"There's a warship here?"
Michael stared at the massive gate before him and couldn't help but voice his skepticism to Borsalino.
The fact that Borsalino himself had to personally oversee the handover told Michael one thing—this warship was definitely not docked at the Marine's main harbor.
After following Borsalino on a long, winding path…
They arrived at this hidden base nestled deep within a mountain valley.
…... What kind of lunatic parks a warship in the middle of a mountain?
Is this the Mongolian Marine or something?
Without answering Michael's question, Borsalino simply pushed open the base's gate.
What greeted them was a facility starkly different from the outside world.
Amidst the rugged mountain valley lay a base brimming with cold, hard metallic textures.
At its deepest point, a concealed river led out to the sea.
And moored upon that river was a warship unlike any conventional Marine vessel.
First, its size were noticeably larger than standard warships, though still smaller than the flagship vessels used by elite Vice Admirals like Garp.
But it wasn't just a scaled-down version—its entire design prioritized speed and maneuverability.
The more Michael looked at it, the more he liked it.
The style was a perfect match for a secret special forces unit.
However, after scrutinizing it for a while, Michael couldn't spot any weaponry like guns and canon.
"Borsalino, are my eyes failing me, or does this ship really not have any weapons?"
"Michael, your eyes are fine. From the very beginning, this ship was designed purely for functionality and mobility. To save space, no gun placements were installed."
With that, Borsalino transformed into a streak of light and vanished.
Only his voice lingered in the air.
"All unconventional areas are marked with specific operating procedures and precautions. You'll have to figure them out yourself."
"From now on, this will be your personal warship."
Michael turned to the bewildered SWORD members and said with a smile.
"Alright, boys, we can set off now!"
"This is Vegapunk's work, absolutely a first-class warship!"
Rosinante was the first to snap out of it, looking at Michael and asking.
"Aniki, where are we heading?"
When the topic of "where to go" came up, Michael's expression suddenly turned somewhat lewd.
The younger Smoker and Hina even took a step back, wondering if Michael might have an alias like Epstein...
"Boys, have you heard of the legendary... Pleasure District?"
Upon hearing this term from Michael's mouth, everyone's gaze toward him became strange.
Including Rosinante, who had always regarded him as an elder brother.
"Aniki, we're Marines!"
"That's right, but the person we're recruiting isn't from the Marine."
Grand Line, New World.
This was the largest red-light district in the entire One Piece World.
However, the industries here weren't as singular as one might imagine.
To be precise, it offered the vast majority of "entertainment."
For example... casinos.
In the absence of the Golden Emperor Tesoro, the casinos of the Pleasure District naturally became the largest and safest in the world.
After all, this place was essentially a gray zone controlled by the World Government.
And the "Queen of the Pleasure District" who ruled here, was also a direct CP0 agent under the Celestial Dragons, Stussy.
Of course, as everyone knew...
She was a clone—and a mole planted by Vegapunk.
But for now, Stussy hadn't revealed her true identity.
On the surface, she remained one of the influential underground emperors.
At this moment, spread across her desk was a series of unofficial intelligence reports about Michael.
The provider? None other than Morgans, the big newsman sitting across from her.
"Morgans, the intel you've provided this time... is far too limited, isn't it? Even I could gather this much on my own."
"Cut me some slack, Stussy. Others might not know, but I do—you're a high-ranking CP0 agent with immense power. Meanwhile, I'm just a hardworking journalist."
Morgans held a glass of red wine but didn't drink from it.
His expression was far from pleasant.
He had witnessed Michael's strength firsthand—and had been threatened by him.
Morgans had been forcibly dragged into Michael's schemes concerning Wano Country.
At first, he thought it was just a forced errand—delivering a message.
But later, when Wano's situation turned upside down, when Kozuki Oden suddenly staged a comeback and drove out the Beasts Pirates occupying the country...
Morgans finally realized!
He had unknowingly boarded Michael's pirate ship!
If Garp's iron fists ever landed on him, one punch would probably leave him half-paralyzed!
What choice did he have but to accept his fate?
So when Stussy demanded all information about Michael, he handed over only the most superficial details without hesitation.
At the same time, he couldn't help but wonder...
Had CP0 set their sights on Michael? Did that mean the Celestial Dragons were displeased with his actions on Sabaody Archipelago?
Should he warn Michael?
"Hmph, everyone knows you are far more reliable at gathering intel than CP's spies... Fine, keep your secrets if you want."
Stussy remained expressionless.
Demanding intel from Morgans was a CP0 mission.
As a double agent, she had no intention of completing it!
This was all just an act.
Vegapunk had shown extraordinary interest in Michael's abilities—even going so far as to personally design a warship for him.
How could she let CP0 and the Celestial Dragons target someone Vegapunk was interested in?
So, two individuals with ulterior motives sat facing each other, both mentally wrestling with thin air.
But at that moment, a woman with striking makeup and seemingly revealing yet strategically covered clothing burst through the door.
"Lady Stussy! Trouble!"
"There's a group of Marines outside our casino!"
"The leader says... he's here to crack down on illegal activity!"
Stussy glanced at the woman who had broken the awkward standoff, her lips curling before she stood and walked out.
Her office was located right at the heart of the Pleasure District.
The casino was barely a hundred meters from her current position.
Meanwhile, inside the casino...
A handsome Marine with platinum-blond hair sat calmly on a chair in the main hall.
Across the round gambling table sat a middle-aged man leaning on his cane.
Two scars running down from his forehead had permanently closed those windows to his soul.