"Tsk, training since you were six, and this is all you've got?" Luffy scoffed, his tone filled with derision. "You're such a loser. Expecting someone like you to make it to the CP0? Impossible."
His words were like daggers, cutting deep into Alpha's pride. He didn't care about her connection to Khalifa, nor did he hold back in belittling her. Originally, Luffy had considered using Alpha as an informant within the CP organization, much like he planned to do with Stussy. But after hearing her story and assessing her capabilities, he dismissed the idea entirely.
"She hasn't even mastered the Six Styles. Even with years of training, she'll barely make it to CP, let alone CP0. What I need is someone like Rob Lucci—a future commander, not some cannon fodder."
Luffy's expression darkened as he thought about alternatives. "Never mind. I'll meet with Stussy later and see if I can build a connection there."
Alpha, sitting nervously across from him, felt both annoyed and terrified. His dismissive words stung, but she didn't dare to retaliate. She knew that calling him out might seal her fate. For now, enduring his insults was the lesser evil compared to provoking his unpredictable wrath.
Her anxiety heightened as she glanced at Luffy, who seemed lost in thought. She felt like a bug under a magnifying glass, ready to be squashed at any moment.
Instinctively, her gaze shifted to the only person who might offer her protection.
"Sister… Sister," she whispered, her voice shaky.
Khalifa, who had been casually leaning against Luffy, blinked in surprise. At first, she thought she had misheard. Alpha hadn't called her "sister" in years. But when she turned and saw her younger sister's tear-filled eyes, the reality sank in.
"Sister… please," Alpha repeated, her voice trembling with desperation. "Please, persuade the Vice Admiral. I'm your sister."
Khalifa's body stiffened. The word "sister," spoken with such vulnerability, stirred something long-buried within her. Memories of their childhood together flashed through her mind. They had been separated as children, raised in different CP divisions. Yet, when they reunited years later, their father had praised Khalifa's achievements in CP9 while openly belittling Alpha, calling her "a disappointment."
That moment had severed their bond completely. Alpha's resentment toward Khalifa had festered ever since, turning into open hostility. But now, after so many years, the same person who had scorned her was pleading for her life, calling her "sister" like she used to as a child.
Khalifa's hands trembled as she recalled the innocence of their shared past. Her vision blurred slightly, the weight of those memories pressing on her chest.
Luffy, oblivious to the emotional undercurrent between the sisters, was startled when Khalifa suddenly placed a hand on his leg. He glanced down, then looked at her with a questioning expression.
Khalifa lowered her gaze, her voice unusually somber. "Luffy…" she began, pausing to steady herself. Then she lifted her eyes to meet his. "Are you going to kill her?"
"Eh?!" Alpha gasped, her face draining of color. Her heart plummeted as she stared at her sister in disbelief. The one person she had hoped would protect her had just uttered those chilling words.
Her mind raced with questions. Why? Why would my own sister want me dead? Is she really this heartless? Is this what makes her worthy of CP9 while I'm stuck in CP8?
Tears welled in Alpha's eyes and spilled down her cheeks. She felt utterly betrayed, her last shred of hope shattered.
Khalifa, however, showed no sign of remorse. Her expression was firm as she turned back to Luffy. "She's just a useless member of CP8," Khalifa said coldly. "She knows too much. It's better to kill her now before she becomes a liability."
Luffy studied Khalifa's unwavering gaze, his lips curling into a sardonic smile. "Oh? She knows too much, huh? That's a convenient excuse."
He turned his attention to Alpha, crossing his legs as he leaned back. "Alright then," he said mockingly. "Tell me, Alpha, what exactly do you 'know too much' about?"
Alpha's chest heaved with a mix of rage and despair. She glared at Khalifa, her sister's betrayal fueling a fire within her. At that moment, she didn't care about the Marines, the CP, or even the government. All she wanted was to survive—to live long enough to take revenge on the sister who had sold her out.
"I… I don't know anything!" she stammered, her voice cracking under the weight of her fear. "I'm only here to negotiate with you. That's it! I don't know anything else, and I don't want to know!"
==============================================
Support me at [email protected]/goldengaruda and check out more chapter of this or more early access chapter of my other fanfic translation.
=============================================