Chapter 143: Thanks for the Gift from CP9 [56k]

Kaido has left the New World.

And he's already been photographed appearing in Paradise?

Who is he coming for?

"..."

Siano held the newspaper, his expression subtle.

The answer seemed self-evident.

"To avenge Boss Hua Zha?"

Siano gazed at the azure dragon looming in and out of the dark clouds in the photograph. "Or does he want to kidnap me back?"

Both possibilities seemed compatible.

That fellow Kaido has always cherished talent, especially favoring those with formidable physiques.

If Kaido truly came for him...

Then the most likely scenario is that Kaido would first pull out his spiked club, beat him senseless to vent his anger, and then forcibly drag him back to Wano Country to attempt recruitment.

Trying to pull a Yamato move, eh, Teacher Kaido?

Even if you did, I wouldn't go.

Siano closed the newspaper and tossed it onto the table; he had no habit of submitting to others.

"The sea is vast and boundless."

Siano looked up at the sky, the corners of his mouth curving upward.

He spread his right palm, then suddenly clenched it tight, making his knuckles crackle. "Will we get the chance to meet, Kaido!"

Since his battle with Garp, it had been some time since he clashed with a top-tier powerhouse; if they truly collided, engaging in a hearty, exhilarating fight...

... that would suit him perfectly!

Half an hour later.

The Curtain Fall arrived at the station; according to the earlier lottery results, half the group would take the train, while the other half would continue aboard the Curtain Fall.

With Jack's towering eight-meter-three frame, he simply couldn't fit into the Sea Train, so he obediently remained on the ship.

Besides taking charge of the ship's miscellaneous chores, he stayed cooped up in the training room all day, following the regimen Siano devised to begin cultivating body techniques and Armament Haki.

Having finally gained acceptance from my lord Siano as a combatant, he had no intention of dragging everyone else down.

Currently, on the entire ship, only Nami and Robin lacked Haki, but since neither were primary combatants, it didn't matter.

But what else could Jack do besides fight?

Surely he couldn't transform into a mammoth and become an oversized emergency food source...

The whistle blew a long note, steam billowed forth, and the dark green steel behemoth slowly began moving along the tracks.

Did this count as finally riding a green-skin train again after so many years?

Sunlight streamed through the glass, bathing the carriage in bright warmth; Siano rested his chin on one hand, leaning against the window, musing leisurely.

There were far more passengers boarding than he had anticipated, and the seats quickly filled up completely.

If only someone would shout, "Tuck your legs in! Beer, sunflower seeds, mineral water!" it would feel even more like those old green-skin trains.

"Woo—!"

The train began accelerating with a clatter-clatter, sea wind howling through the half-open window gaps, messing up Siano's black hair.

He squinted at the distance, where the horizon undulated in his field of vision; occasionally, seagulls swept past, only to be rapidly left behind.

"So fast."

Sitting next to Siano was Smoker, who lit two cigars and couldn't help but remark:

"It's even faster than a speedboat sailing at full speed with a tailwind, and remarkably stable; if only every island in the world could be connected by such transportation."

"That would require ending this chaotic era first," Zeff laughed heartily.

"There will come such a day."

Siano spoke with a light smile.

He withdrew his gaze from outside the window and scanned the surroundings.

Only then did he notice that in their carriage alone, over half the passengers wore exaggeratedly styled masks.

"What's going on?" Smoker noticed too, asking in puzzlement.

"Because it's the first day of the Mask Carnival!"

A conductor wearing a fox mask and pushing a small cart passed by, explaining cheerfully:

"You guests are so lucky; just arriving in this area, you've caught the grandest Mask Carnival in Spring Queen City!"

"Without a mask, there's no way to blend into that festive atmosphere!"

The conductor smiled broadly, took several exquisite masks from the lower shelf of his cart, and enthusiastically began peddling them:

"Would any of you guests like one? We have every style imaginable, and can even customize them for you..."

Siano quickly reached out to stop him.

Ever since his previous life, this kind of over-enthusiastic sales pitch was what he feared most.

However, the conductor's point was valid; once they reached the island, if everyone else wore masks while only their group did not, they would stand out terribly.

Especially given that he had just made headlines in the newspaper, leaving many people with an impression of his face.

Thus, moments later.

On the faces of the three humans and one wolf, ordinary animal masks now appeared.

Awoof?

Agin looked up, somewhat puzzled. "What's the meaning of putting a wolf mask on me? Isn't that like taking off your pants to let out a fart?"

At dusk, the train slowly pulled into the station of Spring Queen City.

Unlike the bustling vibrancy of the Food City, this city appeared exceptionally magnificent in the twilight.

Towering Gothic buildings, glass domes painted with colorful murals, glazed lanterns hanging along the streets, and fireworks exploding in the sky from time to time...

All of them highlighted the extravagance and joy of this city.

And as soon as he got off the train, Siano immediately felt the charm of the carnival.

On the entire island, tens of thousands of tourists had come by name, all wearing various kinds of masks.

Retro-style gorgeous feather ornaments, ferocious demon face patterns, butterfly masks encrusted with crystals... The formal dresses worn were also of all kinds.

On the streets, ribbons and petals flew everywhere in the sky. Masked revelers danced, embraced, and held up wine glasses, laughing and singing loudly.

In this atmosphere, Siano and the others who had just stepped onto the island were also infected, becoming relaxed and joyful.

"Are there new guests again? Welcome to the Mask Carnival!"

A girl dressed in a hot outfit smiled as she brought over drinks. "The carnival lasts for three nights. All the alcohol in the city will be provided for free. Please enjoy this feast to your heart's content!"

"Thank you."

Everyone smiled and took a glass of wine.

"Let's split up and look around."

Siano held his wine glass and said, his voice carrying a rare sense of comfort. "Relax fully. We'll gather here again at midnight."

"Yes, boss."

By that time, the Curtain Fall should have arrived. The carnival lasts the whole night; they will play in the first half of the night, while Sister Sister Guyina and the others will play in the second half.

Tomorrow morning, we will set off for the next stop, Water City. We can arrive before dark. The plan is simply perfect.

Speaking of which.

In Spring Queen City, one can put aside all matters and purely relax on vacation. But once in Water City, there will be serious business to handle.

It has been nearly three months since we set sail.

The Curtain Fall has accompanied us all the way, experiencing many shocks and storms.

Since we are going to that city known as the World Shipbuilding Capital, a comprehensive inspection is inevitable, along with modifications and reinforcement of the cultivation room.

"Oh, right, and your Flame Conversion Thruster."

Siano looked at Smoker. "It's been so long. How is the R&D progress?"

"..."

Smoker's old face turned red; the smoke from his cigar could not hide his embarrassed expression:

"I tried several plans, but all failed. Making it work on a ship of the Curtain Fall's size is much more difficult than expected."

He scratched his head and exhaled a smoke ring gloomily:

"The closest time to success, the thruster only lasted three minutes before overheating and exploding. If Nojiko hadn't happened to be nearby and helped freeze it, the stern would have almost been blown open with a huge hole."

"After all, you're not a professional shipwright. Doing this much is already quite good."

Siano laughed heartily and patted his shoulder. "When we get to Water City, let's gather the shipwrights there to brainstorm. There should be a way to solve it."

"Hmm."

Smoker nodded; he thought so too.

After a brief casual chat along the way, the group parted at the street corner.

Siano, accompanied by Agin, walked down the street on the north side, admiring various dance and song performances. From time to time, he stopped and looked up to admire the fireworks suddenly blooming in the night sky.

"Hmm?"

His expression suddenly changed. He opened the system panel and looked at the backpack slot.

He saw that at this moment, the Devil Fruit Detection Radar had two small yellow dots flashing, almost overlapping.

This meant there were two Devil Fruits within a ten-kilometer radius around him, and they were right next to each other.

Clearly, when he first entered the city, the radar hadn't sounded.

This situation indicates that the two Devil Fruits are also moving. They were likely carried by tourists and had just entered this city.

"Hard to find..."

Siano frowned slightly.

Just within the city, at least over a hundred thousand people have gathered. Who knows who the Devil Fruits are on?

Moreover, if they are carried by pirates or underworld thugs, taking them is fine. If ordinary people obtained them, he would have no reason to snatch them.

Let's just go with the flow.

Siano shook his head and turned off the system panel.

Just as he was about to take Agin to the stall ahead to buy some snacks, a shrill voice like a child's suddenly came from behind:

"Hey, Jabra, are those two Devil Fruits still in your bag? Haven't you lost them? Chababa!"

Hmm?

Siano was stunned and turned his head to look.

He saw three guys without masks, so they looked very conspicuous, queuing up at a stall selling tamagoyaki behind them.

The person who just spoke had the same hair color as Zoro. His body was round and rolling like a big ball, yet his limbs were very slender, resembling an owl in some ways.

The strangest part was his mouth. It was actually a yellow zipper. Now the zipper was open, and he was constantly chattering:

"This mission failed again. These two fruits were an unexpected gain we worked hard to obtain. Tomorrow, when we return to Enies Lobby, handing them over will offset part of our guilt. We absolutely cannot lose them, Chababa!"

"So noisy! Don't talk about such things on the street! Besides, how could I make a mistake on something so simple? Nonsense!"

The middle-aged man in the middle, called Jabra, could no longer bear it and turned his head to roar.

His build was normal; he wore a black martial arts uniform with the chest open. Now pinching his long handlebar mustache, he frowned and fell into deep thought:

"More than that, why exactly did this plan fail? It makes no sense. We were just escorting two government dignitaries, kept the whole thing so secret and low-key, yet we still got targeted by assassins..."

"Because I slipped up again, chababa! At the dock while drinking, the bartender asked me who those two were, and I told him everything out loud, chababa!"

"What??!!!"

Jabra, incredulous and utterly furious, rushed forward, grabbed the other's collar, and shook him violently. "So it's you again, Oto Otoko!"

"You idiot, when will you ever fix your loose-lipped habit? What's that zipper for? We are government agents who need to keep secrets, you bastard!"

"But shouting that loudly isn't right either. That man walking the big dog was just staring at us motionless, chababa!"

"Just a passerby. Ignore him." The person on the far right, who had been silent, finally spoke.

He was obese, with long pink-white hair, his face coated in thick white foundation. Now drawing a short blade, his expression turned solemn and heavy:

"Since the mission failed due to a comrade's mistake, I have no face left to continue living in this world. Let me commit seppuku to atone!"

"Oyaji..." Oto Otoko's eyes welled with tears of emotion.

Oyaji raised a hand to signal he need not cry, while his other hand gripped the short blade tightly and thrust it forcefully into his own abdomen.

"Tekkai!"

A dull metallic clang rang out; the blade tip was blocked outside his abdomen, unable to pierce even the skin.

"What a pity, you can't die at all, yo-yo-yi!"

"You should die too, bastard!!!" Jabra's temple veins bulged. What sin did I commit in my past life to end up on a squad with these two guys!

By comparison.

Rob Lucci, taken along with Kalifa and dumped in Water 7 to work as a shipwright, was actually a enviable fate!

Fortunately, the stall owner, an old woman, finally finished frying their portion. Trembling, she handed it over. The three of them each held a serving of tamagoyaki, blowing on it with huffs as they walked toward a nearby alley.

Siano watched the three figures receding into the distance. The corner of his mouth, hidden behind the mask, finally curved slightly upward.

"Is this nature's gift..."

Delivered right to my face.

Is there such a good thing?

The last Snow-Snow Fruit only dropped after Wapol was killed; the Mera Mera Fruit required everyone to scour the ruins of the ancient site for ages.

And now...

Like a little girl preparing to snatch candy from an uncle, he chuckled wickedly, ordered another tamagoyaki for Silver, told it to wait in line at the stall, and then followed the three of them, diving into this dimly lit alley...

Deep in the alley, the CP9 trio sat by the wall, eating their tamagoyaki completely unguarded.

"Mmm, tastes pretty good." Jabra chewed with large bites. "But compared to the frustration of mission failure, this little delicacy can't make up for it..."

"Don't think about it so much. You should be used to it by now. Anyway, as long as it's not a particularly critical mission, we won't get expelled, chababa!"

Oto Otoko, mouth full of food, mumbled unclearly, "By the way, speaking of which, Oyaji, can you share half of your tamagoyaki with me? I'm not getting enough, chababa!"

"Eat as much as you like. Life is short, so please enjoy the moment... yo-yo-yi!" Oyaji, with a look of deep sorrow, still used a fork to cut off half and tipped it over.

Just as the group was eating intently, they suddenly felt a chill down their spines.

"You guys, having quite a good time, aren't you?"

A light, floating voice came from behind. The three froze, then whipped around—

A black-haired youth wearing a white mask leaned against the wall, the moonlight stretching his shadow long.

"Hey, do you recognize me?" the youth asked with a smile.

"Oh! It's that dog-walking passerby from just now!" Otoko scratched his head. "Do you want to eat tamagoyaki too? But I don't even have enough for myself, so I can't give you any, chababa!"

"I'm not interested in that."

The mask was indeed useful; if they didn't recognize him, it was simple. Siano smiled and pointed at the bulging bundle at Jabra's waist. "However, I am quite interested in what's inside your bags."

"Oh no!" Oto Otoko instinctively covered his zipper mouth. "He heard it! Chababa!"

"Is zipping up useful now, Bai Chi!"

Jabra, so angry he nearly vomited blood, shouted, "Isn't it because you were shouting and screaming on the street just now that you attracted such a bold little brat?"

Hmph!

He tossed the tamagoyaki in his hand away, slowly stood up, and looked up at Siano. Muscles coiled and bulged beneath his black martial arts uniform, a flash of cold sharpness passing through his eyes:

"Hey, kid, didn't your family ever tell you that on the Grand Line, there are many people you cannot provoke? You even dare to target us. Do you even know who we are..."

"I know, chababa!"

Otoko raised his right hand high. "I am CP9 secret agent Oto Otoko, with a Rokushiki power level of 600. The Oyaji beside me is about the same, power level 610. The man threatening you is Jabra; he's very strong! Just a bit weaker than Lucci, a Dog-Dog Fruit, Wolf Model user, and the leader of the three of us, power level 1900..."

"You might as well just say what color my underwear is!!"

Tears streaming down his face, Jabra furiously pinched Otoko's cheeks and roared, "That's too detailed! Who announces their own background like that!"

What an irresponsible idiot! A huge idiot!

And what do you mean 'just a bit weaker than Lucci'? He would never admit defeat or bow to that man!

Eh? Rokushiki power level?

Siano paused, listening.

He almost forgot about that thing. What era is this? It's an ancient setting discarded in the trash heap.

"Except for you few, no one cares about that."

Watching the farce, Siano helplessly rubbed his brow. "Alright, hand over the Devil Fruit obediently. That way, you can avoid getting beaten up."

"Seems you don't know what CP-9 is. Well..."

Jabra let go of Otoko's face, glanced sideways with a cold stare, and said, "How could we expect a country bumpkin like you to know what the government's most secret department is?"

The words had barely left his lips.

"Soru!"

His figure vanished from the spot in an instant, reappearing behind Siano the next second; his right hand's five fingers pressed together like a blade, carrying a sharp sound of tearing wind as it struck straight for the back of the heart—

"Shigan!"

However, just at the moment his fingertips were about to touch Siano's outer garment, his wrist was firmly clamped by a slender, powerful hand, unable to advance even a fraction of an inch.

How is this possible?!

Jabra's pupils contracted; before he could react—

Crack!

A crisp sound of bone splitting rang out; Jabra's wrist bones were crushed outright. He let out a muffled groan, cold sweat instantly beading on his forehead, yet he gritted his teeth to endure the excruciating pain as his left leg swept out like a whip—

Rankyaku: Wolf Fang!

A pale blue slash wave, resembling a crescent moon, howled forth, yet the instant it touched Siano's body, it scattered like foam.

This guy, something's wrong!

Jabra's eyes bulged in shock; realizing he had likely encountered a formidable enemy the likes of which he had never seen in his life, he immediately activated his Devil Fruit ability without hesitation.

His entire body swelled rapidly, dense fur sprouting all over, on the verge of transforming into a wolf-man several meters tall...

"—Awooo!"

A wolf's howl suddenly echoed from the alley entrance!

Jabra's legs instantly gave way, and he collapsed to the ground.

He arched his body in pain; the beastification of his body halted rapidly, shrinking back to its original form, as if the wolf within him had been frightened out of its wits and was now resisting emerging in fear.

Siano's steps paused.

Did I ask for your interference? Go eat your tamagoyaki!

He cast a dissatisfied glance toward the alley entrance; a certain Wolf King, who had just been imposing and majestic, immediately shrank his neck and obediently retreated.

"Jabra!"

Onigumo Kumadori and Wanze, seeing this, were both startled and enraged, shouting simultaneously.

"Chababa! You bastard!" Onigumo Kumadori angrily spread his five fingers, "Behold this technique of mine, which I began cultivating at the age of twelve; its name is—"

Thud!

Siano's figure appeared before him like a phantom; with a casual kick, Onigumo Kumadori's eyes rolled back, and he fell backward directly.

"Damn it, Kumadori, hold on a little longer! Tekkai: Hair Binding Technique!"

Wanze shouted loudly; his full head of white hair suddenly surged, coiling toward Siano like living creatures!

However, the next second, after Siano glanced at him, countless black hairs likewise grew from the top of his own head, twisted together, rolled forward, and directly severed all of Wanze's hair from the roots.

"Yo-yoi?!"

Wanze touched his bald scalp in shock, "You've become a monk! You bastard, you actually know Tekkai too; how is that possible!"

Siano paid him no heed, leisurely walking to the center of the three, bending down to pick up the bundle Jabra had dropped.

Untying the cord, two Devil Fruits of peculiar shapes immediately rolled out, grasped in his palm.

(End of Chapter)