After parting ways with Linlin, Stussy immediately hurried back to her ship.
"Your Majesty, should we return to Pleasure Street?" the butler asked softly.
Stussy shook her head, her golden curls shifting slightly in the sea breeze. "Change course. Set sail for Loguetown. We must arrive before noon. Otherwise..."
Her words trailed off. The gentle charm that always lingered on her face vanished, replaced by a chilling stillness like an iceberg that would never melt. Her eyes gleamed with cold determination and a faint, unmistakable killing intent.
The butler, long accustomed to such a shift in her demeanor, merely bowed gracefully before relaying her orders to the crew.
Stussy stood alone at the bow, her gaze fixed on the horizon. The sea glittered under the rising sun, yet her heart was calm, unreadable. No one could guess what she was truly thinking.
What she didn't know, however, was that two figures were watching her through the towering windows of the castle on Cake Island Kaido and Big Mom.
"That woman, Stussy… she's up to something," Kaido muttered, his gravelly voice heavy with suspicion.
Big Mom, now devoid of her earlier warmth, stuffed another piece of cake into her mouth. The sugary crumbs fell across her enormous frame, but her expression was ice-cold. "I know, Kaido."
Kaido frowned. "Then why let her approach that Marine on your behalf?"
Big Mom paused mid-bite, her eyes narrowing into slits. "Because I want to see what she's really planning."
It was true someone like Charlotte Linlin, one of the future Four Emperors, would never blindly trust another, especially someone who wasn't part of her own crew. Big Mom wasn't a fool. She had seen it clearly yesterday the flicker in Stussy's eyes, the subtle change in her tone. Her real goal had never been about mediation. From the very start, her target was Ezra D. Vale.
But instead of exposing her, Big Mom had chosen to play along. Let her act freely. The more she moved, the more information she would bring back.
"Whatever her motive," Big Mom said, wiping cream from her lips, "in the end, she'll bring me the intel I want."
Kaido grunted in agreement before both figures vanished from the window.
Yet neither of them realized that, perched on a nearby tower, a seagull had witnessed the entire exchange. Its sharp eyes glinted as it spread its wings and took off toward the east.
The seagull cut through the sky like a dart, its speed far surpassing that of any ship below. Within just three hours, it descended upon the office of Morgan, the president of the World Economy News.
Morgan was hunched over his desk, scribbling notes with a steel pen, when the seagull landed gracefully on his windowsill.
"Oh-ho-ho? What's this?" he cooed, turning toward his feathered visitor.
The bird tilted its head, chirping rapidly.
("Stussy has set sail?") Morgan translated aloud, raising an eyebrow.
The seagull nodded actually nodded!
If anyone else had been present, they would have been terrified out of their wits. But for Morgan, this was routine. It was one of the abilities granted by his Bird-Bird Fruit the power to control and communicate with avian creatures.
As the seagull continued its rapid chatter, Morgan's expression gradually darkened.
"You're saying Kaido and Big Mom discovered that Stussy's real target is the young master?"
The seagull nodded again, flapping one wing expectantly.
Morgan sighed, rolling his eyes. "Yes, yes, I know. Payment time."
He reached into his drawer and pulled out ten Berries, placing them on the bird's wing. "I still don't understand what you guys even do with money…"
The seagull gave him a disdainful look, as if saying, Don't you like money too?
Morgan groaned. "Alright, alright, take your Berries and get lost before someone sees you."
The seagull took off with a sharp cry, vanishing into the clouds.
Left alone in the office, Morgan began pacing frantically. "Stussy's target… was the young master all along."
His stomach twisted. "Damn it! My whole prediction was wrong!"
Yesterday, he had been basking in pride after earning Ezra's praise. Now, panic consumed him. He couldn't sit still. He had to warn Ezra before it was too late!
Bursting out of his office, Morgan sprinted down the hallway toward Ezra's quarters, feathers nearly flying from the force of his movement.
He pushed open the door and blurted out, "Sir! Bad news! That woman, Stussy she "
But the rest of his words froze in his throat.
Because sitting in the office, across from Ezra D. Vale, was Stussy herself.
"Well, well," she said with a playful smile, crossing one leg over the other. "If it isn't President Morgan. I could've sworn I just heard you call him… young master?"
Morgan's eyes widened in horror.
It was impossible. She should still be on her ship, halfway across the ocean. How how could she already be here?!
He pointed a trembling finger at her. "You… you're supposed to be on your way to Loguetown! How are you "
Stussy raised a hand delicately to her lips, giggling behind her fingers. "Ara~ ara~ President Morgan, from the way you speak… it almost sounds like you've been keeping tabs on me."
Morgan froze, his feathers bristling.
He had been found out. Completely, utterly exposed.
And judging by the glint in Stussy's eyes, she wasn't planning to let him off easily.
Morgan swallowed hard, his mind racing for a way out. But as Stussy's smile deepened, the only thing he could feel was the chill running down his spine cold, sharp, and merciless as the sea beyond the window.
_______________________
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