"Admiral Sengoku, you summoned me?"
Darren changed into a fresh uniform without hesitation and went straight to the Fleet Admiral's office.
The door opened to find Sakazuki already there, his expression as cold and immovable as ever. He glanced at Darren once, then turned back to Sengoku with a voice like a drawn blade.
"Admiral Sengoku, I stand by my assessment," Sakazuki said. "I've led the Douglas Bullet elimination mission from the beginning. If Kaido hadn't interfered last time, I would have finished him already."
He stepped forward, the pressure of his presence filling the room. "Furthermore, Vice Admiral Darren has only just recovered from grievous injuries. He needs time to recuperate. I insist on continuing to lead the operation against Bullet."
Darren understood immediately. Sengoku had intended to send him after Bullet, but Sakazuki had found out and pushed himself forward. It was exactly the kind of single-minded, volcanic reaction Sakazuki was known for.
"Sakazuki…" Sengoku pinched the bridge of his nose, a weary crease on his brow. "I know I can trust your abilities. But this situation is different."
He folded his hands and laid out the facts. "Douglas Bullet has gone berserk across the New World. In the past two weeks his attacks have escalated—whole islands and nations have been struck. He's seized territories long held by the Whitebeard crews. He's crushed five Whitebeard-affiliated crews with his own hands. Intelligence now reports that he has gone rogue."
Sakazuki's jaw tightened. "And what of it?"
Sengoku's voice hardened with the calm authority of someone used to carrying worst-case scenarios on his shoulders. "This mission is not appropriate for you."
For a long moment the two men regarded one another in silence. Then Sakazuki turned and left without another word. The office door slammed behind him.
"Someone's angry…" Darren observed with a half-smile.
Sengoku gave a tired chuckle. "These young officers—each one causes me more trouble than the last. Borsalino was always a lost cause, but now Sakazuki grows more insistent by the day."
He shook his head and fixed Darren with a steadier look. "Enough of that. How are you, truly? Your recovery?"
"Almost fully recovered, Admiral. Thank you." Darren returned the look and let a small smile crease his face.
"Good." Sengoku's tone went serious. "I planned to give you a few more days, but Bullet's rampage forced our hand. We couldn't wait."
Darren's eyes flickered. "So this time… Bullet's rampage is somehow connected to me?"
Sengoku reached for a Visual Den Den Mushi and set it on his desk. "See for yourself."
Darren activated the device. A projected feed bloomed in the air: a towering war machine—an iron colossus—stomped across an island, each punch gouging the earth. Towns were torn apart; flames leapt. Marines fired relentlessly while civilians fled in panicked swarms. The behemoth bristled with cannons that spat a torment of iron and fire, and through it all came a voice—Bullet's manic laughter filling the projection.
"Darren! Just you wait!" the feed snapped, frozen on the war machine's visage.
Sengoku's eyes never left Darren. For a beat the room held its breath.
Darren cleared his throat, attempts at innocence suddenly feeling thin. "This has nothing to do with me!" he said, but it came out hollow under Sengoku's stare.
"I'm not accusing you," Sengoku said. "But Bullet must be stopped. The destruction is massive and world leaders are already demanding answers."
Darren frowned. "Why not let Sakazuki handle it?"
Sengoku's reply was curt, a line that made Darren's mind click into place. "The World Government has other ideas."
Other ideas. Darren thought a moment, then guessed. "The Shichibukai?"
Sengoku nodded slowly, the weight of politics showing in the set of his shoulders. "Yes. Bullet's power is indisputable. Given the crisis and the political fallout, the government believes drafting him as a Shichibukai would enhance their standing. He's also an ex-Roger Pirate—his knowledge matters."
Darren's thoughts raced: secrets of the Roger era, whispers of things the World Government kept close. Sengoku shut down the thread with a small, controlled sigh.
"Sakazuki is temperamentally unsuited to recruitment missions—he'd never hold back. Young Darren," Sengoku continued, meeting his eyes, "for reasons unknown, Bullet seems fixated on you. If you extend the Shichibukai invitation, he'll be likelier to accept."
"And if he refuses?" Darren asked.
Sengoku's gaze went icy; his fist tightened on the desk as if he would crack the wood. "If he refuses," he said, and the words dropped like a hammer, "I hereby authorize you to initiate a Buster Call!"
To be continued...