The cool sea breeze swept away the lingering smoke, and the Commodore's voice gradually faded into the sound of the waves.
Daren kept a calm smile on his face, quietly watching the breathtakingly beautiful Amatsuki Toki as he waited for her response.
One second, two seconds, three seconds...
Then, to his mild surprise, a soft smile slowly bloomed across Toki's face.
"No, Daren-san. I have no regrets."
A glow lit up in her eyes as she looked at Daren, gaze unwavering and full of resolve.
"My father once told me that a true man—one who stands tall in this world—never fears speaking of his own misdeeds, and never hides his flaws."
"For you to speak so lightly yet sincerely, to say 'I'm not a good person'... it proves your honesty toward me. It shows just how open your heart truly is."
"Willing to praise even your enemies, harsh on yourself, unafraid to admit your faults... That's what makes you a real hero!"
Her voice rang clear and firm, carrying a conviction that left no room for doubt.
He stared into Toki's eyes, half-expecting her to be messing with him.
Amatsuki Toki: ✧(≖ ◡ ≖✿)
The corner of his mouth twitched, and his expression stiffened slightly.
He took a deep breath, struggling to keep his cool as he muttered,
"Yeah... that actually makes a lot of sense."
But inside, it felt like a stampede of wild horses was trampling through his mind.
Are you sure you're not mistaken?
Even I want to laugh hearing that!
But looking at Toki's serious, confident face—as if she could see straight through him—Daren opened his mouth, only to find he couldn't say a single word in return.
If you hadn't said it, I'd have never known I was this amazing!
Seriously though, what is it with people from Wano Country... their thought process is something else.
Still, he had to admit—it saved him a lot of trouble.
Daren rubbed his temples in mild exasperation, putting on the look of someone who'd been seen through completely, and gave a wry smile.
"You sure have quite the imagination. But I promise—I'll do everything I can to help you get back to Wano."
Toki shook her head, her voice soft as she smiled.
"It's alright, Daren-san."
The starlight in her eyes as she looked at him seemed to shimmer with brilliance.
"Given how tense things are in Wano right now, even the Marines probably can't intervene easily, right?"
"Just stay on your path. Do what you need to do. I'm not in a hurry."
What a gentle, thoughtful girl!
Even someone as cold and ruthless as Daren—well, not "ruthless," more like... pragmatic—couldn't help but be touched by her understanding in that moment.
"The situation in Wano Country might not be as troublesome as we thought... and while the Marines may be restricted from getting involved, that doesn't mean I can't."
Daren pondered for a moment before a slow smile spread across his face.
Since Kozuki Oden had already set sail, it meant there was no one left in Wano powerful enough to stop him. As for Oden's retainers—the warriors who would later be known as the "Nine Red Scabbards"—they were hardly worth fearing.
So perhaps... it was time to consider making a move on this country?
Wano's rich Seastone mineral veins were something he had coveted for a long time. If he could bring Wano under his control, he would gain a complete monopoly over the world's Seastone supply.
And beyond those mineral resources, Wano also had many samurai families that guarded rare and ancient legacies.
Take the Kozuki clan's techniques for carving and deciphering Poneglyphs, or the Shimotsuki clan's legendary sword-forging methods, for example.
The Marines had always kept their hands off Wano—not because of a lack of strength, but due to political reasons. The World Government maintained a long-standing partnership with Wano for its Seastone resources. Any large-scale military action against Wano would violate the Marine ideals of "peace" and "justice," and be seen as interference in another country's internal affairs.
Worse, it would risk creating unnecessary conflict with their direct superiors—the World Government.
To the Marines, Wano was a political landmine.
But Daren was different.
He didn't care about those complications.
Even if the World Government came to question him later, he had the strength now to push back.
In the end, it would just come down to negotiating the spoils.
And that, he was good at.
"I just wonder if Kaidou's forces have already made their move in Wano..."
Daren muttered under his breath, frowning slightly.
For now, the priority was to reestablish contact with Marine forces, gather intelligence, recover from his injuries, and return to peak condition. Only then would he properly deal with the Wano situation.
"They should be arriving soon..."
Back at the hotel, he'd left a message for Headquarters with his approximate coordinates. No matter how slow they were, they should've found him by now.
At that moment, Amatsuki Toki suddenly pointed excitedly toward the distant horizon.
"Daren-san, look! That looks like a Marine warship!"
Before her words had fully left her mouth, a brilliant light suddenly erupted behind Daren.
Golden photons gathered rapidly from all directions, condensing into the tall silhouette of a man. Latest content published on novel{f}ire.net
He wore a yellow-and-white striped suit with a round cap atop his head, and a broad, white cloak fluttered lightly in the sea breeze.
Toki took one look at the man's face and instinctively took two steps back, hiding behind Daren.
This guy... he looks so shady.
The man adjusted his oversized tortoise-shell sunglasses with a single finger, glanced at Toki with an odd expression, then stroked his stubbly chin with interest as he smiled at Daren.
"We went through all that trouble searching the entire sea for you...
and here you are, enjoying a vacation, huh, Commodore Daren?"
"I haven't had a single moment of rest..."
Daren chuckled. That slow, familiar voice brought with it an unexpected sense of comfort.
"But you... while I was locked up by Kaidou, I kept imagining you swooping down from the sky to rescue me..."
He turned around and looked at that infuriatingly smug face with a faint smirk.
"Too bad you're as late as ever, Rear Admiral Borsalino."
Borsalino shrugged with mock helplessness.
"Well... how should I put this? I always figured you didn't need rescuing."
"And look, turns out I was right."
"Oh—almost forgot..."
"Thanks to your actions and the intel you sent back...
the Beasts Pirates' base has been completely wiped out. Aside from Kaidou himself and a handful of survivors, the rest of them are finished."
"Congratulations, Rear Admiral Daren."