Rorschach's sudden words caught Iceburg completely off guard.
Like a bolt of lightning, they shook him to his core, making his face change drastically.
However, as the mayor of Water 7, Iceburg quickly regained his composure, forcing himself to stay calm. He looked at Rorschach with a confused expression, as if he truly didn't understand.
"Brigadier General Rorschach, what Pluton warship? I have no idea what you're talking about."
Rorschach chuckled. "Iceburg-san, you must be joking. As the mayor of Water 7, how could you not know about one of the three Ancient Weapons—the Pluton warship?"
"Legend has it that the super battleship capable of obliterating an island with a single shot was built on this very island 800 years ago."
With a slight smile, Rorschach placed the empty cola bottle on the table and walked over to the mini-fridge. He turned his back to Iceburg and reached in for another bottle of cola.
Iceburg's expression darkened. His right hand instinctively slipped into his coat, gripping a small but finely crafted handgun.
"The reason you're so worried about Franky, Iceburg-san, is because he's actually your late brother Tom's other apprentice, Cutty Flam, right? The one who was reported to have died after trying to stop the Sea Train?"
Behind him, the soft click of the fridge door closing echoed through the room.
Rorschach turned around, holding two bottles of cola, and handed one to Iceburg.
Then, he sat back down on the couch, crossed one leg over the other, and casually popped open the bottle cap with his thumb. He took a sip, completely unfazed by Iceburg's reaction.
Iceburg's face stiffened as he stared directly at Rorschach.
Rorschach smirked and glanced at Iceburg's chest.
"You know that thing is useless against me, right, Iceburg-san?"
Iceburg's expression hardened. He clenched his jaw and, in one swift motion, pulled out the handgun and aimed it directly at Rorschach's forehead.
"Are you an agent sent by the World Government?"
"If I were working for them and had this much intel, do you really think I'd be sitting here drinking cola with you?"
Rorschach took another casual sip, still completely indifferent to the gun aimed at his head.
"The Navy is after the mythical Ancient Weapon too? Aren't you supposed to be under the World Government?"
Iceburg kept the gun steady, his finger already on the trigger—ready to shoot at any moment.
"That's an Ancient Weapon we're talking about. Who wouldn't be tempted?" Rorschach said with a smirk. "Oh, and by the way, I'd recommend putting the gun down. If it accidentally goes off, it'll attract the hyenas."
"…Hyenas?"
Iceburg's eyes narrowed as he instinctively glanced toward the nearby window.
Seeing this, Rorschach couldn't help but chuckle.
"Relax. They're not close yet. But if a gunshot goes off… that might change."
Perhaps realizing that a simple handgun wouldn't do anything against Rorschach, Iceburg clenched his teeth and reluctantly placed the gun on the table.
"Alright, speak. What exactly do you want, Brigadier General Rorschach?"
"I already told you, didn't I? I want to build a warship."
He gestured at the money prepared for the shipbuilding.
"A warship? Hah. If that's all you wanted, then why—"
Iceburg let out a bitter laugh, about to mock Rorschach for making such a big deal out of this.
But suddenly, something clicked.
His eyes widened, and he stared at Rorschach in shock. His voice came out hoarse and strained.
"…Don't tell me… you want to build the Pluton warship?!"
Rorschach quickly waved his hands. "I'm not naive enough to think that just having a few blueprints would allow me to build a world-destroying weapon. I simply want to integrate some more advanced technology into my warship."
"So, are you saying that everything that happened to Franky was orchestrated by the Navy?" Iceburg sat down, his gaze turning cold.
Rorschach, however, shook his head with a wry smile. "Don't think of me as so cunning. To be honest, at first, I only intended to spend some money in Water 7 to custom-build a warship that suited my combat style."
"I never expected Franky to take advantage of the Sea Train disruption caused by that frog to steal the money."
"It was at that moment that I started having some less-than-honorable thoughts."
Rorschach straightened up, meeting Iceburg's sharp gaze.
"Driven by personal greed, I didn't capture Franky right away.
At the time, I thought… maybe I could use this incident as leverage to force you and your brother to build me a super warship incorporating elements of the Pluton blueprints."
Iceburg's confusion deepened, his brows furrowing more and more.
"Why are you telling me all this? If you really wanted to threaten me using Franky's life, you would have succeeded."
"Because I suddenly figured it out. That approach might have helped me achieve my goal, but it would've completely betrayed my original intention."
Rorschach slowly shook his head, his expression serious as he looked at Iceburg.
"Iceburg-san, whether you believe me or not, I genuinely want to uphold justice.
But I don't want to achieve such a noble goal through underhanded or deceitful means."
He stood up and walked to the window of the office.
Through the glass, he could see the clean and spacious streets of Water 7.
People came and went, and rows of residential buildings stood neatly aligned. Some pedestrians paused to chat and laugh with friends, filling the city with life.
Turning back to Iceburg, Rorschach spoke sincerely:
"Tom-san built the Sea Train to benefit countless people.
Iceburg-san, you have managed Water 7 with order and prosperity.
Franky may be a bit rough, but he has taken in a group of street thugs who had nowhere else to go. He may seem unreliable, but in reality, he's giving those lost souls a warm place to belong."
"I truly admire all of you. Even after enduring such cruel hardships, you still never gave in to darkness."
As Rorschach spoke, Iceburg's expression gradually softened.
"Don't worry. I won't hold Franky accountable for this."
Iceburg stared at Rorschach intently, as if trying to determine whether his words were sincere.
After a long silence, he sighed, stood up, and walked to the window, looking out.
"Brigadier General Rorschach… I still don't understand. Why are you telling me all this?
If you're not planning to go after Franky, then why bring up our secrets on purpose?
The Navy… or rather, you personally—what exactly do you want?"
"I just wanted to warn you to be careful.
Don't underestimate those rabid hyenas.
If I was able to dig up this much information, do you really think that no one else has discovered the truth about Franky being Cutty Flam?
You're a good mayor. Franky is not a bad person. I don't want good people to die for no reason."
After saying all that, Rorschach felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off his chest.
The suffocating feeling he had after seeing Marguerite and her daughter's tragic situation seemed to have eased as well.
"Well then, Iceburg-san, see you tomorrow."
With that, Rorschach turned and headed for the door.
Behind him, Iceburg's brows finally relaxed completely as he gazed at Rorschach with a softer expression.
Just as Rorschach was about to open the door, Iceburg suddenly spoke in a calm, low voice:
"Brigadier General Rorschach… are you still commissioning that warship?"
Rorschach's steps halted. He quickly turned around, his face lighting up with surprise and excitement.
"Iceburg-san, are you willing to help me build the Pluton warship?!"
Iceburg's eyelid twitched. "Don't be ridiculous. I already told you it's impossible to recreate."
"Then how about half of it? As long as one shot can wipe out half an island, I'll be satisfied."
Iceburg: "..."
(End of Chapter)
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