Chapter 28: After Losing the Fruit, the Five Elders Now Plan to Send a Woman

"????"

Sengoku, Akainu, and the others stared at the Five Elders in confusion.

They just failed, didn't they?

Are they going to try again?

Another failure would mean the World Government and the Navy would have no face left to show.

Sengoku really wanted to remind the Five Elders: if you're not good at it, maybe don't get overconfident.

Sengoku thought the Five Elders would try the same strategy: "Lure him out again, and this time send two Admirals, maybe even three?"

The faces of the Five Elders darkened.

Akainu's expression soured as well.

Aokiji and Kizaru, who were standing nearby, glanced around nervously. They really didn't want to be involved in another embarrassing mission like this.

One glance at Akainu's constipated expression told them all they needed to know. This situation with Kuke was downright cursed, and no one involved with him ever came out of it well.

Moreover, based on Akainu's detailed recount of events, it was clear that both Kuke and Gion were nearly impossible to capture quickly. And with the addition of their pirate ship's unbeatable defense, there was no easy way to get to them.

It might be better to just let this go.

"Lure him again? Do you think the World Government has an endless supply of perfect Devil Fruits?" one of the Five Elders snapped at Sengoku.

Just thinking about losing the Mythical Zoan Phoenix Fruit made them want to vomit blood.

"What's the plan, then?" Sengoku chuckled awkwardly.

"We will infiltrate the Sun and Moon Pirates, gather intelligence, and wait for the perfect moment to strike. We'll hit them from the inside when they least expect it," one of the Five Elders said in a low voice.

The senior Navy officers narrowed their eyes slightly.

This wasn't an unheard-of plan. The Navy and World Government had used it many times before.

Many pirate crews had spies within them from either the Navy or the World Government.

Infiltrating with undercover agents wasn't a groundbreaking strategy, but it was effective. In the past, this method had led to the downfall of many powerful groups.

"A solid plan," Sengoku agreed, nodding in approval.

Though the World Government and Navy were powerful, many forces at sea couldn't be taken down in one blow. Rather than risking immense losses to wipe them out in one go, it was often more effective to plant spies and wait for the enemy to expose their weaknesses, at which point the Navy could swoop in and finish the job.

"So, who will we send?" Sengoku asked, looking toward the Five Elders.

The Five Elders furrowed their brows in thought.

"What is the Sun and Moon Pirates' recruitment standard?" one of the Five Elders asked.

The Sun and Moon Pirates were different from Kaido's crew or Big Mom's crew.

They were newly formed and had few members. Without a fixed base, infiltrating them would be more challenging, and the selection of the spy had to be perfect.

"Currently, the Sun and Moon Pirates consist of Captain Kuke, Gion, the three Boa sisters, and a recently introduced young girl. That's their entire crew so far," Sengoku said, pointing to their photos.

"We don't know the full criteria for their recruitment, but in nearly two months, their crew has only grown by a few members. They seem to be taking an elite-focused approach, like Red-Haired Shanks. One ship is their entire force, and… all their core members are women."

"Women?"

The Five Elders quickly ran through a mental list of the World Government's elite agents, especially female ones.

"To infiltrate the Sun and Moon Pirates, we need someone who meets several criteria: she must be a woman, not too weak, have significant experience, and have an established identity in the world," Sengoku analyzed for the Elders.

Especially that last point.

If they sent in an agent with no history or public identity, she would instantly raise suspicion in such a small crew.

"Perhaps the Navy should handle this. Kuke used to be in the Navy's boot camp, and thanks to his looks, he was pretty popular among the female recruits," Sengoku suggested.

For example, agents like Tashigi or Hina might have a chance, as they seemed to have a decent relationship with Kuke during their time in the camp.

Their chances of infiltrating the crew were fairly high.

"What if the female agents defect, just like Gion?" one of the Five Elders asked sharply.

Sengoku froze.

That… was a valid concern.

He couldn't guarantee that wouldn't happen.

Looking again at Kuke's picture, Sengoku knew that while appearance didn't matter much to him personally, to many women, Kuke was practically an irresistible force. On top of that, his exploits had made him a romantic figure in the eyes of many princesses and queens across various kingdoms.

"Hmph." The Five Elders, increasingly dissatisfied with the Navy, were clearly not impressed.

"We won't be leaving this to the Navy. We already have someone in mind," one of the Elders declared.

After their series of failures, the Five Elders had lost confidence in the Navy's abilities.

"Who is it?" Sengoku asked, curious.

"You don't need to know," the Elder replied curtly, dismissing the Navy officers from the room.

Once the naval leaders had left, the Five Elders pulled out a dossier.

Opening it, they examined the contents.

"Is there anyone more suited for infiltrating the Sun and Moon Pirates than her?"

The dossier contained a photo of a stunningly beautiful woman, graceful in demeanor.

Her name was Stussy.

The file detailed her dual identity: secretly a member of CP0, but publicly known as the Queen of the Pleasure District and one of the emperors of the Underworld.

Currently, she was on assignment, working closely with the Big Mom Pirates, monitoring their every move.

"She's the perfect choice," the Five Elders agreed.

No one else could possibly match her qualifications.

"But Stussy has already gained Big Mom's trust. If we pull her out to infiltrate the Sun and Moon Pirates, won't all the effort we've invested in Big Mom be wasted?"

"It doesn't matter. The Big Mom Pirates are strong now, but in the future, the Sun and Moon Pirates will be far more dangerous. The name 'Sun and Moon' suggests they have ambitions as large as the world itself."

"Then let's get Stussy ready to make her move. She'll infiltrate the Sun and Moon Pirates as soon as possible."

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P.S.: This story was never completed, and I want to finish it. If you'd like to help me financially so I have the time to translate it as fast as possible, you can join me on my Patreon at Patreon. com / Emik01 and you can read up to chapter 45.

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