Stussy walked into the room.
Confidently, she sat down in front of Kuke, lighting a cigarette.
"Brother, you've really made things difficult for me." She exhaled a puff of smoke, letting it drift across Kuke's face, who was just inches away.
"Brother?"
Stussy leaned forward, getting closer and closer.
"Isn't that right?"
Kuke's eye twitched slightly.
Just before they touched, Stussy pulled back, sitting upright once more.
"The Queen is still the Queen."
Kuke couldn't help but admire her.
He had thought she would come in, wallowing in self-pity, perhaps even in tears.
"Captain, do you know my true identity?" Stussy asked, her eyes gleaming with mischief as she looked at Kuke.
Since he caused me so much trouble, it's only fair I make him squirm a bit.
"I am, in fact, a member of CIPHERPOL-AIGIS0 (CP0), the top-secret intelligence agency directly under the Celestial Dragons!
Surprised, aren't you?"
Stussy stared at Kuke, amused, wanting to capture every moment of his reaction.
The infamous Kuke of the Grand Line, surely he'd be taken aback, shocked even.
Totally worth it.
"Oh."
Kuke responded dismissively.
He had known for a long time.
Stussy: "...??"
Stussy's eyes widened slowly.
Click!
Kuke instantly pulled out a camera and snapped a photo of Stussy's bewildered expression.
"You knew all along?" Stussy gritted her teeth.
So, the joke's on me, huh.
"You're quite ruthless, Captain. Knowing my identity and still forcing me to kill a Celestial Dragon—truly a terrifying devil."
Stussy couldn't help but pull her shawl tighter around herself, feeling a chill run down her spine.
"Captain, how did you know?" Stussy stared directly into Kuke's eyes.
Where did I slip up?
Kuke didn't answer.
Instead, he pointed at his own eyes, then pointed at Stussy with two fingers.
The meaning was clear: I saw right through you.
A casual deflection.
Instinctively, Stussy crossed her arms over her chest, her long, fair legs shifting slightly to the side, not daring to face Kuke directly.
Kuke's face darkened. That wasn't what he meant by "seeing through."
"Captain, now that you know my identity, what are you planning to do with me? Kill me?"
"You're my crewmate. I don't care who you used to be. As long as you join us sincerely, my promise still stands—you will always be my crewmate, my person."
Kuke extended his right hand. "Once again, welcome to the The Sun and Moon Pirates."
Stussy stared blankly at Kuke's hand.
She found it unbelievable.
He knows who I am, yet he's still willing to trust me?
I'm CP0, the strongest shield of the Celestial Dragons, a subordinate of the World Government.
Isn't he afraid at all?
Before coming here, Stussy had prepared herself to be killed. Even if she survived, she assumed Kuke would interrogate her for a long time, followed by making her sign a series of unfair agreements.
To become nothing more than a blade in Kuke's hands.
A future with no freedom, no dignity.
"The moment you walked through that door, I trusted you."
Kuke's trusting smile.
It was seared into Stussy's eyes.
It made a crack in her heart, a heart used to deceit and cold calculations.
Kuke saw it.
He saw the light emanating from Stussy.
Before, she was only partially committed, but now she shone brightly, proving her willingness, her sincerity, to join the The Sun and Moon Pirates with no ill intent.
Though the light wasn't quite as bright as Koala's or the others,
It was enough.
Stussy had made her decision.
"What a captivating young brother."
Stussy's eyes shimmered.
Her gaze lingered.
Even the World Government had never trusted them like this. They would always send other spies to watch in the shadows. He was supposed to be an enemy, yet he believed in her without condition.
Stussy bit her lip, looking down.
She didn't want her beautiful face to show signs of weakness from being touched so deeply.
"So, what's your choice?"
My captain, from now on, I am yours.
Stussy placed her delicate hand into Kuke's larger one.
Stussy felt a thud in her chest.
This time, the impact was far beyond anything she had felt before.
The first time,
Both sides had been merely putting on a show.
"Welcome."
The Queen of the Pleasure District, Stussy, officially joined.
Power Level: 56,752.
The fifty percent of her power that had previously not been shared now surged into Kuke's body.
"Captain, how do you intend for me to proceed? Should I continue deceiving the World Government?" Now that she had made her choice, Stussy immediately changed her stance, considering matters from the perspective of the The Sun and Moon Pirates.
"The Five Elders still probably trust me to a degree. If I feed them false information, there might be an opportunity to put the World Government in a significant crisis."
But Kuke shook his head.
Using Stussy as a double agent could indeed be useful against the World Government, and they might even gather some intelligence from within.
But it wasn't that significant.
The World Government and the Navy were already openly hostile.
They had an overwhelming advantage in terms of military strength.
Deceiving the World Government would at best toy with them but wouldn't yield direct results. If the Navy was to hunt down the The Sun and Moon Pirates, they would send enough forces that, with their current power, it would be hard to fend them off.
Moreover, if Stussy continued as a double agent,
With time, she might even start trying to play both sides, harboring hope of survival no matter what.
What Kuke wanted was Stussy's complete loyalty.
He wouldn't give her the slightest chance for second thoughts.
"You have the number for the Five Elders. Call them. I want to have a chat."
Stussy: "....?"