Passing through familiar streets, Daren enjoyed this rare moment of leisure as he strolled toward the military academy.
Along the way, Marines on patrol saluted him respectfully, their eyes filled with fervor.
Daren smiled and nodded in return.
Before long, he left the civilian area behind and entered a more restricted military zone.
Looking up at the familiar yet slightly unfamiliar academy gates and the massive stone slab standing beside them, Daren's gaze grew a little distant.
"All glory and life belong to justice."
The powerful words were etched into the stone, signed by Zephyr himself.
The golden morning sunlight poured down, and the ivy clinging to the mottled walls swayed gently in the breeze, vibrant and full of life.
The towering stone monument reflected a deep and solemn aura under the sun, filling the surroundings with a tranquil, reverent atmosphere, like standing before an unshakable mountain.
This was Marineford Military Academy, the Marine Headquarters' "cradle of admiral stars."
Yet somehow, standing before this solemn monument, Daren's mind couldn't help but conjure up the image of that lonely figure sitting quietly on his courtyard steps.
His lips pressed together unconsciously.
Does the truth... really not matter?
"It must still matter... it's just that, instead of choosing revenge for your family, you chose a higher ideal, didn't you, Zephyr-sensei."
After a long silence, Daren finally exhaled deeply, muttering in a low voice.
Pirates sneaking into Marine Headquarters to cruelly take revenge on Admiral Zephyr's wife and children?
What a joke.
Other than Shiki the Golden Lion, the arrogant Great Pirate himself, what pirate could possibly infiltrate this "Holy Land of Justice"?
It was nothing but bullying an honest man.
"What are you thinking about?"
A hoarse, cold voice suddenly spoke from behind him.
Hearing it, Daren froze for a moment, then chuckled.
"I was wondering whether Zephyr-sensei had invited anyone else besides me to be a special instructor..."
"Now it seems Zephyr-sensei was quite cunning after all. At first, I really thought I was going to be the special one."
As he spoke, he slowly turned around—and was met with the imposing figure of Sakazuki.
Sakazuki didn't comment on the topic.
He stepped forward in his gleaming black boots, stopping in front of Daren, and said indifferently,
"I heard you fought Roger's pirate crew on Fish-Man Island."
Their gazes met, and the cold sea wind whipped their cloaks behind them, both men exuding a fierce and powerful aura.
Daren blinked and smiled lightly.
"You could say that. I almost got killed."
Sakazuki frowned slightly.
"Is he really that strong?"
"At least for now, I'm no match for him," Daren admitted straightforwardly.
There was no point in hiding such things.
If he wasn't strong enough, then he simply wasn't.
Having worked alongside Sakazuki back in North Blue, Daren understood the man's character well—there was no need for pretenses between them.
Upon confirming Roger's strength, Sakazuki's eyes didn't flash with disappointment.
Instead, for a moment, a fiery excitement flared in his gaze, as if he was eager for a challenge, before quickly being suppressed again.
He strode forward without pausing, brushing past the Vice Admiral in front of him, and stepped through the gates of the academy.
Yet just as they passed each other, Sakazuki's footsteps suddenly came to a halt.
"Daren, do you remember what I told you back when we were working together in the North Blue?"
Daren smiled and looked into the distance, as if sinking into old memories.
"I remember. Back then, we were the first and second in command of the North Blue 321st Branch, but we clashed over how to deal with pirates."
"I believed pirates could never be completely eradicated. Rather than wasting time and energy hunting them down, it would be better to control them, establish rules, and maintain stability across the North Blue..."
"But you insisted on exterminating every last pirate, believing that only through that could we achieve 'absolute justice.'"
Sakazuki took out a cigar, bit down on it, lit it, and lowered his gaze.
"And the result? Was it you who won, or me? It's only been a few years... but I can barely remember."
Daren shrugged helplessly.
"You won... We even fought over it at the time."
"I remember after that fight, I spent half a month in the hospital, covered in burns."
"You really were a monster back then. I didn't even know how to use Haki yet—I couldn't threaten you at all."
"No. You were the one who won."
Sakazuki suddenly spoke, his tone cold.
"At the time, I thought I had won. But in truth, you were the one who came out on top."
"I didn't understand it back then. Only after all these years did I finally figure it out..."
"Even with the advantage of the Magu Magu no Mi, you wouldn't have ended up that badly hurt unless you let it happen."
Daren pretended to be confused.
"But didn't you still win in the end?"
Sakazuki exhaled a thick trail of smoke, his face blank.
"Because after that incident, I was severely warned and punished for gravely injuring a subordinate. I was dismissed from my position and transferred to Headquarters."
"And you—You smoothly took over my post and officially became the highest-ranking officer in the North Blue Marines."
"So in the end, you won. I lost."
"It's just politics, isn't it?"
Daren shrugged again.
"All in the past now. Does it really matter anymore?"
Unexpectedly, Sakazuki didn't deny it. He simply nodded.
"Yeah. It doesn't matter anymore."
"But I want to give you a warning."
Daren narrowed his eyes slightly, a playful smile curling at his lips.
"A warning?"
"Yes. A warning."
The two stood apart, facing different directions, both looking into the distance.
"If something like that ever happens again... I won't hold back."
"Only by eradicating every last pirate can true peace be achieved. That is the justice we Marines must uphold."
Sakazuki stepped forward again, his stride steady and merciless, his figure like a sheer cliff.
Daren slowly turned, his calm gaze resting on that lonely, fierce silhouette.
Then he suddenly smiled and shouted out loudly,
"After all these years, you really haven't changed at all, Sakazuki!"
"You're gonna end up with no friends, you know!"
Sakazuki's voice came faintly from afar.
"Enemies are enough."
"When all of this is over, let's fight a fair battle, Daren."
He turned his head back sharply, his eyes cold as steel.
"...In the name of our own justice."
Daren paused for a second—then a wild smile broke across his face.
"No problem."
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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