One Piece: Dark Justice Spandam

Ch. 17 Subordinates' Cries, Monster's Wrath

It had been six months since I assumed the position of CP9's Commander-in-Chief. Things were progressing relatively smoothly, I'd say.

I had already met all the members, though there were a few who weren't in the original story. I assumed they had been transferred to CP0 by the time of the original events or something like that.

The relationships with the members were also relatively good. Perhaps thanks to Lucci's suggestion, we initially had mock battles with all the members, which helped us bond to some extent.

However, I had also become adept at holding back my strength. Part of it was probably due to training Pochi, but I also made sure not to cause serious injuries to my opponents.

Accurate control of one's own strength was essential, so I planned to continue honing my skills in that regard along with further enhancing my abilities.

Now, as it happened, when things were going relatively smoothly, a formidable problem presented itself, as is often the case in life. In my hands, in the office, was a piece of paper with a report that was too absurd to even be called such, and it filled me with displeasure.

CP9 members who were also informed of the content were reacting in a similar manner. Why did these guys bother gathering in my office when they could just wait wherever they pleased?

"I'm telling you, that's impossible!"

"What good does telling me accomplish? The decision has already been made, and there's nothing we can do about it now!"

In front of me, Jabra and Blueno were arguing. Well, it was more like Jabra was the one launching a one-sided attack.

Jabra appeared visibly agitated and emotional, a far cry from his usual composed self.

The cause of this turmoil was the paper in my hands, which stated that Fizz had been imprisoned for collaborating with the Red-Haired Pirates and providing them with assistance.

Fizz... Ah, so he's the one called Hooz Hoo in the original story. Indeed, since he escaped and was now wearing a mask to hide his face, changing his name was only natural.

I had realized this late because the assignment for Fizz's escort mission was given by my predecessor before I took over, and my interactions with Fizz were minimal, just a brief greeting before his departure. Besides, the information about the Gomu Gomu no Mi seemed to be intentionally hidden, as it was mentioned in a small font below the list of important items to be escorted.

However, I should have noticed when I saw the timing and the mission in the East Blue.

The place of imprisonment... Impel Down? That didn't make sense at all. I remember that Hooz Hoo had been imprisoned and tortured, but when he saw the guard who had talked about Nico Robin getting disposed of, he decided to escape, feeling that his own life was in danger.

However, Sengoku had stated that Impel Down had only ever had one escapee besides Golden Lion Shiki, so this contradicted that statement.

...Did the government cover up the fact of his escape? Or was he imprisoned in a different facility in the original story? Or perhaps they hid the content that could be a disgraceful revelation of government agents getting imprisoned, in this case by the Navy... In any case, there was no reason to fabricate the report to me, so it was undeniable that Fizz was imprisoned in Impel Down.

...This was truly absurd. Several days had passed since his imprisonment, and the report to me, his immediate superior, was unacceptably late. Not to mention that the evidence of his collaboration mentioned in the report was so sloppy that it felt like a fabrication.

As I pondered these things, Jabra slammed his hands on the desk and yelled at me.

"Chief! Believe me!! He's not the type of person to collude with pirates or do something so trivial!"

In Jabra's desperate expression as he pleaded for Fizz's innocence, tears seemed to well up in his eyes. Despite his usual aggressive nature, Jabra was a person with deep emotions.

When they escaped from Enies Lobby, he lent his coat to Kalifa and carried the injured Kaku on his back. He also demonstrated his camaraderie by doing things like performing street acts to earn money for Lucci's medical expenses after Lucci got seriously injured in the fight with Luffy.

Fizz and Jabra were born a year apart and had been assigned to CP9 at the same time, so they had a close relationship. Now that I think about it, I remember hearing that they both had feelings for the waiter Gasarine, and both were rejected...

With tears in his eyes, Jabra lowered his head towards the desk.

"Please! Chief! Somehow... somehow, please help him!"

His pleading words resonated within me, igniting a tremendous anger. Let me make it clear; this situation was truly infuriating.

Fizz had dutifully performed the tasks assigned to him and had fought bravely and sustained injuries when facing the Red-Haired Pirates. The report stated that he was discarded as no longer useful, but it was clearly contrary to the truth.

"...Chief?"

Yes, this was truly... an absurd situation. An individual who had been earnestly living his life had his future taken away due to an unjust situation. Fizz must be wondering, "Why me? What did I do wrong? Can someone help me?" It reminded me of bitter memories from my past life.

If this had been a story from my CP5 days, I wouldn't have paid much attention. "Oh, so that's Hooz Hoo? The World Government does stupid things, throwing away talented people with ridiculous responsibilities." That would have been my casual impression.

However, now I was the Commander-in-Chief of CP9, and Fizz was my subordinate. Imprisoning him on false charges without any prior notification was a clear violation of my jurisdiction.

My anger must have been conveyed because Jabra and Blueno looked flustered. I stood up from my chair and declared,

"...Of course, I won't accept such an absurd report. Pochi, relay this to the Five Elders: 'I'm heading there now.'"

"Understood."

"Wait, Chief... I'm sorry... and I'm grateful for your help."

Ignoring Jabra, who bowed his head with a deeply moved expression, I turned away and prepared to leave the room. At that moment, Lucci, who had been quietly observing until now, spoke up.

"...What will you do? Storm Impel Down alone?"

"...Depending on how things unfold."

"Hehe, that sounds interesting."

Giving a concise response, I left the room. It was unlikely to come to that, but depending on the situation, I would go to great lengths to bring Fizz back forcibly.

I would not tolerate such an absurd situation within my jurisdiction... Whoever tried to violate my jurisdiction would become my enemy.

***

You can indulge in more than 10 chapters ahead of the regular schedule by visiting our Patreon page and subscribing.

Feel free to explore our Patreon at:

https://www.pat reon.com/KangTL

Your support will enhance our productivity in creating more captivating and wonderful works.