Marine Headquarters—Marineford.
Gion's residence.
"So," Gion began, arms folded, her voice deceptively light, "the Pleasure District was... fun, was it?"
Her gaze pinned Darren like a blade, the edge of a smirk curling on her lips, though her eyes glittered with an unmistakable chill.
Well… it was kind of fun, Darren admitted inwardly. Mostly the casinos. The fight arenas. Definitely not because of the Queen of the Pleasure District.
But when he noticed Gion's hand slowly curling around the hilt of her Meito, he blanched, hastily forcing a sheepish grin.
"Gion, let me explain—no, clarify!"
Her eyes narrowed to slits, their sharpness cutting deeper than any sword. "I'm listening," she said, her tone icy.
Huh? Still a chance, Darren thought, spotting a glimmer of hope in her reaction. Maybe she doesn't know the full story... or who I was with.
He straightened slightly, summoning a long-suffering sigh. His expression turned somber, full of regret.
"My time in the Pleasure District... it wasn't exactly voluntary. I ended up there by accident—while recovering."
As he spoke, he slowly began unbuttoning his Marine uniform, revealing a torso crisscrossed with scars—some fresh, raw and pink against his skin; others older, silvery ghosts of past battles. Most haunting of all was the deep, ragged scar over his ribs, where bone had once punctured through flesh and muscle.
Gion's eyes widened, and for a moment, her cold mask cracked. "Those injuries…"
Darren nodded, lips tugging into a grim smile.
"After we completed the raid on Totto Land, Admiral Sengoku called me in. Quietly. He suspected signs of the Beasts Pirates and sent me on a covert mission."
No hesitation. Darren threw Sengoku under the bus with practiced ease.
"True to his title as the 'Strategist Admiral,' he was right. I found them in Wano. Kaido had already taken the country and was transforming it into his stronghold."
"There was a weapons factory—huge, well-hidden. I knew I had to do something, so I infiltrated, tried to sabotage the production lines..."
Gion's eyes widened. "You fought Kaido?"
Darren stiffly nodded. "The man's a monster. I barely made it out alive. I was bleeding, my energy drained... I blacked out mid-flight."
"When I woke up... I was already in the Pleasure District."
He let the words hang heavy in the room before looking up again, his voice quiet but sincere.
"Given how badly I was injured... do you really think I had the strength to do anything questionable while I was there?"
Gion fell silent, her gaze unreadable.
"So... I judged you too quickly?" she murmured, almost to herself. "I was wrong to accuse you?"
Darren caught the shift in her tone, and a faint smirk tugged at his lips.
Still too young...
"Actually, it was my fault," he said softly. "I should've told you sooner. I didn't mean to make you worry."
A copper coin appeared in his hand—Wano currency, old and weathered, its square hole and timeworn edges glinting faintly under the lantern light.
"Remember how I promised I'd bring you a coin from every place I visit?"
He smiled, lightning flickering faintly between his fingers. The metal in his palm shimmered, softening, twisting. Under the gentle pulse of his Haki, the coin melted into an intricate rose—delicate, golden, its petals curled like blades.
"I brought you this. A little something from Wano."
Thanks to the precision of his Observation Haki and growing control over his Devil Fruit power, this rose gleamed with lifelike complexity—more beautiful than anything he'd crafted before.
Gion stared, caught off guard. He'd remembered.
She accepted it silently, placing it beside the first rose in the vase. Under the moonlight, the twin blossoms glowed, their metallic petals whispering of a journey shared in silence.
"Do you like it?" Darren asked, his voice unusually soft.
"I do," she replied, nodding faintly.
Phew... I might've just pulled that off...
Seeing her calm demeanor, Darren allowed himself a grin. "If it makes you happy, I'll do anything—"
"Then how do you explain the Queen of the Pleasure District?" Gion's voice sliced through his words like a whip, laced with amused menace.
"Huh?"
Darren's smile froze. His mind blanked. Gion's expression was enigmatic—mischief and fury in equal measure dancing behind her eyes.
"How is she doing?" she asked sweetly.
"W-what?"
His instincts screamed at him. Danger.
She knew?!
Damn it. She'd been playing him from the start!
Gion's smile vanished, replaced by a sharp glare. "I hear the Queen of the Pleasure District—Stussy, wasn't it?—is quite the courtesan. Treated you very well, didn't she?"
"Uh…"
He took a step back.
Too late.
She launched forward in a blur, pinning him flat with terrifying precision. Her eyes burned with fierce competitiveness, her voice dropping to a low growl.
"So... how many times did you two...?"
"Huh?!"
Darren froze, horror dawning.
Wait... this line... this whole setup...
Why does it feel so familiar?!
Could it be...?
Three hours later, Darren limped out of Gion's residence, one hand on the wall, the other on his back. His spine ached. Dark shadows pooled beneath his eyes.
"When women get competitive... it's terrifying," he muttered, glancing back at the deceptively serene cottage.
Its warm light now felt like the glowing eye of a beast that had swallowed him whole.
Even the Indestructible Body had its limits.
He thought of Toki, probably still waiting at home. A smile flickered across his face—one more pitiful than any tear.
"This... is gonna be rough."
To be continued...