The initiative was back in his hands...
Daren watched every shift in Sengoku's expression and finally let out a quiet breath of relief.
In a confrontation like this, if he had answered Sengoku's questions directly, he would've been cornered—easily led into a trap and exposed.
And Daren hated being led around by anyone.
The only way to escape this situation was to redirect Sengoku's focus.
From the very start, Daren had never expected to keep the Celestial Dragon incident a secret from everyone—not forever. Especially after revealing his Devil Fruit ability, he had long anticipated that this kind of conversation would come. It was only a matter of when.
What caught him off guard was how suddenly it came.
Now, looking at the setup, it was clear why Sengoku was known as the Marines' "strategic genius."
He'd first had Zephyr give him a false pretense—a standard mission debrief—lowering Daren's guard, leaving him unprepared.
Then, he struck.
Daren had to admit, the moment Sengoku opened his mouth, he had been momentarily caught off guard. He just didn't show it on his face.
If his mental resilience hadn't been this solid, someone else in his position would've already slipped up.
But from the way this conversation was unfolding, it was obvious—Sengoku had no evidence. Nor did he intend to pursue anything openly.
He just wanted to confirm his suspicions... and give Daren a warning.
If this were a real interrogation, he'd be surrounded by now.
Realizing this, Daren's thoughts grew even sharper.
A faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
"Admiral Sengoku, what makes you so sure the World Government trusts you?"
Sengoku froze for a moment, then instinctively retorted,
"Why wouldn't they? As a Marine Admiral, I've carried out every order from the World Government flawlessly—"
"—Do you really believe that those lofty masters above truly 'trust' their watchdog?"
Daren cut in coldly.
He was making a gamble now—that the relationship between the Marines and the World Government wasn't as unshakable as it appeared.
To deal with smart people, you had to use the tactics of smart people.
And someone like Sengoku, sharp as he was, was also naturally suspicious.
Once doubt took root, trust would begin to fracture.
Even the tiniest crack would be enough for Daren.
Hearing those words, Sengoku opened his mouth... but didn't speak.
Before Sengoku could say anything, Daren cut in with a cold chuckle.
"Admiral Sengoku, let me tell you the truth."
"The order the World Government gave me that day... wasn't to continue investigating the Celestial Dragon incident."
"It was that the Five Elders had already begun to suspect... that the one who killed Saint Xildes was someone within the Marines."
Sengoku's expression shifted slightly.
"They suspected you?"
Daren said nothing. He just smiled, eyes fixed on Sengoku.
"Why are you looking at me like that? I'm the one who suspects you—"
Sengoku suddenly froze.
In that instant, countless thoughts flooded his mind.
If the Five Elders had suspected Daren, there was no way they would've let him lead an internal investigation within the Marines.
The fact that they had assigned the North Blue Admiral to that task meant one thing clearly—they didn't think Daren had anything to do with Saint Xildes-sama's death.
So if not Daren... then who were they suspicious of?
A realization struck him, and his face turned grim.
His mind drifted back to the earlier profile he himself had built of the attacker:
Immense strength. A connection to the Celestial Dragons. Possible ability to fly. Present in the North Blue at the time...
Wait a second—doesn't that describe my own flagship?
The strength absolutely fit.
As a Marine Admiral, he had full access to the government ship's travel routes.
Flying ability wasn't even necessary—with a warship, the logistics were covered.
And at that time, he'd been on assignment in the North Blue, leading the campaign against Byrnndi World...
Thought after thought piled up. Sengoku was suddenly at a loss.
Based on that analysis... the prime suspect in the Celestial Dragon incident might actually be me!?
The more he considered it, the more unsettling it became.
He met every condition—every single one.
In fact, when it came to insider knowledge of the World Government's ship routes, he fit the criteria even better than Daren!
After all, at that time, Daren was just the North Blue Admiral. It was highly unlikely he had access to Saint Xildes-sama's return route to the Holy Land.
That had been Sengoku's biggest reason for probing instead of outright accusing Daren—he couldn't explain how Daren would've known such sensitive intel.
Because at the time, the only person in the North Blue who could've known that information... was him. The Marine Headquarters Admiral.
No wonder the World Government took him off the case...
No wonder the CP0 agents gave him such strange looks back then...
Wait!
He suddenly remembered the cryptic smiles the Five Elders had given him just a few days ago when he'd visited the Holy Land to deliver his report.
What did those smiles mean?
Were they warning him?
Were they... suspicious of him?
Sengoku's mind kicked into overdrive, faster than it had ever moved in his life. He began reviewing, reflecting, scrutinizing every past meeting, every exchange he'd had with the Five Elders.
...
"It's just about time..."
Daren noticed the changes in Sengoku's expression—confusion, dawning realization, inner turmoil, and rising anxiety. The corner of his mouth curled slightly.
When playing mind games with someone as sharp and suspicious as Sengoku, excessive rhetoric was useless. It would only make him more guarded.
The trick was to feed him just enough key information... and let his mind fill in the rest.
And the most crucial part?
What Daren had said was true.
The World Government had, in fact, ordered him to conduct a secret investigation into the Marines.
And there was no way Sengoku would ever march up to the Five Elders and ask, "Are you suspecting the Marines? Are you suspecting me?"
"I really do need to thank the 'wise' Topman Warcury-sama someday..."
Daren chuckled to himself and sighed, wearing a look of helplessness.
"Admiral Sengoku, now do you understand just how difficult my position was back then?"
"On one side, I had pressure from the very top of the World Government. On the other, my most trusted colleagues, my comrades-in-arms... and, well, my superiors."
Sengoku's mouth twitched.
What's with that extra emphasis on "superiors"...?
"Um... Daren..."
He hesitated, then cautiously asked,
"You didn't say anything... did you?"
Even though Sengoku knew full well he had nothing to do with Saint Xildes-sama's death...
To people like the Five Elders, did that really matter?
In fact, whether the Celestial Dragon had actually died wasn't even the point.
What mattered was...
the World Government was beginning to suspect him.
And that—could ruin his entire political future.