Hunting Begins

After the agent sent in his report, the World Government quickly assembled its forces, including several agents who answered only to the Celestial Dragons.

It was a formidable force. Until now, these agents had been scattered throughout the Night Sea Domain, keeping a low profile to avoid revealing their identities.

The Night Pirates had many important locations, and the World Government had investigated quite a few of them. They had lost a considerable number of agents, but they had also obtained the information they wanted: a general idea of what these places were used for.

But none of it had revealed the location of the secret research lab they needed to find.

If they could destroy the secret lab and kill or seize its scientists, the Night Pirates' hold over their territory would undoubtedly weaken considerably.

It might even draw the attention of other forces.

The World Government could also acquire the Night Pirates' technology and greatly strengthen its own power. With the life-extending drugs in hand, it could then use the opportunity to demand more Heavenly Gold from the member nations.

Those member nations certainly wouldn't refuse. Nobody understood the upper-class nobles' yearning for long life better than the World Government did.

More important than pleasure was the pursuit of longevity.

That was precisely why the World Government had gone to such lengths to obtain the Op-Op Fruit: it could grant someone eternal life.

Of course, very few knew that one reason the World Government reclaimed the Op-Op Fruit was to prevent its user from performing its ultimate technique on a potential Joy Boy.

That way, the Devil Fruit that could unleash limitless power by continually burning its user's lifespan and vitality would no longer have a weakness.

The Nika Fruit was terrifying, but still within acceptable bounds. If