He wasn't stupid. No one could rise to CP0 through luck or bluster. The World Government's agents were forged from childhood—trained, tested, and refined until nothing remained but discipline and instinct. They were the sharpest weapons in the Government's arsenal, experts in both espionage and combat.
So he understood perfectly well what the Marine Vice Admiral's message meant.
I could kill you… I just don't feel like it.
A threat. A very clear one.
And it sent a cold shiver down his spine.
This man's insane.
"So, Vice Admiral Darren," the agent rasped, forcing his voice steady, "am I to take this as a threat to the World Government… and the Gorosei themselves?"
He stood tall, but the edge in his voice betrayed him. Retreat wasn't an option—he carried the World Government's authority. He gambled that Darren wouldn't dare cross that line, not here, not in broad daylight, not in Marine Headquarters.
"A threat?" Darren exhaled a faint plume of smoke, his tone calm, almost amused. "Not at all, CP0. You're overreacting."
He smiled thinly. "Everyone knows Rogers Darren is a loyal servant of the World Government and the Gorosei. Every order, every mission—fulfilled flawlessly."
"So tell me… where's the threat?"
As his words faded, two sharp flashes streaked in through the open window. The blades hovered beside Darren, their edges gleaming with a murderous light.
A suffocating wave of Haki surged through the office, sharp enough to make the air itself tremble.
Sengoku's eyes narrowed.
Borsalino's grin widened, intrigued.
The CP0 agent staggered back, his breath catching. "Those… those are the Golden Lion's swords!"
He recognized them instantly—Oto and Kogarashi, the infamous twin blades of Golden Lion Shiki, each one drenched in the blood of legends.
Now they hung in the air, their edges gleaming like the gaze of beasts about to strike. The agent's knees nearly buckled under the oppressive weight of their killing intent.
"Just a reminder," Darren said evenly, his gaze sharp. "You don't speak for the Gorosei."
He flicked his lighter open, the small flame catching. "Goodbye, sir."
A faint hum rippled through the air. The blades vibrated violently as if snarling, a magnetic field of murderous energy gathering around them.
"Wait—!" the CP0 agent cried, panic breaking through his mask.
"Enough, Darren!" Sengoku's voice cracked like thunder. His face was grave, his authority absolute. "Are you disobeying my orders?"
Darren frowned faintly, then sighed. "Of course not, Admiral."
With a casual flick of his hand, the three swords withdrew, circling him in slow, deliberate arcs before coming to rest.
"My apologies," Sengoku said evenly, turning to the CP0 agents. "My oversight. You shouldn't have been subjected to that."
The man exhaled shakily, relief flooding through him as his pulse began to steady. "No, Admiral Sengoku. I spoke too hastily." He managed a stiff bow. "The World Government doesn't doubt your leadership. But the Shichibukai selection is of utmost importance… the Gorosei are under great pressure."
"I understand," Sengoku said with grave calm.
"I'll be dispatching additional agents to assist with the investigation," the CP0 man continued. "We need swift results."
Then, regaining a shred of confidence, he added, "Vice Admiral Darren will personally oversee the operation."
He turned toward the door. "That will be all, Admiral Sengoku."
The agents exited quickly—almost fleeing. The woman glanced back once, her eyes flicking to Darren before vanishing behind her mask.
When the door shut, Sengoku let out a long breath and finally allowed himself a small smile. "Still as sharp as ever, Young Darren."
Darren shrugged. "That one was getting too full of himself. I couldn't let him talk to you like that."
He smiled faintly through the smoke curling from his cigar. "CP0's reputation might frighten most people, but they seem to forget where they are. This is Marine Headquarters, Admiral."
Sengoku chuckled, his irritation melting into amusement.
He had seen right through Darren's performance. The young Vice Admiral had staged the perfect show—pressuring CP0 with raw force, then letting Sengoku play the mediator. A simple good cop, bad cop routine. By the end, CP0 had backed down completely.
That boy… what a relief to have him here, Sengoku thought with quiet satisfaction. His approval deepened—only for his gaze to fall on Borsalino, still lounging on the sofa, utterly unbothered.
The vein on Sengoku's temple twitched. If only this slacker learned from Darren…
"So, Young Darren," Sengoku said, rubbing his temples, "what's your take on the situation?"
Darren thought for a moment, then replied smoothly, "There's no need to panic. The Shichibukai system's always been survival of the fittest. Those who died weren't strong enough. It just proves they never deserved the title to begin with."
He paused, his tone shifting to one of mild formality. "Of course, there could be… other political motives involved. But since the World Government has ordered an investigation, we can't afford to appear complacent."
Sengoku nodded approvingly. "Exactly. The question is—who's behind these killings?"
After a moment's thought, he sighed. "I'm assigning this case to you, Darren."
"No problem, Admiral," Darren said, smiling easily as he turned to leave.
The Den Den Mushi on Sengoku's desk rang sharply.
"Report," Sengoku said, answering.
A panicked voice crackled through the line. "R-report, Admiral Sengoku! Another one—another Shichibukai candidate's been taken out!"
Sengoku's hand tightened on the receiver. "Who?"
"The Bloodshadow Swordsman—Philkas!"
Sengoku's expression hardened instantly.
---
Marineford — Oval Military Port.
The CP0 agent stormed toward the World Government warship, fury and unease twisting his gut. He could still feel Darren's killing intent clinging to his skin.
Just as he stepped aboard, his Den Den Mushi rang. He hesitated, then answered.
"What?! Another one dead?!"
His blood ran cold. Less than thirty minutes after leaving Headquarters, another candidate had been wiped out. Impossible.
Behind him, the female CP0 agent stopped dead in her tracks. "Another one…?" she murmured.
"Damn it!" he hissed, rushing aboard.
"Wait," the woman said suddenly, her tone low. "Something's not right. I'll go back and check."
The agent—codename Lone Wolf—hesitated, then nodded. "Be careful."
"Always," she replied softly, and vanished.
Stussy slipped like a shadow through Marineford's quiet backstreets. The moonlight caught the curve of her fox mask as she glided toward an abandoned warehouse.
The small mechanical sphere guiding her dropped from her palm as she entered, its faint light flickering out.
She tensed. The warehouse was vast, dark, and silent, the air thick with dust.
Then—
Bang!
The heavy iron door slammed shut behind her.
Before she could react, powerful arms wrapped around her waist from behind.
Clink... clink...
Cold metal grazed her skin.
Her breath hitched as her strength suddenly drained away.
"Sea Stone," she whispered, horrified.
Her body trembled, powerless. "Darren! What are you doing?!"
"Shh…"
From the shadows, Darren stepped into view, his grin slow and predatory. He raised a finger to his lips.
"If I'm not mistaken," he murmured, "it was your little whisper that made CP start sniffing around the Marines, wasn't it?"
Stussy's jaw tightened, her eyes blazing, but she said nothing.
This man terrified her.
Without moving a muscle, he had orchestrated a massacre of candidates across the seas. The World Government hadn't found a single lead—but she knew who was behind it all.
That was why she'd acted. Using her ties in CP, she'd quietly steered suspicion toward the Marines, hoping to expose Darren's scheme—and win their bet in the process.
But he'd been faster. Crueler. Untouchable.
Worse, her meddling had backfired completely.
Now he was the one leading the investigation.
This is insane!
I'm investigating the man committing the crimes!
Darren's smile deepened. "So I was right—you are disobedient, Your Majesty."
He had seen through her from the start.
If she wanted to play games, he'd play better. And win.
He stepped closer, the dim light catching the glint in his eyes. "Which means…" He sighed with mock weariness, his grin turning wicked. "You'll have to be punished."
"You… what are you planning?" Stussy tried to pull back, but the Sea Stone shackles around her wrists sapped every ounce of her strength.
"Nothing much," Darren said casually. "Just curious how long you can last under Sea Stone suppression."
He tilted her chin upward, studying the fox mask.
Panic fluttered beneath her ribs.
The Sea Stone had completely stripped her of her vampire abilities. If Darren unleashed even a fraction of his power…
"Y-you said you wouldn't touch me until the bet was over…"
"That's right," Darren said solemnly. "I'm a man of my word. Famous for my honesty."
Relief flickered in her eyes. At least he still has some decency…
Then he smiled.
"The bet was with Stussy—the Queen of the Pleasure District."
His voice dropped to a murmur.
"What does that have to do with you, CP0?"
To be continued...