Chapter 285: Who's the Hunter? Who's the Prey!
BOOM!
The officer froze as if struck by lightning, her eyes wide with unshed tears. "W-workout equipment?"
Eh? How could he! Could it be because her fruit allowed her to reach a weight of 10,000 kilograms, yet she was so pathetically weak that even a fourteen-year-old Nami could beat her up… and that was the only impression she had left on Lord Shane? Seriously. This is so embarrassing!
"Just kidding, don't take it to heart." Seeing the girl's face flush with steam as she covered her face, wishing the ground would swallow her whole, Shane couldn't help but laugh. "Of course I remember you. The user of the Kilo-Kilo Fruit, Miss Valentine. It's been a long time. I never thought you'd join the Curtain Call Adventurers. Hmm, if I remember correctly, didn't you say you were going back to the West Blue to open a coffee shop?"
"Eh? You even remember that?!" The officer looked up in surprise, then couldn't help but put her hands on her hips with a proud grin. "Hehe, I did open the coffee shop! And business was su—per good!"
She held out her right hand to Shane. "I opened three whole branches! All over the island! Three!"
"Oh? You have a talent for business then. Why come to the New World and join us?" Shane asked, a little surprised. "Wouldn't it be better to be a leisurely coffee shop owner?"
"It was because of the live broadcast from the Sabaody Archipelago!" she said with a grin. "After seeing you in action, I couldn't sleep for days! I finally understood! I, Miss Valentine, was born to do great things!"
"Otherwise, I wouldn't have gone to the Grand Line as soon as I came of age. Spending my whole life as a shopkeeper in the countryside? I'm not content with that! Changing the world is more my style!"
"So I sold the coffee shops and came here to take the corps' selection exam!"
"Even though I'm terrible at fighting and didn't get into the Combat Corps, my ability to change my weight is really useful in the Infrastructure Corps! I'm already an officer, in charge of the public welfare projects on three whole islands, and I'm making great progress!"
"Impressive," Shane praised her generously, patting her shoulder in encouragement. "Keep up that confidence and energy. Don't sell yourself short. In my eyes, the Infrastructure Corps has always been just as important as the Combat Corps. There's nothing more important than making people's lives better, is there?"
Eh eh eh? The officer was overwhelmed. Her cheeks flushed red again, this time with happiness and bliss! She felt like she was floating. Not only did Lord Shane remember her, but he had praised her to her face! When she told her friends back home, they would all be green with envy!
"Yes! I'll keep working hard!" she nodded excitedly. "I absolutely, absolutely will not let you down, Lord Shane!"
"I believe in you," Shane nodded with a smile, his gaze turning to the sky. "By the way, did that commotion just now scare you? I was testing a new defensive measure. It now covers all of our territories."
"A defensive measure? So that's what it was!" The officer's eyes lit up. "No wonder that green barrier appeared! I thought I was seeing things! Does this mean everyone will be safer from now on?"
"That's right." Shane stretched. He was getting a little tired. As soon as he returned from the Calm Belt, he had rushed to four different remote islands in different seas to test the barrier with various attacks. Dune Island was just one of them. The tests had been a complete success. Even his full-power attack couldn't break the Demon Tree Barrier; it would take several consecutive hits to wear it down. The Marauder's Map would alert him to any invasions, and the teleportation staff would allow him to return to his territory at any time. The three items worked in concert, forming a perfect defensive system.
Last time, when he set out to conquer Whole Cake Island, he had to leave Fujitora behind to guard their home base, just in case. But from now on… he could commit his full force without any worries!
"Alright, it's getting late. I should go. As a reward for your hard work, here, this is for you. If you have time in the future, you're welcome to visit our headquarters. Nami would be very happy to see you." With that, he waved to the officer, and with a flash, he shot into the sky, becoming a small black dot on the horizon in an instant.
"Okay… eh? Wait, Lord Shane!" The officer instinctively caught the object he had tossed her. By the time she looked up to call out, he was gone. She sighed, a little disappointed. Seriously. Why am I so stupid? I know Lord Shane is busy. I should have talked less about myself and asked for a picture and an autograph.
But she quickly cheered up, pumping her fist. "Miss Valentine! You have to work even harder! This wasn't enough! The next time you see Lord Shane, you have to impress him even more!"
Right, what was this reward? "Miraculous Sunscreen?" "Just a small dab will keep your skin from getting tan for a month? Eh, there's such a thing?" This is perfect for someone who works in the desert every day! She put it away with satisfaction and walked to the edge of the dune. The sky had completely darkened, and she could see the lights of the town twinkling in the distance. A brilliant smile spread across her face. "Alright! I'm even more motivated now! I'll work hard tomorrow too!" But for now, I've been busy all afternoon. I'll go to the cafeteria for dinner. Time to grab my little parasol and go… huh, wait… Where's my parasol!!!
In the sky.
Shane was flying at full speed towards Whole Cake Island, glancing at his system panel. The biggest gain from his trip to Impel Down was, of course, gathering the souls needed for the Demon Tree Barrier. Second was recruiting Shiryu, who had not yet been corrupted. With the right Devil Fruit in the future, he could reach the level of a top officer. And finally, of course, was all the loot he had acquired. Although there were no big names like Buggy in the prison, the prisoners were generally strong, and the points they provided added up to a considerable sum, refilling his once-empty pockets—
[You have sacrificed Douglas Bullet's giant food bowl. You have received 2,500 points.]
[You have sacrificed Byrrndi World's braid. You have received 2,100 points.]
[You have sacrificed Miss Valentine's parasol. You have received 85 points.]
[You have sacrificed Shiryu of the Rain's collection of adult magazines. You have received 1,800 points.]
[You have sacrificed Magellan's horns. You have received 2,800 points.]
...
Total points gained: 14,085. Remaining points: 19,985. Unsurprisingly, Magellan had contributed the most. His "horns" were actually his beloved weapons, which he could detach and use for combat. As for the parasol… that was just force of habit. Damn this occupational hazard. I'll probably never be able to change. He had felt no guilt taking her things last year, but now that the girl was on the right path, he couldn't do that anymore. Although he had compensated her with a miraculous little gadget from another world, Shane still felt a little embarrassed.
Purupurupuru~
Just then, his Den Den Mushi rang, saving him from his awkwardness.
"My lord, we have a lead on the matter you asked the intelligence department to investigate." Kuina's steady voice came through the receiver.
"Oh?" Shane's eyes narrowed. "I'm on my way. Have the head of the intelligence department meet me immediately."
A few days ago, before he left Impel Down, the moment he got a whiff of the Celestial Dragons' hunting game from the bounty hunter, he had immediately contacted Kuina. The Curtain Call's intelligence department had been working at full capacity ever since, searching for clues in the North Blue.
The North Blue was vast. The crew's intelligence network was adequate for the New World, but expanding it to the entire North Blue should have been a stretch. But Shane was a transmigrator. He knew that if it was a "Celestial Dragons' Amusement Park," the chosen venue had to be a non-affiliated country. And in the four seas, the vast majority of countries were affiliated with the World Government, especially in the North Blue. In recent decades, it had been ravaged by the Germa Kingdom and the Donquixote Family. In such a harsh environment, only four non-affiliated countries remained.
The search area had been narrowed down considerably! The intelligence department had followed this lead, focusing on the recent situation in those four countries, and now, they had finally locked onto a target—
"The Lvneel Kingdom."
In the conference room of the Curtain Call's flagship, a figure in a gray coat bowed respectfully to Shane. "My lord, this is our final conclusion."
The man was in his forties, thin, with a stern face and a small scar near his eye, habitually holding an unlit pipe. His name was Victor, and he was the head of the intelligence department, personally selected by Shane a few months ago. He was the former deputy director of the World Government's secret agency, CP5. He had once partnered with Spandam on a mission to Water 7 to investigate the whereabouts of Pluton. But he had been so moved by the fish-man Tom's creation of the Sea Train that he had secretly helped the legendary shipwright. As a result, he had earned Spandam's enmity, been framed, and was hunted by the CP organization, forcing him to live in hiding for many years.
Until a few months ago. After watching the live broadcast from Sabaody, he had been deeply inspired and had come to the New World to join them. With his years of espionage experience, he had quickly helped the Curtain Call Adventurers build an efficient intelligence network from scratch, earning Shane's trust. He was a steady, capable, and very reliable man. His ability was the Chameleon Fruit, a Zoan type that allowed him to blend in with his surroundings, a power seemingly made for espionage. It was how he had managed to survive the CP organization's pursuit for so long.
"The Lvneel Kingdom?" Shane tried to recall. "I have some impression of it. Isn't that the home of Mont Blanc Noland, the liar who was executed four hundred years ago?"
"Yes, my lord. The legend of the City of Gold is still scorned there," Victor nodded, pulling out a stack of photos. "This country was actually a member of the World Government for a long time, but a few decades ago, after being late with their Heavenly Tribute twice in a row, they were expelled. The king at the time was beheaded by the Germa army."
"According to our informant, the country has been deceptively calm for the past half-month. Everything seems normal. The shipping lanes haven't been blocked, and prices are stable. But CP0 agents have been frequently spotted in disguise near the royal capital, and large quantities of supplies have been transported to the mountains on the north coast through secret channels."
"Supplies?" Shane looked at the photos. Through a gap in the thorny bushes, a group of figures in white coats could be vaguely seen unloading cargo at the mouth of a cave. The wooden crates were all stamped with the World Government's symbol.
"Over a hundred wooden crates. After the CP agents left, our people went in to check. They were all various supplies—food, weapons, ammunition, and so on."
"In addition, my lord," Victor said in a low voice, "we also found a large number of surveillance Den Den Mushi in the jungle outside the royal capital. They were extremely well-hidden. It's clear they intend to turn the entire country into a massive, controlled hunting ground."
"And the time?"
"The exact date has not yet been determined, but based on the frequency of CP0's activities, it should be within the week."
"A week…" Shane stood up and walked to the window, his gaze turning north, his eyes growing cold. "What a bunch of fools who don't know their place." The Lvneel Kingdom in the North Blue was not some small country; it had a population of over three hundred thousand! To turn an entire country into a hunting ground just to entertain those fat pigs in their bubble helmets… the World Government was utterly depraved!
"Those animals!" Kuina, standing behind him, gripped the hilt of her sword, a cold light in her eyes. "My lord, shall we act immediately?"
"Of course," Shane turned, his voice low and commanding. "Send out my orders. The First to the Twelfth Divisions of the Combat Corps are to assemble immediately! Also, have our assets in the North Blue increase their surveillance of the surrounding waters, especially in the direction of Mary Geoise. Report any anomalies immediately!"
"Yes, my lord!" Kuina and Victor replied in unison and left to carry out his orders.
Shane took one last look in the direction of the North Blue, his eyes icy. It seemed that the four Celestial Dragons he had killed in Sabaody were not enough! The deterrent was far from sufficient! Compared to the vast clan that had propagated for eight hundred years, it was nothing!
Fine, then I'll make up for it this time… a hunting game? Hmph, with me here, with the ever-growing Curtain Call Adventurers here, it's the perfect opportunity to show these fat pigs… who the real hunter is in this hunting game! And who is the prey!
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