Chapter 33: Guys and Gals! Destination: The North Sea!

Stussy stared at Luo Ya, her mind completely blank. Even as shrewd as she was, she could not fathom how he knew—how could he possibly know?

The greatest secret of her life had been casually laid bare by Luo Ya. She was not the Buckingham Stussy, the high-ranking officer of the Rocks Pirates; as he had correctly identified, she was a clone created by Dr. Vegapunk, using Buckingham as the prototype. Due to a deal between Buckingham and the Doctor, she had inherited the name and identity of Stussy, while the real one was currently hiding in some corner of the sea, busy raising a child.

This was a secret that should have been known only to Dr. Vegapunk and Buckingham. Not even the other members of the MADS organization—Sain (the real name of Queen), Judge, or Caesar—were aware that she had replaced the original; they all believed the clone had been disposed of by the Doctor long ago.

How did Luo Ya know? It couldn’t be leaked. Subconsciously, she lunged at him.

"I know I'm handsome, but what are you trying to do to a young man? That's against the law," Luo Ya said with a laugh, his left thumb pushing his sword slightly out of its scabbard.

A red aura dissipated into the air. The woman's face, previously filled with resolve, was suddenly overcome with terror. What was this? Stussy saw a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. Everything before her eyes turned scarlet, saturated with the scent of blood so thick it nearly made her vomit.

Recovering her senses, she looked at the sword in Luo Ya’s hand in disbelief. It was one of the twelve Supreme Grade Swords: "Blood Sea." It was the blade Luo Ya had taken from God Valley six years ago—a weapon of legend said to be capable of constant evolution. Just how far had he allowed it to evolve? How much blood had it absorbed?

This guy... he was a true monster. Stussy’s legs gave way, and she collapsed onto the ground, utterly helpless.

Watching the flustered expression of this older sister figure, Luo Ya couldn't help but feel a touch of pity. He stood up, walked over, and gently patted her head. "Don't be afraid, Little Sister Stussy. I'm not a devil. The idea of reporting you to the World Government as a spy sent by Vegapunk to infiltrate the CP—thereby causing the Doctor to lose the government's trust—is something I wouldn't even think of doing, let alone carry out."

Stussy looked up at him, her beautiful, exquisite face brimming with tears.

Who would have thought that even though she had only been born a few years ago, Luo Ya would call her "little sister"?

"How do you know?" she asked again. He even knew she had joined CP0. The original invitation had been for Buckingham, but she only wanted to raise her child. At the Doctor's request, and lacking any personal purpose, she had joined CP0 to serve as his personal spy—the Doctor had his own reservations about the World Government. Could it have been Buckingham? Did she reveal this to Luo Ya?

Luo Ya merely smiled. When he first saw in the newspapers that Stussy had begun involving herself in the red-light district business, he guessed that the clone had already taken over the identity and joined the CP. After all, neither the real Aunt Stussy nor the clone had any reason to run such an establishment. Only the CP system, with its massive demand for intelligence, would use such methods to gather information and develop informants.

"What do you want?" Stussy asked, looking up at him with teary, pitiful eyes. "As long as you don't leak the news, I will do anything!"

Even someone as cold as Dylan felt a jolt of shock. Having spent a considerable amount of time with the Rocks Pirates, when had he ever seen the officer Stussy look like this? Even in front of Whitebeard, she had at most acted a bit infatuated.

"Really?" Luo Ya’s eyes brightened. "You'll do anything?"

"Yes!" Stussy nodded, looking heartbreakingly vulnerable.

"That's great!" Luo Ya said excitedly. "Go blow up Mary Geoise and take out the Five Elders; I've been annoyed with them for a long time. If you're passing by, stop by Marineford and take out the Navy Headquarters, too."

Stussy's pitiable expression froze. A moment later, her beautiful face turned indifferent. "You win. State your conditions."

"Tsk, even though that expression is great too," Luo Ya patted her head, "I still prefer you the way you were before. Change back."

Stussy recalled Buckingham's description of Luo Ya. To ensure the identity was perfectly maintained, Buckingham had shared every detail of her life. Of Luo Ya, she had said, "That damn brat is a born villain! If he is still alive, sooner or later, he will drag the entire world into an abyss of despair!" Stussy had thought Buckingham was being too harsh on a child, but now, perhaps she had been right.

A charming smile returned to her face. She submissively rubbed her golden hair against Luo Ya’s palm. "Big Brother Luo Ya, please don't make things difficult for me." Her voice was like honey, every note dripping with sweetness.

"Oh! Such a good girl!" Luo Ya rubbed her head with satisfaction and crouched down, using his other hand to gently scratch her chin. "Just like a little cat. So cute."

As expected of a top-tier actress who could remain undercover in the CP for over thirty years without being discovered, Stussy truly began shaking her head like a kitten, squinting and curling her lips in a display of total enjoyment.

After enjoying the moment, Luo Ya said with satisfaction, "Don't worry, Little Sister Stussy. I won't make you do anything dangerous; I just need your help when I require information."

"Big Brother Luo Ya," Stussy said, her eyes shimmering, "please don't lie to me."

"How could an adult lie to a child?" Luo Ya said with a straight face. "There might be occasional white lies, but they are surely for your own good."

Even with her superb acting skills, Stussy’s expression stiffened for a moment. Was the person in front of her truly sane?

"Alright, this time, I need you to help me find the whereabouts of Mr. Judge," Luo Ya said. "He's an old acquaintance of yours; that shouldn't be difficult, right?"

"Vinsmoke Judge?" Stussy nodded. "That is indeed simple. Big Brother Luo Ya, I can answer you now: the Germa Kingdom is currently in the Samir Kingdom in the North Blue. The neighboring country hired Mr. Judge to suppress that nation."

"Very good, very good," Luo Ya said, patting her head again. "Big help, Little Sister Stussy. Keep helping me like this in the future."

"I understand, Big Brother Luo Ya. As long as I can help you, I will certainly give it my all," Stussy said, grasping his hand with a sparkle in her eyes. "So, please, show some mercy."

"That depends on your performance," Luo Ya said with a chuckle. "I don't suppose that if I go to the North Blue, I'll run into the hero Garp, who is on a mission there?"

"How could that be?" Stussy smiled. "The hero Garp is currently on his way to the Land of Endless War to capture you. By the way, Linlin and Shiki have gone there as well, though Shiki should be on his way back."

"I hope Aunt Linlin is alright," Luo Ya said, offering a prayer for his aunt.

The intelligence officer was now in place. Next target: the North Blue!

"By the way, Little Sister Stussy, refund the money for tonight's expenses."