After looting the warship brought by CP9, Caelan slashed it apart, reducing it to pieces.
The CP9 minions aboard were buried in the sea along with it.
Their strength was on par with that of ordinary soldiers, not even worth taking their shadows.
Afterward, everyone was a bit surprised by the pile of loot covering the deck.
"Two Devil Fruits, a strange elephant sword, and a pile of valuable treasures."
"Wow, this idiot was actually hiding so much treasure. What a fool."
Nami counted the haul and was genuinely shocked.
Selling all this would easily bring in 500 million Berries.
Why did Spandam bring so much treasure on a mission?
What she didn't know was that this was originally the reward CP9 applied for after capturing Franky. However, since Franky was rescued by Luffy immediately, the two Devil Fruits naturally remained in Spandam's hands.
"He's usually an idiot, but when it comes to sucking up and shifting blame, he's a genius."
Kalifa snorted coldly, clearly disgusted with Spandam.
If she hadn't followed Caelan, she might've been the one blamed for the Pluton blueprints and hunted by the World Government across the seas.
"We got a lot out of this, but we also just wiped out the entire CP9. That's going to bring serious trouble."
Tashigi frowned, an ominous feeling settling over her.
As a former Marine, she knew CP9 was a critical intelligence division of the World Government. Caelan destroying them would definitely provoke a major backlash.
"What, are you scared of going up against the World Government?"
Vivi slung her arm around Tashigi's shoulders and raised an eyebrow.
"Not even slightly!"
"I'm not afraid of going against the filthy 'justice' of the World Government!"
Tashigi's face turned serious as she spoke with conviction.
She'd seen far too much darkness and was no longer the naive little Marine she used to be.
She was willing to stand beside Caelan and face the World Government with him.
"I'm just... worried."
Tashigi bit her lower lip and looked distressed. "After all, they've ruled the world for 800 years. Their strength is unfathomable. I'm just afraid Caelan won't be able to handle it."
The moment Tashigi said that, the group fell silent, each of them growing worried about what lay ahead.
Robin, who had survived the Buster Call on Ohara, former CP9 agent Kalifa, and Vivi, who had attended the Reverie, all knew how powerful the World Government really was.
Even one or two Yonko wouldn't stand a chance against it.
"There's nothing to be afraid of. No one in this world is a match for me."
Caelan remained calm, with not even a trace of fear.
"Well, we believe you."
The girls looked at Caelan's confident face and nodded together.
"But you can't carry all of this on your own. I want to do my part too!"
Robin's eyes were resolute and full of determination.
Much of the conflict between Caelan and the World Government stemmed from her past. She didn't want to be a burden to him.
"Yeah, same here!"
Nami, Vivi, and Tashigi followed suit, speaking as though they were taking an oath.
With their determination reignited, the girls began training even harder.
Caelan glanced at the spoils left behind by Spandam and fell into deep thought.
"One's a Paramecia-type Bubble-Bubble Fruit, and the other's a Zoan-type Giraffe Fruit. Should I give them to Nami and the others?"
After some thought, Caelan dismissed the idea.
It wasn't that he was reluctant, but because the fruits themselves weren't very good.
Even in the New World, they were still valuable Devil Fruits. But to Caelan, they were practically garbage.
Kalifa had eaten the Bubble-Bubble Fruit and turned into a glorified cleaner. Kaku awakened the Giraffe Fruit, but his performance was still unimpressive.
"Forget it. Let's sell them and get something better later."
Caelan shook his head and casually stashed the loot in the storage room—except for one golden Den Den Mushi, which he kept carefully.
This was a Den Den Mushi capable of summoning a Buster Call. It might come in handy someday.
He then walked over to the girls and began guiding them in training.
During the session, Caelan noticed Vivi was in low spirits. He had a good idea why but chose not to bring it up.
As they trained hard, the day passed quickly, and night soon fell.
When Caelan opened the door, he saw Kalifa standing there in a black silk pencil skirt, her eyes full of allure as she played the role of a seductive secretary.
Although it was very tempting, Caelan had more pressing matters to deal with.
"Another day. I have something to do tonight."
Caelan gently pushed Kalifa aside and made his way toward Vivi's room.
"Huh?!"
"I'm not pretty anymore?"
Kalifa touched her flawless face, momentarily confused.
Meanwhile, Caelan had already entered Vivi's room.
"Are you still worried about Alabasta?"
Caelan held Vivi close, his arms wrapped around her soft waist as he whispered.
"Yeah. I'm still the princess of Alabasta. Now that I've turned against the World Government, my father must be under enormous pressure."
Vivi smoothed her disheveled hair, her voice filled with guilt.
She was willing to stand with Caelan, but the thought of what her actions might cost her homeland weighed heavily on her.
"Don't worry. As long as I'm here, Alabasta will be fine."
"Just like Whitebeard protected Fish-Man Island, protecting Alabasta isn't a problem for me."
Caelan gently stroked Vivi's back, his voice full of reassurance.
"And whose fault do you think that is in the first place?"
Vivi opened her mouth and gently bit Caelan's chest like a kitten.
After a while, she stopped and spoke with a complex expression. "But maybe... he's been preparing for this all along. Our family has also inherited the Will of D."
Caelan immediately understood her reaction.
Vivi's full name must be Nefertari D. Vivi. The Alabasta royal family inherited the Will of D, which naturally placed them in opposition to the World Government.
Based on the original timeline, King Cobra was well aware of this and even attempted to resist Imu.
It seemed that before Vivi left Alabasta, Cobra had told her the secret of their bloodline.
But relying solely on Alabasta's power to overthrow the World Government was far too much.
As someone who had traveled from another world, Caelan understood better than anyone how powerful the World Government really was.
The Navy had five or six admiral-level powerhouses, the Five Elders were nearly unkillable, not to mention the high-ranking Holy Knights and the mysterious Imu. For the pirate world, they were an almost unbeatable force.
"The World Government, huh? Now that's a worthy opponent."
Caelan sighed, a trace of fighting spirit sparking within him.
(To be continued.)
***
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