Justice, he dropped a warning:
「There have been whispers of an insurgent group targeting this ship. I recommend you stay alert.」
The Justice thanked him, though he looked skeptical. Krieg, however, kept his eyes on the coast. Just as the Judicial Ship was entering the harbor, the silhouette of the "Battle Frankies" appeared.
The hulls were unmistakable—splattered with "BATTLE FRANKY" and "BF" in bold letters.
「They actually did it, the idiots...」 Krieg muttered.
Despite Franky disabling the fixed cannons, Spandam's CP5 agents were on deck, firing hand-held rifles and portable mortars at the Judicial Ship. It was a pathetic sight, but enough to constitute an "assault."
Krieg didn't hesitate. 「Sigma! Full speed ahead!」
The giant bear let out a roar, leaping from the Magatsuno onto the lead Battle Franky. Krieg followed, his eyes sharp.
「Shodan Ranbu! (Small Cut Dance!)」
Krieg unleashed a flurry of flying slashes with his bare hands, slicing the incoming bullets and mortar shells out of the air before they could touch the Judicial Ship.
Then, Sigma went to work. The massive polar bear used its weight and iron-hard claws to smash the rudders and hulls of the small warships, rendering them dead in the water.
The attackers—men in black waterproof suits carrying multiple long rifles—panicked.
Clumsy. Absolutely amateur, Krieg thought as he moved through the ships like a whirlwind, knocking out the CP5 agents with clinical precision. He tied them up in a bundle and tossed them onto his ship for "questioning."
The Confrontation at the Plaza
By the time Krieg returned to the harbor plaza, the scene was already set. Tom, Iceburg, and Franky were surrounded by government officials, their guns drawn. Though they weren't in handcuffs yet, they were being held as suspects.
Someone had clearly shouted that the attacking ships were Franky's creations. Since that was technically true, Tom and his apprentices had allowed themselves to be detained to avoid further violence.
In the center of the crowd stood a man with a long, prominent nose and an expensive, ill-fitting suit. He was wearing a smug, oily grin.
Spandam.
He looked at the detained shipwrights, then at the smoking remains of the Battle Frankies in the harbor, convinced that his plan to frame Tom and seize the blueprints was going perfectly.
He hadn't realized yet that his "attackers" had already been captured and were currently being held by a Rear Admiral.
Justice in the Tides:
Spandam was inwardly gloating. Despite a few miscalculations—including that brat who had nearly blasted him with a cannon earlier—his plan had worked. He had successfully used those "Battle Frankies" to stage an attack on the Judicial Ship.
He had waited at Scrap Island, knowing the three shipwrights would rush there once they saw their creations being used. Just as expected, they practically walked into his encirclement. Claiming they were suspects in the assault, he had them detained, and they had followed along without a fight.
Even a Fish-man isn't stupid enough to resist the World Government directly, Spandam thought as they returned to the plaza before the Judicial Ship.
The trial began immediately. When the Chief Justice questioned Tom about the assault, Tom denied everything. Growing impatient, Spandam interjected:
「Chief Justice! It's clear as day! They used their own ships to attack the Judicial Ship! We should arrest them this instant!」
「Like hell we did! We didn't attack anyone! You're the one behind this, you creep!!」 Franky's roar was quickly drowned out by the mocking laughter of the gathered officials.
「Wahahaha! Cutty Flam, was it? Those ships were built by your company, weren't they? And we caught you at the scene of the crime—Scrap Island! The evidence is undeniable!!」
But just as Spandam's sneer reached its peak, a calm, authoritative voice cut through the noise.
「Chief Justice, may I have a word?」
The Bomb Dropped
It was Krieg. He had just finished securing the real attackers onto his ship and returned to the plaza just before the final verdict could be rendered.
「Hm? Rear Admiral Krieg? I must thank you again for your swift action in protecting this vessel during the skirmish,」 the Chief Justice said, looking relieved. 「What is it?」
Krieg stepped forward, casting a sideways glance at the sweating Spandam. 「It's a simple question, really.
I have already captured the men who were actually piloting those small warships and have them detained on my vessel. So... why exactly are these three being treated as the culprits?」
The plaza went silent. Spandam's heart skipped a beat.
「What!? You captured the attackers!?」 the Chief Justice exclaimed. 「Then why are Tom and his apprentices here?」
Spandam's mind raced. This is bad, but I can still spin this. They're just Marines! He forced a laugh.
「Wahaha! They must have hired mercenaries! Good work, Marine! Now, leave the rest to me, the Chief of CP5, and the Justice here. You can run along now!」
He put a heavy emphasis on his title, essentially telling Krieg to "know his place."
「I'm afraid I can't do that,」 Krieg replied coolly. 「Since we made the arrest, the chain of custody starts with the Navy. We can't simply stand by and watch innocent civilians take the fall for a crime we've already solved.」
「Shut your mouth! I told you to back off, you glorified sailor!!」 Spandam snarled, his composure fracturing.
「Is that so, Spandam-dono? We have the perpetrators in custody. To ignore that would be a dereliction of my duty... and a stain on the Navy's honor.」
Realizing the tide had turned completely against him in front of the Chief Justice, Spandam gritted his teeth. 「Fine! You 'Marine'! Hand over the prisoners to me immediately!!」
He tried to storm off to concoct a new lie, but the Chief Justice called out: 「One moment, Spandam-dono. Does this mean you concede that Tom and his men are not the attackers?」
「We will 'interrogate' the captured men ourselves! Just wait!!」 Spandam barked over his shoulder, fleeing the scene like a cornered rat.
The Aftermath
Everything followed in rapid succession. The assault on the Judicial Ship was officially attributed to "unknown insurgents" (pending Krieg's "investigation"), and the charges against Tom's Workers were dropped.
Furthermore, in light of the Sea Train's immense contribution to the world, the Chief Justice ruled that Tom's past crime of building the Pirate King's ship was pardoned.
Tom, Iceburg, and Franky shared a moment of pure, unadulterated joy.
Meanwhile, in a dark alleyway, a trembling Spandam pulled a Baby Den Den Mushi from his coat.
「Hey! What's the status!? Did you find the blueprints in the office?!」 he hissed.
「S-sir! Forgive us! There's someone at the office... someone incredibly strong!!」 the agent's voice crackled with fear.
「What!? Just arrest them! Get those blueprints now!!」
「We can't! He's masked, but we can't even touch him—! GAHH!!」
The Den Den Mushi went silent.
Back at the office, Gin—hidden behind a mask—quietly dusted off his hands as he stood over a pile of unconscious CP5 agents. Sigma sat nearby, munching on a piece of dried meat.
Spandam stomped his feet in a fit of rage. His promotion, his plan, his pride—all of it had been dismantled by a "mere" Rear Admiral.
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