"Why did you come back?"
Seeing the Commodore of the Marines sitting on the sofa next to him with his legs crossed, Momonga's alert and cold expression instantly disappeared, replaced by surprise.
He let go of the knife handle and said,
"Didn't you just return to headquarters?"
Daren smiled and said,
"What's wrong, aren't you happy to see me back in the North Blue?"
He unceremoniously opened the cigar box on the coffee table and took out a cigar.
With a practiced motion, he cut off the end with a cigar cutter, put it in his mouth, lit it, took a deep puff, and closed his eyes in satisfaction.
"Mm, cigars from the North Blue are still the best."
Momonga said unhappily,
"I thought you were still recovering from your injuries at headquarters..."
He suddenly looked at Daren suspiciously and asked, somewhat puzzled,
"You don't look well. You seem to have lost weight. Are your injuries still not healed?"
Daren's mouth twitched involuntarily, but he didn't respond and changed the subject.
"How is the situation in North Blue lately?"
When it came to serious matters, Momonga's expression became serious again and he said in a deep voice,
"It's still the same as when you left, no major changes."
"Although you left North Blue, your reputation still strikes fear into the hearts of those foolish Nobles and politicians."
"Especially after the news of you becoming the 'Top of the class' at the training camp and destroying the Beasts Pirates' headquarters began to spread over the past two days, I've been extremely busy with social engagements..."
At this point, Momonga paused, a look of helplessness on his face.
"Those fat bastards are like sharks smelling blood, going crazy to give me money and gifts, inviting me to all kinds of drinking parties, card games, and banquets, constantly trying to find out information about you..."
"They're so obsequious, they'd even send their wives and daughters to my bed."
Daren looked at Momonga, who was full of bitterness and sighing, and couldn't help but tease him maliciously,
"That life sounds pretty good..."
"Good my ass!"
Momonga cursed angrily and said with grief and indignation,
"This is not a life for a human being!"
He banged on the desk in righteous indignation.
"I just want to be a proper navy officer!
I want to hone my skills, fight pirates, maintain law and order, and uphold justice!"
"But they use money to corrupt my will and women to destroy my body! They use wine and cigarettes to test the justice of their officers!"
"Bunch of damn bastards!"
"Don't you like it?"
Daren asked suddenly, with a smirk.
Momonga's face turned red, and he opened his mouth but couldn't say anything.
"It's... just that..."
"Hahahaha!"
Daren couldn't help but laugh loudly.
"It's important to have a good work-life balance... But you've just started your job, so it's normal to have such doubts."
He blew a smoke ring from his mouth and said with a tone of someone who had been there before, smiling,
"Those so-called social engagements, you can go if you want to, and if you don't want to, just refuse. There's no need to spare their feelings."
"...In the end, it's strength that matters in this sea."
Momonga nodded.
Daren was right, that was their plan from the beginning.
Although Daren had left the North Blue, the more trouble he caused in the Grand Line, the higher he would climb in the Marines, and the more stable the situation in the North Blue would become.
"As for the underworld, the Donquixote family has already taken control of all the criminal organizations in the North Blue, and they're developing quite well... They've even expanded part of their business into the Grand Line and the New World,"
Momonga continued.
According to their cooperation agreement, a portion of the profits earned by the Donquixote family had to be regularly paid to the North Blue Fleet.
On the North Blue Navy's books, this income was labeled as a "franchise fee."
By hiring high-paid financial experts to handle the accounting, these massive and otherwise suspicious "earnings" had been smoothly turned into legal income within the North Blue's jurisdiction. Even Marine Headquarters couldn't find any fault with it.
"You really have a sharp eye. Doflamingo's shown a maturity and skill that doesn't match his age at all—not just in strength and leadership, but also in business sense and negotiation."
Momonga looked at Daren with a hint of admiration.
Sometimes, he genuinely didn't understand how Daren's mind worked.
Before Doflamingo appeared, there had been a few powerful mafia families in the North Blue.
Their leaders were all quite capable. If Daren had given the word back then, those families absolutely could have unified the underworld.
But Daren never approved any of them.
Not until Doflamingo showed up.
Momonga had to admit, back then, he thought Daren's decision to hand over the North Blue underworld to Doflamingo was a gamble.
After all, on the surface, Doflamingo was just a twelve- or thirteen-year-old brat.
At that age, most kids were still playing in the dirt.
Momonga, thinking rationally, didn't believe a child like that could manage the entire criminal network of a sea.
But out of trust for Daren, he never voiced his doubts. He simply obeyed the order without question.
Looking back now, Daren's foresight was honestly terrifying.
"Hm, that kid Doffy's not bad. I guess all the effort I put into raising him wasn't wasted."
Daren smiled.
"I was able to get out of trouble this time thanks to the officer he sent."
"But Momonga..."
He glanced at him.
"You've started to feel the pressure, haven't you?"
Hearing that, Momonga's eyes narrowed slightly. He pressed his lips together.
After a long silence, he finally nodded, somewhat unwillingly, and let out a sigh.
"He's growing way too fast."
Yes—Doflamingo's growth was far too rapid.
So fast that even Momonga had begun to feel a creeping sense of dread.
Especially the last time he led a team to Rubeck Island for negotiations.
That blond kid had just sat there calmly on the sofa, but to Momonga, it felt like he was being watched by a wild, bloodthirsty beast.
Momonga wasn't too concerned about the Donquixote family's overall growth.
No matter how strong a mafia was, it couldn't stand against the firepower of the North Blue Fleet.
But Doflamingo himself... was another story.
With his exceptional talent and limitless potential, it felt like every time they met, his strength had advanced in leaps and bounds.
That kind of growth filled Momonga with deep unease.
That's why, during the last negotiation, he'd brought an entire fleet to completely surround Rubeck Island—ready to launch a miniature "Buster Call" and level the Donquixote family if things went south.
Because if something happened to Daren in the New World...
Momonga didn't have enough confidence that he alone could keep Doflamingo in check.
Naturally, Daren had sensed his concern.
"That's also why I came back," he said with a smile.