Stussy: Sorry Five Elders, Saint Shaya gave me too much.

About an hour later.

"Phew."

When Shaya returned, there was a look of refreshed relief on his face.

All the frustration he had swallowed from Roger earlier had been taken out on Stussy.

He had to admit, it was quite smooth.

"Hiss."

As for Stussy, her expression was exceptionally sour at the moment.

"That rough bastard—small in stature, but not small there..."

"Not a shred of tenderness for a lady; I'm still burning down there."

Stussy followed behind Shaya, first shooting a vicious glare at his back as he strode ahead, then pulling out a compact mirror she carried with her and quietly touched up her makeup.

"Shaya, as we agreed before, next you'll be training under me. My standards are very high—are you really ready?"

Roger said, pulling from inside the house one of the famed blades ranked among the 'Greatest Grade Swords,' Ace, and walked to the two trees planted in front of his wooden cabin...

By a curious coincidence, the two trees Roger had planted at his doorstep were one date tree, and the other was also a date tree. Clearly, Roger had taste—even the renowned literary master Zhou Shuren, had he witnessed this scene, would have been compelled to give Roger a quiet nod of approval.

On the other side.

"Shing..."

Roger lightly swung the Ace in his hand.

In an instant, the two ten-meter-tall trees at the entrance of Roger's yard were felled by the razor-sharp blade.

Then, gripping his sword—its edge radiating a chilling gleam, with a hilt resembling a Western rapier and a blade like a katana, a supreme great blade—Roger walked to the trunks of the two felled date trees and began chopping at them...

Before long, two rough wooden swords were carved out under Roger's slashes.

"Oh?"

Behind Roger, Shaya watched his movements and narrowed his eyes slightly.

He had to admit, Roger's swordsmanship was incredibly refined!

Clearly, the reason Roger had conquered this sea was not only his immense Haki, honed through relentless training, but also his meticulous and delicate swordsmanship...

He just wondered, setting aside Haki and comparing only the most fundamental sword techniques, who would come out on top between Roger, one of the era's strongest, and the man later known as the 'World's Greatest Swordsman,' with eyes like a hawk and the epithet 'Hawk Eyes,' Jorakul Mihawk?!

"This is for you! Consider it a gift."

Roger picked up one of the wooden swords from the ground and casually tossed it to Shaya, who had been quietly admiring Roger's brilliant swordsmanship.

"Thanks."

Shaya caught the wooden sword Roger had thrown, a smile on his face.

This really was a special gift.

The wooden sword in Shaya's hand reminded him of the days before his transmigration, when as a child he would pick up nice-looking branches from the roadside and play with them as toys.

A man is a boy until death; pick up a branch, and it's a holy sword!

Who said Shaya's mind was filled with nothing but schemes, lacking a bit of romance?!

"Then the training begins!"

Roger said, his body turning into an arc of light as he instantly appeared before Shaya.

"Ha..."

Shaya's pupils trembled slightly. He instinctively raised the wooden sword in his hand and swung it at Roger. Roger naturally met Shaya's slash with his own wooden sword...

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

For a time, the two of them, Roger and Shaya, engaged in a ferocious battle in the courtyard! Their figures moved so fast that to ordinary eyes, they were like two black shadows, impossible to see clearly...

"Whoosh!"

At the same time, gusts of howling wind swept through!

The wooden swords in Roger's and Shaya's hands continuously unleashed dazzling slashes. As their Haki and strikes collided, even the air around them trembled, sending out ripple after ripple.

"Incredible!"

Stussy watched Shaya fighting Roger, her pupils contracting slightly.

"That kid might surpass both me and Roger someday!"

Just as Stussy was marveling at Shaya's formidable strength...

Garp appeared beside Stussy without a sound and spoke softly.

"Uh..."

Stussy looked at Garp beside her, her eyes full of wariness.

Stussy wasn't about to let her guard down around Garp just because he was the Hero of the Marines and, like her as a CP0 agent, served under the World Government...

The World Government is not as monolithic as outsiders imagine it to be.

"Don't be nervous! I am a Marine who upholds justice, not a lawless pirate. I would never do anything to you. Even if you are a member of CP0, whom I dislike..."

"Of course, dislike is dislike, but I still hope that you, as a member of CP0, the World Government's strongest intelligence agency, can properly fulfill your duties!"

"As for what follows, consider it some advice from an old hand, a senior to you! You can also take it as an old man's unnecessary nagging."

"I advise you to avoid doing anything superfluous, otherwise you'll not only cause trouble for others, but also bring unnecessary trouble upon yourself..."

"We are both in the World Government; it's best to play dumb when needed..."

Garp looked at Stussy beside him and spoke softly.

"Vice Admiral Garp's advice, Stussy will keep in mind!"

Stussy's pupils contracted sharply upon hearing Garp's words...

Then she nodded firmly and replied to Garp.

"It would be best if you truly take those words to heart..."

To this, Garp merely smiled lightly. He didn't seem to care much whether Stussy truly understood what he had said. He remained as carefree as ever, as if nothing weighed on his mind, displaying a broad-minded attitude of one who has seen through life.

However, Stussy, who had been warned by Garp, was now thinking with a dark expression:

"Heh, Garp means that if I do something I shouldn't, although he, as a Marine, won't do anything to me, Roger, as a pirate, will absolutely not let it go! Roger doesn't share Garp's fear of the World Government..."

"After all, if I report the situation here truthfully to the higher-ups, they will definitely send warships to launch a Buster Call on the entire Baterilla Island, wiping it out! At that time, Roger's child and wife might die in the attack..."

"Once Roger's wife and child die because of me, I will be faced with a world-class powerhouse who has lost all family, is terminally ill and won't live long, has no attachments or worries left in this world, has no weaknesses, and is filled with hatred for me! Just thinking about it is terrifying."

"Forget it, I'll just muddle through this matter for now! As Garp reminded me, our mission as CP0 is to serve the Celestial Dragons wholeheartedly! Since this is the decision of Saint Shaya, a Celestial Dragon, why wouldn't I, as a member of CP0, go along with it?!"

In just a few minutes, Stussy seemed to have seen through life.

Besides, strictly speaking, she was now one of Young Master Shaya's people...

The greater Young Master Shaya's future achievements, the more beneficial it would be for her.

Although Shaya's methods were extremely simple and crude...

They had barely managed to tie Stussy to his chariot.

Thinking of this, Stussy smiled helplessly. She looked at Garp and spoke softly: "If you're worried that I might betray Young Master Shaya, then I think you're overthinking it."

"Huh?!"

Garp's expression froze slightly at Stussy's words.

"Young Master Shaya, he gave too much..."

Stussy looked at Garp and said softly.

"Huh?"

Garp looked at Stussy in confusion, clearly not understanding her meaning.

"Young Master Shaya promised me that after returning to Holy Land Mary Geoise, he would directly announce that I am to become his first wife." Stussy looked at Garp, her eyes filled with undisguised excitement, her tone extremely light: "As a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral, you should know the value of a World Noble's first wife, right? At that time, even if my status can't compare to a true Celestial Dragon, I'll still be half a master. Then, I will use the title of the World Noble's first wife to completely take control of CP0."

"Money! Power! I want it all..."

As Stussy spoke, her eyes were filled with the color of desire.

As for love or anything like that, Stussy had never taken it seriously.

As the Queen of the Pleasure District, the world's largest, Stussy never bothered with love...

"This woman..."

Garp looked at Stussy beside him, his expression dark.

"As expected, she's Bakin's clone? Even their personalities are incredibly similar..."

"Be careful you don't end up like Bakin, consumed by your own desires!"

Garp stared at Stussy's delicate face for a long time, then sighed helplessly.

"Ah..."

"In the end, I've still walked the same path as the original."

"Very well, then let it be."

"Perhaps this is fate, who knows..."

"But although I don't care how many women are by Shaya's side..."

"The position of 'main wife' must be mine."

"With my charm, if I can't even handle a little brat of a Celestial Dragon, then what kind of Queen of the Pleasure District am I? I might as well go into seclusion with Vegapunk..."

Stussy had never imagined that Shaya, as a Celestial Dragon, would only have her as his woman! That was unrealistic and absolutely impossible...

But no matter what, she, Stussy, would try to compete for the position of main wife.

If Shaya truly sat upon that vacant Void Throne.

Then she, Stussy, would be the woman of the world's king, above all but one.

Of course, if Shaya failed, she would continue on as CP0.

It was just that Stussy never put all her eggs in one basket; she had long since prepared a way out for herself! However, as long as Shaya showed no signs of decline, until he completely fell from power, she would wholeheartedly serve the great Saint Shaya.

After all, Shaya was a Celestial Dragon, and she was merely a pitiful CP0?!

For now, Stussy could only offer an apology in her heart to the Five Elders: "Sorry, it's not that you Five Elders didn't treat me well enough, but Saint Shaya... he really gave too much~"

Yet, Stussy's calculations had long been within Shaya's calculations as well.

Shaya naturally knew that a woman like Stussy would not form emotional bonds with others.

You try talking about feelings with Stussy, a CP0 agent...

Stussy would think you were looking down on her, insulting her character!

In the eyes of a woman like Stussy, only tangible, real benefits were true!

Perhaps Stussy still held some regard for the bond of her creation by Vegapunk, but that was the only bond she cared about...

Shaya considered that although he had spent several years with Stussy and was one of her closest people, when it came to her feelings for him—how could a wage earner develop feelings for a wicked capitalist?

So Shaya, after pulling Stussy into the forest, wasted no time and directly laid out his terms, telling Stussy that if she stood by his side, he would grant her the position of a Celestial Dragon's wife.

In addition, every year after the nations of the world submitted the Heavenly Gold to the World Government, he would take twenty percent of his own share and give it to Stussy to maintain an expenditure befitting her status and position.

Under the assault of money and status, Stussy fell immediately...

As for the matter of doing a nucleic acid test, time was tight, so the big one could wait...

But he, Shaya, still had to inspect the goods in other aspects beforehand, right? There was no problem with that!

Yet the truth was that Stussy was even more proactive than Shaya had imagined.

As for Stussy's skill? Shaya could only murmur softly: "Truly worthy of being the Queen of Pleasure Street, this technique is indeed remarkable."

So there was a reason Boss Cao liked mature women...

And he, Cao Shaya, happened to share the same surname as Cao Cao... ahem...

Thus, with Shaya and Stussy each taking what they needed, the two hit it off immediately.

Stussy swore loyalty to Shaya and provided services for Shaya! All kinds of services!

Shaya bestowed upon Stussy power, status, money, everything...

For Shaya, a Celestial Dragon, these were the things he had in abundance.

As for the benefits Stussy hoped to gain, he would simply give them to her.

Besides the tangible, touchable, real benefits Stussy could see right now, the pie called the future was more than plentiful here at his Saint Shaya's place.

Ahem...

As for the promise Shaya now made to Stussy—that he would later support her in becoming the CP0 Commander? Of course, Shaya would fulfill it...

After all, Shaya was looking forward to using Stussy's hands to completely take control of the World Government's entire intelligence network.

Speaking of intelligence organizations, Shaya thought of 'From I never saw you as an Emperor of the Sea, to the two of me and Kizaru are enough to defeat you, to even an Emperor's right-hand man is worth killing,' the man known as CP9's strongest in eight hundred years, Rob Lucci and the others.

Speaking of which, Kalifa was also quite attractive...

Mm, when Shaya ate, he always liked to look at what was in his bowl, eye what was in the pot, think about what was in the rice cooker, and fantasize about what was in the restaurants outside...

After successfully securing Stussy, Shaya's goals shifted once again.

Of course, for now, Shaya still had to peacefully see Roger off and then successfully inherit Roger's legacy: "Isn't that right, my dear? Lucky Charm Ace?"

But for now, Shaya's purpose was still to learn combat techniques from Roger.

Thus, three days later...

"So this is Kamui? Not that impressive!"

Shaya had spent three days and finally successfully mastered Kamui.

And at the very moment Shaya successfully mastered Kamui, his proficiency with Kamui directly reached level seven, the minor accomplishment stage!

As a pitch-black crescent moon slashed out from the wooden sword in Shaya's hand, he spoke with a smile: "Isn't this as easy as pie?!"

"Three days? In just three days, you've matched seven or eight years of my effort?"

"I feel like my entire life's work honing swordsmanship has gone to the dogs..."

"Perhaps, kid, you could conquer this sea with swordsmanship alone..."

Roger stared at Shaya, who had mastered Kamui in three days, speechless with shock.

Roger had seen those born with immense strength, like Charlotte Linlin and Kaido, who displayed astonishing talent from childhood, walking the path of overwhelming force...

But someone like Shaya, with maxed-out technical talent, was something he had never seen before~

"Ah, keep a low profile, just basic moves~"

To this, Shaya replied with a humble expression.

Happy New Year, brothers~ Continuing with a four-thousand-character chapter, and begging for follows! Begging for follows! Still begging for follows!