In a flash, five hours quietly slipped away.
"Come on, Kai-sama, try this."
The radiant and spring-eyed Stussy picked up a fresh, juicy oyster and intimately offered it to Kai's lips.
"Enough, enough."
The slightly weary-looking Kai waved his hands repeatedly: "Let's talk about something serious."
Hearing this, the seductive expression on Stussy's face immediately disappeared, as if she had switched personalities.
She elegantly put down her chopsticks and sat up straight.
Kai spoke with a cold expression, raising one finger: "First, I need to know the whereabouts of that bird Morgans."
Stussy was stunned. Why was he suddenly bringing up Morgans?
"How did he offend you?" Stussy asked tentatively.
Judging by Kai's expression, he clearly wasn't looking to cooperate with the Big News King.
Kai snorted: "Who told him to write nonsense in the newspapers?"
Stussy thought for a moment and immediately recalled that sensational headline report from not long ago.
"Oh~"
She suddenly understood, a mischievous glint flashing in her eyes as she teased while suppressing her laughter: "The Pirate King's successor~"
"You still mention it even though you know." Kai glared at her irritably.
"Pfft... hahahaha!"
Stussy couldn't hold back anymore, laughing until her body shook, her ample chest rising and falling.
After a while, she barely managed to stop laughing and cleared her throat: "Morgans isn't staying at his News Island right now."
"Then where did he go?"
Kai frowned slightly. This was exactly what he worried about.
That bird Morgans, whatever else you could say about him, was excellent at escaping.
He still had a small island as a base now, but if he learned to drift around in hot air balloons in the sky like he would years later, he'd be really hard to find.
Stussy snuggled back into Kai's embrace, her body soft as if boneless, her voice light and gentle: "Kai-sama, do you know Gild Tesoro?"
"Someone who runs casinos. He's gained some reputation these past two years."
Kai thought about it.
The future Golden Emperor hadn't made his fortune yet... he was just someone cooperating with Doflamingo to run casinos.
If he remembered correctly, Tesoro should currently be building a massive ship called Gran Tesoro.
The construction had made some news when it started.
"Compared to you, he can only be considered somewhat famous."
Stussy covered her mouth and laughed lightly with a hint of flattery: "But in the underworld, he's become quite the rising big shot."
"Tesoro's massive ship is completed, and he's preparing for its opening. The place desperately needs lots of girls, so he approached me."
"From what I know, he plans to turn the massive ship into the world's largest entertainment city. For the opening ceremony, he plans to invite prominent figures from around the world to attend, including Morgans."
"The two seem to have some cooperation, so Morgans will definitely attend."
Kai pinched Stussy's perky nose with a playful smile: "Aren't you afraid he'll steal your business? Yet you're helping him."
"Who can blame him for paying well?"
Stussy smiled frankly: "Tesoro is clever. Aside from the core casino business, he's distributed shares of other entertainment projects to gain our support. Otherwise, how could he have been so successful?"
Besides her, partners Stussy knew about included shipping king Umit and loan shark king Du Feld.
Kai thought about it and agreed. How could someone who'd only gained fame in the past two years have the capital to build a massive ship and turn it into a luxury city?
The World Government probably had people involved too.
"Why didn't I receive an invitation?" Kai wondered.
Making such a big move in the New World without inviting the Emperor pirate crews?
Whether they went or not was their business... what mattered was the gesture.
Stussy guessed: "Probably waiting until the opening date is confirmed."
Kai nodded and moved on: "Time to discuss the second matter."
"I need an inside informant in the World Government. No problem, right?"
Stussy shook her head.
She even thought it was overly simple.
You threatened me for so long just for this?
You already know about the special relationship between the Doctor and me... do you still need me as a spy?
After hesitating a moment, she couldn't help asking: "Is that all?"
Kai raised an eyebrow, looking at her with a half-smile: "What? Are you hoping I'll make more of an issue out of Dr. Vegapunk?"
"Of course not!" Stussy quickly shook her head, her tone slightly nervous.
"Don't worry. Until I have enough power to directly confront the Five Elders plus Admiral-level forces, I won't easily target Vegapunk."
Kai smiled.
He was very clear that Vegapunk, who was researching the Mother Flame, was absolutely the World Government's untouchable reverse scale... touch it and die.
Even after completing his research, Vegapunk would remain a strategic asset the World Government absolutely wouldn't allow to leak out.
Kai wasn't that arrogant.
But that day would come.
When he defeats Kaido and truly integrates the Beast Pirates' power, the time might be ripe.
Stussy suddenly looked up, her eyes full of undisguisable shock.
This man was actually planning to steal away the Doctor someday?!
And this was with full knowledge of the Doctor's importance to the World Government.
She didn't know whether to call Kai arrogant or confident.
"Speaking of which..." Kai shifted the conversation abruptly, his tone neutral but probing. "Why are you willing to go to such lengths for Vegapunk?"
Of course he wouldn't naively think he'd conquered Stussy... he wasn't a human aphrodisiac. Their relationship was just friends with benefits.
Stussy was slightly stunned and laughed softly: "Shouldn't I? The Doctor gave me life."
If it were that simple, Kaido and Yamato wouldn't be at odds with each other.
Kai shook his head: "In my view, raising and teaching someone, giving them soul and meaning, is far more important than simply giving them life."
"The Doctor said the same thing."
Stussy fell into distant memories: "When I was first cloned and created, people in the laboratory had heated arguments about how to use me."
"Some advocated treating me as precious experimental material, maximizing my value through various extreme tests and data collection..."
"Finally, the Doctor made the decisive call. He said: 'She's not a tool... she should be treated as a normal person.'"
As she spoke, Stussy showed a bright smile: "It was the Doctor who took me to see real blue skies and white clouds for the first time, to smell the fragrance of flowers and grass. He also taught me various knowledge and gave meaning to my existence."
"No matter what, even if it costs me my life, I must protect his safety."
"I understand."
Kai nodded: "Let's leave it at that."
With that, he stood up decisively and straightened his clothes.
Under Stussy's respectful send-off, Kai pushed open the private room door and swaggered out, his figure quickly disappearing into the bar's noisy lights and music.