At the age of seventeen, I changed my brown suit to black as planned and joined Cipher Pol. There was a one-month training period at first, but it was quite boring as it mainly focused on theoretical learning of basic things.
My father seemed dissatisfied with long-term missions, so I assumed that the incident at Ohara occurred around this time.
Before starting the training, my father arranged for an instructor to show me Rokushiki. However, there was no difference between my self-taught version and the official one, so I felt relieved that I could handle Rokushiki without any issues.
The instructor was very helpful and offered to watch my training if I had time, but I declined, thinking it would be better to keep my ability with Rokushiki a secret until I officially started my job.
After finishing the training, I was assigned to CP5 and given the position of leading a small unit with a few subordinates. It was a sudden responsibility to have subordinates, but as I was originally hired as a candidate for a commanding position, I understood and accepted the position.
From the documents, it seemed that my subordinates included a male user of Shigan and a female user of Soru. The other three members also seemed to be quite skilled agents, making it a rather impressive team.
My first assignment was the extermination of a certain pirate group. I could understand the intention behind this to some extent. This personnel assignment was undoubtedly due to connections... my father's influence must be involved.
Normally, Cipher Pol specializes in intelligence gathering, infiltration, and even assassinations. However, tasks like exterminating designated pirates are almost unheard of and would usually be handled by the Marines. This assignment was probably deliberately assigned from another department or the Marines, and the intention behind it was probably to "achieve results."
According to my father, the head of CP5 will retire soon. He plans to replace him with me and eventually wants me to take the position of the current CP9 Commander-in-Chief.
Probably, internally, it has already been decided that I will become the head of CP5. However, some external achievements are necessary. Tasks such as information gathering or infiltration often take a long time, and it is not easy to make immediate achievements. Thus, they gave me an extermination mission that would yield straightforward and visible results, and equipped me with capable subordinates.
With excellent subordinates handling the work, my role is to observe and take credit... that's probably the idea behind this arrangement.
As I pondered over these things, I took out a stick candy from my pocket, unwrapped it, and placed it in my mouth. I have been eating this stick candy quite often lately. Smoking leaves a smell, and it could potentially put me at a disadvantage during future infiltrations. Besides, I don't particularly enjoy smoking.
But I have developed a habit of sucking on candy during moments of contemplation or when my mind is restless. Any ordinary candy would do, but for some reason, I prefer the stick type.
While sucking on the stick candy, I recalled the faces of my subordinates I met recently.
The male Shigan user couldn't hide his disgust towards me. Well, I understand it's not amusing to see someone with obvious connections getting promoted. He seems like the type with a high sense of self-esteem, thinking that being a Shigan user puts him at the top of the unit... no, it's more like it gives him a sense of security. He fits the typical small-minded type who likes to act tough only towards those below him. I feel like I would get along with my original self from the main story.
The female Soru user seemed to have some discomfort with my connections, but she appeared to accept it as "just the way it is." I think she's more competent than the male Shigan user, but her eyes were somewhat concerning.
Her gaze seemed to combine feelings of inferiority and madness, showing an unstable demeanor. Based on the documents, she was an orphan adopted by the World Government and trained in a facility. Being assigned before fully mastering Rokushiki probably means that she has some talent, but not to an outstanding degree, I suppose?
Perhaps she is someone who ended up on the "rejected side" during some sort of filtering process. The occasional mix of feelings of inferiority and a desire for power, a madness that is somewhat similar to my past self, could be the cause of that.
Well, both of them, good or bad, are undoubtedly outstanding within CP5. I'll just have to make sure they handle the missions while I observe.
***
The World is Unpredictable As Expected
In front of my eyes, the pirate captain struck, and the male Shigan user crumbled to the ground. He seemed unconscious but not dead. Now, only the female Soru user remained, but she was completely overwhelmed, gasping for breath.
"Hahaha! What's wrong, you dogs of the government! Is this all you've got!!"
The beginning went smoothly. As expected of subordinates chosen through connections, they were excellent. They quickly located the target pirates, and in combat, they had the upper hand.
In fact, the pirate crew, except for the captain, was in a state of destruction. Once we deal with the captain, the mission would be completed... but this captain was on a completely different level from his subordinates.
Honestly, I was a bit surprised. I didn't expect a pirate operating in the first half of the Grand Line, with a bounty of only around 20 million, to be a "Haki user," and not just that, but someone who had even mastered Armament Haki.
Using Haki isn't strange, even in the first half of the Grand Line, and there are martial arts schools that unknowingly incorporate Haki into their secret techniques. It's not impossible for someone to self-learn how to use Haki.
However, it's rare. If he could use Armament Haki, he would have been invincible in the first half of the Grand Line. But perhaps he hadn't caused any major incidents, or his bounty was low... it's just unfortunate coincidence.
I thought it would be an easy task, but that's disappointing. Well, it's my first mission, and I can't afford to make the mistake of losing subordinates like this.
Taking a deep breath, I shattered the sword swung at me by the female Soru user with my finger and stood before the captain.
"Wha...!?"
"Captain?"
"...Step back, I'll handle this."
I announced briefly, and the captain, looking surprised at the shattered sword, stepped back nervously.
Now, as it's my first battle as a Cipher Pol agent, let's go with something that resembles what Lucci said in the original story.
"Enforcing the darkness' justice."
"Wha...?!?!"
The captain, whose shoulder twitched at my words, hurriedly crossed his arms in front of him and enveloped himself in Haki. I see, Haki is undoubtedly very powerful in the first half of the Grand Line.
It must have been effective not only as a countermeasure against ability users but also for defending against swords and bullets.
However, from the perspective of the New World standards, the captain in front of me was not even close to the middle level... truly, he was a joke.
"Finger Pistol."
I pierced his heart with a Finger Pistol, his arm hardened with Haki.
Seeing the captain fall, lifeless with a clean circular hole through him, I turned back to the female Soru user and declared:
"Mission accomplished. Let the captain's body be, and sink the rest of the ship as we head back."
"Y-Yes."
As I said that, I suddenly locked eyes with the female Soru user, who had been in a "mad gaze" throughout. Or maybe she's "in the state of madness" right now? It feels like things might get a bit troublesome.
Thinking such things, I stacked the bodies of my subordinates, including the male Shigan user, and the captain, and began the journey back to CP5 headquarters.
And so, after completing my first mission, a bad premonition I had somehow felt became a reality the next day... as soon as I arrived at the office, the female Soru user was inexplicably waiting in front of me, in an apologetic...dogeza position that would cause significant social damage to the other party.
...It hasn't even been a month since I started working, but I wonder if I can take some paid time off...