The top-floor luxury suite fell into complete silence.
Not a sound could be heard.
The scarred Vice Admiral sat with his arms wide open, fully relaxed, showing no sign of defense or tension. A calm, indifferent smile hung on his face.
Across from him, the Queen of the Pleasure District stood still in her black silk robe, clearly stunned. Her gaze lingered blankly on the smiling man. Her fingers, painted in bright crimson polish, twitched slightly—then eased.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three—
"Tch. You think I'd fall for that?"
Stussy scoffed with a cold smirk.
"Trying to test me with something that crude, Daren? Isn't that a little beneath you?"
"If you don't believe me, that's fine."
Daren shook his head with a sigh.
"All I'll say is—you just missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You could've turned me in right now and secured deeper trust from the top of the government."
"I've been embedded in the World Government long enough to learn one thing: anything that's too easy to get your hands on usually hides something deadly."
Stussy responded with a chilling laugh.
She walked over and sat opposite the wounded Vice Admiral, crossing one leg gracefully over the other. She tilted slightly to light a slender lady's cigarette.
"So, what now?"
"I'm sure you heard it earlier—right now, the entire world is hunting you down. The higher-ups even named me directly, ordered me to activate every channel and contact I have to track your movements."
A minty plume of smoke curled around Stussy's alluring profile, sharp yet not vulgar, adding a uniquely icy beauty to her already dangerous presence.
She tapped a newspaper on the coffee table with the tip of her cigarette.
"This just came out. That lunatic Morgans seems to be a big fan of yours. He's even calling you a hero—someone standing against the World Government's tyranny."
"Tsk, tsk... A bounty of 5 billion Belly. Unprecedented. The Marines really pulled out all the stops this time."
Daren chuckled lightly.
"If you're strapped for cash, you could always turn me in. Though I highly doubt the Marines could actually cough up 5 billion Belly right now."
"As for that bird Morgans, I've always been intrigued by him. An Underworld Emperor who controls an intelligence and propaganda empire that vast... It's always made me wonder why the government tolerates his existence in the New World."
He was just too calm.
Facing the wrath of a colossus that had ruled the world for eight centuries, and yet he still had the time to drop by for a smoke and a drink.
Stussy narrowed her eyes at the man before her—the world's most wanted criminal—watching for even the slightest shift in his expression, hoping to catch a hint of what he was planning.
"No follow-up plan? That's not your style."
"Let me give you a little intel. The World Government fleet just entered the North Blue. It's highly likely they'll impose direct force and start terrorizing the region."
"The Five Elders won't spare anyone who dares to oppose them. They'll destroy everything you care about. That's not just their strategy—it's the arrogance embedded in their bones."
Daren exhaled a thin stream of smoke and raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? So the World Government has naval forces aside from the Marines?"
Stussy shook her head.
"Not exactly. It's just a makeshift unit formed from the Holy Land's guards."
"But even so, with the power and military hardware the World Government possesses, wiping out a few countries or islands is nothing to them. What's worse is that they're moving in waves, with massive numbers of ships. Even with your airborne fleet, there's no way you could intercept them all."
Her voice took on a note of irritation near the end.
That bastard had put together a flying fleet with terrifying power—and hadn't said a word to her!
What kind of partner was that supposed to be?
She'd given him access to her entire intelligence network—for free!
"The fleet is my biggest secret. Even my godson, Doflamingo, doesn't know about it."
Daren, catching the irritation in Stussy's tone, offered a calm smile as he explained.
"Tch, like I care about your so-called flying fleet."
Stussy curled her lips, then fixed him with a playful look and let out a laugh.
"At this rate, you're not going to be able to hold North Blue. No matter how loyal or satisfied those countries were with you before, in the face of the World Government's overwhelming power, they'll be forced to bow their heads."
"Without a fixed base of power, your fleet loses its source of revenue. Without proper military funding, collapse and desertion are just a matter of time."
"The Five Elders truly live up to being the highest authority in the World Government. They don't even have to lift a finger. With one casual order, they can destroy everything you've built... your greatest trump card."
Daren cast her a sidelong glance and replied with detached indifference,
"Oh, is that so."
Stussy: "..."
She nearly choked on her cigarette.
What do you mean, "Oh, is that so"?
How are you this calm?!
The World Government just mobilized on a massive scale—even your unstoppable fleet can't hold them back!
"Did you not hear what I just said?!"
Stussy bit down on her teeth, her voice sharp with frustration.
"This is intel I went through hell to get for you!"
"Intel you went through hell to get?"
Daren narrowed his eyes and chuckled.
Stussy stiffened.
Before she could respond, Daren waved a hand and smiled, eyes gleaming.
"How about we make another bet?"
"No way!"
The moment she heard the word "bet," Stussy reacted like a startled cat, instantly bristling.
She instinctively tugged down the hem of her black nightgown to cover certain markings on her thighs, a blush of shame rising to her cheeks as she snapped,
"Don't even think about it!"
Daren laughed aloud.
"Alright, alright. Just sit tight and relax. There's no need to worry about the North Blue."
"You've got a line to that bird Morgans, don't you? Contact him for me. Tell him I've got a big scoop he's going to want."
"If there's nothing else... let me sleep a bit. I really am exhausted..."
No need to worry about the North Blue?
Just sit and watch?
"What do you mean by that—"
Stussy began to question him, but paused when she realized the Vice Admiral had already closed his eyes. Slumped on the sofa, bloodied and battered, Daren had drifted into a deep, steady sleep.
Staring at his peaceful, sleeping face, Stussy froze.
She stood there in silence for a long time, then turned to the desk and picked up the Den Den Mushi.
As her hand reached out, she glanced once more at the black-haired Marine, lips gently pressed together. A flicker of hesitation crossed her eyes, but in the end, she dialed.
"Bring some bandages and medical supplies."
She spoke softly, then ended the call.
After setting the Den Den Mushi down, Stussy looked at Daren again, letting out a helpless sigh. She muttered to herself,
"You can just fall asleep like this? Aren't you even the least bit afraid I might betray you?"
As she spoke, deep within her proud and seductive gaze, a trace of tenderness quietly surfaced.
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon(.)com/PinkSnake