The Marineford headquarters trembled as Fleet Admiral Kong's fury erupted like a roaring storm, rattling even the solid stone walls. Hairline cracks spread across the surface like spiderwebs, as if the room itself had winced under his wrath.
Sengoku and Zephyr, faces nearly pressed together mid-argument, immediately froze. Shoulders hunched, they exchanged one last venomous glare before quietly and obediently sitting back in their seats like chastised schoolboys.
"You two idiots... have you no shame?"
Kong's voice still crackled with residual thunder. He rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed, before settling heavily back into his chair. Lighting a thick cigar, he took a long, sharp drag, exhaling a plume of smoke before fixing his gaze on Zephyr. The old admiral's expression softened ever so slightly.
"Zephyr, I know you're anxious," Kong said with a sigh. "But calm yourself. If I'm not mistaken, that kid Darren should still be alive—for now."
Zephyr blinked, momentarily caught off guard. The fear for his student had overwhelmed his usually sharp instincts. But now, with Kong's reassurance, his mind began to settle.
"Tsuru," Kong gestured, prompting the Great Staff Officer to speak.
She nodded, her eyes gleaming with quiet intelligence. Her voice was composed and calm.
"If Kaido had wanted Darren dead, he would've killed him on the spot. He had ample opportunity on that island. Taking him alive implies other motives."
Zephyr finally relaxed a little. Then he shot Sengoku a look of smug triumph—as if to say: See? Now that's strategic thinking.
Sengoku's face twitched slightly. He clenched his jaw but said nothing.
After all, it had been his suggestion to let Darren leave the training camp and assist in the mission. And if he hadn't, Darren might still be safe and sound back in his barracks.
"So then, Tsuru," Zephyr asked, now more serious, "what do you think Kaido's real goal is, taking both Darren and Douglas Bullet?"
Tsuru paused, considering carefully. Her tone turned grave.
"Ever since the war that ended the Rocks era, the New World has only become more unstable. Kaido's been building his strength—recruiting, expanding, fortifying."
"The Beast Pirates now number over a thousand strong, including his two lead 'All-Stars': King the Wildfire and Queen the Plague."
She looked around the room, ensuring everyone was following.
"If my guess is correct, Kaido intends to recruit Darren and Douglas Bullet into his ranks."
A wave of unease rippled through the room.
"You sure about that?" Zephyr asked, frowning deeply.
"Recruiting Bullet makes sense," he continued. "He's already a wanted man—destroyed his own country and turned against his military. The government has a bounty on his head. Kaido could offer him sanctuary."
"But Darren? He's a Marine."
Zephyr's face twisted into a mix of disbelief and disdain.
"Kaido must be delusional if he thinks he can turn my student. That boy's the top of his class—he represents the future of justice itself!"
He laughed heartily at the absurdity.
But the laughter stopped short.
A few of the officers were looking at Zephyr... oddly.
One Vice Admiral hesitantly raised a hand. "Um, sir... in the North Blue, Commodore Darren didn't exactly have the best reputation..."
Zephyr's smile froze.
"Rumor has it he's... fond of women. Had relations with several nobles' wives and royal princesses..." another rear admiral mumbled.
Veins twitched on Zephyr's forehead.
"And supposedly he controls enormous sums of unexplained wealth..."
"Yeah, yeah, I heard that too..."
The room buzzed with quiet whispers.
Zephyr's face was now dark as an abyss.
Borsalino, ever-smiling, delivered the final blow with a cheerful shrug:
"All things considered, doesn't Darren seem more suited to being a pirate than a Marine?"
Zephyr placed a hand over his heart. It wasn't metaphorical pain anymore.
"Enough," Kong groaned, pinching his temple. "You're all giving me a headache."
He turned to Sengoku.
"And you, quit smirking!"
Sengoku snapped upright, stifling his grin.
Kong looked back at Zephyr.
"You don't need to worry. I don't believe Darren would ever betray the Marines."
"If that boy intended to go rogue, he would've done it back in the North Blue."
He hesitated. "Sure, he's... unconventional. But he's good—well, mostly."
Zephyr twitched again.
Kong, for the love of justice, stop hesitating already!
Kong cleared his throat.
"Enough about that. Let's talk strategy. We need to formulate a rescue plan."
He turned again to Tsuru.
"We're gathering intelligence now. Kaido's territory in the New World spans over thirty islands, counting both core and fringe holdings."
Her voice was sharp and serious.
"He's cautious and shrewd. The precise location of his base remains unknown. But one thing we're fairly certain of..."
"It's near Wano Country."
That name alone cast a shadow over the room.
Wano—one of the New World's most powerful military nations. Its strength was second only to Elbaf, the land of giants.
The country was fiercely isolationist, with an elite class of warrior samurai, a mountain-fortified geography, and a longstanding hostility to outsiders.
If Marine warships were spotted near Wano's waters, it could be interpreted as an act of aggression.
And that wasn't just a military issue.
The political fallout could be catastrophic.
Because Wano wasn't just any country.
It was the world's sole known producer of seastone—the very resource that powered the Marine's most vital anti-Devil Fruit weapons.
Nearly all of the World Government's seastone weaponry came from Wano's shadowy trade routes.