Secondment (Please Keep Reading!)

Two and a half years later, deep within the Tower of Justice, in CP9's dedicated training room.

Clang! Clang! Clang!!

Sharp metallic collisions erupted in rapid succession, making the walls tremble faintly.

Two figures crossed and collided at speeds nearly impossible to follow with the naked eye. Shockwaves burst from where their fists and feet met, and the entire training room shook lightly.

One black, one white.

The black-clad figure was Rob Lucci, now as tall and straight-backed as a grown man.

After two years of tempering, he had shed his youthful immaturity. His frame had become increasingly lean and hard, and the black suit only made his temperament seem more reserved. He had long since mastered the Six Powers.

The changes in the white-clad figure opposite him were even more terrifying.

In just two years, his height had shot past two meters. Broad-shouldered and straight-backed, he exuded an imposing presence.

Over the past two years, relying on his trait, he had trained in Life Return and forcibly touched the edge of its true essence, actively controlling his body to accelerate its growth.

Every inch of bone and every muscle had been madly strengthened. His physical capabilities had surged exponentially, far beyond what ordinary people could imagine.

The two clashed head-on once more, and a shockwave exploded outward.

Beiyuan Heng swayed slightly, instantly seizing an almost imperceptible opening in Lucci's movements.

"Your backhand lacks power, your lead hand lacks refinement, your footwork is loose, and your reactions are slow. Not a single move of yours is worth looking at."

His voice was calm, yet edged with unquestionable sharpness.

"And you still want to compete with me on the same stage? Keep dreaming."

The instant his words fell—

Whoosh!

A Shigan shot through the air and pierced straight through Lucci's defense.

Before Lucci could recover, Beiyuan Heng stomped down and swept out a Rankyaku, slamming viciously into Lucci's chest.

Bang!

Lucci was smashed hard into the ground, shattering the stone tiles beneath him.

He braced himself against the floor and tried to rise, but his muscles trembled uncontrollably. In the end, he collapsed back down, breathing heavily.

"After two years of training... why is the gap between us getting bigger instead?!"

Lucci stared at the ceiling, his tone carrying a trace of unwillingness, though he had no choice but to admit it.

"I've been training too, you know..."

Beiyuan Heng calmly withdrew his hand. His breathing was steady, and he had barely broken a sweat.

He raised his eyes and swept his gaze around the room.

At the edge of the training room stood every member of CP9.

Kaku, Jabra, Bruno, Kalifa, Kumadori, Owl... everyone watched him in silence.

That day, he had sparred with every one of them, pointing out each person's flaws, weaknesses, and habitual openings in one-on-one matches. He showed no mercy, but every word struck home.

"Beiyuan Heng, are you... really leaving?"

Kalifa spoke softly. For once, a trace of worry and reluctance appeared on her usually cool, capable face.

The others said nothing, but the emotions in their eyes could not deceive anyone.

There was reluctance, regret, unwillingness, and a faint loneliness that was difficult to detect.

Though Beiyuan Heng had not grown up training with them on the same island since childhood, he had still spent two and a half years with them, and he was their captain.

To say there were no feelings between them would have been a lie.

Even Lucci, lying on the ground, silently raised his eyes to look at Beiyuan Heng.

Beiyuan Heng suddenly laughed, his tone relaxed.

"What? It's not like I'm quitting CP9."

He paused, then explained,

"It's just a secondment."

"And you all know my way of doing things. I'm really not that suited for CP9."

"Being seconded to the Marines now might be a good opportunity."

"Just don't let me end up as your superior."

That test in the Karandi Kingdom had only been the beginning.

Over the past two and a half years, he had carried out missions while repeatedly testing the limits of the World Government and CP9. He constantly danced along the red line, acting with the utmost flamboyance.

At last, he had driven his superior, Spandine, beyond his limit.

Yet Spandine could not bear to part with such a top-tier combatant, nor could he withstand the constant pressure from above to "make CP9 keep a lower profile."

In the end, Spandine simply slapped the table.

With a single transfer order, Beiyuan Heng was directly seconded to Marine Headquarters.

The Marines were desperately short on manpower now. A terrifyingly powerful genius had suddenly been sent over through official World Government arrangements—how could they possibly refuse?

Besides, Beiyuan Heng's flamboyant style was precisely to the Marines' liking.

For Beiyuan Heng, this was an ideal arrangement.

It was only a secondment, not a departure.

The [CP9's Strongest Genius] trait would not become invalid.

He even felt that as long as no one stronger than him appeared in CP9, that trait would remain firmly attached to him whether or not he was stationed on Enies Lobby.

That was why today's scene had happened.

Giving every member of CP9 a thorough special training session counted as a farewell gift before he left.

"The Marines are busy as hell right now. Who knows what exactly happened..."

Beiyuan Heng rubbed his chin and complained inwardly.

Come to think of it, it was a little embarrassing. He had been an intelligence agent for so long, yet he had barely gotten his hands on any core secrets.

Of course, it was also possible that... CP9 mostly handled killing, silencing people, and cleaning up trouble in the first place. Intelligence probably was never their responsibility.

"Alright."

Beiyuan Heng brushed at his sleeve. His white suit remained spotless.

"The ship for Marineford will be here soon."

"It's time for me to go."

With that, he did not look back. He turned and walked out of the training room.

The white figure vanished through the doorway, leaving behind only a roomful of silent CP9 members and a training room covered in cracks, still trembling faintly.

Marineford, Enies Lobby, Impel Down.

These three major locations were connected by special vortex currents formed by the Gates of Justice under the World Government's control.

The currents were swift and violent, far faster than those in ordinary seas. At full speed, one could travel from one location to another in less than a day.

At this moment, Marineford—the Marine Headquarters and symbol of the World Government's highest military power—was shrouded in unprecedented tension and activity.

Ships constantly entered and left the harbor. Messengers raced about at breakneck speed. The entire base resembled an overloaded machine, and even the air seemed to carry an anxious edge.

"Report! G-3 Branch's patrol teams have all been sent to search the East Blue. Their routine defenses can no longer hold. They request immediate reinforcements from Headquarters!"

"Reply that Headquarters can't spare anyone either! Tell them to grit their teeth and hold on themselves!"

"An emergency order has come from Mary Geoise, demanding that we send more troops again. Preferably... an Admiral-level force to guard the place directly!"

"Didn't we already send ten thousand men?! What the hell are those Celestial Dragons causing a fuss about?!"

Inside the Fleet Admiral's office, papers were piled like mountains, and telegrams poured in one after another.

Sengoku frowned deeply, exhaustion written all over his face. He gripped a fountain pen and continuously processed information from every direction, overwhelmed with work and unable to spare even a moment for a sip of tea.

On one side, branches across the four seas repeatedly sent distress calls, stretched thin for manpower;

On the other, Mary Geoise kept applying pressure, demanding endless reinforcements.

And there was only one source behind all this chaos.

Sengoku took a deep breath and slowly turned his head toward the wanted poster that had just been delivered to the corner of his desk, still carrying the scent of fresh ink.

[Fisher Tiger]

[Bounty: 230,000,000 Berry]

[Dead or Alive]