Chapter 49: Stussy’s Ordeal

That morning’s newspaper unsettled everyone who laid eyes on it.

The front-page headline read:

——THE BEAST PIRATES DEFEATED BY THE BIG MOM PIRATES!!

——"KAIDO OF THE BEASTS" AND "THE DEMON BEAST" NUE CAPTURED—ONLY TO ESCAPE AGAIN!!

The article detailed the war between the Big Mom Pirates and the Beast Pirates in the New World, along with its outcome.

Clashes between notorious pirates were always newsworthy. But when it involved two of the New World’s four greatest pirate crews—the Big Mom Pirates and the Beast Pirates, infamous for their brutality—it was only natural for the story to dominate the front page.

According to the report, the battle between the two crews had erupted in Big Mom’s territory. After a full day of intense fighting, the Big Mom Pirates emerged victorious.

Then, by sheer coincidence, a Marine fleet appeared on the scene. Kaido, captain of the Beast Pirates, and his right-hand man, Nue, were captured. Following a "fair and impartial" trial, they were swiftly sentenced to execution—carried out that very same day.

——Yet the executions failed.

The Marines attempted to execute them four times, and all four attempts ended in failure. In the end, the two monsters went on a rampage, sank the massive prison ship, and escaped.

Naturally, the public was furious.

"Four failed executions…? What the hell are the Marines doing…?"

"And they even let them escape…? Get your act together…!"

"How many times do they have to fail before they get it right?!"

The repeated failures to execute such dangerous criminals—followed by their prison break—left the people uneasy.

But unease wasn’t the only reaction.

Someone was far more displeased with this news than anyone else.

"Those meddling fools…!! Jumping the gun, interfering, and then letting them escape—how utterly useless can they be?!"

——New World, Desire Island.

In her private quarters, Stussy—the "Queen of Pleasure," the face of this island, the Beast Pirates’ territory and stronghold—trembled with rage as she clutched the newspaper.

This was a rare display of anger from her.

Stussy had two faces: one as a ruler of the underworld, the other as a covert operative of CP-0, the World Government’s intelligence agency.

Under orders from the World Government and the CP-0 Chief, Stussy had embedded herself within the Beast Pirates, feeding information back to her superiors.

As a result, she knew the Beast Pirates better than anyone else in the Government. She had spent years dealing with them—learning their brutality, their madness, their personalities, their preferences. Every scrap of intel was filed away in her mind, and anything useful to the Government was discreetly passed along.

…Admittedly, it was far more demanding than her usual assignments. But as a professional, Stussy had handled it flawlessly. Lately, she’d even grown comfortable enough to enjoy their raucous banquets. …Though "comfortable" might not have been the right word.

Regardless, her mission had been progressing smoothly. She had even caught wind of the Beast Pirates’ plan to raid Big Mom’s territory and promptly reported it.

But in her report, she had explicitly warned against acting prematurely. Sending Marines now would be reckless—there was no guarantee of success, and worse, it risked exposing her cover.

Besides, she had assumed her superiors would understand that without being told.

…She was wrong.

"They underestimated them…!! Unbelievable… I spelled it out for them…!!"

Stussy had meticulously documented the Beast Pirates’ threat level.

Neither Kaido, Nue, nor their top officers were to be taken lightly. While their influence paled in comparison to Big Mom or Golden Lion, provoking them would only lead to unnecessary casualties.

But if left alone—or if fed the right intel—they could inflict significant damage on other major pirate crews. They were the perfect pawns to pit against rivals.

Yes, civilian casualties would be severe. But if the Government turned a blind eye, the Beast Pirates could serve as a means to thin the pirate ranks. For now, it was better to let them roam free. If the Government ever decided to strike, it had to be with overwhelming force.

…She had thought this was common sense.

It wasn’t.

The Government still saw the Beast Pirates as a minor nuisance. A few Marine ships would be enough to capture them.

——Idiots.

Sure, capturing them was possible. But those two monsters could easily break free from any ordinary officers.

That’s why, if they were to be dealt with, Stussy had advised either a Buster Call or the direct involvement of a Marine Admiral. Of course, this was just the opinion of someone who actually understood the enemy.

CP-0 wielded considerable authority, but Marine deployments were a separate matter. And above all, defying the Celestial Dragons was unthinkable. They were nothing more than loyal hounds—shields and servants in equal measure.

Still, Stussy had believed the Five Elders and other high-ranking officials were different from the usual incompetent Celestial Dragons. That they would understand.

She was wrong.

The other intelligence officers were no better. Their judgment was naive. Pathetically so. She hadn’t realized the gap in their understanding was this vast.

It was infuriating.

"They should swap places with me for once. Let them endure that hellish training. Let them get drunk, destroy a town, and then stare death in the face. Maybe then they’d finally learn. And while they’re at it, they should raise my damn salary. Give me a vacation—"

She was this close to snapping.

"...Sigh… No point in wallowing."

Stussy forced her anger down. She couldn’t afford to let it show.

After all, the Beast Pirates would be returning to the island soon. She had received word via Den Den Mushi.

So, just in case—just in case—she needed to prepare an excuse if questioned.

Not that she had slipped up. She had already built a solid rapport with them.

But for some reason, she couldn’t shake the feeling that the one she was closest to was also the one who suspected her the most.

"——I’m home, Stussy~♪"

"! Oh, Nue. Welcome back. You’re here already?"

"Yeah, figured I’d hop in the bath first, so I flew ahead before we docked~"

——And just like that, the very person causing all the uproar had arrived.

Nue, the "Demon Beast" and vice-captain of the Beast Pirates. Bounty: 880,100,000 Berries—freshly increased after this latest incident.

She was Stussy’s closest friend… and also her greatest wild card.

Outwardly, Nue looked like a cute, playful girl—and in many ways, she was. But "playful" could cut both ways. Her sense of morality was… skewed, to say the least. She understood common decency, yet chose to ignore it, all while keeping this air of childish mischief.

In short, she was an enigma—even after years of intel-gathering, Stussy still couldn’t fully pin her down.

Underestimating her because of her appearance was a sure way to get wrecked. As a Mythical Zoan user, her abilities were shrouded in mystery, and her physical prowess rivaled even Kaido’s.

"Stussy~ Let’s take a bath together!"

"Sure, I’ll get things ready."

Nue tugged her along. This wasn’t unusual—they’d shared meals, baths, and even slept in the same room plenty of times. They’d even gone out together… though those outings were usually just work in disguise.

Still, whenever Nue grabbed her wrist like this, Stussy couldn’t help but wonder—"What if she suddenly rips my arm off on a whim?"

With Nue, it wasn’t impossible.

"Oops, I’m kinda hungry~ Can I nibble on your finger? ♡"

—And she would mean it literally.

…Then again, she probably wouldn’t do that to a friend. Probably.

But Nue had a habit of saying the most unpredictable things, so Stussy had trained herself not to flinch. Honestly, this assignment had hardened her nerves like nothing else.

"...Oh, hey, Stussy. Can I ask you something?"

"? Sure, what is it?"

Her poker face was ironclad now. Whatever Nue threw at her, she wouldn’t—

"—Did you, by any chance… snitch on me to someone ?"

…………

She. Would. Not. Flinch.

Absolutely not!!

---

I’d barely stepped foot back home, and already, I was having fun watching Stussy’s adorable reactions.

Tilting my head innocently, I studied her face as I asked the question.

For a split second—so subtle that a normal person wouldn’t notice—her eyebrow twitched.

"...What are you talking about?"

She played dumb flawlessly.

Mmm, that delicious, barely-contained tension was practically oozing into my Observation Haki. Exquisite.

Nothing like a fresh dose of terror after a long voyage~ ♡

But teasing her too much would be mean, so after letting her sweat a little, I dropped the real question—stripping off my clothes as I spoke.

"—About how you sneakily massage my chest before bed."

"...Oh. That?"

Pfft.

The relief on her face was priceless.

God, she’s cute. This is why I love messing with her.

Stussy quickly regained her composure, flashing a natural smile as she checked the bathwater.

"I didn’t tell anyone."

"Ehh~ Really~? I heard some underlings gossiping, so I thought maybe it leaked somewhere… But you’d never spill my secrets, Stussy!! Sorry for doubting you!!"

"Hehe, don’t worry about it~ ♡ …More importantly, your voyage sounded rough. It was all over the papers."

"Hmm~? Well, Linlin was a tough one. Gotta get stronger before next time~♪"

I turned on the shower, letting the water run over me as I spoke.

Stussy bringing up the topic wasn’t suspicious—not mentioning it would’ve been weirder. The news was public, and anyone in the underworld would’ve heard by now.

But knowing she’s a spy makes it hilarious to watch her angle for info.

—Not that I’ll call her out on it right now, though.

"...That’s it? You got captured and nearly executed, didn’t you?"

"Ahh, right, right! Okay, listen to this—those guys were so lame !"

"Lame? How so?"

As Stussy lathered soap behind me, I launched into the story while she washed my hair.

The CliffsNotes version of our failed execution:

——Three days ago, Kaido and I got captured by the Marines, sentenced to death, and hauled onto a massive prison ship for a guillotine session.

But then—

"—W-What the hell?! Why did the blade shatter?!"

"Was it… dull?!"

"N-No, sir! It could slice through anything on contact!"

"Then what in the world just happened!?"

"Pr-probably... their skin is just too tough...!!"

The guillotine blade snapped clean in half the moment it struck our necks. That alone was enough to send the judge, the guards, the executioner, and the surrounding marines into a panicked frenzy.

Watching their bewildered reactions, Kaido and I both let out exasperated sighs. Puffing out my cheeks in protest, I grumbled,

"Ugh, how rude! Calling the delicate skin of a beautiful girl hard! Clearly the guillotine was just flimsy!"

"Yeah, seriously...!! You really thought some dinky little blade like that would kill me!?"

"Th-then hang them! Change the sentence to hanging!!"

"Y-yes, sir!!"

The judge, completely rattled by our complaints, somehow managed to keep a shred of dignity as he ordered the method of execution changed.

—Without missing a beat, the marines and guards sprang into action. The sentence was changed to hanging, and chains were looped around our necks before we were hoisted onto the execution platform.

"All right!! Proceed with the execution!!"

"Yes, sir!!"

At the signal, we were both hanged—but immediately after...

"What the—!? The chains snapped!!?"

"What kind of necks are those...!?"

"You seriously think hanging is enough to kill me...? Don't make me laugh..."

"Exactly! This is just kinda fun, honestly! Look—I'm basically on a swing! Or like a cat being picked up by the scruff! If you're gonna do it, at least try to make it convincing! It won't work anyway, but come on, there's a mood to these things!"

"W-what the hell are these two saying...!?"

"D-don’t listen to the ravings of madmen!! If hanging doesn’t work, then impale them!! Bring the spears!!"

"Y-yes, sir!!"

After the second failed execution, Kaido and I voiced our complaints again, only to be brought back down and faced with a line of executioners holding spears. One of them stepped forward—he looked pathetically weak. Like, even if we went way easy on him, he still might die from a light punch. No Haki, no presence, nothing. Were they actually trying to kill us? If they were serious, they’d need someone at least five meters tall who could split the sky in half. I mean, if Whitebeard were the one executing me, I’d probably die. Probably. Kaido might survive even that, but if they did it enough times, I think even he’d eventually go down. I stared at them with a look that screamed “Seriously?”—but, well, I decided to go along with the impalement just to humor them. As expected, though...

"Wh-what the—!? The spear...!!?"

"Unbelievable...!! What kind of bodies do they have!? They're supposed to be weakened by Seastone!!"

"T-that’s what we thought, but...!!"

"So weak... so boring I could yawn... Is this seriously what a death sentence amounts to...!?"

"Hmph. You don’t even know how to use a spear properly... I could teach you, if you’d like? Here—try lowering your stance a little. Then center your body—"

"L-like this?"

"Yes! That’s better! See? You can do it when you try!"

"Haha... well, I guess I’ve got a knack for it..."

"Don’t make small talk with the condemned, you idiot!!!"

"S-sorry!! I got carried away...!"

"Dammit... Fine! On to the next one!!"

"Try something better this time, would you~?"

"Silence!!"

At the judge’s furious command, we were made to wait again for the next method.

After a short while, something new arrived—a massive iron cauldron, filled to the brim with bubbling red liquid. This is...!!

"Ohhh... Is this what I think it is...!?"

"Hahaha!! You figured it out, huh!? That’s right!! This is modeled after the infamous ‘Blazing Hell’ of Impel Down’s LEVEL 4!! A boiling pool of blood to scorch you alive and drag you straight to hell—!!"

"Yaaay!! A hot bath!! Let’s get in, Kaido~♪"

"Worororo... Not bad. Pretty thoughtful of them. And the heat’s just right... Stay in here an hour and I might even get woozy."

"Wait—YOU GOT IN ON YOUR OWN!?"

"AND HE'S TOTALLY FINE!?"

"Doesn’t it hurt!? At all!?"

Kaido and I slipped into the steaming bath, which easily topped 100 degrees. It sapped a bit of our strength, but it felt kinda nice, honestly. A little hot, sure, but nothing we couldn’t handle.

"Look, splash splash~♪"

“GYAAAH!! That’s HOT!!”

“H-hey, quit splashing around! This isn’t a damn bathhouse!!”

“Still, this is getting boring... Hey, Nue, let’s get out of here already.”

“Oh, we’re making a break for it? Got it~♪ Aaaand—take this!!”

“GUAAAAAAAHHHHH!!?”

“Wh-what the—!? They just threw the iron cauldron...!!”

“They’re supposed to be weakened by Seastone—how are they this strong!!?”

After soaking for a while, Kaido and I stepped out, hoisted the massive iron cauldron like it was nothing, and hurled its contents all over the place. People nearby screamed and dropped to the floor like they were burning alive, but really, it wasn’t that hot. I casually grabbed a spear from one of the fallen executioners and started impaling the guards and marines one by one.

“Poke poke♡ Poke poke♡ See? This is how you do a proper execution by impalement~!”

“Now it’s our turn to carry out the death sentence...!! Worororooo...!!!”

“Wha—!? S-somebody stop them!!! Shoot if you have to!! KILL THEM!!”

“W-we’re already shooting but... it’s not working!! —GRAAHHH!!”

“Th-this can’t be happening...!!”

“Are they even human...!?”

“M-monsters...!!”

While I kept picking people off with lighthearted stabs, Kaido went around clobbering them to death one at a time. I mean, sure, it’s nice they’re scared, but if they’ve got time to tremble, maybe try actually fighting back. It’s life or death, you know? That’s why they end up dying. No one else is to blame—it’s just their own weakness. They still don’t get that. Weaklings can be killed at any time. That’s just how it is.

“Alright, guess I’ll go look for the Seastone key. Don’t sink the place before I get back, okay, Kaido?”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it!! I’ll just smash everything to bits...!!!”

“No, you don’t got it!!! I said DON’T sink it yet!!”

──And so, after unlocking our Seastone restraints and retrieving our weapons, we sank the prison ship (on purpose this time), returned to our own vessel, rejoined our crew, and after a few more twists and turns, made our way back to the island.

“—The end! That’s how we got back, all nice and easy. Kinda underwhelming, right? Executions are pretty lame.”

“...That was an incredibly chaotic prison break.”

“I’m used to breaking out of places, so that part was no big deal. I was kinda curious about what a real execution would feel like, since I’d never been through one before. But yeah, turns out it didn’t work. The most fun part was watching everyone else freak out. Honestly, I think I enjoy torture more—way more engaging~♡ So, what about you, Stussy? Which do you like better?”

“If I’m the one doing it, either’s fine. But if I’m on the receiving end? No thanks.”

“Reaally~? Well, I like being the one doing it too, so we should totally team up sometime! But I also think you’d look really good as the one being tortured♡”

“...Please don’t.”

“Eh? You thought I would? No waaay, I’d never do something like that to a friend! I mean, unless you were a spy or a traitor or something—but that’s not the case, riiight?”

“—My, how terrifying. I’ll be sure not to disappoint you.”

She said it with a smile, but I could feel her pulse from behind me. Whoa, she’s holding it together like a pro. Is she using Life Return or something to keep calm? Still... there’s a flicker of fear. Heehee, it’s adorable how hard she’s trying to hide it even though it’s obvious~♡ What’s the matter, Stussy? Starting to worry you’ll be tortured and killed if you’re found out~? Fufufu... Oh, right. There was something else I meant to ask.

“Anyway, on a different note—Stussy, you ever think about joining us?”

“Oh come on, again? How many times do I have to say it—I’m not cut out for the pirate life. I’m much more at home basking in the sun on solid ground.”

“Ehh~? I think you are cut out for it, though. And if you joined us, you’d get an executive position right away... Plus, I’ve got something reeeally nice to give you.”

“…Reeally nice?”

Oh? She bit. Well, of course she did. I’ve been with Stussy long enough to know—despite her refined air, she’s got a soft spot for money, status, and all that worldly stuff. She’s also surprisingly sadistic. When she tags along to our parties, she even joins in on the torture shows we put on for fun. And she enjoys them. Honestly, I think she’s a natural. Both in terms of ability and presence. Definitely worth locking in as a real asset.

──Which is why I decided to tell her about the reeeally nice thing.

“Fufufu… Something super rare—a De-vil Frrruit~♡”

“! A Devil Fruit…!? And you said it’s rare—so, what? A Logia?”

“Hmm~ maybe something even rarer~♪ Aaaand♡ It’s got a pretty amazing power too~”

“…What kind of power?”

Ooh, she’s leaning in more. She’s definitely curious. Although… maybe she just wants the info. Maybe planning to steal it or pass it on. Or maybe she’d pretend to join just to snag the Fruit?

──Yeah, no. That kind of thing? I’m not letting happen. I am willing to give it to her—but only if she really joins. So I flashed a teasing grin, eyes half-lidded with mischief.

“Ni-hi-hi~ Not telling~♡ You gotta pay up for that info~♡”

“…Heh, that’s just like you, little ‘Monster Beast.’ Always so mean. But if I don’t know what it is, how am I supposed to even consider your offer?”

“Nope~ Not budging~♪ Only giving a little hint♪”

“So you are telling me…”

“No no, really just a hint. Let’s see… it’s a power that could preserve your beauty~?”

“…Preserve… beauty?”

“Fufufu… That’s all you get! Classified info of the Beasts Pirates! Wanna know more? Gotta join up~!”

“…I’ll think about it.”

Stussy ended the topic quickly, maybe realizing she wasn’t getting anything else out of me. But judging by her reaction… she is interested, I think? Hard to say for sure, but it’s gotta be tempting. I mean, what kind of woman wouldn’t want a Fruit like that? Especially someone like her. Someone who'd rather use that power than hand it over to the government. I’d say this is going pretty well. Now I just have to keep dangling the benefits and stoking that little flicker of doubt in her.

“—Oh, right. One more thing I wanted to tell you.”

“What now? You’re always full of surprises, Nue, but I think I’m all surprised out for the day.”

“Really? Then I’ll keep this short and sweet.”

Since she said she wouldn’t be surprised, I decided to say it in the most surprising way I could.

“About an hour or two before we got back, I raided a ship carrying Heavenly Tribute—you know, that big Celestial Dragon tax haul? Got the cash, pinned the blame on a random country, probably gonna result in two whole nations getting wiped out. Now I’m thinking of stirring the pot a little more and making bank selling them weapons~♪ Sooo, I’ll be counting on you for the bro-ker-age, kay~?”

“…………Eh?”

And there it is—Stussy froze.

Fufufu… Yep, that should do it. I’ve lost a bunch of crew, our ship needs repairs, and we need to restock funds, fast. Time for Stussy to earn her keep~!!