Redesign it? Think of the costs! That's right, actually crafting something like this doesn't cost much, but the sincere affection between father and son is priceless.
What about delaying the time for Whitebeard to bond with his sons? That was merely a trivial infection.
Besides...
The crew members of the Whitebeard Pirates were all physically strong, so how could they possibly be bothered by that? Even if someone really did, Dante believed with their strength, they wouldn't be infected so easily.
So, time was tight. The Whitebeard Pirates were still waiting for the Foot Spa!
How could they delay any further?
Shouldn't they send it over immediately? With a wave of his hand, he ordered the porters to continue loading the items.
Additionally, the parts prone to bumping had to be wrapped well, and they had to cover it with a layer of Waterproof, Fireproof, and Dustproof Cloth. After all, the weather at sea was unpredictable, it was a new item, so they couldn't let accidents happen. Wouldn't that be smashing one's own signboard? Immediately after, he arranged for Kuma to start the delivery to get the item there as soon as possible and not let the Whitebeard Pirates wait too long.
As for Mock, given his current bounty, there was a worry that some reckless pirate crew might actually make a move against him. So, he let him stay on the Whitebeard Pirates ship for now, it would be a bit safer.
Once Kuma arrived, he could find an opportunity to leave Whitebeard, then find a secluded place to swap onto Kuma's ship for the return trip. As for his two subordinates, bringing them back was fine, or leaving them there was fine too, it wasn't a big issue. How to choose was for Mock to decide himself.
After everything was arranged and the prepared Polar Bear Express Flag was hung up, Dante watched as Kuma slowly steered the ship away.
Initially, this Polar Bear Express service was meant to be run by Mock and Buggy, letting the two of them adventure while running the business.
But alas, now... Buggy had already gone to join the Marines. As for Mock, his name now shook the seas. With that bounty of 1.5 billion Berries and his status as the Son of the Pirate King, in the end, thinking about it, he decided to forget it.
Better to let Mock hide himself properly. If he were really caught by the Marines now, there's only one path: the execution platform. Would they really want him to start the Paramount War then?
Only after the transport ship had slowly drifted away did Dante bring Robin and Viola back to his office.
As for Garp and Zephyr, Dante didn't go over to join in. Just two old partners catching up, why would he go over there and make a nuisance of himself? According to the news that came back, after Garp picked up Zephyr, he was invited to Romance Dawn. They probably had a lot to talk about, so there was no need to disturb them now.
And Garp... it was about the end of the year. That old guy was probably on vacation, just coming over to relax a bit. So, he probably wouldn't stay here long, in a few days, he'd have to go back to see his grandsons.
Speaking of which, according to news from the islands near the Goa Kingdom, Zoro had already arrived there. It seemed he had run into Luffy, and the two were working part-time together there.
Moreover, Captain Morgan's son, Helmeppo, was there too. The three of them had all gotten together.
Since his father was captured, though the plot was slightly different with Koby absent, this child had experienced great highs and lows yet still pulled himself together and turned over a new leaf.
Dante heard that when Morgan fell, Helmeppo became a pariah in Shells Town, shouted at by everyone. He even scavenged for food in trash cans. Just as he was about to give up on himself, the hiring manager in Shells Town saw him and, taking pity, gave him a portion of food. Moved, Helmeppo wolfed it down, shedding tears while he ate.
After eating his fill, he accepted the manager's job offer, thus embarking on the path of self-reliance.
These days, the three of them, Luffy, Zoro, and Helmeppo, were known as Construction Site Rookies. They had the potential to be nominated as Special Outstanding Employees.
As for Koby...
He was still walking that path, and might even become the next Marine Hero in the future. As for the other... Construction Site Rookie, with the potential to be a Special Outstanding Employee.
Everyone had a bright future ahead of them.
Except...
That Two-Sword Style swordsman... he overlapped a bit with Zoro.
Plus, his skills weren't that great right now, and he didn't have anything that made him stand out. Who knows if Luffy would even ask him to join the crew later?
Dante looked at the Special Outstanding Employee selection forms in his hand. He gazed indecisively at the three familiar candidates sent over from the construction site on the island just off the Goa Kingdom. He didn't know who to pick.
Outstanding Employees and Advanced Employees were selected by the Various Islands, but the Special Outstanding Employee nominations were sent to the Branch for final selection.
This gave the Branch a chance to scout for talent. Of course, normally he wouldn't handle this personally, but once he heard Zoro and Luffy's names, he'd taken the file to look it over.
Dante tapped on the table, then pulled out one form, stamped it, and casually tossed it aside.
"Have you decided?" Robin glanced at the files, looking surprised for a moment before smiling. "I thought you'd pick Zoro?"
"I would never practice nepotism," Dante huffed. He added helplessly, "Zoro may do good work, but he skipped the job for a while. It was a long period of absenteeism."
"What about Luffy? Even though you said he's Garp's grandson, he works very efficiently."
"This kid is too flighty and unstable. Plus, even though he's efficient, he caused a lot of trouble by recklessly using his abilities while on the job. He even got his wages docked for it! So, neither of them fits the bill!" Dante spread his hands. "Helmeppo, on the other hand, has been diligent and dedicated since he started. His attitude is serious and responsible. He made plenty of mistakes at the start because he was unfamiliar with the work, but he never gave up. He's always studied earnestly, even using his spare time to learn Wood Planing. He's become a high-level technician now, he can use the Two-Sword Wood Planing technique. He fits our selection criteria perfectly, and it serves as a special educational example."
"Is that so?" Robin pondered for a moment, then nodded with a smile. "Through self-study, Helmeppo has become an excellent Wood Planer. He certainly deserves it!"
Viola looked at the two of them speechlessly. 'Do you have some misunderstanding of what Wood Planing is?'
"That settles it." Dante stretched comfortably and yawned. "I'll leave the rest to you. By my calculations, the Year-End Awards Ceremony is coming up soon."
The workload for this year's Year-End Awards Ceremony was quite heavy.
After all, unlike last year, their territory had expanded significantly this year, and they'd gained many new employees. It wouldn't be as relaxed as the previous two years.
"Have the person in charge on each island make sure everything is arranged properly. No surprises."
"Understood."
"Oh, one more thing." Having received Robin's affirmation, Dante seemed to remember something else. He looked at her, the corner of his mouth curling up slightly. "Let's make this year's Year-End Banquet a lively one!"
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