Chapters · Water Seven › Water Seven

Chapter 356: Mr. Tom

Arc: Water Seven · Saga: Water Seven · Released: 2005-05-30

Summary

The 22-years-ago flashback continues. At Scrap Head Island, the government’s judicial ship is “under attack” by a whole fleet of unmanned, self-propelled battleships — all of them Battle Frankies, the war-machines built by Tom’s apprentice Cutty Flam (Franky) (pp. 2-5). When Iceberg and Franky reach the harbor they find the ships are crewless and beached, and that Tom has been gravely injured (pp. 5-8). The injured workers reveal that “those secret agents” who had visited earlier “took control of your battleships” and turned them on the judicial ship — a frame-up (pp. 8-9). Iceberg furiously rounds on Franky for ever building such weapons; Tom intervenes, insisting “it’s not Franky’s fault” and that a builder must answer for what he makes but the ships themselves are blameless (pp. 9-11). The agents reveal themselves: Spandam of CP5 announces “we of the CP5 captured them,” framing Tom’s Workers as the attackers, and gloats that with the word of “a trusted government agent” against an indicted criminal he will have the Ancient Weapon blueprint in no time (pp. 12-13). At the public trial the judge concedes Tom’s Sea Train was a brilliant invention and that his earlier crime of building Gold Roger’s pirate ship “would have been pardoned today” — but rules that the (fabricated) attack on the judicial ship compounds his crimes (pp. 14-15). Spandam mocks the chained workers; when he sneers at the Battle Frankies, Franky snaps that “they’re not my ships anymore,” and Tom seizes the moment to break his handcuffs and strike Franky for disowning his own creations (pp. 15-17). Tom delivers his creed in a roar — the one who gives a ship life must love it and never deny it, “even if it looks like they’ll destroy the world… men should puff out their chests with pride and a BOOM!!!” (pp. 17-19). The chapter ends with Tom warning Franky and Iceberg: “No matter what, don’t interfere with what’s about to happen!!!” (p. 19).

New reveals

• Spandam first appears and is named on-page — here he leads CP5 (Cipher Pol No. 5), the unit that framed Tom (pp. 12-13).
• CP5 hijacked the unmanned Battle Frankies and used them to attack the government’s own judicial ship, then captured Tom’s Workers and pinned the attack on them (pp. 8-13).
• Spandam’s actual goal is the Ancient Weapon blueprint held by Tom; the framing exists to convict Tom and pry it loose (p. 13).
• The judge confirms Tom’s prior crime was building Gold Roger’s pirate ship, and that on the merit of the Sea Train it “would have been pardoned today” — but the manufactured attack overrides the pardon (pp. 14-15).
• Tom’s shipbuilding philosophy, stated as the chapter’s thesis: ships hold no inherent good or evil; their maker must love and never disown them, regardless of what their boarders do with them (pp. 9-11, 17-19).
• Franky’s true name Cutty Flam is spoken again by Spandam at the trial (p. 15).

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

• Characters: Tom, Franky (as young Cutty Flam), Iceberg (young), Spandam (first appearance — CP5), Kokoro (among the workers), Roger (referenced as “Gold Roger,” builder-of-whose-ship crime)
• Groups: Tom’s Workers, CP5 (Cipher Pol No. 5, named on-page p. 13), CP9 (parent apparatus, by lineage)
• Locations: Water Seven (Scrap Head Island / the harbor), Enies Lobby (Tom’s destination per the trial)
• Concepts: Ancient Weapon blueprint (Ancient Weapons), Sea Train, Battle Frankies, the judicial ship (“floating courthouse”)

Notable panels

• Cover (p. 1): Side / “request” cover-style portrait — Nico Robin seated on a black ostrich wearing a “TAXI” cap with a sign reading “Wait until the noon.” Decorative; not a foreshadowing color spread.
• Page 3, panels: The attacking fleet is unmistakably labeled “BATTLE FRANKY” with numbered hulls — visually identifying Franky as the (involuntary) source of the assault.
• Pages 12-13: Spandam’s reveal — first on-page sight of the character, gloating over the captured, chained Tom’s Workers (“These are the attackers!!!”, “we of the CP5 captured them”).
• Pages 17-19: Tom breaks his handcuffs, strikes Franky, and delivers his shipbuilding creed in a full-page “DOOOM!!!” roar — the emotional core of the flashback.

Open questions raised

• What exactly is “about to happen” that Tom orders Franky and Iceberg not to interfere with (p. 19)? (His sentence / what he’s planning at the trial.)
• Why does the World Government route Tom specifically to Enies Lobby for execution, and what is CP5’s chain of command to CP9? (Spandam’s later role.)
• Where is the Ancient Weapon blueprint actually held, given Tom did not surrender it? (Inheritance toward Franky / Iceberg.)