"What... What?! Stealing Marine intelligence?!"
Smoker, who had witnessed everything from the side, looked at Hina in shock.
"Hey, Hina, is it really okay for a Captain to accuse someone so bluntly like that?"
"You damned smoke man, can you get away from me?! I don't want to breathe in second-hand smoke!"
"I am smoke! I ate the Smoke-Smoke Fruit—I'm a Smoke Human! It's not second-hand! It's first-hand smoke!"
Though Hina and Smoker were two years apart in age, they had both graduated from the same elite training camp in the same year.
The two of them were considered some of the most outstanding talents to emerge from Zephyr's training in recent years.
Shu and T Bone were also from the elite training camp, but they weren't in the same year as Hina and Smoker, so they weren't that familiar with each other.
As a result, they didn't join in the banter.
Rosinante, meanwhile, looked worriedly at his only brother in this world—Michael.
Don't be fooled by Rosinante's big, goofy appearance!
Having grown up at Sengoku's side, he had been subtly influenced by the man and was actually quite sharp.
The world's largest red-light district had flourished for years without ever being raided by the Marines...
If you told him it had no connection to the World Government or the Celestial Dragons, Rosinante would gladly offer up his own head as a soccer ball!
Michael's move just now… wasn't that basically picking a fight with the World Government again?
Regarding this matter… Rosinante could only smile bitterly.
Ever since he met him, he had often seen him scoff at news involving the World Government and the Celestial Dragons.
And after burning down a slave trafficking ship, his brother's hatred toward the World Government and the Celestial Dragons had practically been carved into his bones...
After all, his big brother was a petty and vengeful man.
Never mind the elegant appearance of a dashing nobleman...
In truth, his temper was explosive!
Especially toward anyone who offended him—he always made sure to pay them back in full.
This return to Marine Headquarters to receive a decoration, though part of official protocol, was also a chance for his brother to lie low for a bit...
At the very least, he couldn't remain in the Sabaody Archipelago.
Add to that a string of recent events, and now the so-called Queen of Pleasure Street had come knocking on their door...
Knowing Michael's temper, he'd probably reached his limit long ago.
With that in mind, Rosinante snuck a glance at Michael's face.
The smile was warm and gentle...
But the veins of anger had already popped up in four or five places.
Uh-oh. It's over.
Sure enough, the next moment, Michael unfurled his wings and charged straight at Stussy.
There was no technique—just a pure physical attack.
Since being acknowledged by Garp as a candidate for Admiral, this was Michael's first time making a public move.
His sudden burst of speed left even Stussy, a CP0 agent, momentarily stunned.
Regardless of whether it would blow her cover, she immediately used Soru to retreat.
But...
She was still a step too slow.
As soon as Michael saw her use Soru, his wings flapped violently behind him, propelling him with a second burst of speed as he soared upward, instantly catching up to her.
With a single motion, he grabbed her ankle.
Her skin was smooth and cold to the touch, but Michael had zero intention of savoring it...
With no hesitation or mercy, he flung her upward with tremendous force. Stussy smashed through several floors in a row and was hurled all the way to the top level of the casino.
The once-empty office was instantly filled with shattered stone and splinters.
Stussy coughed a few times, wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth.
Just as she stood up from the floor, Michael flew through the massive hole she'd created and landed inside.
"Little Marine pretty boy... you're really starting to piss me off."
"Good thing your face is handsome enough—otherwise, I'd have torn you to pieces by now!"
Michael looked at the barely-maintaining-composure Stussy. Seeing someone like her frustrated only made him feel better.
Hot-tempered as he was, Michael hadn't lost his reason.
He knew Stussy's true identity.
Sure, he had lost control at first and lashed out...
But flinging her up to the top floor—wasn't that just to speak in private?
"Enough, Stussy. If you're going to act, then either fully commit or drop the charade. Half-assed performances like yours… are bound to blow up someday."
Michael glanced at the gaping hole behind him, then stepped closer to Stussy.
This woman—whose age was shrouded in mystery—did possess a uniquely seductive charm.
But… as a die-hard follower of Vegapunk and the No. 1 success of the MADS clone experiments, Michael thought it best to keep his distance.
Hooking up with someone only to have your DNA stolen and cloned by Vegapunk?
That was not a risk he wanted to take.
Not to boast, but Michael figured Vegapunk had probably already received details about his Devil Fruit abilities through internal Marine intel.
A Fruit that granted two opposing powers simultaneously…
Of course it would catch Vegapunk's attention.
Otherwise, why would he have asked Borsalino to deliver a custom-built warship to him?
This kind of goodwill gesture made Michael both pleased and uneasy.
Pleased—because if he could win over the greatest scientific mind in the Pirate World, the chances of destroying the Celestial Dragons and the World Government would increase dramatically.
But uneasy—because…
Thanks to the Brain-Brain Fruit, Vegapunk's intellect was off the charts, and he often had bizarre, ahead-of-his-time ideas.
Like cloning, for instance...
Michael had no desire to see his own face among the "Seraphim."
But honestly, the Seraphim project suited him perfectly.
...Maybe he should offer Vegapunk a little something. As long as they agree he won't be cloned?
Michael mulled it over, but Stussy's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"What do you mean? What acting?"
"Tch. You're CP0's undercover agent in the underworld, while also being Vegapunk's mole inside CP0… Do I need to spell it out any more clearly?"
Michael had no interest in playing word games with her. He got straight to the point:
"Tell Vegapunk when you return—I'll make good use of the ship he sent."
"When the time is right, I'll come to Egghead Island to meet him."
"After all… we're allies now, aren't we?"
Michael raised an eyebrow and looked at the increasingly shocked expression on Stussy's face.
Damn, seeing a classic 'shocked face' from manga in real life was surreal.
Somehow, being in the world of One Piece, it all felt perfectly natural.
"How do you know..."
"You mean, how do I know your identity?"
Michael shook his head, stepped forward, and pressed a finger gently to Stussy's lips.
Holy Light flowed through his fingertip, carrying a trace of warmth into Stussy's body.
"That's a secret."
"And everything we talked about today is also a secret. Please keep it confidential—forever."
"My dear Miss Stussy..."
"A Secret Makes A Woman Woman."