Chapter 84: Leaving the Pleasure Quarter
In the blink of an eye, five hours quietly passed.
"Here, Lord Kane, try this."
A radiant Stussy, with eyes full of spring, picked up a fresh, juicy oyster and intimately brought it to Kane's mouth.
"Enough, enough."
Kane, looking a bit listless, waved his hands repeatedly: "Let's talk about something serious."
Upon hearing this, the flirtatious expression on Stussy's face instantly vanished, as if she had switched personalities.
She elegantly put down her chopsticks and sat up straight.
Kane, with a cold face, raised a finger: "First, I want to know the whereabouts of that birdman Morgans."
Stussy was taken aback. Why was he suddenly talking about Morgans?
"How did he offend you?" Stussy asked tentatively.
Looking at Kane's expression, it was clear he wasn't looking to cooperate with the Big News King.
Kane snorted: "Who told him to write nonsense in the newspaper."
Stussy thought for a moment and immediately recalled the sensational headline report from not long ago.
"Oh~"
She suddenly understood, a hint of mischief flashing in her eyes, and she teased, trying to suppress her laughter: "The Pirate King's successor~"
"You know, yet you still say it," Kane retorted, giving her an annoyed look.
"Pfft—hahahaha!"
Stussy could no longer hold it in, laughing so hard that she shook, her ample chest heaving up and down.
After a while, she finally managed to stop laughing and cleared her throat: "Morgans is indeed not staying on his News Island right now."
"Then where did he go?"
Kane frowned slightly, this was exactly what he was worried about.
That birdman Morgans, putting everything else aside, was a master at escaping.
Now he still had a small island as a base, but if he learned to float in the sky in a hot air balloon a few years later, he would be truly hard to find.
Stussy nestled back into Kane's arms, her body soft as if boneless, her voice becoming light and gentle: "Lord Kane,
do you know Gild Tesoro?"
"A casino owner. He's gained some fame in the past two years, I suppose."
Kane thought about it.
The future Gold Emperor had not yet made his fortune; he was just someone who collaborated with Doflamingo to open casinos.
If he remembered correctly, Tesoro should currently be building a giant ship called Gran Tesoro.
Its groundbreaking had even caused a minor stir in the news.
"Compared to you, he can only be considered to have a small reputation."
Stussy covered her mouth and chuckled softly, with a hint of flattery: "However, in the underworld, he can be considered a rising big shot."
"Tesoro's giant ship has been completed, and he's preparing for its grand opening. They urgently need a large number of girls, so he approached me."
"As far as I know, he plans to turn the giant ship into the world's largest entertainment city. On the opening day, he plans to invite influential figures from around the world to attend, and Morgans is among them."
"The two seem to have some collaboration, so Morgans will definitely attend."
Kane pinched Stussy's upturned nose, a playful smile on his face: "Aren't you afraid he'll steal your business? Yet you're helping him."
"Who told him to pay so much?"
Stussy smiled frankly: "Tesoro is very smart. Besides his core casino business, he has given out many shares in other entertainment projects to gain our support. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so smooth."
Besides her, Stussy knew that partners included Umit, the Sea King, and Duffield, the Loan Shark King.
Kane thought about it and agreed. How could a guy who had only risen to fame in the past two years have the capital to build a giant ship and turn it into a luxurious city?
Even the World Government might have had a hand in it.
"How come I didn't receive an invitation?" Kane asked, puzzled.
Making such a big move in the New World without inviting the Emperor Pirates?
Whether they went or not was their business; what they wanted was an attitude.
Stussy guessed: "They're probably waiting for the opening date to be confirmed."
Kane nodded, moving past the subject: "It's time to discuss the second matter."
"I need an inside informant from the World Government. No problem, right?"
Stussy shook her head.
She even felt it was a bit too simple.
You threatened me for so long just for this?
You even know about the special relationship between the Doctor and me, and you still need me to be a spy?
After a moment of hesitation, she couldn't help but ask: "Is that all?"
Kane raised an eyebrow, looking at her with a half-smile: "What? Are you hoping I'll make more trouble for Doctor Vegapunk?"
"Of course not!" Stussy quickly shook her head, a hint of nervousness in her tone.
"Don't worry, until I have enough strength to directly contend with a lineup of the Gorosei and an Admiral, I won't easily target Vegapunk."
Kane smiled.
He knew very well that Vegapunk, who was researching the Mother Flame, was absolutely the World Government's Outrage, the kind that whoever touched him died.
Even if the research was completed, Vegapunk would still be a strategic asset that the World Government would never allow to be leaked.
Kane wasn't so arrogant.
But that day would surely come.
When he defeated Kaido and truly integrated the power of the Beasts Pirates, the time might be ripe.
Stussy suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with unconcealed shock.
This man was actually planning to someday snatch the Doctor away?!
And this was under the premise of fully knowing the Doctor's importance to the World Government.
She didn't know whether to call Kane arrogant or confident.
"Speaking of which..." Kane suddenly changed the subject: "Why are you willing to go to such lengths for Vegapunk?"
He certainly wouldn't be so naive as to think he had conquered Stussy; he wasn't a human aphrodisiac, and their relationship was, to put it bluntly, one of friends with benefits.
Stussy paused slightly, then chuckled: "Shouldn't I? The Doctor gave me life."
If it were that simple, Kaido and Yamato, father and daughter, wouldn't be at odds.
Kane shook his head: "In my opinion, raising and teaching a person, giving them a soul and meaning, is far more important than simply giving them life."
"The Doctor said the same thing."
Stussy fell into distant memories: "When I was first cloned and created, there was a fierce debate in the laboratory about how I should be used."
"Some people advocated treating me as valuable experimental material, maximizing my value, conducting various extreme tests and data collection..."
"Finally, the Doctor made the decisive statement. He said: 'She is not a tool; she should be treated as a normal person.'"
As she spoke, Stussy showed a bright smile: "It was the Doctor who took me, who let me see the real blue sky and white clouds for the first time,
smell the fragrance of flowers and plants. He also taught me all kinds of knowledge and gave me the meaning of life."
"No matter what, even if it costs me my life, I will protect his safety."
"Understood."
Kane nodded: "Let's leave it at that."
With that, he stood up decisively and tidied his clothes.
With Stussy's respectful farewell, Kane pushed open the door of the private room and strode out, his figure quickly disappearing into the noisy lights and music of the bar.
