The battle for Arderay was underway, a clash of the world's most formidable powers. Alucard's forces were mobilizing and converging on the island.
Fortunately, the attack by Zephyr and Garp was so sudden that the other three Yonko were unaware. Had they known, they would undoubtedly have been watching from the shadows, looking for an opportunity to gain an advantage.
Meanwhile, a part of the Kuja warriors who remained on Amazon Lily were led by Laliya, who received an intelligence report from a spy placed within Zephyr's unit by the government. The report stated that the battle had begun, but Zephyr and Garp wouldn't last long.
This was because they hadn't brought many forces.
The Marines knew that bringing too many people could attract the attention of the other three Yonko, making the mission harder to succeed. So, Laliya and her team had to act quickly.
After receiving the message, Laliya immediately gathered her squad—her true squad. There were six of them in total, all former members of her pirate crew, whose real identities were spies from the CP organization, an agency directly under the World Government.
Their true objective was to infiltrate the Kuja Pirates and seize Shirahoshi, who was believed to be one of the three Ancient Weapons, Poseidon.
Unlike CP9, who spent years in hiding with Iceburg to secure the Pluton blueprints, Laliya's group did not plan on a long-term infiltration of the Kuja Pirates.
Originally, the Gorosei intended for Laliya to lay low for a long time, waiting for the right moment and climbing to a higher position within the Kuja for a better opportunity.
However, they quickly scrapped that plan.
First, Poseidon wasn't an inanimate object like the Pluton blueprints. She was a living person. The older she got, the more self-aware she would become, and her power would grow. If they waited too long, Shirahoshi might develop the ability to take them out herself, so they couldn't wait for her to grow up.
Second, Hancock was nearly inseparable from Shirahoshi. In the future, Shirahoshi would surely become a vital part of Alucard's strength. When that happened, dealing with both Hancock and Alucard would become even more difficult.
Therefore, they had to act as quickly as possible.
The World Government's forced mission for Zephyr and Garp to "investigate" Alucard's forces was designed to draw Hancock and the Kuja Pirates away, creating an opportunity for Laliya and her team.
Because their opponents were as formidable as Garp and Zephyr, the situation was completely different from a typical expedition. Hancock would never risk taking a defenseless Shirahoshi— who could be considered a "liability"—into battle.
Hancock had taken most of their forces with her, and the lookout, Viola, wasn't present. It was a perfect, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Laliya led her five subordinates into the now-sparse royal palace and arrived at Shirahoshi's bedchamber, which was located on the side of the main hall.
Just like last time, the female guards at the door blocked Laliya's group and said with a frown, "Shirahoshi is resting, and no one except Snake Princess-sama is allowed to enter here."
This time, Laliya didn't waste any words. The five people with her abruptly attacked, using the Rokushiki!
Although the guards were a little confused by Laliya's group showing up at midnight, the Kuja women hadn't suspected anything, especially since Laliya had recently been promoted to an officer.
The sudden attack caught everyone off guard, which was a crucial factor in Laliya's success.
Using Shigan, one of the Rokushiki techniques, Laliya pierced a female guard's throat. She pulled her blood-soaked index and middle fingers out, dropping her usual facade. With a face as cold as ice, she walked into Shirahoshi's room.
Inside, the five-year-old mermaid princess was lying on a huge princess bed covered with thin netting, making cute snoring noises.
"I never got a good look at her. Poseidon, one of the three Ancient Weapons, is just an oblivious little girl," Laliya said with a cold expression.
"Captain, let's get her out of here quickly!" a fellow CP agent behind Laliya said.
"Alright. Have the escape routes been arranged?" Laliya asked, half-turning her head.
"Comisia and her team are ready. I already informed them via Den Den Mushi. The World Government has also begun dispatching people to meet us," another subordinate reported.
The operation didn't just involve the six of them. They were only responsible for abducting Shirahoshi from the palace. After that, they had to evade tens of thousands of Kuja warriors, and that required a plan of its own.
Comisia, whom they mentioned, was the one in charge of plotting their escape route. "Good."
Laliya turned her head back and looked at the sleeping Shirahoshi, the right side of her mouth curling into a smile. "With Poseidon, the World Government will no longer have to fear the Yonko."
Laliya's plan was undeniably perfect. Garp and Zephyr were holding back Alucard and his forces while luring Hancock away, which took most of the Kuja warriors with her and left the
palace lightly guarded. Viola, the scout with the "Glare-Glare Fruit" ability, was also away. The escape routes were plotted using their knowledge of the Kuja and the support of the World Government. All things considered, the plan should have been a complete success.
However, even with the government's meticulous calculations, there was one major flaw: their lack of understanding of Alucard's power.
No matter how confident Alucard was in Hancock's strength, he would never entrust a being as important as Shirahoshi to her care without a final backup plan.
....
On a captured Kuja battleship, a biting cold wind blew. Shirahoshi woke up with a start, only to find that she wasn't looking at her familiar ceiling but the inside of a cold cage.
"Oh? Poseidon-sama is awake," a woman with pink-framed glasses and short, curly hair named Comisia said teasingly as she approached the cage. "I'm afraid you'll have to put up with this for a while, until we reach Mariejois."
"You… you… why…?" Shirahoshi couldn't remember Comisia's face, but the clothes they wore were branded with the Kuja Pirates' symbol, leaving her confused. Why would they…?
"I'm sorry, we don't have time to explain all of this. All I can say is we can't let you stay in Alucard's hands any longer," Comisia said, lightly twisting a lock of her hair and chuckling.
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