Stussy looked at Roa with nothing but a dazed expression.
Even someone as shrewd as her could only feel her mind go blank at that moment.
How did he know?
How could he possibly know?
The biggest secret had just been casually exposed by Roa.
Of course, she was not the great executive Bakingum Stussy of the Rocks Pirates. Just as Roa had said, she was a clone created by Dr. Vegapunk using Buckingham as her template.
Because of Buckingham's deal with the doctor, she had inherited the name and identity of Stussy. The real Stussy was currently hiding in some corner of the sea, devotedly raising children.
This should have been a secret known to no one except Dr. Vegapunk and Buckingham.
Even the other members of the MADS organization—Sain, whose real name was Queen, Judge, and Caesar—had no idea that they had taken Buckingham's place. They all thought they had been destroyed by the doctor long ago.
How exactly did Roa know?
No, no!
This absolutely could not be exposed!
Almost instinctively, Stussy lunged at Roa.
But—
"I know I'm handsome, but what are you planning to do to a boy? That's illegal, you know."
Roa merely smiled as his left thumb pushed his beloved sword a little farther from its sheath.
Red energy streamed out.
Terror instantly covered the woman's resolute face.
What was this?
Stussy saw a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
Everything before her eyes was scarlet, utterly flooded with blood.
The thick stench of blood almost made her vomit.
Coming back to her senses, she stared at the blade in Roa's hand in disbelief!
Supreme Grade Swords, Blood Sea!
The sword Roa had taken from God Valley six years ago! The legendary weapon that could constantly evolve!
Over the past six years, to what extent had Roa made it evolve?
How much blood had it absorbed?
This man was a true monster...
Stussy felt her legs go weak and collapsed helplessly onto the ground.
There was no way out.
Seeing the older woman's flustered, helpless appearance, Roa couldn't help feeling a little protective. He stood up, walked over to her, and gently stroked her head.
"Don't be afraid, little sister Stussy. I'm not some demon either. Reporting to the World Government that you're Vegapunk's spy in Cipher Pol, causing Vegapunk to lose the government's trust—that's something I couldn't even imagine doing. How could I actually do it?"
Stussy raised her head and looked at him.
The beautiful woman's exquisite little face looked ready to cry.
Who could have imagined that she had only been born a few years ago, yet Roa had to call her little sister?
"How did you know?"
Stussy still asked the same question.
How exactly had Roa found out?
He even knew that she had joined CP0.
The one who had originally received the invitation was Buckingham, but she only wanted to raise children. So, at the doctor's request, Stussy—who had no goals in life to begin with—joined CP0 and became the doctor's personal spy. The doctor was somewhat wary of the World Government.
Could it have been Buckingham?
Had she told Roa about it?
Roa merely smiled.
When he first saw in the newspaper that Stussy had begun dabbling in the entertainment business, he had guessed that Cyborg Stussy had taken over her identity and joined CP.
After all, neither Aunt Stussy herself nor Cyborg Stussy had any reason to run a red-light district, right?
Only the Cipher Pol system, with its massive demand for intelligence, needed to gather information and recruit informants through such means.
"What exactly do you want?"
Stussy continued to look up at Roa, tears in her eyes and a pitiful expression on her face. "As long as you don't reveal this information, I'll do anything!"
Even Dylan, who was usually so indifferent, couldn't help feeling shaken.
Having spent a long time in the Rocks Pirates, when had he ever seen that executive Stussy look like this?
Even in front of Whitebeard, she had merely acted a little boy-crazy.
Cyborg Stussy?
She was much more pleasing to the eye than the original.
"Really?"
Roa's eyes immediately lit up. "You'll really do anything?"
"Mm!"
Stussy nodded pitifully, looking utterly heartbreaking.
"That's wonderful!"
Roa said excitedly, "Go blow up Mary Geoise right now, and take care of all the Five Elders. I've disliked them for a long time. If it's on the way, stop by Marineford and wipe out Marine Headquarters too."
The pitiful expression on Stussy's face instantly froze.
Then the woman's exquisite face turned cold. "You win. State your conditions."
"Tsk. Though you look great with this expression too—"
Roa patted Stussy's head and said, "I still prefer how you looked just now. Go back to that."
"..."
Stussy couldn't help recalling Buckingham's description of Roa.
To perfectly take over the identity of Stussy, Buckingham had shared every detail of her life.
Regarding Roa, Buckingham had said, "That bastard brat is rotten to the core! If he's still alive, then sooner or later, he'll drag the entire world into an abyss of despair!"
Stussy had originally thought Buckingham's judgment of a child was a little excessive, but now it seemed that she might have been right.
A coquettish smile once again appeared on the woman's beautiful face. She obediently rubbed her golden hair against Roa's palm. "Brother Roa, please don't make things difficult for me."
Her tone was almost coquettish, as though it had been scooped straight from a honey jar. Every note dripped with sweetness.
"Oh! Good girl, good girl!"
Roa happily ruffled Stussy's hair. He squatted down and lightly scratched the woman's chin with his other hand. "You're just like a kitten. So cute."
It was no wonder she had been a top-tier actress in the original story, capable of infiltrating Cipher Pol for more than thirty years without being discovered. Stussy really did shake her head like a cat, narrowing her eyes and curling her lips into an expression of utter enjoyment.
After getting his fill of petting her, Roa finally said with satisfaction, "Don't worry, little sister Stussy. I won't ask you to do anything dangerous. Just help me out whenever I need information."
"Brother Roa—"
Stussy's eyes shimmered with tears. "You mustn't deceive me."
"How could an adult deceive a child?"
Roa put on a serious face. "There are only occasional white lies, and they're definitely for your own good."
Even someone as skilled at acting as Stussy couldn't help her face stiffening for a moment.
Was the man in front of her really normal?
"All right, this time I want you to help me find out where Mr. Judge is."
Roa said, "He's an old acquaintance of yours. It shouldn't be difficult, right?"
Not to mention that Stussy herself was a member of the Cipher Pol system, the island she operated was a melting pot of all kinds of people. It was definitely one of the underground intelligence hubs in the New World.
"Vinsmoke Judge?"
Stussy nodded. "That's really easy, Brother Roa. I can answer you right now. The Germa Kingdom is currently in the North Blue, in the Kingdom of Samir. That neighboring country hired Mr. Judge to suppress it."
"Very good, very good."
Roa once again happily rubbed the head of the illegally mature woman before him. "You've been a huge help, little sister Stussy. Keep helping me like this in the future too."
"I understand, Brother Roa. As long as I can help you, I'll naturally do my utmost."
Stussy grasped Roa's small hand with both of hers, her eyes sparkling like stars. "So please show me mercy as well."
"That depends on how you perform afterward."
Roa chuckled. "Wouldn't it be a coincidence if I went to the North Blue and happened to run into the hero Garp on a mission there?"
"How could that happen?"
Stussy smiled sweetly too. "Hero Garp is currently on his way to the Land of Endless War to capture you. For your information, Linlin and Shiki went there too, though Shiki should already be on his way back."
"I hope Aunt Linlin is all right."
Roa offered a prayer for his aunt, whom he had not seen in a long time.
The intelligence specialist was in place too.
Next target: the North Blue!
"By the way, little sister Stussy, reimburse me for tonight's expenses."
If he didn't pay, it didn't count as... No, wait! He hadn't even enjoyed the service or taken a single bite of anything. What was wrong with asking for a refund?
Before you continue