The meaningful smile on Bege's face made the three kings suspicious, especially Stussy. A sudden tightness gripped her heart; she had a vague, ominous premonition.
"Speak," the Loan Shark King said in a low voice. "If this information is important enough, I can drop the matter of the Ente three islands." He could tell from Bege's attitude that there was no chance of getting the islands back. If he could exchange them for a valuable piece of intelligence, the trip wouldn't be a complete waste.
"Good. This information concerns the Queen of the Pleasure Quarter, Stussy," Bege said, smiling at her.
Stussy's expression changed for a fraction of a second before she quickly recovered her smile. "Mr. Demon Dragon, you must be joking," she giggled. "What information could I possibly have that's as important as the Ente three islands?"
Bege shook his head, his eyes fixed on her. "Your identity is worth far more than the Ente three islands. Am I right... secret agent of CP0?"
"A CP0 agent!" The Loan Shark King and Giberson the Undertaker were shocked, their stunned gazes turning to Stussy.
A sharp glint flashed in Stussy's eyes. She narrowed them, fanning herself gently as she laughed. "Mr. Demon Dragon, you really have a sense of humor. I am one of the six kings of the underworld. How could I possibly be a CP0 agent? Your attempt to sow discord is not very clever."
The Loan Shark King and the Undertaker's expressions shifted, and they looked at Bege with a hint of hostility. Between Stussy and Bege, they were more inclined to believe Stussy.
"Demon Dragon, such a tactic is not very clever," the Loan Shark King said in a low voice.
"If you're going to claim that Stussy is a CP0 agent, you should at least provide some proof. Your word alone is not trustworthy," the Undertaker added.
Bege shrugged. "I don't have any proof."
Stussy's face instantly turned to ice. She snapped her fan shut. "Then you are slandering me," she said coldly. "Demon Dragon, it seems you truly look down on us six kings of the underworld."
The Loan Shark King and the Undertaker's faces were extremely ugly, their three pairs of sinister eyes fixed on Bege.
Bege met their cold stares without fear and laughed to himself. "I have no intention of looking down on you. I am simply stating a fact. I learned of Stussy's identity by interrogating a member of a CP organization and from a high-ranking official in the World Government. There is little doubt about her identity. If you don't believe me, you can investigate it yourselves when you get back. You're bound to find some clues."
"As for whether I'm trying to sow discord among you, I can tell you clearly: I have no need to. It's impossible for you six kings of the underworld to unite against me. And my business has almost no connection to the three of you, so I'm not afraid of you joining forces to attack me. On the contrary," Bege said with a relaxed smile, "do you think you can withstand my wrath?"
"How arrogant," Stussy said in a low voice.
"It's not arrogance; it's strength. On the seas, strength is what matters. The Fire Tank Pirates do not fear any challenge," Bege said, a confident smile playing on his lips.
"Since Demon Dragon is unwilling to return the Ente three islands, there's no point in us staying here any longer. Let's go," Stussy said with a cold snort.
"Let's go," the Undertaker said, his expression dark, his thoughts unreadable.
The Loan Shark King turned to leave, his unwillingness clear on his face.
"Oh, by the way," Bege added suddenly, "I've already told the Shipping King about Stussy. Perhaps he's already found some clues."
Stussy's body trembled, and her eyes narrowed, a sharp glint of killing intent deep within them.
"A secret agent of CP0 infiltrating the underworld and even becoming one of its six kings... tsk, tsk, tsk. I'm afraid all of your intelligence has been grasped by the World Government," Bege said with a teasing laugh.
The Loan Shark King and the Undertaker's faces grew even darker. Although they didn't show it, a seed of suspicion toward Stussy had been planted in their hearts, and they subtly distanced themselves from her.
Bege watched Stussy's retreating back, a flash of icy killing intent in his eyes.
"Godfather, since you've confirmed that Stussy is a CP0 agent, why not just kill her?" Enel asked.
"Not yet," Bege said, shaking his head. "We have no direct evidence of her identity. If we make a move against her, it will attract the enmity of the entire underworld, which would do us more harm than good." He then smiled. "The Loan Shark King and the Undertaker are already suspicious of her. Add to that the clues from the Shipping King, and it's enough to make the underworld thoroughly investigate her identity. It's only a matter of time before she's exposed. When the empire she's spent decades building is torn down, it will be a painful blow to the World Government."
Stussy had become the Queen of the Pleasure Quarter with the secret support of the World Government. The thought of the World Government's secret pawn, which they had painstakingly planted in the underworld, being uprooted, and decades of effort going up in smoke, made Bege want to laugh.
The three of them quickly left the palace and arrived at the docks.
The Loan Shark King said in a low voice, "Stussy, although there may be an element of slander in what Demon Dragon said, we have to be cautious. I must ask you to take another ship for now."
"You don't believe me," Stussy said, her face extremely ugly.
"It's not that we don't believe you; it's a precaution," the Loan Shark King said. "If you are innocent, I promise I will mobilize the underworld to teach Demon Dragon a lesson."
"That's right. Even if he is a new Emperor, he hasn't solidified his position yet. The power of the underworld is more than enough to make him suffer," the Undertaker said with a grim smile.
Stussy snorted and turned to leave.
The Loan Shark King and the Undertaker exchanged a look and quickly boarded their ship. They needed to contact the Shipping King immediately to find out more.
Stussy boarded a small boat from the warship. She, too, was in a hurry to contact the World Government, report the intelligence, and discuss how to deal with the investigation from Du Feld and the others. If this wasn't handled properly, the World Government's network of spies in the underworld could be uprooted entirely.
The underworld was thrown into a state of turmoil over Stussy's identity. In the end, whether she could weather the storm or not, a rift had been created among the six kings. There would always be a seed of doubt in their hearts regarding her.
For now, Bege couldn't concern himself with the affairs of the underworld. He could only let things develop. Perhaps he would make a move against Stussy later.
The battle on Fear Island and the ambush by the Marines and the World Government had caused him heavy losses. Bege was still seething with anger. He wouldn't be satisfied until he had caused some trouble for the World Government and the Marines.
Three days after the departure of the three underworld kings, Bege received a call from Dragon.
"Bege, I've found the person you're looking for. She's on Enies Lobby. The situation is not good; it seems she's about to be transferred to the Holy Land, Mary Geoise. If you want to save her, you need to hurry."
"I understand. I owe you one for this."
"Just remember it. This cost me a great deal. You definitely owe me," Dragon said before hanging up.
Bege put down the Den Den Mushi, his hands clasped behind his back. A sharp light, capable of tearing the sky asunder, flashed in his eyes.
"I've finally found you," he whispered. "No matter where you are, I will save you."