Control had returned to his hands...
Darren took in every nuance of Sengoku's changing expression and quietly let out a breath of relief.
In this kind of interrogation, if he simply answered each question passively, he'd be walking into a trap—an opening waiting to be exploited.
And Darren hated being led by the nose.
Only by diverting Sengoku's focus could he extract himself from the snare.
When it came to the Celestial Dragon incident, Darren never truly expected to deceive everyone indefinitely.
Especially after his Devil Fruit ability was exposed—he had anticipated a confrontation from the start. It was only a matter of time.
What surprised him was how sudden this talk had come.
Now it all made sense. Sengoku truly lived up to the title The Resourceful General.
First, he had Zephyr issue a report task to lull Darren into a false sense of security—making him drop his guard completely. Then, he struck without warning.
Darren had to admit: when Sengoku first opened his mouth, it had caught him entirely off guard—though none of that showed on his face.
Had his mental fortitude been any weaker, he might've already given himself away.
But based on how this conversation was going, Darren could tell—Sengoku had no real evidence. He wasn't here to accuse. He simply wanted to confirm his suspicions... and send a warning.
Otherwise, Darren would already be surrounded by now.
With that realization, his thoughts grew sharper.
A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Admiral Sengoku, and what exactly makes you think the World Government trusts you?"
Sengoku blinked, momentarily stunned. He reflexively responded:
"How could they not trust me? As a Marine Admiral, I've faithfully carried out every directive issued by the World Government—"
"—Do you really believe that masters who sit atop the clouds truly 'trust' the watchdog guarding their gates?"
Darren cut in coldly.
Now he was gambling—gambling that the relationship between the Marines and the World Government wasn't as unbreakable as it appeared.
With the intelligent, one must play an intelligent game.
And someone like Sengoku—clever by nature—was prone to suspicion.
Once doubt takes root, trust begins to fracture.
Even the slightest crack... was all Darren needed.
Sengoku opened his mouth.
But before he could respond, Darren sneered:
"Admiral Sengoku, allow me to tell you the real truth."
"The orders I received from the World Government that day—had nothing to do with continuing the investigation into the Celestial Dragon's death."
"They were from the Gorosei... and they'd already begun to suspect that the attacker who killed Saint Shaldes... was a Marine."
Sengoku's face shifted slightly.
"The Gorosei suspected you?"
Darren said nothing. He simply smiled at Sengoku.
"Why are you looking at me like that? I'm the one who suspects you right now—"
Sengoku suddenly froze.
In that instant, a flood of thoughts surged through his mind.
If the Gorosei truly suspected Darren, they would never have allowed him to quietly investigate Marine personnel!
Sending Darren, a North Blue Commander, to probe the case meant only one thing: the Gorosei had already ruled him out as a suspect.
But if they didn't suspect Darren... then who were they suspicious of!?
Sengoku's expression darkened.
His mind reeled back to his own list of deductions about the possible culprit: immense strength... previous contact with the Celestial Dragon... potential flight capabilities... present in the North Blue at the time...
Wasn't that his own fleet?
The strength was undeniable.
As a Marine Admiral, he had full knowledge of the government ship's travel routes.
Flight ability wasn't necessary—military vessels sufficed.
And at that very time, he was stationed in the North Blue, leading the campaign against Byrnndi World...
A chilling realization hit Sengoku like a brick.
Going by that logic—the prime suspect in the Celestial Dragon's death... was himself?
The deeper he thought, the worse it felt.
He met every condition.
And when it came to knowledge of the government ship's route—he surpassed Darren entirely!
After all, Darren, as a mere North Blue Commander back then, had no reason to know the exact return route of Saint Shaldes' ship.
This had been Sengoku's chief reason for suspecting, yet hesitating to confirm, Darren as the culprit.
Because in the North Blue at that time, the only one who would've known the precise return route of the World Government's official ship... was himself—a Marine Admiral.
No wonder the World Government pulled him from the investigation...
No wonder those CP0 agents gave him such strange looks at the time...
Sengoku suddenly recalled—just a few days ago, during his report to the Gorosei in the Holy Land, they had smiled at him... that cryptic, meaningful smile.
What was that supposed to mean?
Were they warning him?
Or had they already begun to suspect something?
In that moment, Sengoku's mind raced faster than it ever had in his life. He began retracing every interaction he'd ever had with the Gorosei—every look, every word.
Watching Sengoku's dazed, bewildered, contemplative, conflicted, and increasingly unsettled expressions, Darren's lips curved slightly.
When playing against someone like Sengoku, the worst thing you could do was over-explain—it would only breed more doubt.
The key was to offer just enough information... and let him fill in the rest.
What Darren had said—was true.
The World Government had indeed tasked him with investigating members of the Marines.
And Sengoku would never confront the Gorosei face-to-face and ask: "Are you suspecting the Marines? No—suspecting me?"
"I should really thank that 'wise' Saint Topman Warcury sometime..." Darren thought to himself with a wry smile, then sighed aloud:
"Admiral Sengoku, now do you understand how difficult my position was at the time?"
"Pressure from the very top of the World Government on one side... and on the other, my most trusted comrades, colleagues... and yes, superiors."
Sengoku's mouth twitched.
So, you emphasized 'superiors' on purpose, huh...
He hesitated, then cautiously asked:
"You... didn't say anything... did you?"
Sengoku knew he had nothing to do with the Celestial Dragon's death.
But to people like the Gorosei, did that even matter?
Whether the Celestial Dragon lived or died was irrelevant.
The World Government was beginning to doubt him.
And that... could change the entire course of his political future.