Bab 85: Extra Edition: A Day in the Life of a Faithful Dog
CP9's Assistant Commander, Paula Chelsea, starts her day early. She wakes up in the early morning, tidies herself up in the bathroom, and then begins preparing breakfast.
Paula is entrusted with all the household chores at Spandam's residence, and for her, this is a highly rewarding job as she deeply admires and respects Spandam from the bottom of her heart.
... In reality, it's more accurate to say that she took over the tasks on her own and they gradually became routine, but in the first place, Paula had moved into Spandam's house without even being asked.
Now, Lillith has similarly made herself at home here, and recently even Tama visits occasionally, so it's not just Paula who has settled in without formal invitation. Of course, the landlord Spandam doesn't really mind; if the person is useful to him, the extra rooms can be used freely according to his attitude.
Since Spandam is fond of coffee, Paula prepares breakfast assuming that it will be enjoyed with coffee. First, she takes out the dough for bread that she had prepared the previous day and allowed to ferment at low temperatures in the refrigerator. After bringing it to room temperature, she shapes the dough and puts it in the oven.
While the bread is baking, she prepares the ingredients and does the pre-cooking, but she doesn't start cooking immediately. If she starts now, the food might get cold by the time Spandam is ready to have breakfast, so timing is crucial.
Spandam is quite punctual and always wakes up at a fixed time, so it's easy for Paula, who has known him for a long time, to determine the right timing to start cooking.
After finishing the pre-cooking, she moves on to preparing the coffee. First, she selects the coffee beans. She chooses several varieties of beans that have been roasted in advance and blends them.
Since it's coffee to accompany breakfast, she chooses beans with a clean aftertaste, grinds them. Spandam prefers a stronger taste, so she adjusts the coffee mill to a slightly finer grind. How finely she grinds them varies from day to day, and this is where Paula's experience comes into play.
Once the coffee is ready to be brewed, she starts cooking quickly. She cuts a few slices of homemade ham, adds scrambled eggs, prepares a mini salad, and serves freshly baked bread.
Spandam prefers a simple breakfast, so this amount of ingredients is ideal. With breakfast prepared and coffee ready, it's the perfect time for Spandam to show up.
"Good morning, Captain!"
"Ah, good morning. Pochi, coffee please."
"Yes!"
After a brief exchange of greetings, she places the coffee in front of Spandam and then sets the breakfast on the table. She also prepares her own breakfast, serves café au lait as a beverage, and sits across from Spandam.
Then, as if waiting for this moment, Spandam starts eating breakfast.
"... Today's bread is quite delicious."
"I tried using a slightly different type of flour. How is it?"
"It's tasty. It's my kind of flavor."
Spandam often praises Paula's cooking succinctly like this, and these words are music to her ears. Her heart swells with joy, and her hair sways back and forth.
After finishing breakfast and tidying up the dishes, it's time to start working. Although there's another resident, Lillith, living in the house, her waking time varies, and today she seemed to be waking up late, so Paula prepares Lillis' breakfast and puts it in the fridge.
As she walks from the residential area to the Judiciary Tower, Paula enjoys a light chat with Spandam during the morning commute. This commuting time is a happy time for Paula.
When they arrive at the Judiciary Tower and reach the Chief of Staff's office, Spandam immediately starts working on paperwork. As the head of Enies Lobby and the de facto leader of CP, Spandam has a lot of work to do, and naturally, Paula, as his assistant, also has a lot of tasks.
Paula sorts the paperwork that Spandam processes at an incredible speed into categories and delivers them to the relevant departments, arranging any necessary details. Her tasks involve a wide range of activities, but she's quite adept at them.
By the way, Paula is probably the only one in CP who can keep up with Spandam's abnormally fast paperwork processing speed.
"All right, I'll deliver these documents to the respective departments."
"Sure, thanks."
Once the paperwork progresses to a certain extent, Paula delivers the documents to each department and then moves to the Assistant Chief's office next door. Although it's named the Assistant Chief's office, it's more like a kitchen, and Paula has remodeled it with Lillis' help to function as a kitchen. It's equipped well enough to prepare even elaborate dishes.
After finishing the paperwork, Spandam usually reads the newspaper and enjoys a cup of coffee, so Paula prepares the coffee. Since he just finished paperwork, she selects aromatic beans to help him relax.
"Pochi, coffee please."
"Yes."
This phrase also signals the end of the paperwork, so Paula places the coffee on Spandam's desk and collects the completed documents.
These documents are not ones that need to be taken to departments; they are documents that need to be sent out, so she puts them in envelopes and places them in a box for outgoing mail.
"Paula, may I also have some coffee?"
"Yes. Does anyone else want some?"
Upon asking this, all the CP9 members in the Chief's office, including Califa, raise their hands. They all know that Paula prepares Spandam's meals, and among the CP9 members, there's an unspoken rule that if they want something, they should raise their hands, especially if they're not going to the cafeteria or out shopping.
"I intend to go shopping. Will you need anything?"
"... In that case, could you get some beans for me? Just a small amount."
"Ah, for Hattori. Got it."
Since CP9 members generally get along well, it's common for someone who's going shopping to offer to get things for others as well. This time, Fizz is going shopping, and Lucci had requested a treat for Hattori.
Paula has a habit of swaying her hair with a joyful smile while the CP9 members chat and enjoy their coffee. Today, she stands up when lunchtime approaches and addresses the CP9 members.
"What's on the menu for Carbonara?"
Upon hearing these words, several hands go up. Everyone in CP9 knows that Paula prepares Spandam's lunch, and among the CP9 members, it's customary that if they hear the menu and want the same thing, they raise their hands. If they were going to the cafeteria or shopping, they wouldn't raise their hands, so this is an unspoken rule.
"I was planning to go shopping. Shall I get the ingredients?"
"... Well then, please pick up some beans as well. Just a small amount."
"Ah, for Hattori. Understood."
The CP9 members generally get along well, so when someone offers to go shopping, it's common for others to ask them to get things for them as well. Fizz is going shopping this time, and Lucci asked him to pick up a treat for Hattori.
***
After finishing lunch, if there are no specific missions in the afternoon, they often engage in training. If Spandam's schedule allows, they start with a mock battle where all CP9 members take on Spandam.
Of course, Spandam holds back considerably, but even so, no one has yet managed to land a decent blow on him.
"Lucci, your movements are too linear. Incorporate feints. Jabra, your core body movements are too obvious even with the feints. Kaku, be prepared for a counterattack and take one step further... Fizz, your recent movements are good. You're effectively targeting the blind spots."
"You easily defend without even looking back. You're quick to criticize..."
The top combatants, Lucci, Jabra, Kaku, and Fizz, work together to attack, while the others provide support. Spandam remains defensive, not moving for the sake of training, yet all their attacks are effortlessly parried.
However, the CP9 members understand the purpose of these attacks. They are meant to create openings for their main strategy.
Excluding Chelsea, the plan involves creating a slight opening against Spandam and having Chelsea launch the actual attack. She gathers strength, sharpens her observation Haki, and waits for the chance to strike.
In a split second, Chelsea doesn't miss the opportunity, using her Kenbunshoku Haki to control her presence and sound, she moves to Spandam's blind spot and delivers a powerful punch.
"... Your movement is good, but if you were going to use Kenbunshoku Haki, you should have done it earlier. It's like you're announcing your attack from the blind spot."
"True... huh!?"
"Also, anticipate being blocked. The main attack is the Storm Leg. It's a good idea, but you haven't completely concealed the approach of your attack."
With her full-powered punch acting as a decoy, her actual move is the high-speed Storm Leg... However, Spandam anticipates this as well and easily blocks it without turning around.
While being blocked after giving it her all might normally be disheartening, for Chelsea, it's a confirmation of Spandam's greatness, which fills her with nothing but joy. Though she doesn't let her expression loosen during training, her hair sways slightly from side to side.
Once the mock battle concludes, Spandam provides feedback on areas for improvement and challenges. Afterward, they individually or in small groups engage in further training.
During these sessions, Chelsea often trains alongside Spandam. Despite being acknowledged as the strongest in the world, Spandam continues to train diligently. This extends to both physical conditioning and mastering techniques.
From Fish-Man Karate to Fish-Man Jujutsu, as well as various martial arts and Qigong techniques, while his primary combat style is unarmed, he's trained to handle various weapons.
"... Shall we take a short break?"
"Yes. I'll bring you a drink."
"Sure."
While Spandam suggests breaks like this, Chelsea has realized something from their long companionship. Spandam himself doesn't tire from training to this extent.
When Spandam calls for a break, it's usually when he detects signs of fatigue in Chelsea, who has been training alongside him, even though he is vastly superior. He acknowledges the exhaustion in Chelsea.
"Captain really is kind," she thinks, while cheerfully preparing a drink and offering it to Spandam.
***
Spandam is a punctual individual and unless there's a compelling reason, he finishes his work right on time. While occasional overtime might occur due to sudden missions, for the most part, he leaves work on schedule.
Generally, he doesn't require his subordinates to work overtime. According to Spandam, if work can't be completed without overtime, it's the fault of the superior who assigned the tasks. Everyone working at Enies Lobby follows a similar pattern, leaving work at the designated time, just like Spandam.
Before Spandam became the commander, working hours were vague and unpaid for individuals like Oimo and Kashi. Uncompensated overtime was prevalent. However, this changed within a few years of Spandam's arrival.
"Now then, Pochi. Let's head home."
"Yes!"
After work, Spandam's post-work activities vary. Sometimes he takes his subordinates out for drinks, but the most common scenario is going shopping with Chelsea.
They buy ingredients for dinner during these shopping trips, and the time spent shopping together is something that brings Chelsea a lot of happiness. Her hair sways noticeably during these moments.
"Oh, Chief and Chelsea. We have some good white fish today. Interested?"
"Certainly, that sounds good... It could be prepared as meunière, perhaps."
"Meunière, not a bad idea. Let's go with that for dinner."
"Sure! So, this fish and... for the side dish..."
Their shopping trips are a routine, and people in the Enies Lobby area are used to seeing them together.
In fact, as the commander, Spandam frequently inspects Enies Lobby, listens to repairs and requests, making sure that no one working at Enies Lobby remains unfamiliar with his face. Naturally, since Chelsea is always with Spandam, no one is unfamiliar with her either.
Back home, they prepare dinner, and sometimes they have visitors.
"Coming in~"
"Tamahime, welcome. We were planning on meunière for dinner, right?"
"Oh, in that case, I'd love to join. I really like fish."
"Is that so?"
"Well, I am a cat... Meow, meow."
With a slightly suspicious smile, Chelsea begins to prepare a portion of the fish she bought for Tama.
Tama drops by randomly. Chelsea gets along well with Tama and appreciates her company.
After a while, Lyrus, who had been doing research downstairs, also joins them, and the four of them have dinner together.
"By the way, Lilith-chan, could you lend me that training equipment for a bit longer?"
"Could you please stop calling me 'chan'... Anyway, I have some extra, so feel free to take it. Making new ones is a hassle... If Panda says you need it, I'll make it."
As usual, Lilith and Tama just made themselves at home without much formality, but Spandam doesn't seem to mind.
As long as he's around, Lilith and Tama are welcome to use any available rooms.
After dinner and a bath, Spandam sometimes enjoys a drink. It's irregular, but on his days off, he always indulges in a drink.
Whether Lilith and Tama join him depends on the occasion. Lilith rarely drinks, and Tama might join but often abstains out of consideration for not disturbing Spandam.
Spandam prefers to enjoy his drink quietly and doesn't appreciate disruptions during his drinking time. Knowing this, both Lilith and Tama usually excuse themselves back to their rooms unless Spandam invites them.
Spandam's drink of choice is almost always whiskey. Unusually for him, he's quite particular about it. Due to his physical modifications, Spandam doesn't get drunk from alcohol, so he doesn't drink a lot. He savors the taste slowly.
When Spandam starts his evening drink, Chelsea starts preparing some snacks. After making a few different kinds of snacks to suit Spandam's taste, she prepares a cocktail for herself.
She would have liked to drink whiskey like Spandam, but Chelsea doesn't like the taste very much, and it's obvious to Spandam if she tries to force herself. So, she settles for a sweet cocktail.
During Spandam's evening drink, Chelsea always sits next to him on the sofa. While Chelsea typically doesn't mind where she sits, during this time, she always chooses to sit next to him.
The reason is simple: she wants him to pat her head.
Spandam is usually in a good mood during his evening drink, and he occasionally reaches over to pat Chelsea's head.
Yes, Chelsea sits next to Spandam during his evening drink because she wants him to pat her head.
"Pochi, I'm thinking of going fishing tomorrow since it's a day off. Would you like to come?"
"Yes! At this time of year, St. Poplar might be a good choice."
"Ah, yes, you're right. This time of year, St. Poplar has fresher fish than Pucci."
"If we eat the fish we catch, we might end up having fish dishes for several meals. So, it might be a good idea to bring some ham or other meat options as well."
"True... Well, we could eat at St. Poplar, but I remember there was a place with delicious chicken as well."
"The place we went to before, right? I remember..."
While engaging in casual conversation, they experience the slow passage of time, which Chelsea enjoys immensely. It's a routine where Spandam considers Chelsea's presence when making plans.
Of course, Chelsea always accompanies Spandam unless ordered to wait. Her days remain largely the same, but being allowed to stay by his side makes her feel incredibly fortunate.
During the CP5 era, she admired his overwhelming strength and came to serve by his side. She admired his personality, and now she's granted the privilege of being near the enigmatic Black Sun.
The workload Chelsea handles daily is substantial, but she's never felt burdened by it. In fact, for her, working for Spandam feels like a reward. Most of her time is spent doing what she loves, and it brings her immense satisfaction.
As Spandam finishes his whiskey and begins tidying up, Chelsea also helps clean up the tableware.
Spandam doesn't stay up late often. Whether it's due to his punctuality or the fact that Chelsea goes to bed when he does, is unclear.
However, before bed, he always says a few words to conclude the day.
"Alright, goodnight, Pochi."
"Yes. Goodnight, Captain."
Once again, Chelsea responds with a smile full of happiness.
And so, another day full of happiness comes to an end for Chelsea.
— Tamat — Tulis ulasan
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone