Chapter 60: Deception
The answer hit Axel the instant he saw the man clearly.
The checkered coat.
The lightning shaped sideburns.
The sunglasses.
Even the crumbs stuck at the corner of his mouth.
Vergo.
There was no mistaking him.
One of Doflamingo's top executives. A monster who had already mastered Armament Haki at a young age. A man ruthless enough to bury his identity inside the Marines and later rise all the way to command G5. Even in the brutal waters of the New World, Vergo was no nameless grunt.
Against someone like that, Axel's current strength meant nothing.
If Vergo wanted him dead, he would die.
Instantly.
Running was impossible.
Trying to fight was suicide.
For the first time in a long while, Axel felt death standing right in front of him, so close he could almost feel its breath against his skin.
What now?
His mind spun at full speed.
No hesitation. No fear. No time.
If he could not think of something right now, then all three of them would die here.
Vergo stepped out of the cabin slowly, one step at a time, utterly unconcerned by the idea of Axel or the others escaping. That alone made the pressure worse. A man only moved like that when he knew he controlled the situation.
The cabin door creaked open behind him.
To Axel, it sounded like a funeral bell.
Forget it.
No time to think of the perfect answer.
He would gamble on the only card he had.
Before Vergo could move, Axel spoke first.
"Joker."
Vergo's steps stopped.
A faint sound slipped from his throat.
"Hmm?"
That expressionless face did not change, but behind the sunglasses, his gaze sharpened. He was measuring Axel now. Testing him. Weighing him.
Axel kept his face calm and said to Ain and Binz without turning, "You two go first. I know this man. Right, Vergo?"
Vergo said nothing.
But the finger he had raised like a pistol lowered slightly.
That was enough.
At first Ain and Binz hesitated. Then they caught the meaning in Axel's look and understood.
Neither of them argued.
They nodded and retreated at once.
Vergo did not stop them.
To him, the bigger issue was no longer those two. It was the child in front of him who had just casually spoken a name that never should have been spoken here.
And besides, even if they ran first, how far could they get?
The moment Ain and Binz disappeared from sight, Vergo moved.
Axel's reflection shattered under sheer force before he could even react properly. Vergo grabbed him by the collar and lifted him off the ground with one hand as easily as if he weighed nothing.
His other hand stayed behind his back.
Hidden.
Waiting.
Axel knew exactly what that meant.
If he said the wrong thing, or failed to answer, that hand would kill him in an instant. And after that, Ain and Binz would not get far either.
Axel met his gaze and forced himself to stay steady.
"Vergo, the highest ranking officer of the Heart seat. Did I say something wrong?"
Vergo's grip did not loosen.
"How do you know that information?"
His voice was flat, but the threat inside it was obvious.
Very few people inside the Donquixote Family knew the truth about him. That was the only reason Axel was still breathing.
"Because I'm one of the Young Master's people too," Axel replied without hesitation.
Vergo stared at him.
"Who is the Young Master?"
"Donquixote Doflamingo," Axel said at once. "And your mission is to infiltrate the Marines. Isn't that right?"
Silence.
Vergo kept watching him, trying to catch the slightest flaw.
A twitch.
A flicker.
Anything.
But Axel's expression remained unchanged.
He was lying through his teeth, but his control over blood flow let him suppress every physical tell. No racing heartbeat. No sweat. No trembling. In front of anyone else, maybe that would not matter. In front of Vergo, it was the difference between life and death.
After a few more seconds, Vergo finally let him down.
The moment Axel's feet touched the ground, he almost breathed out in relief, but forced himself not to.
That would have been fatal.
Vergo studied him and said, "So you're my subordinate."
Then, after a beat, "What position?"
"A regular Heart officer."
Axel gambled on that answer.
He knew Vergo's flaw well enough by now. The man was too confident. Too certain of his own importance. Even after burying himself inside the Marines, he still believed his position inside the Donquixote Family was unshakable. He would not waste time memorizing every lesser subordinate.
If Axel guessed right, he lived.
If he guessed wrong, he died.
Vergo nodded slowly.
Given the feel of that strange power from earlier, this brat was still far too weak, but there was potential there.
"What mission did the Young Master give you inside the Marines?" Vergo asked.
Why else would a boy like this be placed here unless it had something to do with infiltration?
Axel answered smoothly, as if he had prepared the lie years ago.
"I'm an undercover agent too. But unlike you, I haven't been given a specific task yet. I was told to stay hidden for now and wait for orders."
Vergo's expression did not change.
"Then why let those two escape? That has nothing to do with your mission. Killing them would have erased any risk of exposure for both of us."
"On the contrary," Axel said, "it has everything to do with the mission. It's a crucial part of it."
Vergo's voice turned colder.
"Explain."
Axel shook his head.
"I can't."
"Can't?"
"I only know it's tied to the plan. I wasn't told the full details."
That part, at least, sounded believable. The Donquixote Family did not exactly run on transparency.
Vergo's eyes narrowed.
Then, without warning, he pulled a Den Den Mushi from his coat.
"I'll ask the Young Master myself."
Axel's heart nearly stopped.
If Vergo contacted Doflamingo, the lie would collapse instantly.
He could not let that happen.
Not now.
Not ever.
So Axel stepped forward just enough to show urgency, but not panic.
"Vergo."
The older man paused.
Axel lowered his voice.
"You know the Young Master's temperament better than anyone. If he finds out I revealed sensitive information before receiving permission, he'll skin me alive. If you really respect him, then you should wait and ask later when the timing is right."
He put just enough fear into the words. Just enough reverence.
He shifted the issue away from Vergo questioning him and toward Doflamingo's pride.
And most importantly, he made it sound like restraint was the more respectful choice.
Even Axel had to admit it was a ridiculous lie.
If this ever came out, it would not just offend Vergo.
It would be a slap across Doflamingo's face.
As if Axel were saying: I know your plan, I know your mole, and I just played both of you.
Vergo would hate him.
Doflamingo would definitely want him dead.
But that was tomorrow's problem.
Today's problem was survival.
And right now, this was the only path that kept him alive.
Fortunately, Axel still had one advantage.
He belonged to Marine Headquarters for the moment.
Even Doflamingo would not move recklessly against someone there without thinking carefully first.
Vergo considered his words for a few long seconds.
Then, at last, he put the Den Den Mushi away.
.....
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