"The defense of Marineford... was a complete and utter failure!!"
The furious roar of the newly promoted Vice Admiral echoed through the entire venue, blasting from every loudspeaker and transmitted in real time to every Marine branch across the seas via Den Den Mushi.
In that instant, Marines around the world stared blankly at their screens, faces going pale as they watched the sharp-eyed, grim-faced Vice Admiral on the other end. It was as if they'd been struck by lightning.
The venue itself was plunged into deathly silence.
Marines and civilians alike were frozen in place, unable to believe what they had just heard.
"The Battle of Marineford... was a failure?"
"But didn't we successfully repel the invasion of the three great pirates? Wasn't that Shiki the Golden Lion?!"
"He even dropped a floating island on us!"
"We protected our home. That should've been a victory…"
"Didn't Fleet Admiral Kong and Admiral Sengoku say the same thing?"
...
Whispers rippled through the crowd. All eyes turned toward the platform, staring at the Vice Admiral in disbelief.
Behind Daren, Kong, Sengoku, and Zephyr were just as stunned, their expressions frozen.
This… wasn't what they had agreed on!
Wasn't Daren supposed to deliver an uplifting speech? Something to rally the Marines?
Why was he outright denying the meaning of the war?
How could he brand the great Battle of Marineford... as a "complete failure"!?
Or… was this some new speech technique they'd never heard of?
For a moment, the three of them stood there, unsure whether to stop him or not. The sudden shift in tone had caught them completely off guard.
Elsewhere, Gion and the others were visibly confused, trying to grasp what Daren was getting at.
Borsalino glanced at Daren's back and let out a small, intrigued smirk.
Sakazuki slowly opened his eyes, a subtle glint flickering in their depths.
Then—
"Vice Admiral Daren! I disagree! The Battle of Marineford was our victory!"
A young Marine soldier suddenly raised his hand, gritting his teeth and shouting out with courage.
"Yes! We defended our home!"
Another Commander stood abruptly, his voice firm in protest.
"This was a disaster, and you saved this island. We all respect you… but you can't erase the efforts and sacrifices everyone made!"
A Commodore spoke up, visibly outraged.
From another part of the crowd, a little girl burst out in tears.
"That's right! My brother… Captain Sbit, he gave his life to protect Marineford! He died a hero! How could this be called a failure!?"
...
One by one, Marines and civilians stood up, speaking out in waves.
None of them questioned Daren's achievements—they admired and respected him deeply.
But they couldn't accept him labeling the Battle of Marineford as a "failure."
They had lost too many—family, friends, comrades, partners. The cost had been enormous.
To them, the joy of victory was the last comfort for their grieving hearts.
They refused to believe that what they had fought and bled for… was meaningless.
They would not allow anyone to take away their "victory."
As the crowd's emotions surged, Sengoku furrowed his brow and instinctively stepped forward, ready to cut the ceremony short and regain control of the situation.
But a firm hand landed on his shoulder, stopping him.
He turned in confusion and saw Kong shake his head.
"It's too late."
Kong's expression was complicated, his voice heavy with meaning as he sighed.
Sengoku froze.
He looked back at the crowd.
Countless faces filled with confusion, frustration, even suspicion—every gaze locked on the Marine Vice Admiral, anxiously awaiting his next words.
Yes… it couldn't be stopped now.
Daren had ignited something, and unless he could offer a compelling, satisfying explanation—not just to those here, but to Marines watching from across the world via Den Den Mushi—this wouldn't end well.
With that thought, Sengoku found his eyes drawn once more to Daren's back, whispering in his heart:
"Daren… just what are you trying to do by saying all this…"
...
The venue was dead silent.
Even the sound of breathing was crystal clear.
Countless eyes locked onto Daren, crashing over him like an invisible tidal wave. The pressure was suffocating—enough to break a lesser man.
But Daren just smiled.
"So, you all want this to be a glorious, worthy-of-celebration victory, don't you?"
He asked calmly.
No one spoke, but every head in the audience nodded in unison.
The curve of Daren's lips deepened—twisting into a cold, mocking smile.
"I see."
"Yes, you all want to believe this was a victory."
"And in some ways, sure... you could call it a 'great' one."
Before anyone could react with relief—
His voice suddenly exploded like a beast's roar.
His arms lashed out in fury.
"We 'won' by letting filthy, wicked, vile pirates storm our headquarters!"
The words thundered across the crowd.
Faces went pale with shock.
"We 'won' by turning the Holy Land of Justice into the ruined wasteland you see before you!"
His voice grew sharper, each word cutting deeper.
Gasps echoed louder now, sharp and piercing.
"The Marines—supposed to be the world's supreme power—have been reduced to toys! Weak, exposed, left to be challenged and humiliated at will!"
His rage surged to its peak.
A storm of pressure ripped through every corner of the square. Color drained from every face.
Daren raised both arms high, his gaze sweeping coldly over the crowd below the platform.
Those eyes—steely, furious, unrelenting—were too sharp for anyone to meet.
"So tell me... all of you…"
"When pirates can brazenly invade the very heart of global justice…"
"When the Marines can do nothing but defend themselves—forced to watch helplessly as the enemy shrugs and says, 'I'm done playing,' before walking away..."
"When the entire world sees how weak we truly are, sees how this so-called sacred Marineford is nothing special after all…"
"This war…"
Daren lifted his head, eyes blazing with a cold fire that could burn through steel.
His words dropped like anchors—slow, heavy, and inescapable—sinking deep into every heart in the crowd.
"Can you still call it a victory!?"
Everyone froze in place.
Daren roared, veins bulging with fury.
An overwhelming surge of force burst from him, crashing outward like a tidal wave, shaking the heavens and earth.
Wind howled. Lightning split the sky. The entire world seemed to tremble.
"Answer me!"