"Well then," Darren said, exhaling a slow stream of smoke, his voice relaxed, "anyone else got questions?"
The admirals exchanged glances, and a few wry smiles slipped through their stern expressions. In the end, not a single one of them refuted him.
Because truly—if fate did bind certain people on this sea, then none were more tightly entwined than Garp and Roger. Rivals since God Valley, their lives had been inextricably linked by war, history, and something that went beyond mere coincidence. If even Garp—Roger's eternal opposite—couldn't read the Pirate King's next move, then no one else could.
It didn't make sense. It wasn't logical. But they all knew: Roger wasn't a man who followed logic. And neither was Garp.
Which left only one thing to do—turn toward the man in charge.
All eyes fell on Sengoku.
Sengoku: …
His lip twitched.
You little brat... making me, the "Great Strategist," look like some clown...
He cleared his throat. "Vice Admiral Darren's deduction... is highly persuasive."
Then, with a completely straight face and zero hint of shame, he added, "In fact, I had reached the same conclusion earlier. I simply adjusted my assessment based on more rational, objective factors."
Silence.
And then—
"As expected of Admiral Sengoku! His foresight is truly unmatched!"
"He really is the 'Resourceful General' of the Marines!"
"Vice Admiral Darren's instincts aligning perfectly with Admiral Sengoku's... it's a testament to true genius!"
Tsuru sighed and turned her face slightly, choosing not to witness the farce.
Darren, for his part, just smiled. He didn't care for flattery. All that mattered was getting everyone moving in the same direction.
"In that case…" Fleet Admiral Kong slowly rose, his massive hands pressing down on the war table. The weight of his voice sent a chill through the room.
"Marine Headquarters' elite forces—prepare to move."
His eyes burned with steel. "Admiral Sengoku."
He turned. "Vice Admiral Borsalino."
"Present," Borsalino answered smoothly, standing up with his usual nonchalance.
"Vice Admiral Sakazuki."
"Here," came the cold, clipped reply.
"And Vice Admiral Rogers Darren."
Darren stood and saluted crisply, his smile calm and assured.
Kong returned a nod of approval, then straightened to his full height, his cape fluttering behind him like a battle flag.
"You four will command ten warships and ten thousand elite Headquarters Marines. Deploy at once to the Edd War Sea... and await the moment—"
Bang!
Kong's fist slammed onto the table.
"—to crush the Flying Pirates and the Roger Pirates!"
Swish!
Every officer in the room rose to their feet, saluted in unison, and roared:
"Yes, Fleet Admiral Kong!"
Then, with a knowing smirk, Borsalino tilted his head. "So, Fleet Admiral... who's leading the operation overall?"
He gave a lazy shrug. "We'll need a temporary commander, right?"
Kong nodded slowly. "Indeed. For this mission, the temporary overall commander will be—"
His eyes naturally drifted toward Sengoku.
Seeing it, Sengoku puffed out his chest, already smiling with quiet pride. He was, after all, the only full Admiral present. No one else had the strategic experience or standing to lead a large-scale Marine assault.
"Vice Admiral Darren."
Sengoku's smile froze.
"I assure you, Fleet Admiral Kong, I will take full responsibility for—" he paused mid-sentence, his expression twitching. "—supervising Vice Admiral Darren's actions."
Kong gave him a slow, amused look, then nodded. "Very well. I'm counting on you."
"For Justice," Sengoku muttered through clenched teeth.
Kong turned to Darren.
"Vice Admiral Darren, are you confident in this responsibility?"
Darren's smile deepened. "I've been waiting for this moment for a long time, Fleet Admiral."
That answer made Sengoku's heart skip.
Kong held Darren's gaze for a long moment, then gave a firm nod.
---
Meanwhile, in the New World—
Torrential rain hammered the sea as ferocious winds tore at the sails of the Oro Jackson. The ship groaned under the force of the waves, the deck tilting with every mountainous swell.
"Captain Roger!" Shanks shouted through the gale, his voice nearly lost to the storm. "We're nearing the fork in the sea routes! Which way do we go?!"
"Obviously Dressrosa!" Buggy yelled, clinging to a mast for dear life. "One route goes straight into Big Mom's territory—that's suicide!"
"But Dressrosa's a paradise! Gold, treasure, women—we can get anything there!"
At the bow, a man in a red captain's coat stood unmoving, face lashed by rain.
"Dressrosa or Totto Land, huh…" Roger murmured, brushing the water from his brow.
"Charlotte Linlin… not worth the trouble. As for Dressrosa…"
He paused. Then, suddenly, his eyes caught something ahead—a stretch of sea darker than the rest, where lightning danced over raging waters and the storm thickened like a veil of fury.
"That the third route?"
Before anyone could answer, Buggy panicked.
"No way! Captain, that's the Edd War Sea! One of the most dangerous stretches of ocean in the whole New World!"
"They say less than one in ten crews survive it!"
"It's—"
Shanks slapped a hand over his mouth, but it was already too late.
Roger's eyes lit up with wild excitement.
"The most dangerous sea?"
"Less than ten percent survival?"
His laughter rang out across the storm.
"Perfect."
He stepped forward, drew his sword, and pointed straight into the heart of the maelstrom.
"We're taking that route!"
Buggy's jaw dropped.
Shanks groaned into his palm. "You really shouldn't have said anything, Buggy…"
The rest of the crew exchanged glances of silent despair.
Their captain… was absolutely insane.
To be continued...