This was the fourth day after the great battle on Junk Island in Water 7. After several days of effort, Reno and Kaku finally visited all the docks in Water Seven, recording the location of each one. This was also thanks to the information they had previously gathered with Konan on the island.
Unfortunately, after Reno and Kaku organized the data, there were only 87 shipwrights still working in the docks of Water Seven, 13 short of the 100 needed.
This situation was caused by the disappearance of President Iceberg and Vice President Paulie. Without a leader to manage the docks, even salaries were delayed, and these workers gradually became lazy and unmotivated.
Only those who admired Iceberg and believed he would return continued to hold their posts. Therefore, there were only 87 workers remaining at the island's docks; the rest had already sought other opportunities.
Golden Lion and Kaku had completed their material reserves and returned to the island to report. This time, all material collection was done through monetary transactions, so it didn't cause any unnecessary trouble.
"The situation with the island's workers is like this..."
After returning to the island, Reno and Kaku gave Pain and Konan a detailed report on the workers' situation, awaiting further instructions.
"We understand the situation you described..."
"How long will it take to bring 87 workers to the island?"
Konan needed to know Reno's specific timeframe to make further arrangements.
"Except for the personnel at Dock One, who are quite concentrated, the workers in other areas are more scattered. I estimate it will take about three days to bring everyone to the island."
Reno's estimate was based on his normal speed and strength. Apart from the concentrated personnel at Dock One, workers in other areas were in different directions across the island, which would take Reno much more time.
Moreover, even though Reno's Flash-Flash Fruit ability had improved slightly, that was only an improvement in Reno's stamina when bringing two people to the island at once.
Bringing two people at a time, Reno could at most make five round trips before needing to rest for a while. This was even with the concentrated personnel at Dock One. Therefore, Reno's time estimate was three days, and it might even take longer.
"First, bring the 87 workers to the island and tell them that Iceberg wants to see them."
"Ask Mr. Iceberg who is currently capable of leading at Dock One, and take Iceberg's token to meet him."
"In Iceberg's name, ask him to gather 13 more excellent shipwrights at Dock One as quickly as possible, which will shorten the time spent searching for those 13 shipwrights."
After analysis, Konan gave Reno an efficient task arrangement. Reno acknowledged the order and left; this time, he was acting alone.
Seeing that there was nothing for him to do, Kaku greeted Pain and Konan and went directly to the Cultivate area to Cultivate.
"Pain..."
"Vice Admiral Momousagi has woken up. What do you plan to do with her?"
Pain had visited Momousagi in the conference room last time, but Momousagi had not yet awakened, so Pain had to put his original plan on hold.
Now that Momousagi had awakened, Lucci was responsible for guarding her after completing his material mission. As soon as Momousagi woke up, he immediately informed Pain.
Pain said nothing, simply turned and walked towards the conference room with Konan.
In the conference room, Momousagi slowly regained consciousness.
Momousagi opened her groggy eyes and surveyed her surroundings. Momousagi still didn't know where she was; she only remembered being severely injured and falling unconscious after battling Kozuki Oden.
Outside the conference room, faint footsteps could be heard.
Momousagi tried to prop herself up, but due to her physical weakness and not having eaten for several days, she felt utterly powerless and had to lie back down.
"Vice Admiral Momousagi..."
"You are still very weak; please don't move around for now."
Lucci came to Momousagi's side and said with a hint of concern.
"Lucci..."
"You all..."
"What exactly... is going on?"
Momousagi hadn't noticed Pain and Konan nearby. Her mind was still preoccupied with her confusion about Lucci and the others' defection, and she weakly asked Lucci for the reason.
Due to Pain's presence, Lucci chose to remain silent regarding Momousagi's question.
"Vice Admiral Momousagi..."
"I am Konan, the White Tiger of Akatsuki..."
"There are some things I'd like to ask you now, and I hope you will cooperate."
Seeing Lucci's silence, Konan knew that her and Pain's presence made it inconvenient for him to answer, so Konan took over the questioning of Momousagi.
Momousagi had initially thought only Lucci was there; only upon hearing Konan's voice did she understand why Lucci had been silent.
"It's useless for you to ask me anything..."
"I have nothing to tell you."
Momousagi wasn't sure what Konan would ask her, but Momousagi wasn't prepared to answer anything. If it involved secrets of the World Government, Momousagi would certainly not answer.
"You are alive because of Lucci and the others' pleas..."
"If we wanted your secrets, we would have many ways to obtain them."
"The reason we chose to ask..."
"Is because, for now, communication is the most amicable way to handle you."
"I hope you understand your current identity and value."
Konan was absolutely right. If they wanted to use force to extract information, Human Path would be the best choice, but because of the pleas from Lucci and others, Momousagi was spared. If Momousagi didn't know better, Pain would use coercive methods.
After speaking, Konan took Pain's hand and walked out of the conference room, leaving Lucci and Momousagi some private space for Lucci to guide her.
If Lucci couldn't get Momousagi to speak, then Pain would not give Momousagi another chance to live. Pain never differentiated between men and women or showed mercy to enemies.
"Vice Admiral Momousagi..."
"They have left..."
"Actually, you have no secrets before Pain; there's no need for futile struggle."
After watching Pain and the others leave, Lucci began his persuasion, hoping Momousagi could survive.
"Lucci..."
"Answer me..."
"Why?!"
Momousagi was very persistent about the reason for Lucci and the others' defection; she desperately wanted to know why.
"We were originally forced to defect, but now we do so willingly."
"The Akatsuki Organization's strength is not as simple as the World Government thinks. The Akatsuki Organization will also be the World Government's number one enemy in the future."
Lucci briefly answered Momousagi's question, not wanting to elaborate.
"Forced to defect?..."
"Now willingly?..."
"Why?..."
Momousagi kept pressing the question, unwilling to give up until she got the answer she wanted.
"Vice Admiral Momousagi..."
"My questions can wait..."
"Right now, it's about your survival."
"I hope you can truthfully answer Pain and the others' questions, otherwise, I can't help you."
"Pain has a Puppet called Human Path, who was Kalifa in life."
"This Puppet has the ability to absorb a person's Soul and read their memories. If you don't answer Pain's questions, besides losing your life for nothing..."
"It will be meaningless."
Lucci learned about the Human Path's ability from Konan. Konan's purpose was to give Lucci credibility to persuade Momousagi, which is why Lucci used this to warn Momousagi.
"Can it read people's memories?..."
"But if I say things I don't want to say, what's the point of living?"
Momousagi was also very confused now, never expecting this mission to fall into enemy hands, and now her life was in peril.
Seeing that Momousagi didn't care about life or death, Lucci knew he couldn't save her this way, so he changed his approach.
"Vice Admiral Momousagi..."
"What is your dream?..."
"Why did you join the Marine in the first place?"
Momousagi fell into a reverie, prompted by Lucci's questions.
Momousagi was 32 this year. At the age of 13, she joined the Marine due to a chance encounter with Grand Staff Officer Tsuru and had served under Tsuru ever since.
As she grew older, her spirit of enduring hardship and diligent Cultivation steadily increased. At 17, she was noticed by the bald Gorosei.
Momousagi was taken in by the Gorosei as a Disciple to teach her swordsmanship, and her strength was greatly enhanced as a result, leading the Gorosei to internally designate her as a candidate for Admiral.
Momousagi's dream since childhood was to uphold justice and bring all lawbreakers to justice, but she always harbored doubts about the justice exercised by the World Government.
Especially after Akainu took office, a series of his 'justice' actions made Momousagi question the World Government's so-called justice.
However, the justice upheld by Momousagi's mentor, the Gorosei, was that everything the World Government did was an act of justice. Therefore, Momousagi's childhood sense of justice was eroded by the Gorosei's influence on her concept of justice.
But her inner kindness and loyalty never faded, which is why she stubbornly insisted she would rather die than reveal the secrets of the World Government.
Lucci's questions made Momousagi realize that the World Government's so-called justice might not be justice, but were the Akatsuki Organization's actions necessarily just?
Momousagi didn't think so. Therefore, Momousagi was now very confused: was saving her life more important, or was adhering to her inner conviction more important?
Momousagi pondered with a dazed look in her eyes...