Chapter 19
City of Water
To Ace's disappointment, they had successfully navigated through the Florian Triangle without coming across any monsters, but they also failed to catch a glimpse of an island. Calypso's anxiousness at the fact matched this of the officers on Shank's crew, as some of them were visibly sulking around with bottles of rum. Only Shanks seemed to be slightly more hopeful as he ordered a course for Water 7. After a few more days of travel, the City of Water appeared on the horizon, the towering Aqua Laguna gates looming in the distance as the Red Force approached. Calypso was standing at the bow of the ship, her eyes marveling at the sight when Ace joined her and leaned against the rails; a grin spread on his face.
"I've never been to this place, but I heard stories. I admit, it's even more impressive in person."
Calypso's heterochromatic eyes flickered with a mix of awe and excitement as they were now close enough to make out more details.
"The architecture alone is worth exploring, but we're not here to sightsee."
Ace stretched lazily as he replied.
"I know. We're here because Shanks thinks we'll find out more about the Florian Triangle."
"He is not showing it as much as the others, but he is not pleased we found nothing when we crossed it. I have also overheard that the reports coming back from his allies are not very helpful. Most of them are generic ghost stories."
The young man's grin dropped a bit, and he wasted no time to embrace his lover and pull her close enough to kiss the top of her head.
"I'm sure we'll find something. Water 7 is the biggest city in the area, and a lot of ships come here to be repaired. It's our best chance to gather any intelligence."
The witch didn't get a chance to reply since Shanks came to stand behind them, his usual carefree demeanor masking his anxiety.
"Calypso, Ace, we will not get the ship closer to the city to avoid getting attention to ourselves. The crew is preparing a small boat to get you there."
Calypso's expression dropped into a frown, and she turned to face the man.
"You're not coming?"
He shook his head and smiled at her.
"No. And neither are any of the officers. Some younger members of the crew will come with you since we will need to get supplies for the trip back to the Triangle."
Noting the worry still on her face, he reached to ruffle her hair.
"We won't be very far away, Cal. If anything happens and you need help, I'm sure Ebony will come back to let us know."
The raven cawed once in affirmation and flew to rest on his Mistress' shoulder, its head nuzzling the hand she brought up to stroke its feathers. Shanks continued as if the interruption never happened.
"Once you reach the island, it's best if you conceal your identities, especially you, Cal. Then what you need to do is look for an old woman named Kokoro. She is the train conductor, but she usually spends the nights after her shifts in the local bars."
The young pair looked at each other before nodding, Ace being the only one to also speak.
"When will the boat be ready?"
Shanks looked towards the back of the ship and furrowed his brow.
"As soon as Lucky Roux finishes preparing the snacks. Which will take some time since he seems to be eating more than he prepares…"
Even Ebony let out a chuckle at the last comment, causing the Emperor to sigh.
"I guess I'll go interfere before we need a second boat to haul the food we'll need to replenish. You two go get ready. You leave as soon as the boat is ready to go."
As the red-haired pirate disappeared from sight, Calypso dragged Ace back to their room so they could prepare a bag with what they'd need for the trip.
Not even an hour later they were landing on the small cove in the back of the city and were getting directions from the crew on how to navigate the many canals of the city. Having rented a Yagara Bull to help them move around the city more easily, they started their search for Kokoro, thinking to first look around the market. On the way there, Calypso's eyes kept sweeping over the bustling city, marveling at the intricate canals and towering shipyards. Her expression caused Ace to smile softly and reach to hold her hand and brush his thumb over her knuckles.
"This all must seem otherworldly to you, right?"
She nodded but didn't look at him, her eyes opening wide when they passed a group of people in colorful masks and attire.
"My island can be described as beautiful, and Sabaody is definitely an interesting place, but this city is a sight to behold!"
At that moment they passed by a darker canal, and Calypso's attention was instantly drawn to it, causing her to stop their Bull as she kept staring at it with a slight frown. Ace noticed and looked at the canal too but couldn't make out anything or anyone suspicious. Frowning himself, he leaned towards her.
"Did you see something?"
The spell that seemed to have hold of her broke instantly, and she shook her head as she commanded the Yagara Bull to continue on its way. After they were a bit further down the road, she turned to him with a serious expression.
"There's more to this city than meets the eye. The architecture, the canals… It's all meant to hide something. I think we need to dig deeper if we truly want answers."
Ace's frown returned at her cryptic reply but eventually shrugged the whole event away as they reached the market, and his attention was instantly drawn to the many food stalls. Noticing the hungry look in his eyes, Calypso sighed and turned to give him a serious one.
"Just point me to the things you wish to try. But keep in mind that we are on a budget until we get back on the ship."
The pirate pouted softly at her.
"Come on, princess! Ebony can always go back and bring more berry!"
She squinted her eyes at him and crossed her arms over her chest.
"No, he can't. Ebony will only go back to the ship in case of an emergency. You being a gluttonous idiot is not an emergency."
Sighing again and slumping back against his seat, Ace eventually nodded in understanding, causing his lover to smile proudly at herself.
"Good. Now, show me what you want. Who knows, maybe one of the stall owners knows where Kokoro is."
The man owning the stall closest to them looked up when he heard them mention Kokoro, and he instantly waved at them.
"Hello! Hello there, young lovers! You're looking for the old hag, Kokoro?"
Calypso nodded and led the Bull closer to the stall, her hand moving swiftly to correct the hood she was wearing so its shadow covered the color of her eyes.
"Hello! Do you know old Kokoro? A friend sent us to find her since he thinks she can help us with an important task, but we are new to the area and have no idea where to start looking. Can you point us in the right direction?"
The stall owner smiled openly and nodded eagerly.
"Of course! Of course! Everything for such a sweet young lady! Old Kokoro seems to favor a bar close to the shipyards lately. She's usually there after her shift, drinking with Paulie and the other shipwrights."
Calypso smiled openly and was about to thank the merchant when she noticed Ace longingly eyeing the array of meats he was selling. Looking straight at him, she pointed to the food.
"Is this what you want to try?"
Ace nodded eagerly and gave her his best puppy eyes, causing her to counter with an exasperated expression.
"You don't need to beg, love; I promised you you can try some food. How much do you want?"
The pirate's eyes shined, and he sat up to look at the meat.
"How much for everything you got, old man?"
The stall owner looked surprised at his question and looked at the girl, who seemed to be in charge of their money. Calypso just let her exasperation take over fully, and she pulled Ace to sit back down.
"You can't have everything, idiot! Knowing you, you'll want to try more food later and will be sad if I tell you we don't have any more money. If you agree, we can get one or two of everything sold here and then also buy on the next stall."
She turned to the stall owner and smiled.
"I'm sure there are even some interesting sweets and fruits down the road, aren't there?"
The merchant's smile mirrored hers as he once more nodded eagerly.
"Of course! Of course! The sea train brings many delicacies from the other islands to be sold here! I have a friend a few stalls over, and he sells some very exotic fruit that he swears are delicious!"
The young man suddenly seemed conflicted with the new information provided to him. Meat was one of his favorite food, and he knew he'd definitely enjoy eating it all, but the way this old man described the fruit made him want to try them too. In the end, he decided to follow his lover's suggestion and only but a few of the meats on display. Calypso paid and, while helping Ace secure their purchases on their bags, looked at the merchant again.
"Do you perhaps know when Kokoro's shift ends today? If we have time, I'd love to explore the city a bit more."
"Of course! Of course! She'll be here in about two hours! Lately, she prefers to come back earlier than in the past. That gives you two lovebirds enough time to stroll around!"
Calypso smiled and thanked the merchant before continuing on their way, stopping occasionally to buy more food for Ace, who kept eating it as quickly as if he had been starving for months. Eventually they left the market and started traveling down less crowded canals, stopping at random points to admire the view or point at something interesting one of them saw.
It was in one of those stops that she noticed the small bookstore in one of the corners and instantly stopped, jumping on the pedestrian area to check the window. Turning to Ace with a smile, she pointed at the shop, a huge grin on her red lips as she could barely contain her excitement.
"I'll go in there for a bit. I think I saw a book I was looking for through the window, and I want to check it out!"
Ace smiled and got off the Bull himself to stretch his back and legs a bit. While he waited, he kept walking up and down, stopping occasionally to pet the Yagara Bull, which kept trying to lick his hand. When he heard steps behind him, he looked towards the shop, only to see Calypso happily walking towards him, a cheerful skip on her steps, while holding a thick book tightly against her chest. Her happiness being infectious, he smiled back at her and moved to stand right in front of her, staring at her shadowed face as he searched for her eyes. Meeting his gaze, she moved her hood slightly back, her smile now matching the playful glint in her eyes.
"What is it, lover? Your eyes keep eating me up. It makes me a bit nervous…"
A smirk appeared on his own lips at her teasing words, and he moved his face slightly closer to hers, one of his hands moving so he could stroke her cheek.
"I can't help it, princess. You are as beautiful as a Goddess when you're glowing with happiness, and it's impossible for me to take my eyes off of you."
Blushing slightly, she bit her lip softly before standing on her toes to close the distance between them for a quick kiss. When she broke the kiss and before she could move away, she felt his arms around her waist, keeping her up so he could kiss her again, hungrily and more desperately, until they were both out of breath. Even then he held her close, his eyes taking in the sight of her flushed face, her slightly opened lips and the few stray curls dancing across it. Bringing his fingers to carefully push her hair out of the way, he kissed her once more before letting her go and guided her towards their ride. Before she climbed on the Bull, Calypso seemed to sense something, and she looked across the narrow street with an unreadable expression. Ace followed her gaze to see the retreating back of a young woman with short vermilion hair, a familiar feeling washing over him at the sight. Smiling softly, he climbed on their ride after his lover, and they started towards the shipyards to find the woman they came here to look for.
••••••
The bar they were pointed at was exactly what they would expect from a shipwright bar: dark, loud, and smelling like freshly cut wood and sweat. It didn't take them long to recognize Kokoro amidst the crowd since she was the only woman around. Calypso pointed towards her with her head, and Ace led her through the mob until they were standing next to the old woman. Calypso cleared her throat once and smiled.
"Excuse me, ma'am. You are Kokoro, correct?"
The old woman stopped emptying the bottle directly into her mouth and looked at the unfamiliar pair with curiosity.
"Huh? Do I know you two?"
The witch's voice dropped to a low whisper, and she moved closer to the woman.
"Shanks sent us. He says you can help us."
A light shone into Kokoro's eyes, and a sharp grin appeared on her face.
"He did, huh? That depends on what it is you two need help with."
Ace was the one to reply this time; his voice was also low.
"We need information on the Florian Triangle."
His words caused the smile to disappear from old Kokoro's face as she studied the young pair thoroughly.
"Why would two young people need to know about that cursed place?"
Calypso looked down, and her lover instinctively tightened his hold on her as he sensed her anxiety.
"There's something in there I need to find. Something that can make a difference between life and death…"
The old woman frowned and stood up from her seat, her head tilting slightly as she hummed softly.
"You're in luck then. I happen to know a guy. He's an old shipwright named Orlis. He mostly keeps to himself these days, but if anyone's got stories about the Triangle, it's him."
This information piqued the interest of the witch.
"Where can we find him?"
Kokoro jerked her thumb towards the door, her grin returning.
"I can take you. He doesn't see many visitors anymore, but he owes me a favor or two."
Ace looked at the girl at his side and smiled openly before turning to the old woman.
"Lead the way then. I'm a bit eager to leave this place."
The old woman gave him a lingering look before wobbling slowly towards the door, stopping momentarily when outside to allow the cold breeze to hit her face and take off some of her drunkenness. When she felt more awake, she started walking towards the area where most of the shipwrights had their houses, occasionally glancing back at the pair. Her actions seemed to get the attention of the girl who looked at her from under her hood.
"Is something wrong? You keep looking at us."
A short laugh escaped her as she once again moved her eyes to study them.
"You both just look familiar. I feel like I've seen you somewhere before, especially the boy."
Ace tensed slightly and pulled his hat further down to cover his face, the act not lost to their guide. Calypso intervened with a warm smile and masterfully walked so her body would hide Ace from Kokoro's line of sight.
"I find this hard to be. It's our first time here in Water 7, and if we didn't need information, we wouldn't even be here."
The old woman shrugged slightly and turned to look in front of her again to make sure they were going the right way.
"Then I guess I'm wrong. Tends to happen when you spend most of your day drinking."
She laughed again at her last remark, causing the pirate and the witch to look at each other before shaking their heads. Ace was the one who spoke next.
"Are we there yet?"
Kokoro pointed towards a small house a bit isolated from the rest.
"There it is, Old Orlis' house."
She walked to the door and knocked.
"Don't mind his grumbling. He's not as ornery as he looks."
The door opened to reveal a grizzled man with a muscular build and deep-set eyes. His face, weathered by years of hard labor, twisted into a frown at the sight of Kokoro and her companions.
"I thought I told you I don't want any part in your games, old hag."
The old woman simply cackled and waved him off.
"Oh, hush! These two are here for information, not trouble."
Orlis' eyes flicked towards Ace and Calypso, his frown deepening.
"They sure look like trouble. What do you want?"
Calypso stepped forward and gave the old man her most charming smile, going as far as to push her hood slightly back so he could get a glimpse of her eyes.
"We're looking for information about the Florian Triangle. We've heard you might know something about it."
The old man stared at them for a long moment, then sighed as he turned back to pierce Kokoro with a soft glare.
"They're definitely trouble…"
Focusing his attention once more at the pair, his expression changed to a solemn one.
"The Triangle… Not many folks return from there. Ships vanish, and those that do come back bring nothing but stories of ghost ships and islands that aren't supposed to exist."
Calypso leaned in at the mention of islands, her eyes intense as they pierced into the old shipwrights' ones.
"We've heard words about an island hidden in the mists. Is it real?"
Orlis hesitated before nodding weakly.
"It seems to be. But it's not like any other island. Rumors say it's alive—hungry even! It draws in ships and takes their crews. Some say it's cursed, others say it's protected by something ancient. One shipwright I knew claimed to have seen the island once, long ago. He also claimed to have charted a part of the Triangle before his mind went…"
He shook his head and looked down.
"Well, let's just say he wasn't right in the head after."
Ace, seemingly oblivious to the shipwright's distress and anxiety, tightened his fists in excitement.
"Do you know where we can find him?"
Orlis shook his head and took a short step back towards the house.
"He disappeared. Last anyone heard, he wandered into the old archives beneath the city, looking for something that would make sense of what he saw."
The witch's eyes lit up at the mention of archives.
"Where are these archives?"
Glancing once at Kokoro as if asking for her confirmation, Orlis leaned in and lowered his voice.
"It's hidden beneath the central canal. Only a few people know how to access it. Most folks avoid them because they're dangerous, but if you're serious about learning the truth about the Triangle, that's where you'll want to go."
Ace, annoyed that the old man seemed to avoid answering the question, glared at him.
"Just tell us where the entrance is, and we'll handle the danger ourselves."
Kokoro stepped in and walked between the two men.
"Orlis doesn't know where the entrance is. I'll lead you there myself."
Bidding farewell to the shipwright, the old woman pushed the young pair away and back towards the city. After a short ride on the Bull she directed the animal towards the dark canal Calypso had seen earlier today and told them to dismount. Wasting no time, she guided them through narrow alleys for a while before stopping in front of what looked like a dead end.
"Most of the entrances to the lower parts of the city have been sealed to avoid flooding. We may no longer use these places, but if enough water gets in, it will be troublesome for everything built above."
Ace looked around the area, trying to find an entrance, but came out empty-handed, his eyes now once again on the woman.
"I see nothing here but walls."
Kokoro's toothy grin returned as she turned to the young girl at her side who was thoughtfully studying the wall in front of her.
"And what do you see, girl? Just a wall too?"
Providing no verbal reply, Calypso just reached with her hand and touched a specific brick on the wall before pressing it with all her strength. A low rumble followed her action, and the wall slowly opened to reveal a passage to a dark staircase. Kokoro's smile grew at the sight.
"I could tell you're clever enough to figure it out."
The girl simply smiled and looked around for anything she could use as a source of light in the dark catacombs of the city. Finding nothing, she turned to Ace with a worried expression, only for him to wink at her as a small ember appeared on his palm. Nodding once, Calypso turned to Kokoro and gave her a warm smile.
"Thank you for everything, Kokoro. We couldn't have done this without you. We can continue on our own from now on."
The old woman gave them a weird look.
"Are you sure? The archives can be confusing to navigate, and you may get lost."
Calypso gave her a reassuring smile and shook her head.
"Don't worry about us; we'll figure it out. And if this place is as dangerous as Orlis said, I'll hate to put you in danger."
The old woman laughed and nodded.
"As you wish. I hope you come back safe. And when you see Shanks again, make sure to give him my greetings."
The pair nodded and waved at her as they watched her slowly disappear around the corner. Finally alone, the pirate and the witch walked through the entrance, which closed behind them, and started walking down the steep stairs, Ace using his powers to create a small ball of fire that floated in front of them to light their path. It took them some time to reach the bottom of the stairs and a narrow corridor that seemed to stretch for a long distance. The air around them was thick with the scent of salt and decay, and the sound of water dripping echoed against the walls. As they started slowly walking forward, Calypso looked around, her eyes scanning the shadows.
"Orlis wasn't kidding about this being a hidden place."
Ace turned to her with a mischievous look and a matching smirk.
"Yet clever Calypso figured it out!"
His voice echoed around them, forcing her to shush him.
"Not that loud; we don't know what's down here."
"You worry too much, princess. No matter what we'll find in here, we're both strong enough to beat it."
"Still, I prefer to play it safe. This place makes me nervous…"
He instantly reached for her hand, taking it into his warm one and squeezing softly.
"It is a creepy place for sure. Reminds me a bit of my cell in Impel Down."
A shiver ran through his spine at the memory of that place that didn't go unnoticed by his companion. Wishing to take the memory from his mind, she moved to quickly peck his cheek.
"That place is just a memory now. I will never allow anyone to take you back there. Not while I live and breathe."
Smiling brightly, Ace moved to ruffle her hair playfully.
"I know, princess. You won't let anyone take your treasures from you."
"Especially not my spoils of war. They are all mine."
Chuckling softly, he looked ahead, only to see the way forking into two paths.
"Any idea which way to go?"
Calypso frowned before closing her eyes and steadying her breath.
"Give me a moment. If the man Orlis mentioned is alive, I may be able to sense him."
Pushing her mind open, she let her consciousness spread around her. Instantly she felt countless tiny lifeforms in the corridors around them, probably rodents and insects, which enjoyed the dump environment, and she did her best to push them all to the side as she searched for a stronger presence. In the end, she found what she was looking for deep in the archives, and she anchored her consciousness to its location. Grabbing her lover's hand, she started guiding him through passages and rooms until they reached a big area with ancient maps and half-decayed manuscripts strewn across stone tables, covered in dust. In the far corner of the room, there was a hunched figure, muttering to himself. Calypso turned to Ace and pointed at the man.
"That must be him."
As they approached him, the man looked up with wild and hollow eyes. His clothes were tattered, and his skin pale from lack of sunlight.
"I see it."
His voice was a barely audible murmur.
"I see the cursed island, lost in the fog. The Florian Triangle...it's alive…! It wants ships. It hungers!"
Ace frowned and slowly moved to sit beside him, making sure not to touch him accidentally in fear of scaring him away.
"What did you see, old man? What's the secret of the Triangle?"
The man's eyes darted around, his hands trembling as he handed over a piece of parchment, its edges torn and rotting. On it there was a crude map of what Ace and Calypso assumed was part of the Triangle, with a jagged line leading to a blank spot.
"The island...it's hidden in the mist. No one can reach it unless it lets you in. But beware…the things that live there...they're not human!"
Calypso carefully took the map, her eyes narrowing as she studied it thoroughly.
"This looks like it can be helpful."
Looking at the man again, she spoke with a soft voice.
"Sir, do you mind if I make a copy of this? I wouldn't dare take yours away from you."
The old man finally focused his eyes on her, his look momentarily losing some of its wilderness, and eventually he nodded with a small smile on his wrinkled face.
"Kind lady… Asking instead of taking… Copy it! Maybe you will find it…"
He turned around again, and his expression became unreadable.
"The island...it will let the kind lady in… The island only lets a few people in...Kind lady will be let in…"
The old man's delirium brought hope to Calypso's eyes even if, deep down, she knew it was just the nonsense of a madman. Once she finished copying the map on her notebook, she left the original map next to the old man, who instantly reached to grab it and hide it under his clothes, and motioned for Ace to follow her so they could get to the entrance and back to the cove so they could return to Shanks' ship.
••••••
A Cipher Pol agent was dispatched the moment word arrived that the Red Hair pirates were in the area to follow and monitor them, reporting everything they did to the rest of the team. Rift Vallon, the agent assigned to this mission, couldn't figure out exactly what his superiors expected to find out. Granted, it was pretty unorthodox for an Emperor to leave the New World without any clear reason and travel all the way to Paradise and, specifically, to this island. If it was repairs they needed, he was sure they could have found a good enough shipwright in the New World and avoided the perilous trip through Fishman Island and the Florian Triangle. No, something else was going on here. Something that was making his superiors anxious.
Rift watched from his hiding spot up in a roof as the small provisioning boat landed on the cove, and he wondered for a few seconds if the agency went through all this trouble for just a simple provisioning trip, but something inside him told him this was not the case. His suspicions increased when he noticed two people leaving the group and going their own way. Something weird was definitely going on here, and he now knew they assigned him to figure it out. His eyes never leaving the pair, he reached for the Transponder Snail in his pocket and dialed the number of his direct superior. It only took one ring for the call to be answered and for the gruff voice to be heard.
"What is it, Agent Vallon?"
"The pirates have split into two groups. I need confirmation on how you wish me to proceed since the mission was not very clear."
"This mission stands on a need-to-know basis. How did the pirates split?"
Rift looked as the big group of pirates disappeared on the way to the market, leaving one of them behind to guard the boat, and the pair of two slowly walked towards the Yagara renting spot.
"Most of them run off to the market I suspect to get provisions, but two of them are not following and seem to, instead, go somewhere on their own."
His superior remained silent for a while as he seemed to ruffle through some papers on his desk.
"Describe the two of them to me."
The agent grabbed his spyglass and focused on the weird duo that seemed to take their time to choose a ride.
"They have their faces covered, but it seems to be a boy and a girl. The girl is wearing a cloak with a big hood, so it's impossible to make out any details, and the boy is dressed in simple clothes and has a hat. Nothing distinctive on him either."
A mumbled curse was heard from the Snail, followed by the sound of more papers being ruffled.
"The girl, is she alone?"
Rift was a bit confused by the question.
"Excuse me, Sir, I don't exactly understand what you're asking."
"I'm asking if, except from the boy, she has another companion."
Focusing his spyglass more on the girl, Rift took some time to study her. After a couple minutes, he spotted what looked like the head of a bird momentarily coming out of her hood.
"She seems to have some kind of bird with her. It's hiding inside her hood, but I saw it."
The Snail's face turned into a smirk, alerting the agent that the information he provided was pleasing to his superior.
"Perfect. Don't take your eyes off those two. They are your mission. Follow them, spy on them, and gather as much information about them as you can. No matter how insignificant it seems to you, it may be what we need to proceed with our plan."
Agent Vallon nodded and hung up so he could properly follow his targets. As he trailed the pair through the market, a gnawing doubt set in. They strolled like tourists, casually perusing stalls, yet something didn't add up. He was sure his assignment was more than a simple tail, and the way they seemed to hide their identities confirmed it. He could feel a sense of purpose in their stride, which made his own steps all the more cautious..
Surprisingly, he didn't seem to be the only one doing so. After they left the market, the pair had gotten another tail in the form of a young woman with vermilion hair. The woman was dressed in normal clothes, but her posture made it clear that she was a Marine, a fact the agent found interesting since he wasn't informed of the Marines sending a spy of their own. The young woman kept following them until they reached a small bookstore, hiding behind the corner to stare at the boy of the pair as he was waiting for his companion to exit the shop. Once the girl was back, Rift could only raise an eyebrow at the clear show of affection between his targets and the frown the sight brought to the Marine's face. Suddenly, the Marine turned and walked away quickly, her frown always present, and, looking back at the two lovers, he could tell they had noticed her and both stared towards where she disappeared. Rift cursed as he hoped the fact a Marine was following them wouldn't make his mission more difficult. If his targets became vigilant, he may have had to maintain a greater distance from them, which would limit the information he could gather.
Thankfully, this didn't seem to be the case, as the pair soon led him towards the shipyards, where he saw them disappear into a bar. Sneaking close and looking through the blurry window, he saw them talking to a woman who, judging by her uniform, seemed to be a train conductor. Noting this down alongside a description of the woman, Rift hid into the shade of a nearby tree and waited for the pair to exit the establishment, only to furrow his brow when he saw the woman had now joined them. He counted this as a lucky strike since her intoxication caused her to speak loud enough for him to be able to overhear. Even though the conductor's voice was clear, he could only understand part of what the other two were saying. Still, he managed to piece together that the old woman found the pair familiar even though she hadn't met them before and that she was guiding them to a man named Orlis.
As they seemed to have arrived at their destination, Rift took his chance and moved closer until he was standing flat against the wall of the house, his attention focused on the conversation that was taking place by the door. The discussion had taken an unexpected turn since the pair seemed interested in information about the Florian Triangle, and there was also a mention of an island that was supposedly hidden in the cursed waters. The agent was sure this specific piece of information would be equal to a gift for his superiors, as it may provide a destination for Shanks and his crew if not also help clear up what their goals are. As he was scribbling furiously on his notepad, desperate to include as many details as he could, he almost missed the mention of hidden archives beneath the city and a person living there who may have a map of the Triangle. Smirking, he noted the detail down and silently melded into the shadows so he could call his superior with an update. If they wanted to get their hands on this map, they needed to act fast. Once he was a good distance from the house and out of sight, he made the call and waited for the line to connect. His eyes never left the group since he didn't wish to miss them if they left, not even when his superior answered.
"Do you have an update, Agent Vallon?"
"Yes. I may have Red Hair's end goal. The pair you had me follow is looking for information on the Florian Triangle. I also heard mentions of an island that supposedly exists in there."
His superior didn't mask the surprise from his voice.
"An island in the Florian Triangle? Why would an Emperor with territories all over the New World care about an island in Paradise that may not even exist?"
Rift shrugged and followed the trio with his eyes as they left the house, making sure to follow them from a safe distance.
"That is not yet clear to me, but apparently there is a man who may have a map of the Triangle. I heard he's hiding inside some archives underneath the city."
"That's interesting… We hadn't heard about those archives before. Do you know where they are?"
"Not yet, Sir. But I'm pretty sure the targets will lead me right to them."
"That's true. Follow them and find out. Maybe we can use the archives to corner those two."
A frown appeared on Rift's face at what his superior implied.
"Sir, are we aiming to imprison the targets? I thought this was merely a reconnaissance mission."
The Transponder Snail let out a short chuckle.
"If that was the case, I wouldn't have sent you, Agent Vallon. The ultimate goal is to catch those two and find out exactly who they are. And there's no one better than you to achieve this goal."
The agent remained quiet for a while, his attention on the group ahead of him.
"Sir, these are two people sailing with Red Hair's crew. I doubt they are pushovers. I will need assistance to succeed on my mission."
"Worry not, Agent. We are gathering a team to come back you up when it's time to move. Once you are ready to proceed, they will be at your side."
"Thank you, Sir. I'll do my best not to disappoint you."
"You better not. A lot relies on the successful imprisonment of these two targets, and since they are traveling with an Emperor, we may not get another chance of them being away from him."
"I understand, Sir. I'll use everything I have in my arsenal to have them in your office by tomorrow."
"I'm glad to hear this, Agent Vallen."
The connection was cut, and Rift secured the Snail back in his pocket before moving closer to his targets. He needed to find a way to weaken them if he wanted this mission to truly succeed.
Following them eventually led him to a part of the city that looked neglected and left to its own fate, with crumbling buildings and fallen debris everywhere, seemingly from a really vicious Aqua Laguna. It made sense to the agent for an entrance to a forgotten archive to be in a place few would randomly come upon. When the trio stopped in front of a wall on what seemed like a dead end, Rift moved as close as he could, hiding behind a corner. From his hiding spot, he could only have a limited view of what they were doing and couldn't hear what they were talking about, but he soon saw a secret passage open for them and close after the boy and the girl entered. Seeing the train conductor walking towards him, he ran until he found another alley he could hide in and returned to the previous area only when he figured out it was safe.
Standing now himself in front of the wall the young pair disappeared behind, he studied the wall closely to try and figure out how to open the door, but he could find nothing suspicious. This was just a simple brick wall in his eyes. Sighing in exasperation, he called his Superior again, this time talking before he had a chance to.
"I am standing before what I assume is the entrance to the archives, but I can't open it. I could try breaking it in, but I'm afraid the noise will warn the targets and cause them to be more alert and even prepared for a fight."
His superior scowled and took in a deep breath as he thought of the best way forward.
"This limits our options. Ambushing them into a contained space like the archives would have made it easier to trap them and even split them up, but as you say, we can't force our way in. Where are the archives located?"
Agent Vallon looked around quickly and then turned his attention back to the Snail in his hand.
"It's not that far from the shipyards on the western side of town. It's a location that seems to be abandoned and left to rot."
"That can be useful. An abandoned location means no prying eyes. It's perfect for an ambush. I will order the men we assembled to join you there. They will bring weapons and seastone chains."
"Seastone? Is any of the targets a logia user?"
"Both of them are suspected to have powerful logia powers."
"I understand, Sir. I'll plan around that possibility too."
"Do so. I want these two caught alive, no matter the cost."
Rift tensed at the implication but nodded affirmitively.
"As you wish, Sir."
He then hung up and started scouting the area as he waited for the reinforcements to arrive, trying to find the best way to use the environment to his advantage.
It was a couple hours later that the secret passage opened once more, and the pair walked into the alley, their eyes scanning their surroundings as if they were looking for something. Rift wasted no time to give the signal for the ambush to begin. Seastone nets were shot towards the targets as twenty Cipher Pol agents ran to surround them. The girl, as if expecting this to happen, grabbed the boy, and they both moved away from the nets and took a fighting stance back to back. The young man looked around as if weighing their enemies before turning to say something to the girl, causing her to chuckle. With a fluent movement, the boy lunged forward, fist crashing into the nearest agent's jaw, launching him across the alley. He then instantly jumped to the next, working his way through the agents on his side while giving them minimum time to fight back. On the other side, the girl was occupying the remaining agents, hitting them with a weird black smoke that seemed to have them shaking and screaming on the ground within seconds.
Agent Vallon could only feel frustration and worry as he saw his plan crumbling into dust in front of him. He would have preferred not to intervene himself, but now it seemed necessary as he felt he had underestimated these two people. Yet his orders were clear, and he had to succeed. Wearing his special gloves, he grabbed his weapon and ran towards the girl. She seemed to be the weakest of the two, and that made her his primary target. When he raised his weapon to attack her, she blocked him with her powers, but he could see the strain her defense brought on her in her quick breathing and the sweat running down her face. Smirking openly, he pushed more, looking for the opening he needed. Soon, he saw it and, with a swift maneuver, moved behind her and grabbed her wrist with one hand. Once his hold was secure, he brought the other around her neck tight enough to cause her to gasp for air. The soft sound seemed to get the attention of the boy, who, having beaten all his opponents, turned to stare at them with wide open eyes. Rift noticed his surprise slowly giving way to boiling anger, and he laughed.
"Looks like I have something of yours here."
He squeezed the girl's neck again, causing her to let out a cry of pain that seemed to affect the boy even more.
"Let her go."
Agent Vallon shook his head as he stared at the part of the man's face he could see.
"I won't. Not unless you surrender."
This earned a scowl from the young man, and he took a step forward, causing the agent to squeeze until the airways of the girl couldn't bring in more air and she would suffocate. This seemed to make the boy think again before moving closer, but Rift didn't let go.
"You have around three minutes to surrender before she falls unconscious. Take one of the seastone cuffs and put them on you. Once you do, I'll let her breathe again."
The boy looked at the girl held captive by his hands with panic and worry as he stayed frozen on the spot. To the agent's eyes, he seemed lost and unsure of what to do. The girl struggled weakly against his hold, causing him to move her hand behind her back and push until she was on her knees. Soon she would be unconscious and completely at his mercy, and he will only have one nuisance left to deal with.
As fate had it though, this was not meant to be so simple since, the moment the girl was on her knees, the boy started shaking with fury, his clenched fists soon dripping with blood. Letting out a loud scream that seemed to cause the ground and the walls to shake, he dashed towards the agent with his arm raised and ready to punch. Rift, shocked by the powerful energies he felt coming from his opponent, subconsciously let go of his captive mere seconds before he felt the punch connect with his cheek with such force and intensity that he was sent flying through the wall of the nearby building. His last memory before he fell unconscious from the pain was seeing his targets fleeing the scene as his mission failed. His vision blurred, his teeth clenched. This wasn't over. They wouldn't escape him again.