"You're the God-Slayer Sora!!!"
Kalifa stared at him, stunned. Sora simply smiled.
"Miss Kalifa, does this look familiar?"
He took out the Paramecia-type Door-Door Fruit and held it up in front of her with a grin.
"It came from someone you know quite well."
"That's... Bruno's Door-Door Fruit!" Kalifa gasped, eyes wide.
Sora smirked and gave her cheek a playful pinch.
"He's dead. And he left it to me."
"You, Bruno, Lucci, and Kaku—all of you are CP9 agents who came to Water 7 for the blueprints to the ancient weapon Pluton."
"Am I right, Miss Kalifa?"
Bruno was dead...
And his Devil Fruit had been taken by this man.
Kalifa stared blankly at Sora, overwhelmed by the realization. He knew their true identities. That meant everything that happened earlier—Reiju overpowering her, the bait using Nico Robin—had all been premeditated.
They had used Robin to lure her in, perfectly playing her into their trap.
Sora might even have the ability to steal Devil Fruits.
That last thought sent a chill down Kalifa's spine. Lucci was also a Devil Fruit user. If he became Sora's next target...
"Since you know I'm part of CP9, a World Government agent, then you—"
She tried to use her position to plead for mercy. But the words caught in her throat.
This was the man who killed a Celestial Dragon. A man who didn't fear the World Government in the slightest.
There was no escape. She'd been utterly defeated.
Kalifa went cold.
Sora saw her expression and chuckled, lifting her chin gently, staring into her eyes.
"I've heard that when CP9 or CP0 members fail their missions, they're eliminated by the World Government."
"So tell me—are you ready to work for me?"
Kalifa glared and scoffed, "You killed Bruno, and now you want me to follow you? Keep dreaming!"
Despite how cold and professional the CP9 members appeared, they had trained together from childhood and were deeply bonded. Bruno's death was not something she could forgive.
Sora had expected this.
The cover story from the manga had already hinted at it. Even Gabrra had gone so far as to perform as a street clown to help pay for Lucci's treatment. The bonds between them were real.
He pinched her cheeks into an 'O' shape and smiled.
"Lucci, Kaku, Jabra, Fukurou, Kumadori... none of them matter to you?"
"If not, I'll go bring you their heads, one by one. They can't lay a hand on me."
As he finished, a crackling streak of thunderlight flashed from his fingertip. He pressed it to Kalifa's forehead.
"Ahhh!!!"
Kalifa's body convulsed, a cry of pain slipping from her throat.
The shock only lasted two seconds before Sora withdrew his finger and smiled, waiting for her response.
Breathing hard, Kalifa tried to steady herself. Her chest rose and fell as she regained control.
"That lightning... was that a Logia-type Devil Fruit?"
Sora gave her a proud smile. "You're sharp."
"But that's not all I've got."
He raised a hand. A thin needle-shaped spike appeared, then vanished. Then a faint glow, followed by the sound of a small explosion...
How many abilities does he have...?!
Kalifa looked on in terror. Every new display of power deepened her fear.
"So what's your answer, Miss Kalifa?"
Sora dragged his finger slowly down her forehead, past her cheek, to her chin—then lower.
The touch made her tremble violently, afraid of another electric shock.
"I... I'll agree."
"But you must promise not to harm Lucci or the others!"
Sora's terrifying strength left her no choice. She didn't want to see Lucci or Kaku end up like Bruno.
"Then let me teach you swordsmanship, Miss Kalifa."
"This is your version of swordsmanship?"
"Of course. The newspaper even called me a master swordsman..."
"..."
...
Three hours later.
Night had fallen. A full moon hung high above the sea.
A ship flew across the sky, bathed in moonlight, descending toward the Water 7 port.
At the bow stood Sora, having returned once again.
He had only one goal: the Marine battleship docked at Water 7.
Since he encountered Hina earlier that day, Sora had no intention of letting her slip away.
But back then, he'd been using his alias as the Five Seas Chamber president and couldn't act openly.
Now that he had captured Kalifa, night had fallen, and it was time.
He took out the Ark Maxim and returned to Water 7.
His goal: abduct Marine HQ Captain Hina.
If he could bring her into his crew, Sora's team would reach seventeen members.
After that, he just needed to grab Perona from the Florian Triangle to meet the eighteen-member threshold to level up his pirate crew.
That upgrade would unlock new abilities and push him even further toward becoming king of the world.
"What's that in the sky?"
"A ship! There's a ship flying in the sky!"
"It really is! I never thought I'd see something like that for real..."
On the Marine battleship, several sailors spotted the glowing silhouette of the Ark Maxim approaching in the night sky. They immediately erupted in alarm.
An officer's face went pale as he screamed,
"Enemy attack! We're under attack!"
"That's the God-Slayer Sora's flying ship!"
"Someone alert Captain Hina—Sora's coming!"
"All hands to battle stations! Prepare for defense!"