Night had fallen, and Blueno's tavern had closed early.
Only four CP9 agents stationed undercover in Water 7 sat inside the entire tavern: Blueno, Kaku, Kalifa, and the strongest among them, Rob Lucci.
As the man in charge, Lucci remained silent, the names of four factions echoing through his mind:
Shichibukai Garen, Whitebeard Pirates Ace, CP9 agents, and their target, Revolutionary Army Hatchan.
All four factions had gathered in the small city of Water 7. Like undercurrents lurking beneath a calm sea, even the slightest disturbance could trigger a monstrous tsunami.
Though Lucci was dissatisfied with his useless superior, he was a perfect agent who was absolutely responsible toward his mission and absolutely loyal to the government.
Even in such a tangled situation, Lucci did not throw in the towel. Instead, he racked his brain for a way to break the deadlock.
In the end, Lucci reached a grave conclusion:
"If we are merely capturing Fish-Man Hatchan, our CP9 agents should be enough;"
"But Water 7 is only so large. If the battle causes too much commotion and drags in the Whitebeard Pirates, who are also enemies of the government..."
"The situation will likely turn disastrous."
"Then..."
Kaku touched his long nose and suggested, "Should we ask the Marines for assistance?"
"There's no point asking now!"
Kalifa answered irritably, then added:
"The Marine bases around Water 7 are only staffed by Marine officers at headquarters colonel rank."
"To guard against a great pirate like Fire Fist Ace, whose bounty exceeds five hundred million, we would need to request the aid of at least two Marine vice admirals."
The air suddenly froze, followed by another stretch of silence.
Even someone as proud as the genius Rob Lucci had to admit that he was not confident about this mission.
"Kaku!"
Kalifa shot