Chapter 151: Water 7 – The Undercover Crew Comes Together

It wasn't that Aokiji didn't believe Spandam; he just didn't care enough to deal with it. Fighting Takumi would mean extra work, and all Aokiji really wanted was to get back to his nap.

"Let's just drop it," Aokiji muttered, getting up from the table. He stretched lazily and started heading out of the barbecue joint, already thinking of the nearest sunny spot where he could catch some Z's.

Spandam wanted to stop him—he really did—but this was a Marine Admiral he was dealing with. Sure, Spandam ran CP9, but even he knew when he was way out of his depth. The man wasn't stupid enough to pick a fight with someone like Aokiji, no matter how angry he was.

So, with no other choice, Spandam swallowed his frustration and stepped aside to let the Admiral pass.

Once Aokiji was gone, Spandam's temper flared up again. He turned to the Navy soldiers behind him and snarled, "You're all gonna regret this! Just you wait!"

Then, with a venomous glare at Takumi and Enel, he spat, "Don't get too comfortable, you two. Maybe I can't do anything right now, but sooner or later, you'll pay for crossing me! You don't know who you're messing with—I'm Spandam!"

Takumi barely blinked.

Enel smirked. "Captain, you mind if I handle this?"

This time, Enel wasn't going to make a move without getting the go-ahead from Takumi first. He had learned his lesson.

Takumi gave it a moment's thought, then nodded. "Just don't kill him."

That was all the encouragement Enel needed.

Spandam's bravado vanished in an instant. "W-wait, hold on! I was just kidding! Haha, just a joke, you know?" He started backing away, inching closer to the door. But he wasn't fast enough. Enel's lightning hit him before he even knew what was happening.

Spandam screamed as the electricity coursed through his body, crumpling to the ground in a smoldering heap. He lay there, twitching and smoking, barely clinging to life.

True to Takumi's orders, Enel had left him with just enough breath to keep him alive.

Takumi stood, brushing his hands off. "Alright, let's get out of here."

Enel grabbed the deck chair they had brought along and followed his captain. The Navy soldiers standing by the door stepped aside, not daring to make a move.

Once Takumi and Enel were gone, the soldiers huddled together, whispering amongst themselves.

"Spandam's supposed to be the head of CP9... He's in pretty bad shape. Are we gonna get in trouble for this?"

"Hey, it's not our fault. He's the one who picked a fight with those guys."

"Yeah, but he said he'd make us pay for this. You know what that means, right? He's going to come after us."

"I say we drop him off at the ship and get the hell out of here. We don't owe him anything."

"Agreed. Let's go."

With their minds made up, the soldiers scooped up what was left of Spandam and hurried back to his ship.

Meanwhile, Takumi had sent Enel back to the inn to drop off the deck chair, while he himself hopped onto his Yagara Bull and continued to wander the streets of Water 7's central district.

He drifted aimlessly through the streets, somehow finding his way back to Dock 1.

Takumi stared at the massive number "1" plastered on the gate. "Really?" he muttered. "This place again?"

As if on cue, a familiar voice called out. "Takumi! Hey, is that you?"

Takumi turned to see Iceberg, the mayor of Water 7, walking toward him with a tall, slender woman at his side.

Takumi sighed inwardly. Of course.

For someone who was supposed to be too busy to see on a regular day, Iceberg seemed to keep showing up wherever Takumi went.

"Let me introduce you," Iceberg said, gesturing to the woman beside him. "This is Kalifa. She's my new secretary, sharp as a tack. Only nineteen, but already a pro at this kind of work. She's gonna go far."

Kalifa pushed her glasses up on her nose, her expression cool and collected. "It's an honor to work for you, Mr. Iceberg."

Iceberg leaned in toward Takumi, whispering, "Pretty impressive, huh?"

Takumi gave him a deadpan look. "Uh-huh."

Iceberg chuckled, clearly enjoying himself.

Kalifa, meanwhile, caught the attention of one of the shipwrights walking by—a short man with a mustache. His eyes widened at the sight of her legs. "Wow! Now, that's a sight for sore eyes!"

Kalifa didn't hesitate. She kicked the man hard, sending him flying to the ground. "Sorry," she said flatly, adjusting her glasses again. "I lost control."

The shipwright climbed back to his feet, grinning like an idiot. "No problem! Anytime you feel like kicking me, go right ahead."

Iceberg leaned in toward Takumi again, his grin widening. "Told you she's great, huh?"

Takumi: "..."

Sure. "Great" was one word for it.

At that moment, a group of young shipwrights gathered near the fence by the gate, ogling Kalifa from a distance.

"Damn, is that the new secretary? She's hot."

"Man, I could stare at those legs for a whole year!"

"Kalifa, kick me next!"

Kalifa looked away, a slight blush creeping up her cheeks. "This is harassment."

"Kalifa, I love you!"

"Kick me!"

"She's the cutest thing I've ever seen!"

Iceberg burst out laughing. "Looks like you're a hit with the crew, Kalifa!"

Takumi: "..."

This was getting weird. Sure, Kalifa was attractive, but the way these guys were acting was ridiculous.

Takumi was about to leave when a sharp voice rang out, cutting through the chatter.

"You lot! What the hell are you standing around for? Do you think this work gets done by itself? We've got orders piling up, and you're all ogling some woman? Get back to work!"

The voice belonged to one of the senior shipwrights, a gruff, no-nonsense guy who'd been working at Dock 1 for years.

Grumbling under their breath, the young shipwrights shuffled back into the factory, shooting Kalifa a few longing looks as they went.

The senior shipwright walked over to the fence, taking a quick glance at Kalifa before turning his attention to Iceberg. "We got a couple of promising new recruits this morning. One of 'em's got a pigeon on his shoulder, name's Lucci. The other's Kaku, the guy with the long nose. Those two are something special—picked up on things in a few hours that usually take a month to learn. Might not be long before they're the backbone of the company."

Iceberg nodded. "I'll keep an eye on them."

The old shipwright gave a curt nod and started to walk off, but not before shooting Kalifa another glance. "You. Kalifa, right?"

Kalifa nodded. "Yes."

The shipwright didn't even blink. "Let's grab a drink after work. My treat."