Chapter 48: Invitation From the World Government
"Damn Chiba, you miserable snake! Don't just stand there; come and save me!" Peacock shouted from where she was tied up outside Chiba's research room.
At that moment, Chiba walked over, and Peacock's eyes lit up as if seeing her savior. "Good Chiba, you're finally here! Put me down already!"
Chiba raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Weren't you just calling me a dead Chiba, a stinky Chiba? Now I'm a good Chiba?"
Peacock's face flushed with anger, but she held her temper. Swallowing her pride, she pleaded, "Good Chiba, I was wrong. Please let me down! I've been hanging here all night. Surely, with your kind heart, you wouldn't leave a poor, weak woman like me to suffer?"
Chiba laughed. "Weak woman? You've scared half the Vice Admirals from even leaving HQ! You're practically tougher than an Admiral."
Peacock gritted her teeth, clearly furious, but held her tongue. She blinked, feigning tears as she sniffled, "You're heartless! I've given you everything, and this is how you treat me?"
"Fine, fine, stop the waterworks." Chiba sighed, grabbing the black flagpole and releasing his Armament Haki. The pole shattered, the energy of the Cage-Cage Fruit dissipated, and Peacock fell—straight toward Chiba.
But Chiba sidestepped, letting her tumble to the ground. Peacock fumed, glaring at him. "You heartless jerk! Just wait till the World Government drags you off as a slave; don't expect me to save you."
Chiba caught the hint in her words and tilted his head. "Peacock, do you know something?"
Peacock straightened her hat, brushed the dust off her clothes, and gave him a sly smile. "Kiss me, and I'll tell you."
Chiba raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "I'll just ask Sengoku. He probably knows more than you."
"Stupid Chiba! Do you even realize how many people would kill to be in your position?" Peacock yelled after him as he walked off toward the Marshal's office. But her glare softened, and her fingers tightened around Medusa's Kiss as her expression turned dreamy. "You're impossible," she muttered. "But that just makes me want you more."
Her voice rose as she shouted after him, "Chiba, I'll have you, one way or another. Not even the Celestial Dragons can take you from me. You're mine!"
Just as Chiba reached the Marshal's office, he was greeted by a Marine guard. "Master Chiba, representatives from the World Government are here to see you. The Marshal is expecting you."
Chiba nodded, entering the office. Inside, Sengoku sat at the head of the table, with Tsuru, Sakazuki, and Aokiji on his left. To the right sat several unfamiliar faces—representatives from the World Government.
As Chiba entered, all eyes turned toward him.
"Sakazuki, step aside and make room for Chiba," Sengoku instructed.
Sakazuki's face darkened as he reluctantly moved, seething inwardly. Sengoku, you humiliate me now, but once I'm Fleet Admiral, I'll make you pay.
Chiba took the seat with a smile, glancing playfully at Sakazuki. "You're not upset about giving up your spot, are you?"
Sakazuki closed his eyes, masking his anger, thinking, Let the World Government deal with you. Your luck is about to run out.
One of the unfamiliar men on Sengoku's left leaned forward, studying Chiba. "So, this is Marine's new Admiral candidate, Monkey D. Chiba."
"That's me," Chiba replied, appraising the man, who appeared to be in his late twenties, dressed entirely in white with a white top hat, a dove perched on his shoulder, and a white cloak. His expression was aloof, exuding an air of superiority.
"This is Rob Lucci, the new deputy chief of CP0," Sengoku introduced.
"CP0… Rob Lucci?" Chiba narrowed his gaze, recognizing the name immediately. CP0, or CIPHERPOL-AIGIS0, is the elite agency directly under the Celestial Dragons, often called "the strongest shield of the Celestial Dragons." Chiba knew that in the Celestial Dragons' eyes, Marine was just their enforcer, while the CP organization acted as their confidants. Anything public was handled by Marine, but darker secrets were left to CP.
Rob Lucci was infamous for his strength, known even before his CP0 days as the strongest in CP9 in over 800 years. His presence here indicated that the World Government considered this matter important and expected full Marine cooperation.
"An honor to meet the deputy chief of CP0," Chiba said, silently using Observation Haki to gauge Lucci's strength.
Lucci, with a polite smile, replied, "It's a pleasure to finally meet the famous Marine Chiba in person."
Sakazuki's face twisted in confusion. Since when was CP0 so friendly? he wondered.
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𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙟𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙮. 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚!
𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗼:
• 𝘽𝙤𝙜𝙙𝙖𝙣 𝙋𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙪
• 𝙅𝙘𝟭𝟮𝟬𝟮
• 𝘼𝙝𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙟𝙖𝙝
• 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗼𝗯 𝗠𝗼𝗲𝗲
𝗔𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸:
• 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: 𝙂𝙚𝙩 𝟴𝟱+ 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚.
• 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁-𝗢𝘂𝘁: 𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩!
𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝘂𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝘀 𝗺𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗲𝘁, 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝘀!
👉 𝙅𝙤𝙞𝙣 𝙣𝙤𝙬: 𝙋𝙖𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙣.𝙘𝙤𝙢/𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙊𝙛𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧