Gladius and the other Donquixote Family officers were fighting the urge to beat the self-proclaimed "East Blue Overlord" to a bloody pulp. For the sake of the mission, however, they swallowed their frustration. They would let him live, for now. Once the job was done, they would settle the score.
The six of them sat in stony silence on the ship, waiting as the fool ferried them toward their destination.
Gladius found it surprising that an agency like Baroque Works would have this kind of intelligence for sale. Still, he had to admit it had saved them a great deal of trouble. They knew of Baroque Works, of course, an intelligence agency that had sprung up in Paradise a few years ago. It was well-known in the first half of the Grand Line, but to the Donquixote Family, it was just another small-time player, hardly a threat. They had glanced at a report on it once and dismissed it. They never would have expected its information network to be so effective.
'Perhaps I should mention this to Doffy,' Gladius considered. Donquixote Family could start paying closer attention to Baroque Works, or maybe even absorb the organization entirely to bolster their own intelligence network in Paradise.
He stood on the deck, frowning for a moment before letting his expression go smooth and calm again. There were more important tasks at hand. This was not the time for such thoughts.
Still, while they had secured the location of Oda's Cosmetics production factory with unexpected ease, getting the formula itself would be far more difficult. They had their own plans, of course, but this so-called overlord...
Gladius decided to ask him directly. "What's your plan for getting inside?"
"Plan?" The man scoffed, looking utterly unimpressed. "What do we need a plan for when you've got me?"
He shot a sideways glance at Gladius and puffed out his chest, his voice brimming with confidence. "It's just one Shichibukai. I've fought him before. I didn't understand his ability back then, but now... hmph." He folded his arms, his eyes full of contempt. "He's nothing. If he show his face, I'll hold him off myself."
"..."
'What an absurdly arrogant fool,' Gladius thought, his eyebrow twitching behind his glasses. He didn't bother arguing. As crude as it sounded, the man's approach was simple and convenient.
And despite his shameless boasting, their intel suggested there was some truth to it. Anyone who could escape from the Hero of the Marines and survive a three-day duel with the Shichibukai Bartholomew Kuma had to have some real skill. If this man could truly keep Kuma occupied, it would be a decent solution.
And if the two of them ended up seriously injuring each other in the process...
A faint light glinted in Gladius's eyes as he looked at the man, taking in the mane-draped golden cape on his shoulders. An idea seemed to strike him. "I assume the guards at the factory won't be weak," he said mildly.
"No problem. Leave them to me."
"Are you aware that Kuma has several capable subordinates?"
"Don't worry. I'll take care of them too."
"Bartholomew Kuma is also a Devil Fruit user."
"The same trick won't work on me twice. I'll handle him."
That casual, repeated "I'll handle it" left Gladius silent once more. Was the man really that confident? It saved him the trouble of convincing him. If this "East Blue Overlord" was so eager to die, who was he to argue?
Gladius exchanged a look with the others, then gave a slight nod. "Then we'll be counting on you."
As soon as he finished speaking, Mock thumped a fist against his chest. "Of course," he said, his lips curling into a grin that caught the sunlight. "Work with me and you won't regret it. Leave everything to me."
"Here's to a pleasant cooperation."
With the agreement settled, they shared a mutually satisfied smile. Even Gladius, who had been thoroughly irritated by the arrogant blowhard, felt the corner of his mouth twitch beneath his mask. He had to admit a certain reluctant admiration. The "East Blue Overlord" was an idiot, but in some ways, he was the perfect pawn for their plan. At the very least, Gladius wouldn't have to waste time trying to sweet-talk him.
A short while later, their consensus set, a lookout from the Mock Pirates shouted, "Captain Mock, we've arrived!"
Everyone turned to look at the approaching island. A remote but bustling industrial islet came into view.
'Just as we thought,' Gladius mused. Kuma clearly valued this lucrative business, having built his facility in such a secluded stretch of sea. They watched the steady stream of guards patrolling the island's perimeter.
'Should we just take them all out in one sweep?'
Before Gladius could voice the thought, Mock seemed to read his mind. He slapped his own chest and offered a bold grin. "Leave it to me." He smirked. "I already had someone scout the layout of this place. All we need to do is slip in quietly through the back door, and we can avoid most of the guards. But..." His eyes swept over the Donquixote officers. "Don't forget what you promised me."
Gladius fell silent again, sighing inwardly. The man might be arrogant, but he knew how to make a deal. After another shared look with his comrades, Gladius met Mock's gaze and said coolly, "We'll leave it in your hands. Rest assured, once we have what we came for, everything else on this island is yours."
"You'd better keep your word. Otherwise, don't blame me for getting rough." Satisfied, Mock nodded sharply, then swept his arm forward, his expression turning serious. "Move out. And keep quiet from here on."
Under his lead, they slipped past the visible patrols with surprising ease, soon arriving at the remote back entrance he had mentioned. The area was completely deserted. Not a single guard was in sight.
Even with a layout of the facility, this was too clean. Not one person? Their group was large, yet no one had noticed them.
'Are all of Kuma's guards blind?' Gladius frowned, a flicker of suspicion rising in his mind.
"What are you standing around for?" In the time he had been thinking, the back door had been opened. Mock snapped impatiently, "It's the factory's lunch break. This is the perfect time to sneak in."
'lunch break?' Gladius paused, as he frowned, and he traded another glance with his men. After a brief hesitation, he stepped through the doorway. They were already here, after all.
But the instant all of them were inside, staring at the empty, silent interior, their faces filled with puzzlement-
*Click.*
The door slammed shut and locked behind them.
All six of them froze, turning in unison to stare at Mock in confusion.
"Captain Mock, you-"
Before they could finish, the domineering, arrogant "East Blue Overlord" vanished. His entire demeanor flipped as his face broke into a goofy grin, all traces of his so-called presence gone. He tipped his head back and yelled deeper into the facility.
"Boss Kuzan, I've brought them! You can shut the door and sic the, dogs now!"
'Boss Kuzan? Shut the door and beat the dogs?' A terrible premonition slammed into the Donquixote officers. As the realization dawned, their faces changed, and they turned on Mock, ready to demand an explanation.
But suddenly, a terrifying wave of cold surged over them, threatening to freeze them solid where they stood. They couldn't move an inch.
And it didn't stop there.
Just as they were about to curse the man who had set them up, he started yelling at the top of his lungs.
"Hey! Hey! Wait, wait! Boss Kuzan, I'm still in here! How could you freeze me too?!"
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