Makino felt herself growing dizzy as she took in all the details of what Kuke had done in the Holy Land.
Her steps were unsteady, her eyes fixed unwaveringly on Kuke, unable to look away.
"Another rival," Hancock muttered, her teeth lightly biting her lip.
Trouble.
"Seems like it's time to make a move. If I don't, Gion will soon have all of Kuke, and now there's Makino too," Hancock's sense of crisis was stronger than ever, her determination sharp.
...
...
Time passed slowly.
A week flew by.
The atmosphere in the Goa Kingdom grew heavy and oppressive. Every night, the cries of the townspeople echoed throughout the city.
Kuke and his crew kept a low profile in the Goa Kingdom.
The entire kingdom was preoccupied with preparing for the arrival of the Celestial Dragons, and Kuke's group had no intention of drawing unnecessary attention to themselves.
During this week, Kuke managed to gather the information he wanted.
He had located the island where Kuina lived.
Strong female warriors, or even promising young talents, were rare across the East Blue. Kuina, the girl who had once been the rival that Zoro could not defeat, was the one Kuke valued the most.
In the original story, Kuina had died at eleven years old in a rather absurd accident involving stairs.
Judging by the timeline, Kuina should be around ten now.
She was still alive.
"I don't need Kuina to surpass Zoro's talent—even if she achieves half of what Zoro does, it would be more than enough," Kuke thought to himself.
Zoro, destined to become the world's greatest swordsman, would surely rise to the level of an Emperor.
If Kuina could achieve even half of that, she had the potential to become a powerful vice-emperor in the future, making it well worth Kuke's effort to seek her out.
...
As the day of the Celestial Dragons' arrival approached, the Goa Kingdom grew more restless, gripped by fear.
The once-bustling port had grown eerily quiet.
Those who were aware of the news avoided the kingdom, while those inside were forbidden from leaving by the king's order.
This, of course, was a Celestial Dragon's demand.
The entire city needed to be filled with people—they required subjects to display their supposed superiority, akin to that of gods.
The river within the city lay empty, no boats in sight.
Suddenly, in the distance, a massive pink ship appeared, catching the eyes of those along the shore.
It was grand, adorned with golden decor, intricate carvings—a floating palace.
Countless women dressed boldly filled the ship, their laughter enticing and enthralling.
"Could it be Lord Dracula arriving?" someone murmured, astonished by the opulence.
Ships of such grandeur were rare in the East Blue.
"No, it's the legendary Pleasure Ship from the Street of Joy!" someone else gasped.
"What? You mean the famed paradise for men?"
"They say that on the Pleasure Ship from the Street of Joy, any man's dream can be fulfilled. It's the place every man dreams of visiting."
"But isn't the Street of Joy in the New World? Why is it in the East Blue?"
The men along the shore stared in awe, their eyes bright and gleaming, lost in fantasy.
"Don't get any ideas. Do you know how much it costs to spend a day on the Pleasure Ship? Tens of millions! And even if you have the money, without the right connections or status, you can't get in. Of course, if you're strong enough, the Street of Joy might invite you," someone explained.
The other men sighed. "How about we sneak aboard?"
"Are you crazy? Haven't you heard of the Queen of the Street of Joy? She's one of the emperors of the underworld. Anyone who causes trouble there ends up dead."
"But if we could conquer the Queen of the Street of Joy, wouldn't we have it all?"
"No one's ever heard of a man being worthy enough to enter the Queen's chambers."
...
...
"The Street of Joy's ship is in the East Blue now?" Gion asked as she glanced over at Kuke aboard the Radiant Eclipse.
It was too much of a coincidence.
Either it was brought here by the Celestial Dragons...
Or it was here for Kuke.
No one else had such qualifications.
"Is Stussy still the Queen of the Street of Joy?" Kuke asked casually.
Gion nodded. "Yes. She has a bounty of four hundred million berries. She's one of the emperors of the underworld and has some connection to Big Mom."
Kuke smirked, understanding.
Onboard the Pleasure Ship, a beautiful figure slowly appeared on deck, stepping into the limelight.
She wore a white hat adorned with flowers, a pink dress with a white shawl, black fishnet stockings, and blue high heels adorned with bows. Her nails were painted bright and bold.
Her golden curls, blue eyes, and ruby lips made her every bit the elegant, alluring beauty.
"It's the Queen of the Street of Joy herself!" someone on the shore cried out.
"She's gorgeous!"
The men along the shore were transfixed, staring at Stussy.
Stussy's gaze swept across the harbor, landing on the Radiant Eclipse, anchored in a secluded spot. She caught sight of Kuke on the deck.
A seductive smile spread across her lips.
Little brother...
I've found you.
The Pleasure Ship quickly pulled closer to the Radiant Eclipse.
"Kuke, she's here for you," Gion said, her hand already resting on her sword's hilt.
"Mr. Kuke, you've made it quite difficult for me to find you," Stussy called out, her voice sweet and enchanting.
"Oh? Looking for me?" Kuke smiled, amused.
"I've come to thank you personally," Stussy said, her eyes gleaming.
Kuke continued smiling, his gaze locked on hers.
A CP0 agent coming to thank me?
Thank me for opposing the World Government?
Thank me for clashing with the Navy?
Failing to eliminate me, they had switched tactics—now they were trying infiltration.
How ironic that they had sent Stussy, whose true identity Kuke knew all too well.
The Five Elders must be truly desperate... and foolish.