Two days later at noon, at Dock One.
"They... they left?!"
Iceberg was quite surprised upon hearing Kalifa's report.
That Shichibukai and his companions only stayed in Water Seven for two days before leaving.
He had already given a strict order for the residents of Water Seven to restrain themselves and not be as open as before, lest they get into trouble.
He was even prepared to be tortured and forced to reveal the whereabouts of the Pluton Blueprints, but he was told that they left at dawn?
"Could it be that they're really just here for sightseeing?"
Iceberg couldn't help but wonder if he was suffering from paranoia. The pressure the World Government had put on him for years had made him extremely nervous.
His relieved expression caused Kalifa and Kaku, who were standing nearby, to frown.
Now that the most dangerous and unstable factor has left, it's time for them to take action.
"You've really had a hard time, Lucci."
Iceberg patted him on the shoulder. After all, he had just said he would talk to that person two days ago, and the next day he was covered in bandages, so he must have had a fierce battle.
Fortunately, the outcome was good. The residents returned to normal, and those people left. Water Seven was able to return to normal as before.
"It's nothing~"
In public, it was still the pigeons that spoke for him.
"Wow, amazing! Look, the pigeon is talking!"
Following the sound, they saw three people, each carrying a box, walking towards them.
Meanwhile, Cifer and his group had arrived at Enies Lobby, one of the World Government's flagship locations.
"Cifer's identity is really convenient~ He can easily enter even the legendary island that symbolizes Absolute Justice."
Robin marveled that someone like himself, a "sinner," could openly enter this island of justice; it was something he could never have imagined before.
"It's just a place in name only; everywhere there are only empty courthouses."
"If you want, feel free to wander around. If not, just stay on the boat. There's nothing much to see on this island. I'm just here to pick up some things."
Cifer didn't like it here; the island had a rotten smell.
"We'll wait for you on the ship; it shouldn't be too long."
Robin had heard of this place, but she didn't like it. The others also expressed their intention to stay on the ship.
Meanwhile, Tower of Justice.
"Why did you call all of us over? It's not time for the long-awaited CP9 reunion yet!"
Enies Lobby is the headquarters of CP9, and in the commander's office, almost all the remaining CP9 members are gathered together.
Jabura, the strongest fighter on Enies Lobby, looked impatient. He had originally planned to go on a date with his girlfriend Catherine, later.
"Lucci and the others probably haven't finished their mission yet, right? Chirp chirp"
The round-faced, spherical man with a zipper on his mouth Chopper, unzipped it and asked a question.
"Does the officer want to see me commit seppuku?"
"Seppuku! Tekkai!"
The Sogeking, amused by its own actions, stabbed itself with the knife, then naturally used Tekkai to block it.
"There was really no other way. After all, the guards just reported that a formidable fellow had arrived, and we weren't sure what to do, so we had to call you all here."
These guys are really getting more and more unreliable. If Rob Lucci were still around, that would be great!
The man wearing a mask that covered half his face seemed to be enjoying the delicious coffee on the table, but anyone with a discerning eye could see that his hands were trembling.
"Wow, it's really lively here, like a street performer. Is this how they welcome me?"
A voice came from behind Jabura, which startled him so much that he jumped up quickly, spun around in the air to create distance, and landed.
The originally relaxed and pleasant atmosphere in the office turned gloomy, simply because the appearance of this man was too strange.
Silently, no one noticed when he stood behind Jabura; they were CP9, who were practically Superman!
Especially Jabura, who has been recognized as the strongest in the years since Lucci left Enies Lobby.
"Mr. Ulquiorra, I've heard so much about you!"
Spandam suddenly stood up and reached out to Cifer, but accidentally knocked over the scalding hot coffee on the table.
"It's so hot!"
"The officer is just a man whose Doriki Value is lower than that of an ordinary soldier, chirp chirp~"
Watching Spandam jumping around, Chopper made no attempt to hide his mockery.
"Ulquiorra? I recognize you! No wonder that idiot commander summoned us all here!"
Jabura walked to the other side of the chair and sat down. Since the person who came was Shichibukai, it meant that, at least on the surface, they shouldn't be an enemy.
"Let me calculate your Doriki Value! Chirp chirp chirp"
With Chopper launched its spherical body toward Cifer.
"Get out of here."
The latter casually slapped it, sending it flying and embedding it in the wall, where it remained motionless.
"My Doriki Value... I can't calculate it! Help me, my bones feel like they're about to break... Crackling sound~"
Jabura and the others, who had originally intended to mock the Chopper who had been slapped away, could no longer remain calm upon hearing these words.
He's the kind of guy who often gets beaten up to measure the internal Doriki Value of CP9, but now he's saying that a light slap might have broken his bones!
"Are you alright?! Really?!"
The Sogeking forward and pried the ball off the wall, which looked like it was in pain.
Jabura has transformed into a werewolf and is ready to fight at any moment.
"Wait! You lot, he's not an enemy!"
"I'm really sorry, but this is how CP9 communicates internally!"
Spandam quickly stepped forward and stopped Jabura, then apologized to Cifer for their recklessness.
The mission regarding the Ancient Weapon Pluton is nearing its end, and Lucci seems to have made some progress. He doesn't want any complications at this time.
Moreover, as a seasoned government official, he had heard quite a bit about the discussions surrounding this man.
Some say that as Shichibukai, he effectively deterred pirates; others say that he acted recklessly and would surely become a great scourge in the future.
Some people question his conduct, and others question his character, but no one has ever questioned his abilities!
"I heard that you seem to have a few Devil Fruit, and I'd like to borrow them."
Cifer sat down in the commander's seat, with his feet up on the table.
"Huh? You must have misheard. How could I possibly have something so precious, let alone several of them? It must be a rumor! Who told you this?!"
"He's slandering me!"
Spandam vehemently denied the existence of the Cifer problem.
What a joke! Those two fruits are meant to win people's hearts.
More importantly, is something like this something you can just lend out casually? Especially to such a notorious guy!
"I said it myself."
The meeting room fell silent.