It isn't his Devil Fruit ability?
Kalifa's hair, cheeks, and clothes were drenched in painful sweat.
When she learned that the Caged Bird engraved on her forehead by Tanaka was not a Devil Fruit ability, she experienced true despair for the first time.
Enduring the torment of the curse seal for a full minute, she never thought of ending her own life. First, because she had already surrendered herself to Tanaka—if she gave up now, her previous submission would be meaningless. Second, because she still cared about her CP9 comrades. And third, because she still had hope.
She wanted to use Haki to break the Caged Bird. Maybe he was lying. This had to be his Op-Op Fruits ability!
Tanaka activated his ROOM, enveloping Kalifa, who was lying at his feet. Then, he raised his arm, spread his five fingers like sharp claws, and struck toward her back.
Bang!
His hand never physically touched Kalifa's body, yet her back was torn open. A half-cut heart was extracted from her, and in the next moment, the wound was stitched back together seamlessly.
If it weren't for the half-heart now resting in Tanaka's palm, there wouldn't be the slightest trace of any injury on Kalifa's clothes or back.
"Haki can resist the effects of Devil Fruit abilities on oneself. But what if someone takes away half of your heart? In that case, can Haki still regenerate the missing half?"
Tanaka spread his fingers, revealing the half-heart he had just extracted from Kalifa's body.
He had already tested this on the ninjas of the main house.
Using his surgical scalpel to extract a heart remotely wouldn't kill the person, but it would weaken them severely, making it difficult even to stand. However, if only half of the heart was removed, it would have almost no effect on the body.
As long as the extracted half wasn't destroyed.
Thus, even though Kalifa had lost half of her heart, she could still walk normally and wouldn't feel any discomfort in her daily life.
Even in battle, it would have little to no impact.
The Caged Bird, combined with the Op-Op Fruit's abilities, was the collar Tanaka had prepared for CP9 elites.
It's over.
Kalifa was still lying on the sand, but when she lifted her neck and saw the half-heart in his hand, her pupils shrank, and her body trembled as if struck by lightning.
If having the Caged Bird engraved on her had made her understand despair, then having half her heart taken away alongside the curse seal made her experience utter hopelessness.
Chakra and Devil Fruits.
This combination of abilities was devastating. Kalifa simply couldn't withstand it. One by one, the mental defenses in her heart collapsed—until, for the first time, she felt the urge to submit.
For Cipher Pol members, who had long witnessed the ugliness of the World Government and the Celestial Dragons, not all of them were loyal to these ruling forces.
They obeyed the World Government not out of loyalty, but because they recognized its immense power. As Cipher Pol agents, they were beneficiaries of this power.
But the moment their own lives or the lives of their comrades were threatened, the first ones to rebel would often be the Cipher Pol agents themselves.
Lucci's CP9 experienced this after the Judicial Island Incident.
Stussy, in Egghead, was no exception.
Had Lucci not later led his comrades in a successful counterattack, going from wanted fugitives to CP0 operatives, the Grand Line would have gained a Lucci Pirates crew instead.
"You can try to break free from the constraints I've placed on you. But you better not let me find out, and you better succeed in a single attempt."
"Otherwise, for you, death might not be the worst outcome—it could be a relief."
Tanaka reached out, lifting Kalifa's chin and tilting her head upward.
After finishing his words, he withdrew his hand, no longer paying attention to her.
Instead, he turned and walked toward the unconscious Blueno and Jabra.
"..."
Kalifa's lips twitched slightly at the sight, but before she could even utter a word, the unbearable, bone-deep agony that had just burrowed into her mind resurfaced involuntarily.
In the end, now wearing the "collar," she chose silence.
Without saying a word, she watched as Tanaka repeated the exact same process he had just inflicted on her on both Blueno and Jabra.
If earlier she had been pretending to submit, now she was truly bowing her head to him.
"Heh… hahaha!"
A bitter, self-mocking smile formed at the corner of Kalifa's lips.
Having completely lost hope, she replayed everything in her mind from beginning to end.
He already possesses such terrifying intelligence, power, and methods.
Now he's obtained the training methods for Haki. If he masters Observation and Armament Haki, then—
The more she thought about it, the more a chilling dread crept over her.
After replaying everything once more, she realized that every move Tanaka had made was actually a well-calculated step in a grand plan.
Every decision, every action, had been meticulously thought out.
For personal strength, he seized the Op-Op Fruit, plotted against Rosinante to obtain Haki, and extracted the Rokushiki and Life Return from Who's-Who.
For building his forces, he subjugated CP9, engraving Caged Bird seals on himself, Blueno, and Jabra while also extracting half their hearts.
Every aspect had been carefully considered.
Every detail was firmly under his control.
The realization made Kalifa feel as though she had fallen into a quicksand swamp. The more she struggled, the faster she sank.
Perhaps… In the near future, this ocean will be turned upside down because of him. Maybe even the World Government itself will regret today's decision.
No… they probably won't. After all, with the arrogance of the Celestial Dragons, they don't even know what regret means.
After witnessing Tanaka's strength, his methods, his potential, and his ambition, countless thoughts flooded Kalifa's mind.
She knew full well that the order to capture Tanaka came from the World Government. Meanwhile, Marine Headquarters had leaned toward recruiting him instead.
After all, the Op-Op Fruit had already been consumed, and with Rosinante as a Fleet Admiral intermediary, convincing Tanaka to join the Marines wasn't entirely impossible.
But now, thanks to the World Government's interference—Tanaka and the Marines were destined to be irreconcilable enemies.
And of course, the same was true for the World Government itself.
Kalifa highly doubted that, after CP9's attempted capture, he would simply swallow his pride and let this slide.