Soft music floated through the air like a gentle breeze, lulling the senses.
The lamplight lit up the geishas' crimson lips. The painted panels behind them whispered of longing and indulgence.
The dancers collapsed mid-performance, one by one.
Zephyr's eyes snapped sharp in an instant.
"Hm? Why'd the music stop?"
Sengoku, bleary-eyed and reeking of alcohol, grumbled as he stirred.
In the luxurious private room, every geisha and dancer aside from the three men had fallen unconscious.
Zephyr cursed under his breath.
Just then, the door creaked open.
A man in a white suit stepped inside.
He wore a black mask that completely concealed his face. In his hand was a finely crafted cane. Moving with practiced elegance, he bowed toward the three men and smiled.
"Honored Marines, I bring you a message."
"Who are you?" Zephyr's eyes narrowed with suspicion.
The man shrugged lightly.
"No one important. But this envelope contains information you may want."
He reached into his coat and produced a letter, handing it politely to Zephyr.
An Underworld agent? They've already figured out who we are...?
That thought flickered in Zephyr's mind as he took the envelope, warily.
He frowned at the crumpled scrap of white paper. No writing. Completely blank.
Sengoku, now sober, leaned over with a serious expression.
Zephyr blinked, then opened his palm and laid the scrap of paper flat.
A strange sight unfolded—
In the windless room, the sheet trembled and crept ever so slightly toward a specific direction.
It really was a Vivre Card.
"Whose is it?" Sengoku's voice turned sharp as he stared down the masked man.
"I'm sorry, Admiral Sengoku," the man replied, "but I don't know."
"But what I can tell you is this—its owner is currently inside the Beasts Pirates' main base."
"Whether you believe it or not... is up to you."
And with that, he turned and left.
Borsalino, watching the figure's back, casually raised a glowing finger.
"No. He's just a civilian."
Sengoku placed a hand on Borsalino's wrist, shaking his head.
"Sengoku," Zephyr asked, eyes fixed on the trembling Vivre Card. "Can we trust this?"
Sengoku paused, then exhaled.
"The card points toward Wano... and the Underworld..."
"If I recall correctly... Darren had ties to the Underworld, didn't he?"
"So what you're saying is—the other half of the Vivre Card is now in Admiral Sengoku's hands?"
In the damp, foul-smelling prison, Darren tucked the Vivre Card away and looked calmly at Senor.
"And on my way into the prison, I overheard something."
He gathered his memory.
"For some unknown reason, both Kaido and 'Wildfire' King have left the island."
At those words, both Darren and Bullet lit up.
Which meant... the only major force left on the island was that suspender-wearing freak, "Plague" Queen!?
The thought sent a fire burning in both their eyes.
Over the past few days, Darren and Bullet hadn't just trained obsessively—they'd also been planning an escape.
The prison's defenses were manageable. While heavily guarded, it lacked true high-tier forces.
The real challenge came after breaking out.
In their current state, they had no chance against Kaido. Not with King and Queen by his side.
But if only Queen remained...?
"The key to these Seastone cuffs."
Darren muttered, staring at the shackles on his wrists.
"Exactly. We need that key before anything else."
Without the Seastone's suppression, with their full strength returned, taking down Queen and escaping the island was entirely possible.
Senor, noticing their expressions, asked anxiously:
"But wouldn't it be safer to wait for the Marines' rescue?"
"No. No one knows when Kaido might return."
Darren shook his head.
"The longer we wait, the greater the risk."
If Kaido suddenly changed his mind and decided to kill them both, they'd be done.
The Marines were the backup plan—not the primary one.
"Yeah, I say we act now," Bullet said, almost too eagerly.
Darren glanced at him and chuckled inwardly.
He's probably scared that if the Marines arrive, he won't get a second chance to escape.
Facing Kaido, he might have a shot.
But against Garp + Sengoku + Zephyr?
Even Whitebeard would struggle against that lineup.
Senor drew a deep breath.
"Then please, Lord Darren—give me your command. What do I need to do?"
"I've mapped the enemy's troop deployments. Queen's laboratory is northwest of the prison, surrounded by massive weapons factories. It's only about a minute from here."
"And the key to the Seastone cuffs? That fat bastard keeps it on him at all times."
Darren closed his eyes and began thinking, fast.
The furnaces... chimneys...
As he pressed his fingers to his temple, both Senor and Bullet fell silent.
The former had heard many stories of Darren's intellect.
As for the latter... well, strategy was not Bullet's forte.
"I think I have a plan."
At last, Darren raised his head and locked eyes with Senor.
"But Senor—this plan hinges on you. And it's going to be dangerous."