New World, a certain island.
Bonfires crackled under the night sky, the scent of grilled meat and fine liquor wafting through the air.
"Captain, are we really just letting Bullet run off like that? Aren't you worried he'll stir up trouble somewhere?"
At the crew member's question, Roger burst out laughing.
"If he wants to stir up trouble, let him! Otherwise, he'll just stay on the ship itching to pick a fight with me all day. Wahahaha!!"
A sudden roar of crashing waves echoed as a massive column of water shot into the air. A small metallic submarine burst through the surf and sped toward the shore.
With a clank, Bullet climbed out from the hatch.
"Hey! Bullet's back!!"
"Hahaha, had a good time causing chaos?"
There was a brief pause, then the crew greeted him warmly.
Bullet shook out his hair, clearly annoyed.
"Don't even ask... I went out looking for a good brawl."
Everyone's curiosity was immediately piqued.
Bullet strolled over, grabbed a bottle of strong liquor, and without warning, ruffled the hair of Shanks and Buggy, the two young brats. They glared at him, but he just grinned and threw back the drink.
After draining the bottle, he let out a loud burp and finally began recounting his trip.
"...And that's how it went. That bastard Daren stole all the spotlight—and didn't even give me a proper fight!"
He tore off a chunk of juicy roasted meat and chomped down with relish.
The other members of the Roger Pirates stared in stunned silence.
Shiki's massive fleet of tens of thousands... was just turned into fireworks?
Shanks and Buggy, still just kids, turned pale.
They remembered all too well the terrifying presence of that Marine named Daren. They'd barely escaped death the last time they crossed paths with him...
"Well, that's that..."
Bullet chewed on the meat, sounding a bit frustrated.
"In the end, Daren played everyone. I bet Big Mom, Kaidou, and Shiki are all losing their minds right now."
"Nice going!!" Roger suddenly slung an arm around Bullet's shoulders, laughing with excitement.
"Captain, what's with that huge grin?" Bullet frowned.
Roger shook his head, still smiling.
"Oh, nothing. Just glad to see you made it back in one piece."
But in his mind, he was howling with glee:
Wahaha... Even that smug bastard Shiki got wrecked by that Marine kid!
North Blue, Rubeck Island
"D-Doffy! Big news!!"
Covered in a gooey mess, Trebol stumbled into the grand hall of the Donquixote Family headquarters. He tripped over his cloak halfway in and faceplanted hard on the floor.
Groaning, he thrust a newspaper into the air while still on the ground, wailing,
"News just came in from Coin Island!"
"That Daren—no, Godfather—he wiped out Shiki the Golden Lion's entire fleet!"
As the words left his mouth, the Donquixote Family officers, who'd been calmly discussing business moments ago, froze in shock.
"That's Shiki we're talking about!!"
"He's not some idiot like Byrnndi World!"
Diamante and the others paled, voices filled with disbelief and alarm.
"I'm telling you, it's real!!" Trebol shakily got up from the floor, trembling either from fear or the impact of his fall.
Seated on a luxurious leather sofa, Doflamingo went silent.
Behind his signature shades, his eyes flickered. He slowly stood and walked over to Trebol, taking the paper from his hands.
It was a fresh print—still smelling of ink.
Doflamingo unfolded it slowly, almost deliberately.
Sensing their young master's grim mood, the others held their breath and cautiously stepped closer to peek at the front page.
And what they saw nearly stopped their hearts cold.
The front page headline blazed across the paper:
"The Monster of Marine Headquarters, the King of the North Blue—Rogers Daren Destroys the Invincible Flying Fleet of the Legendary Pirate, Shiki, Single-Handedly!"
"Ten Thousand Cannons Roar! The Entire Island Becomes the Arsenal of the 'King of Metal'—Shiki's Fleet Annihilated in an Instant!"
Beside the headline was a photograph.
The image was somewhat blurry, not entirely clear, but still striking.
It showed Coin Island, its land completely blanketed by countless massive black cannon barrels, all firing in unison with blazing flames.
At the center of the firestorm stood a lone Marine Commodore, arms spread wide, grinning savagely. The bold black characters of "Justice" flapped fiercely on the back of his white cape, caught in the furious winds. Thɪs chapter is updatᴇd by novel[f]ire.net
Flames and black smoke billowed skyward, and high above, amidst the chaos, Shiki the Golden Lion's flying fleet could be seen—ships exploding midair, crashing down like falling stars in a scene straight out of the apocalypse.
In the background of the photo, one could just barely make out the figures of Marine Admiral Sengoku, Marine Rear Admiral Borsalino—the Headquarters' "monster," King the Conflagration of the Beasts Pirates, Charlotte Perospero and Charlotte Daifuku of the Big Mom Pirates, Douglas Bullet—the "Demon's Heir" of the Roger Pirates... and other elite powerhouses.
The photo's composition was expertly timed, splitting the massive fleet and ten thousand cannons along a golden ratio. Rogers Daren and Shiki were shown facing off from afar, while all those gathered titans, frozen in expressions of shock, awe, and disbelief, served merely as a backdrop—highlighting the overwhelming presence of that single Marine Commodore.
Below this historic image stretched a full-length article.
From the harrowing chaos of the underground auction, to the sudden appearance of the Moa Moa no Mi and the ensuing frenzy, to Shiki's grand entrance leading his pirate armada, and finally to Daren's devastation of the flying fleet—the entire chain of events was documented in vivid, exhaustive detail.
The more they read, the colder their blood ran. Beads of sweat dotted their foreheads, chills creeping down their spines.
But it was the final paragraph that truly froze them to the bone:
"Marine Headquarters Commodore Rogers Daren, born in the North Blue, is a man of immense strength and unparalleled acumen. Both in leadership and political strategy, he has already displayed a level of sophistication far beyond his years—earning the undisputed title of the 'King of the North Blue.'
Although he has yet to formally graduate from the Marine Headquarters training program, his combat prowess and capabilities already rival those of the Marine 'monsters.'
The 'World Destroyer' Byrnndi World was defeated by his hand, and rumors suggest that even the legendary pirates Gol D. Roger, Whitebeard Edward Newgate, Kaidou of the Beasts, and Big Mom Charlotte Linlin have all suffered at his hands.
It is clear that Rogers Daren's emergence will mark a significant leap forward in the overall might of the Marines.
And in the near future, he is destined to become the leading figure of justice in the world."
— World Economic News, President Morgans