North Blue, Kyiv Island.
Kyiv Island was a small, neutral territory in the North Blue. With only a town of a few thousand residents and no allegiance to any nation, it had slowly become a haven for all kinds of illicit forces due to its lack of governance.
Thieves ran rampant. The mafia ruled the streets. Pirate ships docked at the rundown harbor without a care. Gunshots occasionally rang out in the alleys.
At the port, Daren and Momonga stood side by side, smoking. Their black hooded coats concealed their figures almost entirely, making them unrecognizable.
The dock bustled with crowds. Shouts, bartering, and the scraping of crates against the ground filled the air.
The place reeked.
Rotting fish, spoiled fruit, expired spices, human waste, even dismembered corpses floated by the shore—the stench was enough to make one believe they'd stumbled into hell itself.
"Is everything set?"
Daren squinted at a merchant ship slowly pulling out of port, smoke curling from his lips as he asked.
"Yeah. I didn't show my face. We passed her off to a mafia group under our control. There's no way it'll trace back to us."
"She's heading somewhere new. Starting over with a new life."
Momonga spoke quietly, expression solemn. His face was calm, but his heart pounded.
"No need to be so tense..." Daren noticed his unease and turned, grinning as he patted his shoulder.
"Aside from her, no one on that ship made it out alive. Even if they do open an investigation, they won't find a thing."
"As far as the world knows, that little flower girl went down with the official ship."
Momonga took a deep drag from his cigarette and rolled his eyes.
Easy for you to say...
Even now, his palms were still sweating just thinking about what Daren had pulled off.
That was a Celestial Dragon!!
A so-called "god" with absolute power and status!!
But still, after hearing the operation had succeeded, there was an undeniable sense of satisfaction inside him.
He couldn't help but recall the innocent, pure smile on that little girl's face when they said goodbye.
Maybe—for a smile like that—the risk had been worth it.
Daren, you were right.
That Celestial Dragon really did deserve to die.
"What about her father? What do we do with him?"
Momonga exhaled a cloud of smoke, voice low.
Daren paused to think.
"Won't be long before someone gets sent to investigate Batia Island. We can't tell her father the truth yet. We'll need him to play along—put on a show."
Momonga's pupils narrowed slightly.
"An investigation? I thought you said they wouldn't find anything."
Daren sneered.
"They won't."
He had used his Jiki Jiki no Mi powers to completely block the surveillance Den Den Mushi's signal.
Even if the government went through the footage afterward, all they'd see was a sudden signal loss.
And from that, they'd conclude that the ship was destroyed in an instant.
That would naturally shift the investigation toward high-level threats—those with terrifying power.
He was just a "mere" Captain in the eyes of Headquarters.
No one would suspect him.
"But either way, the investigation team has to at least put on a show. That's the only way to give the government a proper explanation."
Momonga suddenly understood, then frowned.
"You think the government will keep digging into this?"
Daren shook his head.
"Not a chance. They don't have the patience for it."
"The key point is, this 'Celestial Dragon Incident' is still under wraps. Aside from the investigation team and a few top brass, no one else knows a thing."
"And with no one aware, there's no real political pressure on the government."
This time, the incident involving the Celestial Dragons was completely different from the Sabaody Archipelago incident in the original timeline.
Back then, Luffy—the Straw Hat himself—punched a Celestial Dragon right in public view. Everyone on the island saw it. Word spread fast that a Celestial Dragon had been attacked, and the World Government was forced to respond harshly under mounting political pressure.
An Admiral was dispatched. Kizaru led a "crusade" against the Straw Hats, but the mission ultimately failed. In the end, all they could do was haul in 500 unlucky pirates to save face.
But this time, things were different.
No one knew a Celestial Dragon had died.
The clues and evidence had been sealed off completely.
This investigation would only end in a quiet sweep under the rug.
Listening to Daren's analysis, Momonga couldn't help but sigh.
"I honestly don't know how your mind works... You're from the North Blue, yet your insight into the upper ranks is that sharp."
"But if the investigation digs deep enough, Tokikake and Gion might start piecing things together... Aren't you worried they'll slip?"
He turned to Daren, a faint trace of concern in his voice.
No matter how you looked at it, Tokikake and Gion were still "outsiders" to the North Blue Marines.
And they hadn't exactly had a good impression of Daren from the start.
Daren chuckled.
"Even if they suspect something, they won't speak up. They wouldn't dare."
He looked out at the filthy, soot-stained harbor, a calm ease in his demeanor, as if this was where he belonged.
"They're good people. Better than me. Better than you. Better than most in this world."
"They're too clean, too pure. That's their greatest strength—and their biggest weakness."
"I did what they wanted to do but didn't have the guts to. So of course, they would stay silent."
"And once they made their choice..."
The Captain's eyes turned sharp, with a hint of something deeper.
"They're already aboard our ship."
Momonga felt a jolt in his chest. He took a deep breath, then let out a bitter laugh.
"So you used them too? You really are a devil."
Daren just smiled, unbothered.
"Momonga, you know something?"
"Life—real life—has never been about good versus evil. It's always been about choosing the greater evil or the lesser one."
"This world's already upside down. Pure justice has no place to survive."
"Most Marines either swallow their pride and become watchdogs for the government, or they stand by helplessly, watching crimes unfold with no power to stop them."
"But me? I refuse to be a dog. And I refuse to be a bystander."
He turned, eyes firm, locked onto his longtime adjutant, comrade, and partner. His gaze was defiant and unwavering.
"One day, all of this will change."
"But until then, I have to be the devil..."
He exhaled a plume of smoke like a dragon rising, voice layered with meaning.
"...because we've already been living in hell for a long time."
Momonga stood there, listening in silence, lost in thought.
Then, as if shaking off the weight of his words, Daren's expression eased again. He flicked away his cigarette and stretched with a lazy yawn.
"Come on, let's head back. Time to welcome our Admiral Sengoku," he said with a grin.
…
Batia Island.
A massive, battle-worn warship slowly approached the dock.
Its bow was shaped like a giant Buddha, and grim-faced Marines stood at attention on the deck—clearly elite forces.
Civilians and merchants at the port stood frozen in shock as they stared at the behemoth, its massive cannons and oppressive aura radiating the unmistakable presence of war. Instinctively, they stepped back and scattered, hearts pounding in awe and fear.
It was like a floating fortress.
Sengoku led a group of Marines down from the deck. Hidden among the crowd, a masked CP0 agent quietly observed.
"This island..."
Sengoku frowned as he took in the blue-tiled roofs and white walls that defined Batia Island's architecture.
An aide stepped up beside him and whispered a few words in his ear.
"So that's how it is..."
Sengoku let out a quiet sigh. Although he was clearly displeased with how Batia Island's city government operated, he could only shake his head helplessly.
Tap, tap, tap...
Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the far end of the street.
Sengoku looked up, and a warm smile quickly spread across his face.
Gion and Tokikake were approaching, leading over a hundred Marines in tight formation.
"Admiral Sengoku!"
The two stopped in front of him and saluted smartly.
The surrounding onlookers gasped in disbelief.
That plain-looking man with black-rimmed glasses and a strange seagull hat—was actually a Marine Headquarters Admiral? One of the World Government's top fighting forces!?
"Good, very good. Looks like your time in the North Blue has helped you grow."
Sengoku studied the two of them, a look of approval gradually forming in his eyes.
From the aura he sensed through his Observation Haki, both Gion and Tokikake had become significantly stronger since leaving Marineford.
"Seems that brat Daren really put in some effort training you."
At the mention of that name, both Gion and Tokikake's expressions darkened with visible irritation and frustration.
"But tell me, why are only the two of you here?"
"Where are Daren and Momonga?"
Sengoku glanced around as he asked.
Just as he finished speaking, a calm voice with a trace of laughter came from the other side of the street.
"Admiral Sengoku gracing the North Blue—what an honor for us."
Everyone turned toward the voice.
Daren and Momonga, both in uniform, were walking briskly toward them.
But the moment Daren appeared, Sengoku keenly sensed through his Observation Haki...
The people of Batia Island were looking at him with a mix of anger, resentment... and fear.
It was the look of those who wanted to speak but dared not.
This is...
Sengoku's brow furrowed slightly.
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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