"Beep beep beep—"
Holding the Den Den Mushi, Viola approached Kuke. "Captain, this year's Supernova, Kalifa, is currently in Dressrosa. She's sending a message through Rebecca, requesting to join us."
"Who?"
"This year's Supernova, Kalifa." Viola confirmed once more with Rebecca on the other end of the line.
Indeed, it was Kalifa, one of this year's Supernovas.
Shakky and the others weren't surprised by Kalifa's desire to defect; instead, they were more shocked by Kuke's reaction.
After all, it was just a Supernova.
"Kalifa, do we have a picture of her?"
Kuke recalled the original story.
Back in Water 7, when he obtained the Doa Doa no Mi, he had been puzzled—Kalifa, who was supposed to be undercover as a secretary in Water 7, was nowhere to be seen. CP9's Rob Lucci and the other members didn't recognize Kalifa either.
Shakky handed over Kalifa's bounty poster.
The image matched Kuke's memory.
"010"—it was indeed the same person.
However, her demeanor was slightly different from what he remembered.
"Does she have any secrets about her identity?" Shakky asked curiously.
She was just a newcomer with a bounty of 150 million.
Although she was beautiful.
But Shakky was certain that alone wasn't enough to warrant the level of attention Kuke was giving her.
"Kalifa wants to join the Sun and Moon Pirates," Kuke chuckled.
He wasn't entirely sure whether the butterfly effect had caused Kalifa's identity to change from the original.
But one thing was certain.
Kalifa was most likely still an intelligence spy for the World Government.
"After all these years, the World Government is still playing these little tricks. How boring." Kuke scoffed at the Three Elders, thinking to himself how they always seemed to send spies that he already knew the identities of.
"Shakky, go pick her up."
Kuke ordered Shakky to bring her in.
Through Kalifa, he wanted to uncover the World Government's latest schemes. If he could also turn Kalifa into a real ally, it would add another flower to his ship.
"Captain, Rebecca wants to set sail with me as well. Can she…?" Viola gazed at Kuke with pleading eyes.
"Sure."
In Kuke's mind, an image of the knightly Rebecca immediately appeared.
The Radiant Eclipse continued its journey.
Several days later.
"Success."
In the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, the Three Elders exchanged knowing smiles.
They had just received word.
Their undercover agent, Kalifa, had been picked up by Shakky, a high-ranking member of the Sun and Moon Pirates.
Seeing that the Sun and Moon Pirates had sent such an important figure to welcome her, the Three Elders were convinced that Kalifa would soon become one of their crew.
"As expected, keeping things simple and direct makes them easier to accomplish."
"We used to overthink things."
The three nodded in agreement.
This was a lesson learned through blood.
"They're still recruiting members, which means the Sun and Moon Pirates will absolutely not be participating in the major event next week."
"The perfect excuse for them not to get involved."
The Three Elders were in high spirits.
"The only concern is whether Kalifa will be exposed."
"The chances are slim. We've spent ten years grooming her into the perfect undercover agent—she won't slip up so easily."
"True."
Aboard the Radiant Eclipse.
Shakky returned to the ship with two new members.
One was a cold and intellectual beauty, the other an innocent and cute little girl.
Kalifa and Rebecca.
Rebecca, hiding behind her aunt Viola, peeked at Kuke curiously.
Kalifa, on the other hand, confidently stepped forward.
She carried a prideful air, yet there was also a trace of admiration in her eyes when looking at Kuke.
"My dream is to become an outstanding pirate like everyone here. My only aspiration upon setting sail was to follow Captain Kuke."
Her words were sincere.
There wasn't a single flaw in her act.
Even Kuke could see a faint glow in her.
The perfect blend of truth and deception.
Kalifa had convinced even herself.
With her head slightly lowered.
No one could see the unwavering respect in her eyes, nor could they detect even the slightest weakness that might give her away.
Without revealing a single hint.
She even felt a sense of arrogance, thinking—so this was all it took to infiltrate the Sun and Moon Pirates? That was way too easy. Maybe the ten years of rigorous training she endured were unnecessary.
Those officials had really overestimated the Sun and Moon Pirates.
"What did the Three Elders send you here for?"
Unfortunately for her, Kuke already knew Kalifa's original identity. His words struck like a hammer.
Kalifa, who had been feeling self-satisfied just moments ago—
Her mind went blank, her soul frozen, her body rigid.
"So, an undercover agent, huh?"
The other crew members looked at Kalifa with amusement.
"How did Captain Kuke figure it out so fast?"
Carina, a newcomer to the crew, was baffled.
She prided herself on infiltration and disguise.
Yet she hadn't detected anything suspicious about Kalifa just now.
"Our Captain knows everything," Nami said smugly.
Finally, a chance to show off in front of a newcomer.
"My successor, perhaps?"
Stussy circled the frozen Kalifa with interest before suggesting, "Captain, why not have her kill a Celestial Dragon in front of everyone—just like I did?"
Stussy reminisced about her own experience.
She pouted in mock resentment.
"Back then, Captain really scared the hell out of me."
Kalifa seemed completely disconnected from reality.
Her whole body was ice-cold.
She slowly lifted her pale face, eyes filled with terror and disbelief as she looked at Kuke.
Kuke didn't exert any pressure or display any cruelty.
Yet, in Kalifa's eyes, he was the most terrifying figure on the sea.
She couldn't understand how her cover had been blown the moment she stepped on board.
Smart and proud as she was.
She couldn't accept this reality.
She could hear Stussy teasing in the background.
Kalifa gritted her teeth. "You must be joking. The Celestial Dragons are gods of the world."
Completely brainwashed.
"Gods?" Stussy chuckled. "Yet they don't even dare step out onto the sea. What kind of pitiful gods are those?"
Looking at Kalifa.
She saw a reflection of her past self.
"I'm not bullying you," Stussy added. "Once you kill a Celestial Dragon, you'll finally understand how vast the sea truly is. One day, you'll thank me."
Having shared the same experience, Stussy didn't want Kalifa to go down the wrong path.
"Captain, let me train her," Stussy requested.
"Do as you like. Let Pudding help you. Her Memo Memo no Mi should work well with your methods."
Kuke approved.
If she could be reformed, great.
If not—
It didn't matter. With the scale of the Sun and Moon Pirates, one Kalifa more or less made no difference.
Right now, Kuke was more interested—
In the fourteen-year-old Rebecca.
He gestured for her to come over.
Another young girl had joined the crew.
Ten years ago, Kuke thought there were too many young girls on the ship. Now, he felt there weren't enough.
There needed to be more variety in the scenery.
As time passed.
The Radiant Eclipse had quietly left the New World.
Arriving in the first half of the Grand Line.
And the day of Red-Haired Shanks' execution, as well as Akainu's ascension to Fleet Admiral, was fast approaching.