Chapter 142: A Gift from CP9
Kaido has left the New World and has been spotted in Paradise?
Who is he after?
"..."
Shane held the newspaper, his expression unreadable.
The answer, it seemed, was obvious.
"Revenge for Hanafuda?" Shane said, looking at the azure dragon that was faintly visible in the dark clouds. "Or is he trying to recruit me?"
The two weren't mutually exclusive.
Kaido had always valued talent, especially those with powerful physiques.
If Kaido was really after him… then the most likely scenario was that he would first beat him to a pulp with his kanabo to vent his anger, and then forcibly take him back to Wano to try and recruit him.
Are you going to offer me Yamato, Kaido-sensei?
Even if you do, I'm not going.
Shane closed the newspaper and tossed it on the table. He had no habit of serving under anyone.
"The sea is vast and boundless," Shane said, looking up at the sky, a grin on his face.
He opened his right hand and then clenched it into a fist, his knuckles cracking. "Will we have the chance to meet, Kaido?!"
It had been a while since his fight with Garp that he had faced a top-tier powerhouse. If he could really run into him and have a good, hearty fight…
That would be just what he was looking for!
…
Half an hour later, The Curtain Call arrived at the station. As per the previous draw, half the crew took the sea train, and the other half continued on the ship.
Jack, with his 8.3-meter frame, couldn't possibly fit on the sea train, so he obediently stayed on the ship.
Besides taking care of all the chores, he spent all day in the training room, following the plan that Shane had laid out for him, and began to learn physical arts and Armament Haki.
He had finally been accepted by Lord Shane, and as a combatant, he didn't want to be a burden.
Currently, only Nami and Robin on the entire ship couldn't use Haki, but they weren't main fighters, so it didn't matter.
But Jack, what else could he do besides fight?
He couldn't very well just turn into a mammoth and become an oversized emergency food supply…
…
The steam whistle blew, and the green steel behemoth slowly started to move on the tracks.
Has it been years since I've ridden a green train?
The sunlight streamed through the glass, illuminating the warm and bright carriage. Shane rested his chin on his hand and leaned against the window, thinking to himself.
There were far more passengers on the train than he had expected, and it was soon packed.
If someone would just shout "Snacks, drinks, anyone?" it would really complete the experience.
"CHOO—!"
The train began to pick up speed, the sea breeze whistling through the half-open window and ruffling Shane's black hair.
He narrowed his eyes and looked out at the distant horizon, which was rising and falling with the waves. Occasionally, a seagull would fly by, only to be quickly left behind.
"It's so fast," said Smoker, who was sitting next to Shane. He lit two cigars and couldn't help but exclaim, "It's even faster than a speedboat with the wind at its back, and it's so smooth. If only all the islands in the world were connected by this kind of transportation."
"For that to happen, this chaotic era would have to end first," Zeff laughed.
"There will be a day," Shane said with a small smile.
He looked away from the window and around the carriage.
He then noticed that more than half of the passengers in their carriage were wearing exaggerated masks.
"What's going on?" Smoker also noticed and asked, puzzled.
"Because it's the first day of the Masked Carnival!" a train attendant with a fox mask, pushing a small cart, explained with a grin. "You're all very lucky! You've just arrived in this area, and you've managed to catch the grandest Masked Carnival in Pucci, the City of Spring!"
"You won't be able to get into the festive spirit without a mask!"
The attendant smiled and took out a few exquisite masks from the lower shelf of his cart, enthusiastically trying to sell them. "Would you like one? We have all kinds of styles, and we can even customize them for you…"
Shane quickly held up a hand to stop him.
He had always hated overly enthusiastic salespeople, ever since his past life.
But the attendant did have a point. When they got to the island, if everyone else was wearing a mask and they weren't, they would stick out like a sore thumb.
Especially since his face had just been all over the newspapers, and many people would recognize him.
So, a moment later, the three of them, and the wolf, were all wearing simple animal masks.
Awoo?
Gin looked up, confused. What's the point of giving me a wolf mask? Isn't that a little redundant?
…
At dusk, the train slowly pulled into the station of Pucci, the City of Spring.
Unlike the lively, down-to-earth atmosphere of the City of Gourmets, this city was exceptionally magnificent in the twilight.
The towering Gothic architecture, the painted glass domes, the glass lanterns hanging along the streets, and the occasional fireworks exploding in the sky…
All of it spoke of the city's luxury and festivity.
And the moment they got off the train, Shane immediately felt the charm of the carnival.
The entire island was filled with tens of thousands of tourists, all wearing all sorts of masks.
Vintage-style, magnificent feathered masks, ferocious demon masks, crystal-encrusted butterfly masks… and the formal wear they were wearing was just as varied.
On the streets, confetti and flower petals rained down, and the masked revelers danced, embraced, and sang, holding their wine glasses high.
In this atmosphere, Shane and his crew, who had just set foot on the island, couldn't help but be infected by the festive mood and relax.
"New guests? Welcome to the Masked Carnival!" a scantily clad young woman said with a grin, bringing them drinks. "The carnival lasts for three nights, and all the drinks in the city are free! Please, enjoy the feast!"
"Thanks," they all said with a smile, taking a glass of wine.
"Let's split up and look around," Shane said, holding his wine glass, his voice filled with a rare sense of ease. "Let's all relax and have some fun. We'll meet back here at midnight."
"Yes, boss."
By then, The Curtain Call would have probably arrived. The carnival lasted all night, so they could have fun for the first half of the night, and Kuina and the others could have fun for the second half.
And then, tomorrow morning, they would set out for their next destination, Water 7. They should be there by nightfall. The plan was perfect.
Speaking of which, in Pucci, the City of Spring, they could put everything aside and just relax and have a vacation. But when they got to Water 7, they had some real business to attend to.
It had been almost three months since they had set sail.
The Curtain Call had been with them all this time, and it had been through quite a few impacts and storms.
Since they were going to the city known as the world's capital of shipbuilding, they would have to give it a full inspection and, while they were at it, modify and reinforce the training room.
"Oh, right, and your flame conversion thruster," Shane said, looking at Smoker. "It's been so long. How's the progress on that?"
"."
Smoker's face flushed red, the smoke from his cigar unable to hide his embarrassment. "I've tried several different designs, and they've all failed. To make it work on a ship the size of The Curtain Call is much more difficult than I had expected."
He scratched his head and exhaled a frustrated puff of smoke. "The closest I got to success, the thruster only lasted for three minutes before it overheated and exploded. If Nojiko hadn't been there to freeze it, it would have blown a huge hole in the stern."
"Well, you're not a professional shipwright. To have gotten this far is already very good," Shane said with a laugh, patting his shoulder. "When we get to Water 7, we can brainstorm with the shipwrights there. We should be able to find a solution."
"Mmm," Smoker nodded. He had been thinking the same thing.
After a brief chat, the group split up at a street corner.
Shane and Gin walked down the main street on the north side, enjoying the various song and dance performances and occasionally stopping to look up at the fireworks that suddenly bloomed in the night sky.
"Hmm?"
His expression suddenly changed. He opened the system panel and looked at his inventory.
At this moment, the Devil Fruit Radar was flashing with two small, almost overlapping yellow dots.
This meant that there were two Devil Fruits within a ten-kilometer radius of him, and they were right next to each other.
The radar hadn't been on when he first entered the city.
This meant that the two Devil Fruits were also on the move, most likely being carried by a tourist who had just arrived in the city.
"This is going to be hard to find…"
Shane frowned slightly.
There were at least a hundred thousand people in the city alone. Who knew who had the Devil Fruits?
And besides, if they were being carried by a pirate or a gangster, it wouldn't be a problem to take them. But if an ordinary person had them, he had no reason to steal them.
He would just have to let fate decide.
Shane shook his head and closed the system panel.
Just as he was about to take Gin to a nearby food stall, a high-pitched, childish voice suddenly came from behind him. "Hey, Jabra! Are those two Devil Fruits still in your bag? You haven't lost them, have you? Chapapa!"
Hmm?
Shane was taken aback and turned to look.
Three unmasked—and therefore very conspicuous—individuals were standing in line at a tamagoyaki stall behind him.
The one who had just spoken had the same hair color as Zoro, and his body was round like a big rubber ball, but his limbs were very slender, giving him a slight resemblance to an owl.
The strangest part was his mouth, which was a yellow zipper. At this moment, the zipper was open, and he was chattering away. "We failed the mission again! These two fruits are an unexpected bonus! When we get back to Enies Lobby tomorrow, we can turn them in to atone for some of our sins! We can't lose them! Chapapa!"
"So noisy! Don't talk about that in the middle of the street! And how could I possibly make a mistake like that?! Shut up!" the middle-aged man called Jabra couldn't take it anymore and roared.
His build was normal, and he wore a black martial arts uniform, his chest open. He was stroking his long, Fu Manchu mustache, a thoughtful frown on his face. "Besides that, I'm still trying to figure out why the plan failed. It doesn't make any sense. It was just escorting two government officials, and we were so secretive and low-key. How did the assassins still find us…"
"Because I blabbed again, Chapapa! When we were drinking at the port, the bartender asked me who those two were, and I told him everything, in a loud voice! Chapapa!"
"WHAT?!!"
Jabra was in disbelief. He grabbed the other man by the collar in a fit of rage and began to shake him. "So it was you again, Fukurou!"
"When are you going to learn to keep your mouth shut?! What's the point of having a zipper if you can't even use it?! We're secret government agents, you idiot!"
"But you're not being very quiet yourself. That man with the big dog is staring right at us, Chapapa!"
"He's just a passerby. Ignore him," the third, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.
He was fat, with long, pinkish-white hair, and his face was covered in a thick layer of white powder. He had just drawn a short sword, and his expression was grim. "Since it was a comrade's mistake that caused the mission to fail, I have no face to continue living in this world. I will atone for this with seppuku!"
"Kumadori…" Fukurou was so moved he was on the verge of tears.
Kumadori gestured for him not to cry, and with his other hand, he gripped the short sword and plunged it into his own stomach.
"Iron Body!"
With a dull thud, the tip of the blade was stopped outside his abdomen, not even piercing the skin.
"What a pity. I can't even die. Yo-yoi!"
"You can die for all I care, you bastard!!!" Jabra's forehead throbbed with veins. What did I do in my past life to deserve being teamed up with these two?!
In comparison, Lucci and Kalifa being sent to Water 7 to be shipwrights was a dream job!
Just then, the old woman at the stall finally finished their order and handed it over. The three of them each took a portion of tamagoyaki and, blowing on it to cool it down, they headed into a nearby alley.
Shane watched the three of them go, a small grin on his face, which was hidden behind his mask.
"Is this a gift from nature…"
Delivered right to my doorstep.
Is this for real?
The last time, with the Snow-Snow Fruit, he had had to kill Wapol to get it. And with the Flame-Flame Fruit, everyone had had to search the ruins for a long time.
And now…
Like a little loli about to snatch candy from a creepy old man, he giggled, ordered a portion of tamagoyaki for Gin, and told him to wait in line. Then, he followed the three of them into the dimly lit alley…
...
In the depths of the alley, the three CP9 agents were sitting by a wall, unsuspectingly enjoying their tamagoyaki.
"Mmm, not bad," Jabra said, chewing on a large mouthful. "But a little bit of good food can't make up for the frustration of a failed mission…"
"Don't think about it too much. You should be used to it by now. As long as it's not a particularly important mission, we won't get kicked out, Chapapa!" Fukurou said, his mouth full, his voice muffled. "By the way, Kumadori, can I have half of your tamagoyaki? I'm still hungry, Chapapa!"
"Go ahead. Life is short. Please, enjoy yourself… yo-yoi!" Kumadori said, his face a mask of tragedy, but he still used his fork to give half of his portion to Fukurou.
As they were eating, they suddenly felt a chill behind them.
"Enjoying your meal, gentlemen?" a light voice came from behind.
The three of them froze and whipped their heads around—
A black-haired young man in a white mask was leaning against the wall, the moonlight stretching his shadow.
"Hey, do you recognize me?" the young man asked with a grin.
"Oh! It's that guy who was walking his dog!" Fukurou said, scratching his head. "Do you want some tamagoyaki too? I don't have enough for myself. I can't give you any, Chapapa!"
"I'm not interested in that,"
The mask works. So they don't recognize me. That makes things easier. Shane smiled and pointed to the bulging bag at Jabra's waist. "But I am very interested in what's in your bag."
"Oh no!" Fukurou subconsciously covered his zipper-mouth. "He heard me! Chapapa!"
"Is zipping your mouth now going to do any good, you idiot?!"
Jabra was so angry he nearly coughed up blood. "Isn't it because you were shouting in the middle of the street that you attracted a brat like this?!"
Hmph!
He tossed his tamagoyaki aside and slowly stood up, looking up at Shane. The muscles under his black martial arts uniform bulged, and a cold glint appeared in his eyes. "Hey, brat, didn't your parents ever tell you that there are some people in this world you shouldn't mess with? You dare to even think about messing with us? Do you know who we are…"
"I know! Chapapa!"
Fukurou raised his right hand high. "I am the CP9 secret agent, Fukurou! My Doriki is 600! And Kumadori next to me is about the same, with a Doriki of 610! And the man who is threatening you is named Jabra! He's very strong! Just a little weaker than Lucci! He's a user of the Dog-Dog Fruit, Model: Wolf, and he's the leader of our little group! His Doriki is 1900…"
"Why don't you just tell him the color of my underwear while you're at it!!"
Jabra was in tears, grabbing Fukurou by the cheeks and roaring, "That's too much information! Who introduces themselves like that?!"
This useless idiot! Big idiot!
And what do you mean, 'just a little weaker than Lucci'?! I'll never admit defeat to that man!
Huh, Doriki?
Shane was taken aback.
He had almost forgotten about that. What an ancient, outdated power-scaling system.
"Besides you guys, no one cares about that,"
Shane said, watching the farce with a sigh and rubbing his temples. "Alright, just hand over the fruits, and you can avoid a beating."
"It seems you don't know what CP9 is. Well…"
Jabra let go of Fukurou and shot a cold look at him. "How could I expect a clueless country boy like you to know about the government's most secret organization?"
The moment he finished speaking.
"Shave!"
His figure instantly vanished. In the next second, he was behind Shane, his right hand, fingers pointed like a blade, shooting for his back—
"Finger Pistol!"
However, just as his fingertips were about to touch Shane's coat, his wrist was caught in a strong, slender hand, and he couldn't move an inch.
How?!
Jabra's pupils constricted. Before he could react.
CRACK!
With a sharp snap, Jabra's wrist was crushed. He grunted, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead, but he gritted his teeth against the pain and swung his left leg out like a whip—
Tempest Kick: Wolf Fang!
A crescent-shaped, pale blue slash shot out, but the moment it touched Shane's body, it dissipated like a soap bubble.
This guy is not normal!
Jabra's eyes widened in shock. He knew he was up against a formidable enemy, the likes of which he had never seen before. He didn't hesitate to activate his Devil Fruit ability.
His entire body began to swell, and thick fur sprouted all over. He was about to transform into a werewolf several meters tall…
"—AWOOO!"
A wolf's howl suddenly came from the mouth of the alley!
Jabra's legs suddenly gave out, and he collapsed to the ground.
He curled up in pain, and his transformation was abruptly halted. His body shrank back to its original size, as if the wolf inside him had been scared out of its wits and was refusing to come out.
Shane's footsteps faltered.
Did I ask for your help? Go eat your tamagoyaki!
He shot an annoyed glare at the mouth of the alley, and the wolf king, who had been so majestic a moment ago, immediately shrank back and obediently retreated.
"Jabra!"
Fukurou and Kumadori were both shocked and angry and cried out at the same time.
"Chapapa! You bastard!" Fukurou spread his five fingers in anger. "Take this! I've been training this move since I was twelve! It's called—"
THUMP!
Shane's figure appeared in front of him like a phantom. With a casual kick, Fukurou's eyes rolled back in his head, and he fell backward.
"Dammit! Fukurou! Hang in there! Life Return: Hair Bind!"
Kumadori roared, and his long white hair suddenly shot out, wrapping around Shane like a living thing!
However, in the next second, Shane just glanced at him, and his own black hair also shot out, twisting together and, with a single whip, cutting all of Kumadori's hair at the roots.
"Yo-yoi?!"
Kumadori touched his bald head in shock. "I'm a monk! You… you can use Life Return too?! How is that possible!"
Shane ignored him and leisurely walked to the center of the three, crouching down and picking up the bag that Jabra had dropped.
He untied the knot, and two strangely shaped Devil Fruits rolled out, which he caught in the palm of his hand.
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