The call with HQ cut off.
Inside the vast base commander's office, only two young officers remained—Lieutenant Commander Gion and Lieutenant Commander Tokikake—staring at one another in stunned silence.
Raised in Marineford under the care of countless mentors and taught the purest ideals of justice, they had never imagined that someone as corrupt and degenerate as Darren could receive such praise from Admiral Sengoku—a man they deeply respected.
Even harder to believe was that Sakazuki and Borsalino, the two monstrous geniuses of their generation—each with vastly different and often clashing ideals—had both endorsed Darren's abilities and leadership.
That... made no sense.
"...How... how is this even possible...?"
Gion muttered, her expression dazed and her mind in disarray.
Everything that had happened since arriving in the North Blue had struck her innocent, idealistic sense of justice like a battering ram.
The snap of a lighter startled her out of her thoughts.
"Tokikake! Are you seriously lighting one of his cigars!?"
She turned to see him casually puffing one of Darren's prized cigars. Her fury reignited instantly.
Tokikake flinched under her frostbitten glare, voice trembling.
"W-Well... Admiral Sengoku did tell us to learn from Darren, didn't he...?"
"You think he meant smoking, drinking, and chasing women?! That's what you're learning?!"
Gritting her teeth, she stormed toward him.
Tokikake scrambled to hide the cigar but mumbled under his breath:
"...I mean, those things don't seem so bad. You can be a good Marine and still enjoy life..."
"I-I said you're absolutely right, Gion!"
"No. I can't accept this," Gion declared, rising to her feet, resolve burning in her eyes like polished steel.
Clenching her fists tightly, she proclaimed:
"Justice must remain pure—it cannot coexist with filth!"
"I'll stay here and reform that degenerate Darren! I'll help him see the light of true justice!"
"I won't allow his twisted, rebellious version of justice to corrupt the Marines of the North Blue!"
Tokikake, still seated, covered his face with a sigh.
In his mind, though...
Civilian-military cooperation... Caring for the people...
Whatever he was imagining, it made him chuckle like a creep.
"Stop giggling like an idiot! Get to the training grounds!"
Gion shot him a glare sharper than her blade.
"Huh? Training grounds? Already? We just got here—shouldn't we rest first?" Tokikake complained.
Gion's hand dropped to the golden hilt at her waist, eyes gleaming cold and sharp.
"That bastard Darren said he wanted to spar, didn't he?"
Her voice was calm, but the fire in her tone burned.
"I'd like to see for myself whether this so-called North Blue Commander truly earned his title."
Pride and fire flared in her heart. She was a prodigy of Marineford—and she wouldn't let that bastard get away without proving himself.
The sky was bright. The sea breeze blew sharp and cold.
Dust swirled across the vast training field.
Weapon racks lined the edges—maces, greatswords, naginata, and more, all neatly arranged. Not far off stood dozens of stone targets for practice. Beyond them were rows of old cannons and, in one corner, a decommissioned, battered warship.
Many of the Marines from Branch 321 were already engaged in their regular drills, but their eyes kept flicking toward the center of the field—drawn by a single man.
Darren, bare-chested and wearing only his black Marine trousers, was in the center of the grounds, doing one-finger push-ups.
"1,997... 1,998... 1,999... 2,000..."
Switching to his left hand, he began again.
Each motion was steady, precise, and deeply controlled. Every rep lowered all the way to the ground—his form near perfect, rhythmic, almost artistic.
His defined, explosive muscles gleamed with sweat, his wild and untamed presence radiating like a predator on the prowl.
He looked like a jungle cat—dangerous, controlled, coiled with power.
This was the scene that greeted Gion and Tokikake as they arrived.
"...Didn't expect him to train this seriously," Gion muttered. Though her anger still burned, she couldn't help but acknowledge it.
Most Marines stationed in the Four Blues were far from HQ, and discipline was usually lax. Training, even more so. Outside of occasional surprise inspections from HQ, many branches treated drills as a formality.
But this man, who lived so decadently in every other aspect, was brutal in training himself.
"Tch, nothing special..." Tokikake scoffed, hands stuffed in his pockets, feigning boredom.
But in truth, even he was shaken.
They watched a little longer as Darren finished another 2,000 push-ups with his left hand.
Then he stood, clapped the dust from his hands, and turned toward them with a smile.
"You've come. Want to join me for a little workout?"
In the sunlight, sweat ran down his sharp jawline and over his sculpted torso. His chiseled frame glistened under the morning sun, and combined with that confident smirk, the sheer visual impact was undeniable.
Nearby, several female Marines who had snuck over to watch let out audible sighs. Stars and hearts practically sparkled in their eyes.
So that's why Lady Marguerite was so captivated...
Not that she was that shallow—not at all. But, to be fair, men like Darren were rare in the Marine ranks.
She thought of Sakazuki. Of Borsalino.
She glanced at Tokikake, standing like a bored thug with his hands still in his pockets.
Suddenly... Darren didn't seem quite as disgraceful.
Still, she hadn't forgotten why she came.
She would teach this shameless bastard a lesson—wipe that smug look off his face.
"No need for training, Captain Darren."
"We're here for something else. Right, Tokikake?"
Gion's voice was steady as she turned to her companion.
"Huh? Wait, we just got here... Can't we rest a bit first? This is way too—"
Then he caught Gion's glare—burning with challenge—and immediately straightened up.
"Ahem—yes! Captain Darren! Let's see what kind of strength the North Blue's top dog really has!"
"Oh?" Darren raised an eyebrow, smirking.
"You sure? You two are HQ elites. If we really spar, you might need to go easy on me..."
A spark lit behind his eyes.
Though Gion and Tokikake were still young, not yet at their canon-level strength, they were prodigies trained under Marineford's top brass.
As a North Blue native who'd climbed up from the bottom, he was curious—how strong were they, really?
This was a golden opportunity to teach these two "inspectors" a proper lesson.
The Marines were, after all, a system built on force. Power made the rules.
If he didn't beat them into submission, they'd just keep interfering with his business.
"Don't worry, Captain Darren," Tokikake grinned, showing his teeth. "Since you gave me a fine cigar, I promise I'll go easy on you."
His eyes gleamed with mischief.
This was perfect. A legit excuse to knock the smug bastard around.
Gion, meanwhile, slowly drew her golden-bladed katana.
Her expression was cold, her movements smooth and precise.
If words wouldn't work—then she would let her blade speak. She'd show this lustful, fallen fool what true justice looked like.
All three of them... wore the same crooked smile.
Everyone had their own agenda.
The spar was about to begin.