Fishing at Enies Lobby [3/3]

The speedboat turned around and headed back the way it had come.

Spandam squatted on the deck, staring blankly for quite a while.

"What's wrong?"

Noah glanced at the document clenched in his hand and asked earnestly, "Why'd we turn around again?"

"Playing dumb, are you?"

Spandam suddenly looked up and glared at him viciously. "How the hell was I so naive before? I actually believed your crap... No background, huh? Heh, no background... Would someone with no background have so many big shots stepping up to defend him!?"

He flung the document in his hand at Noah. Noah caught it steadily, skimmed through the first few pages, and pressed his lips together. His expression grew complicated, and for a moment, he did not know what to say.

Before CP had taken him from the warship, he had indeed expected Teacher Zephyr, Vice Admiral Shizi, and the others to do something for him.

But he had not expected them to go so far, even using resignation to force the government's hand...

Really... he had caused them a lot of trouble.

"The government chose to compromise and decided to release you without charge. Fine, release you, then. But those bastards from Cipher Pol Aigis Zero insisted that I personally take you back. What rotten luck..."

Spandam sneered. "At this point, quit hiding things. Tell me, what's your relationship with Admiral Sengoku?"

"We're not that familiar. We've only eaten together..." Noah answered truthfully.

Sengoku's willingness to step up and confront them head-on had actually surprised him. Thinking it over carefully, his good brother had probably pulled some strings behind the scenes.

"What about Mr. Garp?"

"I only got to Marine Headquarters because of him. You could say he was the one who guided me..."

"Vice Admiral Tsuru?"

"We're really not familiar. We've