Walking down the corridors of the Marine Headquarters in Marineford, a woman... the Chief of CP0, Maria, suddenly spotted a familiar face ahead and broke into a smile.
"Hey there, Tsuru. It's been a while, huh? Are you doing well? We haven't had a chance to meet much lately, so it's quite a coincidence to run into you here. Or is there something you needed from me?"
"Yeah, I'm doing well. Heard you were at the Marine Headquarters, so I thought I'd come see your face for a bit."
Vice Admiral Tsuru, the Chief of Staff of the Navy, exchanged a light greeting with Maria and then fixed her sharp gaze as if to imply she meant business. Tsuru's eyes, having risen through numerous tough situations to her current position, carried an intensity that could intimidate ordinary opponents, but Maria continued to smile without a hint of intimidation.
"...It's your doing, isn't it, Bad Fairy?"
"Well, well. It's really tricky when you don't have a subject."
"It seems that a sizable rebel force in a certain country was annihilated overnight, and not a single survivor remains at a level like that..."
"It's a tragic situation, indeed. But well, they were trying to wage war with weapons, so they should have been prepared for the possibility of death."
Seeing Maria speak such unexpected words with an unchanged smile, Tsuru thought to herself, "She's as suspicious as ever." However, she continued the conversation.
"...It's probably your doing, right, Bad Fairy?"
"Really? You'd be in trouble without a subject, I see."
"A rebel force estimated to be in the tens of thousands was wiped out. It's quite an incident... but no matter how much I investigate, no information comes up. You're not called Chief of Staff for nothing, you know. I have contacts everywhere, and I've used all of them, but not a scrap of information can be obtained. Only someone like you could do something like this, right?"
"Exactly. I concealed the information. So, do you want to know something?"
"Yes, I want to know. Just how ridiculous a method did you use to kill tens of thousands of people overnight without a single one escaping?"
"You have such a sense of justice in your eyes. Yeah, yeah, it's very navy-like and cool."
Facing Tsuru's sharp gaze, Maria continued to nod with a nonchalant demeanor. Tsuru hadn't really expected to get an answer. If Maria, the Chief of CP0, was concealing the information, it must be the World Government's intention. Tsuru wasn't foolish enough to argue against that.
So, this was more like a probing. Trying to glean something from Maria's reaction... However, in response to Tsuru's inquiries, Maria looked around with a serious expression and whispered softly.
"...It's a secret. It's classified, but since you're an old acquaintance, I'll tell you... Actually, there was an experiment with a newly developed weapon by Dr. Vegapunk."
"What?!"
"It was scientifically reproduced based on the abilities of a certain Devil Fruit, and it's a new weapon that is scheduled to be deployed in the Navy in about six months to a year, with production systems already somewhat in place. There was a final adjustment experiment. It's expected to be a powerful card against pirates, so they wanted combat data against formidable opponents on a large scale."
"I see. A weapon still in development, and an experiment that can't be considered humanitarian... That's why you received instructions to conceal it."
"Yes, exactly. It would be troublesome if it got detected by the Morgans and such. So, I ended up handling it directly."
Listening to Maria's words, Tsuru wore an expression that was hard to decipher. While the logic made sense, and it was understandable, Maria still seemed suspicious as ever.
Nevertheless, since Tsuru had asked and received an answer, it was difficult to delve deeper into the questioning. After all, once it's labeled as classified, prying too much is not possible.
"...I see. You're quite busy too."
"Well, I'm still the Chief of CP0. Well then, I'd love to continue this enjoyable chat, but I have another task to attend to."
"Ah, sorry for detaining you."
"Don't worry about it. Well then, say hello to Garp and Sengoku for me."
With a casual wave, Tsuru watched Maria leave and let out a light sigh before moving on. After walking for a while, she reached her destination – the office of Admiral Sengoku. From inside, Tsuru could hear Sengoku's shouting.
And from the content of that shouting, Tsuru could tell who else was in the room. With a somewhat exasperated expression, Tsuru entered the room.
"Really, you guys never get tired of this."
"Oh, Tsuru-chan! Ugh, Sengoku's been so noisy."
"And who do you think is responsible for that, Garp!!"
In the room were Garp and Sengoku, and while it was the usual scene, Garp was up to something, and Sengoku was reprimanding him.
Watching their interaction with a wry smile, Tsuru let out a somewhat tired sigh, and Sengoku tilted his head lightly.
"What's wrong? You look tired..."
"Oh, it's nothing. I just had a pleasant chat with Maria earlier."
"...Ugh, I can't stand that person... always lying."
"Well, you're the complete opposite, Garp, wearing your heart on your sleeve."
Upon hearing Maria's name, Garp's expression visibly soured, and Sengoku nodded as if understanding something.
"...Is it about that matter?"
"Yes, how about you, Sengoku? Did you manage to get any information?"
"Well, I tried digging around as well, but there's no information to be found. It's completely hidden... It's probably her doing, after all. Quite troublesome."
"Hmm... So, Tsuru-chan, did you manage to get any information?"
Tsuru observed the conversation between Sengoku and herself, her arms crossed, and tilted her head. Garp was asking if she had gained any information from talking to Maria.
And then, Tsuru's expression turned subtle.
"That's the tricky part about her. If she wanted to keep it hidden, there could have been some probing, but she readily handed over the information. Moreover, it seemed like plausible, well-grounded information..."
"So, it might actually be correct..."
"Yeah, probably. I mean, you could likely find some evidence if you investigated thoroughly. But the fact remains that, even after digging deep, not having that final push leaves us without certainty. It's a pattern that mischievous one often pulls off."
Sengoku also had a fairly good understanding of Maria, and he knew that she was exceptionally formidable in the realm of information warfare.
"Well, what if she's just lying like always?"
"I bet you think that, Garp. But you see, if you think that and ignore it, she might actually be telling the truth or maybe half right and half wrong. She's skilled at playing with our psychology and leading us into confusion. So, we can't skip verification, which ends up taking time. 'Bad Fairy,' that's a pretty good nickname for her."
"Even you, Tsuru-chan, don't have the upper hand in information warfare, huh..."
"Well, it's a different league because of the years of experience. Over there, you've got a youkai that nobody knows when they joined the World Government. This kind of mind game is totally her playing field."
Ultimately, Tsuru seemed to have obtained some information, but it was unclear whether she really had gained any. With a perplexed expression, she listened to Sengoku, who spoke seriously.
"Hey, Tsuru-chan. Don't you feel like the CP organization itself has been changing somewhat in the past 10 years or so?"
"...Do you think so?"
"Stay quiet, Garp. I've been sensing the same thing as Sengoku. It's become much more complicated, to the point that obtaining information has become more difficult than before."
Garp, who didn't quite grasp the situation, aside, Tsuru seemed to have her own thoughts as she nodded in response to Sengoku's words.
"Yeah, CP used to operate separately, from CP0 to CP9. They might cooperate for missions, but it's not like they're on the best of terms."
"True, but that's changing. Over the past ten years or so, the CP organization has been coordinating and solidifying as a united force. And undoubtedly at the center of this change is..."
"...The Midnight Monster, I presume. While I've never met him directly, is he really that extraordinary? Could he be that much of a formidable opponent?"
"I haven't met him either. What do you say, Sengoku?"
Both Tsuru and Garp were aware of the existence of Spandam, who was known as the Midnight Monster. However, while they knew he was highly capable, detailed information about him was surprisingly scarce.
Given the rare interactions between the Navy and CP, Sengoku was the only one among them who had actually met him face to face.
"...Keep in mind that this is just my impression. There's no other way to put it except 'monster.' After seeing him, would you believe that I found figures like Rocks and Roger to be almost cute?"
"To that extent?"
Garp's expression also turned solemn at Sengoku's words. He had also gone through many battles alongside Sengoku and had experience fighting legendary pirates like Rocks and Roger.
That's why he could grasp that Sengoku's words weren't a joke or exaggeration.
"In terms of combat ability, I doubt I could last a minute against him even at my peak. His knowledge and administrative skills are exceptional... Furthermore, he maintains a courteous demeanor and calmly responds during conversations with me. I've heard that even Magellan, the Chief Warden, holds him in high regard and has a close relationship with him."
"...That's utterly astonishing."
"Yes, while he doesn't hold an official title like that, the current CP seems to be structured around him. It's safe to consider him the de facto head of CP. But, both CP9 and him have extremely limited information... I'm currently planning a joint training exercise between the Navy and CP in hopes of obtaining at least some information."
"A joint training exercise... That makes sense. Strengthening the coordination between the Navy and CP carries strong benefits, and through that, we can naturally gather information. While it would have been difficult with the previous CP, the current CP, centered around that man, might offer the potential for a good relationship."
Sengoku's proposal of a joint training exercise had multiple benefits and very few downsides. Tsuru, who nodded approvingly, smiled before Sengoku continued.
"Admittedly, he, as the Commander-in-Chief, won't directly participate in the training. But we could still gather information about CP9 members... I'm also planning to have one Admiral participate, so if luck is on our side, we might even get to see the combat of his trusted 'Hellhound'."
"Even if not, the training itself will be valuable for the future. It's a great idea. When are you planning to do it?"
"I'm in the process of putting together a plan to execute it in the near future. Since we're dealing with an intelligence agency, we need to consider the possibility of information leaks and such."
As Sengoku revealed his plans, Garp grinned widely and nodded.
"I see! Sounds interesting!"
"You're not participating."
"What?! Why not?!"
"Because you're likely to cause trouble! It's not a Navy-exclusive training; it's a joint exercise with others. I can't let you run wild and ruin things."
"Aww, that's no fun!"
"In the first place, last time you claimed it was for work and went to the East Blue on your own!"
"Ugh, bringing that up again... But there's nothing I can do about it. I wanted to see my grandkid, so I put on a good face. After all, he's my grandson!"
"That doesn't mean you had to go there without any permission, you idiot!"
With Sengoku gripping Garp's collar and yelling and Garp wearing a mischievous expression like a child whose prank has been found out, Tsuru let out a deep sigh, looking exasperated, as she watched their exchange.
***
You can indulge in more than 10 chapters ahead of the regular schedule by visiting our Patreon page and subscribing.
Feel free to explore our Patreon at:
https://www.pat reon.com/KangTL
Your support will enhance our productivity in creating more captivating and wonderful works.