Both sides were already formulating their own plans and arrangements.
"Have you heard the news?"
"What is it?"
"Over at Sabaody Archipelago, someone spotted traces of the El Pirates…"
"Traces? What do you mean? Who from the crew did they see?"
"If it were just some ordinary officer, it wouldn't be worth our attention."
"It wasn't an ordinary officer… The strength they displayed was extraordinary…"
"Witnesses say there was a fierce battle that day…"
"Some even claimed it looked as though stars were falling from the sky…"
This conversation took place in a hidden chamber deep within Mary Geoise, the Holy Land.
Even within the capital of the World Government, the Cipher Pol agencies operated in the utmost secrecy.
Their role was to handle sensitive matters and monitor developments that could threaten the Government's stability.
The World Government only deployed these agents in the most exceptional circumstances.
In truth, their skill and experience were among the key reasons the World Government had maintained control over so many nations across the centuries.
Outside of dealing with the most dangerous threats, however, they were rarely called upon—for even within the Government, the number of Cipher Pol operatives was limited, and each was trained to be exceptionally capable.
Only targets of great importance were deemed worthy of their attention.
And El was most certainly a figure worthy of significant resources. Which was exactly why they were watching him closely.
…
"Some say the man seen at Sabaody was El himself!"
"Is that so? Then this is indeed worth our time…"
The agents of CP9 had been waiting for just such news. Part of their duty was to keep tabs on the most powerful individuals in the world—and El was one of their highest-priority targets.
Now that they knew his exact location, they could act.
Sabaody Archipelago was not far from Marine Headquarters or the Red Line, making this mission relatively convenient.
Still, the target was far from simple. In fact, one could say the mission was terrifyingly difficult.
At least, being so close to Marine Headquarters meant reinforcements would not be too far away if anything went wrong.
Though El was a formidable foe, CP9 had only been ordered to observe, not engage.
For the World Government and Marines, placing watchers on Sabaody was an easy task.
Combined with CP9's expertise, it did not take long for them to establish a presence on the archipelago and map out El's daily movements.
El and his crew had now rested and resupplied on Sabaody for some time.
Even Hancock could not understand why El had chosen to stay so long—all preparations for their onward journey had already been completed.
"Our reason for remaining here…" El paused thoughtfully.
"…is that we still have some unexpected visitors to attend to."
Even in a crowded place like Sabaody, El had sensed immediately that they were being watched.
His Observation Haki was no mere decoration.
Shortly afterward, Issho also picked up on it. Within the crew, his mastery of Observation Haki was second only to El himself.
Hancock, on the other hand, had been so content enjoying their time on the island alongside El that she had not noticed anything amiss—until El's words finally made her realize that she, and everyone else, was under surveillance.
Being watched was not unusual on Sabaody. It was a chaotic place filled with all kinds of people, and sitting so close to Marine Headquarters and the World Government, it was only natural that eyes were always keeping watch.
But from El's tone, it was clear this was no ordinary observation. Someone was specifically targeting them—and that changed everything.
"Who dares?!" Hancock snapped, her temper flaring instantly.
"Who has the audacity to spy on you, my lord?!"
She had sworn to protect El, yet she had failed to notice they were being watched until now.
"Easy, now," El said, waving a hand calmly. "It is nothing serious. I can handle it."
He had not only detected the surveillance but already guessed who was behind it.
There was only one organization in the world that would act so boldly—the World Government.
And they had a special unit dedicated to such work: CP9.
CP9 was the Government's secret force, handling all the covert, unsavory tasks the Government could not officially acknowledge—spying, infiltration, assassination, and more.
Even within the ranks of the Government and Marines, they were not well-liked, but their usefulness was undeniable.
Because of their importance, CP9 agents were trained from childhood under the harshest conditions imaginable.
The result was an elite force whose strength far exceeded that of ordinary pirates or even most nobles.
Their work was not limited to pirates, either.
There were many nations across the world that refused to submit to the Government's authority, and those nations were treated as enemies.
The World Government did not always deal with them through diplomacy, and CP9 was often sent to apply pressure—through bribery, infiltration, or worse—until these countries fell in line.
It was not that El was in no hurry to leave; the truth was that now that the World Government had fixed its gaze upon him, a trouble-free departure from Sabaody would not be so simple.
Better to deal with whatever was waiting here before setting sail.
…
CP9 had reached Sabaody without difficulty—but getting close to El was another matter entirely.
Both the Marines and the World Government knew exactly how strong El was, and CP9's agents were fully briefed on what they were up against.
"What do we do now?" Blueno asked, turning to their leader and the strongest among them, Rob Lucci.
El and his crew had remained largely inactive since arriving.
Though CP9 had been on the island for some time, they had yet to discover why El had come here, nor had they learned any other useful details about his plans.
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