Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
The Admiral's Office.
The air was dense with tension. Paper whispered and snapped as officers leafed through intelligence briefs, every face drawn tight.
"Finished?" Sengoku shut his file with a hard slap. "Then let's hear it."
"I've contacted Fleet Admiral Kong in the Holy Land," he went on. "He's reporting to the World Government and cannot depart. Until further notice, I'll be overseeing all Headquarters military and political affairs—"
"What's there to discuss?" Garp exploded, already on his feet. "We move now!"
"I agree with Vice Admiral Garp," Sakazuki said, stepping forward, his presence radiating a cold, bloodthirsty heat. "The Beasts Pirates, Big Mom Pirates, and the Roger Pirates have already clashed. Both sides have likely taken losses. This is the Marines' moment. If we coordinate cleanly, we can annihilate all three."
Sengoku didn't dismiss it; he nodded, grave. "I know it's the ideal time to strike—"
"Then what are we waiting for?!" Garp cut in. "If we drag our feet, that bastard Roger will slip away!"
"Damn it, Garp! Will you let me finish?!" Sengoku's palm cracked the tabletop. Color climbed his face. "Kaido, Big Mom, and Roger are fighting—but don't forget Whitebeard. His intentions are unknown."
He swept the room. "Is he mediating? Joining a side? Trying to seize a Poneglyph for himself? If he tries to mediate, do you think Kaido or Big Mom will listen? Roger, either? If he joins the fray—whose banner does he choose? Or do you believe he can hold them all back alone?"
It was rare to see Sengoku lose his temper. Garp stood there, stiff for once, and said nothing. Sengoku exhaled through his nose, weary.
Every time Roger's name comes up, he goes feral. Infuriating.
His gaze moved across the ranks. Heads dipped; eyes darted away. The scale of the coming fight would reshape the New World. Even brilliant proposals meant nothing without the authority to execute them—and most here knew they didn't have it.
Sengoku turned to the three Admirals. He glanced at Sakazuki's simmering murder, frowned, and moved on. Borsalino was staring at nothing; an eye-twitch later, Sengoku shifted again. Kuzan's excitement was practically vibrating off him; Sengoku looked away a third time.
"Darren," he said at last. "Your assessment?"
Every officer in the room straightened. Eyes locked on Darren, as if the answer were already coiled in his throat.
How does this kid have more pull than an Admiral in my own Headquarters… Sengoku thought, not without bitterness.
Darren didn't flinch beneath the weight of expectation. He took a breath and spoke, steady and clear.
"War is inevitable. That's the baseline. Big Mom and Kaido look like lunatics, but they're frighteningly shrewd—more ruthless than Roger or Whitebeard."
"They wouldn't risk an alliance to hit the Roger Pirates without a compelling reason or near-certainty. They've lost to Roger before; they know the caliber they're facing. If they've moved now, and even swallowed their pride to do it together, it likely means the Roger Pirates have gathered the Poneglyphs and are closing in on the Final Island. If they don't act, they'll watch Roger complete his voyage."
Silence pressed in, the logic chilling in its simplicity.
Many still doubted the Final Island existed at all.
None of them dared gamble on it being a myth.
"If we move, the outline is straightforward," Darren continued. "We're looking at two theaters. The first is the main battle: Roger versus the Beasts–Big Mom alliance. The second is Whitebeard, who's begun to stir."
Sengoku narrowed his eyes. "You believe Whitebeard might enter the fight?"
"It's possible," Darren said. "The question is which side he chooses."
Tsuru cut in. "I heard Whitebeard and Roger were personally close."
Heads turned to Garp—the one man who knew Roger best.
Garp scratched his head, grinning awkwardly. "Uh… yeah? Something like that. I don't remember the details."
The room deadpanned in unison. Sengoku and Tsuru both fought down the telltale twitch at the mouth.
In the corner, Zephyr tapped ash from his cigar and finally spoke. "Don't forget they were all Rocks once. Whitebeard, Kaido, Big Mom. Remember the Rocks Pirates."
Zephyr rarely weighed in on Headquarters politics. The urgency had dragged him into this room.
The reminder landed hard.
Right—the Rocks Pirates. Whitebeard, Kaido, Big Mom, even Golden Lion Shiki had all served under that banner once.
With that lineage dredged up, Whitebeard's true intentions blurred further into shadow.
To be continued...