Nami immediately noticed that my attention had suddenly locked onto someone.
She discreetly followed my gaze, but unlike me, she obviously couldn't see the person's heart. So she simply studied the woman's appearance.
At first glance, there was absolutely nothing remarkable about her.
Practical clothes in dull colors, simply tied-back hair, and no particularly noticeable accessories. Surrounded by the extravagant outfits worn by Scott, Manhattan, Komu, and the Pink Ladies, she was almost invisible.
The kind of face you forgot only minutes after seeing it.
And now that I thought about it...
That was precisely what bothered me.
Someone who had been part of the Rum Runner Pirates long enough to be present during such a sensitive discussion should have given me at least an impression comparable to the other members.
Yet the moment my perception had settled on her, something had immediately felt wrong.
I didn't wait any longer.
With a sharp motion of my hand, a layer of ice spread across the wooden floor and abruptly froze both of the woman's feet in place up to her ankles.
"What the—?!"
The reaction around me was instantaneous.
Scott shot to his feet so violently that his chair slid several meters backward. A thick layer of bourbon formed around his right fist, swirling like a living liquid ready to ignite at a moment's notice.
Manhattan slipped one hand beneath his coat while a stream of whiskey was already beginning to coil between his fingers.
Komu grabbed his weapon in the same motion, while Mary and Shirley respectively summoned red wine and rosé around themselves.
For my part, I immediately raised both hands.
"Easy. I haven't hurt her."
The scraping sound of two swords behind me told me that Zoro and Kuina had already moved closer.
Both had one hand resting on their weapons, ready to draw at the slightest hostile movement.
Nami had also positioned herself beside me, her Clima-Tact firmly gripped in both hands as small arcs of electricity crackled around its tip.
Scott stared at me coldly.
"Then explain yourself. Quickly."
I gestured toward the woman with my chin.
"I have a very bad feeling about her. Ever since I started regularly interacting with those creatures people eventually named after me... the Heartless... I've developed a certain sensitivity to other people's intentions."
My eyes never left the woman.
"I'm not claiming I can read someone's every thought, but I can usually tell when something doesn't add up. None of you five have given me any reason to distrust you since I walked in here. Her, on the other hand..."
I frowned slightly.
"Ever since I noticed her, every instinct I have has been telling me exactly the same thing: danger."
A brief silence followed.
Scott turned toward his subordinate.
This time, his expression was no longer merely suspicious of me.
Doubt had appeared in his eyes.
"What do you have to say about that?"
"That your guest is paranoid," she replied coldly. "Three years by your side, and you're seriously going to listen to a stranger instead of—"
I saw her hand move.
Barely.
But that was enough.
A faint greenish vapor was already beginning to seep between her fingers.
An extremely distinctive anise-like scent spread through the air.
"Bad idea."
Ice erupted instantly.
Before the absinthe mist could spread throughout the room, her entire hand was encased in a thick block of ice up to the wrist.
The woman cursed as she tried to pull her arm free, while the small amount of vapor she had managed to produce dissipated before reaching anyone.
This time, no one doubted me anymore.
Manhattan immediately took a step back.
Mary pulled Shirley away with her while Komu aimed his rifle directly at their supposed crewmate's head.
Scott barely moved.
But the bourbon surrounding his arm began to boil.
The woman looked from one person to another.
Then she burst out laughing.
A harsh, bitter laugh filled with years of accumulated frustration.
"You fucking snoop..."
Her mask of bland normalcy vanished completely.
"Three years. Three fucking years undercover... all ruined because some kid had a bad feeling."
Scott's face froze.
Manhattan turned deathly pale.
"Three years...?" he repeated slowly.
She uselessly struggled against the ice trapping her legs before spitting out contemptuously,
"Do you have any idea what I had to endure? Three years drinking with this bunch of pigs, laughing at their pathetic jokes, taking part in their stupid parties... all so I could gather intelligence and keep an eye on you in case your little trading organization ever became a problem."
No one was smiling anymore.
Even Shirley, who until now had seemed almost incapable of losing her cheerful attitude, was staring at the woman with a deeply hurt expression.
I tilted my head slightly.
"World Government?"
I practically already knew the answer.
The woman gave me a contemptuous smile.
I let out a quiet chuckle.
"For someone who was trained to be a dog, you're awfully arrogant."
Her smile vanished.
Around her, the Rum Runner Pirates moved farther away for good, as though merely standing near her had suddenly become disgusting.
Scott remained perfectly still.
And that was probably what made him the most frightening.
The warmhearted man who had been laughing with Zoro only minutes earlier was completely gone.
The bourbon swirling around his arm slowly grew thicker while his eyes remained fixed on the woman he had considered one of his own for three entire years.
Manhattan looked even worse.
His normally impassive face was twisted with cold fury. As the man responsible for the crew's negotiations and business dealings, he probably understood the scale of the disaster better than anyone.
For three years, this woman had been able to listen to their conversations, observe their habits, learn the identities of their business partners, and probably transmit at least some of their secrets.
Scott finally spoke.
His voice was low.
Far too low.
"Three years..."
The woman slowly turned her head toward him.
"For three years, you ate at our table."
A drop of bourbon fell from his fist and splashed against the wooden floor.
"You drank with us. You slept aboard our ship. My men protected you the same way they would have protected any member of this family."
His gaze hardened.
"And all that time... you were spying on us."
For the first time since meeting Scott, I understood why such a peaceful man had managed to become one of the three captains who maintained order on Rubeck.
He didn't need to shout to be terrifying.
Scott possessed the kind of natural authority some captains spent years trying to develop—a presence heavy enough to silence an entire room without him ever needing to raise his voice.
Manhattan, Komu, Mary, and Shirley didn't even need to wait for an order to know they shouldn't interfere.
No reasonable person would have thought of challenging his authority at a moment like this.
No one...
Except, apparently, the lunatic who had just spent three years infiltrating his crew.
Before the situation could escalate any further, I calmly stood up and extended one hand toward the spy.
The ice imprisoning her legs immediately began creeping upward along her body.
Her knees disappeared beneath a layer of white, followed by her thighs, her stomach, and finally her arms until they were completely immobilized.
Within seconds, only her head remained exposed from what had become a genuine prison of ice.
Meredith shuddered violently as the cold seeped through her clothes, but I carefully controlled my magic so that the temperature remained merely extremely uncomfortable without actually injuring her.
"Scott."
The captain finally tore his gaze away from the traitor and looked at me.
"After our conversation with Kaido, let me deal with this woman."
He raised an eyebrow slightly, but I continued before he could answer.
"Afterward, you can spread a very simple version of the story: Jordan captured her because he's become completely obsessed with..."
I stopped mid-sentence.
My expression froze.
Slowly, I turned my head toward Meredith.
Then toward the faint trace of greenish vapor still lingering around her frozen hand.
"...What kind of alcohol does she produce, exactly?"
For a good two seconds, no one answered.
After all the tension that had built up in the room, my sudden change in tone caught everyone completely off guard.
Shirley was the first to crack.
"Pffff—!"
She slapped a hand over her mouth, but it was already too late. A laugh escaped her before she burst out laughing properly.
"Sorry! Sorry, but your face! You were so serious, and then suddenly: 'By the way, what kind of alcohol does she make?'"
Even Komu turned his head away to hide his grin, while Kuina stifled a quiet laugh behind me.
Nami stared at me for a few seconds before shaking her head with a helpless smile.
"Hopeless..."
Scott remained silent for a moment before some of the anger on his face finally faded.
"Absinthe," he eventually answered. "Her power produces absinthe. The mist she just tried to use can disorient anyone who breathes it in and cause hallucinations if the exposure is strong enough."
My eyes immediately returned to Meredith with renewed interest.
"Oh..."
I smiled.
"Now that is interesting."
Meredith shot me a hateful glare.
Scott, however, quickly understood what I was really offering him.
If word spread that I had personally captured the spy because I wanted to take her power for myself, the Rum Runner Pirates could avoid publicly revealing that they had been infiltrated for three years.
It would limit the questions surrounding exactly what information Meredith had managed to access and, more importantly, redirect the World Government's attention toward me.
"I understand," Scott murmured.
He inclined his head slightly.
"Thank you. I won't forget this."
"We can discuss what you owe me over a bottle."
This time, a faint smile finally appeared beneath his beard.
"That, I can certainly provide."
He then gestured toward one of his men who had remained nearby.
"Go get the secure Den Den Mushi. The one reserved for the Beasts Pirates. And make sure no one disturbs us."
The man immediately nodded before leaving the room.
It was at that exact moment that Meredith regained enough composure to start struggling against her prison again.
"You bunch of idiots! Release me immediately! You have no idea what you're doing! When my superiors hear about this, this island will—"
I simply raised one finger.
A small amount of ice appeared in front of her mouth.
"Wai—"
Clack.
A perfectly fitted gag of ice snapped over her mouth, instantly cutting off the rest of her threats.
"MMPH! MMMMH!"
I watched her squirm for a few seconds.
"Much better."
Silence immediately returned to the room.
Shirley started laughing again.
Komu rested his rifle against his shoulder with a huge grin, while Mary gently shook her head.
Even Manhattan, despite the anger still clearly visible on his face, seemed to appreciate those few precious seconds of peace.
I calmly returned to my seat at the table.
"Right."
I clasped my hands in front of me while Meredith continued glaring daggers at us from behind her gag.
"Now that the spy problem has been temporarily dealt with..."
I turned my head toward Scott.
"Let's see if Kaido is in the mood to do business."
The secure Den Den Mushi was eventually placed on the table beside me.
The device was noticeably larger than an ordinary model and bore several markings identifying it as part of the communication network used by the Beasts Pirates.
Scott took his place in front of it and opened the line while everyone in the room became serious again.
Even Shirley stopped laughing.
Several tones echoed through the room before the Den Den Mushi suddenly straightened.
Its features changed, forming an enormous blond mustache and an immediately recognizable expression.
"Scott? What is it?" Queen asked, sounding surprisingly worried. "Don't tell me there's been an accident with the production."
Before Scott could even answer, Queen continued suspiciously,
"And if Jack screwed something up again during the loading, just tell me directly. I'd rather know about it before Kaido finds out some other way."
Scott maintained his usual calm expression.
"Nothing like that, Mr. Queen. The shipment is ready to leave, and Jack is currently supervising the loading. So far, everything is proceeding normally."
A clearly audible sigh of relief came through the Den Den Mushi.
"Ah... Good. You almost scared me. We've been waiting for that shipment for weeks."
"This call is about something else."
Queen immediately fell silent.
Scott briefly glanced in my direction before continuing.
"I currently have someone with me who has personally caught Captain Kaido's interest. He has no intention of joining the Beasts Pirates... but he believes he can offer a deal that might interest you even more. Would it be possible to discuss it?"
There was nothing obsequious about Scott's tone. He spoke to Queen as he would to an important business partner, while still maintaining the basic respect owed to one of an Emperor's highest-ranking officers.
The Den Den Mushi's expression immediately changed.
"Oh?"
Queen suddenly sounded much more interested.
"Now this is getting interesting. Who are you talking about?"
I leaned slightly toward the device.
"That would be me. Heartless D. Jordan."
The Den Den Mushi froze.
A brief silence followed.
"...The giant crocodile?"
I barely managed to suppress a laugh.
"Yes. That's me."
"The one who fought Doflamingo and whom Jack was supposed to recruit?"
"Still me."
A muffled sound came from the other end of the line, followed by several indistinct words.
Then footsteps.
Heavy ones.
Very heavy ones.
Queen seemed to say something before the Den Den Mushi's expression gradually began to change. Its mustache disappeared, its features became heavier, and two large horns appeared on its head.
The entire room fell silent.
Even Scott straightened slightly.
Kaido.
"So..."
His deep voice came through the device.
"You're the brat who refused Jack's offer."
"Correct."
A low, rough chuckle echoed from the other end.
"Worororo! You've got guts. I could order him to come get you right now. You're on the same island, after all."
I smiled calmly.
"You could try."
An amused silence followed.
"Jack already told me what happened on Minion. Your captain held him off."
Kaido's voice became slightly more threatening.
"When you reach the New World, we'll see if you're still so eager to refuse my offer."
I didn't take the bait.
"Maybe. But for now, you wanted to hear my deal."
"Speak."
I leaned slightly closer to the Den Den Mushi.
"I assume you watched the tournament held in Hades' arena."
This time, Kaido didn't answer immediately.
Then:
"Of course."
His tone alone was enough to confirm my suspicion.
"Then here's my proposal. I can get you a permanent pass allowing you to send ten people every month to participate in the Colosseum's competitions."
A much heavier silence followed.
Scott immediately turned his head toward me.
Manhattan even stopped swirling his drink between his fingers.
Mary and Shirley stared at me in astonishment, while Komu slowly lowered his bottle.
Even Zoro and Kuina seemed surprised.
I continued calmly.
"You want an entire crew made up only of the strongest, don't you? The arena can serve as a filter. You choose your men, send them in to fight, and see which of them truly have the potential to grow stronger."
A deep laugh began rumbling through the Den Den Mushi.
"Wororororo..."
However, I raised one finger.
"But there's one important condition."
The laughter stopped.
"What you saw during the broadcast was only the first tournament. The easiest competition."
Scott's eyes widened slightly.
"The easiest?" Shirley murmured.
I ignored her and continued:
"So don't send me your monsters right from the start. If you immediately throw your best officers against competitors who aren't anywhere near their level, Hades will simply refuse to let them participate. He wants a show, not executions."
Kaido remained silent for a few seconds.
Then his laughter erupted even louder than before.
"Worororororo! Perfect!"
His answer came almost immediately.
"We'll do it."
No endless negotiations.
No additional demands.
He clearly loved the idea.
"Ten men every month..." he repeated. "That'll let me see which ones actually deserve to rise through the ranks."
Exactly what I had expected.
"Where do I send them?"
"Kyuka Island."
This time, Manhattan genuinely came close to losing his composure.
I continued as though I hadn't noticed anything.
"I'll arrange the rest with Sora. He owes me a favor."
The silence that followed was magnificent.
I could practically feel the Rum Runner Pirates' stares boring into me.
Scott was staring at me.
Manhattan was staring at me.
Komu had stopped drinking.
Mary and Shirley exchanged utterly stunned looks.
Even Nami had to make a visible effort to maintain a neutral expression, since she obviously knew the truth behind that supposed favor.
A few meters away from us, Meredith had also just realized the importance of what she was hearing.
Her face twisted.
Her eyes widened.
She suddenly struggled against her prison of ice.
"MMMMH! MMMMHHH!"
I calmly turned my head toward her.
Our eyes met.
And I immediately understood what had just gone through her mind.
Three years of infiltration had probably allowed her to transmit hundreds of pieces of information to the World Government.
But today, she had just discovered something infinitely more valuable: a direct agreement between Kaido and Sora's network, granting the Beasts Pirates regular access to Hades' mysterious Colosseum.
Information the World Government would undoubtedly have loved to receive.
Unfortunately for her...
She had decided to blow her cover a few minutes too early.
I gave her a particularly satisfied smile.
Meredith closed her eyes in frustration.
Sometimes, a few minutes could make all the difference between an exceptional espionage mission...
And three years of work reduced to nothing.
(Author's Note: That's it for this week. This agreement is meant to make Sora feel a little less like some mysterious ghost in the background. I read a fanfic about someone collecting Devil Fruits, but the story moves way too fast for my taste. I prefer taking my time, so I'm going for a slower but more controlled reveal. ^^)