In the Chief's office at Enies Lobby, as usual, Spandam was processing a massive amount of documents. Numerous reports, mission assignments, various requests... Menu changes in the cafeteria? If it's within the budget, it's approved. As long as they stay within the allocated budget, they can do as they please.
"Chief, we're back."
"...Mission accomplished."
"Yeah, Jabra and Fizz. Good job. You can wait freely until the designated time after submitting the reports."
"Understood."
As Jabra and Fizz, who had completed their mission, came to the Chief's office, Spandam took out report forms from a drawer and handed them over. For some reason, CP9 members wrote their reports in the Chief's office, so a dedicated desk was prepared for them.
Well, it's an advantage to submit reports early, so I don't have any problems with it.
"But, lately, there have been many missions related to the Revolutionary Army. This time it was the assassination of the Revolutionary Army Branch Chief."
"It could be said that their activities have become more active, and it could also be said that there are fewer incidents unrelated to the Revolutionary Army... Well, I also have a joint meeting at Marine Headquarters in the afternoon."
While processing the documents, Spandam responded to Jabra's words. The Revolutionary Army had been expanding its scale year by year, and naturally, there were more missions related to it.
In the original story, Jabra proudly boasted about the number of assassinations of Revolutionary Army Branch Chiefs, and in reality, it seemed to be expanding worldwide.
"The Revolutionary Army, huh... Chief, what do you think?"
"I have no interest. No matter the organization or the country, as long as it's not a perfectly united entity, conflicts can occur. Ideologies can change easily depending on one's position. It's useless to think about right or wrong."
Spandam gave a concise response to Fizz's question. He had no interest in the Revolutionary Army or its ideology. In terms of position, he might be an enemy to the Revolutionary Army, but well, it didn't matter. If someone stands before him with a blade, he'll just kill them.
As he thought about such things, all the document processing was finished. Spandam stood up from his desk and called out to Jabra and Fizz.
"I'll be going out for a bit. Once you complete the reports, hand them to Pochi."
"Where are you going?"
"I have some unassigned missions. I'm going to eliminate three Revolutionary Army Branch Chiefs. I'll be back before noon, so if there's anything, tell me then."
"Before noon... There are only two hours left."
"If everything goes smoothly, it won't take more than an hour... Pochi, I'll leave it to you while I'm gone."
"Yes!"
As Spandam stood up from his desk, Pochi, who had prepared a jacket on the hanger, handed it to him, and he left the room. Luckily, the three locations weren't too far from each other. There's also a joint meeting in the afternoon, so he wanted to finish it quickly...
***
Moving at high speed above the clouds with my razor, it took about 10 minutes to reach the first island. I expanded my Observation Haki range without descending, confirming the island's terrain, buildings, and the location of the branch.
The assassination target mentioned in the report seems to be on the rooftop of a building, so I can quickly finish this.
I wrapped my finger with Haoshoku Haki while in mid-air and flicked it as if flicking a bug away.
"Finger Gun: Flying Flick."
It's a long-range flick specifically for situations like this. I used Observation Haki to confirm that the shot hit the branch chief accurately between the eyes. After waiting a few seconds to make sure of their death, I moved on to the next island.
Flying Flick is convenient, but its power has limitations. If there are walls or obstacles in the way, it may not finish the job. In this case, the target was on a rooftop, so it worked, but if they were inside a building, it would have taken a bit more time.
Immediately starting my razor movement, I headed to the next island. With this distance, I'll arrive in about 7 minutes.
The target on the second island seemed to be in a nearby town instead of the branch, so I couldn't snipe them. There's a possibility of hitting innocent civilians with a slight aiming error.
After descending to the island, I entered the town where the target was located. However, my black suit stands out. It's almost like declaring that I'm a government agent... Well, I can make it less conspicuous by taking off my jacket.
Using Observation Haki, I found the target and approached amidst the crowd. In a passing manner, I shot them through the heart with my finger gun at a speed they couldn't perceive.
The target continued walking for a short while without realizing their own demise, then collapsed, spewing blood. As screams rose, and the surrounding gaze focused on the fallen target, I vanished with my razor, leaving no trace. I moved away from the town and used Observation Haki again to confirm the target's death before heading to the next island.
The third island's Revolutionary Army branch... underground, huh? That's troublesome. It's quite extensive, and the target is deep inside.
Unfortunately, unlike Lucci, I don't take pleasure in killing. If I can eliminate the target quickly, I have no intention of killing others.
But that doesn't mean I have a conviction not to involve others except the target.
After reaching a position directly above the room where the target was, I released a light Stomp on the ground. As a strong tremor shook the ground, I used Observation Haki to confirm multiple rooms, including the one the target was in, collapsing. Many people were crushed.
The target... seems to have died from being crushed. Well, when you build facilities underground, there's always a risk of collapse due to earthquakes... Those who got caught in it were just unlucky.
Checking my watch, only 45 minutes had passed. It ended faster than I thought. I don't have any urgent work except for the afternoon meeting.
... There seems to be a nearby town; I should buy some souvenirs for Pochi and the others...
When I moved to the nearby town, I understood... As expected, the Revolutionary Army, with its sizeable underground facility, has resulted in a quite impoverished town.
However, it didn't give me the impression of a stark contrast between rich and poor within the town. The whole town seemed impoverished. The wealthy individuals probably lived in another area.
"Oh, by the way, traveler. Did you feel the earthquake earlier?"
"Yeah, come to think of it, it shook a bit."
"Yeah, it's rare around here, so it surprised us. Well, luckily, it wasn't a big one."
While I was passing by a shop that sold sweets, I engaged in some small talk with the shopkeeper and purchased some souvenirs. However, at that moment, I felt someone's gaze and turned around.
Several children were looking at me from a distance with longing eyes... While they weren't dressed like street urchins, it seemed they weren't wealthy enough to be given sweets.
"... Add ten more boxes."
"Ten boxes? That's a lot. We appreciate it, though... Here you go."
Besides the souvenirs, I received ten boxes of sweets. I approached the children who had been watching from afar. At first, they were a bit taken aback by my appearance, but when I placed the boxes of sweets in front of them, their eyes focused on them. It's quite obvious.
"... You can share them."
"... Huh? I-Is that okay?"
"Yeah, it's just a whim."
"T-Thank you..."
After delivering a concise message, I waved lightly and left the scene. It was as I said, just a whim. I decided to bestow a favor on someone I happened to notice, gaining a bit of self-satisfaction. That's enough for me when it comes to doing good deeds.
***
After returning to Enies Lobby and giving souvenirs to Pochi and the others, I had lunch before heading to Marineford, where the Marine Headquarters is located.
This time, it's a joint conference regarding the Revolutionary Army, and as one of the top figures among the World Government's three great institutions, I am attending. However, it's mostly a listening role since the Navy takes the lead.
Upon arriving at the port of Marineford, I noticed familiar faces disembarking from another ship, so I moved towards them and greeted them.
"Magellan, it's been a while."
"Oh, Spandam-dono. It's been a long time indeed."
"Thank you for cooperating with me during the verification process last time."
"Not at all, it was a valuable learning experience for me. I never expected my poison to have no effect at all..."
Magellan is also the warden of Impel Down, just like me, he must be here for the joint conference. After expressing my gratitude for helping with the poison resistance verification in the past, we chatted casually while walking through the corridors of the Marine Headquarters towards the main conference room.
"Doku Doku no Mi is undoubtedly powerful, but it doesn't cause much physical damage... For instance, if it gets blocked by something like an iron wall, the poison wouldn't reach the opponent, so you need to consider countermeasures."
"Indeed, I'm not very confident in terms of mobility, and depending on the terrain, the opponent might be able to escape. As someone who rarely engages in actual combat, I must admit I overlooked that."
"Even with a powerful ability, there are always certain weaknesses in terms of compatibility. I'm not sure if it's possible, but if you could solidify the poison and use it as a physical weapon, it could be a great asset. Of course, using the trump card is a different story, considering the significant toll it takes on you, Magellan-dono."
"That's true. Venom Demon, the trump card, not only consumes a lot of energy but also causes significant collateral damage to the surroundings. It's not something I can use lightly."
Magellan's Doku Doku no Mi is undoubtedly powerful, but in the original story, he faced some difficulties due to the poor compatibility with the Doru Doru no Mi.
The nature of his poison lacks penetration, making walls a vulnerability. However, the trump card Venom Demon has the ability to corrode and invade even inanimate objects, which is a different story...
"The best would be to learn to control Venom Demon's poison and use it in small amounts."
"I'll focus on training my abilities... Although it had no effect on you, Spandam-dono. It was quite a feeling of despair."
"Hahaha."
As the tops of the Judicial Island and the prison, Magellan and I often communicate through den den mushi and have a relatively good relationship.
In contrast, I rarely have dealings with Sengoku, the Navy's Fleet Admiral. Surprisingly, there are few occasions for us to collaborate, which is one of the reasons.
Well, the Navy operates as a relatively self-contained organization, so that's also a factor...
"By the way, did you know? The Warlords of the Sea have also been summoned this time... Well, they'll have a separate meeting in a different location, and it seems Sengoku will be handling that..."
"Oh, I've heard a little about it. The timings are different, and the chances of meeting them are low... Well, whether they will obediently respond to the summons or not..."
The content mentioned by Magellan was something I had also heard. After our meeting today, the Warlords of the Sea will also have their own conference.
However, the capricious Warlords are not likely to respond obediently, so it's uncertain how many of them will attend... but Kuma is likely to come. Considering the connection with the Revolutionary Army, the government's movements would be of interest to him.
The others, I'm not sure. Mihawk made a rare appearance in the original story, so it's likely he won't come. On the other hand, Doflamingo seemed to have a disposition to respond to the summons.
Normally, considering the time difference, we wouldn't encounter each other, but based on past experiences, in this kind of situation... we might encounter each other.
***
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