I the King of bandits of the East Sea

On a small hill outside Frost Moon Village, under the moonlight, Stussy stood quietly.

"Am I safe now?"

Stussy pondered for a moment, then glanced at the small Den Den Mushi in her hand, dialed a number, and began reporting her situation.

Starting from the great fire in the Goa Kingdom, where she prepared to assassinate Sig, she laid out everything that had happened—leaving out only a specific part of her experiences.

A middle-aged man's voice quickly came through on the other end of the line.

"I see. The intelligence you've provided is valuable."

"Sig is suspected to be a Devil Fruit user, possessing strange abilities—not only able to directly attack Saint Charlos, who was behind you, but also capable of completely seeing through your disguise and subduing you with a single sword strike?"

"Sig, the Bandit King of the East Blue… We truly underestimated him."

The middle-aged man's voice on the other end was evidently shaken.

During the great fire in the Goa Kingdom, all attention on the Celestial Dragon's ship had been focused on saving and protecting Saint Charlos. No one had anticipated CP0 would get involved, so no one had personally witnessed how Stussy was defeated—or by whom.

Later, when it became known that the Revolutionary Army had been involved in the incident, there was still debate over whether CP0 had been defeated by the Revolutionary Army or by Sig himself.

After reporting all the information, Stussy finally breathed a sigh of relief.

It was all over. She was safe now and could return to her role as the Queen of Pleasure Street...

Just as she was about to hang up, the voice on the other end spoke again.

"Wait. Since you've successfully infiltrated Sig's pirate crew…"

"You'll stay and continue your mission."

The words from the other end made Stussy's expression change.

It wasn't over? She was to remain by Sig's side long-term, continuing to provide intelligence for CP0?

At that moment, Stussy genuinely regretted agreeing to become one of Sig's subordinates.

"You have no choice in the matter, Stussy."

The expression on the Den Den Mushi in her hand turned cold, glaring down at Stussy with an utterly detached tone:

"You've earned merit by providing this valuable intelligence, but it's not enough."

"Don't forget, Saint Charlos sustained serious injuries because you failed to protect him properly."

"He's still seeking treatment from renowned doctors. Over ten hospitals have already been razed to the ground for failing to correctly diagnose his injuries."

"If you want to return, are you prepared to face Saint Charlos's wrath in person?"

A chill ran through Stussy's heart.

CP0 is the world's top intelligence agency, with members who can rival even Admirals in strength, often referred to as the strongest shield of the Celestial Dragons.

But that was all they were.

Every CP0 member existed solely to serve the World Government and, by extension, the Celestial Dragons.

The title of Queen of Pleasure District, a so-called ruler of the dark underworld, might appear glamorous and impressive, but she was nothing more than a pawn planted by the World Government.

If the World Government so wished, they could assign another CP0 member to inherit this so-called title of ruler of the underworld. It would require some effort, but it wasn't impossible.

This world belonged to the Celestial Dragons.

In the hierarchy of the World Government, even beings as powerful as Marine Admirals or the elite of CP0 were nothing more than subordinates to the Celestial Dragons.

Stussy truly had no choice.

Biting her lip, she cautiously asked, "Then, when will we take action to eliminate Sig?"

Stussy hoped for Sig to be eliminated as soon as possible so she could escape this ordeal sooner.

The Den Den Mushi in her hand coldly spat out one sentence:

"Your mission is to continue infiltrating and providing more intelligence on Sig and the Revolutionary Army. Anything else is none of your concern."

The call was disconnected. Stussy stood alone in the wind, her mind in turmoil.

...

Meanwhile, inside the captain's quarters:

Lying on his side, Sig touched his chest, feeling his increasingly rapid heartbeat.

He sighed, reaching out to hang up the small black Den Den Mushi next to his pillow.

This black Den Den Mushi was smaller than an ordinary one, exceptionally discreet. It disliked communicating with other Den Den Mushi but had a peculiar penchant for eavesdropping.

This type of Den Den Mushi was specifically designed for surveillance.

Ever since the Revolutionary Army sent Stussy into Sig's hands, Sig hadn't felt the slightest bit of security. For that reason, he specifically borrowed this black Den Den Mushi from the Revolutionary Army.

But Sig hadn't expected to hear such explosive information on the very first night.

Should he blame Stussy for her impatience, or had the psychological blow she suffered earlier gone too far, making her want to escape on her first night?

Sig's heart thumped wildly, and a wave of panic surged within him.

"She was acting all along! This woman is absolutely terrifying! Her acting is flawless—so much so that even I, an actor of the highest caliber, didn't see through it!"

"Compared to such a dangerous actress like Stussy, I'm nothing more than an innocent piece of blank paper!"

"To think that such a dangerous person will remain by my side for the foreseeable future!"

"If I hadn't been bold and cautious enough to borrow this black Den Den Mushi from the Revolutionary Army in advance, I'd truly be doomed now."

Lying under the covers, Sig trembled all over, drenched in cold sweat, his hands and feet icy.

"Hell is empty, and the devils walk the earth!"

"This woman is a devil! She's been acting all along, never stopping! It's horrifying!"

Taking a deep breath, Sig got out of bed, opened the door, and walked out onto the deck.

Based on the conversation he'd overheard, Stussy should be coming back.

But Sig couldn't guarantee that.

From the call just now, he could tell that Stussy's resolve was wavering. Who's to say she wouldn't defy orders and run away?

So, Sig grabbed his sword and walked to the deck.

The Revolutionary Army didn't have just one black Den Den Mushi. In all likelihood, Dragon had also eavesdropped on Stussy's conversation and was probably lurking somewhere under the cover of night.

Yes... very safe, absolutely no danger. With the Revolutionary Army watching his back, there was no way things could go south. Besides, he might even score some points with them.

This was a sure bet.

Sig gripped his sword tightly and, for show, gazed into the darkness toward Frost Moon Village.

Separated by several kilometers, with Stussy standing in the dark, there was, of course, nothing Sig could see. He was merely putting on an act.

Facing the direction of Frost Moon Village, Sig raised his sword and swung it forward dramatically.

...

Several kilometers away, Stussy exhaled lightly. She had finally sorted out her chaotic thoughts and was about to start her walk back.

But just as she took her first step, her foot paused mid-air, and she turned her gaze suspiciously into the distance.

Observation Haki is a skill that can only be used in a calm state of mind. After finishing her call, her mood had been somewhat unsettled, disrupting her use of Observation Haki.

But now that she refocused… Sig had appeared on the deck, seemingly looking into the distance—towards her?

This glance, spanning several kilometers, sent a chill through Stussy's heart.

She "saw" Sig from afar, lifting his sword and taking a phantom swing in her direction.

_________

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