「Spandam-dono, a moment of your time?」
Spandam was busy throwing a tantrum in the shadows when a voice called out to him.
「Huh? ...Oh, it's that Marine from before. What do you want?」
Standing there was the very man who had just dismantled his master plan.
「Well, you mentioned you wanted to interrogate the perpetrators I captured, so I was wondering where I should deliver them.」
Krieg was wearing his officer's coat; Spandam realized now he was dealing with a commissioned officer, but his fury outweighed his caution.
「...Tch! Because of you, my entire plan has gone up in smoke!!」 Spandam closed the distance, shouting in Krieg's face.
「'Plan'? Do you have some kind of personal grudge against Tom?」 Krieg asked innocently.
Spandam choked on his words. However, remembering he had the backing of the highest authorities, he regained his bravado.
「...You're wrong!! Listen to me, okay? I'm on a mission from the Five Elders... the heads of the World Government themselves! Do you have any idea what that means?!」
In reality, the Five Elders hadn't given him a direct order; their stance was more of a "if you can pull it off, go ahead" challenge. Spandam, however, lacked the nuance to understand the difference between a suggestion and a mandate.
「Ho... and what kind of mission would that be?」
For a brief second, Spandam's survival instinct kicked in.
「...That is top secret.」 He managed to keep the word 'Pluton' behind his teeth.
「So, to summarize: you admit that the attack on the Judicial Ship was orchestrated by you? And that you intended to frame Tom for the crime...?」
「Hmph, what if I did? If it becomes the foundation for my promotion, then it doesn't matter who takes the fall. Now, shut up and return my subordinates that you captured!」
He spoke with the implicit tone of a government official ordering a common soldier to heel.
「Ah, as for them, they've been taken to my ship. We're docked at the far pier...」
Krieg guided Spandam away from the harbor, where the crowd was still cheering for Tom's acquittal, toward a more secluded wharf.
The Red Gull's Trap
「Wait... that red Navy flag?! You're with the 'Red Gull' (Vanguard Unit)?!」
「Oh? You didn't notice the coat? Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Rear Admiral Krieg, Commander of the Navy Independent Vanguard Unit.」
Spandam's face went pale. He hadn't realized he was speaking to a Headquarters Rear Admiral, and he clearly regretted flapping his mouth so freely.
「...Tch. Whatever. Just hand over the 'attackers' to me!」
He was now calling his own men "attackers" again to save face. Krieg merely smiled.
「By the way, Spandam-dono, I recently acquired something quite interesting.」
Krieg reached into his coat and pulled out a small seashell. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary conch. Spandam tilted his head in confusion.
「What is that?」
「Actually, this shell has the ability to record and store sound...」
Krieg clicked the top of the shell.
『Huh? ...Oh, it's that Marine from before...』
The recording played back their entire conversation with crystal clarity, right down to the part where Spandam admitted the plan was a stepping stone for his promotion.
「Wh—you!! Are you trying to frame me?!」
「No, no, not at all. You see, I was hoping to scout Tom for my unit, and it would be quite inconvenient if he were arrested for something so trivial, wouldn't you agree?」
Krieg let the threat hang in the air. 「Do you understand what I'm saying? About this 'mission' from the Five Elders? As a Marine, I'd prefer not to cause a public scandal. If you promise never to bother Tom again, I'm happy to give this to you.」
「...Fine! Just give it here already!!」
「Very well. I'll give the order to release your men shortly.」
「Tch... you'll regret this later!!」 Spandam snarled.
「Oh? Is that the kind of thing you should be saying? I could just release this recording right now and have you arrested on the spot, you know?」
Spandam bit his tongue. Realizing he was completely cornered, he snatched the Tone Dial from Krieg's hand and stormed off, fuming with rage.
「...Well, I never said I only had one Tone Dial,」 Krieg murmured.
Once Spandam was out of sight, Krieg pulled a second Tone Dial from his pocket. He stared at it for a moment, a sharp glit in his eye. Now, how should I use this one?
The Night at Tom's Workers: Rear Admiral Krieg
Krieg had already issued the orders to release the CP5 "attackers"—a strategic move to keep the peace while the blackmail material simmered.
Later that night, Krieg found himself in the heart of Tom's Workers' headquarters. The room was a chaotic battlefield of blueprints, wooden shavings, and half-finished models. Across the heavy oak desk sat Tom, looking as unshakeable as a cliff face despite the day's near-execution.
「Tom-san, I appreciate you taking the time to see me.」
「Tah-hah! A man shouldn't sweat the small stuff! You saved my hide today, so I figured you had something important on your mind,」 Tom replied, his booming voice slightly muffled by the surrounding clutter.
Krieg didn't waste time with pleasantries. He laid out the hard truth: Spandam's ambition, the pressure from the World Government, and the specific danger they were in.
「Tom-san. I know you have it. The blueprints. I have no intention of making it public or seizing it for the Navy. Personally, I'd rather those things stay buried.」
Tom's jovial expression hardened into something dignified and resolute. He locked eyes with Krieg. 「...Fumu. I suppose there's no point in hiding it from a man like you. You're right. I hold the legacy you're thinking of.」
「Spandam isn't the only one sniffing around,」 Krieg continued. 「The higher-ups in the Government are starting to get curious. What do you plan to do with them?」
In the original timeline, Tom eventually passed them to Iceburg, who gave them to Franky to hide inside his own body. But with Tom still alive and free, the variables had changed.
「Mmm... I've been thinking of entrusting them to the next generation, but...」 Tom trailed off, stroking his chin.
「Then do it carefully. In the meantime, look at these.」 Krieg spread several sheets of paper across the desk.
「What's this? ...Joyful Island, Saize Island, Mecha Island, Cocos Island... oho, and 'Zossen Island'? A shipbuilding island, eh? Seems different from our style.」
「To be blunt, I want you to disappear for a while,」 Krieg stated firmly. 「Spandam is small-minded and vengeful. He will try something again once the initial shock wears off.
These are islands I've scouted—places where a legendary shipwright can live quietly without attracting the wrong kind of attention. You're a free man now, so I'm not ordering you. I'm advising you.」
「Tah-hah-hah! Well, you've certainly got a point! But... give me some time to think on it, will you? I've got deep roots in this city. Moving isn't as simple as changing shirts.」
「I understand. We'll be in port for a few more days. Let me know when you've decided. Now, for the other matter... your Sea Train.」
Tom perked up. 「Ho? What about my masterpiece?」
「The Navy is researching paddle-ship technology, and we've developed a steam engine of sorts. But the size is the problem. It's too massive for anything but the largest warships.」
「Hahaha! You want to take a look at the Sea Train's engine to see how I kept it compact, eh?」
「Exactly. But it's far from practical for combat vessels yet.」
「Tah-hah! I'd love to tell you to 'leave it to me with a Don!', but the truth is the Sea Train's engine is built for a specific purpose. It's small, yes, but it lacks the raw torque required to push a heavy warship through rough seas on its own. It works because it's on a rail. Putting that power into a free-floating hull is a different beast entirely.」
Technical Exchange: Propulsion Systems
The two spent the next few hours locked in a deep technical debate. Krieg shared what he knew of modern mechanics from the Blue Sea, while Tom offered the intuitive genius of a master shipwright.
Feature Navy Standard Steam Engine Tom's Sea Train Engine
Size Massive (Occupies half the hull) Compact(External/Integrated)
Power Output High (High torque) Moderate (Optimized for rails) Fuel Efficiency Poor Excellent Main Issue Heat dissipation and weight Low thrust-to-weight ratio for ships
「I see... it's not as simple as just scaling it up,」 Krieg muttered, looking at a cross-section Tom had sketched. 「We'll have to keep refining the technology at HQ.」
「That's the spirit! Shipbuilding is a marathon, not a sprint!」 Tom laughed.
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