"I advise you not to cause any trouble."
As a CP9 agent, Blueno was not a man known for his good temper. The atmosphere in the train car was clearly off. This group of people was looking at him as if he were an ant. If he weren't on a mission, he would have already made a move.
Blueno secretly activated his ability. If they don't get out of my way, I'll just have to teach them a lesson.
It was obvious he hadn't recognized Bellamy's group. Bellamy's appearance had changed too drastically, and Drake had never been a widely known figure, so Blueno had mistaken them for an ordinary pirate crew.
Just then, the Den Den Mushi on his person began to ring.
"Purupurupuru..."
"Hello? Blueno, what are you doing?" the voice on the other end demanded. "Get over here, now."
The person on the other end seemed to be in a hurry, waiting for Blueno to arrive.
Upon receiving the order, Blueno could no longer be bothered with maintaining his cover. He opened a door directly in the air and stepped through. Before leaving, he took a long, hard look at Bellamy and his crew, committing their faces to memory.
Since they've seen my ability, they can't be left alive. The Sea Train wouldn't reach its destination for another five days, and no one could leave during that time. After I'm done with the mission, I'll bring some men back and take care of them.
"You're unlucky to have met me," Blueno sneered internally, then vanished completely into thin air.
Bellamy and his crew just stood there and watched the man perform his vanishing act.
"What was that all about?"
Everyone was a bit baffled. Only Bellamy knew exactly what was going on. He had been on the verge of attacking, but stopped when he heard the urgent voice from the Den Den Mushi.
CP9 is on the move.
And he could be certain that their mission target was on this Sea Train; otherwise, there would be no reason for Blueno to be here. CP9's operations were nothing more than infiltration, intelligence gathering, assassination, and the like. From Blueno's hurried movements, it seemed their mission this time was a bit rushed.
Are they trying to assassinate someone important?
Besides Iceburg, were there any other important figures in the Seven Waters? Apart from the legendary shipwright Tom, Bellamy couldn't recall anyone of note. But Tom was already dead. So who was CP9's target this time? It certainly wouldn't be Franky.
"I can't seem to guess what they're up to. Interesting."
It seemed to be another one of those shady, under-the-table affairs. Since he had run into it, he might as well go and have a look. Blueno seemed to have been heading towards the front of the train.
"Come on, boys and girls. We've got something to do."
He was getting bored anyway. CP9 had shown up at the perfect time.
Bellamy let out a laugh and beckoned to his crewmates. "Let's go. We'll check out the front cars."
The Sea Train had a total of fifty cars and could transport up to five thousand passengers at a time. The tickets Bellamy and his crew had bought were for a car in the middle of the train. Blueno and the others must have received an urgent mission and boarded the train from various locations.
"I feel like this somehow has something to do with me."
Was it just a feeling?
Bellamy thought for a long time but couldn't figure out how a CP9 mission could possibly be related to him. He had no family or relatives in this world, and no official allies on the sea. Why was he suddenly getting this strange feeling?
Unable to figure it out, Bellamy couldn't help but quicken his pace.
They passed through a dozen cars and soon reached the front of the train. A group of men in black suits stood at the entrance to a car, blocking their path.
"Halt. World Government business."
The presence of World Government agents meant they had found the right place.
Bellamy was just about to make a move when a series of screams suddenly erupted from the car ahead.
"Ahhh!!!"
"I curse you! None of you will have a good death!"
A man seemed to be undergoing some form of torture. He was screaming and frantically hurling curses. Before long, the man's voice grew weaker and weaker, until it vanished completely.
The men in black suits guarding the door remained completely unfazed.
"You lot," one of them said, growing impatient as Bellamy's group didn't leave. "Do you want to go in and join him?"
Bellamy couldn't be bothered with these small fry. He casually waved a hand behind him, then strode towards the door. Before the men in black could act, Drake led the others and charged forward.
They're blocking the front of car number ten. What is CP9 trying to do?
There were still ten cars ahead. His curiosity about what was happening inside was growing stronger.
"Let's see what you're up to."
With a hint of anticipation, Bellamy opened the door to car number ten.
The first thing that met his eyes was a floor covered in filth and blood. Then, he saw a large group of disheveled, able-bodied slaves. Blueno, who had left in such a hurry earlier, was now forcefully stomping on a slave's chest. From the blood trickling out of the slave's mouth, it was clear that the earlier screams and curses had come from him.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"
With his hands in his pockets, Bellamy walked into the car under the bewildered gazes of everyone present.
"It's you." Blueno stared at Bellamy, unable to understand why he was here.
"Who is he?" Rob Lucci shot Blueno a questioning glance.
"I don't know."
Lucci was a bit confused. What was wrong with Blueno today? First, he was late, and now he had brought along some random person.
"A pirate I ran into on the way. He saw my ability," Blueno quickly explained. In truth, he was also surprised to see the young man here.
"You caused this trouble, you solve it." Rob Lucci thought it was just a minor incident and waved a dismissive hand, letting Blueno handle it.
Even now, they had no idea who they were about to face.
"It seems I'm being underestimated." Bellamy stretched his muscles, trying to work up some enthusiasm. An opponent of this level wasn't enough to get him excited. "Forget it. I'll leave them to Muret and the others."
The newly acquired Slow-Slow Fruit hadn't been tested in real combat yet. CP9 would be perfect training partners for his crew. But before that, there was one more thing he had to do.
Under Blueno's watchful eyes, Bellamy's figure suddenly blurred into an afterimage and vanished from sight.
So fast!
Before Blueno could react, a single, jet-black finger silently touched the back of his head.
"The Door-Door Fruit... truly a pearl cast before swine."
Bellamy wiped his fingers on his pants, removing the bloodstain. "Now then... it's your turn."