Unlike Cipher Pol No. 9, who spent years infiltrating beside Iceburg to obtain the blueprints for Pluton, Lalia and her team did not plan to stay undercover within the Kuja Pirates for the long term.
Originally, the Five Elders had intended for them to remain hidden indefinitely, biding their time and even rising through the ranks to positions of trust, to ensure their mission succeeded without risk.
But they soon abandoned that idea.
First, the Sea King Poseidon was not an object — she was a living being who would grow and mature.
As she aged, her self‑awareness and latent powers would only strengthen.
If they waited too long, Lalia herself might end up being eliminated by the very weapon they sought. There was simply no time to wait.
Second, Hancock and Shirahoshi were almost inseparable. In the future, Shirahoshi would surely become one of Grimm's most powerful assets.
Even dealing with Hancock alone would be difficult enough; having Grimm himself intervene would make the task impossible.
The sooner they acted, the better.
The World Government had deliberately ordered Zephyr and Garp to investigate Grimm's forces precisely to draw Hancock and the bulk of the Kuja away from Amazon Lily, creating an opening for Lalia and her group.
Since the enemy facing Grimm was Garp and Zephyr — a threat far greater than any ordinary voyage — Hancock would never bring Shirahoshi along.
With her powers still undeveloped, the girl would only be a burden in such a battle.
With Hancock leading most of her warriors away, and Violet — whose All‑Seeing Eyes could detect anything within thousands of kilometers — also absent, the opportunity was perfect.
Lalia and her companions slipped into the palace, now lightly guarded, and made their way to the side chamber where Shirahoshi slept.
As before, the guards posted at the door blocked their path. "Lady Shirahoshi is resting, and no one is permitted to enter without Her Majesty's express permission."
This time, Lalia did not waste words. Without warning, she and her five companions struck — and they moved using techniques from the Navy's own Six Powers.
The guards were puzzled to see Lalia here at such a late hour, but they had no reason to suspect treachery, especially since she and her team had recently been promoted to officer rank.
The sudden attack caught them completely off guard, and it was exactly this surprise that allowed Lalia and her agents to gain the upper hand instantly.
Using Finger Pistol, one of the Six Powers, Lalia drove her finger through the nearest guard's throat.
Pulling her blood‑stained hand back, she dropped her pretense, her expression turning cold and ruthless as she stepped into the room.
There, lying on a large bed draped in fine silk, was the five‑year‑old mermaid princess, her chest rising and falling gently as she slept, letting out soft, cute little snores.
"So this is the Sea King Poseidon, one of the fabled Ancient Weapons?" Lalia murmured, her tone sharp and disappointed.
"Just a little girl?"
"Commander, let's take her and go," urged one of the Cipher Pol agents behind her.
"Right," Lalia replied, glancing back. "Have the escape routes been arranged?"
"Komisia and the others are in position," another agent reported.
"We just received word via Den Den Mushi that our vessels from the Government are standing by to meet us."
There were more than just the six of them involved in this operation; their role was only to extract Shirahoshi from the palace.
After that, getting her past the tens of thousands of warriors on the island and out to sea required a carefully laid plan — and Komisia was the one responsible for organizing their escape.
"Good."
Lalia turned back to the sleeping girl, a cold smile crossing her face. "Once we have Poseidon in our hands, the World Government will be able to sweep every pirate from the seas."
It was, on paper, a flawless plan.
Garp and Zephyr would hold Grimm and his crew occupied; Hancock would be lured away, taking most of the Kuja's strength with her and leaving the palace lightly guarded.
With their knowledge of the island and support from the Government, the mission should have been certain to succeed.
Yet even with all their calculations, the Government had overlooked one critical detail: they did not fully understand Grimm's true abilities.
No matter how much confidence he had in Hancock or how secure he felt on Amazon Lily, Grimm would never entrust something as vital as Poseidon entirely to someone else.
He had always left a final layer of protection in place.
Aboard one of the Kuja warships they had seized, the cold sea wind whipped across the deck. Shirahoshi stirred and woke from her sleep.
When she opened her eyes, she saw not the familiar ceiling of her room, but iron bars surrounding her.
"Well, well — so the Sea King is awake," said a woman with short, wavy hair and pink‑framed glasses, Komisia, as she stepped up to the cage.
"I'm afraid you'll have to stay like this until we reach Mary Geoise."
"W‑who are you… why…?" Shirahoshi stammered in confusion. Though she did not recognize the woman's face, their clothes bore the mark of the Kuja Pirates — why would they treat her like this?
"Sorry, but we don't have time to explain everything," Komisia replied, twirling a lock of her hair. "Simply put — you cannot be allowed to remain under Grimm's control."
Having spent months traveling with Hancock and witnessing the harshness and cruelty of the outside world, Shirahoshi was no longer the timid, easily frightened child she once was.
She bit her lip, fought back tears, and simply huddled silently in the corner of the cage, looking small and helpless.
But her pitiful expression meant nothing to these highly trained Government agents.
Her calmness, however, did surprise them. For a mermaid girl only five or six years old, she was remarkably composed.
"Let her be," Lalia said, giving the order.
"If she started screaming and crying, it would only cause us trouble. Full speed ahead — we must meet our escort ships. It won't be long before the people on Amazon Lily realize she is missing."
"Understood."
As they spoke, none of them noticed that beneath Shirahoshi's clothes, pressed against the skin over her heart, a small golden cross was beginning to glow with a warm, steady light — as if calling out to someone far away.
Even Shirahoshi herself was unaware of it.
---
Far away, on Artemis Island, the battle between Grimm and Garp had raged from the sky down onto the ships, and then from the ships all the way to the shore.
Neither had gained a clear advantage, and it was clear the fight would not end quickly.
Meanwhile, Zephyr was holding his own against Mannoroth and the others, steadily gaining the upper hand.
The cursed power of his Blood Hand had restored his youth and vigor, yet it came with terrible risk — even as he fought, he had to constantly suppress the power inside him to keep it from running wild.
Following another fierce clash in mid‑air, Grimm and Garp landed heavily on the bows of their respective vessels.
Suddenly, Grimm's expression shifted sharply. He turned his gaze toward the distant direction of Amazon Lily.
Had Shirahoshi only moved a short distance, he might not have sensed it — but the distance she was being carried was far too great to go unnoticed. He knew immediately: Shirahoshi was being taken away from the island.
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