In the president's office of Galley-La Company in Water 7, the secretary, Kalifa, bowed deeply to Iceberg.
"Iceberg-san... I truly appreciate all the support you've given me until now."
"Mmm, those are my words. You've been an excellent and reliable secretary. You've served well. Thank you."
"No, it was you, Iceberg-san, who was an exceptional president worthy of serving."
Kalifa, who had been Iceberg's secretary, was retiring due to personal circumstances, and today was her last day of work. Her successor had already been chosen, and all the handovers were completed.
"Well, you're still the secretary for the rest of the day, so how about a drink? Would you like something to drink?"
"Sure... Well then, since it's a special occasion, how about some tea?"
"I'll prepare it for you."
"Mmm! Impressive, Kalifa."
"I appreciate your kind words."
Swiftly preparing the tea and placing it in front of Iceberg, Kalifa nodded as if impressed. Then, as if a thought occurred to him, Iceberg pointed to the seat across from him and suggested.
"Since we don't have much work left for today, how about we have some tea and share some memories?"
"I see, Iceberg-san... That's sexual harassment."
"Mmm?! Huh? Did I go there?"
"Hehe, I'm just kidding. Yes, that sounds lovely. It's a great opportunity, so I'll join you."
Seeing Iceberg's reaction, Kalifa smiled happily and prepared her own cup of tea before taking a seat across from Iceberg.
And so, the two of them engaged in a casual conversation, sharing stories and memories from the past.
***
"Whoa!! Kaku, it's going to be lonely!"
"Tilestone, your voice is so loud..."
Tilestone's loud shout was met with a somewhat exasperated response from Kaku. He, too, was soon to retire and was lamenting the impending farewell to his friends.
Watching the conversation between the two, Lulu, who had her arms crossed, also chimed in with a hint of regret.
"But it's a shame. Kaku could have become a foreman right away... Well, circumstances at home can't be helped."
"Yeah, my true feelings are that I wanted to keep working a bit longer, but there's nothing to be done about it. However, even when I return to my hometown, I plan to apply what I've learned at Galley-La."
Kaku, who was personable and a lover of ships, had a wide circle of friends among the craftsmen, and many of them were bidding him farewell. Given that Kaku himself had found his days at Galley-La very fulfilling, he carried a sense of regret within him.
As the three chatted and laughed, other craftsmen gathered around them, each offering their own words to Kaku.
"...But to follow after Lucci, now Kaku too, it's unfortunate."
"Don't cry, Paulie."
"Who's crying? You're just saying whatever comes to mind, Lulu!!"
While Paulie retorted to Lulu's teasing words, considering his warm-hearted personality, Lulu's observation didn't seem entirely wrong.
Interrupting the atmosphere, Tilestone shouted loudly.
"Kaku! Make sure to come visit us to hang out again!"
"Haha, I'll do that... I need to collect the money I've lent to Paulie anyway, so I'll come visit again."
"Ugh, K-Kaku... You don't have to remember that, seriously..."
"No way, Paulie. I won't forget even a single Berry. Just think of it as gratitude for the interest."
"Ughhhh..."
"You're lucky, Paulie. We'll meet again, for collection..."
Teasing Paulie about his debt, lamenting the parting with Kaku... Many craftsmen gathered, and for a moment, the work at Dock 1 came to a halt. Yet, this interruption was a testament to how well-loved Kaku was among the craftsmen."
***
"In the Chief Magistrate's office at Enies Lobby's Judicial Tower, the CP9 members had gathered together after a long time. Following Lucci and Kaku, who had returned earlier, Kalifa and Blueno had also returned recently, marking the complete end of their undercover mission in Water 7.
After instructing the assembled members to relax their posture, I sat down in my chair and began to speak.
"Lucci, Kaku, Kalifa, and Blueno, you have all endured long-term undercover missions. Now that everyone is reunited like this, let me inform you about our future plans. For the next while, we will reduce mission assignments and have each of you focus on honing your skills. Specifically... I intend for all of you to master Haki. Yes, except for Pochi, who already has it mastered."
Perhaps the reason I hadn't taught Haki to CP members until now was unconsciously to ensure that Luffy and the others would become strong enough to win during the Enies Lobby arc.
However, now that those concerns no longer apply, I am determined to thoroughly train them.
"As agents dealing with intelligence, you have likely heard of the term 'Haki' to some extent. You will receive detailed explanations when we begin actual instruction. And speaking of the training... mastering Haki varies greatly among individuals, and there is no one definitive way to teach it. However, the government has specialized training facilities for Haki, so you will take turns attending there for training."
The CP0 members have already secured the training facilities for mastering Haki. However, it's not feasible for all of them to go at once due to their workload, so I'm considering a rotation of groups of two or three.
"As a concept, think of it as a one-month training period followed by rotation. Once you have mastered Haki, you will be removed from the rotation. For those of you who haven't attended the training facility, I will personally provide guidance during breaks between missions. In addition to Haki, I intend to teach you various other skills, including physical combat. However... there are other matters to attend to before that. Right now, everyone, move to the training grounds."
Having conveyed the rough plan, I issued instructions to everyone to move to the training grounds, as there was another important step to take care of.
As we arrived at the training grounds with the members looking puzzled, Maha and Guernica came into view.
"I apologize for summoning you both."
"Oh no, whenever Spandam-dono requests it, we are ready to assist."
After exchanging a few words with the two who had come for this purpose, I turned to Lucci and the others.
"These two are agents of CP0 and your seniors. They are here for a specific purpose."
"A specific purpose?"
"Yes, well, the reason I am intensively training all of you is... because you are weak at the moment."
"Wha...!?"
Hearing my direct words, surprise appeared on the faces of the CP9 members. Only Fiszt seemed to understand and accept this fact.
"While you are reasonably powerful by the standards of the first half of the Grand Line, by the standards of the second half... the New World, you are barely at a mid-level."
Not only are they lacking in the mastery of Haki, but there are also many noticeable weaknesses. Especially those members who had combat power below 2000 in the original series would likely not stand a chance in the New World at this point.
While CP9 may sometimes receive missions in the New World, those are currently handled by either me or Pochi. While it's uncertain how many of them will rise to CP0, it's necessary for them to reach a level where they can handle New World missions in the future, even excluding that factor.
"...However, well, it may not be easy for you to accept this wholeheartedly, given your pride as users of the Rokushiki techniques. Therefore, I brought Maha and Guernica here. These two are top agents of the government, possessing strength that is viable even in the New World. Think of them as... at least upper-mid level. I have asked these two to specially make time for you... to teach you the taste of immaturity and defeat."
"Wait a moment, Chief... Are you implying that we'll be easily defeated?"
"Chapapa, similar to Jabra, we don't expect to be easily defeated."
Having pride in one's strength is a good thing. However, it's not desirable for them to remain in the shallow end of the pool, so I've decided to let them experience higher-level combat sooner rather than later.
While Maha and Guernica would likely have an upper-mid-level strength when considering the timeline of the original series, at this point, they're at a disadvantage against the Four Emperors' top executives. Nonetheless, they possess considerable combat prowess...
"Frankly speaking, only Lucci and Fiszt are likely to put up a fight. The rest of you probably won't stand a chance even if you all team up. Well, you'll understand if you try... Well then, Maha, Guernica, I'm counting on you."
"Yes, for the sake of our adorable juniors."
"...We will ensure they learn the lesson of defeat thoroughly."
Leaving Maha and Guernica in charge, I moved to the wall with Pochi. It's essential to remove their arrogance for CP9 members to advance.
It's more efficient to let them experience combat on the New World level rather than trying to advise them over time. If this ignites their desire for improvement, it will make future guidance much smoother.
While the numbers might not provide much insight, if we use Doriki as a metric... by the time of the original series, I hope that all of them will have reached at least 5000 within the next two and a half years or so.
***
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