Chapter 73: The Queen's Gambit, Checkmate
The rustling sounds were not those of Jock Ian collapsing from exhaustion. Far from it.
He was… clearing the battlefield.
How? Why doesn't it work? Stussy's mind raced, a frantic, silent scream. She had confirmed it again and again, sinking her fangs deep, successfully injecting the hypnotic toxin. It should have been flawless. How could it have no effect?
"Queen Stussy," Jock Ian's voice cut through her panic, laced with a playful, drunken drawl that now felt utterly deceptive. "I never expected you to be so… proactive."
He leaned closer, his breath ghosting over her ear. "Your neck seems itchy. You're more anxious than I am!" He let out a low chuckle. "But me? Hehehe… I don't like being passive. So, let me take charge."
He was still immersed in his role, a lustful fool, with no intention of revealing he saw through her entire scheme.
Seeing the situation spiral out of control, Stussy felt a genuine wave of nervousness. Should I turn against him now? What was the worst outcome? Exposing her CP0 identity? Arousing his deeper suspicion? If she didn't turn against him, this man… he was going to…
Before she could reach a reasonable judgment, Jock Ian's next move plunged her into true panic.
"You were holding this lipstick earlier, I'm guessing…" he mused, the Seastone cosmetic appearing in his hand as if by magic. "It should be a prop for our little event, right?"
Stussy's eyes widened. The Seastone lipstick! When… when did it fall into his hands?
"This is not—" she began, her protest cut short.
Jock Ian raised the lipstick and pressed its cool tip against the pale skin of her neck.
"Uh!" A gasp escaped her lips as the Seastone's effect took hold instantly. Her bat-like wings and sharp fangs retracted, and the familiar strength in her body began to drain away, leaving a hollow weakness.
"Do you want me to take this lipstick," Jock Ian whispered, his tone a mockery of intimacy, "and start here… and mark it all over your body?" He slowly dragged the tip down her neck. "As expected of the Queen of the Pleasure District. You really know how to enjoy yourself, how to have fun."
Stussy was truly panicking now. Looking at Jock Ian's expression, he still seemed utterly inebriated, no different from before. A coincidence? Was this all just a drunken coincidence?
"My body… I can't move…" Stussy realized with horror that beyond the Seastone's weakening effect, a deeper paralysis had taken hold. She could barely twitch a finger, let alone muster the strength to struggle.
What she didn't know was that this wasn't just the Seastone. It was the perfect fusion of the Seastone's drain and the subtle, sensory-depriving pressure of his awakened skill, [Five Senses Severance]. He controlled her perception so she could only lie there, passive and utterly vulnerable, her body convinced it had lost all ability to command itself.
Because Stussy knew in her heart that Seastone weakened Devil Fruit users, she had no reason to doubt that this complete immobilization was its sole effect.
"Ian… Lord Sea King," Stussy managed, forcing a sultry tone, "shall we… shall we go somewhere else? Look over there, my bed is right there!" In her desperation, she sought to buy time. If she could just get him to move the Seastone away, to let her regain a fraction of her strength…
"I don't like beds," Jock Ian stated flatly, leaning over her until his face filled her vision, his gaze oppressive and unyielding.
"Lord Sea King, please, don't do this, I… Mph—!" Her words were cut off as he closed the final distance, silencing her protests.
Before formulating this plan, Stussy had never imagined the price would be so steep…
…
The night deepened, its haze settling over Sabaody.
The guests in the main ballroom had long since dispersed. As they left, they whispered and chuckled amongst themselves, wondering why Major General Jock Ian and Queen Stussy had vanished for the entire evening.
Meanwhile, in Stussy's private room, the scene was one of chaos. The grand dining table was cracked and askew, its surface littered with overturned plates, shattered glass, and the lingering scent of spilled wine.
Stussy stood before her wardrobe, pulling on a robe of comfortable silk. She clenched her jaw, her expression a mask of simmering fury and humiliation.
So humiliating! So utterly helpless!
Not only had the mission failed, but she had also been… compromised. The thought of turning against him, of lashing out, had crossed her mind repeatedly. But what was the point after the fact? It would achieve nothing except exposing her ulterior motives. She had already paid the price; spitting it out now was impossible.
An agent's spirit was not so fragile. She had to treat this… this indignity as a dark memory, swallow it with her tears, and move on. Just accept it.
But Ian had gone too far! From the afternoon until deep into the night, he had finally released her. Throughout the entire ordeal, he had never stopped his ridiculous, trash-talking charade:
"Have you heard of the Human-Human Fruit?" he'd slurred. "I'm the human who ate the Human-Human Fruit! One man is worth three. Today, I'll let you see the true physical limit of the Human-Human Fruit!"
Stussy took a deep breath, trying to steady her frayed nerves before returning to the ruined bed. She had chosen this role, and she would see it through. Her Devil Fruit ability was useless against him; she would have to find another opportunity to get that blood sample.
If she had to find a silver lining, it wasn't that there was nothing gained. She had, after paying a heavy price… established a certain… closeness between them. Now that things had reached this point, she had to perform her part well to pave the way for future interactions.
However, she was completely unaware that Jock Ian was already fastening his trousers, his movements crisp and efficient.
"My Lord Sea King," Stussy purred, moving to sit beside him and snaking an arm around his waist, "what are you doing? Aren't you going to stay the night? Why are you getting dressed?"
"Haha, it's not very convenient for me to stay here overnight," Jock Ian replied, his voice now clear and devoid of its earlier slur. He placed his hands on her shoulders, his grip firm. "We've done everything we needed to do. Thank you for your… hard work, Stussy."
His words were layered with meaning, a final, subtle twist of the knife.
Stussy, for a moment, failed to grasp the full subtext. "You are the man I like!" she insisted, clinging to her act.
Jock Ian simply smiled, a cold, knowing curve of his lips. "Then please," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument, "continue to help me take good care of this entertainment street in the future."
Before Stussy could formulate a reply, a sharp, urgent tone cut through the room. Bri-bri-bri! Bri-bri-bri!
It was Jock Ian's private Den Den Mushi.
He picked it up instantly. "Report."
The voice on the other end was Peacock's, stripped of its usual playful lilt, sharp and serious. "Major General. We have a situation at Grove 14. A new pirate crew has landed. They're… aggressive. Their captain calls himself 'Marshall D. Teach'."