One Piece: The user of the Nen-Nen Fruit, who overturned the sea.

City of Flowers

Inside the general's mansion of Kurozumi Orochi.

The giant black charcoal snake did not sleep all night.

He has been in a state of high tension ever since his secret meeting with the CP0 envoy last night.

"Shogun, Kaido's fleet has left Onigashima and is heading towards the Flower Capital."

A retainer rushed in to report.

"So fast?"

Kurozumi Orochi's face turned pale.

How many men did he bring?

"At least a hundred pirates, accompanied by Queen and Jack, judging by this..."

The retainer added in a low voice,

"The scouts report that Kaido seems to have received some intelligence last night, and he summoned his men early this morning, looking furious."

Kurozumi Orochi clenched his fist, his nails digging into his palm.

Kaido was not fooled by the arrival of the CP0 envoy.

But he didn't expect Kaido's reaction to be so quick and direct.

"General, should we...?" The retainer made a gesture.

"Get lost! Do you think we can handle Kaido?!"

Orochi forced himself to calm down.

"Kaido is probably just testing us. If we overreact, it will only expose our problems."

Receive them according to normal etiquette, but secretly strengthen security within the residence.

"Yes."

After the retainers withdrew, Kurozumi Orochi walked to the window and looked out at the distant sea.

Kaido's warships were already faintly visible, like giant sea monsters, slowly approaching.

"Damn it... how could we have been exposed so quickly?"

The black charcoal serpent cursed under its breath.

The CP0 envoy gave him a promise and a mission: to find out the detailed defenses and internal structure of the Ghost Island research base within three days.

In exchange, the World Government will intervene at the right time to help him completely break free from Kaido's control.

But the envoy did not specify what this "appropriate time" would be.

Orochi knew this was his chance to break free from Kaido's control. But upon hearing the news of Kaido's arrival...

Fear and anxiety would constantly well up in his mind.

But the conditions offered by the World Government were too tempting, so he had no choice but to continue.

Because if you turn around, you'll see Kaido's spiked club.

On the streets of the Flower Capital, Roy blended into the crowd, his Observation Haki silently activated.

His perception was like an invisible spider web, covering the entire city.

He could perceive everything: the emotional fluctuations of ordinary people, the breathing rhythm of samurai, the cries of vendors, even the scurrying of rats underground.

However, the presence of the CP0 envoy vanished without a trace, as if a stone had sunk into the sea.

"Truly professional."

Roy thought to himself.

CP0 members undergo rigorous training and are able to perfectly conceal their aura and killing intent.

In densely populated cities, it is almost impossible to find them using ordinary senses.

But Roy has his way.

Roy walked into a teahouse, sat down in a corner, and ordered a pot of tea.

With eyes closed, mental energy begins to scan in a more refined manner.

The search is no longer for "signature," but for "abnormality."

—His heart rate is different from that of ordinary people.

—The respiratory rate is abnormally stable.

—Their body temperature is controlled too perfectly.

—The position where the gaze lingers is too professional.

These are all flaws left by specially trained people.

Ten minutes later, Roy opened his eyes.

found it.

Three goals.

In the attic opposite the general's mansion, there was a man disguised as a painter, but his brush was never dipped in ink.

A fishmonger's stall on a street corner, though dressed in coarse cloth, revealed his identity as a swordsman through the way he held his knife.

There was another one... on the second floor of the teahouse, "leisurely" sipping tea, but his ears were twitching slightly, clearly listening to the conversations around him.

"The division of labor is clear."

Roy took a sip of tea.

"One monitors the General's residence, one gathers intelligence from the streets, and one is responsible for liaison. A standard CP0 operations team configuration."

Roy put down his teacup, stood up, paid the bill, and slowly walked out of the teahouse.

Let's choose the "artist" as our first target.

The three-story pavilion opposite the General's Mansion.

A middle-aged man sat by the window, with an easel in front of him and a paintbrush in his hand, his gaze "focused" on the gate of the general's mansion.

He is indeed a painter, at least according to the register of the City of Flowers.

But only he himself knows what his real mission here is.

"Kaido's ship is almost here."

He muttered to himself, his voice so soft that only he could hear it.

"Orochi's reaction will be key. If he appears too calm, it means he's prepared; if he's too flustered, it means he has something to hide..."

Just then, he sensed someone coming up to the attic.

The footsteps were light, but they were definitely getting closer.

The artist paused slightly, but did not turn around, continuing to "concentrate" on his painting.

"Guest, this place is not open to the public," he said without turning his head.

"I know."

A calm voice sounded behind me.

"I'm just here to ask a few questions."

The artist felt a chill and slowly turned around.

A young man dressed in a dark kimono stood at the top of the stairs. His face was ordinary, but his eyes were frighteningly deep.

"What's the problem?" The artist's hand quietly reached for the short sword at his waist.

"About your employer, and the purpose of your coming to Wano Country."

Roy took a step forward.

The artist instantly erupted!

The dagger was drawn and thrust straight at Roy's throat!

This strike was as fast as lightning, with a tricky angle; it was a killer's deadly move.

But the knife stopped three inches from Roy's throat.

It wasn't that the artist was being lenient; rather, he discovered that he was completely unable to move.

All the muscles in my body felt like they were bound by invisible chains, and I couldn't even blink.

"you……"

A look of horror flashed across the artist's eyes.

"The first question,"

Roy walked up to the painter.

How many people from CP0 came this time?

The artist gritted his teeth and remained silent.

Roy wasn't in a hurry; he slowly invaded the other's mind with his mental energy.

pain.

An indescribable pain exploded in my mind.

The artist felt as if his memories were being searched and torn apart by an invisible hand, every second like torture.

"Ah...ah ah..."

He let out a suppressed groan, but his body remained unable to move.

"Four people."

Roy read the relevant information.

"One team leader, three support members. You're in charge of surveillance."

The artist's face turned deathly pale.

Who exactly is this person in front of me? Why do they know about the structure of CP0? Why can they directly access my memories?

"The second question is, what are your goals?"

Roy continued to ask questions, while increasing the psychological pressure.

The artist's consciousness began to blur, and his will to resist gradually crumbled.

"Investigate...Investigate the Onigashima research base...Confirm the progress of research projects within the base...Assess the threat level..."

The CP members spoke intermittently.

"My third question is, have you had any contact with Kozuki Oden?"

"N-no...the team leader said Oden is out of control...prioritize contacting Kurozumi Orochi..."

"The fourth question: Will the Navy intervene?"

"No... I'm not sure... We need to see our assessment report..."

Roy obtained the information he wanted and withdrew his mental energy.

The artist collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, his eyes glazed over.

Thanks.

Roy turned to leave.