Believing he had everything under control, Spandam was elated and couldn't wait to report his achievements to Doflamingo to claim credit.
How very Spandam of him.
"Joker, it's all been settled! As soon as that old geezer Tom finishes the Sea Train, I'll get the Pluton blueprints!" Spandam's excited voice crackled over the Den Den Mushi.
"Oh, is that so? You've done very well, Spandam," Doflamingo offered a bit of praise.
"Hahaha, not at all! It's mainly thanks to Joker's brilliant leadership!" Spandam laughed, laying the flattery on thick.
"I don't have that much time to waste on him," Doflamingo's tone suddenly turned serious, his voice sharp. "If he can't finish the Sea Train, are we supposed to play this game with him forever?"
"Th-this..." Spandam began to stammer. Even though Doflamingo couldn't see him, he knew the man was undoubtedly breaking out in a cold sweat, his face pale with fear.
"He cares deeply for his apprentices, doesn't he?" Doflamingo continued, his voice icy. "As a government official, you should certainly show him some care. You need to constantly apply pressure. That will give him more motivation, won't it? Tell him we're only giving him six months."
"Y-yes, yes! I know what to do! You can count on me!" Spandam replied hastily.
"Then I'll be waiting for your results."
Before Spandam could react, Doflamingo hung up.
Aboard the ark, in Doflamingo's room, Ibes was nestled in his arms, quietly listening to the conversation. Ibes was an excellent listener; she never spoke out of turn. She handled what she was meant to handle and didn't meddle in what she wasn't.
Doflamingo gently stroked Ibes's hair and asked softly, "Ibes, is there any news from the White Dove?"
Hearing his question, Ibes's expression turned serious. She reluctantly pulled away from his embrace and began to report the latest intelligence.
"Dof, there's news about the Sun Pirates you wanted the White Dove to track."
"Is that so? Their captain is dead, I presume. As for that bunch of nobodies, they've probably disbanded by now," Doflamingo said with a dismissive sneer.
"Dof, it's just as you said," Ibes reported calmly. "The captain of the Sun Pirates, Fisher Tiger, is indeed dead. The crew has fallen apart. I've heard that Jinbe the 'Knight of the Sea' has joined the Seven Warlords. A portion of the crew, led by a man named Arlong, has disappeared for the time being."
"Ibes, order the White Dove to find out Arlong's whereabouts," Doflamingo said seriously.
"Alright, I'll notify them immediately."
Seeing his serious expression, Ibes responded swiftly.
However, Arlong, who was currently heading for the East Blue, was completely unaware of any of this.
Fisher Tiger was dead. Jinbe and Arlong's paths had diverged, and it was no surprise that they had a falling out. One went to become a dog for the World Government, while the other, harboring his own ambitions, set off to tyrannize the East Blue.
In the waters near the Talb Islands, the fish-man Arlong and his followers—the octopus Hachi, Kuroobi, and Chew, among others—were sailing as the newly formed Arlong Pirates. Their destination was the East Blue, the weakest of the four seas. Only there could he lay low and build his strength in peace. At least, that's what Arlong told himself; he didn't consider it fleeing.
The truth was, the Grand Line was filled with too many powerful people. He was afraid. If he couldn't beat them, couldn't he at least run from them?
Furthermore, Arlong was a classic racist. Though he knew his own weakness, he was fiercely proud of being a fish-man and believed they were inherently superior to humans.
A pathetic creature, unable to face reality. He didn't dare challenge the strong, but took pleasure in bullying the weak.
Finding Arlong might bring more peace to Nami's life. Of course, Doflamingo wasn't trying to help Nami out of the goodness of his heart or give her a peaceful childhood. He had his own reasons for finding Arlong. After all, the man held considerable sway among the fish-man rabble.
For this purpose, Doflamingo naturally wanted to make use of him, which would, in turn, indirectly change Nami's tragic fate.
But she wasn't the only one whose life had been altered. Sanji was currently learning to cook in some forgotten corner of the world. Robin had long since become a member of his Family. As for Luffy? He was still the same, though his passion for becoming the Pirate King had only grown stronger, driven to fulfill Red-Hair's wish.
And Franky? He was rotting in jail.
Moreover, Doflamingo had always placed great importance on Fish-Man Island. After all, that was the home of Poseidon.
A living, humanoid weapon. Who wouldn't love that? Who wouldn't want it?
Doflamingo had never considered himself a good person. Of course he wanted to hold such power in his own hands. As for how to control it, and what role he would play in the process, that would depend on Arlong and his crew's efforts.
Arlong, already a target of Doflamingo's schemes, was completely oblivious. He and his crew were still leisurely making their way to the East Blue, unaware they were being watched. The Arlong Pirates carried the hopes of Hachi and the others. Arlong was their new leader, who would guide them to a new future. They firmly believed this.
But reality is cruel. Living in a fantasy, they would eventually have to face the bloody truth.
Back in Water 7, Ibes received Doflamingo's command and quickly relayed the order to the White Dove: track down Arlong and his crew with all available resources.
Meanwhile, Spandam, having received his 'tip' from Doflamingo, immediately understood and began another round of "persuasion" with Tom.
Under the weight of the World Government's authority and Spandam's relentless pressure, Tom reluctantly accepted the new terms. He could only work even harder, striving to complete the Sea Train within the agreed-upon time.
That night, the lights of Tom's Shipyard in Water 7 burned brightly. Tom was still there, leading Iceburg, Lucci, and the others, pushing hard to meet the deadline.
"Mr. Tom, why the rush? The Sea Train isn't something that can be finished so easily. Everyone's been working all day, and it's already so late. We should get some rest."
Iceburg watched the tireless Tom, confused. This high-intensity work had been going on for some time. At first, trusting his master, he hadn't asked any questions. But feeling responsible for his fellow workers, Iceburg finally voiced his doubts.
Hearing him, Tom looked up at the men present. "If you're tired, go and rest," he instructed.
"Then... you should also rest early, Mr. Tom. We'll be going now."
As if granted a great pardon, the workers immediately dropped their tools and left the workshop one after another.
After a while, all who were meant to leave had gone. Only Tom, Iceburg, and Lucci remained.
It was understandable for Tom and Iceburg to be there, but Lucci's presence seemed a bit out of place to them.
"Lucci, what's wrong? Aren't you going to rest?" Iceburg asked, stretching his tired body after a long day's work.
Lucci didn't flinch. He answered with perfect composure, "Mr. Iceburg, I just want to learn a little more from Mr. Tom."
"Is that so? But it really is late now, Lucci. You should head back first," Iceburg said, kindly trying to persuade him.
Hearing their conversation, Tom looked at Lucci with curiosity.
"In that case, I'll be leaving now," Lucci said. He saw that he had caught Tom's attention and had heard the dismissal in Iceburg's tone. He had no good reason to linger.
"See you tomorrow then, Lucci," Iceburg said.
Lucci didn't answer. He grabbed a nearby jacket, threw it over his shoulders, and left the workshop.
Once Lucci was gone, the master and apprentice began to talk.
"That young man, Lucci, is quite something," Tom said to Iceburg.
"Haha, Mr. Tom, I think he's great too!" Iceburg replied with a smile.
"You should go too, Iceburg. I need to work a little longer," Tom said, starting to send him away as well.
Hearing this, and connecting it to Tom's recent round-the-clock work and Kokoro's strange behavior, Iceburg realized something was wrong.
He quietly approached Tom and whispered, "Mr. Tom, has something else happened with Franky?"
"Sigh... Yes, it has," Tom sighed.
"What exactly is going on, Mr. Tom?" Iceburg asked urgently.
"To release Franky, the World Government's condition is that I complete the Sea Train within six months. Otherwise, Franky still won't be able to escape," Tom explained, omitting the most important details.
"How could this happen? Mr. Tom, can we make it in time?" Iceburg asked, stunned.
"We can. Don't worry, Iceburg. I will definitely save Franky," Tom said with a reassuring smile.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Tom. This is all my fault," Iceburg said, his voice filled with sincere self-blame.
"It's alright. I need to get back to work," Tom said dismissively.
"I'll help too! That kid Franky... when he gets out, we have to teach him a good lesson for causing all this trouble! Right, Mr. Tom?" Iceburg said, venting his frustration.
"Haha, yes! We definitely have to teach that brat a good lesson!"
The room was filled with warmth. Outside, Lucci, who had been pressed against the wall, quickly departed.
Another day with no real gains. He now knew why Tom was working so desperately, but the old man was hiding it well. He hadn't revealed a single trace of Pluton.
Tom, of course, had no intention of giving the blueprints to Iceburg just yet. If he told Iceburg everything and entrusted the blueprints to him, Iceburg might try to stop him, perhaps even offering the blueprints to the World Government to beg for their lives.
Tom, with the cunning of old age, had considered everything. Once the dust settled, nothing could be stopped.
With everyone harboring their own ulterior motives, Water 7, which appeared peaceful, was in fact a pool of muddy water.