Meeting with the Straw Hat Pirates

On the enormous pirate ship Thriller Bark, the Straw Hat Pirates, having defeated one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Gecko Moria, in a fierce battle and welcomed the musician Brook as a new crew member, were now heading towards the underwater paradise of Fish-Man Island.

Zoro, who had been gravely injured, had fully recovered with Chopper's treatment, and the crew was sailing happily towards their destination, celebrating Brook's addition.

"Whoa, it's a Sea King!? It's huge!"

"Hmm, this one's on a super scale. It's even bigger than the one I took down back then. It's probably around 150 meters long."

"This is no time for that! We need to run!!"

Upon seeing the Sea King that appeared during their voyage, Usopp yelled in surprise, Franky expressed admiration, and Nami scolded and urged them to escape.

It was a typical sequence of events. However, at that moment, things were slightly different. The Sea King that had seemed ready to attack the ship suddenly stopped moving and began trembling visibly.

"Something's off... It's trembling, and it's diving into the sea to escape."

"...What could it be? It looked like it was afraid of something."

As the Sea King trembled unexpectedly and disappeared into the sea, Sanji tilted his head in confusion, and Brook murmured curiously.

Right after that, as if slipping through a gap in consciousness, a shadow landed on the deck of the ship.

"Get out of my way."

"Wha!?"

The crew's expressions turned to shock in an instant. Not only had no one noticed the approaching presence until it landed on the ship, but its aura was also distinctly different.

A man in a white shirt with a dark brown jacket, with black markings around his nose and eyes... Spandam appeared in civilian attire. Most of the crew showed bewildered expressions, while two members, who knew him, reacted differently.

"Hey, Spandam!? What the hell are you doing here..."

"Oh, it's you, Panda! Haven't seen you since Water 7!"

Franky wore a surprised yet wary expression, while Luffy smiled and greeted him warmly.

Robin, on the other hand, was the most affected by the appearance of Spandam. For Robin, the World Government was an enemy seeking her, and due to stories she had heard from Crocodile, she held fear towards Spandam.

Spandam's power was beyond their understanding. Sanji and Brook exchanged uneasy glances, realizing the gap in their strengths. It seemed that if Spandam were so inclined, he could wipe out the entire crew in an instant, as Zoro had implied.

"Relax, Usopp, Nami... If he really wanted to, we'd all be dead by now. The fact that we're still alive means he's not here to kill us."

" "But we can't really feel safe, can we!?" "

Zoro tried to reassure Usopp and Nami, who were in shock. However, his own heart was not at ease.

(Who is this guy... No matter what I do, I can only see a future where I die if I fight. His presence is so overwhelming, like he's on a completely different level as a being.)

While the crew was in chaos, Robin's reaction stood out the most. To her, the World Government was an enemy, and especially after hearing Crocodile's stories, she had feared Spandam.

But the words that followed Spandam's utterance of her name were unexpected.

"It seems my idiot father caused some trouble on Ohara... Well, that's fine. Anyway, I'm not interested in you, and I have no intention of capturing you. You have no connection to my current business."

"Huh?"

"The rest of you don't need to be on guard either. I'm not here on a mission, and I have no intention of fighting."

Although Spandam's words were calm, they did little to dispel the air of confusion and wariness on the ship's deck.

However, some showed a lack of concern for the tense atmosphere.

"Panda, thanks again for last time. The meat was delicious!"

"Well, as long as you've resolved the situation... Now, onto the matter at hand. Black Leg Sanji, this is for you..."

"What's this? A piece of paper?"

Upon Spandam's sudden address, Sanji's guard was up, and he took the offered paper. Looking at its contents, he saw what seemed to be an address written on it.

"Take a photo of yourself and send it there. This bounty poster is pitiful... It's too late for this one, but when they update it next time, I'll let them know to change the photo."

"Wha... You... You're a decent guy, huh..."

Sanji's expression turned emotional at Spandam's words. After all, the man before them was the head of Enies Lobby, one of the three great powers of the world. The possibility that he would act on his words was high.

Since the next update was a while away, it meant that they could replace the photo when the bounty was raised next time. To Sanji, who had been feeling down about his wanted poster's sketch, this offer felt like a godsend.

Spandam, of course, was aware, based on his knowledge of the original work, that Sanji's bounty update was still far off, two years later. He also knew that there would be no opportunity for a photo to be taken anywhere other than Sabaody Archipelago at this point. However, he still made the offer, acknowledging the pitiable state of the sketch.

"Me too! Me too!"

"Huh?"

"I fought bravely too! And yet, look at this! Just 50 berries..."

"It's not like I'm the one setting the bounty..."

Chopper, holding up his bounty poster with "50 berries" written on it, pleaded for a better reward. Spandam pondered for a moment before speaking.

"Alright. I agree that your bounty should be at least 20 million berries, and I'm willing to talk. But, in return... I'd like you to give me a Rumble Ball."

"A Rumble Ball? Well, I'm okay with that, but the Rumble Ball I make is tailored to me, so it won't work for anyone else."

Chopper tilted his head curiously as he addressed Spandam's request for a Rumble Ball. He explained that the Rumble Ball's effects wouldn't work for anyone else other than himself.

Spandam, however, wore a calm smile.

"I don't mind. It's purely out of curiosity. Despite how I may appear, I have a decent understanding of pharmacology and was somewhat intrigued."

"Is that so? Are you a doctor?"

"No, I'm not a doctor, but I have some knowledge about pharmacology."

He wasn't lying. Spandam had used various secret medicines during his body modifications, and as a result, he had a considerable knowledge of pharmacology. In reality, although his intentions were different, he had developed a certain level of camaraderie with Chopper and wanted to obtain a Rumble Ball. Therefore, he had some items on hand to appease Chopper and improve his mood.

"Is that right... Well then, here you go. This is the Rumble Ball."

"Thank you. As a token of our newfound acquaintance, let me give you this as well. It's a rare book that contains information about unique medicines."

"Huh? Wow... There are so many unfamiliar medicines in here. Can I really have this!?"

"Yes, I remember the contents already, so it's not a problem."

"Thanks! You really are a good guy, just like Luffy said!"

Chopper's bright smile indicated that he had put his trust in Spandam after receiving the unusual pharmacology book, and his initial caution seemed to have disappeared.

At that moment, Luffy finished reading the letter and flashed a cheerful smile.

"...If you have a reply or a message, I'll take it."

"Sure... then, please tell them that I'll come to see them someday."

"Got it, I'll convey that. Well then, since all the matters are settled, I should take my leave soon."

"Aww, you're leaving already? It's a rare occasion, so why not stay and relax..."

"It's not feasible for a government official to linger on a pirate ship for too long. Well, if fate permits, we might meet again someday..."

"I see... understood. Thank you for everything."

As Spandam was about to leave after finishing his business, Luffy's expression turned disappointed, but he didn't try to detain him and instead expressed his gratitude.

After giving a light smile, Spandam leaped lightly, disappearing from view in an instant as if he had been shaved away.

"Whoa, amazing, Panda. Can you fly through the air too?"

"...Hmm, he was certainly an extraordinary individual, but maybe he's not a bad person like Luffy said?"

"It's good that he didn't attack us out of nowhere. We lucked out."

Watching Spandam leave with an amused expression, Nami and Usopp sighed with relief.

"Hey, Robin, are you okay? I know it's hard to believe, but it seems he's genuinely not interested in Ancient Weapons, so you can probably feel somewhat at ease."

"Yes, thank you, Franky. After he treated me so indifferently, it's calming to know that he genuinely lacks interest. It seemed like he wasn't lying or joking; he truly had no intention."

Although initially pale with fear, Robin found it somewhat reassuring that Spandam displayed no interest or even acknowledgment of her. This attitude reassured her that he wasn't actively trying to capture her as he had done before. She understood that he wasn't making an attempt to actively pursue her, and he had no intention of capturing her.

"The sea is vast, indeed. Who would have thought there'd be such a monster..."

"Scared, Marimo?"

"Hey, you bushy-eyebrowed funny guy, what are you saying?"

"What was that, you bastard? Wanna fight?"

"Bring it on."

While Zoro and Sanji bickered as usual, Brook, a bit further away, muttered in his usual tone.

"Well, well, quite an extraordinary person indeed. Just being in his presence sent shivers down my spine... Although, I don't have a spine to chill! Yohoho!"

"I think he's a pretty good guy. He gave me a book!"

"He didn't seem particularly aggressive, indeed."

As Chopper happily embraced the rare pharmacology book Spandam had given him, Brook chuckled with his skeletal face.

***

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