Tom, a member of Roger Pirates, also paid close attention to Shanks. He knew that Shanks was being groomed by Roger as his successor, so he even bought a newspaper about the battle between Vic and Shanks. Therefore, he knew that Vic had great potential and was a rising star in the Navy, with no issues regarding his status.
Tom was ostensibly attracted by Vic's food, but his real reason was to use the fact that the Navy was stationed there to dispel the World Government's suspicion that he possessed the Pluton Blueprints.
If someone really had the Pluton Blueprints, would they still invite the Navy to their home? That's incredibly audacious. We were already suspicious; if they pulled something like this, wouldn't it clear them of some suspicion?
Since the blueprints have already been hidden, it doesn't matter if naval warships dock here.
Although Tom is an upright and honorable person, he had to conceal some things regarding the Pluton Blueprints. In any case, he wasn't joking about accepting the Navy into the shipyard; he genuinely helped Vic and his crew.
Tom's request was quite unexpected for Vic. He had thought Tom wanted to collect rent, but it turned out he just wanted to eat some delicious food, which surprised Vic greatly.
Although Vic was somewhat confident that Tom would agree to let the warship take refuge, he didn't expect it to be so simple.
Tom is a very generous person with a selfless spirit. Besides, the Navy is an organization that protects justice on the sea. So once Vic's identity is confirmed, Tom will most likely agree. He just didn't expect him to agree so readily. A few meals are nothing to Vic.
" Mr. Tom! Are you really just cooking a few meals? You're not kidding me, are you?" Vic asked uncertainly.
"Yes, Mr. Tom! You must be joking, right?"
Iceburg turned to look at Tom with a hopeful expression and asked, but Tom didn't answer. Before Franky could snatch the steak from Iceburg's bowl again, Tom took the steak from Iceburg's bowl and stuffed it directly into Iceburg's open mouth, then sealed Iceburg's mouth with his palm.
Although the steak was a bit big, people in this world don't choke to death. It's impossible to swallow the steak whole in Iceburg's mouth, so with his mouth sealed and unable to spit it out, he could only instinctively start chewing.
His eyes widened as soon as he started chewing, completely captivated by the tender and juicy meat. He couldn't stop eating, having already forgotten about the poison. Even if he knew there was a drug in it, he probably still couldn't resist eating it, just like many people who love to eat pufferfish, knowing they might be poisoned but still unable to resist the urge to eat it.
" Iceburg! How's this taste? One meal definitely wouldn't be enough, it's worth having their warships dock here!"
After Tom and the Iceburg finished swallowing the steak, they asked, but the Iceburg's mouth was covered and he couldn't speak, so he could only nod and blink repeatedly, clearly also conquered by Vic's delicious food.
Then Iceburg glared angrily at Franky, blaming Franky for eating his portion earlier, otherwise his plate would have been piled high with food by now.
Franky wore a smug expression, clearly pleased with himself. He'd eaten quite a bit of the Iceburg portion, and was now thoroughly enjoying himself. "So you were too shy to eat it? Now you regret it!" he thought.
" Mr. Tom! I have a small request, I wonder if you could grant it?" Vic asked as he turned the pieces of meat in the baking pan.
"Oh! I wonder if Brother Vic has any other requests? I'll try my best to fulfill them."
Tom felt relieved after resolving a worry and was now enjoying a delicious meal. Naturally, he wouldn't refuse Vic's small request outright.
Iceberg and Franky ignored Vic's small request and kept eating, while Kokoro was somewhat curious about Vic's request.
"That's right. I'll soon be leading a warship on my own, and as the commander, I need to have some understanding of certain things about the warship."
Since Mr. Tom was able to build a masterpiece like the Oro Jack, capable of circumnavigating the Grand Line, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that his shipbuilding skills were the best in the world at that time.
Therefore, I want to learn about shipbuilding from Mr. Tom so that I can better manage a team.
Vic wasn't just saying it; he genuinely wanted to learn so that he could design more rationally for the facilities that would need to be added to warships in the future.
He has many ideas about warships, but if he tries to modify them without understanding their structure and stress points, he might damage them. A big wave or a small storm could easily break them apart. Why not take advantage of this opportunity to learn?
Tom seemed pleased with what Vic said at first, but his expression stiffened towards the end, and Vic's words made him anxious again!
It wasn't that he was being overly sensitive, but rather that Vic's words seemed like a deliberate attempt to get closer to someone like him who actually possessed the Pluton Blueprints. Most people wouldn't think that way; they would simply assume that Vic conscientious, responsible, and eager to learn.
But people with guilty consciences tend to overthink things, even the smallest things can lead them astray. Vic's request certainly fell into this trap, so it's no wonder Tom overthinks things.
However, he couldn't refuse. If Vic had just happened to come to him, that would be fine. But if he really came for the Pluton Blueprints and he refused, it would arouse suspicion. He couldn't afford to gamble on that. Losing his life was a small matter; if the World Government got the blueprints, he would be a criminal.
"What's wrong, Mr. Tom! Is it inconvenient? Is it because family skills can't be passed down to outsiders? If not, that's fine too. I can learn from other shipwrights on the island. Anyway, I only need a general understanding. I'll leave this island once the Aqua Laguna have left!"
Vic realized after making his request that his words might cause a misunderstanding, but rushing to explain would only lead to more misunderstandings.
He genuinely knew that Pluton was in Tom's hands, so he couldn't be too sensitive about it. He could only pretend not to know and steer the conversation towards family lineage. If he had a choice, he would certainly prefer to study under Tom, who was currently the top figure among the shipwrights.
Franky didn't take Vic's words to heart. In his mind, Vic was just a navy man with excellent cooking skills and a future partner. He ignored their conversation and focused on eating.
However, both Iceburg and Kokoro anticipated the consequences of this small request, and stopped what they were doing, staring intently at the two people having the conversation!
Iceburg had already been captivated by Vic's delicious food and had chosen to trust Vic, but one sentence from Vic brought him back to reality.