Seeing Senga's actions, Stussy nodded in satisfaction. She thought he was quite tactful, and her opinion of him rose a little without her realizing it.
With her main task complete, Stussy prepared to leave. Before departing, she handed Senga a card and gave him a flirtatious wink, telling him to come find her whenever he wanted to relax in the Pleasure District. Then she left.
After Stussy left, only Senga and Kalifa remained in the office. Worthy of being an intelligence agent who had undergone special training since childhood, Kalifa quickly settled into her role as a secretary. She brought Senga a cup of hot tea, then stood respectfully to one side and asked what orders he had.
It was Senga's first time experiencing a secretary's service, and he found it rather novel. Though this secretary was actually a spy, the experience itself was not lacking in the slightest.
After thinking for a moment, Senga told Kalifa to compile all the major and minor events currently taking place in the Sabaody Archipelago. He needed a general understanding of the current situation. He could not seriously spend a whole year here doing nothing, could he?
After receiving the assignment, Kalifa silently went off to sort through the materials. Before long, she carried in a stack of documents half as tall as a person and placed it on Senga's desk.
The efficiency really was incredible. Senga thought that if she were not with the World Government, he would definitely have made her his real secretary.
Shaking off those miscellaneous thoughts, Senga lowered his head and examined the materials Kalifa had compiled. Through them, he obtained plenty of useful information.
For example, Areas 1 through 29 of the Sabaody Archipelago were mainly where all kinds of gray-market dealings took place. Human trafficking and lawless zones were all located there, and the Celestial Dragons especially liked going there to buy slaves.
After reading for a while, Senga closed the documents in his hand, stood up, and said to Kalifa,
"Get ready. We're going to Area No. 16."
Kalifa immediately notified a squad of marines to stand by. Then she fetched a white suit jacket and draped it over Senga before following closely behind him toward Area No. 16.
The moment he stepped into Area No. 16, Senga keenly sensed countless ill-intentioned gazes fixed on him. There was a reason this place was called a lawless zone. The deterrent effect of a marine identity was limited here.
Senga strolled down the streets as though taking a walk. Faint cries and screams could be heard from time to time, likely from slaves being sold or pirates preying on one another.
Senga had no intention of meddling in slave trading. Since it had been allowed to exist for so long right under the noses of the World Government and the Marines, someone had to be supporting it from behind the scenes. Whether it was the Celestial Dragons or other World Government officials, none of them would allow anyone to disrupt this kind of trade.
For now, all Senga could do was be a good marine. He would deal with such matters once he had greater strength and a higher position.
At that moment, inside a building by the street, a group of pirates had been watching Senga's party for quite some time.
In the center of the room sat a thin, short man. He was guzzling beer from a barrel nearly as large as he was. A small lackey backed away from the window and respectfully said to the short man,
"Captain Jerry, that group of marines hasn't done anything. They've just been wandering around like they're taking a walk."
The short man was Captain Jerry, the captain of the Blood Rat Pirates, with a bounty of 120 million Berries. Hearing his subordinate's report, he set down the beer, wiped his mouth, and spoke in an extremely shrill voice,
"Who's leading them? Ambuster?"
"Don't know him. He looks like a new face. There's also a woman following behind him. She's pretty hot!"
A beautiful woman? The moment he heard that, Jerry's alcohol-addled mind immediately cleared.
What did a beautiful woman mean in this place? It meant walking Berries! Supply had dwindled over the past few years, and the quality had become even worse. Upon hearing there was a beautiful woman, he immediately darted to the window, shoved aside the lackey, and looked outside.
Through the window, he immediately spotted Kalifa behind Senga. Kalifa's curvaceous figure and cold, beautiful face instantly earned her the label of premium merchandise in his eyes. Then he looked at Senga standing in front of her and sneered.
"So young, yet already a colonel. Another rich brat here to pad his credentials, huh? Too bad your luck sucks. You could've gone anywhere, but you just had to come here. I'll gladly take your squad's weapons and the woman behind you. Be more careful in your next life!"
With that, he called for his lackeys to rush out of the building and block Senga's party. Pointing arrogantly at Senga, he said,
"Kid, this isn't a place for little brats like you. Hand over the woman behind you and your weapons, and I might spare your lives. Otherwise, don't blame Blood Rat Jerry for showing no mercy!"
"Blood Rat Jerry?"
Senga frowned. He had not expected someone to come offering himself up just from making an inspection round. Kalifa pushed up her glasses and dutifully began explaining Jerry's information to Senga.
"Blood Rat Jerry. Bounty: 120 million Berries. Devil Fruit, Zoan-type: Rat-Rat Fruit, Giant-Toothed Rat Form. He enjoys robbery and torturing women, and in recent years has become obsessed with slave trading."
Senga listened with his arms crossed. So this Jerry was a complete piece of trash. In that case, he wouldn't be getting the chance to enter Deep Sea Prison.
With that thought, Senga lowered his arms, preparing to deal with this so-called rat. Seeing his movement, Kalifa's gaze sharpened slightly.
Was he finally going to make a move? Observing Senga's abilities and strength was also one of her key objectives, but the result was destined to disappoint her.
Senga was indeed about to make a move, but Metis on his shoulder stopped him. Metis let out a meow.
"Master, leave this rat to me."
"Hm? Are you sure? His bounty isn't exactly low."
"Don't worry, Master. Leave it to me. After all, he's a rat, isn't he?"
Senga thought that made sense. Metis had not made a move since her birth, so this was a good opportunity to see what she could do.
Thus, Kalifa, who had been waiting expectantly behind him, did not see Senga make a move. Instead, she watched the black cat on his shoulder leap out and land in front of Jerry and the other pirates.
What was this supposed to mean? Not only Kalifa and the marines, but even the pirate crew opposite them were completely baffled. What did it mean to send out a pet in a situation like this?
Jerry, however, shuddered. He did not know why, but the instant he saw that black cat, every hair on his body stood on end, and he involuntarily felt a fear that rose from the depths of his heart.
He shook his head. What was wrong with him? It was only a pet cat. Even if he was a Rat-Rat Fruit Ability User, he shouldn't be this afraid of the thing, right?
Metis landed on all fours and let out a loud meow toward the sky. A mass of Black Flame immediately wrapped around her. The Black Flame surrounding Metis continued to expand until it reached the size of a small house, then stopped.
As the black flames dispersed, everyone present's pupils contracted. The pet cat had vanished, replaced by a black demon cat covered in jet-black fur, with black flames flickering across her body from time to time.
Metis licked her lips, her large eyes fixed tightly on Jerry. Her voice echoed in Senga's mind.
"Master, time to eat!"
Before you continue