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Unable to decide whether to launch an all-out assault on the Thunder God Territory to destroy the two Ancient Weapons, the Five Elders had sought the counsel of Im-sama at the Empty Throne.
Having received the explicit directive to "retrieve or erase," the Five Elders walked side-by-side out of the hall and returned to their own palace.
"So, let us discuss whom to send into the Thunder God Territory to assassinate the Poseidon," Saint Topman Warcury asked, a frown deepening the scar on his face.
The World Government was currently preoccupied with the Revolutionary Army—they could not afford to stumble into a reckless war with the Thunder God Pirates. Since a frontal confrontation was out of the question, a surgical assassination squad was the only option. However, choosing the right candidates was a difficult puzzle.
The members of CP0 were far too eccentric. Aside from individuals like Stussy, who spent years abroad with exceptional disguise skills, most members would be recognized the moment they appeared. They likely wouldn't even make it past the outer perimeter of Arthur's territory. Because they spent their lives executing high-profile slaughters, their killing intent was too thick to remain hidden in a place as packed with experts as the Thunder God Sea.
"If CP0 is unsuitable, then we shall select from the younger candidates!"
"I concur... Send members who are less likely to be detected, those suited for deep-cover infiltration. The probability of success will be higher."
"What about CP9? They are young, and their potential is exceptional."
"The boy named Lucci? He is the strongest in the eight-hundred-year history of CP9. Despite his youth, he has already broken past the limits of human physical potential and possesses a sharp mind. He is indeed a master of concealment."
"There are three others as well—Kaku, Kalifa, and Blueno."
"Send them all. Either find a way to extract the Poseidon or kill her outright!"
Ancient Weapons were far too dangerous to be left in the wild. If the Government could not possess them, they had to be destroyed. They could not be allowed to remain in the hands of any faction outside the World Government's control. With his current strength and these weapons, the Thunder Emperor's threat level had officially reached that of Gol D. Roger—the man who once stood as the Pirate King and threatened the Government's darkest secrets.
"The expansion of the Thunder God Pirates has never ceased. Let Lucci, Kaku, Kalifa, and Blueno infiltrate them or join as pirates. It will maximize the chances of success."
The Elder with the long beard and goatee looked at the other four and immediately initiated contact with CP9.
..............
Late Sea Circle Calendar 1512.
On Fish-Man Island, located not far from Amazon Lily—one of the three central islands of the Thunder God Sea—the Perfume Yuda, the great redwood ship of the Kuja Pirates, slowly docked at the port.
A group of tall, curvaceous beauties wearing bikinis and carrying bows and arrows disembarked. Leading them were the peerless and haughty Boa Hancock, accompanied by Sandersonia and Marigold.
Beside them, the six-year-old Princess Shirahoshi—the Poseidon—followed timidly. She looked at Hancock with a mixture of fear and reverence.
Six months had passed since Fish-Man Island's relocation. During this time, Shirahoshi had been studying Haki under Hancock's tutelage. It had to be said that the world was full of monsters, but Poseidon was a tier above even them. Her talent was so staggering that even Arthur had been shocked.
Arthur knew exactly how terrifying Big Mom had been in her youth, but Shirahoshi's innate talent was not a whit inferior. Her gargantuan size gave her an immense advantage in raw power, and her speed in grasping the concepts of Haki was nothing short of miraculous.
In just half a year, the six-year-old Shirahoshi had developed a formidable level of combat strength.
Unfortunately, she remained pathologically kind and naive. She treated everyone with a trembling, cautious air. While she didn't cry quite as much as she used to, her personality remained soft. Even with a woman as domineering and unreasonable as Hancock serving as her personal mentor, her nature refused to harden. This personality flaw severely limited her actual combat potential—she lacked the will to hurt others, rendering her extraordinary talent almost ornamental.
"Han... Hancock-oneesama..." Shirahoshi whispered from behind the three sisters. She sounded like a timid child who wanted to speak up but was terrified of being scolded.
"Wow, she really is cute. She's almost on the level of Elder Sister," Sandersonia marveled.
"Yeah, it's almost unfair..." Marigold nodded in agreement.
To have one's beauty acknowledged by the Pirate Empress—the "Most Beautiful Woman in the World"—was a testament to how stunning Shirahoshi was, even in her childhood.
"Hmph! You shall address me as Hancock-sama!" Hancock said, placing her hands on her hips and tilting her head back in her trademark haughty pose.
When Arthur had brought Shirahoshi to Raijin Island, he had explicitly ordered Stussy and Hancock to train her. While Jessica was strong, she couldn't compare to the two of them. Hearing that it was a personal request from Arthur, Hancock had become incredibly fired up. She had essentially acted like a lioness, snatching the right to train Shirahoshi away from Stussy in a scene that had bordered on a comedy.
However, Hancock's Haki was indeed among the best of any female powerhouse in the world. She was more than qualified to guide the young princess.
"Out with it. What is it?"
Though Shirahoshi was only six, she was already five or six meters tall. Almost everyone in the Kuja Pirates had to look up to speak to her, Hancock included. Of course, since Hancock spent most of her time looking at people with her chin pointed at the sky anyway, she didn't find the angle unusual at all.
"I... I want to go back to Ryugu Palace to see Mother!" Shirahoshi finally plucked up her courage, though she still shrunk her neck when she saw so many eyes on her.
"To see Otohime? I'll accompany you," Hancock mused after a moment.
Shirahoshi was a precious treasure personally entrusted to her by Arthur—she wouldn't allow the slightest mishap.
Furthermore, half a year had passed without a peep from either the Revolutionary Army or the World Government. Arthur had loudly proclaimed to the entire world that Poseidon was in his hands. The Whitebeard Pirates couldn't be bothered to care, and the Red-Haired Pirates were merely surprised. The Beasts and Big Mom, wanting to avoid a needless war, had made no overt moves, instead choosing to focus on building their own strength to match the Thunder God's growth.
However, the silence from the Revolutionaries and the Government was suspicious. It suggested they were brewing some sort of grand conspiracy. Hancock might be arrogant and self-obsessed—qualities she had learned perfectly from Arthur—but that didn't mean she was a fool. She had no intention of letting Shirahoshi out of her sight.
Hancock, Sandersonia, and Marigold led Shirahoshi onto the main paths of Fish-Man Island, heading toward Ryugu Palace.
In the six months since the move, the residents of Fish-Man Island had fully adapted to life on the surface. Every face was lit with a happy smile, and their gratitude toward the Thunder God Pirates was boundless. The architecture on the island was becoming increasingly prosperous, and notably, humans were no longer a rare sight among the Fish-men.
Near the harbor district, there was a shipbuilding factory run by four young people—three men and one woman.
Lucci, Kaku, Kalifa, and Blueno worked in unison, hammering away at the hull of a pirate ship. Out of the corner of their eyes, they watched the three Kuja sisters disembark with their target: the Poseidon, Shirahoshi.
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