When Stussy walked out of the hall of power that symbolized the highest status, her mind was still blank.
She couldn't imagine that things would suddenly take such a bizarre turn.
As she slowly descended the spotless Celestial Stairway, CP members hidden in the shadows on either side stepped forward, bowing respectfully to her to show their acknowledgment of her rising authority.
But Stussy barely registered their gestures, only feeling the blinding sunlight and a wave of dizziness.
This was absurd.
She never imagined the Five Elders would entrust her with such a critical task—being responsible for the security of the God's Knights' inauguration ceremony.
The importance of this mission was self-evident.
If she wanted to, with just a few subtle moves, she could assassinate every Member Nation representative attending the ceremony.
That would spark a massive political upheaval across the entire world, and the World Government's authority would plummet instantly.
This was power that could kill.
And yet, the Five Elders had placed it in her hands.
All because Daren had told her to "honestly" report his intel to them.
"Could it be... this was all part of your plan?"
Stussy couldn't help but mutter to herself.
Most importantly, this promotion elevated her position in CP0 once again.
She was now just one step away from the highest echelon—earning the title of the "Strongest Shield of the Celestial Dragons."
At this rate, as an "undercover agent," a "spy," it wouldn't be long before she climbed to the top of the CP ranks.
At that point, she might even command all CP divisions, becoming the most powerful figure in the World Government's intelligence and judicial organs, second only to Warcury, the Warrior God of Justice.
What was this?
If she didn't close the net now, she'd end up becoming a leader?
Stussy's mouth twitched. She suddenly felt like laughing aloud.
But under all those watchful eyes around her, she forced it back down.
Right... there was also Doflamingo.
She paused briefly, then looked ahead at the figure striding arrogantly, clad in a pink feathered coat.
That former Celestial Dragon brat who had once been disgracefully expelled from the Holy Land now walked with his hands in his pockets and a defiant smile on his face, swaggering up the Celestial Stairway—the path to the summit—like a golden lion cub surveying his hunting ground.
Stussy's mouth twitched again.
She suddenly turned her head and looked at the vaguely sculpted statue.
Its features were becoming more defined—those bold sunglasses, the arrogant grin, that unmistakable feather coat...
Stussy couldn't shake the feeling that this face didn't belong here, no matter how she looked at it.
She shook her head, forcing all the chaotic thoughts aside, and quickly left Mary Geoise.
When she reached the outer port of the Holy Land and saw that Doflamingo had already boarded the pirate ship flying the Donquixote family flag, she stepped onto her merchant ship.
...
"Yes, Admiral Sengoku. I'll be in charge of security for this inauguration ceremony."
The sea breeze blew gently, cool against her cheeks.
Golden strands of hair fluttered in the wind. Stussy now wore the fox mask representing a CP0 agent once more, standing solemnly at the bow of the ship, a military Den Den Mushi held in her hand.
The Den Den Mushi vividly mirrored Sengoku's expression—it looked like he'd just swallowed something awful. His voice came through faintly:
"I thought the Five Elders would entrust this kind of important task to me…"
Stussy: "…"
She opened her mouth but had no idea how to respond.
To be fair, Sengoku's guess wasn't entirely unreasonable.
Under normal circumstances, a key part of the inauguration ceremony's security would be escorting representatives from the World Government's Member Nations—something that fell directly under Marine Headquarters' jurisdiction.
Given that, it would make perfect sense—both for efficiency and central control—to have Admiral Sengoku coordinate the whole affair.
But that was just rational analysis.
In reality, many decisions couldn't be made based purely on "rational analysis."
Ever since Dragon and Daren—those two powerful and high-ranking Marines—had left the Navy and raised the banner of rebellion against the World Government, Stussy had sharply sensed that the World Government—or more accurately, the Five Elders—no longer held the same trust in the Marines they once had.
Their choice to put her in charge of the inauguration's security was likely a warning aimed squarely at Sengoku.
"…The most important task—protecting the Member Nation representatives—should still fall to you, Admiral Sengoku."
Stussy thought for a moment before slowly adding,
"I'll simply do my best to support and coordinate as needed."
On the other end of the Den Den Mushi, Sengoku gave a helpless nod, but sighed quietly to himself.
With his political acumen, he knew full well her words were just meant to console him.
He slowly rose from his office chair, hands clasped behind his back, and gazed out through the window at the vast, endless sea. The sharp, wise gleam once in his eyes now seemed clouded by doubt.
Even someone completely out of touch would be able to sense that something had changed in the air.
That brat Daren had bathed Philseque Island in blood, slaughtering an entire generation of elite Celestial Dragons.
Momonga led the North Blue Fleet in a bombardment of Mary Geoise, leveling much of the Celestial Dragon's sacred grounds.
Zephyr, in a fury, struck back at CP0—taking down the "Strongest Shield of the Celestial Dragons" on his own and founding the NEO Marines...
The "performance" of the Marines lately must look disastrous to the Five Elders.
Given all that, their doubt in him as Admiral was completely understandable.
Even if they didn't question his loyalty, they'd surely question his capability.
Dragon, Daren, Momonga, Zephyr… All four of these incidents happened under Sengoku's watch. No matter how he tried to explain it, the responsibility still landed squarely on his shoulders.
What? You're bringing up Fleet Admiral Kong?
Everyone knew full well he'd long since stepped back from managing the Marines, handing down most of his authority.
The more Sengoku thought about it, the more frustrated he looked. His face darkened as he muttered through gritted teeth,
"You bastards all had your fun… and now I'm the one left cleaning up the mess…"