Blueno stood beside Lucci, his hair styled in a strange shape resembling a pair of horns.
By this time, CP9 had received the key intelligence that El was currently alone.
"Let us make a move—or let me go first," Blueno proposed.
"You know my abilities well enough. Even if things go wrong, I can still escape safely."
"Besides, he will never expect me to appear out of nowhere. This is also the perfect chance to test exactly how strong he really is."
"Everyone in the World Government speaks of his incredible power, but we cannot rely only on rumors, can we?"
Blueno seemed to have thought everything through. Yet Rob Lucci still frowned deeply, sensing a faint but unsettling feeling that something was amiss.
At the same time, however, Blueno's reasoning made sense. His Devil Fruit power allowed him to move around completely undetected.
If it were just Blueno acting alone, striking quickly and retreating just as fast, the risk might indeed be manageable…
To be honest, the opportunity was simply too tempting.
It was CP9's duty to carry out all the secret, unsavory tasks of the World Government and the Marines—assassinations and covert operations were jobs they had performed countless times.
But this was different. Never before had they targeted someone of El's power, status, and meteoric rise to fame.
Not only was the timing perfect, but if they let this chance slip, it would likely become far more difficult to confront him later.
Even Lucci, who was naturally cautious, could not help but feel tempted. His own path to fame and power had not been easy.
From a very young age, he had been trained in the World Government's most secret facilities.
These intelligence agents were essentially the Government's knives—they were told who to kill, and they obeyed without question.
Most of these trained killers never hesitated to carry out orders; in fact, many developed a strong appetite for bloodshed.
After all, the Government began their training in childhood with one clear purpose: to create tools that could be used whenever needed. The training was highly focused and ruthless.
Rob Lucci was exactly such a product. From a young age, he had been taught all the knowledge and techniques of killing within secret bases.
The reason he chose to remain in CP9 was simple: here, taking lives was officially sanctioned and "legal."
At his core, Lucci was a killer—but one who masked his actions behind the noble banner of "justice."
If he succeeded in eliminating El, the reward would be immense. Though perhaps not quite equal to defeating one of the Four Emperors, it would be close. It would also be an invaluable experience.
Yet, as Lucci had already realized, this opportunity was not suited for him. Blueno's power was far better suited to assassination.
Lucci's own Zoan-type Devil Fruit ability was most effective in direct, one-on-one combat. Sending only Blueno made the operation smaller, faster, and far safer.
Blueno was a Paramecia-type user who had eaten the Door-Door Fruit. With its power, anything he touched could be turned into a door—allowing him to pass through almost any building or structure without hindrance.
But that was not all. Blueno was also a genius at developing his abilities; he had even learned to create doors directly in mid-air.
These "air doors" allowed him to step into a space separate from the normal world, though using such advanced techniques consumed more energy.
In reality, the cost was not as great as he let on, but as a trained agent, Blueno knew better than to reveal the full extent of his power to others.
"Very well… You may go," Lucci finally agreed.
"Can't hold back any longer, I see."
El had been fully aware of being watched all along. The reason he had stayed in Sabaody for several days was precisely to draw out whoever was shadowing him. But as time passed, there was still no sign of them making a move.
Have I made them too cautious? El thought. He knew exactly where he stood in the hierarchy of power. Perhaps, he realized, he needed to give them a reason to believe they had a chance.
In truth, that was exactly the problem. It was not just El himself who was intimidating; even those around him were being overly vigilant.
Issho showed no sign of concern, but Doflamingo and Crocodile, upon learning they were being monitored, had grown so careful they were practically scanning every corner.
They trusted El's strength completely, but they also feared that if their captain were attacked while they were supposed to be on guard, it would reflect badly on them.
That was when El understood: they were protecting him so thoroughly that no one dared come near.
"What? Captain, that is not wise…"
Doflamingo and Crocodile were alarmed when El told them his plan.
They knew he could likely handle any danger, but if word got out that he had been left alone and attacked while they were nearby, their reputations would suffer.
"Leave those trivial matters to me," El said with a dismissive wave. "This is my plan—just follow my orders, and everything will be fine."
"But still…"
"Enough, both of you!"
It was Hancock who stepped forward—usually the most protective of them all.
"The captain's word is final!" She blocked their path. "You two were once captains yourselves. Have you forgotten what that means?"
Doflamingo and Crocodile exchanged uneasy glances. Before they could argue further, El spoke up again.
"I am going back to rest alone. You all continue your tour as planned."
A good subordinate knew when to stay out of trouble and when to offer support.
Even Issho, who would normally have been stationed near El's quarters, was sent away as part of the ruse.
"Go try your luck at the tables, Issho. No need to rush back for a while." El even gave him some extra spending money.
Understanding and accommodating his men's small hobbies was the mark of a capable leader. Issho, who enjoyed a small gamble from time to time, accepted gladly.
"Very well. You are the captain—your word is law."
Having fought El not long before, Issho knew exactly how strong he was. His presence or absence would make no difference to El's safety.
Sometimes a captain needed powerful crew members, and sometimes the crew needed a captain they could trust completely.
El was undoubtedly the kind of leader who gave his men absolute confidence.
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