In the space of a breath, both Sengoku and Kong had come to the same conclusion.
"Darren," Sengoku said, steering the conversation with deliberate calm, "what about the other locations? Do they share anything in common?"
It was a veiled question. Darren caught the subtext instantly and smiled—Sengoku had already seen where this was headed.
"The remaining seven sites were all port towns," Darren answered plainly. "Busy, high-turnover locations. Some were even neutral islands. Places like that tend to see a lot of underground movement—black market activity, smuggling, illicit trade..."
"In my opinion, Golden Lion hit those locations to gather intelligence."
Sengoku nodded silently, the lines of his face deepening.
Kong leaned forward, voice low and firm. "Since his true objective remains unknown, let's shift focus. We need to assess the current strength of the Flying Fleet."
"Agreed," Sengoku said. "And no one is better equipped to speak on that than you, Vice Admiral Darren."
All eyes turned to him.
Dozens of officers stared expectantly.
"Oi, don't look at me like that," Darren groaned. "The pressure's intense enough already."
Their expressions said it all: You wiped out Golden Lion's fleet once—can't you just do it again?
What kind of twisted logic is that? he thought bitterly. Is this what competence gets you? Eternal responsibility?
"What happened at Coin Island was... a fluke," Darren said candidly. "Recreating that would be nearly impossible."
He wasn't being modest. That battle had been a perfect storm of improbable advantages. The unique terrain of Coin Island had amplified his Devil Fruit's range and power. Shiki, in his arrogance, had lowered the Flying Fleet into a vulnerable altitude. And most crucially, Shiki had been operating in an intelligence vacuum, unaware of Darren's full capabilities.
Three critical factors. Unrepeatable conditions.
Shiki wouldn't make the same mistake twice.
"And... what about Enma?" asked a young Rear Admiral, his voice tentative.
Darren shook his head. "Enma's a powerful weapon, yes. But it's useless against Shiki now. He'd intercept it long before it reached his fleet. And let's not forget—he's already seen it in action. He'll be ready."
That revelation sent a wave of unease through the room.
Kong fell silent. Sengoku frowned deeply.
The mood turned grim.
Then, slicing through the tension like a knife—
"This is pathetic."
A cold, gravelly voice echoed from across the table.
All heads turned.
Sakazuki slowly raised his gaze, his face unreadable. His eyes swept across the assembled officers with quiet disdain.
"We're the core of Marine Headquarters," he said, his voice flat but edged with steel. "And we're dumping everything on Darren?"
His gaze sharpened. "If none of you have the spine to fight to the death, then maybe you should resign."
The room erupted.
"Sakazuki! What are you suggesting?!"
"Our seniority outranks yours by decades!"
"You've barely worn the Vice Admiral rank for a year—what gives you the right?!"
"You expect us to take on an airborne fleet without air power?!"
A tide of outrage surged through the room.
Kong slammed his fist onto the table with a thunderous crack.
"Enough!"
The uproar died instantly.
His eyes, dark with frustration, swept across the room. "This isn't the time for petty infighting."
He exhaled slowly, massaging his brow. "Sakazuki's delivery was harsh—but he's not wrong. Taking down the Flying Pirates is the collective duty of the Marines. Not Darren's burden alone."
He turned to Sengoku. "Tell them what else we've discovered."
Sengoku gave a grim nod. "We still don't know what Golden Lion's really after. But we do know where his weapons are coming from."
He turned toward Darren. "The Beasts Pirates. Kaido."
Darren's brows lifted. So that's why Doffy's been quiet...
Normally, if a pirate suddenly bought up that much firepower, the black market would be in chaos. Doflamingo, with his fingers in every shadowed deal, would have been the first to notice.
But if Kaido was handling the arms supply...
Then Shiki had gone straight to the source.
"Darren," Kong said, "brief us on Kaido's current situation."
Darren obliged. He gave a concise breakdown of Kaido's regime in Wano Country, the resources at his disposal, and the structure of the Beasts Pirates.
"What?!"
"Kaido's taken over Wano?!"
"Are they planning to join forces again?!"
Murmurs of alarm spread across the table.
Just then, the conference room doors burst open.
A young Marine officer dashed inside, drenched in sweat. "Urgent report!" he cried, snapping a quick salute. "Golden Lion's Flying Fleet has reappeared in the New World!"
"We intercepted Den Den Mushi transmissions—we're analyzing the coordinates now!"
Everyone's attention snapped to the massive sea chart at the center of the room. Red markers blinked ominously.
Kong and Sengoku locked eyes—both trying to predict the madman's next move.
Then—
Purupuru... Purupuru...
The familiar warble of a Den Den Mushi filled the air.
Sengoku frowned and reached into his coat. He withdrew a black Military Den Den Mushi, pressing the receiver open.
What came through was chaos.
"Help... we need reinforcements..."
"Golden Lion... he's here...!"
Screams. Explosions. Static. Then silence.
Sengoku stood frozen, the receiver trembling in his hand.
The room held its breath.
Another officer burst in, pale and shaken.
"We've cracked it!" he gasped. "Golden Lion's next target—he's attacking G-14 Branch!"
The announcement struck like lightning.
Dozens of Marine officers shot to their feet.
G-14?! That wasn't just some outpost. It was a vital strategic base.
All eyes turned to the Den Den Mushi in Sengoku's hand.
And then, without warning—
Its face contorted.
A cruel sneer stretched across the snail's mouth. The voice that followed was unmistakable.
Raspy. Arrogant. Laughing.
"Stop guessing, Marines... you'll never figure out what I'm after."
"Also—don't bother sending more spies. I've found every last one of them."
"This was just a small taste. Next time... I won't stop at a branch."
"Oh—and this intimidation thing? Brilliant. I owe it to that little brat Darren."
"Jihahaha!!!"
Gacha.
The line went dead.
And the room fell into a suffocating silence.
To be continued...