Chapter 1240: Play? What Play?
Chapter 1240: Play? What Play?
When Klah returned, his heart was heavy with anxiety as he entered Castle Tower.
Extremely heavy.
He had been preoccupied with stabilizing Wano Country, but an invasion had occurred in Flower Capital, nearly endangering Lida. He couldn’t bear the weight of that responsibility.
Standing before the sliding doors of the grand hall, he pressed his lips together, hesitating to enter.
Suddenly, a voice rang out from inside, sharp with irritation:
"Are you planning to stand there like a door god?! Get in here, Old Man!"
Klah shuddered, took a deep breath, and pulled open the luxurious paper screen. Inside, he saw Kuro seated cross-legged on a cushion atop the raised platform, with Lida casually snacking beside him.
Lida glanced at Klah with a faint smile, but that single look made his stomach churn.
Those were the eyes of someone watching a spectacle. The problem wasn’t huge, but he’d definitely catch a scolding today. If he handled it poorly, he might even face "special training."
Instinctively adjusting his glasses, Klah stepped forward. "Kuro Mr., I’ve returned from White Dance Region. The area has achieved preliminary stability. The largest bandit faction there has been eliminated. Now we just need to monitor scattered remnants, and White Dance Region—including the villages—will become fully stable."
"I told you to secure Wano Country, and this is how you ‘secured’ it? Letting intruders slip in unnoticed, even reaching Flower Capital! What’s next? Are they storming my Golden Lion next? Why not hand them Rabbit Onsen too? Let Beasts Pirates run wild here! Then you can return to Syrobu Village while I retreat to Shelz Town!"
Kuro didn’t hold back, lashing out: "You, a Navy Vice Admiral, personally hunting bandits? What’s the big deal? Did White Dance’s bandits declare themselves Mountain King of the Pirates or defeat 56 Shankses?!"
56 Shankses?
What did that mean?
But Kuro gave Klah no time to process. "Didn’t I explicitly say no outsiders on Wano’s Inland Sea? Let alone land! You think those despicable Outsiders are decent people? Didn’t I warn you? And now look—Kuzan’s one thing, but Kas and Wilbur ran off to hunt pirates too! You, though—you couldn’t even hold the fort? Was sparing a few days too much? Couldn’t you wait until I returned? Are you hiding something from me? What the hell are you scheming behind my back?!"
Klah’s eyes widened. Was Kuro demanding a confession?
Enough. He couldn’t hold back anymore. Who did he think he was doing all this for? He couldn’t bear this unjust scolding. Today, he’d explain everything—even if it meant a beating.
"Kuro Mr., it was all for playacting! I thought only by stabilizing Wano Country before your return could we prevent the World Government—"
He was cut off mid-sentence.
"You’ve got some nerve calling that ‘playacting’! You think Headquarters has underlings to spare? I ignored this woman because I didn’t care about those troublesome upper-level matters. It’s exhausting enough!"
Kuro grumbled, "I just got back, and two dogs came barking at me! If you hadn’t run off recklessly, none of this would’ve happened!"
Two dogs?
Oh.
Klah had seen them arriving—CP’s two junior agents.
He looked up, meeting Kuro’s furious gaze. This wasn’t just anger at CP0. It was a warning. CP0 had discovered his actions.
So that’s it. Kuro wasn’t just venting. He was subtly reminding Klah their movements in Wano Country had been too conspicuous. Klah, Kas, and others hadn’t even finished cleansing the infiltrators.
The "outsiders" weren’t pirates—these intelligence agents were the real threat!
Klah inwardly cursed his oversight. He should’ve realized this earlier. How shameful to need Kuro to remind him of his "strategist" title.
Too early. He still needed to keep up the act.
"Understood, Kuro Mr.", Klah said gravely. "I know how to proceed."
"Eh?"
Kuro had been in a full rant. After his recent return, he’d fought the dead old man alongside Lida, dealt with CP0 buzzing like flies, and now the "Red" woman was a thorn—neither capturable nor releasable. How could he not be furious?
He wasn’t targeting Klah alone. Kuzan, Kas, and Wilbur were equally at fault. But they were absent, and Klah was here—convenient scapegoat.
Yet Klah’s bewildered reply and sudden clarity unsettled Kuro. His anger deflated as he waved a hand. "Forget it. Saying more’s pointless. I haven’t forgotten you’re thirty-seven—nearly ten years older than me. Some things don’t need spelling out. I’ll spare your face."
After four or five years together—from a lowly pirate to Navy Vice Admiral—Kuro owed Klah some courtesy as his longtime subordinate in Grand Line.
"I understand how to handle it", Klah nodded firmly.
Kuro waved again, suddenly recalling, "Wait—what play? Is there a drama in Flower Capital lately?"
Klah paused. "It’s because Kaido died. The people are creating a Noh play about his downfall."
"Interesting. Let’s watch it later."
Klah pressed his lips together. That play didn’t exist before your question, Kuro Mr., but now it must.
"Fine. Hand ‘Red’ and the Beasts Pirates prisoners to CP0. Let them take them back", Kuro added.
"Understood, Kuro Mr.", Klah replied, turning to leave.
He retreated to the door, slid the paper screen shut, then stood still, lost in thought before descending.
Head bowed, his glasses caught a faint glint, obscuring his eyes. He adjusted them with his palm.
"I’m thirty-seven..."
He murmured, "At this age, needing reminders for such foolishness. No—this time, you’ve practically handed me the method. For you, Kuro Mr., who still wishes to playact, this step violates your nature. And for me, it’s equally humiliating. I’m not the only culprit—CP0, you won’t escape unscathed either."
He lifted his head, pulled out a Transponder Snail, and dialed a call.
(End of Chapter)
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