"I've always had a sharp eye for men."
Stussy's soft hand brushed against Daren's cheek, her bright red nails tracing a barely-there sensation on his skin.
"The way you looked at me when we first met... that wasn't the gaze of someone meeting a stranger."
Daren gave a helpless smile.
"You really live up to your name as the Queen of the Pleasure District, the woman who understands love and desire better than anyone on the seas... I thought I'd done a good job keeping myself in check."
"Please forgive me... After all, you're the dream of countless men."
He paused, then playfully lifted her chin with a finger and smiled.
"So, does this mean the feeling's mutual?"
Stussy giggled.
"Seems like it, Daren-san."
Her fingers slowly trailed downward, her waist swaying slightly. From Daren's angle, he had a perfect view of her curves.
"But I really am curious..."
Her fingertip brushed lightly over the wound near Daren's ribs, her tone seemingly casual.
"With Vice Admiral Daren's current power and status, just what kind of brutal battle could leave you so gravely injured?"
"Dozens of fractures all over your body, massive blood loss, internal organ damage, large-scale muscle tears... That's not something just anyone could inflict."
"With injuries like that, anyone else would be dead."
Stussy gave him a sultry glance, then suddenly parted her cherry lips and gently bit his finger.
A warm, moist sensation wrapped around it. Soft pressure and a subtle suction played over his skin, and Daren felt as if every pore in his body opened up, clarity rushing through him.
Looking down, he saw Stussy's flawless, mature face tinged with a faint blush, her watery eyes staring back at him with a coy mix of resistance and invitation.
This woman... was a real enchantress!
Even someone as seasoned as Daren couldn't help but feel a bit overwhelmed at this moment.
She was just too good at this.
She always knew how to precisely and skillfully stir a man's desires—only to retreat the instant things reached a peak, leaving him craving more.
"Daren-san..."
Stussy parted her red lips and released his finger.
A thin thread of moisture stretched between her lips and his fingertip like silk.
Noticing the brief flicker of disappointment in Daren's eyes, she smiled slightly, her dimples deepening. Her voice dropped into a soft murmur, as if she were truly moved.
"So... who were you fighting?"
"You invaded Totto Land's Yakigashi Island just a day ago. Was it Big Mom, Charlotte Linlin?"
"If it was Linlin, sure, she has the strength... but with how much she desires you, I doubt she would've left you this close to death. She wouldn't be able to bring herself to do it."
"But if it wasn't her, then who could it have been?"
"Whitebeard? Shiki? Or Roger?"
She leaned closer, resting her face against Daren's shoulder as her nails traced idle circles on his chest. A confident, knowing smile tugged at her lips as she whispered softly, with just a hint of pleading.
"I'm dying to know. Will you tell me?"
As she spoke, a barely noticeable glint flashed in her eyes.
Just as she said—Rogers Daren was no ordinary Vice Admiral of Marine Headquarters.
During the surprise assault on Yakigashi Island, he had formally demonstrated to the world the overwhelming "deterrent power" of a strategic weapon.
The global broadcast of Fukkura Town being obliterated in an instant had become a Damocles' sword, hanging ominously over countless pirate crews and dark powers across the seas.
Leaders of pirate crews, titans of the underworld... These once arrogant figures were now silenced, forced into cautious withdrawal.
No one dared provoke the Marines now—for all they knew, before they even woke up one morning, a towering black Cursed Sword might descend from the sky and wipe them out, body and soul.
Because of this, Rogers Daren's every word and action now carried weight far beyond his personal identity.
Wherever he went—his presence, his words, his moves...
Perhaps there was some kind of chilling political significance—or even a veiled threat—hidden behind it.
That was exactly why Stussy was so concerned about Daren's injuries.
A full day had passed since the blitz attack on Totto Land.
Although no word had leaked out to the sea, Stussy, through her resources within the World Government, had received intel that Marine Headquarters had entered a wartime state.
And that fact alone was very telling.
Based on what she knew about Daren, this likely wasn't some operation planned by the Marines.
It was an act of personal will.
If that was the case...
What was Daren's objective?
Who had he fought to end up in such a state?
After Byrnndi World, Shiki, Whitebeard, Roger... who was the next poor soul he'd set his sights on?
If she could extract that information from Daren before anyone else, there might be room for maneuvering.
Stussy knew very well—information was power.
"You really want to know?"
Daren still seemed caught up in her seduction, that familiar smug expression slowly spreading across his face—the kind men wore when trying to impress a beautiful woman.
Stussy saw it and laughed to herself.
So this is the Marines' monster?
Men will be men. Even someone as terrifyingly exceptional as Daren-san wasn't immune.
"Yes, Daren-san..."
Stussy exhaled warm breath against his neck, her expression carrying just the right touch of reverence.
"I see..."
Daren puffed out his chest proudly and nodded.
"Well, I'm not telling you."
Stussy: ...
Daren's eyes suddenly turned sharp, his playful expression vanishing into something colder. His powerful arms snapped around Stussy's waist, locking her tightly in place.
"Stussy, I've been upfront with you. But you're still hiding your identity... Still trying to dig into my secrets. Don't you think that's a bit rude?"
Stussy's pupils contracted.
Part of her was shocked by the cold clarity in his gaze—the other part stunned by the sheer strength he still possessed.
Wasn't he supposed to be gravely injured?
In just a few minutes, he'd recovered this much strength?
That kind of recovery was absurd!
She tried to squirm free from his embrace, but she couldn't move an inch.
Still, there was no trace of panic in her eyes. Her smile remained charming.
"Hehehe, so you figured it out... Vice Admiral Daren."
"The Queen of the Pleasure District, the Underworld Empress of the New World—that's just my public cover... My real identity is with the World Government's top intelligence agency."
"When you think about it, we're kind of colleagues."
She rubbed her cheek against his neck, her tone playfully coy.
"I've done such a naughty thing... You won't punish me too harshly, will you?"
When she said "punish," she deliberately emphasized the word, her sultry voice filled with tantalizing insinuation.
"Oh, punishment is a must..."
Daren's hand slid lower, kneading her soft, full curves, sending ripples across her skin.
"But the identity I meant isn't that one."
A mocking smirk played on his lips.
"Stussy, the one you're truly loyal to... is Dr. Vegapunk, isn't it?"
The words dropped, and Stussy's pupils shrank to pinpricks.
Her heart pounded, her body tensed.
Her loyalty to Vegapunk—her infiltration of the World Government—that was her greatest secret!
No one should know!
Without hesitation, Stussy lashed out!
Her body morphed grotesquely in an instant. Her shoulder blades tore through her skin, and a pair of bat-like black wings sprouted from her back.
Her golden eyes turned a deep, blood-red. Beneath her seductive lips, sharp vampire fangs emerged.
Murderous intent surged behind those crimson eyes. In that instant, the alluring serpent had transformed into a deadly vampire!
She lunged forward, fangs aiming straight for Daren's throat!
Victory flashed in Stussy's eyes.
Daren was too injured—and at this close range, he wouldn't be able to defend himself!
This was it!
Once bitten, anyone would fall into deep sleep.
Then, the Marine would be hers to deal with.
She sank her fangs in—
The next second,
Her expression froze. Her whole body went rigid.
Sparks burst in all directions.
It felt like biting into a block of the hardest Seastone.
Crack!
Two razor-sharp vampire fangs snapped clean off, flying through the air.
Stussy: ???
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake