Chapter 161: The Inflated Spandam

As long as Tom and his people entered Enies Lobby, Spandam had plenty of ways to force Tom to hand over the designs for Pluton.

Even if Tom wasn't afraid to die, he couldn't just watch his two apprentices get killed, could he?

"Officer, we're just here to build a ship. We don't have a close relationship with Tom's workshop, and we know nothing about the attack on the judicial ship, so can you let us leave?"

Hearing what Wood said, Tom didn't show much emotion, and he didn't think there was anything wrong with what Wood said.

After all, Wood and his crew were ultimately dragged into this because of him. Wood even helped them earlier, and even if Wood hadn't spoken up, Tom would have taken the initiative to distance himself from them.

However, it wasn't that Wood was afraid of death but rather because Robin's identity couldn't be exposed.

At present, Spandam only knew about the Pluton designs but was unaware of the presence of Nico Robin, who could read the Poneglyphs.

Robin's importance was nearly on par with Pluton itself. If they were all taken to Enies Lobby, Robin's identity as a survivor of Ohara would surely be revealed, which could even prompt action from the World Government.

Moreover, if they were all captured, who would be left to rescue Tom and the others?

Wood's primary concern was keeping Robin from falling into the hands of Enies Lobby. Otherwise, things would get very complicated.

Tom might be able to save his life by handing over the Pluton designs, as the Navy and World Government were interested in the blueprints, not Tom himself.

But Robin was different. Her ability to read the Poneglyphs made her a threat to the World Government.

"Whether you're involved or not isn't for you to decide; it's up to me. Now, all of you must come back with me to Enies Lobby for questioning. No one is leaving!"

Wood's compliant attitude earned Spandam's favor, as he appreciated those who knew their place.

However, unfortunately for Wood, he had already crossed Spandam by ruining his plans earlier.

If this had been a day earlier, Spandam might have let them go out of fear of Wood's strength.

But today's circumstances were different.

Not only had the Navy sent three warships for support, but they also dispatched Rear Admiral Gion (Momousagi) and the hero of the Marines, Garp—a lineup of elites.

For a mere former Navy major, no matter how strong, there was no way to make waves in this situation.

Spandam wasn't just cowardly; he was also vengeful. He was also worried that Tom might have already handed over the Pluton designs to Wood, so now he didn't plan to let anyone go!

"Rankyaku: Kamaitachi!"

Surrounded by Marines, Wood kicked out a powerful slash from his leg, aimed directly at Spandam.

"Bang bang bang bang bang!"

As soon as Wood made his move, the surrounding Marines all fired their guns at him.

Unfortunately, in the world of pirates, guns and cannons are nothing more than jokes in the face of true power.

Even in a relatively small indoor space, with dozens of flintlock guns aimed directly at him, Wood was unscathed amid the hail of bullets.

Picking up his swords, Tenku and Asatsuyu, from the ground, Wood effortlessly slashed the ceiling open with a single strike. Then, grabbing the still-panicked Robin, he vanished into the air with Geppo.

As the smoke cleared, all that remained were bullet holes scattered across the area and rubble that had fallen from the ceiling, while Wood and Robin had disappeared without a trace.

The two CP9 agents standing beside Spandam were now in a rather sorry state. They could have held off Wood.

But Wood's Rankyaku was aimed directly at Spandam, and with Spandam's abysmal combat ability, he would have died if the Rankyaku hit him.

So, out of necessity, the two CP9 agents had to use their bodies to shield Spandam, employing Tekkai (Iron Body).

However, even by the standards of the CP organization, measured in terms of "Doriki," Wood's power far surpassed theirs.

Even though Wood's Rankyaku wasn't a serious attack and could be considered a quick, desperate move, the gap between them was so vast that the two CP9 agents couldn't withstand it.

The crescent-shaped slash, infused with wind blades, effortlessly tore through their black suits, shattering their Tekkai.

The tremendous impact sent them flying, causing their feet to carve deep grooves into the ground.

Fortunately, Wood's Rankyaku wasn't a full-powered attack; it was just meant to create an opportunity to escape. So, just before the Rankyaku could slice into their bones, they managed to survive with Tekkai.

However, while the two CP9 agents were relatively unharmed, Spandam, who had been behind them, wasn't so lucky.

When the two CP9 agents were sent flying by Wood's Rankyaku, Spandam, who had been standing behind them, was caught up in the impact and slammed into the wall, leaving a human-shaped indentation.

Since the two CP9 agents had used Tekkai to harden their bodies like iron, it was as if Spandam had been hit by two massive iron blocks.

As everyone knew, Spandam's Doriki was even lower than that of a regular soldier, so the impact knocked out a few of his teeth, and now he was speaking with a lisp.

"Bunch of idiots! We had so many people here, and you still let that guy get away!"

Spandam was furious. He had brought so many men specifically to show off and make a name for himself, hoping to secure his position as the top officer at Enies Lobby.

But he never expected that despite the overwhelming numbers, a mere pirate had made such a fool of them. How was he supposed to maintain his reputation after this?

"Sir, you should consider yourself lucky that the opponent didn't go all out against you and was solely focused on escaping. They probably held back because of Vice Admiral Garp outside.

Otherwise, with just the two of us, he could have easily killed all of us before Vice Admiral Garp could intervene!"

The two CP9 agents by Spandam's side knew that Wood's strength was formidable and that they were no match for him.

But they never imagined that the gap between them was so vast. If they had known, they wouldn't have let Spandam waltz in so casually.

They had assumed that even if they weren't a match for Wood together, they could still put up some resistance.

But the harsh reality just taught them that, despite having mastered the Rokushiki (Six Powers) and being hailed as superhumans, they weren't much stronger than ordinary people in the face of someone like Wood.

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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 280+ at pat_reon.com/Betek.