At the side, Ain frowned slightly. "CP9?"
Spandam realized Creed had only left Marineford a few months ago. According to the reports he had received, two years prior, Garp had brought Creed to headquarters. Since then, he had trained exclusively within Marineford, only leaving a few months ago.
Although he held the rank of major general, high enough to touch upon government secrets, his meteoric rise in rank left him unfamiliar with many of its organizations.
Spandam explained, "CP9 is a secret intelligence agency directly under the World Government. Every member is an elite among elites."
And…
Spandam's eyes narrowed. In this generation of CP9, there was a true monster—at only thirteen years old, he had stormed a pirate stronghold alone, slaughtering more than fifty pirates in a river of blood.
Spandam himself was curious. How large was the gap between the Marine's strongest new star and the government's painstakingly cultivated CP9?
Lucci—the strongest of CP9. Spandam had already requested this specifically, arranging for him and his team to test Creed.
He clapped his hands. Several figures approached, led by a man with a white pigeon perched on his shoulder.
Falkor glared immediately. Another shoulder-perched creature? The nerve! The pigeon was copying it! That was an insult!
Creed glanced at the lineup—Lucci, Kaku, Kalifa… all familiar faces.
"Too weak. Not interested," Creed said flatly.
His eyes passed over Lucci, the strongest among them, a Cat-Cat Fruit Mythical Zoan user. An S-class combatant. But still—too weak. Not worth his time.
Lucci's expression darkened instantly. To enter CP9 meant unmatched skill, their pride towering. To be dismissed so easily… intolerable.
"Fine. Then fight my pet instead."
Creed waved his hand. "Falkor, go."
"Ying!!!"
Already itching for a fight, Falkor roared with delight and charged. During their voyage, every reckless pirate crew they had met had been obliterated by Falkor alone.
The thrill of bullying weaklings—it was addictive!
Falkor's body swelled, growing into a two-meter-long dragon, its presence fierce and overbearing, arcs of lightning crackling all over its scales.
Zzzzzzzz~
It inhaled sharply—then unleashed a storm of thunder from its maw, flooding the battlefield in a sea of lightning.
The CP9 agents were engulfed.
Ten seconds later…
The storm subsided. The air still hummed with static, Spandam's hair frizzed and smoking, his muscles twitching from residual shock.
He stared in horror.
The CP9 agents—his pride, the World Government's pride—lay sprawled on the ground. Not unconscious, but twitching violently, their limbs too stiff and numb to move.
Only Lucci remained standing, drenched in sweat, his movements sluggish and strained.
Spandam was speechless. He had known Creed's power was monstrous—slaying a 500 million bounty pirate and defeating Crocodile proved that much. But he hadn't expected this.
Creed hadn't even lifted a finger.
A pet had annihilated CP9.
What he didn't know—Falkor had held back. At full strength, none of them would still be alive.
Spandam forced a bitter smile. Truly, this was the Marine's strongest new generation, the youngest rear admiral in history.
"Ying!"
Falkor shrank back into its small form, perched proudly on Creed's shoulder once more. It glanced at the pigeon lying electrocuted on the ground, puffed its chest, and chirped smugly. That'll teach you for copying me.
"All right, we're leaving."
Creed boarded the warship. The Gates of Justice creaked open, and the massive vessel sailed toward Marineford.
Half a day later…
The immense steel fortress of Marineford appeared on the horizon.
Stepping off the ship, Creed gazed at the base where he had lived for two years, exhaling a long breath.
"Come. Let's see Fleet Admiral Sengoku."
They entered the fortress.
In the vast drill yard, new recruits spotted Creed immediately.
"Woah—it's Rear Admiral Creed!"
Excitement rippled through the ranks. Eyes turned, brimming with admiration.
Creed was already a legend among the new generation of Marines: Garp's grandson, Zephyr's prized disciple. Within days of graduation, he had slain a 500 million bounty pirate, exposed Crocodile's conspiracy, and crushed him in combat.
The youngest rear admiral in Marine history—Creed was the idol of every Marine recruit.
And with his handsome looks, he had also become the dream candidate of countless female soldiers.
Several bold women even dared to throw flirty glances his way as he passed, their eyes sparkling with infatuation.
At last, they reached the fleet admiral's office.
"This is for Rear Admiral Creed," Sengoku's adjutant explained, handing over a transfer order. "Most of the Admirals and top Marine forces are currently in Mary Geoise for the World Conference. They will be gone for a month."
Creed's brow twitched. "What? All of them? Then why bring me back to headquarters? I came here to extract an SSS-level ability!"
"Why didn't anyone tell me sooner?"
"We couldn't reach you. Your Den Den Mushi wasn't working."
Creed: "…"
He remembered—the snail had been smashed when he fell from the sky onto that Marine ship in Alabasta.
The adjutant continued, "Before leaving, Fleet Admiral Sengoku gave you a new assignment. Impel Down's Warden Magellan has also gone to Mary Geoise. Sengoku has transferred you to Impel Down as temporary director. You'll manage it for the month until Magellan returns."
Creed froze—then burst into a wide grin.
"Impel Down…!"
If there was anywhere brimming with terrifying strength, it was there.
The world's most infamous monsters were all locked away in those cells. Many were remnants from Roger's era, legendary terrors!
And in that prison…
There would be no shortage of abilities for him to extract.
(End of Chapter)
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