Investigation

Felix was taken to the local prison by Connor and his subordinates. Everyone looked at him weirdly as he entered the building. 

"Sheriff, you're at the station. There's no way here but people you handpicked yourself." 

Connor confronted Felix. 

"Why don't you tell us who really killed the mayor so we can help you out." 

"I killed the mayor." 

"Come on, sir." 

"We all know you didn't do it." 

"Please, just talk to us." 

The officers in the station started pleading with Felix. 

"I killed the mayor. So quit playing around and bring me to my cell." 

Everyone sighed in disappointment. 

"Right this way." 

Connor led Felix to a cell in the back of the station. Felix entered the cell without any resistance and sat on a bench inside. Connor frowned and walked away leaving the cell open. 

"You're not going to close the cell?" 

One of the officers asked him. 

"Why bother? If he wants to break out, is there anybody who can stop him?" 

"You're right about that." 

The officers gathered in the station with sour expressions. 

"I can't believe the mayor is dead." 

One of the officers mumbled. 

"....Hey, just to be sure none of believes the Sheriff did it, right?" 

"Of course not." 

Connor answered. 

"The Sheriff is the only one who has the authority to kill the Supreme Five and the Mayor if they deem them a threat to the island. With that authority, he could've said the mayor was plotting something that would justify his death. However, he hasn't done that and only said he killed in cold blood. It's obvious there's something more going on." 

The officers nodded one of the other. 

"If only the sheriff would come clean about the whole thing." 

The station became silent. 

"What's with this gloomy atmosphere?" 

Somebody walked in wearing triangular shades and a star on his clothes. 

"Deputy Sheriff Riley." 

The officers stood at attention. 

"I just woke up. Where's the sheriff?" 

"In the back cell, sir." 

"I see. Then, I'm going to have a chat with him." 

Riley started heading towards the back. 

"Sir, could you please convince him to talk?" 

Connor called out to him. Riley waved without looking back. He reached the cell and stood at the entrance. 

"They should've closed the cell...Those slackers." 

He entered the cell. 

"Don't you agree, Felix?" 

"......." 

Felix remained silent and kept looking at the floor. 

"So, you're not going to say anything?" 

Riley frowned. 

"Come on. Everyone is confused and the island has plunged into chaos. The mayor's dead and the sheriff won't say who did. People are bound to make speculations. It won't be long before they develop all kinds of theories. For example..." 

He locked his eyes on Felix's every action. 

"The World Government sent an assassin to kill Tate." 

Felix didn't react but Riley pressed on. 

"Tell me, Felix. Did the World Government kill Tate?" 

Felix looked up. 

"Don't you realize how pointless this conversation is?" 

"Is it? Why?" 

"Because you already know the answer." 

Felix showed a dry smile. 

"After all, we killed Tate. Didn't we La Parca?" 

Riley wore a confused face. 

"What are you talk....Do you know what you're doing, Felix?" 

Riley's voice and tone changed halfway through his sentence. Felix smiled. 

"I do. I'm rebelling." 

He straightened up. 

"With me taking the blame, people will naturally go out and look for answers. They will flip this island on its head and when that happens, they will learn the truth about me, the truth about you, the truth about all of us." 

He started laughing. 

"You want to quietly destroy this place while everyone is still ignorant about everything. I won't let that happen. They will discover the true nature of this island and then come after all of us, La Parca!" 

Riley's eyes widened. 

"You dare to scream that name here?" 

"Like I told you, I'm rebelling." 

He stood up and approached Riley. 

"Kill me if you want to stop me." 

"I see." 

Riley sighed and placed his hand on his hip. 

"You wish to die." 

Felix remained silent. 

"What you're doing is futile. I have no intention of killing one of the originals unless necessary. It will only complicate things." 

"Complicate things? Is that what you tell yourself?" 

Felix poked Riley's chest. 

"You're just afraid of what will happen to you the moment I die. You're afraid you'll cease being you and your resolve will crumble." 

"My resolve will never crumble." 

Riley's eyes narrowed. 

"I will maintain the balance no matter the cost." 

"Even if it cost our soul." 

Riley smirked. 

"We lost that a long time ago." 

He pushed Felix and he sat back on the bench. 

"If you wish to rebel then do as you wish. Just know I will act accordingly. So go ahead, escalate the deaths of the people you swore to protect. It makes no difference to me." 

He pointed at Felix. 

"Besides, you can't tell people about me. After all, we are one in the same." 

He smiled for a bit before a confused expression appeared on his face. 

"Huh? I feel like I blacked out for a bit." 

Riley's voice and tone changed again. 

"Anyway, Felix. Are you going to talk?" 

Felix frowned. 

"All I'll say is what you already know." 

Meanwhile, Luffy and the others were still at Tate's mansion. They were searching for anything that could give them answers as to what was happening. 

"Are we certain this is going to help us?" 

Astrid asked while moving the broken chandelier by the wall. 

"It won't hurt to look. We might not find anything but there's a chance one of us will figure something out while we work." 

Luka answered while inspecting the second floor. 

"We can share ideas while we look." 

Caria was searching the kitchen with Luffy and Hancock. She had to constantly stop Luffy from touching any food before she checked it. 

"Then I'm going to ask, is there anybody who doesn't think the World Government was involved?" 

Frantz stopped searching and asked. No one spoke up. 

"Then I take it that we all are in arrangement. If that's the case, we're wasting our time searching here. World Government agents wouldn't leave behind clues." 

Frantz sat down on a chair. 

"I agree." 

Astrid did the same. 

"I think we need to look at Felix's actions for a clue." 

"You mean him not talking. You think that's a clue?" 

Jessie jumped down from the second floor and landed in the center of the living room. 

Frantz nodded. 

"How many of you knew Felix was a World Government agent?" 

"Huh? That guy worked for the world government." 

Luffy came out of the kitchen eating some fruit he found. 

"I see. So that's why you guys can use that Pigeon Guy's techniques." 

"According to Tate, Felix is different from Cipher Pol who you fought Luffy. He didn't know which branch though." 

"What if he lied and he was a part of Cipher Pol?" 

Hancock asked. 

"Tate seemed certain. They have known each other since Felix arrived on the island." 

"Wait, that sheriff guy wasn't born here? But he has the same presence as half the island." 

Luffy wore a confused expression. 

"No, Felix came here 20 years ago." 

Astrid answered. 

"20 years ago...." 

Hancock thought about it for a while before her eyes widened. 

"Caria, when we came here you said no one knew the reason why half of the population share a singular presence. When did you say this started to happen?" 

Caria pondered Hancock's words for a bit before shock stained her face. 

"Almost two decades ago." 

"Wait, are you guys implying Felix has something to do with half of the island sharing a presence? That doesn't make sense." 

Luka was dismissive. 

"I mean, how would someone be able to do that?" 

"Well, there's his skill to neutralize Conquerors..." 

Frantz mumbled. 

"That's completely different. Can Haki even do that?" 

Astrid was also skeptical. 

"Haki is a mysterious power, no one knows its limits...However, I've never heard anything like that. The closest thing is rumors of Haki Masters being able to erase their presence completely." 

Hancock added. 

"So what? The Sheriff has a Devil Fruit?" 

Luffy asked. 

"We never seen him use an ability before...." 

Jessie mumbled. Everyone became silent for a bit. 

"Anyway, it seems in order to learn what happened we must look into two things." 

Frantz lifted two fingers. 

"Why some people share a presence and Felix's identity. If we investigate these two things, I believe we will uncover what's really going on." 

While they were deciding their next steps, a shadowy figure was watching them. 

"It's going as you planned it, Felix." 

This shadowy figure smiled. 

"Alright, I'll play your game. Let's see how they'll react to knowing that everything they knew was a lie."