This was the first time in years Arceus had ever heard of a CP9 agent defecting and escaping to here, and even wanting to join the Hundred Beasts. It was uncertain whether the defector had any ulterior motives.
If you want to fish, you naturally need to use suitable bait. The bait can't be too strong, otherwise it will scare the fish away, so Kaidou wasn't suitable for this role.
But the bait also can't be worthless, otherwise the fish won't bite, and it can't be too weak, or it would easily be eaten by the fish.
Someone whose outward strength isn't too formidable but is quite powerful and valuable within the Hundred Beasts, Queen was naturally the best choice for bait.
Not to mention, just the requirement for "only alive" was sufficient to warrant the choice.
"Queen, you haven't forgotten about that incident, have you? It's dragged on for over a year, almost two, and there's still no result."
"Lord Arceus, the World Government arranged that matter very secretly. They barely mentioned it afterwards. Even Omanyte couldn't eavesdrop on anything similar, so there's nothing I can do."
If the World Government truly wants to keep something hidden, it can do so. For instance, Rocks gradually vanished from public view due to the World Government's operations. Outsiders find it incredibly difficult to uncover CP0's secret actions.
If it weren't for Omanyte, they might not have even gotten those past messages.
To be precise, at this time, Omanyte had already evolved into Omastar.
Its overall appearance hadn't changed much from when it was Omanyte, only now it had a neat line of spikes on its shell.
Its round pupils had become elongated, giving a somewhat intimidating look. Its tentacles had grown longer, and its mouth had developed cross-shaped fangs. With these fangs, it had also evolved a new ability—to bite.
The original Water Gun was no longer effective against Queen, so it changed its technique to physical attacks. Recently, this Omastar had also been practicing Spike Cannon.
In some ways, its evolution was even influenced by Queen's encouragement.
"So your opportunity has arrived. This newcomer is yours to deal with. Find out what's behind this, and whether you bring him back or whatever, you decide."
"Rest assured, Lord Arceus, I will handle this matter well."
"The person is with Scotch, so hurry. Don't take a ship, just fly there yourself."
High-Level Officials capable of flying on their own are much faster than ships, including Queen, even though he was the slowest flier among the officials, he was still much quicker than the cumbersome ships.
When time is of the essence, this is the best choice. As for the energy consumption, for these Zoan-type Ability Users, it's insignificant. Kaidou flies all over the world and maintains full energy.
Although Kaidou's flying method is much more energy-efficient than Queen's, Queen can fully bear the additional energy consumption.
At Arceus's behest, Queen began his overtime fieldwork.
...
On the island guarded by Scotch, everything was as usual, except for a pirate ship belonging to Who's-Who docked at the port.
Inside a small wooden cabin on the island, a few people were seated. The leader had long pink hair covering his eyes with two horn-like protrusions on either side.
He wore earrings and a flamboyant red suit, had a slender figure, and a cigarette dangling from his mouth.
This was Who's-Who, who, after some consideration, had chosen to join the Hundred Beasts.
He had no other thoughts; he simply wanted protection. He had offended the World Government, and neither the Navy nor the World Government were places for him. His strength was insufficient, and he needed an appropriate backing.
Ordinary pirate crews were meaningless. As a former CP9, he understood the World Government's foundation better than most. Currently, on The Sea, there were only three pirate crews that would make the government think twice: Whitebeard, BIG MOM, and Hundred Beasts.
The Red Hair Pirates were considered newcomers, now having a great reputation, but Who's-Who had a "blood feud" with them. In Who's-Who's view, if it weren't for Red Hair, he wouldn't have been in such a position.
The first pirate group ruled out was BIG MOM's. It was the most unstable among the three crews, and it was purely a family-run crew. Unless you were one of her sons-in-law or daughters-in-law, you couldn't reach the top ranks.
Although Whitebeard was strong, that "draw" with Kaidou changed public perception.
This is the kind of situation that often arises when newcomers challenge veterans. If the newcomer loses, people think it's natural; if they tie, people think the newcomer is impressive; if they win, it's even more remarkable.
On the other hand, for veteran stronger individuals, winning is expected. Regardless of whether they tie or lose, it affects their reputation.
Moreover, the Hundred Beasts is the fastest in climbing to high positions among these pirate crews. As long as one has strength, they can join smoothly, without needing to be a son or marry in, and can vie for a position of power purely on merit.
For Who's-Who, becoming a pirate was completely out of necessity. He preferred living under such an order, and the order in the Hundred Beasts appealed to him most.
However, after being here for several days, Scotch hadn't given him any answers, only telling him to wait.
"Boss, are we really going to... join the Hundred Beasts? Achoo!"
A burly man tightened his coat. He didn't like the cold Winter Island.
This was not the first time he asked Who's-Who whether he had truly made up his mind.
Beside him, there was a pair of twins dressed like catwomen; they were Who's-Who's cat's, his pirate crew's executives.
"That's what I'm saying. It's been days now, and they've given us no reply."
"Wait, whether it's the dangerous New World or those guys, we need a backer."
At this moment, the cabin door swung open, and Scotch walked in, braving the cold wind and snow.
"Follow me. Lord Queen wants to see you, only you."
Pointing at Who's-Who, Scotch turned and left, and Who's-Who immediately followed. Queen's being involved indicated that he was taken seriously, given Queen's reputation as the third in command in the Hundred Beasts Pirates.
However, just upon meeting him, he sensed a rather impatient look. Queen was not as friendly as he had imagined.
"So, you're the one wanting to join us, right? Let me ask you, where is your pledge?"
Queen's tone wasn't friendly. Meeting someone who forced him to do overtime fieldwork and fly for several days, he was barely holding back from cursing.
"Pledge..."
"What, you don't even understand this much of the rules? Pirates don't just let strangers join empty-handed."