Moxina Tavern.
Karl sat quietly by the window. In front of him was a glass of fruit wine; beside it lay a rose, snapped halfway through.
"Tsk… why isn't anyone here yet? Don't tell me that monkey tricked me?"
Just as he was wondering, a woman passed by the window, winked at Karl, and pointed at the rose beside the wine. Then she immediately turned her head away, as if nothing had happened.
Karl understood at once. He left some Beli on the table and stepped out of Moxina Tavern.
Seeing him come out, the woman walked straight ahead without greeting him at all. With no other choice, Karl followed.
They wove through alleys until they reached a deserted corner. The woman stopped, peeled off the mask on her face, and revealed a stunningly beautiful visage.
"I really didn't expect the Marine envoy to be you, Vice Admiral Karl."
"Oh?" Karl raised a brow. "I only became a Vice Admiral yesterday. You people already know today?"
The woman covered her mouth and laughed softly.
"In this world, nothing can be hidden from CP0."
Curious, Karl asked, "Then where's the Revolutionary Army's headquarters?"
The woman immediately fell silent, rolled her eyes at Karl, then turned around—her clothes falling away one by one…
Alright—she was just changing outfits.
Now she stood there in a pink dress with a white shawl, blue high heels decorated with bows, vivid nail polish on fingers and toes. She had short blonde curls, blue eyes, and lipstick on her lips. A delicate hat sat atop her head, adorned with a blooming rose.
Elegant, refined, and strikingly beautiful.
Now this is what you call professional.
"Vice Admiral Karl," she said with a sweet smile, "from now on, you are my servant. No need to change your name, though."
Servant?
Karl dug at his ear.
"Sorry—what did you just say? Say that again."
She chuckled.
"Don't be so tense. It's just a cover identity. You don't want people from Big Mom's side recognizing you, do you?"
Clang.
Karl lowered his gaze and casually stroked the blade of Raven, speaking indifferently.
"I think 'bodyguard' sounds better. Don't you?"
Seeing the cold gleam along the edge, the woman shrugged.
"You really are troublesome."
Soon after, Karl boarded her ship—the Queen Mama Chanter—and together they set off for Whole Cake Island.
"When we arrive, don't speak recklessly," she warned. "If you expose yourself because of something you say, I'll sell you out immediately."
Karl nodded.
"Relax. No one's better at acting than I am. Worst case, I'll just keep my mouth shut."
"Besides," he added calmly, "I'm just here to watch the show."
She raised an eyebrow, a playful smile appearing.
"Watch the show? You think the Red-Haired Pirates will definitely clash with Big Mom?"
Karl nodded.
"I've read their files. They've challenged the Beasts Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates before—and walked away every time."
"To be honest, they already have the strength to become the next sea overlords. If they prove again that they can match an Emperor, they'll become the fourth Emperor of the Sea."
Nearby, Smoker nodded with a half-understanding expression.
So the so-called world's most handsome man isn't just a pretty face.
At least his brain works. As for strength… that remains to be seen.
But since he'd become a Headquarters Vice Admiral, it couldn't be too bad.
"Gaa! Ah!" (Hungry!)
Karl sighed at the raven on his shoulder.
"You get hungry way too fast. Miss Stussy—do you have something to eat?"
She nodded and had her subordinates bring over a spread of food, watching the raven with interest.
"This is… a weapon with abilities?"
Karl smiled faintly.
"Correct. Built personally for me by Vegapunk."
As he spoke, Karl's peripheral vision never left her eyes.
A flicker of tension flashed through them—gone in an instant. If he hadn't been watching closely, he would've missed it.
"I see. You must be quite close to Dr. Vegapunk, if he personally made something like this for you."
Karl clicked his tongue and replied perfunctorily,
"We get along. He's not a bad guy."
Stussy pressed her lips together and didn't respond, turning her gaze toward the horizon.
Suddenly, Karl said casually,
"Miss Stussy, you look a bit familiar. Do you happen to know a woman named Miss Bakkin?"
Her heart began pounding.
Why—why does Karl know that name?!
"Bakkin? I—I don't know her. Why would I?" she said quickly. "Do we look alike?"
Karl shook his head.
"Not really. But she has blonde hair like you. And I heard her full name is Bakkin-gam Stussy. You wouldn't happen to be mother and daughter, would you?"
Stussy's expression turned ugly.
"I don't know. Probably just a coincidence."
"Ah, that's a relief," Karl exhaled.
"After all, I killed that old woman myself. If she were related to you, I'd feel pretty awkward."
"Oh, right—she also had a son named Edward Weevil. He's dead too. Do you know him?"
Stussy took a deep breath, forcibly regaining control of her expression. Her voice turned icy.
"I don't know them. Sorry—I'm not feeling well."
She turned and left quickly. Staying near Karl for even one more second felt unbearable.
"I thought you were so professional," Karl muttered. "Trying to fish information out of me—you're still too green."
On the surface, Stussy was a CP0 agent. In reality, she was the first clone created by MADS, planted inside CP0—a spy within a spy.
Whatever she wanted to do was none of Karl's concern. As long as she didn't bother him.
Back in her cabin, Stussy's expression shifted repeatedly. Years of espionage told her one thing clearly—Karl knew something. Otherwise, he wouldn't have spoken so pointedly.
Did I get exposed?
No—he was testing her too. Enemy or ally was still unclear. Especially given his attitude toward Vegapunk…
After struggling for a long while, Stussy finally let out a long breath and pushed those thoughts aside.
"Sigh… forget it. Once I get him into Whole Cake Island, my task is complete. Although…"
She frowned.
"If he causes trouble… this mission might become a real headache. I could even get exposed."
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