One Piece: Marine's Justice

"Are you sure this is the place?"

"Positive. I saw Bel von Gero go in with my own eyes."

Cross, CP8 agent Feli, and several other agents clad in identical black suits quietly entered a narrow alley, their eyes fixed on a small clinic across the street.

The clinic itself was modest in size. Its red brick exterior had faded into a mottled gray-black, giving it a worn, slightly rundown appearance. Two stone knight statues flanked the entrance, each gripping a stone sword. Time and weather had worn them down, but their craftsmanship remained vivid and lifelike.

"So, what's the plan?"

Cross cast a glance at the unassuming clinic before turning to Feli.

Because the target was a member of the Impaler Pirates, taking him down would significantly benefit the Navy.

As such, Borsalino had approved Cross's cooperation with CP on this mission, on the condition that if a live capture proved impossible, Cross was to kill the target without hesitation.

Under no circumstances could a plague virus be allowed to spread within the city.

Expressionless, Feli pulled out a silver pocket watch from his coat, checked the time, and said, "Wait a bit. Reinforcements are on the way."

Sure enough, as he finished speaking, two men, one tall, one short, appeared across the street, walking toward them.

They wore matching attire: black fedoras, black suits, polished black boots, and draped gray overcoats.

The taller of the two stood well over three meters, his gaunt frame resembling a walking stick. He had a long, narrow head with shoulder-length gray hair, sunken eyes, a high-bridged nose, a protruding chin, and slightly elongated ears; a face hard to forget.

The shorter one, though not short by normal standards, was about two meters tall. With thick brows and sharp eyes, his appearance was bold and commanding. He carried a massive steel war hammer nearly a meter in length slung across his back.

"Let me introduce them, members of CP9: Elmo and Gadriel," Feli said, gesturing to the pair.

"CP9?!"

Cross looked at them in surprise.

"That's right," Feli explained. "The World Government officially acknowledges eight Cipher Pol branches, CP1 through CP8. CP9, however, is a covert division that operates entirely from the shadows."

"Heh heh heh~ So the rumors are true, a little brat. How interesting," Elmo leaned in toward Cross with a crooked smile, bending at the waist to get a closer look.

"That's enough, Emo. You're being disrespectful," Gadriel said sternly, his tone reproachful.

"Heh heh heh~ You're always so serious," Elmo straightened up, sounding bored.

Cross ignored the CP9 duo and turned back to Feli. "Everyone's here, right? What's the plan?"

"The plan's simple."

Feli pointed at the two knight statues by the clinic entrance. "No one would suspect them, which is why we want you to use your Live-Live Fruit to enliven them. Once Bel von Gero steps outside, have the statues launch a surprise attack."

"Elmo and Gadriel will move in next, restraining him with Seastone chains."

"Remember, Bel von Gero is a Paramecia-type user of the Anesu Anesu no Mi Fruit. Do not let him touch you."

Hearing this, Cross's face twisted with disbelief. "Are you kidding me? You want to take on someone who could unleash a plague virus in the middle of the city? Are you insane?!"

"Heh heh heh~ Watch your tone, brat," Elmo sneered, leaning in close again. "Feli here is the operations chief of CP8. You're just a rookie in the Navy. Your job is to follow orders."

Gadriel didn't speak. He simply took a step forward, eyes cold and locked on Cross.

Cross stared right back without flinching, his left hand already resting on the hilt of Kagehide, the sword at his waist, as if ready to draw it at a moment's notice.

Feli quickly stepped in to defuse the tension. "Cross-dono, if you cooperate, we can capture Bel von Gero quickly and cleanly. If he escapes, your Navy will be left to deal with the consequences, plague virus and all."

Though Cross was still a Navy recruit without rank, his strength and noble background compelled Feli to show him respect by addressing him as "Lord."

Cross's expression changed slightly. He recalled the intelligence he'd read on Bel von Gero.

Bel von Gero possessed a refined plague virus bomb known as the AH-40 Plague Bomb. In the battle on Cullen Island, it had inflicted heavy casualties on the Big Mom Pirates.

According to a spy CP had embedded in the Impaler Pirates, the AH-40 had an effective radius of about ten meters. It infected targets with a skin-rotting plague that burned like fire. While it wasn't highly contagious, it was extremely lethal. Without a cure, the infected would die within forty minutes.

The reason the formidable Big Mom Pirates failed to wipe out the Impaler Pirates at Cullen Island was precisely because Bel von Gero detonated one of these AH-40 Plague Bombs. It allowed five enemy ships and over three thousand men to escape.

Cross realized that if Bel von Gero wasn't taken out in advance, the Navy would suffer devastating losses in the coming campaign against the Impaler Pirates.

But taking action within the city? If they failed to capture or kill him cleanly, and he released the virus, the result would be a disaster of unimaginable proportions.

"If you won't cooperate, we'll proceed without you," Feli said with a smile. "But if we fail, well, the Navy can deal with the fallout."

"You bastard..." Cross narrowed his eyes, glaring at Feli with unmasked hostility.

A moment later, he let out a cold snort and strode across the street.

He adopted the casual air of a wandering tourist as he approached the clinic, then casually ran his hand over the two knight statues by the door.

Suddenly, the glass door swung open. A mysterious figure, cloaked head to toe in a black robe, stepped out, holding a silver-gray suitcase in hand.

"Now!" Feli shouted from across the street the instant he saw the robed figure.

"Geppo!"

Elmo and Gadriel burst from the alley, Seastone shackles in hand. Launching themselves into the air, they ignored the startled pedestrians below.

Sensing danger, the black-robed figure turned sharply, trying to retreat back into the clinic.

But in that instant, the two knight statues sprang to life. Each extended a stone arm, slamming down on the figure's shoulders.

"What the hell?!"

The mysterious figure panicked, trying to break free, but two stone swords immediately came down, crossing at his throat. The icy touch of the blades made his hair stand on end, and he froze in place, abandoning resistance.

Elmo and Gadriel landed a moment later, snapping the Seastone shackles onto his wrists with swift, practiced motions.

Clack!

Across the street, Feli beamed with delight and clapped his hands. "Perfect! Absolutely perfect!"

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