"Teacher, you're back. Some friends of yours came to visit today."
Iceberg, who was sitting beside the table, immediately stood up when he saw Tom return and spoke.
"My friends?" Tom was utterly confused, but he did not say so. Instead, he turned his gaze toward the two strangers.
Then his pupils contracted. Alonso had already put away the Iron Man Armor, and only then did old Tom realize that the lifelike Iron Man Armor had been made entirely from threads.
"Ah, yes, the two of you. Long time no see." Tom broke into an exaggerated smile as he spoke to Alonso and Lao Cai.
He then placed the Water Water Meat in his hands on the table and said to Iceberg and Franky, "I have matters to discuss with these two old friends. You two should head out first."
"Mr. Alonso, you're super creative! We can talk more later!" Watching the Iron Man Armor vanish into coils of thread, Franky gave it a reluctant look and spoke.
Iceberg, however, seemed to have noticed something. His expression became slightly stern as he grabbed Franky. "Come on. Don't disturb Teacher Tom while he catches up with his old friends."
However, just after they had stepped outside, Iceberg immediately grabbed Franky. "Where are those good-for-nothing friends of yours? Call them over right now and get weapons ready!"
"What are you super trying to do, Senior Brother Iceberg?" Franky asked with a baffled look.
"Idiot! If they really were Teacher Tom's old friends, why couldn't he even call either of them by name?" Iceberg snapped.
"Ah! Then... are those two Teacher's enemies? Isn't that super bad?" Franky's face immediately changed.
"Probably not enemies either... Otherwise, the two of us wouldn't have been allowed out. After all, that Alonso is a Devil Fruit ability