"El, are we sending Homies out again to look for Devil Fruits today?"
The next morning, Gerd, freshly washed up and yawning, asked El, who was already deep into his morning training.
She held her scythe with an air of authority and beauty, her massive form towering as she had returned to her natural giant size.
"It's just a rumor of a possible Devil Fruit sighting; nothing especially powerful," said El, swinging his Great Halberd, his face damp with sweat. He shrugged, "No need to spend too much time or energy on it. Just make a few Homies from reindeer bodies later and leave them to keep searching."
To find that Devil Fruit—which he wasn't even sure existed at this point—he'd sent Homies like butterflies, dragonflies, and swallows to comb the forest where reindeer roamed, but they hadn't found anything overnight. So, he figured Gerd could just create a few ordinary reindeer Homies to continue the search and leave them a transponder snail for updates.
"Got it. I'll make some reindeer Homies later!" Gerd beamed. She reached behind her and pulled out a blue-faced, fang-toothed mask, holding it up to El with pride. "Ta-da! What do you think of this mask, El?"
"I went out to one of Drum Kingdom's villages, found some materials, and spent the whole night making it!"
Following El's suggestion, she had crafted this demon mask for herself to wear in battle. With her Soul-Soul Fruit powers, she hoped it would have an intimidating effect on enemies, instilling fear and enabling her to seize their souls more easily.
"Not bad at all," El remarked, impressed by how the mask gave Gerd an aura of authority and menace. "It changes your whole look—very effective."
With her massive size, the deadly scythe, and now the ghastly demon mask, Gerd looked terrifying. If she added a cloak or armor to hide her figure, she'd look just like a reaper straight out of the underworld, sure to instill fear in anyone who saw her.
"Wow, that's amazing, Gerd!"
Not far off, Linlin, already used to rising early to train with El, ran over, her eyes shining. "I want one too!"
"I'll make one for you as well," Gerd said with a smile, handing her the mask.
"Thanks, Gerd! You're the best!" Linlin was overjoyed.
"Once we need it for battle, Gerd, you could add a long, black cloak or some dark armor over it," El suggested thoughtfully, "and maybe deepen your voice to sound more sinister. That should make a great impact."
"That sounds right!" Gerd nodded, intrigued, and then, focusing on her vocal cords, infused them with soul energy. "Changing my voice is easy. All I have to do is infuse my vocal cords with a soul."
Her usual soft voice transformed into a hoarse, menacing male tone. Combined with the mask's monstrous visage, she now looked truly frightening.
"Incredible! Just like Sally's voice—it's impossible to tell who you are!" Linlin marveled.
"Perfect!" El gave her a thumbs-up. "Later, you could ask Tain from New World to order some leather armor for you through the Hellfire Trade Co. Steel armor is too heavy and would restrict movement."
"Alright, I'll head to the forest now, finish up, and then we can set off!" Gerd cheerfully leaped onto the thundercloud Zeus and sped toward Drum Island's woods.
They didn't plan to stay long in Drum Kingdom. Their next stop was the legendary island of gold in Skypiea.
...
"The legendary City of Gold actually exists?" Dr. Kureha, who had just emerged from her room stretching, overheard and smiled in fascination. "This sounds exciting! I must have undercharged for my salary!"
"Maaamaaamaa, it's too late to renegotiate now! Don't expect a raise," Linlin teased, sticking her tongue out at Dr. Kureha.
While others feared her silent dosing abilities, Linlin—a Mythical Zoan vampire and natural-born monster—was unfazed.
"Hmph, how ungrateful of you kids, no respect for your elders!" Dr. Kureha snorted.
...
Meanwhile, high atop the Red Line, at the Holy Land of Mariejois…
Early in the morning, after finishing a lavish breakfast, the Five Elders were discussing current events when an urgent message arrived from Drum Kingdom, reporting that the Fallen Angel Pirates had suddenly appeared there.
"What?"
"The Fallen Angel Pirates are in Drum Kingdom?"
Hearing the messenger's report, the Five Elders were visibly surprised. Wiping his mouth, Saint Mars stood up, incredulous. "What are those pirates doing there?"
"The king of Drum Kingdom reports that they were attacked by the Fallen Angel Pirates. Although everyone mysteriously blacked out and there were no injuries, two Devil Fruits stored in the royal treasury were stolen."
"More Devil Fruits, again?" Saint Ju Peter raised an eyebrow.
"Going to any lengths to collect so many Devil Fruits…" Saint Saturn rubbed his temples, both astonished and annoyed. "That ambitious brat, is he still not satisfied?"
Of course, Devil Fruits are precious treasures of the sea, and no one would think they had enough. But considering the Devil Fruits the Fallen Angel Pirates had already seized from the World Government and even raided from the Navy headquarters, it seemed they should have more than enough.
If their aim was truly to expand their forces, they'd likely be in the New World recruiting, where the pirate powerhouses are much stronger than in the first half of the Grand Line. Yet here they were, still moving freely in the first half of the Grand Line.
"According to CP reports, it's nearly confirmed that the Hell Trading Company is controlled by the Fallen Angel Pirates…" Saint Valkyrie's face darkened as he spoke coldly. "Most of that food and medicine they're supplying seems to be the work of Fallen Angel El's Mythical Zoan Quetzalcoatl powers, which allow him to grow plants rapidly."
"But they've been extremely cautious. Even with CP agents and the Navy searching across territories, they've only caught low-level, temporary staff who know nothing of consequence!"
If not for recent provocations, the World Government would never have guessed that while the Fallen Angel Pirates had seemingly stayed quiet for years, they had actually been growing their forces right under their noses.
"This situation is a wake-up call; the World Government has grown complacent… we truly underestimated them," Saint Ju Peter remarked seriously. "Even our surveillance has become sluggish. A complete overhaul may be necessary."
"Let's focus on this for now—should we send forces?" Saint Nasujuro adjusted his glasses, eyes narrowed with intent.
"As much as I'd like to deal with the Fallen Angel Pirates right away," Saint Mars said, "they certainly won't remain in Drum Kingdom long. By the time we arrive, they'll likely be gone again."
Beyond the immediate challenges, they had to acknowledge that the Fallen Angel Pirates had become a formidable threat. Their past mistakes, underestimating El's strength, had already cost the Navy dearly. Two large G-series naval fortresses had been destroyed, countless elite troops lost, and even Admiral Iron Claw killed. Now Admiral Steel Bone Kong lay unconscious in the Navy hospital, barely clinging to life. Their prized Supreme Commander of the Holy Knights had even been captured by these pirates.
Given the situation, the Navy alone wouldn't have the power to handle the Fallen Angel Pirates; it would require reinforcements from the World Government. Acting rashly, without thorough preparation, could lead to even greater losses. While it was humiliating to hold back, they couldn't afford any more reckless moves. They had to gather intel, prepare extensively, and only strike once they could be certain of a decisive victory.
To act otherwise, only to have the Fallen Angel Pirates slip through their grasp, would be a disaster.
"They're not small-time pirates anymore. We need to be thorough this time; there's no room for more mistakes," Saint Valkyrie said gravely. He turned to the kneeling messenger, his tone cold. "Our priority now is for CP agents to gather accurate intelligence on the Fallen Angel Pirates. We need to assess just how powerful they've become… otherwise, we may need to cleanse and restructure the World Government's agencies, making sure our 'eyes and ears' are sharpened."
"No more carelessness," Saint Saturn said, tapping his cane on the floor, his voice like iron. "Tell those incompetent fools this is their last chance. We won't tolerate further disappointment!"
The fact that the Fallen Angel Pirates had secretly established the vast Hellfire Trade Co. right under their noses, and caused such heavy losses to the World Government, marked them as an unprecedented threat—not some common pirates that could be easily crushed. The sheer scale and coordination of their operations suggested there could be hidden forces still unrevealed.
And the Holy Knights were no ordinary soldiers; they were elites from noble families and must not be lost again.
Even among CP0, a few capable agents existed, but they couldn't compare to an Admiral's power. Rushing in without full preparation could be risky. They had to consider the possibility that the pirates' sudden appearance was bait, meant to lure them into a trap. If the Fallen Angel Pirates intended to take advantage of a weakened Navy and destroy its strongholds—symbols of justice that had stood for centuries—the consequences would be catastrophic.
With the Navy's recent setbacks, if another failure occurred, the world might perceive the World Government as crumbling. This perception alone could embolden restless powers globally, who might then challenge the World Government's authority.
The chaos that would ensue would be difficult to control and would be hard to explain to Im-sama.
"For now, have someone contact the Fallen Angel Pirates and negotiate," Saint Ju Peter instructed the messenger. "Ask what terms they'd require to release Holy Knight Commander Saint Howard."
As the highest-ranking Holy Knight, Howard's unique position and strength were vital to the World Government. Though he'd failed this mission, they couldn't simply abandon a resource of his caliber. If there were any chance to bring him back, they'd do whatever it took.
"Yes, sir!"