Pain returned to the ship, with Oden following closely. Pain glanced back at Oden, who was trailing behind him, and wasn't surprised. The energy a person can unleash when they still cling to their dreams at such an age is immeasurable.
"Since you've followed... it means you've made your choice... From now on, your codename will be [Vermilion Bird]..."
"Signifying the Vermilion Bird of Akatsuki..."
After speaking, he instructed Reynold to retrieve clothes and a ring from the room and hand them to Oden. Pain waited for Oden to change into the attire, then solemnly explained the organization's discipline to Oden.
"The moment you put on these clothes and wear the [Vermilion Bird] ring signifies that you share the same destiny with us... bound by fate..."
"From now on, no matter what happens, you are not allowed to betray the organization or your comrades. If you betray the organization and your comrades, it is tantamount to betraying divine guidance and destiny... No matter where the traitor is... the entire organization will hunt them down worldwide. Do you understand?"
Pain asked, looking directly into Oden's eyes.
Oden put on the unique attire of Akatsuki, wore the ring, surveyed himself, and listened to Pain's solemn words. Oden touched his peculiar hairstyle and smiled as he replied to Pain.
"Got it... Got it..."
"I'm already half in the grave... why would I do such meaningless things? Don't worry..."
"Hahaha..."
Oden had already thought things through when Pain presented the choice. In life, one must do something meaningful. Although he was old, his great revenge was not yet exacted, and his dream was not yet realized. He had spent decades living aimlessly and in avoidance. Rather than wasting time as he had before, it would be better to live out the rest of his life spectacularly and meaningfully.
In Oden's view, though this nascent organization was like a newborn child, it was also a gifted child with a promising future. Oden believed it would be very meaningful to use the rest of his life to help this new organization stand at the Peak of this world.
Thinking of this, Oden brought up a question that had been weighing on his mind for a long time.
"What's going on with Crocodile?... Weren't he killed by you all?... How is he still alive and well, fighting for you?... And he gained some strange Ability?..."
"I've always been curious... Pain?"
Oden had wanted to ask for a long time, but there had never been a suitable opportunity.
"Crocodile is already dead... The Crocodile you see is just his corpse... He was resurrected by my Ability and imbued with some special Abilities."
Pain answered truthfully. Since Oden was now a member of the organization, Pain had no intention of concealing his Abilities from his own people.
"Is that so?... What a strange Ability?... You can resurrect the dead and even bestow special Abilities... It seems your strength is truly not simple... I'm increasingly looking forward to seeing you truly make a move..."
"Hahaha..."
Oden got excited as he spoke and burst into laughter.
"You will see..."
"Reynold, set sail." Pain commanded.
"Wait... wait... there's still something we haven't done, Pain..."
Oden continued, looking at Pain's puzzled expression, "Crocodile had already started preparing Materials by plundering wealth while deciphering the poneglyph."
"The result of deciphering the poneglyph here is the design blueprint for the ancient weapon Pluton's hull. I know where Crocodile stored the crafting Materials. We must take them; that's no small fortune."
"In that case... let Reynold accompany you on a trip to transport all the Materials back to the ship. I'll wait for you on board..."
"Pain..."
"Can I rest for a bit?... I'm completely exhausted right now!..." Reynold complained.
"Pain..."
"There are quite a lot of those Materials..."
"It will also take a lot of manpower and time to transport them from the hiding place to the ship... How about this, Reynold can rest on the ship and wait for me... I'm more familiar with this country..."
"I'll take care of the organization's transport team's mission first... Transporting these Materials in batches will probably take about ten days... That's not a short time..." Oden said.
"The mission is entrusted to you..."
"Just decide how to do it..."
Pain expressed his attitude; this was a habit from his previous life—once a mission was assigned, he no longer interfered.
"I see... Reynold... I'll depart once I've organized the transport team... You can rest on the ship first..."
Oden understood Pain's attitude and said no more, giving an order before disembarking.
CP0 Headquarters. New Enies Lobby.
Lucci had already decided on the personnel for this mission and instructed Spandam to call his three chosen individuals to the office to assign tasks and formulate tactics.
Lucci's choices for this mission were Kaku (an Ability User of the Ox-Ox Fruit), Blueno (an Ability User of the Door-Door Fruit), and Kalifa (an Ability User of the Bubble-Bubble Fruit), with Kalifa designated as the team leader for this mission.
Lucci arranged it this way because these three each had their strengths. Among them, Kalifa was quick-witted and calm in situations, making her a qualified leader. Kaku was the strongest combatant for this mission, ensuring equal combat power when facing powerful enemies.
As for Blueno, although his Rank was not high, it didn't mean his combat ability was weak. His mysterious Door-Door Fruit Ability would catch enemies off guard. In the mission, his Door-Door Fruit would also provide many conveniences, such as knowing the destination and opening a door for teammates within his Ability range to reach the destination directly, and so on.
The three quickly arrived at Lucci's office, and Kaku was the first to speak.
"Finally, a mission?... I've been wanting to go out and move around for a long time..."
Blueno also chimed in, "Yes, yes... My body is almost rusting, Blu..."
Kalifa, however, remained silent. She was waiting for Lucci's instructions, while also trying to understand the mission briefing and assess its difficulty.
Lucci looked at the three in front of him and slowly began, "Since our mission failed two years ago, it's been a long time since any of us have made a move. I know everyone is holding their breath, eager to undertake a mission and redeem themselves."
"But since the establishment of CP0, we have faced constant questioning from the World Government's high command. Ultimately, it was Fleet Admiral Sakazuki who strongly supported the establishment of our agency... Now, Sakazuki has sent down the first mission since CP0's founding. I believe everyone understands the importance of this mission to our agency."
Lucci paused here, and everyone remained silent, waiting for Lucci to continue.
"This mission is the 'evil' incident 'Alabasta' incident designated by Sakazuki. We don't have detailed intelligence, only that the enemy is a newly formed organization named Akatsuki."
"Member information is unknown, Abilities are unknown, but judging from their ability to kill Crocodile, their strength should not be weak, so this mission's Rank is temporarily set at B-class."
Lucci picked up the coffee from his desk, took a sip, and continued, "Sakazuki requires us to investigate the cause of Crocodile's death and find this organization to carry out arrests."
"Most importantly..."
"Bring back information about the ancient weapon Pluton, which was deciphered from the Alabasta poneglyph. This mission takes precedence over everything else. Do you all understand?..."
After Lucci finished speaking, he looked at the three, wanting to see if they had any questions or tactical suggestions for this mission. Lucci's mission requirements for the three were based on Akainu's orders, with the addition of one condition: everything was to prioritize bringing back information about the ancient weapon Pluton. He also instructed them to first investigate the opponent's strength before taking action.
If the investigation results showed that the three of them were insufficient to complete this mission, then they must request assistance from CP0 Headquarters to avoid adverse consequences from a failed mission.
After hearing Lucci's mission briefing and instructions, the three immediately accepted the order. Kalifa, after accepting, raised her question.
"Who will be the team leader for this mission?... What are the authorities?..."
"Kalifa will serve as the team leader for this mission... You can formulate corresponding tactical plans based on the actual situation... If necessary, you can mobilize nearby Marines for assistance... If the enemy resists arrest, you can kill them on the spot without seeking permission from superiors!..."
Lucci answered Kalifa's question.
"Does anyone else have any questions?" Lucci asked.
"Mission understood." Everyone replied.
"If there are no questions, everyone prepare to depart." Lucci finished his instructions, then turned and walked out of the office...
To be continued...