Dead silence filled the underground shipyard.
The elite agents of CP9 stared dumbfounded at their de facto leader, Rob Lucci, hailed as the strongest in CP9's eight hundred-year history, instantly defeated by a young girl?
"This… this is impossible!" Jabra exclaimed involuntarily.
"Careful! It's a Devil Fruit power!" Kalifa reacted instantly. Such a bizarre ability had to be from a Devil Fruit.
Blueno reacted extremely quickly and immediately activated his Doa Doa no Mi's ability to escape.
But it was too late. An intangible sound wave had already enveloped the entire space.
In the blink of an eye, everyone was pulled into that mental world constructed of music.
Uta hadn't deliberately developed her Uta Uta no Mi abilities. But her musical talent was too high. She didn't need to develop it much to perfectly utilize the fruit's power.
Even without the music demon, her ability could easily trap a few CP9 agents.
Bonney raised her little hand, curious. "Uta-nee, doesn't your ability require singing to activate?"
Uta's pretty face flushed red. "The Captain said my voice is too beautiful. Any sound I make can be considered singing."
Robin pondered thoughtfully, 'Devil Fruits were powers born of imagination. The more one believed in them, the better they could harness their power.'
…
Just after Setsuna finished enjoying Water 7's specialty Mizu Mizu Meat feast, the Den Den Mushi in his pocket began to ring.
He leisurely wiped his mouth before finally answering the call.
"Captain, we've run into a bit of trouble…" Uta's voice came from the Den Den Mushi, carrying a hint of guilt.
When Setsuna followed the address to the underground shipyard, the scene that greeted him was quite amusing.
Bonney was holding a brush, drawing a lively little turtle on Lucci's unconscious face.
Uta sat nearby, humming a tune, occasionally advising Bonney where to add a few more strokes.
Even the usually steady Robin couldn't resist joining in the drawing.
Her expression was fierce, as if she wasn't holding a brush but a carving knife.
"Having fun, are we?" Setsuna deliberately asked with a stern face.
Hearing this, the three immediately jumped up. Uta's brush 'clattered' to the ground. Bonney hurriedly hid her colored pencils behind her back. Even Robin instinctively put her hands behind her back. Their eyes darted around like children who'd done something wrong.
Setsuna walked closer to admire the 'masterpiece' on Lucci's face, a slight smile curling his lips. "Not bad."
Seeing Setsuna didn't seem angry, the three immediately relaxed.
Bonney immediately tugged at Setsuna's sleeve to complain. "Setsuna-sama, these bad guys tried to capture Robin-nee earlier. They're so mean."
Setsuna said to Uta, "Release their restraints first."
"Okay, Captain," Uta obediently snapped her fingers, releasing the agents from the mental world.
The moment Lucci regained consciousness, he immediately attacked in a fury. In his leopard-man form, his sharp claws aimed straight for Uta's throat.
But his movement was only halfway through when he felt a tight grip on his neck.
Setsuna had appeared before him at some unknown moment, holding him aloft with a single hand around his neck.
"Bastard! Let me go!" Lucci roared, his legs kicking wildly in the air. His sharp claws scratched frantically at Setsuna's arm but couldn't leave even the slightest mark.
His proud, formidable strength was completely inadequate before Setsuna, like a kitten held by the scruff of its neck.
The other CP9 members were dumbfounded. If Uta had countered Lucci with her ability, then this man before them was purely overwhelming their strongest member with physical power.
'So strong! As expected of the man who killed Golden Lion!' Kaku was shocked but hurried forward to explain. "It's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding! We are CP9 members, directly under the World Government…"
"Is that so?" Setsuna sneered. "Then give me the Den Den Mushi. I want to speak with your superior."
Under Setsuna's gaze, Kaku tremblingly produced a Den Den Mushi.
After a while, Spandam's impatient voice came from the other end.
"Why are you contacting me now? Did you get the plans for Pluton?"
Hearing Spandam so casually reveal the matter of the Pluton blueprints, the CP9 members broke out in cold sweat.
Fortunately, Setsuna didn't seem to mind, speaking calmly. "This is Chiaki Setsuna."
"Chiaki Setsu… na!" Spandam's voice suddenly turned shrill.
He naturally knew this name. After all, this new Warlord's reputation was soaring across the seas.
But if he were just an ordinary Warlord, Spandam wouldn't be this shocked.
He had learned from certain channels that the government went to great lengths to host a chef competition on the Gourmet Island. Setsuna won the championship and recruited the chefs who placed 2nd to 11th.
It seemed normal on the surface, but Spandam's political sense was very sharp.
This clearly indicated the government's higher-ups were trying to win over the new Warlord, Chiaki Setsuna.
Considering Setsuna might have connections with top government officials, Spandam, even on the other end of the Den Den Mushi, hunched his back slightly, his tone becoming extremely ingratiating.
"It's actually Chiaki-sama! What an honor to receive your call!"
Hearing Spandam's fawning tone, the CP9 agents couldn't believe it.
Their superior was always haughty and arrogant toward them. To think he had such a servile side.
Setsuna's tone was casual. "But I'm not very pleased. Your subordinates tried to capture my crewmate."
Spandam's expression changed dramatically. "Those fools dared to bother you? How detestable! You don't need to spare my feelings. Deal with them however you see fit."
Hearing Spandam abandon them without hesitation, the CP9 members felt as if plunged into an ice cellar. They had been discarded so easily.
Blueno urgently shouted, "Sir! We acted to capture Nico Robin!"
"What? Nico Robin?" Spandam's voice suddenly rose sharply. The Den Den Mushi's expression became suspicious and uncertain. "Chiaki-sama… could it be your crewmate is Nico Robin?"
"That's right," Setsuna admitted frankly.
"He actually admitted it!" Blueno's eyes widened. He thought the other party would deny it.
Spandam also felt a headache coming on. He'd rather forgo this credit than offend this person.
But the problem was, Setsuna admitted it himself.
If he pretended not to hear, and the matter got exposed later, he'd be in trouble too.
Just as Spandam on the other end of the Den Den Mushi was tangled in indecision, Setsuna suddenly said casually, "What's the big deal? I even told the Five Elders about my private collection of Poneglyphs. They didn't seem to mind."
"What? The Five Elders?" Spandam's voice became fearful, even more sycophantic. "You… you can contact those five esteemed individuals?"
Setsuna said offhandedly, "Would you like to verify it with them? The direct line to the Five Elders is right beside me. Shall I let you have an indirect conversation with them through the Den Den Mushi?"
"No, no, no!" Spandam broke out in a cold sweat. "I am but a humble vessel of society, meant to hold the fruits of the great individuals' careful deliberations. How could I waste the precious time of those five esteemed individuals over such a trivial matter?"
As for the Poneglyph matter, he didn't even dare mention it.
Setsuna glanced at Lucci, who was still struggling in his grip. "By the way, there's a guy here named Rob Lucci who offended me. He's in my hands now. Do you want to save him?"
"No need!" Spandam answered without hesitation. "CP9 is a secret organization. Failures have no value. You may dispose of him as you wish!"