Although Franky was impressed by Jerry's water manipulation abilities, he showed no fear—he had never been the type to back down from anyone. However, when Jerry casually mentioned his real name and alluded to his connection with Iceberg as fellow apprentices, the cyborg was genuinely stunned.
Franky stared directly into Jerry's eyes, sensing that this stranger possessed knowledge that should have been impossible to obtain. After a moment of consideration, he waved his hand to signal his subordinates to withdraw temporarily.
"I know who you are—that's quite a bounty on your head," Franky said in a low voice. "But what's your real purpose in bringing him here?"
"Well, I suppose introductions are unnecessary then. You'll understand what this is about soon enough," Jerry replied calmly.
Once the gang members had departed, Jerry allowed his water dragons to retreat back into the sea. He wasn't sure exactly how Iceberg had managed to temporarily evade surveillance from Kalifa and the others, but his Observation Haki confirmed that no CP9 agents were currently monitoring their location.
Iceberg had initially been skeptical of Jerry's identity and claims. Even when the pirate mentioned Tom's name and referenced secrets from the past, the mayor hadn't completely trusted him. For a brief moment, Iceberg had even suspected Jerry might be a World Government operative, but that theory was quickly dismissed given the man's notorious reputation and massive bounty.
After careful consideration and discretely checking for additional surveillance equipment, Iceberg had decided that a face-to-face meeting was necessary to determine the truth.
Jerry glanced at Iceberg's expressionless face, then at Deuce's curious expression, before speaking with deliberate calm.
"First of all, I know about your relationship with Tom. I also know that you possess the blueprints for Pluton. I even know where the actual Pluton can be found."
"What?! Pluton still exists in this world?" Both Iceberg and Franky exclaimed simultaneously, though their shock focused on different aspects of Jerry's revelation.
Franky was more concerned about the legendary battleship's current status, while Iceberg was disturbed that Jerry possessed such comprehensive intelligence about his most closely guarded secrets.
Deuce's eyes widened as well, but he remained silent. He hadn't expected Jerry to discuss such dangerous topics and decided to listen carefully rather than risk saying something inappropriate.
"Of course it still exists," Jerry confirmed with a slight raise of his chin.
Upon hearing this confirmation, Franky immediately rushed forward with obvious excitement. "Where is Pluton? Tell me!"
"Well, there's one at Sabaody Archipelago... haha, but that's a person, not a ship, so it doesn't concern you," Jerry replied with a mischievous grin.
Franky narrowed his eyes at Jerry's teasing expression, gritting his teeth in frustration. "Damn it! Stop playing games—where's the real one?"
"The legendary battleship Pluton is naturally located somewhere in the New World that has absolutely nothing to do with you. It would be useless for you to know the specific location, and I have no personal interest in it anyway," Jerry said dismissively, clearly enjoying his role as a riddler.
"'This doesn't matter, that doesn't matter'—are you here just to mock us?" Franky demanded angrily. If Iceberg hadn't restraining him, the cyborg might have tried to attack Jerry directly.
After sufficiently teasing the arrogant pervert, Jerry's expression became more serious. "Because that's not why we're having this conversation. I asked Iceberg to meet here to discuss something entirely different—specifically, to help you solve some immediate problems."
"The main crisis you're currently facing is that your blueprints have been targeted by the World Government's intelligence organization. Even though they can't move directly against Iceberg while he serves as mayor, that doesn't mean they'll never find a way to deal with him."
This shift in topic immediately captured both Iceberg and Franky's full attention.
Recalling the afternoon's events, Iceberg raised his hand to stroke his chin thoughtfully. "So you know who the undercover agents are?"
"Yes," Jerry confirmed without hesitation.
"Even if you have that information, what's your real purpose here? You can't be helping us out of pure altruism," Iceberg pressed. Compared to the impulsive Franky, the mayor was considerably calmer and more mature, refusing to be drawn into Jerry's pace without understanding his motivations.
Jerry nodded approvingly at the question, then looked up at the bright night sky. "You're absolutely right—this isn't charity. I have two reasons for getting involved. The first is that I want to honor Tom's memory and legacy."
Hearing his late master's name mentioned, Franky's anger subsided, replaced by deep nostalgia. "We don't fully understand what significance Mr. Tom's name holds for you, but we'll accept that for now. What's the second reason?"
Jerry had no intention of working for free—he wasn't a philanthropist, even though solving their problems wouldn't be particularly difficult for him.
"A simple business transaction. I'll help you deal with the CP9 intelligence organization that's monitoring you, and I can even draw some of the government's attention away from Water 7."
"In exchange, you must help me build a pirate ship as quickly as possible. I'll pay fair compensation, of course, but at a significant discount."
Iceberg found this proposal much more acceptable. A complete stranger offering help without clear motivation would have been deeply suspicious, but Jerry's straightforward request created a mutually beneficial arrangement where neither party seemed to lose much.
What Iceberg didn't realize was that Jerry's willingness to help stemmed partly from genuine respect for Tom's name and legacy. Additionally, since maintaining any positive relationship with the Celestial Dragon-controlled World Government was impossible, Jerry had no reservations about disrupting their intelligence operations.
"Acceptable. What are your specific requirements for the new pirate ship?" Iceberg asked, nodding his agreement. He was quite confident in his shipbuilding expertise and eager to hear the technical details.
Jerry patted Deuce's shoulder encouragingly. "Deuce, show them what we discussed."
"Right. Based on our previous planning, we need to have..." Deuce pulled out a folder of detailed specifications from his briefcase and handed it to Iceberg while beginning his explanation.
After listening to Deuce's requirements, both Iceberg and Franky exchanged knowing smiles. The specifications weren't challenging at all—for craftsmen possessing their level of shipbuilding expertise, the project was actually quite straightforward.
"That's not a problem at all. Our company happens to have most of the necessary materials in stock already. It's just a matter of design work and installation," Iceberg assured them.
"How long would completion take if you work at maximum speed?" Jerry asked. He wasn't actually in a hurry, but he was curious about their capabilities and saw no reason to extend their stay on the island unnecessarily.
"If we mobilize maximum personnel and work around the clock, we could finish within two days," Iceberg replied confidently.
"Perfect. Let's set that timeline then."
With the ship construction details settled, Iceberg's expression grew serious. "Mr. Jerry, please tell me who the undercover agents are."
"Your secretary Kalifa, and two of your shipwrights—Lucci and Kaku. There's also another operative named Bruno," Jerry answered without hesitation, his slight smile never wavering.
He couldn't quite remember Bruno's full details initially, but fortunately he had overheard someone mention that name while walking through the city earlier.
"Bruno? I know him—he owns that bar on Central Street!" Franky interjected, his anger flaring again now that he had specific targets.
"It's really them? I never noticed anything suspicious about their behavior during normal operations..." Iceberg murmured, his eyes gleaming with newfound understanding as he began reconsidering past interactions.
Ignoring both men's different reactions, Jerry continued with practical advice. "This gives you an excellent opportunity to investigate discreetly and confirm what I'm telling you. Otherwise, you might dismiss this as nonsense."
"Of course, here's a friendly warning—even after you confirm they're the infiltrators, don't act rashly. These agents are considerably more dangerous than they appear."
Franky had indeed been planning to confront the spies immediately, but Iceberg's restraining gesture reminded him that careful investigation should come first.
The four men then spent considerable time discussing specific action plans and countermeasures. By the end of their strategic session, both Franky and Iceberg were regarding Jerry with expressions of amazement and newfound respect.
"What's with those looks? Don't become obsessed with me—I'm just a legend," Jerry said with mock arrogance, waving his hand dismissively as if his incredible knowledge and planning abilities were nothing special.
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