"What a surprise... hiding so deep, fufufufu..."
A sinister gleam flashed beneath Doflamingo's sunglasses as he looked at Stussy, a crooked smile creeping across his face.
What's that supposed to mean?
Stussy frowned inwardly.
He already knew her identity as a CP0 agent through Daren, yet now he was pretending to be clueless? This was...
Her eyes shifted slightly, then in the next instant, a realization clicked. Her lips curled into a mocking smirk.
"No matter how well I hide, I'm still nothing compared to you, Doflamingo…"
She paused, her smile turning sultry and laced with ridicule.
"Or should I be calling you 'Saint Doflamingo-sama' now?"
"Fufufufu, don't go calling me something that disgusting."
Doflamingo burst out laughing, then abruptly glanced at Figarland Garling-sama as if remembering something, spreading his hands with exaggerated innocence.
"No offense meant, Captain."
Figarland Garling shrugged indifferently, but inwardly sneered.
He'd seen right through Doflamingo's little act. There was no hiding anything from him.
That stunt just now—acting like he was protecting his "prey"—was nothing more than a pretense.
What Doflamingo was really doing was challenging his authority as the leader of the God's Knights... right in front of the Five Elders.
'What a petty grudge-holder... this brat...'
Figarland Garling sneered silently.
Sure, back then, Doflamingo had returned to the Holy Land carrying his father's head, and it was true he had voiced opposition to restoring his Celestial Dragon status. But in the end, it had been the Five Elders who made the final decision.
"Enough, Doflamingo. We didn't bring you here today to watch you clown around."
At that moment, Topman Warcury tapped his cane lightly, interrupting Doflamingo.
He turned to Stussy, his voice hoarse and calm.
"Stussy, you know exactly why we summoned you to the Holy Land today."
Stussy cast a fleeting glance at Doflamingo, then bowed slightly.
"Yes. I understand."
"The task you assigned me last time... I've completed it."
At her words, the Five Elders' eyes lit up at once.
"Are you certain?"
"That's no ordinary intel…"
"We are not beings you can deceive so casually."
"You know well what the consequences would be."
"…"
Their gazes narrowed, filled with a cold, penetrating pressure, as if peering straight into her soul.
Saint Saturn even unleashed his "evil eye" ability. A savage, blood-red light glowed in his pupils, as though he could detonate her skull with a glance.
A chill shot down Stussy's spine. Her scalp tingled, and cold sweat beaded on her back.
She quickly lowered her head to avoid their gaze and responded with even deeper reverence.
"I wouldn't dare."
"Since receiving the assignment, I've been acting with the utmost caution, mobilizing all available forces and coordinating with every CP division to investigate the latest ability wielded by Rogers Daren."
"From the battlefield where Saint Michael died, I concluded that Rogers Daren possesses a technique capable of unleashing overwhelming power in a very short burst."
"Such power—enough to kill Saint Michael outright—must come with severe drawbacks or aftereffects."
"After that battle, Rogers Daren vanished from the seas. All signs suggest he went into hiding to recover from his injuries."
"Using underground contacts and leveraging the resources of certain trade caravans, I finally discovered his location."
The Five Elders froze, then involuntarily released a wave of icy killing intent.
"Where!?" they demanded coldly.
Stussy braced herself against the suffocating pressure, goosebumps rising across her skin as she forced out the words.
"The New World. Wano Country."
She paused, then clarified:
"More specifically—at the Beasts Pirates' base... Onigashima."
Onigashima...
To her surprise, the moment the name was spoken, the Five Elders' killing intent abruptly stalled.
Their expressions shifted, each one falling into silent contemplation.
Stussy's heart grew heavier.
Doflamingo, lounging on the sofa with his chin in his hand, watched the scene with an unreadable smirk, deep in thought.
Several seconds passed before Saint Saturn finally broke the silence, his voice raspy and barely holding back his rage.
"Onigashima... Would Kaidou really tolerate that brat Rogers Daren recovering from his injuries right at his doorstep?"
Stussy shook her head and said grimly,
"I'm not entirely sure. It seems that after a violent clash, they somehow reached an agreement or deal and have temporarily called a truce."
"In fact, one of the top officers of the Beasts Pirates, 'Plague' Queen, appears to be using his expertise in biological modification to help treat Rogers Daren's injuries."
At this, the Five Elders frowned, and the other four instinctively turned to look at Saint Saturn.
As the Warrior God of Science and Defense, Saint Saturn nodded and said coldly,
"Queen was once part of the MADS team. In the fields of biological modification and virology, his talent and knowledge rival Vegapunk's."
"When MADS was disbanded, he triggered an explosion in the lab and escaped amidst the chaos. He later joined the Beasts Pirates and became one of Kaidou's most trusted subordinates."
"With his skill, he's more than capable of treating injuries beyond the ability of ordinary doctors."
"However..."
Saint Saturn suddenly sneered and turned his gaze to Stussy.
"And how exactly did you obtain this intel, Stussy?"
Stussy's lashes fluttered slightly, but she responded without hesitation,
"Reporting to you, Saint Saturn-sama. One of the merchant caravans under my control happens to trade with the Beasts Pirates. They've recently discovered that the Beasts Pirates have been purchasing large quantities of experimental equipment and medical instruments—most of it tied to magnetic field research."
As her words ended, Stussy felt the pressure bearing down on her head suddenly lift.
She exhaled sharply, finally able to breathe.