"Ah, this really is spacious!"
In the first-class cabin of the Sea Train, Garp plopped himself onto the seat in a big, careless manner, looking nothing like a Marine.
He looked more like a bandit lord.
"Even though I expanded the height and width of the train a bit, I still couldn't fit that young guy's enormous body… He had to make do in the cargo car instead."
"Hahaha, that makes sense. If there's any race that has no need for a Sea Train, it would be the Fishmen."
Michael sat across from Tom.
"Besides, even among Fishmen and Merfolk, giants like Jack or Sea God Neptune are pretty rare, right?"
"Actually… size isn't the biggest issue." Tom shook his head with a laugh.
"The main thing is, most ordinary Fishmen would never choose to eat a Devil Fruit."
"True enough."
Michael chuckled.
For humans, eating a Devil Fruit was almost always a pure power-up—aside from losing the ability to swim.
But for Fishmen, it was kind of self-defeating.
And with Jack's size, mastering Fishman Karate was already unlikely.
Plus, since he was staying by Michael's side, being unable to swim didn't matter—so long as he accepted it himself.
"So, for this trip to Enies Lobby, what should we do?"
"You just have to sit in the defendant's seat, say nothing, do nothing, and wait for your acquittal. As for everything else… leave it to me."
Michael's lips curved into a sharp, confident smile.
"If soldiers come, I'll stop them. If floodwaters come, I'll block them. Even if the Five Elders showed up… well, they wouldn't make such a fuss over something this small, right?"
Hearing this, Tom finally felt at ease.
Since he wasn't going to be of any use, asking more questions would just waste time.
As a practical, hands-on shipwright, he had no interest in inefficient chatter.
So he relaxed and started talking with Michael instead.
"You told me before that my invention is worth a hundred times more than Pluton? What did you mean by that?"
"Pluton is nothing more than an incredibly powerful warship. It might be useful in this era, but it won't actually change the outcome of wars… And when today's conflicts finally end, that so-called invincible battleship will become tasteless to keep, yet a pity to throw away."
"But the Sea Train is different. Now and in the future, it will be the tool that links the entire Grand Line together."
Michael wasn't just flattering Tom.
If the Sea Train became fully widespread, it would drastically reduce the dangers and troubles of the Grand Line. The Marines could use it to strengthen their control over every corner of the seas… and that would cut down on the number of pirates too.
And even setting pirates aside, this would make the entire ocean's economy flow and connect like never before.
No more relying solely on ships for trade.
For the whole world, the Sea Train was of immense significance.
After all… who doesn't want to get rich?
Who doesn't want to see their remote, poor homeland become prosperous?
That's the meaning of the Sea Train—to connect island after island, stitching the fragmented ocean world back into one whole.
And right now, it was only the beginning. No need to rush.
But…
"Speaking of the Sea Train… I wonder if Tom-san would be interested in a job?"
"A job?"
"After this matter is resolved, I want to hire you as the Chief Engineer of the Navy Engineering Division. The Marines will provide full support—financial, technical, anything you need… If you want, we can even send you to Egghead Island to work with Vegapunk to upgrade the Sea Train."
Michael's words were filled with sincerity.
Someone like Tom was too valuable to let slip away. Keeping him close would bring nothing but benefits… And besides, Tom was a Fishman. With Michael's ties to the Ryugu Kingdom on Fishman Island, this only made sense.
And with the level of black technology in this world—plus Vegapunk, the king of black tech—who knows, maybe they could even build high-speed Sea Trains someday.
"Are you… serious?"
"Of course."
Michael nodded, then laid out his plan for Tom.
First, connect the Four Seas. Then, expand outward from Marineford as the central hub, ensuring the Marines could reach every corner of the seas instantly.
Such a massive project even made Tom, the Sea Train's inventor, suck in a sharp breath.
No one knew better than him what the Sea Train could do.
This Marine Chief Inspector… truly had remarkable ambition.
"If I survive… this job is mine, no question."
"Ahahaha! As expected of the world's greatest shipwright… Oh, by the way, what about your two apprentices? They must be extraordinary if they learned from you. How about letting them join too?"
"You mean Iceburg and Franky? Those two kids still have a long way to go… Especially Franky, that impulsive brat."
...
"Shipwright Tom, for building the Pirate King Gol D. Roger's ship, is in fact his greatest accomplice!"
"But because he built the Sea Train, the World Government showed mercy and only now decided to arrest the criminal Tom!"
"Right now, the criminal Tom is being escorted to Enies Lobby for trial by Marine Chief Inspector Michael!"
The undercover agents of CP had now returned to their true identities, using the tactics to twist the story—turning Tom and Michael's trip to Enies Lobby into a tale of Tom being arrested and escorted by Michael for trial.
And since this came from World Government agents, it was hard not to believe.
So…
All of Water Seven erupted in chaos.
"All shipwrights, listen up! Every ship in the water! We're going to Enies Lobby to rescue Tom-san!"
"Why is Franky the one giving orders!? When we get Tom back, someone better teach that brat some respect!"
"Ahahaha! Quit complaining! Tom is Franky's teacher after all, so it's fine for him to be the one shouting orders! Move it! The Sea Train won't wait for us!"
Because of Tom's shipbuilding company rising again, Iceburg had already become Water Seven's mayor years earlier than in the original timeline.
At this moment, he looked suspiciously at those CP agents.
Legend had it… this Marine Chief Inspector didn't get along with the World Government.
And according to Rear Admiral "Ship Cutter," the one who told the Enies Lobby garrison to protect Water Seven was this very man!
"There's definitely… something wrong here."
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