It turned out the situation was even less controllable than Medusa had estimated.
Perhaps because she, as an agent, had undergone Rokushiki training and had studied the secret technique of [Life Return],
Kalifa was the first to wake up, less than ten minutes after the three had been treated.
The moment she opened her eyes and saw Stussy standing before her, the expression on her face was richer than all the expressions she had made in the past twenty-something years combined.
She never imagined that one second she was on the verge of drowning, and the next she was rescued, and by her former superior, no less.
But after only a moment's hesitation, Kalifa immediately made a judgment.
She silently moved in front of Naomi, shielding her, and then spoke cautiously.
"Stussy... Ma'am?"
"There's no need to call me that anymore, Kalifa."
Stussy saw through this woman's thoughts at a single glance, and an involuntary smile, one belonging to the Queen of the Underworld, appeared on her face.
"The World Government no longer exists, as you know."
"People like you, or me, should now be working for ourselves, shouldn't we?"
On one hand, these words stated her position… on the other hand, they subtly tested Kalifa's relationship with the other two.
'Were they companions? Or...'
Stussy knew Cavendish's profile, but as for Naomi… even disregarding the fact that she had never been famous before, even if someone who had known her previously were here, they probably wouldn't dare to recognize her.
Although her snake transformation hadn't drastically changed Naomi's appearance like Orochimaru's, her features had shifted slightly.
Coupled with her long snake tail and elongated upper body, she actually looked somewhat similar to Big Mom's daughter, Charlotte Amande... the Snakeneck Tribe swordswoman.
"..."
Hearing Stussy's words and looking around at her surroundings, Kalifa ultimately lowered the hand she had quietly raised.
Honestly, she didn't think her combat ability could compare to former top agent Stussy. This woman always seemed unfathomable, never revealing all her skills in front of them.
Besides—
"Ah... ya..."
Adam, held in Stussy's arms, seemed interested in this auntie before him, reaching out his little white hand as if trying to grasp something.
Seeing Adam's reaction, the smile on Stussy's face immediately shifted seamlessly, from its previous deliberate disguise to genuine maternal affection.
"This is..."
A bold guess formed in Kalifa's mind, but she didn't dare speak it.
"My child, Adam. Adorable, isn't he?"
The moment Adam was mentioned, all the probing, the pretense, the scheming vanished. Stussy's mind was filled only with the desire to show off her son's cuteness.
"Uh... yes... yes he is."
This was also the first time Kalifa had seen Stussy like this. The shift in atmosphere was so sudden, she had trouble adapting.
Just then, a small, warm hand gently grasped her index finger, snapping Kalifa out of her surprise.
She followed the source of the warmth and met a pair of pure, innocent eyes.
'This warmth...'
'No, it wasn't an illusion… it was genuine warmth!'
Kalifa felt a comforting sensation spread throughout her body. The minor bone displacements caused by the turbulent currents, and the external injuries the automatic machinery hadn't had time to fully treat, all rapidly healed in this warm current.
She looked in amazement at her index finger, at the small hand touching it.
"It seems Adam likes you too."
Stussy didn't stop her son.
The healing lasted about four or five seconds, but to Kalifa, it felt as though she had rested an entire day under a warm sun. Not only were her injuries gone, even her fatigue had vanished.
After doing this, Adam withdrew his hand, nuzzled against his mother, and then, as if suddenly tired, slowly closed his eyes and began to breathe evenly.
"This power... is your child also a Devil Fruit user?"
Kalifa was still incredulous, but Stussy didn't want to explain too much on this matter.
"Adam is just my child. That's all."
"However, since you've already seen this, I'm afraid I can't let you leave here."
Stussy was still smiling gently, but a very familiar gleam appeared in her eyes.
The Queen of the Underworld had returned.
"Don't worry, we did work together, and our interactions were fairly pleasant, so... I won't kill you."
As if afraid Kalifa might misunderstand, Stussy gently waved her free hand.
Then Medusa walked in from outside, her starry eyes fixed on Kalifa, as if ready to strike at any moment.
"On the condition that we get along well from now on..."
Kalifa looked at the Seraphim, Medusa, who bore a striking resemblance to the Pirate Empress Hancock. Even if she didn't know the significance of this resemblance, she could clearly feel the life-threatening danger.
'If this Hancock-lookalike girl wanted to kill me, would it only take a few seconds?'
Kalifa didn't know. She could only feel that while being stared at, a blade seemed to be hanging over her head.
It seemed that with just one command from Stussy, she would be instantly beheaded.
Absolutely terrifying!
But!
Kalifa seemed to remember something. She suddenly gritted her teeth and, enduring the sense of threat emanating from Medusa, shook her head.
"Oh?"
Stussy reached out to stop Medusa, who was about to end Kalifa's life with a Perfume Femur. She seemed somewhat puzzled by the other's decision.
Based on her understanding of these former subordinates, she shouldn't be someone who didn't know when to yield.
"I... my captain is still out there. I can't abandon her."
When Medusa moved just now, Kalifa truly felt Death beckoning her.
But after swallowing her fear, she still spoke what was in her heart.
"Captain? Rob Lucci?"
Stussy tilted her head.
"No, my Captain is..."
Just as Kalifa was about to say more, the entire submarine suddenly began to shake violently.
This was supposed to be impossible.
After all, this submarine had an independent gravity system. Even when caught in the waterspout earlier, it hadn't shaken this much.
Medusa opened a device on her arm, manipulated it a few times, then turned to report to Stussy.
"Stussy-sama, the waterspout has dissipated. We are descending."
"...Activate the cushioning system."
"Yes!"
Medusa nodded, operating the controls as she continued.
"Additionally, there is a massive-scale energy reaction directly above us. To ensure your and Adam-sama's safety, we should leave this area as quickly as possible."
Hearing this, Stussy turned and looked at Kalifa, her tone somewhat complex.
"Your 'Captain' caused all this commotion?"
"It seems your experiences since leaving the World Government haven't been simple... Once it's safe, be sure to tell me all about it."
With that, she carried Adam and left the medical room.
Medusa completely ignored them, following Stussy out, leaving the space to Kalifa and the two unconscious individuals.