The Worry Demon Geld Chuck

"What? Those Marines were killed!"

At the stern of the warship, Peslo asked back in shock, glancing at his two companions. After a brief moment of bewilderment, the two shook their heads repeatedly.

"No, it wasn't us!"

"How could we possibly kill them?"

"If not you, then who else!" Xiao glared at Female CP9, saying, "After you knocked me down, I lay there the whole time. Before the residents arrived, no one else came near!"

The two CP9 members were furious and anxious—they couldn't take the blame for this. Peslo, calmer, looked at Figo leaning by the door and said, "Warden Figo, I apologize for my earlier rudeness. But you should be able to see this wasn't us."

Figo naturally knew it wasn't them—there was no need, and the Crime Index didn't match.

Was there a third party?

But some things didn't add up.

If someone could bypass Xiao and silently kill the Marines, they should have been able to kill Xiao too!

"Old Xiao, calm down first." Figo couldn't figure it out, so he soothed him and said to Peslo, "Right now, you're indeed under heavy suspicion. To gain the Giant race's trust more deeply, you might not hesitate to do something like this."

"You..." Little Tiger glared.

Peslo was also irritated, but then seemed to think of something. He glanced at Figo's chest, suppressed his anger, and said, "How can we make you believe us?"

"There's something I've wanted to ask for a while." Figo seized the moment. "All seven Giants were once imprisoned in Impel Down. I've seen their files. Among them, the last captured Giant, named Kevin, was once a Giant Champion who repeatedly defended a Giant village from pirate invasions.

The process of him becoming a pirate is a bit vague. I want to ask—did CP9 secretly meddle in that to recruit him? Were the other six Giants also chosen by you..."

"We don't have that kind of ability." Peslo interrupted. "Warden Figo, you're probably referring to the death of Giant Kevin's daughter. We did investigate that, and even brought some evidence as leverage to recruit him.

The one who truly killed his daughter should be the Worry Demon—Geld Chuck."

"Worry Demon?"

Sure enough, Peslo was in the know, even carrying evidence. That's why, when the Character Event required investigating the truth, the clue arrow pointed to him.

This "worry" definitely didn't mean concern—it meant manipulating hearts.

Figo had been stuck in Impel Down, and Xiao beside him already showed a terrified expression, but he still didn't know who this so-called Worry Demon was.

Peslo, with his shackled hands, struggled to pull a few crumpled sheets of paper from his chest and handed them to Figo. The first thing Figo noticed was a Bounty Poster among them.

The image on the poster was a middle-aged man in a cloak, with protruding cheekbones, an evil grin, and an ugly face, somewhat resembling an alien from internet photos.

Worry Demon Geld Chuck.

Bounty: 470,000,000 Berry!

In an era where the bounty cap was 1 Billion and a Great Pirate's bounty was only one or two hundred million, 470 million was enough to rank in the top fifty!

Figo flipped further down and found a newspaper article from over a decade ago. It introduced a heroic Marine couple, accompanied by a picture of them pierced through by an iron spear, embracing tightly as they died together.

"That incident happened at G21 Branch. The island defended by that Lieutenant Colonel was attacked by pirates. He fought long and hard, repelling the pirates, but was pierced through from behind by a spear, falling into a dying state."

Peslo explained to Figo: "Before he died, his wife ran over from a distance, without hesitation, and impaled herself on the spear stuck in the Lieutenant Colonel, dying in his embrace."

If that was all, it would be a touching story. But Peslo added, "Look at the next photo. A journalist secretly captured it from another angle."

Figo turned to the next page.

Same scene, same two people, but this photo captured the wife's face as she died with her husband.

Her expression wasn't warmth or peace.

It was struggle, agony, terror!

She hadn't chosen to die!

"That was the first time we found traces of the Worry Demon Geld Chuck. He's a String-String Fruit Ability User, obsessed with using its manipulation power to create misunderstandings, tragedies, stories, coincidences—obsessed with manipulating hearts!"

"String-String Fruit?" Figo murmured.

"He's caused at least a hundred tragedies in similar ways of toying with people. The death of Giant Kevin's daughter bears his clear mark! He's also one of the kings of the Underworld, even secretly instigated coups in small nations. He's a pure villain who doesn't care about his own gain, only seeks pleasure from manipulating hearts!"

As the words fell, Giant Kevin's Character Event immediately changed. The investigation half of the requirement vanished, transforming into... Kill or capture the Worry Demon Geld Chuck!

Figo focused his mind, and an arrow pointer appeared, quickly retracted.

Then he glanced at the unconscious Nun trafficker and said, "Alright, the Giant Kevin matter is settled for now. Next, I'm heading to the town execution ground to investigate the Marines' deaths.

Old Xiao, calm down. This probably wasn't them. While I'm gone, keep an eye on the four of them, and make sure your men don't get close. You know their identities."

Seeing Figo leave, the three CP9 members sighed in relief but also felt stifled. Looking at Xiao, who still gripped his sword hilt, distrustful of them, they weren't so polite.

"A Marine Lieutenant Colonel, scared out of your wits, running straight back without even checking the Marines' cause of death?!"

"No judgment of your own, just assuming we killed your men?!"

"Idiot!"

Xiao was furious. How was I an idiot again? Seven years ago, Kinch called me that, so I transferred out of Impel Down overnight. Now I've transferred, and you're calling me that again! So my transfer from Impel Down was for nothing?!

He itched to draw his sword and cut down these three CP9 members, and then... he really did draw it with a clang.

He froze for a moment, and the three CP9 members froze too. Little Tiger snorted disdainfully, "Now you've got guts? Go on, kill me!"

And then Xiao, trembling, actually raised the sword high above his head, poised to strike.

"No, something's wrong." Peslo noticed the irregularity from Xiao's trembling and unnatural movements, and barked, "Xiao, what's wrong with you?!"

Xiao trembled, unable to respond.

"Stop playing around." At that moment, another crisp female voice rang out. The Nun, who had been unconscious until now, opened her eyes and said, "The helplessness of being bound with Seastone handcuffs isn't fun at all."

She struggled to sit up, spat out a mouthful of blood, and said in a low voice, "The World Government really is unreliable. Lord Chuck, while that troublesome one isn't here, let's finish this quickly."

Lord Chuck? Peslo's heart jolted.

"Hehehehehe..." A strange, eerie laugh suddenly echoed. At the cabin's entrance, a cloaked figure appeared without a sound.

His right hand stretched forward, fingers hooked, aimed at Xiao's body as if manipulating a marionette.

Sunlight illuminated the face beneath his cloak.

The three CP9 members' faces instantly turned deathly pale.

Speak of the Control-Control, and it arrives!

"The Worry Demon... Geld Chuck?"

"Why? Why you?"

"Yamauba, that notorious trafficker, should be far beneath you in the Underworld's hierarchy. Why would you come to save her?!"

"Foolish." The Nun said flatly, "Can't you tell by now that colluding with you to put on an act and deceive the Giant race was originally Lord Chuck's idea? Without Lord Chuck, how would I dare to willingly cooperate with scum like you?"

The Worry Demon's idea?

Deceive the Giant race, gain their friendship, establish the Home of Lambs to adopt orphans, then secretly sell them to the World Government... So that's it.

Peslo understood everything and closed his eyes weakly: "Damn it, Worry Demon, the World Government won't let you get away with this."

"Hehehehehe... The World Government has never stopped hunting me, has it? Though the plan failed." The Worry Demon laughed hoarsely. "But I have to say, your series of actions was quite brilliant. As expected of the World Government—when it comes to manipulating hearts, you're still the experts."

"So, as repayment, let me grant you a swift death!" He swung his right hand down.

Xiao's blade slashed heavily toward Peslo!

"Brother Peslo!" Little Tiger and Female CP9 let out terrified screams.

Just as the blade was about to land on Peslo's head, Xiao suddenly regained control of his movements, the sword edge halting perilously above Peslo's crown!

Whew... He let out a huge breath, collapsing to the ground, his body drenched in sweat.

Peslo opened his eyes in shock and saw a familiar tall figure appear behind the Worry Demon, Geld Chuck, casting him in shadow!

"Warden Figo..."

"Hehehehehe..." The Worry Demon let out another strange laugh. "How odd. You ruined CP9's operation. These three CP9 agents must deeply resent you now, and they'll likely lodge a harsh complaint against you with the World Government. You shouldn't have failed to see that. If I were you, I'd have shown up a minute later, let me kill them with my own hands—wouldn't that be perfect?"

"You assassinated the Marine soldiers, leaving Old Xiao alive to deliver the message, just to create a convenient alibi for me?" Figo asked.

"Hehehehehe... Quite amusing, isn't it?" The Worry Demon countered.

"Utterly boring."

Figo drew his blade and struck.

5000 words, begging for recommendation tickets. Also, the contract has arrived; the status will change soon. If you haven't invested yet, hurry up and do it—missing out is a loss.