On a ship sailing the vast sea... It's a fresh feeling to be moving on a ship like this, as I'm used to traveling by Razor. It seems that due to the decreasing number of members on long-term undercover assignments, I've been called to the field more often lately. Well, even if Lucci and the others were present, I would have been dispatched for this mission anyway...
"But, in the first place, the New World is not under my jurisdiction, it should be under your jurisdiction, right?"
"Hahaha, it's a direct appointment from the Five Elders, so there's nothing we can do."
"And Spandam-dono is like the de facto head of the CP, as our director mentioned."
In response to my muttering, CP0 agents Maha and Guernika replied. That's right, at the moment, I was heading to a certain island in the New World with Pochi. As Mah explained, it was a mission directly appointed by the Five Elders.
It seems that in some cases, extensive destruction activities may be required, so they called for me... I am a commander, not a demolitions expert, though...
"Anyway, why are we going there with a paddle ship? Is it a special place?"
"Yes, it's an island surrounded by several strong ocean currents, making it inaccessible by normal sailboats. Originally, it was a normal island with a small country, but due to crustal movements, it turned into a kind of barrier and eventually declined into an uninhabited island."
"I see... So, CP0 and I are being mobilized because it's related to the blank century?"
The paddle ship we are currently on and various technological advancements have led to the discovery of islands that have not been found before. Occasionally, islands related to the blank century, which the government detests, are also found.
We investigate, report... and depending on the decision of the Five Elders, dispose of any information that could be leaked... In other words, it's all about thorough destruction.
"Well, the decision will be made by the Five Elders, right? Until the destruction is decided, I probably won't have much to do."
"It wouldn't be surprising if Spandam-dono had the authority to make such decisions."
"As for the blank century, there are no records, so there's no way to make a judgment. All the records in the data room have been intentionally erased. You can't know what's not there, and I'm not interested either."
Jokingly, I replied to Guernika's matter-of-fact statement. If I were able to make my own judgment about the blank century, it would be a problem...
"Spandam-dono? I want to believe it was a misunderstanding, but didn't you say you have memorized all the records in the data room?"
"I have, but I don't want to bother going to the data room just to do research. I have memorized everything that exists in Enies Lobby, and I've gone through all the additional information that was added."
"That's why there are so many piles of documents every day."
"The reason there are so many documents is partly because you guys from the other CPs keep forwarding various things..."
"What's on your agenda today?"
"I finished it before coming here."
"Of course... I think they should create a new position for this person and make him the head of CP..."
Saying that, I glanced at Maha, who was murmuring with a distant look, and called out to Pochi, whose hair was swaying in the pleasant sea breeze, much like a tail.
"Pochi, I'll have coffee."
"Yes!"
Well, we still have some time until we arrive at the island, so let's take it easy.
***
The island we arrived at had once been a small country, and there were ruins of a considerable scale. There were also larger forts that seemed to have been used in wars. Investigating all of this would be quite challenging.
"Spandam-dono, what should we do?"
"Why are you asking me?..."
"Well, because you are the commander, Spandam-dono."
"CP9... Anyway, there's no need to inspect all the ruins. We'll focus on the ancient castle and the fort, and split the personnel to investigate. If you find anything with ancient script or documents, contact me. Once we have gathered enough information, we'll report to the Five Elders through the Visual Den Den Mushi and seek their judgment."
"Understood!"
Although there might be some questions about why I, who should be here as a collaborator, am taking command, the CP0 agents seemed to have no complaints and quickly moved according to my instructions.
This investigation is related to the blank century and may require disposal, so it's difficult to involve a large number of junior officers. We have to limit the personnel obtaining information, which means we have only the minimum crew on the ship, and most of them are waiting on the ship.
As a result, Maha and Guernika are investigating the ancient castle, while Pochi and I are examining the fort.
"Considering the position of the fort, it seems more likely to have been built to repel enemies coming from outside the island rather than for internal wars."
"They might have been at war with other islands. However, there are hardly any visible damages that can be attributed to battles on the fort itself."
"They built it, but perhaps they never had the opportunity to use it... There probably won't be any paper documents left, so we should look for stone tablets or wall paintings."
With these words exchanged, Pochi and I started walking towards the overgrown fort.
***
After about 2 hours of investigation, we found several items with ancient script written on them and brought them back. We rendezvoused with the two CP0 agents at the designated meeting point.
It seemed that the ancient castle had more suspicious items compared to the fort, and Maha and his team collected more items than we did. Additionally, there were stone tablets and wall paintings in the castle that would be difficult to transport.
"...You've worked hard."
A voice from the Visual Den Den Mushi confirmed the voice of the Five Elders. While we don't know if the Five Elders can read the ancient script, they can still make judgments based on wall paintings and such.
And then, a rather solemn tone... This means they've decided on disposal.
"It appears that the civilization on that island should not exist... We have decided so. Therefore, erase everything, including the ancient castle and the fort, as much as possible."
Hearing the words that indicated they had indeed decided on disposal, I spoke to Guernika who was nearby.
"Guernika, do we have a method for disposal?"
"Yes. The ship is equipped with a large amount of explosives and ammunition, so we'll use those... Of course, we won't be able to destroy everything, but we'll focus on destroying the ancient castle and the fort."
"I see..."
After hearing Guernika's response, I glanced briefly at Pochi. The reason is simple. I remembered a conversation I had with Pochi a few years ago...
Well, Pochi has been serving me well all this time, so if the opportunity arises, it might be nice to grant their request...
"Maah, can you switch the communication for a moment?"
"Huh? Oh, sure. Here you go."
I called Mah and took the receiver of the Den Den Mushi.
"Spandam speaking."
"What's the matter?"
"Given that we have decided on disposal, can I assume that it's acceptable to erase everything else on the island as much as possible?"
"Doesn't matter to us."
"In that case... Would it be okay to erase the entire island?"
"...Huh?"
Originally, it's an island that can only be reached by paddle ships due to the ocean currents. Even when using Observation Haki, there is no sign of any humans living there.
Even with a large amount of explosives prepared, it would still be limited to what the ship can carry, and there are boundaries to the extent of destruction that can be achieved. Moreover, it would take time... So, erasing the entire island would be a quicker solution.
"With explosives, there are limits to the extent of destruction. If this island is important to the government, then it's another matter, but if not, erasing the entire island would prevent any unforeseen situations where something might be left behind."
"That's... true, but... is it possible?"
"Yes, for an island of this size, it's not a problem."
"I-I see... Well then, I leave it to you."
"Understood."
Having obtained permission from the Five Elders, I returned the receiver to Maha, then turned to Pochi and gave instructions.
"Pochi... do it. However, as you know, it's difficult to make fine adjustments with that. Set the ship on course, and when you believe it's in a safe position, contact us."
"Yes! Understood!"
Pochi understood what I was planning to do and happily wagged their tail... hair as they moved with a bewildered Maha and Guernika towards the ship.
Now... it's been quite some time since I used it. I have to be careful not to miscalculate the force...
***
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