The closest town to the isolated island where Wolf had been defeated by Weevil was called Ille Town. It was a small settlement with a population of barely ten thousand, lacking even a Marine branch office. In truth, a military presence would have been pointless; there was simply nothing here worth stealing.
The town suffered from a severe aging population, consisting mostly of the elderly. Whether a pirate's goal was gold or carnal vice, there was no reason to raid such a place.
However, the town had just received some uninvited guests: a group of men dressed in pure black suits and wide-brimmed fedoras, the unmistakable attire of government agents.
They belonged to the CP intelligence agencies. Aside from CP0, the other nine CP organizations shared identical uniforms, making it impossible to distinguish which specific unit this was based on their clothing alone.
"We received intelligence that Jewelry Bonney is a native of this town, correct?" One agent, shouldering a rifle with his left hand, thrust a photograph in front of an elderly woman with his right. He questioned her in a cold, commanding tone.
"Bonney might be a bit mischievous, and she has a massive appetite, but she's a good girl. I don't know why the government is—" Before the old woman could finish, the agent snapped, "Shut up! Why are you babbling? Just tell us where she is now!"
From her words, they had already confirmed that Jewelry Bonney was indeed on this island.
Startled by the agent's hostility, the old woman replied fearfully, "That... that girl has a huge appetite. She goes up the mountain every day to hunt a great deal of game."
"The mountain?"
The agent looked in the direction she pointed. To the north of the town stood a high mountain surrounded by dense forest.
After a moment of deliberation, the agent ordered, "Jewelry Bonney is an ability user; she can't swim. Guard the docks to prevent her from escaping by boat. The rest of you, wait here."
The townspeople were herded into the corners of the streets. They whispered among themselves, but seeing the guns in the agents' hands, they were too terrified to take action.
Meanwhile, on the mountain path leading down, a girl with long, straight pink hair and a beautiful face, accentuated by vivid lipstick, was walking briskly.
She was carrying a large haul of animals. At a glance, one might think they were small creatures like rabbits or sparrows, but a closer look revealed they were actually the young of large predators: tigers, lions, and mountain boars. There were at least five of them.
"Mm, a good harvest today. This should be enough for a full meal."
Jewelry Bonney, a Paramecia-type ability user. She could freely manipulate the age of living beings. These beasts weren't actually cubs; they were all fully grown apex predators. To make them easier to carry, Bonney used her power to regress them to their infant forms, intending to change them back when it was time to eat.
"What's that!?"
Reaching the mountainside, Bonney spotted the government agents moving through the town below. In her shock, she dropped her prey. She ducked behind a massive tree, peering out toward the town, her bright lips twitching. "Damn it! They tracked me down this fast?"
Ille Town wasn't her hometown; she had fled here to evade government pursuit. Ever since she accidentally ate that Devil Fruit, the government had never stopped hunting her.
"What should I do..."
Bonney observed the town. Having survived several pursuit attempts, she knew the agents had grown smarter. Their encirclement strategy made it impossible for her to escape by turning into a child or an old woman as she had done before. The boats at the docks were likely seized as well. This was big trouble.
Just as Bonney was racking her brain for an escape plan, she suddenly felt her left wrist being twisted.
She instinctively tried to turn around, but a powerful kick slammed into her slender waist. She tumbled forward, crashing ungracefully to the ground. Then, she heard a sickening click, followed by a sudden, overwhelming wave of weakness.
Behind her, a light mist in the air coalesced into a man wearing a pure white suit. He wore a mask that covered his entire face, leaving only his mouth exposed.
Bonney's hands were pinned behind her back in a joint lock, and she had been fitted with Seastone handcuffs. She managed to turn her head, her pupils shrinking in terror. "CP0!?"
The man in white said calmly, "You didn't even notice my approach. Was it because you were too nervous? Or do you simply lack even a shred of Observation Haki?"
With that, the man hauled Bonney up by her bound arms. "I am the CP0 operative specially dispatched to arrest you. Code name: Rocky."
Rocky began pushing Bonney down the mountain. "If you must hate something, hate your own foolishness for not knowing Haki, and the tragedy of having eaten that Devil Fruit."
"You bastards..." Bonney turned a fierce glare toward him. "I will never let you get away with this!!"
"Heh," Rocky let out a contemptuous sneer. "Say whatever you like. I won't kill you anyway. The old geezers in Mariejois care about you quite a bit."
"Mission accomplished. Prepare to return to Mariejois!" Rocky ordered the other agents as they reached the town entrance.
But at that moment, the sky darkened. The bright, sunny day turned to overcast gloom in an instant.
The agents looked up instinctively, confused. No matter how fast the weather changed, it couldn't be this instantaneous.
When everyone looked toward the sky, their mouths fell open wide enough to fit a durian.
Above the clouds, a gargantuan serpent covered in dark scales blotted out the sun. While the government agents stood frozen in shock, the elderly residents who had been herded to the town's edge fell to their knees, bowing repeatedly and chanting, "The gods have descended... the gods have descended!"
Seeing the town below, Jormungandr suddenly tilted its head downward and charged.
"Stop! Get down!"
Seeing the giant serpent diving with its maw agape, the agents threw their hands up to cover their faces, completely forgetting the rifles strapped to their backs. Intense terror had stripped them of their ability to think.