Urouge was in bad shape.
Really bad—beaten so thoroughly he was barely recognizable.
After Law's "physical anesthesia," Enel also had an epiphany—combining "physical persuasion" with "electrotherapy," he subdued Urouge completely.
Though Urouge possessed formidable strength and had been in the New World long enough to grasp the basics of Armament Haki, he was still no match for Enel, who wielded both Armament and Observation Haki with expertise alongside his Logia abilities.
It could only be said that those from Skypiea still underestimated the dangers of the Blue Sea.
Even though Urouge had faced Kizaru head-on at Sabaody Archipelago and witnessed the entirety of the Summit War, gaining an understanding of Logia abilities and their countermeasures, his Haki was still lacking in quality. Meanwhile, Enel's Observation Haki was so advanced that he could instinctively phase parts of his body into elemental form to evade even higher-level Armament Haki attacks—let alone Urouge's rudimentary use of it.
Still, Enel acknowledged Urouge's combat prowess. Given time to train in the New World, Urouge could indeed make a significant impact.
Urouge enjoyed battle. His Devil Fruit allowed him to absorb damage, increase his size, and enhance his strength in return, enabling devastating counterattacks. Against ordinary foes, his powerful physique and unique fruit ability made him a true menace.
While Enel was "training" (or rather, tormenting) Urouge, several figures emerged from a secret training base at the G-5 Marine branch in the New World.
It was none other than Rob Lucci, Kaku, Jabra, Blueno, and Kalifa!
"It's unfortunate… Kumadori and Fukurou didn't make the cut."
Kaku sighed with regret. "Though I feel like their personalities played a big part in it."
"No, their personalities are precisely why they failed," Kalifa said firmly, adjusting her gold-rimmed glasses. Once the secretary to Water Seven's mayor, Iceburg, she spoke with absolute certainty.
"One is completely unpredictable, and the other talks non-stop despite having a zipper for a mouth…"
"Honestly, this is no longer about mere spy and assassination missions like before."
"Indeed," Blueno spoke in his deep voice. "This time, we're undertaking something unprecedented. We can't afford any liabilities."
"Hahaha! Well, at least this way… we still have a safety net," Jabra licked his lips, glancing at Lucci. "Right, Lucci?"
"Hmph… Jabra, you're as cynical as ever, always looking at things from a dark perspective."
Rob Lucci finally spoke. He had grown a beard—but for some strange reason, it was shaped into a perfect sphere, swaying as he moved.
"That said… you're not wrong. This is a form of insurance—for both sides."
Lucci clenched his fist, feeling the surge of his newly gained power—Haki. A smirk formed at the corner of his lips.
"With them here, we won't defect. And at the very least, we won't be completely wiped out."
The old Rob Lucci would never have said something like this. But after recovering in Town of Queen Spring, he had truly come to see his team as comrades.
Even now, despite his belief in "Dark Justice," he could no longer bring himself to abandon those he recognized as allies.
"Blueno, are you confident you can open a door from Mary Geoise to here?"
Lucci turned his head, addressing Blueno—his Paramecia-type Door-Door Fruit was their lifeline for espionage operations.
The Door-Door Fruit allowed its user to open doors anywhere, leading to hidden spaces for concealment or even long-distance teleportation!
Back in Water Seven, Blueno's ability hadn't been fully developed—otherwise, there would have been no need to transport Nico Robin to Enies Lobby via the Sea Train.
If Blueno had then possessed the ability to open a direct door from Water Seven to Enies Lobby, the Straw Hat Pirates wouldn't have had a chance to intercept them!
Such a broken space-based ability had been wasted on simple stealth missions, much to Wright's disappointment.
Thus, Blueno's true value wasn't in direct combat but in support—stealth, infiltration, ambush, teleportation, and logistical assistance.
Over the past year, his training had focused solely on honing his Devil Fruit ability. As for combat, given that he had already mastered the Rokushiki techniques, all he needed was enough stamina to stay mobile.
"If we're heading to the Red Line, it shouldn't be a problem, though I can't pinpoint the exact location we'll end up at…"
Blueno shook his head. "Long-distance teleportation is imprecise, but I can stabilize it by opening multiple doors in succession. That way, we can maintain accuracy."
"If we were to teleport directly from Mary Geoise to here, though, the door would likely open above the ocean."
Lucci nodded. "At least emergency retreats won't be an issue…"
"Blueno, I really don't understand how you used your fruit before…"
Kalifa shook her head in exasperation. "After training, I've come to realize—your previous use of the ability was… truly underwhelming."
"…"
The former cold-blooded assassin couldn't help but blush.
"I… just prefer direct combat."
"Leave the fighting to us three."
Kaku shot a glance at Jabra, his long nose nearly poking Blueno in the face.
"You just focus on support—Kalifa, keep an eye on him."
"No problem~"
Jabra rolled his neck, cracking his joints.
"Let's go. Time to get to business… Just thinking about that bastard Spandam makes me want to tear him apart!"
"Patience, Jabra. Resisting a Devil Fruit's influence over your personality is also part of training."
Lucci exhaled deeply.
"But I must admit, I didn't expect the Vice Admiral stationed at G-5 to have such an extraordinary identity."
"It seems… we made the right choice."
During their training, Lucci and the others had "coincidentally" discovered Rosinante's true identity—Donquixote Rosinante.
That surname—Donquixote—linked him directly to that Donquixote in Mary Geoise!
From that moment on, Lucci's group had put even greater faith in the words Wright had spoken to them.
Rosinante was Wright's closest ally—his sworn brother, known to the world.
And what did that have to do with his former Celestial Dragon status?
A web of deep, dark conspiracies unraveled before them, and the CP9 agents—who had some knowledge of the World Government's inner workings—began to piece together their own theories.
In the end, all that mattered was that their thirst for uncovering the "Gods'" secrets grew stronger.
"We should be ready by now."
As they pondered their next moves, Rosinante suddenly appeared beside them. He had come to secretly see them off on their mission—but he immediately noticed something odd about the way they were looking at him.
Why were their eyes burning with such… fervor?
"Awaiting your command!"
The five of them responded in unison, eyes gleaming as they fixed their gazes on Rosinante.
—————————
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over to my Patreon ——— patreon(.)com/JuanPiece [remove the parenthesis ( )]
Note: This fanfic has been completely translated and is available on my Patreon.