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"Where is Mayor Iceburg?! Why didn't he warn us? He's going to pay a huge price for this!"
"Hurry! Get to the shelters we used last time!"
Panic spread like wildfire through the streets of Water 7 as terrified residents rushed to defend themselves against the wrath of the sea gods using their usual methods.
But their voices—their screams—were drowned out by the deafening roar of the waves.
Aqua Laguna crashed down, swallowing the city whole.
By the time the waters receded, everything was washed away.
No traces remained.
And with that, every unstable element in the pirate world—everyone who knew about Pluton's blueprints—had perished.
—
Sky Island – Imperial Palace, Zhaoyi Palace
Hikaru emerged from the dimensional space, carrying Kalifa's unconscious body in his arms.
The angels guarding the palace exchanged glances, their eyes filled with curiosity. One of them stepped forward to assist, but Hikaru simply waved his hand, signaling them to stand down.
He moved to a lavish couch and gently placed Kalifa down, setting her blonde hair against the silken cushions.
The sight of her sleeping face—serene, delicate—was enough to make any man falter.
For a moment, Hikaru simply admired her.
Then, with a casual wave of his hand, he ordered the angels to dress her in attire befitting a goddess, something that suited her style.
Once she was properly dressed, he finally woke her up.
—
Kalifa stirred, her long lashes fluttering as she slowly opened her eyes.
Dazed and disoriented, she sat up, glancing around in confusion. The moment she registered her surroundings, her pupils shrank, and her expression shifted to shock.
[Where… am I? Wasn't I working in the office…?]
Palaces of gleaming gold. Crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Marble columns stretching into the heavens.
Winged angelic maidens standing gracefully at the sides.
And then… a man.
A handsome figure clad in white robes, watching her with amusement.
[Wait… No way. That can't be… Is he the 'Divine Emperor' Hikaru?!]
A chill ran down her spine.
She had been captured.
But why? Why would he go after her?
—
"Awake already?"
Hikaru sat comfortably on the Void Gate, letting the angels beside him feed him delicacies as he observed her with interest.
Kalifa's lips parted slightly, but she hesitated.
She was a senior agent of CP9—trained in infiltration, deception, and assassination. Even in the face of danger, she knew how to stay calm.
After a brief moment of disorientation, she forced herself to think clearly.
[A man who controls the power of the Thunder-Thunder Fruit… If he finds out I'm with CP9, I'll be dead before I can even blink.]
She needed to buy time. She needed to act.
Her voice trembled, and her gaze darted around as if lost.
"I… I… Where am I? Why am I here? Who… am I? Who are you?"
She looked around, as if genuinely struggling to remember, her brows furrowing as if each attempt only brought more pain.
—
Hikaru smirked.
Oh? Trying to play the amnesia card?
Clever.
But not clever enough.
"What's this? Are you seriously trying to fake memory loss?"
Kalifa's face flushed with anxiety. She shook her head quickly, her eyes welling up with tears.
"Why would I lie?! I really don't remember… Everything is so blurry… My head hurts…"
She clutched her temples, wincing as if the effort to recall her past was causing her genuine pain.
—
Hikaru chuckled.
Interesting.
If she wanted to play along, then he was more than happy to play with her.
He leaned forward slightly, his voice taking on a gentle, reassuring tone.
"Don't worry. I believe you."
He stood and walked over to her, sitting down beside her on the couch. Then, without hesitation, he pulled her into his arms.
For just a second, he felt her body stiffen—the natural reaction of someone caught off guard.
Leaning close, he murmured softly:
"This is the Kingdom of Gods. My name is Hikaru, the Divine Emperor who rules over it. And you… You are my consort, Kalifa."
His hand gently ran down her back in a comforting motion.
"These are the angels who serve in my palace."
As he spoke, he reached out and wiped away a stray tear from Kalifa's cheek, his touch lingering ever so slightly.
"There's no need to be afraid. I have a way to restore your memory… You just need to follow my lead."
—
[Shit… This is bad.]
Kalifa's mind raced, but her face remained composed.
She had miscalculated.
Now, she was trapped in a game she didn't fully understand—and the stakes were far too high.
Still, she had no choice.
She lowered her gaze and nodded hesitantly.
"…Okay."
Hikaru couldn't suppress a smile on his face. He really liked this amnesia game.
He originally wanted to give Kalifa to Robin as a surprise gift, but he didn't expect that this surprise gift would become his beloved treasure.
Because when Kalifa's father was CP9, he went to O'Hara to search for evidence of scholars studying historical texts, and burned a large number of precious books.
Finally, CP9's chief Spandine issued a demon-killing order against O'Hara, and O'Hara disappeared from the map.
If Robin knew about this, she would definitely hate Kalifa's father and lecture Kalifa, causing her to fall into his clutches and be unable to extricate herself.
Now, Kalifa accidentally avoided the disaster brought to her by Robin, skipped all the steps, and under Hikaru's guidance, got everything she was going to get in the end.
"Just staying here obediently will help you recover your memory. You just need to obey my instructions."
"Yes...I will be obedient..."
...
A few days later, Hikaru left Zhaoyi Palace and came to the Shrine to find Robin.
At this time, Robin was lying in Hikaru's arms, holding a book in his hands, and spoke as if nothing had happened.
"Where's my surprise gift? You didn't forget it, did you?"
"Ah...something went wrong with the surprise gift, and I ate it by accident..."
Hikaru instantly thought of Khalifa's sleeping face with blonde hair. Although they had only been separated for a short time, her cuteness and innocent look left an indelible impression on him.
"what??"
So, Hikaru explained to her the relationship between Kalifa and her, as well as the killing of CP9 today, but did not mention the Pluto blueprint.
Robin's eyes suddenly lit up. She thought Hikaru was going to seek revenge on the World Government for her.
"I see. In other words, the CP9 named Kalifa is now pretending to have lost her memory, and you took her in as your consort?"
"Yes, the surprise gift also included asking you to lecture her. I didn't expect it to develop into this."
"Thanks..."
Robin hooked his arms around Hikaru's neck emotionally and gave him a kiss of thanks.
"Kalifa is pretending to have amnesia now, so what are you going to do with her? She will definitely be restless and want to contact the World Government."
"Don't worry, just let her stay in the palace. She can't contact the World Government."
Hikaru was full of confidence. To him, a mere CP9 could never escape his clutches.
"Den Den Mushi that can contact the outside world are extremely rare in Sky Island. Only the Shrine or the priests who are about to go to Qinghai have them."
"If she wants to pretend to have amnesia, just play the amnesia game with her. Once she gets used to a happy and comfortable life here, she will naturally be reluctant to leave."
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Kalifa: A cold secretary with long blond hair and glasses. She is a natural nerd. She kicks hard when she is angry and uses a long thorny whip as a weapon. Her catchphrases include "You are harassing me" and "You are rude."