283 Chapter 282
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Spandam's conspiracy came to nothing, and because of a cannon attack, the Celestial Dragons abandoned attempts to board the sea train and left Water Seven directly by ship.
Since the Celestial Dragons were not attacked, the incident didn't escalate.
It was treated merely as an act of vendetta.
This left Spandam with no opportunity to react and he was even severely reprimanded for not ensuring adequate security measures.
The thought of what could have happened if the cannon had hit the Celestial Dragons was too frightening for anyone to contemplate!
The fear was immense!
Even after the incident, Spandam had Water Seven searched several times, but he could not find the person who thwarted his plan.
Though frustrated, he had no choice but to let it go for the moment.
After all, obtaining the blueprints of the "Pluton" was his top priority.
However, when he went to find Tom again, full of rage, he discovered that Tom had disappeared!
The two CP agents assigned to guard Tom were also found unconscious.
Spandam was furious.
Indeed, it was his own doing. He had pulled so many people to search Water Seven for the person who interfered with his plan that only two agents were left to monitor Tom.
Of course, this also had to do with Tom's decade of diligent behavior, which made Spandam overlook the possibility of him escaping.
What frustrated him even more was that he couldn't even issue a wanted order for Tom.
On the day the sea train operated, the World Government had pardoned Tom's crimes in front of the Celestial Dragons, considering his contributions.
So theoretically, Tom was free to go wherever he wished.
"Bang! Search for him, no ships are allowed to leave the port."
"And capture Tom's two apprentices as well, they must know where Tom has escaped to!"
But Spandam's efforts were doomed to be in vain.
Abel had already arranged for Baby-5 to leave by ship, waiting for him on the sea.
He also instructed that nobody should appear on deck, for his taking Tom must remain a secret, or it would bring great trouble.
After rescuing Tom, Abel used a "Small-Scale Person-Snatching Rocket Launcher" to escape through the air with Tom.
So it was impossible for them to be found.
It's worth mentioning that the "Small-Scale Person-Snatching Rocket Launcher," although it could easily fracture the user's skull due to its power, had ample propulsion.
Abel managed to fly with Tom's hefty body, which was very reassuring to him.
However, the fuel consumption was high, and they barely made it to the rendezvous point with Baby-5.
As for Iceburg and Franky, there was no need to worry about their safety. Although they might suffer, they should not be in mortal danger.
Without Tom, only Franky retained the knowledge to build the sea train, so unless the World Government no longer needed such technology, they would definitely spare his life.
As for Iceburg, when the CP agents came to capture him, he simply stated that he would unify all of Water Seven's shipbuilding companies and was willing to collaborate with the World Government to become its official shipbuilder.
Though this promise was ambitious, it was very enticing.
And being a disciple of Tom, he indeed had the capability and skill to achieve it.
Most importantly, they genuinely didn't know where the "Pluton" blueprints were.
With Tom gone, he certainly would have taken them with him.And they didn't even bring the two of them when they ran away, so is it really useful to threaten people who have already disappeared with them? A big question mark is needed!
Before Spandam could do anything to them, he received a call from his superiors, instructing him to control his emotions and actions. They also reprimanded him for his inefficiency and ordered him to return for debriefing immediately.
Clearly, someone had gone over his head and reported on him.
After all, there were too many people who were dissatisfied with him holding the position of CP5 Director.
In a fit of impotent rage, Spandam smashed everything in the room before leaving with a ashen face.
Although Iceburg and Franky had suffered some, they were all right and were released.
However, this did not mean they were free.
People from the World Government would still be monitoring them, demanding they contribute all their capabilities to the World Government.
But to be alive meant everything was still hopeful.
A few days later, Tom, who had escaped, finally saw the coded message he had agreed upon with Iceburg in the newspaper.
This meant everyone was safe, and he should not worry.
At that moment, Tom finally put his mind at ease and expressed his gratitude toward Abel.
It was only then that he truly believed Abel had intended to save him.
Even if all this was a setup by Abel, he was willing to accept it.
After all, there were no blueprints for 'Pluton'!
Who would have thought that before he escaped, he had secretly entrusted the 'Pluton' blueprints to Iceburg!
This was his own ace up the sleeve for his apprentice.
Successfully deceiving everyone with the principle of "the darkest place is under the candlestick."
"Based on your request, I've made a preliminary design. Could you check and see if there's anything that needs to be changed?"
Since it was a deal, Tom immediately dedicated himself to the task at hand.
To build a good ship, a detailed and meticulous blueprint was naturally indispensable.
However, Abel did have several areas he was dissatisfied with in Tom's original design.
He unhesitatingly brought them up, "First, I need the entire body of the ship to be larger, and also a space reserved on it to build a cannon platform. I have a huge cannon-like weapon that needs to be mounted to achieve as close to a no-blind-spot firing capability as possible."
"Second, reserve a place at the bow as well, I have a figurehead that needs to be placed there."
"Lastly, I need the ship to be sturdy and durable, without sacrificing speed."
After listening to Abel's requests, Tom furrowed his brows and started to make changes on the blueprint with his pen.
After a while, he looked up and said, "To meet your requirements, the ship can only be built using Treasure Tree Adam, but the value of Treasure Tree Adam is high and it's rare."
"That's not a problem. Later, make a list of materials for me; I will definitely find a way to gather everything you need."
Hearing this, Tom's expression eased somewhat. After all, it's hard to cook without rice, and without good materials, it would be difficult to meet such demanding requirements.
Solving the material issue meant half the problem was solved.
"The figurehead issue is easy to solve. Just tell me the dimensions, and we'll reserve space for it in advance."
"The main issue now is designing the cannon platform. I need to know the exact dimensions of the cannon you mentioned, as well as its maximum recoil when firing, in order to proceed with the design."
