A violent shockwave mixed with dust swept across the area, forcing many Marines to instinctively duck to the ground, wide-eyed in confusion.
"What... what just happened...?"
"Something fell from the sky!"
"A meteorite?"
"Don't be stupid! If it was a meteorite, this entire port would be gone!"
...
Smoke and dust surged in waves.
The intense battle ground to an abrupt halt. The massive military port fell into eerie silence.
As the cold sea breeze slowly cleared the haze, the ground came back into view.
The five Shichibukai, who had been fiercely clashing moments ago, now stood spaced apart, expressions tense and wary.
Two swords.
One black, one white—two slender Meito were buried deep in the earth before them.
The sheer impact had gouged a massive crater nearly ten meters wide into the ground.
The two blades stood like insurmountable barriers, dividing Doflamingo and Mihawk from Fisher Tiger, Crocodile, and Moria.
The moment their eyes landed on the swords, each of the five Shichibukai reacted differently.
Doflamingo froze—then let out a sinister chuckle.
Fisher Tiger exhaled a long breath, lowering the stance he'd taken with Fish-Man Karate.
A spark of fierce light erupted in Mihawk's hawk-like eyes. His grip on his blade trembled slightly—visibly.
Moria and Crocodile's pupils shrank to pinpoints. Cold sweat beaded down their foreheads.
The air was completely still.
"That's Vice Admiral Daren's swords!"
"Enma! And... Ame no Habakiri!!"
"Vice Admiral Daren is back!!"
...
Gasps of recognition and excitement spread through the oval-shaped port as Marines scanned the sea, eyes lighting up in search of the man himself.
"That guy always makes an entrance at just the right time..."
On the city wall, Doberman slowly loosened his grip on his sword, chuckling wryly.
"That's just how he is, right?" said Yamakaji with a grin.
Gion's bright eyes shimmered as she softly exhaled.
The others exchanged quiet, knowing smiles.
In truth, the moment Admiral Sengoku spoke, these core headquarters officers had been ready to intervene. But now, with those two swords appearing, the tension in their hearts had finally eased.
Somewhere along the way, they'd started trusting that so-called "Marine Scum" without question.
That guy carried an aura of unshakable assurance—like no matter what happened, everything would fall into place the moment he arrived.
And it was true.
He hadn't even shown up yet. Just two seldom-used, symbolic swords... and the five prideful Shichibukai were already standing down, cautious as if walking on thin ice.
There was probably no one else in Marine Headquarters who could pull that off—except Daren.
"You five... that's enough. This is Marine Headquarters, not your playground."
A deep, slightly exasperated voice echoed calmly from the sky above.
Everyone instinctively looked up—and their eyes widened.
Two figures floated leisurely down through the cloudless sky, one leading, one trailing.
The man in front was tall and composed, radiating a calm and immovable presence, as if he were untouchable.
His black hair fluttered gently in the breeze. Beneath the disheveled strands, his eyes shone like stars. Behind his sharp suit, a broad white cloak flared in the wind.
He stood atop a gleaming Meito, arms slightly spread—like a deity overseeing all below, commanding the entire battlefield with a glance.
The awe-inspiring sight left every Marine present wide-eyed with admiration. A few female officers even had stars in their eyes.
Trailing behind, Garp wobbled left and right, balancing atop another sword. Wearing his signature dog-headed cap, he wore a goofy grin like a kid discovering a new toy—clearly enjoying this strange method of travel.
Behind them, a dog-headed warship approached from the sea. On its bow, a slouched figure could be seen, gnashing his teeth in frustration, pacing back and forth as if ready to explode.
Daren landed softly, a calm and effortless smile playing on his lips.
His gaze swept over Doflamingo and the others one by one, and he spoke calmly.
"Do me a favor."
"Let's end this farce here and now."
"Of course... if anyone still insists on making trouble—"
Vice Admiral Daren twitched his fingers. Sparks of electricity danced between them.
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!
Four razor-sharp sword beams tore through the air, whipping up fierce gales before halting precisely behind Daren, their tips locked on the Shichibukai present.
"...I'll be happy to oblige."
The entire scene fell deathly silent.
Sengoku looked like a man giving commentary from on high, shaking his head with a sigh.
"These brats wouldn't even give me face... how could they possibly..."
"Vice Admiral Daren has done a great service to Fish-Man Island."
Fisher Tiger suddenly spoke up, giving Daren a long, meaningful look. He nodded, then crossed his arms and backed off a few steps.
Daren gave him a friendly smile.
Doflamingo retracted the massive thread network he'd set up in the air and let out a cold chuckle.
"Fufufufu... it's no fun if the enemy is the Marines."
Mihawk said nothing. He simply sheathed his sword again and stared intently at Daren, eyes burning—as if there were too many words left unsaid.
Crocodile, his face dark, glared at Daren and growled,
"The Shichibukai don't take orders from the Marines."
Daren shot him a lazy glance, then suddenly grinned.
"Seems like you're quite fond of that golden hook. Want me to make you another one?"
Crocodile's expression froze.
The moment he said that, many Marines suddenly caught on. Their eyes widened as they stared at Crocodile's golden hook, and a collective gasp rippled through the crowd.
Could it be... Vice Admiral Daren was the one who cut off Crocodile's arm?
But Crocodile wasn't the only Shichibukai missing a limb...
"Wait—you too?!"
Moria abruptly turned toward Crocodile and blurted it out.
Crocodile didn't respond. His face darkened even more, veins bulging across his forehead.
The surrounding Marines quickly put the pieces together.
So... were all those missing limbs among the Shichibukai somehow connected to Vice Admiral Daren?
The senior officers, who had already been briefed during a previous meeting, could only sigh in resignation.
"Hey, let's team up... This guy's too damn cocky."
Moria snarled through clenched teeth, eyes red as he locked onto Daren.
"Between your powers and mine, we could take him down."
His words clearly hit a nerve—Crocodile inhaled deeply.
But instead of answering, he shot Moria a contemptuous look, swallowed his fury, and silently turned away.
Moria: ...
"Fine. I'll cut you some slack!"
He huffed and stormed off.
"Excellent. The Shichibukai are Marine allies, after all. From now on, let's all try to get along."
Daren smiled, clearly satisfied.
At that moment—
Clap!
Clap, clap!
Clap, clap, clap!!
Marines around the scene started applauding, faces glowing with excitement.
Soon, the applause erupted like thunder.
"Looks like Vice Admiral Daren commands even more respect..."
Borsalino stretched lazily and muttered under his breath, just loud enough for himself to hear.
Tsuru: ...
Sengoku's stiff expression darkened instantly—his face now black as the bottom of a pot.
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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