The king shot to his feet, face bright with hope. "Really? Wh—"

Before he could finish, a cold-faced youth in a black suit stepped forward.

The young Rob Lucci walked into the nearly empty throne room.

The king froze at the sight of this teenager. 'Is this... the reinforcements sent by the World Government?'

Two ministers also exchanged uneasy looks. 'Damn it. Is the World Government mocking us by sending only a child?'

But no matter their thoughts, Lucci remained calm, stopping in front of them. "Where is the prey?"

The fat minister blinked. "Prey? You mean those pirates? They've taken over the western port of the kingdom as their base."

"I understand," Lucci replied coldly, turning to leave.

The king suddenly called out, "Wait. Above all else, please prioritize the safety of the hostages. I beg you."

Lucci turned his head slightly and glanced at him. "Are you giving the World Government instructions?"

While speaking, a faint pressure radiated from him.

Everyone in the hall stiffened, sweat beginning to form on their foreheads. That oppressive feeling...

When they came to, Lucci was gone.

The king slumped back into his throne, drenched in cold sweat, muttering in disbelief. "The World Government..."

* * *

Port, Pirate Base.

The pirate captain sat at the head seat, lifting his cup. "Well done, boys! Tonight, drink to your heart's content! Hahahaha!"

His men raised their mugs or clung to the women they had taken, celebrating without restraint.

"This kingdom wasn't anything special!"

"Yeah! Now the whole place is ours!"

"Haha! Long live the captain!"

"What captain? We should call him the new king!"

"Hahaha! More wine!"

No one noticed the sudden appearance of a black-suited youth on the ship. He walked up behind a group of drinking pirates and asked, "Who is your leader?"

The pirates turned in shock, immediately backing away. "Where the hell did you come from?!"

The nearby pirate captain looked over lazily. "Who are you, kid?"

Lucci responded in a cold voice, "In the name of the World Government, I'm here to arrest you."

The captain laughed as if hearing a joke. "Hahaha! Arrest me? You? Looks like the World Government really is out of people, sending a brat like you to arrest me. Don't make me laugh. Get lost. We don't have time to play house with children."

With a casual wave of his hand, two pirates drew their swords and leapt at him.

"Tekkai," Lucci muttered.

Crack! Crack!

Both blades shattered on contact, leaving the attackers frozen.

The captain's expression darkened, though he remained confident. He still had hostages. "So that's how it is. You've got some skill. A government man. But if you make another move, I can't promise the hostages will live, boy."

Several pirates raised their guns and aimed at Lucci.

Seeing him stand motionless, the captain thought he had the upper hand and grinned. "Lock this brat up. He'll be our bargaining chip with the government. Then we'll have nothing to fear! Hahahaha!"

His men grinned back. "Yes!"

* * *

A few pirates escorted Lucci to the warehouse where the soldiers were kept. They shoved him inside and slammed the door shut.

Faintly, their voices could be heard outside.

"With a government hostage, they'll have to listen to us."

"This is great."

* * *

Inside the warehouse.

As the pirates' voices faded, Lucci spoke to the stunned soldiers, "I need to confirm something."

The nearest soldier hesitated. "What is it?"

"All the hostages are here, correct?"

"Yeah... why?"

Lucci's lips curled slightly. "I see... Soru."

Swish!

A blur of motion, and he appeared in front of a soldier, driving his finger straight into the man's heart.

Slash! Slash!

Blue crescent-shaped blades of air shot from his kicks, cutting several men clean in half.

Blood sprayed like blooming flowers. And like livestock being slaughtered, the soldiers screamed as they fell one after another.

In mere moments, all five hundred kingdom guards lay dead.

Outside, the pirates continued their celebration, unaware.

Lucci shook the blood from his fingers and kicked the bodies into a pile in the center of the warehouse.

* * *

By the time the pirates realized, it was too late.

The captain surrounded the warehouse with his men and mortars. "You bastard! You killed my most important hostages!"

Lucci's voice was calm. "They committed crimes. So I delivered justice."

"Crimes?" the pirates repeated in disbelief.

"As soldiers of the kingdom, weakness is a crime," Lucci said coldly. "They submitted to evil, let their kingdom fall to ruin, and brought it to the brink of destruction. Such soldiers don't deserve to live."

The captain felt a chill. That kind of reasoning...

"Are you really a World Government agent?"

"Justice will never bow to evil."

The captain snapped out of it. This man couldn't be allowed to live. "Fire! Kill him!"

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Five mortar shells exploded, turning the pile of corpses into a sea of fire.

The pirates sighed in relief, until a figure rose from the flames.

Lucci had taken the blasts head-on, his back hardened with Tekkai. He vanished in an instant, reappearing before the pirate captain, one hand gripping his face. "Shigan."

Blood burst in a spray as the captain's body was riddled with holes, lifeless.

Tossing him aside, Lucci looked at the terrified pirates fleeing in all directions. "Rankyaku."

* * *

Grand Line, Enies Lobby.

At CP9 headquarters, Spandine watched the young man who had shocked both the kingdom and the government and smiled in satisfaction. "Good job, Lucci. I've covered this incident for you. Justice doesn't compromise. From now on, do whatever needs to be done. If trouble comes, I'll take the heat."

Lucci nodded slightly. "Thank you, sir."

"Alright, go rest. Relax a bit," Spandine said with a smile.

"Yes," Lucci replied, walking out slowly.

From the window, Spandine watched him leave, a hint of contempt on his lips.

His white-haired subordinate asked curiously, "Sir, aren't you afraid of losing control by letting him act so freely?"

Spandine snorted. "No matter what, he's just a weapon brainwashed from childhood. He can't stir up much trouble."

He sighed, remembering something. "Every family has its useless offspring. This is mainly for my brat. The higher-ups are already prepared. In two years, once there's an opening, I'll be moving into the upper ranks of the government. You'll all be coming with me. I plan to hand CP9 over to my son, so I'm leaving him some loyal men. He's with CP5 now for training, that useless fool."

The white-haired man shrugged. This wasn't something an outsider could comment on.

* * *

Months later, a shocking event shook the seas.

In Big Mom's territory in the New World, several islands were ripped from the ocean and vanished into the sky.

On Whole Cake Island, Big Mom raged, destroying everything around her. "That damned Shiki! What is he trying to do?! Find him! I'll kill him!"

Her many children shivered. "Yes, Mama!"

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