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When Iceburg and Franky regained consciousness, they found themselves in an empty room, bound with special ropes that rendered them immobile.
They exchanged worried glances, their hearts filled with unspeakable concerns.
It wasn't their lives they were worried about but the fear that their deepest secret might be discovered.
Their mentor had protected this secret with his life. If it were to be lost from their hands, they wouldn't be able to face their mentor even in death.
Franky whispered, "Iceburg, what's going on? Do they know everything?"
Iceburg shook his head. "I don't know who captured us, but they will unlikely know the secret. It's been over ten years."
"If they don't know, why would they capture both of us?"
"Let's not think too much about it now. If they ask, we deny everything."
"Got it."
While discussing, a cough echoed through the empty room, causing Iceburg and Franky to break out in cold sweats.
Holy crap! Is this room haunted? How can there be a sudden cough?
Unbeknownst to them, Byakuya was sitting behind them, watching the overly cautious pair.
The room was pitch dark in the middle of the night, and clouds obscured the crescent moon.
Byakuya was right behind them, yet they failed to notice his presence.
They continued discussing openly as if they were afraid Byakuya didn't know about the Pluton blueprints they were hiding.
"Hey, when discussing such confidential matters, could you at least check if someone else is in the room?" Byakuya's voice cut through the darkness.
They turned towards the sound and could vaguely make out Byakuya's silhouette.
Realizing someone was in the room, they felt incredibly foolish for their earlier actions.
Franky thought about how he had lived under a false identity for years to avoid being linked to Iceburg.
Yet here he was, spilling the secret himself. He might have wanted to bang his head against the wall if he weren't bound.
As the mayor of Water 7, Iceburg had seen his share of crises.
Despite the situation, he remained calm and asked, "Who are you? Why did you bring us here?"
"Actually, I need your help with something."
Hearing this, Franky's temper flared up. "Is this how you ask for help? By tying us up? I wouldn't help you even if I died."
"Oh?" Byakuya stepped out from the shadows, standing before Franky. "If you refuse to help, then you can die."
"But before you do, I might take the Pluton blueprints from your chest and hand them to the World Government. I might even get a promotion."
Upon hearing this, Franky stopped struggling and lay still as if he were indeed dead.
This was the secret he and Iceburg had protected with their lives, now so easily revealed by someone else.
Iceburg's face turned pale as ice, and he glared at Byakuya, asking, "Are you with the World Government?"
Byakuya chuckled. "The World Government? Sort of. Let me introduce myself. I'm Byakuya, a Marine."
"A Marine? Not from a secret organization?" Iceburg felt a surge of frustration as if something was stuck in his chest, unable to come out.
If you were from a secret organization, it would make more sense.
They have been investigating the Pluton blueprints for years with agents around us. As hard as it is to accept, it's understandable.
But to learn that you're a Marine who somehow knows the secret even specialized agents couldn't uncover?
It's like a mouse living cautiously, fearing the cat, only to be caught by a passing dog.
You're a Marine; shouldn't you be catching pirates instead of investigating us? You're meddling!
In their terrified gaze, Byakuya's hand moved like a blade, slicing through the metal on Franky's chest, extracting the Pluton blueprints.
Byakuya curiously opened the blueprint and saw it was filled with dense designs and complex formulas.
It was like looking at a high-level math exam- incomprehensible and headache-inducing.
Frustrated, Byakuya quickly closed it, grumbling that something so unintelligible should be destroyed.
Seeing the blueprint taken away, Franky struggled furiously, shouting, "Give it back to us!"
Iceburg, however, looked as if all hope was lost, knowing it was over.
Byakuya did not mind Franky's attitude and said calmly, "I need you to build a ship for me, using the branches of the Treasure Tree Adam for the keel."
"When the ship is completed, I will return this blueprint to you."
[Ancient Weapon Pluton Blueprint (Unique), Reclaim value: 1000 World Source Points]
'Holy crap, this thing is a real treasure!' Byakuya's eyes widened as he looked at the slightly yellowed blueprint in his hand.
A thousand points of World Source Energy could be exchanged for five tusks from Jack!
If Jack were to grow them naturally, who knows how many years it would take?
Franky and Iceburg were waiting for Byakuya to continue, but he suddenly stopped mid-sentence.
Noticing Byakuya's excited expression and the trembling hand holding the blueprint.
They realized their mentor's safeguarded secret might genuinely fall into the hands of the World Government.
Despite their sacrifice, they had failed to protect it. A wave of sorrow surged through them, but Byakuya's following words startled them:
"I planned to return this blueprint after you built the ship."
"But I suddenly realized that if left in the world, such a thing would be a source of constant turmoil, threatening the peace of the seas."
Iceburg looked at Byakuya in surprise, "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying the blueprint can't fall into anyone's hands. It must be destroyed to ensure stability."
"This way, the World Government won't waste efforts searching for it in you, which is good for you."
Franky tried to protest, "But—" Byakuya cut him off righteously, "No buts. Let me end this source of chaos."
The blueprint turned to dust in Byakuya's hand, dissipating into the air.
In reality, Byakuya had swapped the blueprint with a random piece of paper from his system space and crushed it.
Franky and Iceburg, unable to discern the trick, could only watch in disbelief.
"The blueprint… it's gone…" Franky muttered. Iceburg sighed, shaking his head with a mix of relief and sadness.
It was good; they wouldn't have to fear constantly. But Iceburg still couldn't understand Byakuya's motives.
Unrelated to their situation, why would a Marine bind them and reveal their secrets only to destroy the blueprint?
Unable to come up with a reasonable explanation, Iceburg finally asked, "Byakuya, whose side are you on?"
"I already told you, I am a Marine of justice. I had you captured to save you."
"Save us?" they questioned in confusion.
Byakuya nodded solemnly, "You might not realize it, but the World Government's secret organization has been lurking around you for years."
"Their goal was, of course, the Pluton blueprints hidden in Franky's chest."
Iceburg and Franky did not doubt Byakuya's words, knowing the World Government's methods well.
"And as I said, the Pluton blueprints must not fall into their hands."
"If they succeed, the entire sea will be thrown into chaos. You two alone couldn't possibly protect the blueprints."
"As a Marine of justice, I had to destroy the Pluton blueprints to prevent that outcome."
"Now, even if the World Government continues their investigation, they will only find the mysterious person who captured you. You are safe now."
At first, Byakuya's words seemed reasonable, but upon further thought, they didn't quite add up.
Well, the truth is, it's all about interest. Byakuya himself internally declares that he is Justice and a Hero of Interest.
So, he had to improvise, making up a seemingly logical story.
Franky, clearly not the sharpest tool in the shed, was easily fooled. He looked like he had an epiphany.
Yet, he glanced at the ropes binding them and asked in confusion, "Then why did you have to tie us up?"
Byakuya responded irritably, "Didn't I say I need you to build me a ship?"
Iceburg smiled wryly, "But if you had just asked us normally, we would have been willing to build it for you."
"Because I didn't want to pay, so I had to tie you up and force you to build it for me."
Franky was stunned, and it took him a moment to respond, "Aren't you supposed to be a Marine of justice?"
"Justice doesn't put food on the table. Without money, even the most righteous Marine will starve."
"So, I had no choice but to do this. Now, will you build it or not?"
"We'll build it!" Iceburg quickly answered before Franky could speak.
Unlike his less-brainy junior, Iceburg had become the mayor of Water 7 due to his cleverness.
He gradually developed the seven fishing villages into what is now Water 7.
After hearing Byakuya's explanation, Iceburg detected some inconsistencies in his logic but chose not to point them out.
Instead, he kept these thoughts to himself.
He knew that even if Byakuya's story was full of lies, one thing was true: they were indeed safer with the Pluton blueprints destroyed.
If an investigation occurred, it would focus on the mysterious figure who had kidnapped them, diverting the World Government's attention to Byakuya.
They would no longer have to live under constant surveillance.
Iceburg was even willing to build Byakuya's ship for free, using the Treasure Tree Adam for the keel.
The favor Byakuya had done for them was too great to ignore. Although Franky didn't fully understand the situation, he trusted his senior.
Since Iceburg agreed to build the ship, Franky had no objections.
Without the Pluton blueprints, they no longer feared the World Government's investigation.
As Iceburg and Franky left, they looked at Byakuya with a hint of gratitude.
They even promised to handle all materials needed for the ship, telling Byakuya to return in two months to inspect the final product.
Byakuya was pleased with Iceburg's attitude, preferring to deal with intelligent individuals.
By the end of the night, Byakuya had accomplished several things.
He had secured CP9, enlisted the best shipwrights in Water 7 to build his ship without spending a penny, and saved at least 500 Million Berries.
Moreover, he earned 1,000 points of World Source Energy by obtaining the Pluton blueprints and changing two major plot points, gaining a substantial amount of World Source Energy.
[Congratulations, Host, for successfully altering the 'Water 7' and 'Enies Lobby' arcs, earning 10,000 points of World Source Energy.]
[World Source Energy: 18,000 points]
When Byakuya saw that increasing his fusion rate to 40% required 25,500 points of World Source Energy, he put all his plans on hold.
With the ship needing two months to complete, he was still 7,500 points short.
He realized that several significant plot points in the first half of the Grand Line could be altered for more energy.
He also had a plan that he could implement during these two months.
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