"Archive room searched. Nothing found."
"Storage room searched. Nothing found either."
"Damn employee dormitory turned upside down. No trace of anything."
"All the middle and senior offices in Tom's Shipbuilding Company have been searched… nothing found. Some offices had secret compartments with blueprints hidden inside, but they're not related to Pluton."
"In that case, the only places left are Franky's workshop and Tom's office…"
"Don't forget—before Iceburg officially became the mayor of Water 7, his office must also be thoroughly searched. After all, he was Tom's most valued disciple!"
After scattering around to search, the members of CP9 gathered again and reported their findings to each other.
Although it was late at night and Tom's Shipbuilding Company was completely empty, they still instinctively lowered their voices to avoid unexpected incidents.
But… what they definitely didn't expect was that their every move had already been broadcast live by the Visual Den Den Mushi planted inside Tom's Shipbuilding Company.
And it was being shown right at the World Conference venue, clearly visible to all the kings of the member nations, the high-ranking Marine officials, and the Five Elders.
Nusjuro's expression was completely out of control by now.
They had clearly told Spandine and Spandam after Tom's trial was over—this matter ends here. The two of them should just do their own jobs.
And what did they go and do!?
Not only that—they didn't even file a report. They just directly sent the most elite part of CP9 out on their own?
If they'd carried this out flawlessly, with only the heavens, the earth, you, and me knowing, it could have been let go.
But now, they'd been exposed. And the one who exposed them… was Michael, that bastard!
How could the World Government possibly get away unscathed now?
"Saint Nusjuro, may I ask if you have any explanation for CP9's current actions in Tom's Shipbuilding Company?" Michael smiled as he looked at the only one among the Five Elders holding a sword.
"You know, although CP intelligence agencies have considerable authority, including the power to monitor and surveil member nations of the World Government…"
"Yes, CP agencies indeed have that function." Nusjuro instinctively responded, but this ancient financial god of war immediately realized what he'd just stepped into.
Michael was setting a trap.
"But—"
"Saint Nusjuro, since you admit it, that's good." Michael shook his head. A surge of Conqueror's Haki Infusion burst out toward Nusjuro, forcing the corners of his mouth to twitch. He was clearly on the brink of fury.
"You're getting old, don't get so worked up. Otherwise, what if you have a stroke and half your body gets paralyzed? Oh, right—you're a Mythical Zoan user, so strokes probably don't happen to you. My bad."
Michael said "sorry," but there wasn't a hint of apology on his face.
Nusjuro forced himself to calm down.
His eyes were full of wariness.
He had already felt it—Michael could control his Conqueror's Haki Infusion with ease. That meant… this man had already stepped firmly into the ranks of the strongest.
Even Imu-sama valued people like that highly.
Not to mention, this man was the Marines' Chief Inspector—"Gintaka."
No matter what, the Marines and the World Government were still one body. They hadn't fully split apart yet.
So after taking two deep breaths, Nusjuro's expression gradually calmed.
He glanced again at the screen, where CP9 was rummaging through Tom's Shipbuilding Company.
Then he turned to Michael and said evenly,
"This was the personal action of CP9 commander Spandam. Launching such an operation against the free trade city of 'Water 7,' which is not a World Government member nation… is truly outrageous, intolerable to both heaven and man."
"Oh my, Saint Nusjuro, how righteous of you!" Michael smiled warmly. "I rarely agree with big shots like you… So, how do you plan to handle this matter?"
"Handle this matter…" Nusjuro sighed. Facing Michael, it seemed like he had no choice but to sacrifice the CP9 members.
Although the World Government was powerful, CP agents stirring up trouble in various nations was already an open "secret." Everyone just tacitly ignored it to maintain superficial peace.
But once such a thing was brought to the table, even if the World Government still held the upper hand, they had to show a clear stance on how they would deal with it.
After all, the member nations followed the World Government because their interests aligned.
But what CP9 had just done was blatantly telling everyone… if there's something good, we'll take it by force.
If they couldn't share the profits, why keep the World Government as the boss?
And those powerful nations had already begun to stir restlessly.
So… there could be no hesitation in handling this. No sentimental attachment to CP9's so-called talents. Of course, "talent" didn't include that idiot father-son pair, Spandine and Spandam!
"CP9 commander Spandam, as well as his father Spandine, will be taken into custody by the World Government. Their execution date will be decided by a vote among the kings of the member nations. All other CP agents involved in this matter will be stripped of their positions and permanently banned from re-employment." Nusjuro gritted his teeth, swept his gaze across the assembled kings, and said, "With this… are you all satisfied?"
"Of course not."
Michael was the first to raise his hand in opposition. He looked at Nusjuro's bulging forehead veins and said with a grin,
"This may be an explanation to the member nations of the World Government… but what about Water 7? Water 7 isn't even a member nation. It's not even a country!"
He had made it this obvious— even Smoker would have figured it out by now.
Let alone one of the Five Elders, Nusjuro.
He looked at Michael with complicated eyes…
So this entire elaborate setup… was meant to make him, one of the Five Elders, personally raise Water 7's status to that of a World Government member nation?
For someone in the Marines…
What benefit could that possibly bring him?
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