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"Franky?"
Hearing this name, a deep sense of caution instinctively flickered in Iceburg's eyes.
In Water 7, everyone believed that their beloved mayor would never be associated with a tyrannical gang leader. However, the truth was that they had trained under the same master. Despite their frequent quarrels, they were very close, like family.
The reason they didn't publicly acknowledge this relationship was due to their master, the fish-man Tom.
Tom was the creator of the steam-powered Sea Train of Water 7. Even more astounding was that the ship the Pirate King Roger used to sail around the world, the Oro Jackson, was crafted by him.
After Tom was executed by the World Government, the blueprints for the ancient weapon Pluton were passed on to Iceburg. But Iceburg, being too prominent a figure, entrusted them to Franky.
So when Noir came up to him and immediately asked to see Franky, it was clear he knew something, forcing Iceburg to be cautious.
Feigning nonchalance, Iceburg asked, "Franky? I have no idea where he is. Why are you looking for a thug like him?"
Noir smiled slyly and said, "Mayor, there are some things that are better discussed in private."
Iceburg glanced around at the enthusiastic citizens gathering around them. After a moment's thought, he said, "Very well, please wait a moment. I'll take you to Dock One, and we can talk more there."
Noir inwardly chuckled. Using the ship as an excuse to keep it close, afraid I might escape, huh?
With matters involving the ancient weapon, his master's trust, and his junior apprentice's safety, Iceburg couldn't afford to be careless. He needed to get Noir to his turf to figure out his next move.
Despite the inner turmoil, Iceburg maintained a smiling demeanor as he asked, "May I know your name, sir?"
"Noir."
Iceburg tensed up slightly, asking, "Kyros D. Noir?"
Noir, surprised, responded, "You know me? Am I that famous already?"
Iceburg's expression stiffened.
Overpowering a Warlord of the Sea and slaying the king of an allied nation, even though Noir's deeds hadn't made the papers yet, Iceburg had heard bits and pieces through his extensive network.
And now, he had just invited someone on par with a Warlord into his company's shipyard?
Kalifa, standing nearby, also showed a hint of fear, perfectly playing her part. But in her mind, she was certain that the man before them was the very target the government had tasked CP9 with capturing.
With the Copy-Copy Fruit, Noir's ability was highly coveted by the government for its potential in many areas. For example, could Noir replicate the powers of the Ope Ope no Mi and perform the Immortality Operation? Could he replicate other powerful but dangerous Devil Fruits and wield them without suffering the side effects? And so far, there seemed to be no limit to the number of fruits Noir could copy.
This temptation was irresistible to the Celestial Dragons, who, through the government, had passed down orders to the Marine and, ultimately, to CP9.
Even though Kalifa reassured herself that they were well-prepared, she couldn't help but feel a tinge of fear. Anyone who could challenge a Warlord was no easy opponent.
Don't be fooled by the poor performance of Warlords like Crocodile and Moria in the original series; they were still chosen by the government from among the most fearsome pirates in the world, each with near-sovereign power.
Kalifa steadied her nerves. All she needed to do now was lead Noir to the ambush site. Once he was caught in the trap, there would be no escape!
The only wildcard was the tall man beside Noir. The Marine's briefing didn't mention anything about Enel.
Kalifa's thoughts were filled with schemes, and Enel, with his acute Observation Haki, could vaguely sense her inner turmoil. He discreetly winked at Noir, who looked at him curiously, raising an eyebrow.
The two began a silent conversation.
Enel (narrowed eyes): "This chick keeps eyeing you. I think she's up to something!"
Noir (Handsome’s smile): "What do you know? She’s just captivated by my charm!"
Enel (annoyed face): "Who do you think you're fooling?"
Noir (winking): "I beat a Warlord. It's only natural that girls are drawn to me."
Enel (blank stare): "Wait, what? What's a Warlord?"
Iceburg looked at the two men, now transformed into living emoji, with a perplexed expression.
These two…are they okay?
Keeping up appearances, Iceburg politely led them toward Dock One, taking the opportunity to send for Paulie and hoping Webber would come along.
Noir and Enel followed Iceburg into the shipyard, where a strong sense of purpose and determination filled the air.
For a shipyard, this place was enormous.
What surprised Enel even more was the sight of those shirtless, sweating shipwrights. Each one was agile and clearly skilled in combat.
Are these guys shipwrights or bodyguards?
Iceburg called out to the group of shipwrights, and a young man wearing a newsboy cap responded, leaping gracefully to land before Iceburg.
"Iceburg-san, what do you need?" the young man asked.
"Kaku , bring back a single-mast ship from Dock Five. I've already made arrangements."
Iceburg then introduced the young man to Noir, "Kaku is the foreman of our company's shipwrights. His jumping ability earned him the nickname 'Mountain Wind.'"
Noir nodded, observing the seemingly sunny young man with the long nose.
Kalifa, Lucci, and Kaku, government agents are really skilled. Three of them had infiltrated Iceburg’s circle without him noticing a thing.
Kaku, unlike Kalifa, maintained a polite smile before quickly setting off.
Iceburg, puzzled, asked, "Strange… where's Lucci? I don't see him."
A middle-aged foreman wearing sunglasses chuckled and replied, "Lucci took on a big job and went out."
Iceburg nodded, then turned to Noir and Enel, saying, "Please, follow me."
Iceburg led the two into his office, where Noir got straight to the point:
"Mayor, I know about your relationship with Franky, but we mean no harm."
Iceburg's expression remained unchanged as he asked, "Are you with the government?"
Noir shook his head, and Iceburg pressed, "Then why don’t you tell me what Franky and I have to do with each other?"
Noir chuckled and said, "You're both Students of the shipwright master, Tom. One of you is Iceburg, and the other…"
"The other was Cutty Flam. My junior has passed away!" Iceburg interrupted, speaking solemnly.
Noir wagged his finger and smiled, "No, he's not dead."
"Franky is just Cutty Flam’s alias. After being severely injured, he rebuilt himself into a cyborg and survived."
A few beads of sweat appeared on Iceburg's forehead as his hands and feet suddenly felt cold.
He tried to remain calm, asking, "Who exactly are you, and what do you want?"
Noir looked him in the eye and said, "I just want to be friends."
"Don't worry, I know what you're concerned about."
"As for the Pluton blueprints, I have no intention of taking them by force!"
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