You could give me a—'
Before Ren Takashi could finish his sentence, Kalifa instantly cut in with her usual line:
'You're being unreasonable... that's sexual harassment!'
However, the words had barely left her mouth when Kalifa realised that she might have overreacted.
'Oh... my apologies, Lord Ren.'
Ren smiled.
'No worries. Maybe that's just your nature, though honestly, it makes me want to conquer you even more.'
His reply left Kalifa feeling confused and slightly flustered.
Then, with a chuckle, Ren changed the subject.
'Haha, what I was going to say is...'
'Could you help me explain some of the technical specifications for shipbuilding?'
I want to build a one-of-a-kind vessel."
I'll share some ideas of my own, too, and we can really dive deep into it together."
Kalifa finally understood what he meant.
'In that case,' she said, smiling professionally, 'I'll take you to see our model showroom and completed ship exhibits first.'
'Once we've reviewed what you like, we can start discussing the finer details.'
Ren nodded in agreement.
As they prepared to leave, Kalifa discreetly looked at Lucci and the others.
It was a subtle signal.
Though they had been trained as elite agents since childhood, such small gestures were still readable — especially to someone like Ren.
He noticed.
But he didn't care.
Let them play their little games.
With enough power, no trick mattered.
Besides, Ren had plenty of lives saved up in the River of Death. He could afford to be reckless.
---
Meanwhile, back at Dock One...
The shipwrights who had been working just moments ago — Lucci, Kaku and the others — suddenly vanished from sight.
—
Later, in a small tavern on the east side of the city…
Dressed in sleek black suits, Lucci and Kaku entered quietly.
Gone were their greasy overalls — no longer were they shipwrights, but CP agents back in action.
Behind the bar stood the owner — none other than Bruno, a fellow undercover agent and Door-Door Fruit user.
With their arrival, the tavern closed early for the day.
The lights were dimmed, the doors were locked and the curtains were drawn.
Inside the small back room, the three of them gathered for a hushed discussion.
At the centre of the table, beneath a single hanging lamp...
lay Ren Takashi's bounty poster.
"What do we do, Lucci?"
'If we follow the government's directive, do we make our move now?'
'They've got four people.'
'We do too — well, Kalifa's not here, but with her we're even.'
'And we have the advantage — they don't know we're agents. We can strike from the shadows."
Kaku kept his tone calm and matter-of-fact.
'Saint Jaygarcia Saturn gave the order himself,' Lucci replied coldly.
'There's no room for error. We must take Ren down."
'We might not even need to blow our cover if we act smartly and cleanly.'
As long as it's done quietly."
Lucci's voice was calm but decisive.
'Tonight is the best shot,' Bruno added.
'Before you got here, I checked the weather report.'
'The Aqua Laguna—the storm of the Sea Gods—is set to hit Water 7 tonight.'
'That's our perfect window.'
—
Every year, the city of Water 7 was struck by a massive tsunami known as Aqua Laguna, or the 'Sea God's Wrath'.
The locals took it seriously, tracking weather reports closely.
Shelters were opened. Evacuation drills were activated.
Earlier, Mayor Iceburg — also president of Galley-La Company — had hurried off to organise citywide disaster preparation.
This was why Ren's ship tour had been left in Kalifa's hands.
"If the storm hits tonight, then perfect!" Kaku grinned.
'No one will be watching. The whole city will be in chaos."
'After we grab them, the government can send clean-up crews to erase the evidence.'
The trio spent the next half hour planning every detail.
After weighing up their options, they agreed to limit the operation to the four CP agents who were already in place.
No reinforcements.
Time was tight, and even the sea train from Enies Lobby would take too long.
As team leader, Lucci made the final call.
Tonight, under the cover of Aqua Laguna, they would strike.
They would capture Ren Takashi and his three companions in one swift, silent move.
—