"Are you insane?!" Stussy burst out before she could stop herself. "That's one of the Shichibukai!"
This man has completely lost it.
As a CP0 agent, Stussy understood the true purpose behind the Shichibukai System better than anyone outside the Gorosei.
On the surface, it was a method to keep rampant piracy under control by turning certain notorious pirates into "legal predators." In truth, the Shichibukai existed to maintain equilibrium between pirates and Marines—a balance of chaos and order that strengthened the World Government's hold over the seas.
Because lately, the Marines had grown too powerful.
With the rise of the "Golden Generation"—Sakazuki, Borsalino, Darren, and Kuzan—their influence had crept deep into the Marine hierarchy, threatening to shift the balance of authority itself.
And among them, Darren—"the human-shaped calamity"—was the sharpest edge of that power. The Marines' ultimate deterrent.
That was why the Shichibukai were necessary: to counterbalance Marine dominance.
And yet here Darren was, daring to meddle with the very system created to keep his kind in check.
It was tantamount to stealing food straight from the World Government's jaws.
"So you're worried about me now?" Darren teased, a faint grin tugging at his lips. "I thought you'd be thrilled to see me walking into a trap."
Stussy's teeth clicked together. "I'm worried the World Government will target me when they come for you, you idiot! My cover won't survive that!"
Darren chuckled, blowing a thin ring of smoke. "There are still five open seats among the Shichibukai. I'm merely… proposing candidates. A loyal public servant, doing my part for our beloved government."
A sharp smile curved across Stussy's lips.
Lies. Every word of it.
He wasn't loyal—he was ambitious. Dangerous. A man who smiled while he rewrote the rules.
Maybe those first three—Mihawk, Fisher Tiger, and Moria—had potential. But Boa Hancock? She was three.
A child.
Her glare said, Don't insult my intelligence.
"So what's your real plan?" she demanded. "You know the Shichibukai selection process is locked tight. You can't interfere."
"And you can't possibly control Crocodile or Douglas Bullet, no matter how much you boast. They already belong to the Government."
Darren's smile deepened. "You think so? Tell me then—who do you think broke their hands?"
Stussy blinked.
Her breath caught. The calm in his tone, the certainty—it made her stomach twist.
Could he really have manipulated even them?
The smug, self-satisfied look on his face made her want to claw his eyes out. "So what if you did?" she snapped. "The Government already has its own list for the remaining five. You can't touch that."
"Oh?" Darren's eyes gleamed with interest. "And who made the list?"
"Not your little pet projects, that's for sure."
Smirking, Stussy crossed to the desk, tore open a sealed envelope, and handed it to him. "See for yourself."
Darren unfolded the list and scanned it lazily.
"Dylan Phil, North Blue. Blood Axe. Bounty: 104 million."
"Bartier Reinhardt, West Blue. Logia—Swamp Swamp Fruit. Bounty: 120 million."
One after another, the names rolled by—"Great Pirates" with nine-digit bounties, feared across the seas.
Darren's expression didn't so much as flicker.
To him, they were cannon fodder—extras destined to die before the story even got interesting.
"What's wrong?" Stussy asked, misreading his silence. "Disappointed? Looks like your grand plan's fallen apart."
Darren looked up, grinning. "Not necessarily."
Before she could ask, he picked up a Den Den Mushi and dialed.
Two seconds later, the line connected. A deep, steady voice spoke.
"Darren?"
"Yeah, it's me. Heard there's some guy in North Blue calling himself 'Blood Axe'?" Darren asked, almost casually.
"That's right," came Momonga's voice. "He hasn't broken any laws, so I've been monitoring him."
"Take him down," Darren said simply.
There was a brief pause.
Then, "Understood."
The line clicked off.
Momonga didn't question orders. After years of fighting side by side, the man understood Darren well enough: if he said move, you moved.
Stussy blinked, caught between disbelief and laughter. "You… what are you doing?"
Then she smirked. "According to our intel, Blood Axe is no fool. Even a Vice Admiral might have trouble bringing him down. You're wasting your—"
Puru puru… puru puru…
The Den Den Mushi rang again.
Stussy's breath hitched.
Darren answered with a lazy smile. "It's me."
"Target eliminated," Momonga's voice rumbled.
The call ended.
Stussy's pupils shrank to pinpoints.
That was less than a minute…
Her mind screamed that it was impossible, but her gut told her otherwise. Darren didn't bluff. Not about things like this.
"Appreciate it," Darren said easily, setting the receiver down.
Then, turning back to Stussy, his tone turned teasing. "Now… what was it you were saying?"
Her face went pale, then flushed red with anger. "So you killed Blood Axe! What of it? There are dozens of others! Do you think you can eliminate them all?"
"Who says I can't?"
Darren rose slowly, his shadow falling across her.
He brushed a gloved fingertip against her cheek, a wolfish smile tugging at his mouth. "Listen carefully, Your Majesty. Everything I say, I make happen."
He tilted her chin up, his voice low and certain. "Every last one of my candidates will become Shichibukai. And when they do, they'll all answer to me."
Stussy shivered, fury and something far more dangerous coiling beneath her skin. "I don't believe you."
Darren chuckled softly.
"If you don't believe me," he said, eyes gleaming with mischief, "then let's make it interesting."
"A bet?" she hissed.
He nodded. "If you win, I'll grant you any wish you want."
His finger traced lazily over her lips. "But if I win…"
"If you win," she snapped, cutting him off, "then I'll grant you any wish."
"Deal."
Darren grinned, his smile sharp as a blade. "Then you'd better practice saying it."
Her eyes narrowed. "Saying what?"
"'Master.'"
To be continued...