But then again...
Was this technically child labor?
Doflamingo glanced down at Smoothie, whose eyes sparkled like stars, burning with enthusiasm.
Yeah, she probably didn't mind at all.
Turns out, no matter where you are, picking up girls still takes strength and money.
"Put it down, Smoothie. We've got more important things to do."
...
Half a day later.
After wrapping everything up, Doflamingo left Dressrosa with Smoothie in tow.
As for the Tontatta?
If Cricket couldn't handle them properly...
Well, then they could just become test subjects right alongside their so-called great hero.
Doflamingo didn't have time to waste on that bunch.
...
Grand Line.
Saint Poplar, Pucci, San Faldo, and Water 7—four islands now linked together by floating rails, all under Doflamingo's influence.
With the support of three islands behind him, Tom's progress far outpaced the old timeline's tiny three-man workshop.
Water 7 Junkyard.
"Franky! Watch it! Don't break this engine!" Iceburg yelled from behind as Franky leaned over the front of the steam locomotive.
Franky, focused intently on the mechanical structure of the power supply, replied without even turning around.
"Hey now, I've already memorized the whole setup! Even if it breaks, this big guy can build another one from scratch!"
"Bwahaha! Now that's the confidence I like! Let's get this launch going!"
Tom climbed out from the ship's engine room.
"Franky, Iceburg—go to the back and make sure no one's getting in the way!"
"Got it, Mr. Tom!"
Franky dashed off toward the crowd near the rear carriages like a storm. Iceburg followed close behind, still uneasy.
Seconds later, Franky's angry shouts echoed across the lot.
"Stop messing with the measurements Tom set! A drop in power will flip this thing over! You trying to drown us all?!"
"S-Sorry, Franky! I thought a tiny difference wouldn't matter..."
Even Iceburg couldn't take that one. He snapped.
"Idiot! Even a slight error in the keel can sink a ship—this is a sea train, for crying out loud!!!"
Tom watched it all unfold, his laughter fading slowly.
Ever since the Pluton blueprints vanished along with Gladius, he couldn't shake the feeling that some invisible hand was pushing everything along from the shadows.
There were two groups helping out—
One clearly working to sabotage the sea train project, causing trouble behind the scenes.The other? Not only were they pulling their weight, but they always had alternative solutions ready whenever problems cropped up.
In this whirlpool of chaos, would Franky and Iceburg really make it out alive?
Moments later, Franky finished his inspection and shouted:
"Trial Run #301—Ready for launch!!!"
With a blast of the whistle, the steam locomotive lurched forward, dragging its line of cars behind it.
"WOOOAH! IT'S WORKING!!!"
"This'll save Water 7 for sure!"
As the train smoothed out and picked up speed, the shipwrights erupted in cheers.
But not even a kilometer into the run...
A loud clunk rang out from one of the rear cars—and the entire section tipped right into the sea.
"Move! Move! Start the recovery!"
Prepped boats sprang into action, executing practiced salvage operations.
In the background, the same shipwright Franky had yelled at allowed himself a subtle smile before quietly slipping into the crowd of frustrated workers.
Unnoticed, he slipped away and into a distant building, where he made his report.
"Lord Spandam, today's trial failed again—but the damaged part was spotted faster this time. Fishman Tom's making faster progress than expected."
Spandam, eyes bloodshot, didn't even look up from the records of Water 7 he was poring over.
"Keep at it. The Pluton blueprints are definitely in Tom's hands—Oro Jackson is proof enough of that."
He spat the words like poison.
"If he thinks this'll earn him a clean slate—he can dream! That fishman won't escape justice. Never."
His father was dead.
He needed this achievement.
The entire Spandam family did.
Otherwise, they'd be pushed out of the World Government's inner circle, one step at a time.
And that—was absolutely unacceptable.
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