Dealing with the Five Elders was always a stressful affair.
The five old men standing before him held the highest power in the World Government and had lived for who knows how long. They were not people who could be easily fooled.
The scariest thing was that they never treated anyone other than the Celestial Dragons as "human beings."
In their eyes, any race other than the Celestial Dragons was "insects" that could be crushed at will without any psychological burden.
Dealing with such moody madmen was torture every second.
Stussy lowered her head and slowly exhaled, only to find that her back was already wet with cold sweat.
She hesitated for a moment and asked carefully,
"Five Elders, now that we have confirmed the location of Rogers Daren, do we need to arrange for troops to attack Wano Country?"
Warcury glanced at her and said indifferently,
"That's not your concern, Stussy."
"All you have to do is carry out the tasks we have assigned to you and complete them at all costs. That's all."
Stussy's face changed slightly, and she said hurriedly,
"I didn't mean it that way, please forgive me."
Warcury waved his hand and said,
"This time, I'll let it slide. After all, you did a good job this time and didn't disappoint us."
"Since Rogers Daren and Kaidou have reached a secret agreement, there is no need for any military arrangements for the time being. After all, Figarland Garling's inauguration ceremony is imminent, and it's not the time to go to war with those two."
"Then, let's return to the powerful strength that Rogers Daren has obtained..."
His aged eyes flashed with a faint cold light.
"What is your assessment?"
Stussy thought for a moment, his gaze wandering, and when it met Doflamingo's, he looked away immediately. After thinking for a second, she slowly said,
"Based on the information I have obtained, I believe that Rogers Daren has successfully awakened his Devil Fruit."
Hearing this answer, the Five Elders frowned in unison.
Mars shook his head and said,
"There have been people who have awakened the Jiki Jiki no Mi in this sea before, but that ability does not match the circumstances of Michael's death in battle... Without exception, Paramecia-type awakenings involve radiating one's abilities to the outside world and using those abilities to interfere with the outside world."
"What if there is an exception?"
At that moment, Figarland Garling, who was tasting some green tea, suddenly spoke with a half-smile.
An exception?
The Five Elders were stunned.
"You mean... that little brat Rogers Daren's Devil Fruit awakening is different from other Paramecia-type Devil Fruits?"
Saint Saturn's eyebrows were tightly knitted, as if he was thinking about the possibility of this.
"This has never happened before..."
Figarland Garling shrugged his shoulders and smiled slightly, somewhat absent-mindedly.
"In the past 800 years, no one has ever forced you five old men into this situation, right?"
"Never happened before doesn't mean it will never happen."
"What if... Of course, this is just an interesting guess of mine... What if there is an exception?"
He looked at the Five Elders with a half-smile, as if he was enjoying the spectacle.
"That's impossible..."
Saint Saturn thought for a few seconds and shook his head again, this time with even more conviction.
"The development of Devil Fruit powers follows certain rules. If Paramecia-type users don't develop their powers outward in accordance with the laws of evolution, but instead reverse the process and develop inward, that power will continuously collide within their bodies..."
He frowned and muttered,
"Perhaps they will gain unimaginable combat power in a short period of time, but this strength often doesn't last long. Once their physical strength and lifespan are greatly depleted, the Devil Fruit users themselves will suffer serious injuries..."
At this point, Saint Saturn stopped abruptly.
The other four Five Elders also froze.
They glanced at each other, as if communicating something, and then their eyes gradually filled with disbelief.
"This is impossible..."
"How could he withstand such power..."
"No, maybe he can, don't forget his exaggerated non-human physique..."
"The impact of that kind of power would cause an ordinary person to explode and die instantly, but if it's him..."
"Only this can explain why Saint Michael died at his hands..."
"And his injuries seem to make sense now..."
The expressions of the Five Elders kept changing, and the light and shadows intertwined in the wrinkles on their faces, appearing light and dark.
Figarland Garling saw their expressions and shook his head with a smile.
After a long pause, Saint Saturn suddenly spoke in a hoarse voice,
"Let's put this matter aside for now. The most important thing at hand is the inauguration ceremony of the leader of the God's Knights."
"This sea is already turbulent enough. We must use this inauguration ceremony to boost the confidence of the many Member Nations."
He turned his gaze to Stussy and said,
"This time, I've called you here not only to report on the progress of your last mission, but also to entrust you with a very important task."
Stussy's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately replied in a deep voice,
"Please speak, my lords!"
Saint Saturn said slowly,
"We will appoint you as the coordinator for the inauguration ceremony of the new leader and deputy leader of the God's Knights. You will be mainly responsible for arranging the security of the members of the Member Nations and carrying out the orders of the new leader and deputy leader of the God's Knights."
You want me to be in charge of security?
Me?
Responsible for the security of the members of the Member Nations and even the Holy Land?
Stussy was obviously stunned for a moment and couldn't react.
A strong sense of unreality and absurdity filled her heart.
"Stussy, you have proven your loyalty... Don't let us down."
Warcury said lightly.
"Yes, my lord!"
Stussy suddenly came to her senses and immediately agreed.
"But may I ask, Your Excellency, I know that Figarland Garling is the new leader of the God's Knights, but who is the deputy leader..."
She asked cautiously.
The Five Elders laughed at the same time.
Stussy froze.
In a daze, she finally remembered.
On one side of the Celestial Stairway, that blurry statue—where did she know it from?
Stussy suddenly turned her head and stared at the blond Celestial Dragon sitting cross-legged on the leather sofa, smoking a cigar, looking extremely shocked.
"It's you!?"
Doflamingo exhaled a puff of smoke and smiled slightly.
"Fufufufu, you should call me... Deputy Commander."
Stussy's eyes flickered.
You?
Deputy Commander?
Deputy Commander of the God's Knights?
At that moment, Stussy suddenly felt as if everything before her eyes was a dream.