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Chapter 40: Seizon No Honō II

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"I've kept an eye on Franky for the past few days... His face spoke of a broken man, guilt of failure. I'm certain that the blueprints were stolen."

"But how?" Kalifa found that hard to believe, "We've been here for years, trying to get the blueprints, so how can someone just come out of nowhere, and know that they're kept with a nobody like Franky?"

"Unless..." Kaku was thinking it.

And Rob Lucci said it, "Unless there is a traitor among us. Blueno will be informed of this as well just in case. I had sent him to look for information, so I'll see if he finds something."

"Just in case there is another possibility, I'll look through the list of visitors throughout the last few months to see if there is someone suspicious." Kalifa provided another possible solution.

"Do that, and you spoke of an interesting customer. Expand on that." Rob agreed with her plan before asking.

"His name is Night. That's all he told me, but he was hiding most of his face with a hat, and he was also wearing very heavy clothing hiding most of his skin. I can, however, figure out his identity through his companions who aren't disguised at all... They're most certainly pirates."

Kalifa recounted everything swiftly, seeming very used to noticing peculiarities within people, "I'll see if he's involved with this since his goal in coming this is to order a custom ship with a budget of 500 Million beli."

And the discussion went on for a while longer, Blueno joining the conversation at some point. They weren't acting like Shipwrights at all because they aren't at heart.

These people are part of a secret organization named Cipher Pol, a series of secret agencies that do investigations, assassinations, and espionage for the World Government.

They're even more special, being a part of an unofficial agency named C9. 

Unlike the eight official Cipher Police groups, CP9 members are not centered on intelligence gathering, but instead specialized in covert assassination of targets deemed a threat to the World Government.

Their goal this time was the blueprints of Pluton, said to be one of the three Ancient Weapons, alongside Poseidon and Uranus.

It's an extremely dangerous organization, yet despite knowing that, Yovan still chose to involve himself, taking the blueprints because he deemed doing so as an increase in his chances of survival.

'Things seem to be going well so far...' Yovan contemplated in his mind. He was definitely planning something because he could've just stolen the blueprints after finishing up everything he had to do in Water 7.

Or perhaps that might give him out considering his high bounty. Either way, the Strangers were having a great time, relaxing in the garden of Water 7.

Residing very high up the fountain-like city was a nice garden that Yovan and Laffitte took the liberty of just relaxing on. Bege, on the other hand, chose not to dirty his clothes as he sat on a chair.

"Have you heard of the Aqua Laguna?" Bege asked whilst reading through a book he got himself recently, containing some information about Water 7.

"Nope, what's that?" Laffitte asked with curiosity.

Yovan took the liberty of responding in his stead, "Basically an annual storm that no one likes in the city because of how much damage it causes every single year."

"Oh? You've read about it?" Bege wondered.

"Yeah, I got myself a book about Water 7 from the Turtle in between for preparation, but I pretty much forgot just about a few things... Like everything for example." 

The only things he actually remembers were the things he wrote down in his notebook, and even those he would forget in a few hours if not minutes if checking the notebook constantly didn't become a habit of his.

"Aqua Laguna is an annual storm and high tide that takes place in my city. It always engulfs the lower part of the city with a huge wave, causing a huge flood and property damage, and perhaps the death of many if all citizens don't evacuate from the lower parts to higher ground."

Behind Yovan, a voice was heard detailing basically everything about the annual incident, "As a result of it, the city sinks a little every year, meaning my people lose their homes... Every year."

"Oh? You're the Mayor, Iceburg?" Yovan carefully eyed the man, a tall middle-aged man with blue hair and similarly colored lips, wearing a red and orange striped jacket over an unbuttoned orange shirt with a wide collar, black suit pants, and black shoes.

"Do you want to talk here?" Iceburg asked, and Yovan could very clearly see the exhaustion in his eyes.

"Here is fine," Yovan nodded before facing him directly, sitting up from his previously relaxed position, "I assumed you heard about my requirements, no?"

"I did, but unfortunately, Adam wood is very hard to acquire. I can get enough to make a brigantine ship, but a galleon is so much more bigger that it's impossible to acquire so much Adam wood, not in a short time at least." 

Iceburg spoke professionally, and he was actually willing to take on the project himself, perhaps to take his mind off everything that's happened.

"How long are we talking?" Yovan asked with a frown.

"A few months." Iceburg swiftly responded, "But we should be able to build the ship in just about two weeks after that."

"Hm," Yovan started stroking his chin, seeming in deep thought until he uttered the words of god, words that can warp reality, to Iceburg at least, "If I happen to be able to stop Aqua Laguna, will reality be able to somehow twist to shorten that period?"

"Yes." It was honestly an instinct, Iceburg didn't even comprehend his words yet already answered, and when the gears of his mind turned, his eyes turned solemn, "Are you serious??"

"Depends on how serious you will be about my desired ship," Yovan replied, entering a staring contest with the man.

Aqua Laguna is such a tragic and unfathomable disaster that his hesitance to believe Yovan is very understandable.

"How? I need proof. I especially need to trust that you'll do as you said because there is still 9 months until Aqua Laguna, so how would I know if you'll keep your promise?" Iceburg stated, his tone almost seeming hopeful.

"Let's talk in private." Yovan stood up, and walked along with him to a hidden place of Iceburg's choosing, twisting into his crow form instantly and creating a small storm of feathers under Iceburg's watchful eyes.

He turned back soon after, "I can construct a barrier of feathers around the city strong enough to block the disaster. Also, since there are still 9 months before it happens, I'll be leaving, and I'll only come back when the time comes, but you can send someone with me if you can not trust me."

"I don't trust you to be assured you won't just kill who I send, and you aren't giving me much to work with. What you just showed doesn't equate to creating a barrier around the entirety of the city, a feat that only few can accomplish across the world." Iceburg was certainly used to dealing with people as the Mayor, especially with pirates.

"I'm also not asking much from you because I will be paying for everything. I only want you to accelerate what you otherwise would've been able to do in months, so if we can't come to a deal, I will just wait." Yovan stated calmly, certainly not minding the wait.

"But I assume you don't want to wait?" Iceburg fired back.

"Who said I'd be waiting here? I will go and deal with some other things on a neighboring island. That's what constitutes waiting for me. Never wasting a single moment." Yovan countered back.

They were pretty much having a debate at the moment, negotiating a better deal, but in the end, Iceburg surrendered, settling on sending two very capable individuals with Yovan.

If Yovan is truly capable of keeping his promise, then it's great. If not, all business with him and his crew will no longer be a possibility, not one shipwright will do business with them ever again.

Yovan is of course incapable of such a feat. It's way too much for him even if he was to give up his life for it... For now, of course. He hopes that 9 months would be enough to change that.

That also means that he will certainly make his training regime even harsher, his simple exercise which consists of using his Devil Fruit beyond limits.

Furthermore, Yovan wasn't worried at all about Iceburg suspecting him because he was certain that the latter already knows, or he thinks he knows who took the blueprints.

Iceburg knows in his mind that it's the doing of the World government because they were pressing him on the blueprints for years, the main reason why he left it with Franky.

Yet somehow, they figured out where it is, and took it. He was also certain that there are traitors among his men, or perhaps people from the World Government who infiltrated his company.

Moreover, someone who'd figure out it's with Franky must be very close to him... It was taking a toll on his mind.

In contrast to him, however, the CP9 knows for a fact they didn't take the blueprints because they have information Iceburg doesn't, so it resulted in a very weird situation.