"It's not like that! Vice Admiral Garp and Rear Admiral Gion went to the front gate almost immediately, but they were held back by the Marine traitor, Wood."
The commotion caused by the battle between Wood and Garp had been witnessed by the Marines stationed at Enies Lobby. For those who had served as guards on the island for so long, such a high-level battle was something they had never seen before.
Enies Lobby, located in the first half of the Grand Line, was manned by Marines whose overall quality was comparable to, if not worse than, that of branch Marines. After all, branch Marines occasionally had to go out to sea to hunt down pirates, while the Marines stationed at Enies Lobby were more like security guards.
They didn't have the duty of pursuing pirates; their daily routine consisted of clocking in and patrolling. And a place like Enies Lobby hadn't been attacked in hundreds of years.
Unlike the Marines stationed at headquarters, who were used to large-scale battles, these Marines were understandably shocked by such intense clashes of Haki and the high-level duels between swordmasters.
"A mere former Marine major, a traitor, can hold off two top-tier forces from headquarters?"
Spandam, although not very bright, wasn't entirely foolish.
He might be able to believe that Gion was struggling, but Garp? The same Garp who chased down the Pirate King Roger? The idea that he could be held back by a mere Marine traitor was laughable.
Even if Gion couldn't handle the traitor Wood, leaving Garp alone should be more than enough. So why was Gion also being stalled?
"As the highest-ranking officer here, I order Vice Admiral Garp and Rear Admiral Gion to temporarily abandon their pursuit of the Marine traitor Wood and prioritize the capture of World Government criminal Fisher Tiger. If that old man Tom really escapes, your Navy headquarters will bear the full responsibility!"
Furious, Spandam picked up the Den Den Mushi to contact Garp, wielding the World Government's authority in an attempt to pressure Garp and Gion into following his orders.
The idea that a Marine hero and a star rear admiral were being stalled by a mere traitor was absurd, and Spandam wasn't buying it. He was convinced they were just messing with him.
Because Garp was still locked in fierce combat with Wood, he tossed the Den Den Mushi to Gion, who was watching from the sidelines.
As soon as Gion picked up the receiver, the expression on the Den Den Mushi's face mimicked Spandam's furious scowl, and Spandam's voice roared through the device.
But Gion wasn't fazed by Spandam's threats. Instead, she simply chose to ignore his so-called "orders."
They were Marines from headquarters, not from Enies Lobby. While they all worked for the World Government, they didn't fall under the same command structure.
Spandam, as the highest-ranking officer at Enies Lobby, had no authority over the officers from Marine headquarters. In terms of rank, he was on par with Gion at best.
Of course, Gion wasn't Garp. If it were the latter, he wouldn't even bother acknowledging someone like Spandam, but Gion was different.
Skilled in handling such matters, she responded to Spandam in an official tone, "Commander Spandam, I'm afraid your words are a bit confusing to us. Have you forgotten our main objective for coming to Enies Lobby?"
"Didn't you report to the World Government that a Marine traitor was severely hindering your mission and requested our assistance in capturing the traitor Wood?"
"So, Vice Admiral Garp and I have been acting in line with that directive, doing our utmost to apprehend the Marine traitor who's disrupting your mission."
Gion's tone, filled with apparent confusion, left Spandam's rage momentarily stifled, with no outlet for release.
She was right. To prevent information about Pluton from leaking and to keep the credit from being shared with Marine headquarters, Spandam had requested assistance under the pretense that the Marine traitor Wood was obstructing his mission.
"But the situation has changed! A World Government criminal is about to breach the Tower of Justice and rescue a key figure in this top-secret mission—Fishman Tom! Are you Marines just going to stand by and do nothing?"
The expression on the Den Den Mushi now mirrored Spandam's, who was gritting his teeth, barely holding back his anger.
Before confronting Gion, he had already reported the situation to the World Government.
However, even if the World Government sent reinforcements through the Gates of Justice, they wouldn't arrive in time.
Spandam had no choice but to plead with Gion and Garp for help. He planned to settle scores with them later, once he was promoted.
Unfortunately for Spandam, he had no idea that Wood was still considered one of their own by Marine headquarters, and they also had their sights set on Pluton. So, there was no way they would assist him.
"Sorry, Commander Spandam, but our orders are to apprehend the Marine traitor Wood. That's our top priority. As for your so-called 'top-secret mission,' we're afraid we know nothing about it. Even if you report this to the World Government later, we're completely justified, as we're simply following their instructions."
With that, Gion didn't give Spandam a chance to continue and hung up the Den Den Mushi.
On the other side, staring at the now silent Den Den Mushi, Spandam lost it completely.
He had barely been assigned to Enies Lobby, and now the entire island was being overrun. There was no doubt he would be the one to take the fall for this. The thought left Spandam in despair.
But then, a glimmer of hope crossed his mind: Tom was still in his custody, and Tom knew the whereabouts of Pluton's blueprints.
Even if he didn't personally hand over the blueprints to the World Government, surrendering the only person who knew their location might be enough to redeem himself.
"You! Prepare a ship immediately! You, protect me as I bring that old man Tom to the Bridge of Hesitation. We'll escape through the Gates of Justice. The World Government reinforcements will also be coming through that route; maybe we'll meet them halfway."
Despite his youth, Spandam's cowardice, which persisted even years later, was already evident.
With Enies Lobby about to fall, staying behind as a non-combatant would only mean waiting to die. Running away was the most sensible option.
There was only one life to lose. While he might not get the glory, as long as he had Tom, he could still make amends. The World Government would surely give him another chance.
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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 300+ at pat_reon.com/Betek.