Shiki the Golden Lion!?
A legendary Great Pirate—his name stood shoulder to shoulder with Roger and Whitebeard. And according to Marine Headquarters, he was considered even more dangerous than either of them!
The moment the name was spoken, Daren's eyes narrowed sharply. Garp and Kuzan, standing nearby, also froze for a second.
"Hey, hey, hey. Daren hasn't even graduated from the training camp yet. You're seriously sending him up against Shiki? That's insane," Garp said bluntly in his usual gruff tone.
While Daren's strength was already formidable, he was still far from reaching Shiki's level. And Garp, who had clashed with the Golden Lion more than once, knew that better than anyone.
Daren fell silent.
This wasn't the crippled Shiki who'd eventually get smacked around by Monkey D. Luffy. This was Shiki at his peak—an apex predator in the sea, both feared and unstoppable.
A terrifying Devil Fruit power.
Unrivaled twin-swordsmanship.
And a monstrous ambition to dominate the seas and reshape the world...
Daren had no doubt: this guy had definitely awakened Conqueror's Haki.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say that, at this stage, Shiki might even be more dangerous than Roger or Whitebeard. He was the kind of threat that made even elite Marines cautious.
After all, this was the man who once stormed Marineford alone, destroyed half the base, and was only subdued when Garp and Sengoku teamed up to take him down.
Borsalino shrugged and smiled.
"Orders from Admiral Sengoku. And he'll be commanding this mission personally."
Daren's gaze flickered.
So that's the plan—bring me along to counter the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi.
He understood immediately.
Without further hesitation, he smiled and asked,
"Alright. When do we depart?"
After half a year holed up in Marine Headquarters, training relentlessly, he was more than ready to set sail again.
Training behind closed doors had its limits. To become a real powerhouse, actual combat experience was irreplaceable.
And besides… he wanted to see with his own eyes just how terrifying the Golden Lion really was.
"We set sail tomorrow. Get yourself ready," Borsalino said lazily. Then his body dissolved into golden light and disappeared.
...
"Hm... Going out to sea again is probably the right move," Garp muttered as he looked at Daren. "You've done your training. Any more at this point would just be redundant."
"But listen carefully, Daren. Don't let your guard down... Shiki isn't like any pirate you've faced before."
"Roger, Whitebeard, Byrnndi World... All powerful figures of their time, sure. But none of them were inherently evil."
"Byrnndi World wants to challenge the World Government. Whitebeard just wants to protect his family. Roger? That idiot just wanted to explore freely. Yeah, they've all done bad things as pirates... but that's the extent of it."
"But Shiki..."
Garp's expression darkened. A rare flicker of caution and unease appeared in his eyes.
"Shiki is a pure pirate."
"Plundering, destruction, deception, cunning, patience, greed... There's no line he won't cross to achieve his goals. No morals, no code. Nothing is off-limits."
"And with that Fuwa Fuwa no Mi of his, every time he resurfaces, it's a nightmare for us."
Daren nodded, smiling calmly.
"Understood, Vice Admiral Garp. I'll stay sharp."
Garp was taken aback by how composed he was. For a moment, he thought Daren wasn't taking the warning seriously.
But then it hit him.
Plundering, destruction, deception, cunning, patience, greed, and ruthlessness...
Wait a second—wasn't that just Daren's résumé?
Or better yet, wasn't Daren basically the Marine version of Shiki?
Well damn. Maybe he was worrying for nothing.
Garp let out a helpless chuckle.
With Sengoku and Borsalino on the mission, they'd have more than enough firepower to deal with Shiki. And with Daren's scheming, underhanded brain at work, they probably wouldn't be at any real risk.
If anything, it was Shiki who might end up getting played.
And suddenly, it all made sense.
This wasn't just a mission.
Sengoku was sending the "Marine scoundrel" to take on the "Pirate scoundrel."
"That's so cool!"
Kuzan finally couldn't hold back his excitement. Pumping his fist into the air, he shouted loudly, his eyes blazing with admiration.
"Daren, you're seriously going to take on Shiki the Golden Lion, the legendary Great Pirate!"
He turned eagerly to Garp.
"Garp-san! Let me go too!"
"No!"
Both Daren and Garp responded in unison.
Kuzan: "..."
Daren had no intention of dragging that hot-blooded loudmouth along just to have him chattering nonstop the entire trip.
"Kuzan, you still lack real combat experience against top-tier opponents. This mission is too dangerous for you," Garp said flatly. "Wait until you finish training under me—then we'll talk."
He looked at Kuzan with a rare flicker of approval in his eyes.
He'd finally found a student who actually understood his chaotic teaching style—no way was he letting the kid out of his hands this soon.
"Hey, Daren, why are you still standing here? Get moving already," Garp said, waving at him like swatting away a fly.
Daren: ...
Seriously? Is the double standard necessary?
A few dark lines crept across his forehead.
...
The next morning.
As the horizon began to lighten with the first signs of dawn, Daren was already up.
His bags were neatly packed—Toki had taken care of everything and placed them by the door.
Looking at her sleeping soundly, Daren couldn't help but chuckle, remembering their wild goodbye the night before.
"Tekkai really came in handy," he muttered with a grin.
Stretching with a satisfied yawn, the Seastone shackles on his wrists clinked lightly.
After grabbing a quick breakfast, he picked up his luggage and stepped outside.
Bathed in the golden glow of sunrise, he walked at an easy pace toward the military port.
The house behind him grew smaller with each step, and with it, the calmness of his everyday life slowly faded.
...
At the port, Marines were busy loading boxes of supplies onto the warship.
In the midst of the commotion, Sengoku—who had been barking orders—suddenly paused. Turning around, he spotted Daren approaching and gave a faint smile.
"You're here?"
Daren raised his hand and saluted crisply.
"Commodore Rogers Daren of Marine Headquarters, reporting in!"
Sengoku glanced at the Seastone shackles still locked on Daren's wrists and asked with a trace of surprise,
"You're still wearing those?"
Daren smiled casually.
"I've gotten used to them. I'll take them off once we're on the way."
Sengoku nodded.
With the ammunition, food, and other supplies already loaded, he turned and led Daren onto the warship.
The cold sea breeze whipped through the air, laced with a solemn, battle-bound tension.
"Set sail!"
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake