Jack nodded slightly, glanced at Spandam, pointed at Tom, and spoke in a low voice:
"Spandam, is it?"
"I'm here for him. You should know that, right?"
Spandam's face was plastered with an ingratiating smile as he loudly replied:
"Of course! I know! You must be sent by the Five Elders, right?"
"I'll hand him over to you immediately. By the way, may I know your name?"
Smart guy. Saying it out loud to shift the blame onto someone else and even asking me for a nickname?
After a moment's thought, Jack patted Spandam on the shoulder and spoke softly:
"Clever. Make sure to remember my name."
"I'm Diga."
"Officer Diga!" Spandam shouted with a beaming expression. "Take care!"
Jack effortlessly lifted Tom's massive body as though it weighed nothing and launched into the air using the Geppo.
As Spandam watched Jack's retreating figure, still bowing and scraping, a few of his subordinates approached and whispered cautiously:
"Commander Spandam, could that man be..."
"Shh! Shut up! Do you have a death wish?!" Spandam hissed.
"That man's identity is not something we can talk about casually."
"...But," Spandam straightened his posture and gazed enviously at the spot where Jack had vanished, muttering to himself:
"If my contributions this time are recognized... Could I... join them?"
"If I could enter that department..."
He threw his head back and burst into laughter:
"Ha ha ha ha ha!"
Meanwhile, Jack carried Tom's body, accelerating as he fled Enies Lobby. Only after they were far from danger did he finally slow down. Noticing Tom's gloomy expression, Jack tried to reassure him:
"Alright, Tom, relax. You're safe now. The ship will catch up soon."
"Don't waste your time," Tom replied resolutely. "I won't say a word, no matter which department you're from! My answer will always be the same: I don't know anything!"
Tom's firm reply stunned Jack for a moment before he chuckled softly.
"Tom, you've got it all wrong!" Jack explained.
"I was sent here by your disciple Franky. I'm here to save you!"
"I'm a Fish-Man too. Can't you tell? Go ahead, take a sniff if you don't believe me!"
No matter what Jack said, Tom remained silent. Left with no choice, Jack shut his mouth and waited. When the disguised merchant ship finally appeared on the horizon, Jack descended and landed on its deck with Tom in tow.
After setting Tom down, Jack immediately issued a flurry of orders:
"Pick up the pace! Head straight to Sabaody for coating!"
"Contact Doflamingo and tell him to be ready in advance!"
"And inform Lord Kaido—I've rescued Tom, and we need reinforcements!"
As he finished giving instructions, Jack slumped onto a barrel, panting heavily.
"Damn... This form takes so much out of me!"
Tom, watching Jack's rapidly shrinking body with wide eyes, rubbed his temples before asking seriously:
"Just who... are you?"
"Who am I?" Jack smirked. "The guy who just saved your life!"
Tom's expression grew even more puzzled. However, when he noticed several Fish-Men emerging from the ship's hold, his eyes widened in shock. His voice trembled as he stammered:
"You're... from Fish-Man Island..."
"Tom-san! We're—"
"Shut it, you idiots!" Jack barked. "Get back inside!"
As the others scrambled away after being scolded, Jack smiled wryly at Tom.
"That wasn't directed at you, Tom-san. But you'd better head inside too."
Back at Enies Lobby, Spandam was still daydreaming about his promotion when the Judicial Island watchdog unit arrived, requesting to transfer custody of Tom.
"Fish-Man Tom has already been taken by a superior officer," Spandam replied smugly.
"You have no authority to intervene! If you have a problem, take it up with the Five Elders!"
"What?!"
The watchdog unit exchanged uncertain glances before reporting the incident to Baskerville, the Chief Justice of Enies Lobby.
As Baskerville, a tri-headed individual with significant authority, received the report, a heated debate ensued among his three personalities. In the end, they decided to consult one of the Five Elders directly.
"Bloruup... Bloruup..."
On the other end of the line, the elder with a flat hat and a scar on his left cheek paused after hearing Baskerville's account. He glanced at the blond elder seated nearby.
"Understood. Leave it to me," the scarred elder replied, hanging up.
Taking a sip of tea, he muttered nonchalantly:
"Even though this operation was initiated by CP5's Spandam, Fish-Man Tom was supposed to be tried on Judicial Island. What's this about someone taking him away without consulting us?"
"Hm?" Noticing the others' eyes on him, the blond elder pointed at himself in confusion.
"Don't look at me—I didn't authorize this!"
As Spandam sailed back to Mary Geoise aboard a warship, his den den mushi suddenly rang. The urgent tone made him sit up straight before answering.
"Yes, sir! This is Spandam!"
After hearing the message on the other end, Spandam's confusion deepened.
"It was a CP0 officer named Diga!" he stammered.
"He wore a white suit and a hat, with a red-and-white mask. Oh, and his mask had... eyes shaped like fried eggs! Very distinctive!"
When the call ended, the blond elder closed his eyes, deep in thought, before shaking his head.
"This Diga... I have no memory of him. And I didn't issue such an order. Could someone have acted on their own?"
"Still, CP0 is a special unit. Most people wouldn't even know they exist."
"Gather the CP0 captains and bring them here. We'll get to the bottom of this!"
A short while later, several masked captains of CP0 gathered in the elders' chamber. The blond elder wasted no time.
"Do any of you know a Diga?"
The captains exchanged puzzled looks and collectively shook their heads.
"No, sir. Who is Diga?"
After describing the mysterious officer, the elder slammed his fist on the table in frustration.
"I don't care what it takes—find this Diga! He knows the Rokushiki and has knowledge of CP0's operations. He has to be one of you!"
"Track him down!"
-----------
The fanfic is Finished on p@treon/tambeerg