Chapter 16: Spandam

In the following days, while chaos engulfed the Sorbet Kingdom, the church where Carl resided remained peaceful, as if nothing had changed.

The only difference was Ivankov, who used to run wild outside every day, had suddenly calmed down. He now stayed in the church, occasionally helping Kuma receive the elderly who came for treatment.

No one mentioned what had happened that night, and their relationships remained the same.

Until today—when a Marine warship docked at the port.

A large number of Marine soldiers disembarked in formation, followed by a Marine officer with the rank of Rear Admiral.

The nobles and ministers of the Sorbet Kingdom had been waiting anxiously at the port. The moment they spotted the Rear Admiral, they immediately rushed forward to greet him.

One of the ministers, eager to please, stepped forward and said,

"You must be Rear Admiral Babs of Marine Headquarters! We've been expecting you!"

The officer, Rear Admiral Babs, gave a formal salute but barely spared the minister a glance. Instead, his eyes shifted toward the warship.

Following his gaze, the onlookers saw a man with slicked-back hair and a black-and-gray striped coat step off the ship with slow, arrogant strides. Two men in suits followed closely behind him.

The surrounding Marine soldiers averted their gazes, looking visibly uncomfortable. Some even lowered their heads, seemingly unwilling to acknowledge the man's presence.

A flicker of disgust crossed Babs' eyes, but he quickly suppressed it. He straightened up slightly and addressed the man with forced respect,

"Mr. Spandam, we have arrived at the Sorbet Kingdom."

Spandam ignored him. Instead, he turned to the suited man at his side, who immediately took out a cigar, placed it in Spandam's mouth, and lit it.

Taking a deep drag, Spandam exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, sneering as he surveyed the surroundings. His gaze swept over the groveling ministers before moving to the town beyond.

"This dump is the Sorbet Kingdom? Ha! And they dare call this a country? No wonder their annual gold tribute is so pathetic!"

With that, he spat a thick glob of phlegm onto the ground—just barely missing a noble's collar.

The noble flinched but didn't dare utter a word of protest.

These ministers and nobles weren't fools. They could tell from Spandam's arrogance and condescension that he was someone of high status—someone directly affiliated with the World Government.

Sensing an opportunity, the same minister who had just flattered Babs quickly switched targets. Bowing deeply, he approached Spandam with an ingratiating smile.

"Forgive my ignorance, my lord, but may I ask for your esteemed name?"

Spandam, his nose practically in the air, didn't bother to reply. Instead, his suited bodyguard stepped forward and barked,

"Watch your tone! You are not worthy of knowing the master's name! Stay in your place!"

The minister recoiled in fear, bowing repeatedly. "My deepest apologies! I meant no offense!"

Spandam waved his hand dismissively, looking bored.

"Enough of that. I heard your king is missing? Let Babs handle the bigger matters. I'm here for a more important mission."

The minister bowed yet again before hesitantly responding,

"Yes, Your Excellency. His Majesty was perfectly fine during the day but vanished without a trace overnight. Based on our investigation, we believe his disappearance is related to a man named Carl! He may be young, but he possesses a strange ability. Most concerning of all, he is reckless and dangerous!"

Babs furrowed his brows, mulling over the minister's words.

"A strange ability… Could it be a Devil Fruit power?" he mused. "That would explain a lot."

Devil Fruit users were rare, especially in a remote kingdom like Sorbet. Even a moderately strong ability user would be difficult for ordinary people to deal with.

Before Babs could ask for more details, Spandam's expression suddenly twisted in shock. The cigar slipped from his lips, falling to the ground.

With wild eyes, he shoved past his own men, grabbed the minister by the collar, and shouted,

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?! SAY THAT NAME AGAIN!"

The minister, trembling, stammered,

"C-Carl… King Bekori must have been taken by him!"

**SMACK!**

A loud slap rang out. In full view of the gathered crowd, Spandam struck the minister so hard he crashed to the ground. He would have rolled even further had he not been stopped by Babs' leg.

Shocked, Babs scowled. His expression darkened as he stepped forward and said coldly,

"Mr. Spandam, I understand you are an official of the World Government, but this behavior is uncalled for. Sorbet Kingdom is a participating nation, after all. You can't just strike a minister like that without reason."

Spandam took several deep breaths, his chest heaving with anger. His frail body wasn't built for physical outbursts, and the effort left him winded.

Once he calmed down enough to speak, he pointed a shaking finger at the fallen minister and spat,

"You ignorant fool! Do you even realize who you just disrespected by speaking his name so casually?! I should—!"

Furious, he reached for the pistol at his waist, cocked it, and aimed it at the minister's head.

The suited man beside him quickly grabbed his wrist, whispering urgently,

"Master Spandam, don't kill him yet! We need him alive to find out that Lord's whereabouts!"

Spandam's fury was momentarily restrained. He gritted his teeth but ultimately lowered his weapon. He motioned for his men to grab the minister and drag him forward like a discarded rag.

Babs, meanwhile, fell into deep thought.

Something wasn't right.

He had received this mission directly from Fleet Admiral Sengoku, who had tasked him with investigating the king's disappearance. But just as he was about to depart, Spandam had suddenly arrived and insisted on coming along.

At the time, Babs had wanted to notify Sengoku, but Spandam had presented an official World Government document—one with a signature that left no room for argument.

With that, Babs had no choice but to let him board the ship.

Spandam had refused to disclose his purpose, and Babs hadn't pressed for details. He had assumed they would simply go about their own tasks separately.

But now…

Now, it was clear.

Their missions were connected.

And at the center of it all—was this young man named Carl.

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