Then, with a thunderous slam, he drove his fist into the table and shot to his feet, seething.
"That little brat Darren—who the hell does he think he is?!"
"I’m a Marine Headquarters Admiral—his direct superior! And he hangs up on my Den Den Mushi?!"
"In all my years, I’ve never been cut off by some upstart Vice Admiral!"
Standing nearby, Tsuru raised an eyebrow. "Garp does it to you all the time."
Sengoku whirled on her, eyes burning with indignation. But Tsuru was already suppressing a smile, and that only made the heat in his chest spike even higher.
"Tsuru," he said, wounded, "you’ve changed. You weren’t always ."
She merely pursed her lips, the faintest trace of amusement flickering across them.
She wasn’t truly old—perhaps not even forty—but years of shouldering the Marine’s endless internal headaches had etched their mark. Her once-dark hair now shimmered with streaks of silver, and fine lines framed her eyes, carved there by fatigue and time.
But instead of dulling her, age had tempered her beauty. Those silver threads, those softened edges—they gave her a quiet, enduring strength.
"Relax, Sengoku," Tsuru said calmly. "Darren may be unruly, but he knows how to walk the line."
"He’s not as reckless as he seems. Don’t forget how deftly he maneuvered through the chaos in the North Blue."
Her voice, steady and measured, grounded Sengoku. His fury ebbed. He took a deep drag from his cigar, the smoke curling around him as he began to pace, arms folded, brow knotted in thought.
Then, abruptly, he stopped.
"Even so... I’m uneasy," he muttered. "We should inform Fleet Admiral Kong."
Tsuru nodded. If Darren was truly aiming to provoke a confrontation with Kaido in Wano, this wasn’t something two officers could handle alone. Reinforcements would need to be ready. Contingencies planned.
They moved swiftly to Kong’s office, waking the Fleet Admiral from rest with a terse report.
"What? Darren plans to attack the Beast Pirates in Wano Country?!" Kong jolted upright, sleep vanishing like mist. "Damn it, Sengoku! Why didn’t you stop him?!"
Caught off guard, Sengoku floundered for an excuse—but Tsuru’s subtle, sharp glance stopped him cold. Her eyes flicked a warning.
After a brief, stumbling pause, Sengoku straightened. His voice dropped an octave.
"Fleet Admiral Kong, just as you foresaw, I tried to talk him down."
"But... the Den Den Mushi connection was unstable. The line cut out before I could finish."
His face darkened with forced gravity, like the outcome had already slipped beyond his control.
And in that moment, the realization struck him.
Darren had done it on purpose—cut the call short to keep Sengoku removed from the fallout. If things went sideways, no one could say the Admiral had sanctioned it.
That little bastard... maybe he’s not such a fool after all, Sengoku thought, almost admiringly.
Kong blinked, taken aback.
Before he could question it, Tsuru smoothly added, "Wano’s geography is notoriously unstable. The swirling currents and unique magnetic fields often disrupt long-distance communication."
Kong let out a frustrated groan and rubbed his temples. "Damn it... why now?"
He rose, shoulders squaring. "Then we prepare. Immediately. Full strategic readiness."
"First: mobilize emergency support units. Second: prepare for diplomatic repercussions. If this escalates, we’ll be facing more than just Kaido."
"Yes, Fleet Admiral!" Sengoku and Tsuru saluted in unison, crisp and unwavering.
Wano Country — Kuri Region
Inside a towering palace steeped in Wano’s ancient grandeur, the air crackled with tension.
King knelt on one knee before Kaido, his voice low and razor-sharp.
"Kaido-san, perimeter deployment is complete. All major ports are locked down. Elite forces are in place."
Kaido grunted. The knots in his chest began to loosen.
This was his land—his cornerstone. Wano was the bedrock of his vision, the launchpad for a war that would reshape the world.
He knew brute strength wasn’t enough to rule the New World. No—what he needed was structure: fearsome lieutenants, an army, resources, and a fortress strong enough to weather the storm to come.
Charlotte Linlin had Totto Land. Whitebeard ruled with his fleet. Golden Lion once dominated the skies.
And Wano... had to be unshakable.
"Are we taking this a bit too seriously?" Queen muttered, lips smacking as he sipped his red bean soup. "I mean, the Marines already know we’re here..."
Their constant paranoia—seeing enemies in every shadow—was starting to wear on him. How was he supposed to hold a proper dance party in this kind of atmosphere?
"Shut it." King didn’t even look at him.
Queen scowled, wounded. "Can’t even speak my mind these days. I’ve been working nonstop to optimize the Military Factory’s output..."
He sighed. "It’s not like just talking about it will summon the Marines—"
The ground trembled violently. A distant roar ripped through the mountains, low and bone-deep, like a giant beast awakening in fury.
Kaido and King snapped to attention, their eyes narrowing.
The Military Factory in the Kuri Region.
A moment later, a Beast Pirates officer burst into the hall, breathless, knees hitting the floor with a smack.
His face was pale, voice shaking.
"That Marine... that Marine is here!!"
Kaido’s blood ran cold.
In an instant, Kaido and King turned, eyes blazing. Their murderous glares fell on Queen.
Queen froze, soup bowl still in hand, his mechanical arm instinctively shielding his mouth.
Kaido’s fury boiled over.
"That bastard Marine...!!"
He didn’t waste another breath.
With a thunderous roar, Kaido seized his massive kanabo and leapt into the sky. In a blink, his body expanded and twisted, scales erupting over his form as he transformed into a colossal, sky-darkening dragon.
The palace ceiling exploded as his massive body tore through it, ascending with a roar that shook the heavens.
"Darren!! You dare to set foot in my land?! You want to die that badly?!"
A tidal wave of Conqueror’s Haki surged into the sky, crackling with black and crimson lightning, warping the air itself.
Kaido’s golden eyes blazed with primal fury as the azure dragon bellowed into the storm-darkened skies above Wano.