Shattering glass echoed nonstop from Evergreen's basement.
The Hodgepodge organization members standing outside trembled, not daring to go near. They could only hope that Mira would calm Evergreen down.
But Mira, sitting across from Evergreen, had absolutely no intention of stopping him. She simply watched him curse and rage, slipped off her shoes, curled up on the chair, and sipped tea leisurely.
Evergreen was furious, but he never threw anything toward Mira's side of the room.
When Evergreen finally slammed both hands on the table, panting, Mira yawned and asked lazily, "Finished throwing your tantrum?"
"You…!" Evergreen wanted to curse her as well, but he forced himself to hold back.
Mira twirled a strand of her light-blonde hair around a finger. "Go on, curse me if you want."
Mira was only eighteen years old, yet she was the biggest anomaly in the entire Hodgepodge organization. She wasn't a leader. She didn't know the core secrets. But she was the only person Evergreen tolerated completely.
Some whispered that Evergreen liked Mira, but only Evergreen knew the truth, Mira's background was spotless. She could walk away at any moment, return to the side of the Pokémon League, and Evergreen would lose his most reliable helper.
She had never joined the experiments, never entered the core. Her main contribution was training a handful of capable Pokémon Trainers.
Evergreen had single-handedly brought Mira into the organization against everyone else's objections. It was the most reckless decision he had made since his time with the International Police.
"You trained these people, and they're nothing but trash!" Evergreen finally snapped, deciding to stick to the main issue.
Mira yawned again. "Evergreen, the amplification devices you gave them were Type-II, right?"
Evergreen frowned.
"Type-I has flaws… it drives Pokémon insane but the power boost is higher. Type-II's only advantage is that it's controllable. And no matter whether it's Type-I or Type-II… did you really think they could beat one of the Elite Four? Against Aaron?"
Evergreen glared at her. "Are you doubting me too?"
Mira stood, adjusting the strap of her camisole that had slipped off her shoulder. She smiled.
"Let's get one thing straight, I never boarded your Hodgepodge organization's sinking ship. I can jump off anytime. The fact that I'm still helping you shows more loyalty than you deserve."
"You? A woman talking about loyalty? You still refuse to touch the core secrets because you're afraid you won't be able to escape once you know too much."
Mira laughed. "In twenty years, the Hodgepodge organization has added only two new leaders, Shiran, who joined after the founding, and you."
"To keep secrets contained at the very top, the original twenty-seven members, twenty were scientists and leaders. The remaining few were merely housekeepers ensuring daily operations."
"Twenty years. Not a single additional researcher. Not a single new scientist. All because they want to lock knowledge behind closed doors. But I'm curious, what happens when these old men grow older? Who inherits their life's work?"
"Someone like me, with a clean background? They've never trusted me. The only reason they let me in is because you found me useful. So don't lecture me about staying or leaving. Let me be frank today."
"After this incident, the Pokémon League will extract valuable information from whoever was captured. And considering how those old fossils always react… heh."
"Evergreen, aren't you even slightly tempted to expand your ambitions?"
Mira's voice held a strange magnetic pull, and Evergreen felt his heartbeat quicken.
Evergreen narrowed his eyes. "What are you trying to do?"
"What's wrong? Afraid to admit you've thought about it? Someone as smart as you, dragged down by a bunch of decrepit old men, walking straight into a dead end… don't you have any ideas?"
Mira's Scizor stepped forward, its pincers raised. Evergreen's Weavile slashed at it, the impact ringing sharply through the basement.
The sound echoed through the underground room.
"Are you trying to silence me forever, or just warn me to watch my mouth?"
Mira didn't seem afraid at all. Her beautifully made-up face still wore a cheerful smile.
"Weavile, stand down."
Evergreen let out a sigh and sank into the lounge chair.
Mira patted Scizor before sitting down across from Evergreen.
"You saved my life back then. I've already paid off everything I owed you."
Evergreen closed his eyes. "If you want to leave, then leave. No need to stab at my heart with your words."
"So you really don't believe in the future of the Hodgepodge organization anymore. Why?"
Mira was genuinely curious. From what she could see, the organization wasn't declining.
After all, maintaining stable funding under the Pokémon League's surveillance, keeping operations smooth, and developing League-prohibited technology, while even infiltrating the League, was extremely difficult.
Since they had achieved all that, losing one captured member meant nothing. Their existence had already been exposed because of Shiran.
Of all the organizations that had clashed with the Pokémon League, none had survived as long as the Hodgepodge organization. It looked like they could continue lurking in the shadows for years to come.
But Evergreen's recent actions resembled the behavior of someone sensing danger, striking preemptively in all directions.
Ever since the Shiran incident, these actions had only intensified. The leadership repeatedly criticized him; at one point they even moved to place him under confinement.
"You're sure you want to hear it?"
Evergreen smiled, a cold, disturbing smile that made Mira's own smile freeze. A chill ran down her spine.
Mira glanced at the broken glass on the floor and pouted. "In that case, I'm jumping ship."
She tossed her Hodgepodge organization insignia at Evergreen, stretched lazily, and turned to leave.
"Wait."
Evergreen's voice made her stop.
"My dear strategist, having second thoughts?" Mira turned back, still smiling brightly.
"You're leaving because you know the leaders won't blame me, they'll blame you, isn't that right?"
"Correct. I have no intention of becoming your second Oleander. And also… I've seen unease in your behavior."
Evergreen picked up a booklet and tossed it to her, signaling that she could look inside.
"If it's core secrets, I'm not reading it," Mira said. "I don't want to ruin my dream of retiring in Alola. Starting now, I'm going to behave, and have nothing more to do with you people."
Evergreen stared at her intently.
"If the leaders want to eliminate you, you run. But what if we eliminate the leaders first?"
The fake smile on Mira's face vanished. She opened the booklet, and the very first page made her eyes widen in shock.
"In two weeks, the leaders will hold their stupid round-table meeting at the usual place. This time, the Pokémon League actually managed to grab hold of one of our operatives. They're furious. So no one will be absent."
Mira chuckled. "Including that one?"
"Those who always show up will show up. Those who never show up… still won't," Evergreen replied. "It's time for the Hodgepodge organization to change. Otherwise, all these resources are being wasted."
"And how will you make sure that person acknowledges your authority in the end?"
Evergreen took a sip of lemon water.
"A leader who can't command those beneath him… is no leader at all."
(End of Chapter)
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New Novels- 1. One Piece- Maxed Out Conqueror's Haki!
2. One Piece- Master Of Devil Fruits
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