Holy Land, Mary Geoise.
The Five Elders had just finalized the new bounties for the mbers of the Sun and Moon Pirates.
"How should we deal with the Goa Kingdom?"
"Should we initiate a Buster Call and erase the Goa Kingdom from history?"
"Wouldn't that cause too much negative impact?"
As they discussed, the transponder snail on the desk rang.
"It's a call from Stussy."
The Five Elders instantly gathered around the transponder snail, their faces filled with excitent.
"Has Stussy already confird the Sun and Moon Pirates' next route?"
"Good, infiltrating the crew makes it easy to track their position."
The Five Elders eagerly picked up the transponder snail, expecting to hear good news about Kuke's death.
"Hello!"
The Five Elders were stunned.
"????"
Were they hallucinating Kuke's voice out of their intense desire to kill him?
The Five Elders stared at the transponder snail, which typically mimicked the facial features of the person on the other end.
From those features, it was clear—
It wasn't Stussy.
It was a man.
It was Kuke, the very person whose picture they had angrily stared at countless tis.
Crack!
The Five Elders felt a sharp pain in their chests. Was Stussy dead? Did Kuke take the transponder snail from her and find a way to contact them?
Or did Stussy betray them?
Either option was hard for the Five Elders to accept.
"I'm surprised you haven't started cursing at yet. I expected more rage when you heard my voice. Not bad for the rulers of the World Governnt—your composure is impressive."
"Captain, you're so naughty," Stussy's voice chid in from the side.
It was like a dagger, stabbing relentlessly at the Five Elders' already fragile souls.
They let out a collective groan of frustration.
Too much humiliation.
She had really betrayed them.
And she was mocking them on top of it. Did they look like fools to her?
The Five Elders gritted their teeth, recalling how they had handed her a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit.
Now, they had not only lost the fruit, but also the person.
The Five Elders felt as though they were vomiting blood and wanted nothing more than to slap themselves.
They were no better than fools.
"Stussy, why betray us?" one of the Five Elders growled. "Have you forgotten your duties and obligations?"
"I was chosen by the World Governnt halfway through my life. Your brainwashing had little effect on . Before, I had no choice. But now I do," Stussy replied calmly. "And most importantly, my captain is simply irresistible."
The first part they could understand.
But the last part?
The Five Elders' eyes filled with rage.
"Kuke, don't get cocky. Sooner or later, we'll destroy you," they threatened, their voices filled with murderous intent.
"Yeah, I'll grant your wish. I'll die at your hands soday," Kuke said, nodding in agreent.
The Five Elders' faces darkened.
Was he still mocking them?
Or did he really not fear death?
Facing an opponent like this, any further threats seed aningless.
"Just you wait!"
The Five Elders roared, smashing the transponder snail to pieces and stomping it into the ground.
The office, which had just been repaired, was once again destroyed by the enraged Five Elders.
"Argh!!!"
Suddenly, another transponder snail rang.
The Five Elders flinched.
More mockery? This was too much.
Instinctively, they reached out to crush the ringing snail. "Wait, it's Sengoku calling."
...
Marine Headquarters.
Sengoku had just finished venting his anger.
"If Kuke dares to kill a Celestial Dragon, there's nothing he wouldn't do," Sengoku said, his face grim.
He picked up the transponder snail. "Fortunately, the Five Elders have already planted an agent. We can't let Kuke keep running rampant."
Unable to contain himself, Sengoku dialed the Five Elders.
"Your Excellencies, Kuke is becoming increasingly arrogant. Shouldn't we activate our agent and quickly track the Sun and Moon Pirates' movents so we can deploy the full force of the Navy?" Sengoku said, trying to flatter them.
His loyalty was as clear as day.
"?" Sengoku listened to the silence on the other end, only hearing the increasingly heavy breathing.
What happened?
"Shut up! Are you trying to tell us how to do our job?" the Five Elders snapped, taking out their frustration on Sengoku. They had just been humiliated by Kuke, and now they had soone to vent their anger on.
"Just focus on doing your own job."
After venting, the Five Elders hung up with a loud bang.
Sengoku was left stunned.
His mind went blank. What did I do wrong?
He reviewed his words, finding no fault in his phrasing or tone.
Why, then?
"Sengoku, don't you understand yet?" Tsuru, the Chief of Staff, spoke up.
Sengoku slowly sat down, staring at the latest intelligence and photos on the desk.
"She's gone?"
The wise Sengoku imdiately understood.
"It can't be. The agent wasn't a Devil Fruit user; she had her own mind. How could she be gone? Did Kuke find her and kill her?" Sengoku swallowed in disbelief.
"Not dead—she betrayed us. This is the latest bounty from the governnt. The three mbers who recently joined the Sun and Moon Pirates all have increased bounties. None of them are dead."
Sengoku felt his scalp tingle.
The agent had defected?
How could this happen?
It was more unbelievable than having a Devil Fruit stolen.
"Why?" Sengoku couldn't comprehend it. He stared at the pictures of Stussy, Makino, and Lily, focusing mainly on Stussy, who was the most likely agent.
He couldn't understand.
There was no reason for betrayal.
"What kind of charisma does Kuke have to make even an agent defect?" Sengoku felt a chill run down his spine.
He had underestimated him.
"Inform the Marines—any female soldier who encounters the Sun and Moon Pirates must imdiately retreat and avoid any contact," Sengoku urgently ordered all Marines.
He was afraid.
"No wonder the Five Elders were so angry. It's all Kuke's fault," Sengoku said angrily, glaring at Kuke's photo.
"Tsuru, do you think we should sar Kuke's na? The reason the Sun and Moon Pirates are so troubleso is partly because of Kuke's good reputation. What if we spread information about his expulsion from the recruitnt camp, and so of his past deeds within the Navy, to tarnish his image?"
Tsuru frowned.
Kuke's history as a forr Navy recruit had been hidden by the World Governnt. The world knew nothing, and only a few forr classmates within the Navy were aware.
"Not now. It won't have much impact on Kuke, but it will damage the Navy's reputation. Such a sar campaign can only happen once Kuke is dead."
Tsuru analyzed the situation for Sengoku.
Sengoku sighed, acknowledging Tsuru's reasoning.
"If only he were dead."
If he were dead, the focus of the world would shift away from Kuke, and the newspapers would move on. At that point, the Navy and the World Governnt could attach all sorts of vile cris to Kuke's na.
Once he was vilified, they could slowly erase his story.
Eventually, it would fade into history, forgotten.
But all of that relied on one condition—his death.
"Easier said than done," Sengoku muttered, rubbing his aching temples.
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