The construction site in Golden City was practically devoid of any scenery. All that could be seen was dust and a large group of laborers. Even without smelling any particular odor, the air here always seemed to be filled with the stench of sweat.
Ortolan saw Stussy.
It was like a delicate flower that shouldn't belong in the desert.
Even the air suddenly felt fresher. What was originally the domain of rough men and their work chants was now completely captivated by her.
As Marine Admiral and a prominent figure in the New World, Ortolan has seen countless beautiful women.
But he still had to admit that Queen Stussy possessed a unique and unparalleled charisma.
She could attract men's attention simply by standing there; her entire being seemed to exude the charm of a beautiful woman.
Indeed, in Ortolan's opinion, Stussy may not be the most beautiful woman, but she is definitely the one who knows how to best showcase her charm.
From a distance, everyone around her seemed to be just a backdrop.
On Sunday, Queen Stussy was still wearing her signature khaki suit and a hat with a pink rose hanging from the brim. This simple decoration blended perfectly with her without any sense of incongruity.
She stood at the edge of the construction site, one arm crossed over her chest with a small handbag hanging from her arm, and the other hand resting lightly on her chin, with a half-smoked cigarette between her slender fingers.
The end of the cigarette was stained with a touch of glamorous lipstick.
When Stussy saw Ortolan, he was exhaling a puff of smoke, which lingered around her ear with a hazy, beautiful quality.
She made many small gestures. When she saw Ortolan, as if by instinct, her eyes lit up with joy, and she tilted her head slightly, acting as if she was looking forward to Ortolan's arrival, just like a girl in love who saw her sweetheart walking towards her.
Then, that joy and excitement turned into a little shyness. She took a small step, but then stopped in place, looking herself up and down, as if afraid that there might be some minor flaw.
Ortolan is an appreciative woman, and looking at Queen Stussy like this, he was somewhat moved.
But that's all. He knew very well what kind of person Her Majesty the Queen was.
"So much drama right from the start..." Ortolan thought to himself.
But he doesn't dislike this kind of drama.
Well, to put it simply, Her Majesty only feels sorry for her brother.
What brother would dislike such a beautiful woman?
If Kajiki were here, you might already be bewitched by this irresistible charm and might even pull out flowers to express your love.
Although Ortolan enjoyed this performance, his mind remained resolute.
With a beaming smile, he raised his hand in greeting. "Hahaha, Ms. Stussy, it's been a long time! You're still as beautiful as ever, absolutely stunning."
Hina, who was standing beside Ortolan, now had a wary look in her eyes.
During this time, she had often heard the name Stussy, but in reality, she had never met Stussy even once.
Before Tian Shi, her impression of Stussy included labels such as 'top agent, strong woman, queen', but now, with just one glance, all of these labels were removed!
"This is a vixen trying to seduce the Admiral!" Hina immediately labeled Stussy with a new tag!
Stussy seemed quite familiar with Hina's wary gaze. She noticed it immediately, then glanced at Hina casually before looking away.
"Just a young girl with the potential to become a beauty."
This was Stussy's first impression of Hina: too naive, probably a newcomer who didn't know how to hide his hostility and gaze, and perhaps even had a blind worship of Ortolan and some subtle possessiveness.
That must be love, or it could be longing, expectation, or something else entirely.
In short, with just one glance, Stussy had already analyzed Hina quite thoroughly. It has to be said that she truly deserves to be called a top expert in intelligence gathering.
My thoughts are a jumbled mess, but reality is but a fleeting moment.
Under Ortolan's gaze, Stussy merely glanced at Hina casually. The next second, Stussy, with a slightly resentful tone and her superb acting skills, said with a hint of grievance, "Some men praise my beauty but have never contacted me. These kinds of men are the most untrustworthy and the most likely to deceive women!"
Upon hearing this, Ortolan laughed and asked, "You mean a man? Who is it? It wouldn't be me, would it?"
Stussy nodded, looking quite pleased with himself in his suit. "At least this man has some self-awareness."
"Are you really talking about me? I'm not like that at all. Ever since we made an appointment to meet, I've been looking forward to it day and night, wishing I could see Your Majesty even an hour earlier." Ortolan chuckled and teased.
"Although I know those nice words are fake, being complimented by Marine Admiral still satisfies my pride as a woman. I'm in a good mood right now, and having seen a handsome man and heard such nice words, I'll just have to be reserved and forgive you, Admiral Bane~" Stussy raised an eyebrow, a bright smile on her face.
Just the right amount of elegance from Stussy; she knew perfectly well that Ortolan wasn't the kind of man who would succumb to her charm, so after a brief complaint, she smoothly suppressed her resentment.
It was as if she could swallow all her grievances as long as she could hear Ortolan's praise.
Ortolan extended his hand and gently shook hands with Queen Stussy.
Queen Stussy even tickled Ortolan's palm with her little finger during this time.
However, Ortolan pretended not to react, calmly withdrawing his hand and saying with a smile, "We've finally been waiting for you, Your Majesty. With your arrival, the Golden City is now blessed with peace..."
"Admiral, you are as witty as ever~" Stussy chuckled, then said, "Although the great figures of Mary Geoise have entrusted me with the affairs of this Golden City, I am still new here and don't know much about anything. I hope you will Admiral in the future."
Stussy wasn't there to seize control of the Golden City, nor was she interested in such things. Moreover, as the head of the New World's top intelligence organization, while Mary Geoise might not understand Ortolan, she certainly knew Ortolan quite well.
The Golden City Project is said to be a collaborative project proposed by Totto Land Totto Land and the World Government.
But after observing for a long time, she saw nothing else about the Totto Land, except that the Golden City was indeed located in the Totto Land Sea.
Where are the Big Mom Pirates in the Golden City?!
Everything here revolves around Bane Ortolan!
Even though she carries orders from Mary Geoise, she cannot truly seize control of this place.
If that's really what she's after, she might be troubled, and things won't be easy afterward, but fortunately, she doesn't care about that.
Before she came, she had already thought about how to deal with the situation.
That is to put on airs. On the surface, she wants to be the World Government here, but in reality, she doesn't need to do anything at all. She just needs to be a clay figurehead leader and relay the news and progress from here to Mary Geoise.
In private, she hoped to become a true ally of Ortolan, in a personal capacity, not as a member of the World Government.
He was once an Ortolan Vice Admiral, but now he has risen to the rank of Admiral.
Everything he did in the New World revealed his ambition.
The title of Admiral is not the end for him; this man will never stop his journey.
He might reach the pinnacle of this world, but she, Stussy, wants little more than to break free from all constraints and gain freedom.
It seems that this is not a particularly difficult thing for him.