The moment she realized that she had become the subject of the investigation, Stussy immediately broke out in a cold sweat.
She never imagined that her momentary act of defiance towards that bastard Daren, when she showed him the list of candidates for the Shichibukai, would lead to such consequences today.
She regretted it deeply and cursed Daren countless times in her heart.
Feeling the gaze of the five most powerful people in the World Government, Stussy felt as if an invisible mountain was pressing down on her, making it impossible for her to breathe.
"Your Excellency..."
She swallowed nervously, then suddenly gritted her teeth and said,
"I think the person who leaked the list of candidates for the Seven Warlords is... most likely Lone Wolf!"
The moment she said this, she felt the heavy, scrutinizing gazes slowly shift away, and her body suddenly relaxed.
"Oh? You mean Lone Wolf is the traitor in CP0?"
Mars, the Warrior God of Environment with a long white beard, frowned.
"But what is his purpose in doing this?"
Stussy had already made up her mind.
She knew that if she couldn't give a reasonable explanation, the Five Elders would suspect her next!
On the contrary, Lone Wolf had already died under Saturn's watchful eye, leaving no evidence behind and making it impossible to verify anything.
"Your Excellencies, I do not know Lone Wolf's purpose."
Stussy took a deep breath, quickly calmed her tone, and said in a deep voice,
"But one thing is certain, from the beginning, he tried to shift the focus of the investigation to the Marines. It was clearly an attempt to deliberately confuse everyone and blind you all to the truth."
"This includes his attempt to sow distrust between Vice Admiral Daren and you all."
"If it weren't for your wisdom and insight, which allowed you to see through his tricks at a glance, I'm afraid I would have been deceived by Lone Wolf."
She analyzed with a heavy heart.
However, strangely enough, the deeper she analyzed, the more she found that her analysis and logic were correct.
If she didn't know the truth, she would have thought that this was all a conspiracy by Lone Wolf.
"Hmm, that makes sense."
The blond Five Elder and the Warrior God of Agriculture, Saint Ju Peter, nodded in agreement.
"Stussy, you are indeed very capable."
Stussy bowed her head in fear and said,
"Thank you for your praise, Saint Peter. It is my greatest honor to serve you all and the government."
"Let's put this matter aside for now. Next, we need to confirm the list of candidates for the Shichibukai."
At this moment, Topman Warcury, who was holding a teacup, slowly spoke up.
He took out a document from beside him, handed it to Stussy, and said indifferently,
"There are 17 candidates on the preliminary list for the Shichibukai, but only four are still alive. After careful consideration and judgment, we have decided to add five more people to the list, bringing the total to ten."
...
Add more people to the list?
Stussy was taken aback and subconsciously took the document with both hands and opened it carefully.
Then, under her fox mask, her beautiful eyes widened in shock, as if she had seen a ghost!
Because she saw several familiar names on the latest list!
Dracule Mihawk!
Fisher Tiger!
Gecko Moria!
Stussy's heart skipped a beat.
Except for the 3-year-old Amazon Lily, Boa Hancock, all of the people Daren had asked her to gather information on had made it onto the list of candidates for the Shichibukai!
This meant that... everything was according to his plan!
Stussy understood instantly.
That guy's motive... By continuously hunting down those he deemed "unworthy" candidates for the Seven Warlords, he was ensuring that his chosen ones would make it onto the list!
Damn it!!
Looking at the names on the list, Stussy felt her heart sink.
Knowing Daren's personality, if he had chosen these people, then they must have the strength to become members of the Shichibukai!
In that case, with his help, it was a foregone conclusion that these people would be elected as members of the Shichibukai... and no one could change that.
Stussy quickly ran through the situation in her mind.
There were seven final spots for the Shichibukai.
Among them, two were already taken—"Desert King" Crocodile and "Demon Heir" Douglas Bullet—both deeply tied to Daren.
Of the remaining five spots, Dracule Mihawk, Fisher Tiger, and Gecko Moria would likely take three.
In other words, just through Daren alone, five of the seven Shichibukai seats were already spoken for!
Damn it!
Stussy bit down on her red lips, her silver teeth making them pale.
The scales of victory were tipping more and more toward Daren's side, and she could feel herself on the verge of losing the bet.
Just the thought of having to shamefully call that despicable bastard "Master" if she lost made her grit her teeth in hatred.
No!
I still have a chance!
She suddenly clenched her fists tightly.
There were still two seats left among the Shichibukai.
As long as she could control those two seats—no, that was too difficult—as long as she could keep Daren from getting them, she could still win the bet!
Now that she knew the final list of ten, she had the upper hand.
The advantage was hers!
Stussy's eyes lit up with a competitive gleam.
I will never lose to you, Daren!
"Your Excellencies, what should I do?"
She asked respectfully.
Topman Warcury said calmly,
"Keep the list strictly confidential. Also, you need to further investigate Lone Wolf. If he has any accomplices within CP, make sure to root them out completely."
Stussy shivered slightly at the chilling killing intent hidden in the Warrior God of Justice's voice and hurriedly responded,
"Yes, Topman-sama."
"If there are no further orders, I will take my leave."
"Mm."
Topman Warcury raised his teacup and took a light sip.
Stussy rose from the ground and was about to turn and leave when a hoarse voice called out from behind her.
"Wait."
Her body stiffened. She forced herself to stay calm and turned around.
"What are your orders, Saint Saturn?"
Saint Saturn asked,
"You mentioned that brat Daren had some dealings with you in the Pleasure District?"
Stussy didn't really understand but nodded anyway,
"Yes."
Saint Saturn paused for a moment, then smiled faintly,
"That little Marine brat is infamous for being a scoundrel, but his abilities are undeniable. If possible, I hope you can maintain a good relationship with him."
He gave Stussy a deep, meaningful look and added,
"Isn't he famous for being lewd and lascivious? With your skills, it shouldn't be too difficult to make him fall head over heels for you, right?"
Stussy: ...
"I'll do my best, Your Excellencies."
She said through gritted teeth, the corners of her mouth twitching.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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