At that moment, Gion walked into the office.
Seeing Daren and Tokikake sitting together like old buddies, casually puffing on cigars, she frowned slightly—but ultimately said nothing.
"Base Commander Daren."
She gave Daren a formal salute.
Daren smiled and waved it off.
"No need to be so formal, Lieutenant Commander Gion."
He casually glanced at both Gion and Tokikake.
It was clear from the way they looked at him that yesterday's "sparring session" had left an impression—they'd become much more respectful.
In this sea, power speaks louder than anything else.
"So, what's on the agenda for you two today?"
Daren exhaled a stream of smoke shaped like a dragon and asked with a smile.
Gion and Tokikake exchanged a look. Gion stepped forward with a serious expression.
"Captain Daren, after some observation, we've found certain issues with the income and expenditure records of your branch."
"Oh?"
A flicker of interest flashed in Daren's deep-set eyes.
"And what exactly are you implying, Lieutenant Commander Gion?"
Without hesitation, Gion pulled out a document and placed it on the desk. Her expression turned cold.
"Captain Daren, based on materials provided by Headquarters and my own observations... Let's set aside the other branches in the North Blue for now. Just within Branch 321 alone, the Marines' income levels are far beyond the norm."
Daren flicked some ash from his cigar and chuckled.
"Isn't that a good thing? As Marines bearing the weight of justice, we could die honorably at any moment during anti-pirate operations."
"Even putting 'justice' aside, being a Marine is an extremely dangerous profession."
"And the pay set by Headquarters? It's a joke. You expect people to risk their lives for that kind of money?"
Gion clenched her teeth.
"That's not what I meant!"
"What I want to know is—where is all this extra funding coming from?"
As soon as she said it, Daren didn't respond right away—but Tokikake's expression shifted.
He glanced at the premium cigars on the table, then suddenly turned to Daren, a realization dawning in his eyes as he stared at him hard.
Facing their questioning gazes, Daren merely shrugged with a calm smile.
"Isn't the answer obvious already, Lieutenant Commander Gion?"
Gion gritted her teeth and spoke slowly and clearly.
"You took bribes!"
"Bribes?"
Daren let out a laugh, as if he'd just heard a great joke, and shrugged again.
"No, no. How could anything done by the Marines be called bribery?"
"This is what I call a reasonable service fee."
Gion stared at Daren in disbelief, furious at how nonchalant he was.
"Do you have any idea? That money comes from civilians—money they earned through blood and sweat! It's this kind of rampant extortion that leaves families torn apart and ruined!"
"Ruined families?"
Daren chuckled again.
"I'm sure you've read the intelligence on the North Blue. Under my watch, crime rates have dropped across the board, and the standard of living for civilians has improved noticeably."
"I take their money—so I get the job done."
Gion was so furious at his response that her whole body trembled.
"It's the Marines' duty to protect civilians!"
Daren smiled.
"You have your beliefs. I have my way of doing things."
"I only care about results. And the result is—I've managed the North Blue better than at any point in history."
Gion opened her mouth, as if she wanted to argue, but just then, Momonga hurried into the office.
"Captain Daren…"
His face was grim. He could clearly sense the tense atmosphere in the room and hesitated for a moment.
Daren glanced at him and waved a hand.
"Speak. What's happened?"
Momonga nodded and said in a low voice:
"Germa 66 has launched its 'Slaughter the Four Kingdoms' operation. That so-called army of evil has mobilized over 10,000 troops and is about to launch an assault on the Yadis Kingdom!"
"Based on the strength and combat capabilities of both sides, once the Germa Kingdom initiates war, the Yadis Kingdom will likely fall within an hour."
"Governor Tyrell of the Yadis Kingdom has already sent a formal request for help, asking the North Blue Marines to intervene."
As soon as he finished speaking, both Tokikake and Gion's expressions changed dramatically.
Germa 66—a force known as the "Army of Evil" and "Warmongers"—was a powerful, nationless military group officially recognized as a member of the World Government.
At the top of Germa Kingdom's power structure stood the Vinsmoke family.
As headquarters officers, the two were well aware of the military might this North Blue nation possessed.
The King of the Germa Kingdom, and current head of the Vinsmoke family, was Vinsmoke Judge—nicknamed "Garuda."
He was a scientist who commanded advanced military technology.
Under his leadership, Germa 66 was one of the most formidable armies in the world, with a fearsome reputation across the North Blue.
If Vinsmoke Judge truly intended to dominate the North Blue as he had threatened, the entire sea would soon be consumed by war.
Just imagining it made the two young officers shudder. Their eyes flickered with unease.
Having grown up in Marine Headquarters, Marineford, they were still young—too young to have witnessed real war. And in this moment, panic took hold.
Unconsciously, they turned their eyes to Daren.
"So... that bird-brain didn't get the letter we sent him?"
Daren narrowed his eyes, a faint, cold smile tugging at his lips.
Seeing that look, Momonga—who had worked with Daren for years—instantly understood: Vinsmoke Judge was in trouble.
"It was confirmed. He received it."
Momonga spoke firmly.
"Good..."
Daren chuckled, crushed his cigar in the ashtray, and his expression turned icy.
"Then let's move."
Momonga nodded, pulled out a military Den Den Mushi, and began issuing orders to mobilize their forces.
Daren casually draped a large Justice cloak over his shoulders.
"Wait!"
Gion's voice rang out behind him, tinged with unease.
Daren turned and looked back at her.
She hesitated for a moment, then bit her lip and said,
"Shouldn't we report to Headquarters first? The Marines aren't authorized to interfere in conflicts between nations… If we recklessly intervene in another country's internal affairs, it could cause a serious political incident."
What a naïve girl...
Daren thought to himself.
"With the kind of military strength Germa 66 has, if we wait around for a reply from Headquarters, the kings of the four nations in the North Blue will have their heads hanging from Judge's walls by the time we get an answer."
He sneered.
"And I'm not about to let Germa 66 start a full-scale war in my territory and cause mass civilian casualties."
Gion froze, a flicker of surprise in her eyes.
So this guy does have a sense of duty after all...
But Daren's next words nearly made her cough up blood.
"—Otherwise, if all the civilians are dead, who am I going to collect money from?"
Gion's chest rose and fell sharply. She glared at the tall man in front of her and shouted in anger:
"Daren, you bastard! Are you protecting civilians just so you can charge them!?"
In the distance, bugles began to sound across the military harbor.
The Marines of the 321st Branch were mobilizing.
Daren grinned.
"Of course not."
Gion blinked, caught off guard, and felt a strange sense of relief.
Daren added with a laugh:
"There's also the fact that Lady Margery is in the Yadis Kingdom... We just slept together the night before last. If I don't go, it wouldn't look good, would it?"
Gion: …
Tokikake: …
They stared in stunned silence.
So you're deploying troops… just to rescue your mistress!?
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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