The closer Darren got to the residential compound, the fewer people he saw along the way.
The once-bustling commercial street now stood deserted. Shopfronts were shuttered tight, and even some vendor stalls had been abandoned mid-prep—steam still rising from pots and pans. The whole scene was eerily desolate.
Darren’s brows furrowed deeper and deeper.
A growing sense of unease gripped his chest. His mind began racing.
Fleet Admiral Kong had gone out to hunt down the legendary pirate Patrick Redfield, "Red the Aloof." Vice Admiral Garp had gone to support him... That was normal. It aligned with what Darren remembered from the original timeline.
A Celestial Dragon had been killed, prompting Admiral Sengoku to mobilize... That, too, was expected. As World Nobles, any harm to them demanded the highest level of Marine response—no matter what.
If both of these events were "normal," then where was this gut-deep anxiety coming from?
A voice broke through his thoughts—urgent and full of worry.
Darren looked up to see Toki standing at the gate of their compound, clad in a kimono and wooden sandals. She waved at him, her eyes glistening like clear autumn water, filled with fear and confusion.
He called softly, striding forward and pulling her into a firm embrace. He gently patted her back, reassuring her:
"It’s okay. Nothing to be afraid of. A Celestial Dragon was killed, that’s all. HQ’s just gone into lockdown."
Toki looked up at him timidly.
"A Celestial Dragon...? But who on this sea would dare lay a hand on them?"
Her eyes were clouded with puzzlement.
"So Admiral Sengoku has been deployed?"
Darren nodded, smiling.
"Yes. As the only Admiral stationed at Marineford right now, there’s no one else who could go."
"Fleet Admiral Kong and Vice Admiral Garp are already out at sea on another mission. HQ’s top forces are all deployed. So there’s nothing for you to wor—"
His words cut off abruptly.
Toki noticed the sudden change in him and looked up.
He stood frozen—expression hardening by the second. His face clouded with stormy shadows.
New World. A certain island.
A Marine battleship docked swiftly at the port.
Admiral Sengoku, clad in his white cape, leapt from the deck with grim authority. Behind him, over a hundred heavily armed Marine elites followed in formation.
The crime scene was already cordoned off by local Marines and government guards. Curious civilians gathered behind the tape, craning their necks to watch.
"Official Marine business! Clear the area!"
Gunshots rang skyward to disperse the crowd. A path opened.
Sengoku marched forward, face stormy, heart heavy.
Another Celestial Dragon killed.
Why couldn’t these pampered fools just stay in their Holy Land?
Why did they insist on running wild across the seas, seeking entertainment?
Did they really think no one dared touch them?
Sengoku’s temples throbbed just thinking about the mountain of paperwork waiting back at HQ.
But as an Admiral, his foremost duty was to protect the World Government and the Celestial Dragons. He had no choice but to drop everything and come here.
Suddenly, Sengoku stopped in his tracks.
His eyes widened—staring at a sight too horrifying to believe.
A single sword slash—deep, clean, and monstrous—had carved a line from his feet all the way down the street, splitting the commercial district in two.
At the center of the slash lay the corpse of a Celestial Dragon, his body severed cleanly in half.
Blood pooled across the shattered cobblestones. Even the Celestial Dragon’s iconic glass bubble helmet had been split in two.
A bone-deep chill surged up Sengoku’s spine, clawing its way through his back and into his skull. His scalp tingled uncontrollably.
"Admiral Sengoku! According to the CP guards’ report, the attacker never revealed themselves. They couldn’t even react—a single sword slash descended from above, instantly killing Lord Jackmar-sama!"
A Marine captain, drenched in sweat, ran over to report with trembling urgency.
But Sengoku didn’t even seem to hear him. He just stood there, dazed. Red veins spread across the whites of his eyes.
No... it couldn’t be...
Just then, two ghostly figures in white silk robes appeared before Sengoku—faces hidden beneath pale, eerie masks.
A raspy voice seeped from behind one of them, slow and menacing:
"Sengoku. The Lords have given you three days. Either capture or eliminate the killer. If not—"
"—Shut your mouths!!"
Sengoku suddenly roared in fury, cutting them off.
The CP agents flinched, stunned. Then one snapped:
"What’s the meaning of this!? Are you defying the Government’s direct orders!?"
Sengoku shot them a death glare. His suffocating aura made them both fall silent.
"I know who the killer is."
He ground his teeth, ignoring the haughty agents. His mind spun rapidly.
If... if his hunch was right...
A terrible premonition exploded in his chest. Sweat beaded across his forehead.
Names flashed through his mind.
Then, with grim resolve, he grabbed a den den mushi and dialed a special frequency.
Purururu... purururu...
The den den mushi’s call rang out, shrill and tense against the silence. Sengoku’s nerves pulled taut like a drawn bow.
Connection established.
A low voice came through the den den mushi.
Sengoku gritted his teeth.
"You’ve heard, haven’t you? A Celestial Dragon was killed—but that’s just a diversion. A trap to lure me out!"
"The killer’s real target... is Marineford!"
Silence from the other end.
"Did you hear me, brat!?"
Sengoku barked into the snail, growing frantic.
"I heard, Admiral Sengoku."
The voice responded again.
Sengoku exhaled deeply, forcing himself to stay calm.
"In any case, this is just my suspicion. I’m granting you temporary command of all Marine HQ forces. Mobilize everything—prepare for any scenario, anticipa—"
The voice interrupted coolly.
Sengoku froze. Then his pupils shrank into pinpoints.
Darren held the den den mushi in one hand, pulling Toki behind him with the other. His expression was icy.
Unnoticed, the sky had turned pitch black.
Thunder rumbled. Dark clouds churned like waves—an ominous storm brewing in the heavens.
The Marine Commodore’s lips curled into a cold, mocking smile.
No sooner had the words fallen—
A wild figure with golden hair burst from the clouds above. An overwhelming wave of terrifying, tyrannical aura surged out from him like a storm crashing into Marineford.
"Jihahahahaha! Marines!! This time, I’m killing until I’m satisfied!!"
The legendary pirate, the Golden Lion—
Had arrived at Marineford.