North Blue – 321st Branch.
Ash from a lit cigar drifted lazily to the floor as Darren exhaled a stream of smoke. He winked playfully at the nurse replacing his IV, causing the young woman's cheeks to flush red.
"So, how did it go?" he asked.
Momonga gave the nurse a glance before replying carefully, "According to your instructions, the supply holds of the returning ships were stocked with various types of fruit. But... no signs of any change."
Darren frowned. "What about the target island? Did the search turn up anything?"
Momonga nodded seriously. "We've conducted a thorough sweep over the last two days. Nothing. The island lies in a subarctic zone—perpetual snowstorms, nearly barren, only a handful of cold-resistant plants. Certainly not suitable for habitation, and absolutely no fruit-bearing flora."
He paused, waiting for the blushing nurse to exit the room, then lowered his voice:
"While Admiral Sengoku's battleship resupplied here, I boarded it myself and searched—nothing. I checked their ship logs. According to their supply consumption, all fruit stores had already been depleted three days prior to the mission."
Darren released a slow breath, then chuckled dryly. "So it really wasn't going to be that simple."
"Are you sure about this theory of yours?" Momonga asked, furrowing his brow. "That Devil Fruits reincarnate into the nearest piece of fruit when a user dies... There's no precedent for this in naval records."
Darren shook his head. "No. It was just a hypothesis. Stocking fruit aboard the ships and sweeping the battlefield were merely precautions for a small experiment. It seems the idea doesn't hold."
Darren trusted Momonga's ability absolutely. Years of service together had proven his loyalty and meticulous nature. If Momonga said it wasn't there, then it wasn't.
This meant the theory that a Devil Fruit reincarnates in the nearest fruit upon a user's death... could be false.
As a transmigrant, Darren had some knowledge of the original timeline. The Devil Fruit reincarnation phenomenon had only been hinted at three times:
The first—Whitebeard's death at Marineford. Blackbeard somehow stole the Gura Gura no Mi using what was likely his Yami Yami no Mi powers.
The second—two years after Marineford, Ace's Mera Mera no Mi resurfaced, captured by Doflamingo and used as bait in the Corrida Colosseum.
The third—on Punk Hazard. Caesar Clown's chemical weapon Smiley, enhanced with a Devil Fruit, died and seemingly transferred its power into a nearby apple, transforming it into a Zoan-type Devil Fruit.
That last scene sparked intense speculation among fans—that fruit near a dead user could absorb a Devil Fruit's power.
Which is why Darren had stocked the fleet with fresh fruit—hoping the Moa Moa no Mi might reincarnate. Even if he couldn't use it, it could be given to a trusted subordinate to help form his inner circle.
But perhaps the reincarnation mechanism was far more complicated.
If it really were that easy, the World Government and Marine would have discovered it by now.
Take Impel Down, for example—an isolated sea prison surrounded by the Calm Belt. Numerous Devil Fruit users had died there over its long history. Supply ships brought food, including fruit. If Devil Fruits respawned in nearby fruit upon death, it should've happened in Impel Down.
Yet no such report had ever been made.
"So... does that mean Devil Fruit reincarnation is truly random? Without pattern?" Darren murmured.
"Should I continue searching?" Momonga asked. "Maybe the process just takes longer."
"Leave a small team behind to monitor the island for a while."
"One more thing," Momonga added. "Headquarters just sent word. The Third Officer Training Camp will begin in ten days."
A glint lit Darren's eyes. He smiled.
"It's finally starting, huh?"
Momonga pulled out a folder. "Here's the participant list."
His name stood first.
"Supreme Commander of the North Blue, Commodore Darren"
Darren smirked. "Looks like the commendation from the Saint Shaldes incident went through. I've been promoted."
Momonga's expression twitched slightly.
Darren skimmed the rest of the document:
"Commander Kuzan – South Blue."
"Captain Doberman – West Blue."
"Commander Yamakaji – South Blue."
"Commander Onigumo – West Blue."
And more... many familiar names.
"The Golden Generation... truly a sky full of stars."
He gazed at the roster—these names would echo across the seas in time, each one leaving their mark in the Marine's history.
A new era was on the rise.
And it would shine with unmatched brilliance.