A magic merchant infiltrating Fairy Tail

"Is that so? I see... But as an intelligence agent, is it really a good idea to reveal the existence of the 'Rokushiki' and the strength of the Navy like this?"

Bruno: "?!!"

Was I just... too cocky? No! That's not right!

"The Six Powers are something you observed yourself during the battle, and the information I'm sharing now is no secret to anyone with a bit of experience; as for the Navy's strength, it can't be determined solely by the 'Six Powers'!"

"I see... Well then, let's leave this small talk for now!"

Erza changed out of her armor as she spoke, "Since you are the 'World Government,' I can let you leave. However, Robin is now our friend, so please don't interfere with her life in the future!"

“I’m sorry, I can’t do that! Nico Robin is wanted by the World Government. Her very existence poses a serious threat to the entire world. We must…”

"It seems there's no point in negotiating then!"

Erza suddenly understood why Kira always liked to interrupt others; it actually felt quite nice.

Her gaze turned icy again: "Anyone who touches Fairy Tail's friends is making an enemy of Fairy Tail. Is your World Government... ready to go to war with Fairy Tail?"

Chapter 896 Bruno: How can this woman be so strong?!

Beneath the mask, Bruno's expression was grave.

He had a premonition that he was likely doomed today.

He was no match for Erza. She was determined to protect Nico Robin, and he knew he couldn't capture her. As a high-ranking agent of CP, the only consequence of failing a mission was death.

In order to protect Nico Robin, Erza even asked, "Is the World Government ready to go to war with Fairy Tail?" This shows that the other side is not afraid of the World Government's power at all, and is definitely not a law-abiding force.

Because generally speaking, it's those people affiliated with the World Government who ask those lawless pirates, "Are you prepared to be enemies with the World Government?"

What should I do now? Should I retreat temporarily? Or stay and fight to the bitter end?

Bruno made a decision: as a CP9 member, he not only had to risk his life to complete the orders given to him by his superiors, but also needed to gather intelligence on the enemy for his comrades in the upcoming battles!

Even if he ultimately loses the fight, he still has the ability to escape through the air door.

So he charged forward: "Shave!"

Bruno pushed his speed to the limit this time, his figure disappearing and reappearing several times in the air, trying to confuse Erza's judgment and close the distance with her in a very short time. His speed was so fast that Robin, who was watching from the side, could not see him at all. However, for Erza, although his movements were fast, they were still within the range of what was expected.

Sure enough, the next moment...

"Finger gun!!"

Bruno appeared, shouting as he thrust his right index finger forward. But when he saw the scene before him, his pupils constricted, for Erza, who had been standing there, had vanished!

His attack missed!

In a flash, Bruno caught a glimpse of striking red hair beside him.

Swish! !

With a flash of light, the two figures shifted into different positions.

Bruno's finger remained poised in a thrusting motion, one finger trembling slightly in the air; while Erza remained calm, her gaze fixed straight ahead, a touch of crimson appearing on the blade of her sword.

Puff-!

A jet of blood spurted from Bruno's chest!

In the blink of an eye, Erza had already slashed him!

Bruno collapsed to his knees with a thud, his old face beneath the mask filled with horror and bewilderment at what had just happened. He coughed up blood and asked incredulously, "You...how...did you...do that...?"

“I’ve seen through your moves. That so-called ‘Shave’ move actually uses the explosive force of stomping the ground dozens of times in a very short period of time. Also, when you attack, you habitually move alternately in the 10 o’clock and 1 o’clock directions; when you use ‘Finger Pistol’, there is a brief opening in your left chest; and when you use ‘Iron Block’, you are unable to move…”

Erza went on and on about Bruno's weaknesses in combat, each point she pointed out was a wake-up call for him. After carrying out missions for so long, this was the first time he had realized that he had so many 'habits' and 'weaknesses'. By the end, he even had the illusion that he could beat an idiot in a fight.

Bruno collapsed to the ground with a thud, muttering to himself as he fell, "So... my weaknesses... were actually... that many...?!!"

No! It's not that I have too many flaws! It's that this woman named Erza...

too strong! ! !

Since becoming a CP9 agent, Bruno never imagined that he would be defeated so quickly, without even using his Devil Fruit powers, and was cut down with a single blow.

Robin, who was not far away, was completely dumbfounded. She couldn't understand the principles and flaws of the 'Rokushiki' at all, nor could she understand Erza's explanation, but she was deeply shocked.

How can there be such a strong woman in this world?!

This wasn't due to the power of a powerful Devil Fruit, nor was it due to some innate racial talent. It was simply due to human observation, analytical skills, and combat experience. After a brief, tentative exchange, they found a way to defeat a CP9 member so decisively, making the opponent's decades of hard training seem like a joke and easily go down the drain...

Robin suddenly realized why Natsu, Gray, and other mages both respected and feared Erza.

"So she didn't use her full strength at all during that battle in the rain..."

……

On the other hand, Spandam, unable to reach Bruno, turned around and called Lucci, Kagu, and Kalifa, and immediately launched into a tirade of abuse upon receiving the call.

The three were already annoyed by Kira's visit to Espagu to discuss his shipbuilding plans, and now, hearing their incompetent boss Spandam's rant, their good mood for the day vanished instantly.

But there was nothing they could do; they were just subordinates, and the mission came first. They had to listen to what they were supposed to listen to and do what they were supposed to do. After ignoring Spandam's insults, the group roughly got the following information: Nico Robin's kidnapping plan had failed; Bruno was in trouble; and they needed to take Nico Robin back.

While they were in the restroom, the three-person undercover team led by Lucci and Pigeon secretly held a meeting in a secluded place.

"Bruno actually lost to a woman?"

"What? Do you look down on women?"

"Oh no, I didn't mean that..."

"It seems that his five years undercover work have made him rusty."

"What do we do now? The orders from above are to bring Nico Robin back at all costs..."

"We'll do what needs to be done! If one person can't do it, we'll go together!!"

After a brief exchange, Lucci devised a new plan: first, find Bruno, then use his Door-Door Fruit ability to forcibly take Nico Robin away, and finally carry out the "Shoot Espagu Plan" to extract the blueprints for "Pluton" from him. Finally, under the cover of the giant tsunami "Akula Laguna", they would leave on the sea train.

This is almost a perfect plan!

Unfortunately, they encountered trouble in the second step.

The three of them asked Espagu for leave on the grounds that they needed to go back to their hometown for a funeral. Then, through the team's contact number, they found Bruno in the alley.

Up to this point, Erza still harbors the stereotypes she had in Asland, believing that the World Government should be an official organization like the Council. Therefore, after learning about the nature of CP9, she did not go all out in the battle, nor did she attack Bruno's vitals. As a result, Bruno was only temporarily unable to move and was not seriously injured.

When Lucci and the others found him, Bruno had already recovered thanks to his superhuman physical abilities, and his wounds had been given basic treatment. He was resting against the wall.

Actually, when they practiced the Six Styles before, the injuries they suffered were much more serious than this. The slash Erza gave them was nothing; they could recover completely in a few hours. But since they had nothing better to do, they decided to bandage it up.

Seeing Bruno leaning against the wall with a look of utter despair, even the usually aloof Lucci couldn't help but feel a surge of annoyance: "What happened? You actually lost??"

"There's nothing we can do, that woman is really strong!"

Bruno gave a bitter laugh and recounted his fight with Erza: "She figured out the principles of the 'Rokushiki' in just one round and even figured out my fighting style. I was no match for her at all..."

Kaku narrowed his eyes: "Combat habits? How come I didn't notice them?"

He is the strongest member of CP9 besides Lucci, and a seasoned combat expert who can maximize the use of every part of his body and the surrounding environment in battle.

"Yes, this is the first time I've ever known that something like this exists..."

"No need for further words. New orders have been issued. If you're well-rested, cooperate with us to arrest Nico Robin."

Lucci interrupted their conversation, saying calmly, "Fortunately, your Door-Door Fruit ability hasn't been exposed. From that perspective, the success rate of our operation is still quite high..."

"I understand!"

Bruno had no objection. Knowing Lucci as he did, this attitude was already quite gentle; it was probably the temperament he had developed over the past five years as a shipwright…

……

Meanwhile, on the shores of Water Seven, the undulating waves, carried by the sea breeze, crashed against the floating city.

Every year around this time, the tides in this area become different from usual, going out more thoroughly and coming in more violently, like a child brewing a temper.

Everyone here knows that this is a sign of the coming of the water gods.

However, when the waves reached a certain point, they were frozen into ice by a chilling aura, turning into a narrow ice path only wide enough for one person. Suddenly, bells jingled, and a figure appeared at the end of the ice path.

This is a tall man wearing an eye patch, humming a tune, riding a bicycle slowly from afar towards Water Seven.

This person is none other than Admiral Aokiji Kuzan, who is on leave!

"Are you on this island, Nico Robin...?"

Chapter 897 Aokiji Arrives

Ever since the World Government issued the Buster Call against Ohara 20 years ago, erasing it from the map, Aokiji has questioned justice. So he let Nico Robin go and has been secretly watching her ever since.

This behavior directly led to him being criticized by many One Piece fans as a lolicon, but Aokiji was unwavering and resolute in his pursuit of it. For 20 years, he maintained the attitude of not changing his mind when faced with a loli growing up, perfectly embodying the spirit of a Marine Admiral.

After the "Rain God Saves the Country" incident in Alabasta, he learned from his friend Smoker that Nico Robin had gone with a mage. So he asked Sengoku for leave and began searching for Nico Robin's whereabouts in the park, just to see once again what kind of people this "devil child" he had let go back then would encounter and what kind of judgment she would make this time.

On the sea, Aokiji leisurely rode his bicycle towards Water Seven, with a newly published newspaper tucked into the handlebars.

"Magicians... yet another group of restless individuals. Their existence has already disrupted the order of the new world. Are you finally deciding to stop running away now that you've come to them?"

The current plot development is different from the original work. Since Aokiji's attention is always on Robin, he did not approach Luffy and his crew, nor did he hand over the golden Den Den Mushi that can activate the Buster Call to Spandam. Instead, he went directly to Water 7.

After an unknown amount of time, Aokiji finally arrived at the outer city of Water Seven. To the astonishment of the citizens, he casually moved his carriage from the ice to the ground and then left it at a shop.

"A massive tsunami is coming! Your bicycle might get blown to pieces!"

"It's alright, I'll be back to get it soon!" In response to the shop owner's kind reminder, Aokiji simply waved his hand and turned to walk into the city.

Half a day later, Aokiji rode in a Blue, along the inner city's river, enjoying the stunning scenery of Water Seven.

Although his main goal was to find Robin, he couldn't just stand on the street with Robin's wanted poster and ask every passerby, "Have you seen this woman?" That would really make him look like a perverted old man with a thing for little girls!

Even if he explains to passersby that it's a photo from 20 years ago, he will still attract strange looks from them. Passersby won't think the girl is his sister or anyone else, but rather that this perverted old man has been stalking a little girl for 20 years.

Also for the sake of secrecy, Aokiji could only search slowly. Anyway, he was on vacation this time, so instead of focusing all his energy on finding people, he might as well enjoy the scenery and food of Water Seven.

"A mask carnival? What an interesting culture... But aren't the water gods supposed to be coming in the next few days? These people don't seem worried at all. Is it because they're already used to it?"

As a general, it is essential to keep in mind the culture of key island cities. Water Seven is close to Enies Lobby, has world-class shipbuilding craftsmen, and is the birthplace of the Sea Train. Even if Aokiji's knowledge of this place is not readily available, it is at least quite impressive.