Chapter 159: New Pirates
After seeing Iceburg off and easing Tom's worries as much as he could, Axel brought Tom into a separate room for a private talk.
Tom's injuries had been treated, but he was still far from recovered. Even sitting upright made his breathing heavier than usual. Still, his voice carried the same steady weight as ever.
"I owe you my life this time," Tom said. "Without you, I might have died before I could pass anything on. And you let me see Iceburg, too."
He gave Axel a firm nod.
"I'll be your shipwright."
Tom had always believed that a man should face everything with his head held high. He was open with those who helped him, and Axel had done more than simply save him. Tom also understood the meaning behind the arrangements with Iceburg. They were not just for his sake, but to keep Iceburg and the others away from suspicion.
For that alone, Tom was sincerely grateful.
"No need to make it sound so formal," Axel said. "You're my shipwright now. Helping you is only natural. Besides, it benefits me too."
Tom looked at him for a moment, then gave a low laugh.
"Sometimes, I really don't think you're a child. That body of yours feels more like a disguise."
Axel blinked.
"Oh? What makes you say that?"
He was right, of course, but was it really that obvious? Axel had always thought he acted the part reasonably well.
Tom smiled. "Children don't usually understand the world that well. At least, none of the children I know do. You're too careful. Too formal. It feels like you grew up in the wrong direction."
Axel fell silent.
Grew up in the wrong direction?
Was that just a polite way of saying he thought too much?
"Sometimes there's no choice," Axel said after a moment. "The situation forces you to act that way."
"I don't think so," Tom replied. "A man should stand tall and do what he believes is right."
"That sounds nice."
Axel shrugged.
"Maybe someday I'll be able to live like that."
Living according to one's will was certainly admirable, but there was always a price. Saving Tom had essentially meant offending the World Government.
Perhaps the World Government was overthinking things and had not moved against him directly, but that did not mean there would be no consequences. At the very least, he had likely been marked as reckless. There might also be hidden dangers he had not noticed yet.
Tom did not keep pushing the matter.
Everyone carried a different belief. He had no right to force his way of thinking on others. Just as the people of Water 7 had never understood why he built a ship for Roger, he had never once regretted it.
Others could not change him.
So he would not try to change Axel either.
"Now that I'm here," Tom asked, "what should I do?"
Axel thought about it.
He had not seriously planned for Tom's arrival before this. Naturally, he had no detailed assignment prepared.
"Since I called you my shipwright, you'll be in charge of maintaining and modifying the warships."
After a pause, he added, "You can modify them however you want. If you need materials, go to Franklin. He has money now, so take whatever you need. Don't be polite."
"Franklin?"
Axel remembered that Tom did not know him.
"A merchant," Axel explained. "A very rich one. Feel free to fleece him."
If Franklin had been present, he might have cried from sheer injustice.
The integration of the islands' merchant resources had been Axel's idea from the beginning, and much of it had been enforced through Marine pressure. Franklin had spent every day living on edge, only to now be summarized as someone who could be fleeced at will.
Tom did not seem troubled by it.
"If there are materials, then I won't be polite," he said with a hearty laugh. "I'll build one good ship after another. Shipbuilding is the greatest joy in the world!"
Axel paused.
For a moment, he imagined the Marine base suddenly packed with ship after ship.
This was Tom, after all. A man who could lift a ship with brute strength and finish installing a mast while suspended in midair. With his efficiency, it would not be strange if a new ship appeared every month.
"I didn't ask you to build ships…"
Axel rubbed his forehead, then gave up.
"Forget it. Do whatever you want."
Privately building ships in a Marine base was not a serious problem. If anyone asked, the explanation was simple: with pirates increasing in the area, additional warships were needed as reserves.
It was not an age of rebellion. Surely no one would arrest him for "preparing too many ships."
Probably.
Speaking of ships, Axel had once wanted to build one for himself. But somehow, after drifting further and further down the Marine path, that desire had faded. Still, if he got the chance later, having his own ship would not be bad.
Tom grinned when he saw Axel did not object.
If Axel had refused, Tom would not have forced it. But receiving permission was naturally the best result.
"Where can I build them? I can't wait! Hahaha!"
Axel did not keep him there any longer. He called someone over and had them bring Tom to inspect the base's shipyard.
After Tom left, Axel returned to his office.
The moment he opened the door, his head began to ache.
A mountain of documents sat on the desk. It was several dozen centimeters high, quiet and motionless, yet somehow more oppressive than a battlefield.
No matter how quickly he processed paperwork, he still only had one pair of eyes. He could remember everything he saw, but he still had to flip through the pages one by one. He could not just upload the entire stack into his brain like a machine.
He could already picture the days ahead: sitting at the desk, turning page after page, giving answers until the ink and paper haunted his dreams.
How long had he been away?
Counting from the time he went to Franklin's side, then to Water 7, then Enies Lobby, and finally back, it had been roughly three weeks. Almost a month.
Looking at the pile, Axel seriously wondered whether he should abandon all responsibility and become a useless office ornament.
Unfortunately, some mysterious sense of duty kept him from doing that.
So he sat down and began working in silence.
At the same time, he muttered, "Next time, whoever sends the biggest stack gets assigned the most work."
Several peaceful days passed in the blink of an eye.
Then the alarm inside the Marine base blared, tearing through the quiet.
A Marine rushed toward Axel's office. He did not even bother with proper etiquette. After a quick knock, he pushed the door open and reported anxiously to the small figure behind the desk.
"Captain Axel! Unknown pirates have appeared in our waters! The patrol unit engaged them, but they were completely wiped out!"
Axel did not immediately order an attack.
He raised his head from the documents.
"When and where did the attack happen? Explain the course of events."
"Yes, sir! It happened just moments ago, near Pucci Island. A Marine warship on patrol spotted an unknown ship passing near Pucci. The ship was flying a pirate flag with a white dove design."
The Marine swallowed and continued, "After that, the reporting officer suddenly shouted, 'The ship is breaking!' Then contact was lost. From the sound of wood splintering and the terrified expression of the Den Den Mushi, we believe the ship was indeed sunk."
Axel fell silent.
There were suspicious points.
From the report, the enemy had sliced through a steel-clad warship in a single blow.
Pirates capable of that should not be unknown. Yet their flag had never appeared before.
A white dove.
Axel tapped the desk lightly with his fingers.
Pucci Island was an important source of timber. Without it, Water 7's shipbuilding industry would suffer a serious blow. No matter who these pirates were, he could not ignore them.
A moment later, he stood.
"Assemble the Marines. Prepare the warships."
His gaze sharpened.
"We're setting out."
.....
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