Stussy rose silently and walked into the restroom behind the office like a puppet.
Kane leaned back comfortably on the priceless leather sofa and casually picked up an unfinished document from the table. It was an inventory of underworld arms smuggling, with staggering figures that caught the eye.
"Tsk, these black market operators really rake it in," Kane curled his lip.
A few minutes later, the restroom door opened.
When Stussy reappeared, Kane raised an eyebrow, his appreciation unconcealed.
The seductive silk robe was gone.
In its place was a well-tailored black women's suit.
The form-fitting fabric perfectly hugged her breathtaking mature curves. The white V-neck blouse had its top two buttons undone, revealing just the right amount of snow-white neck and delicate collarbone.
To conceal the traces of her earlier tears, she had even put on a pair of rimless glasses, adding an intellectual allure of restrained desire.
This woman understood perfectly.
She knew that what Kane needed now wasn't a beauty who could only please a man in bed, but a shrewd secretary who could help him manage billions in assets.
Stussy walked to the devastated liquor cabinet and elegantly picked out the only surviving bottle of premium red wine from among the fragments.
She took a crystal glass, carefully wiped it clean with her handkerchief, then approached Kane.
Instead of bending over, she instinctively moved to pour the wine while maintaining eye level.
"Wait."
Kane's lazy voice carried undeniable authority.
Stussy froze.
Behind her glasses, a flash of humiliation crossed her beautiful eyes, but was quickly suppressed by reason.
"Since you're a secretary, act like one."
Kane pointed to the wool carpet on the floor, a mocking smile playing on his lips.
"Kneel."
"Look up and pour for me."
Stussy's knuckles turned white around the bottle.
As the queen of the underworld, as an elite member of Cipher Pol Aigis Zero, when had she ever been treated like this?
But when she met Kane's deep eyes—devoid of any desire, containing only pure dominance—she understood one thing.
This wasn't humiliation; this was a test of obedience.
If she couldn't even take this step, all their previous discussions of cooperation, even her life, would be void.
Three seconds of dead silence.
Gritting her teeth, Stussy slowly, inch by inch, bent her noble knees.
The carpet was soft, but the act felt like kneeling on knife points, piercing through all her self-respect.
"Yes... Lord Kane."
She raised her head, exposing her vulnerable throat, and steadily lifted the bottle. The crimson wine flowed like blood into the glass—neither too much nor too little, exactly one-third full.
[Ding! Host has completely privatized a Cipher Pol Aigis Zero senior agent!]
[Violation Value obtained: 20,000 points!]
"Good."
Kane listened contentedly to the system prompt, raising his wine glass but not drinking from it.
With his other hand, he gently stroked Stussy's delicate face with his rough fingertips, feeling the smoothness and slight trembling of her skin beneath his palm.
"I like obedient tools, understand?"
Stussy closed her eyes, her long eyelashes quivering slightly as she whispered in response, "Understood."
"Enough of that tragic expression."
Kane took a sip of wine and instantly switched back to work mode. "Let's get down to business. The situation in the New World, particularly regarding Roger."
Mentioning intelligence matters, Stussy's expression finally regained some of its professionalism.
Still kneeling on the floor, she reported in a steady, clear voice:
"Gol D. Roger encountered the Whitebeard Pirates head-on on an island one week ago. Both sides engaged in intense conflict that lasted three full days and nights."
Kane raised an eyebrow. "The outcome?"
"A stalemate. But after the battle ended, something unbelievable happened."
Stussy's voice carried a trace of incomprehensible confusion. "Roger bowed and pleaded with Whitebeard. Ultimately, he successfully borrowed the commander of the second division—Kozuki Oden—from Whitebeard."
"You're saying that Wano Country samurai boarded Roger's ship?"
The playful glint in Kane's eyes instantly vanished, replaced by a sharp gleam.
"Yes," Stussy confirmed. "Intelligence confirms Kozuki Oden has already boarded the Oro Jackson."
"Heh... borrowed a key."
Kane chuckled coldly and downed the rest of his wine.
Stussy looked puzzled. "A key?"
"This is why I'm your superior and you're just an information broker."
Instead of explaining about the Poneglyphs, Kane gave her a meaningful glance. "Roger obtaining Oden means he's gathered the final piece needed to reach the Final Island. The birth of the Pirate King has entered its countdown."
Stussy's pupils contracted slightly.
Though she had vaguely guessed Roger's objective, she hadn't expected Kane to be so certain.
"Should we report this..."
"Report what? To those pig-headed Celestial Dragons?"
Kane sneered, cutting her off. "By the time they react, it'll be far too late. Keep this to yourself. I want to use this time gap to make some other moves."
Roger becoming King was already inevitable—that would be the pirates' carnival.
What Kane needed to do was build himself the strongest dam before this carnival could wash away the world's order.
"Continue. Besides Roger, what about the others?"
Stussy quickly adjusted her thinking and continued reporting:
"Big Mom Charlotte Linlin is rapidly expanding Totto Land. She's recently become obsessed with giants, seemingly searching for technology that can enlarge humans. Additionally, she's scouring the world for rare races, forcing marriages."
"Kaido of the Beasts remains entrenched in Wano Country. Notably..."
Stussy paused, lowering her voice, "Kaido has recently been purchasing large quantities of a special weapon ingredient called 'Gas' through underground channels. The seller appears connected to a certain scientific unit within the World Government."
Kane narrowed his eyes.
Scientific unit? Vegapunk, or perhaps... Caesar Clown?
Punk Hazard itself was a future poison gas testing ground, and it seemed there was still plenty of profit to be squeezed from it.
The intelligence briefing lasted a full hour.
Stussy demonstrated her professionalism as the "Queen," presenting the power distribution, capital flow, and even the private habits of certain influential figures in the New World in an orderly and systematic manner.
Those seventy billion were well spent! No, they were well stolen!
By the time the briefing ended, the night had grown deep.
The atmosphere in the room once again turned ambiguous.
Kane set down the empty wine glass in his hand, looking at Stussy, who was still kneeling beside him, visibly tired yet forcing herself to stay composed.
He stood up, stretching lazily, his joints cracking loudly.
"I'm tired."
Kane didn't head toward the door but instead walked straight toward the large, luxurious bed behind the office.
As he walked, he unfastened the buttons of his Justice Coat and casually tossed it onto the floor.
Reaching the bedside, he turned around, looking at Stussy, who remained kneeling in place, his gaze playful.
"As a personal secretary, do you still need your master to teach you what to do?"
Stussy bit her lower lip but eventually rose slowly and walked toward the domineering man.
This time, it wasn't just for survival.
After witnessing Kane's terrifying insight, which seemed to see through everything, and his arrogant disregard for the World Government, the seed of "ambition" in her heart began to quietly sprout.
Following a man like this… perhaps she could truly break free from fate?
"Yes, Master."
If the daytime was a battle of wits, then the night was a display of overwhelming physical prowess.
That night, the Queen of the Pleasure Quarter came to a clear realization—this man was a true monster.
...
Early the next morning.
Sunlight streamed into the room through the shattered floor-to-ceiling windows.
Kane, refreshed and fully dressed, draped his Justice Coat over his shoulders once more. The word "Justice" on his back appeared especially ironic in the morning light.
On the bed, Stussy huddled under the covers, her exposed shoulders covered in bruises, her body feeling as if it had fallen apart. She didn't even want to move a finger.
But upon hearing Kane's departing footsteps, she forced herself to sit up, the covers slipping to reveal a glimpse of pale skin.
"You… are you leaving already?"
Her voice was hoarse, carrying a hint of complicated dependence.
Kane paused and glanced back.
He didn't offer any tender words. Instead, he pulled out a Vivre Card from his pocket and casually flicked it onto the bed.
"Seventy billion a year—make the accounts look clean. If I find even a single coin missing, you know… the secret of Clones can sometimes be worth more than money."
"Also, this has my coordinates. If the World Government makes any moves against me, notify me immediately."
With that, Kane pushed open the door and strode away without a trace of hesitation.
"What a… heartless bastard."
Stussy clutched the Vivre Card, which was still slowly moving, a self-mocking bitter smile curling at the corner of her lips.
But soon, that bitter smile turned into a sense of relief, even a morbid excitement.
She lay back down on the bed, pressing the Vivre Card against her chest, her gaze gradually turning cold and resolute.
"What a man… even more terrifying than a monster."
"Rather than being a watchdog for a herd of pigs, it would be better to serve as a claw for a true Dragon..."
"It seems the latter would be far more interesting."