Inside the reception room.
Kari walked behind the coffee table, turned around, and plopped down onto the sofa.
"Hoo~"
She opened her mouth and let out a breath, then looked up at the three leather suitcases on the coffee table in front of her, at the Berries inside them, a strange look flashing in her eyes.
"It really is a big deal!"
Without counting, she knew that the Berries in these three suitcases amounted to at least three hundred million Berries.
Having been a spy for so many years, she had handled countless Berries.
She withdrew her gaze, dropped the notebook she was holding onto the coffee table, then stood up, walked to a corner of a wall inside, and stood still, tidying the hair on her forehead and her clothes.
Then she patted her face, making her expression calm once more.
She reached out and pressed a nondescript spot on the wall.
The wall in front of her immediately opened a gap, and a platform extended from it, on which sat a Den Den Mushi with its head bowed. As the Den Den Mushi saw the light, it immediately perked up from its previous listlessness. It raised its head, staring at Kari with no emotion in its eyes.
"This is the World Government CP0, please state your number."
Kari stared into the Den Den Mushi's eyes for a while before calmly saying, "CP3 Intelligence Department, C337, I have important intelligence to report."
"C337!"
The Den Den Mushi's gaze swept over Kari. A hint of emotion appeared in its emotionless eyes. It raised its head and said to Kari, "So it's Kari of Carter Island! Is there something you need to report?"
"Could it be that the Silver-Haired group has been found?"
If there was any major event these past few days, it would be the Silver-Haired group in the first half of the Grand Line. This was a directive issued by their superior's superior's superior, the highest authority of the World Government's intelligence department.
"Yes!"
Kari nodded, then continued, "The Silver-Haired group is currently on Carter Island, and they are in the very company where I am acting as a spy. I just saw him."
She thought about it for a moment and decided to report it to the World Government. No spy knew the terror of the World Government better than them. Since the Silver-Haired man had discovered her, yet hadn't killed her, she could still take a gamble and bet that the Silver-Haired man wouldn't kill her later. She could bet that the Silver-Haired man wouldn't kill her, but she wouldn't bet on what would happen if she didn't report something the World Government had specifically ordered. Because without even thinking, she knew the consequences would be dire. For so many years, she hadn't seen a spy who kept silent and remained alive.
"Oh! On Carter Island!"
For the first time, surprise appeared in the Den Den Mushi's eyes. It turned its head and instructed Kari, "Maintain your position, don't do anything rash. That's all for now." The Den Den Mushi immediately wilted after speaking.
Kari stood in place for a while before restoring the wall to its original state. She didn't mention that she might have been discovered by the Silver-Haired man, because doing so would give the World Government a bad impression of her, potentially costing her life. She was a spy, and naturally understood that only a spy hidden in the shadows, unknown, was a good spy. And for the World Government, a spy who was discovered, exposed in the sunlight, was better off buried in darkness, so it was better to die sooner. Because only dead spies would not leak any secrets of the World Government. Although she was just an edge-case spy and wouldn't know many secrets of the World Government, a spy was a spy. From the day she was sent out by the World Government as a spy, she was destined to live in darkness.
She turned around, walked to the coffee table, calmly closed the lids of the three open suitcases on the coffee table, then bent down and lifted them. What were Berries? In the eyes of people like them, they were just a pile of paper. Therefore, even though the suitcases contained three hundred million Berries, money that most people couldn't earn in a lifetime, she felt no greed. As a qualified spy, let alone three hundred million Berries, even thirty billion would be the same in her heart. Because in this world, no matter how much money one had, could it be more than the wealth of their organization, of their organization's superiors? Although that money wasn't hers, for the sake of the mission, she had always lived a life of plenty. She had never worried about money since she was old enough to understand.
Carrying the three suitcases in her right hand and picking up the notebook on the coffee table with her left, she turned and walked towards the door. She paused in front of the door, then her lips curled up, and a professional smile appeared on her face again. Then she opened the door and walked out quickly. She had been delayed here for a while, and she still had to deposit the money and summon the boatmen, so she had to speed up.
Hmm... right.
As she walked, she glanced at her clothes. "I still need to take a bath." She couldn't meet people looking like this! Thinking of this, she raised her head, reached out, and pushed her glasses up with the back of her hand, quickening her pace.
...
An uninhabited island.
By now, the uninhabited island had long since returned to its original state, becoming desolate once more.
On a large rock by the shore of the island.
"Burururu!!"
"Burururu!!"
The CP0 Chief, wearing a black and white mask, took the microphone of the Den Den Mushi handed over by a subordinate and said coldly, "This is CP0 Chief, Kurotte. Speak directly if you have something."
"Yes, sir."
A clear, cold voice came from the microphone. The voice paused, then said in a deep tone, "Sir, I just received news that the Silver-Haired group is currently on Carter Island."
"Carter Island!"
Kurotte thought for a moment, then said into the microphone, "What are those guys doing on Carter Island? Are they building a ship?"
"Yes!"
"According to intelligence from agents on Carter Island, the Silver-Haired group did indeed order a ship on Carter Island, and the company they ordered it from happens to be the company where the agent is located."
"Mm!"
Kurotte nodded, then said into the microphone, "Alright, I understand. Continue to monitor the Silver-Haired group. Report any news immediately. Remember, immediately."
"Understood, sir!!" A loud assurance came from the microphone.
Kurotte handed the microphone back to his subordinate, then turned and walked towards Cartless, who was standing at the highest point of the rock, looking like an old farmer. He said, bending over.
"Your Highness, we've found the Silver-Haired group."
"Mm!"
Cartless nodded. He had heard Kurotte's conversation with the World Government. He took a puff of his cigarette and stared at the rolling sea in front of him, a hint of killing intent flashing in his eyes.
"How wonderful! Little brat, making him wait on this uninhabited island for so long."
Thinking this, he put down his pipe. Strangely, the moment he put it down, the pipe seemed to disappear like a silhouette. He straightened up, his aura surging, and said coldly to the sea in front of him, "You guys come over slowly, I'll go meet that fellow first."