Gion's Partner's "Care for the People"

"Damn you, Darren!! You have betrayed the faith of justice!! You are a disgrace to the Navy!! A stain upon justice itself!!"

Behind him came the sound of Gion's furious, indignant cursing, yet Darren merely laughed as he walked out of the palace's side hall.

He could not care less about what others thought of him.

Caring too much about reputation would only bind his hands and feet, preventing him from acting with full freedom.

This was a world where the weak were prey to the strong, a place that followed the most primitive laws of the jungle.

Darren did not deny that there were indeed some in the Navy who held fast to their inner sense of justice with all their hearts, and he sincerely respected such people.

They were willing to sacrifice everything for their ideals and beliefs, to protect what they held dear, giving up their youth, their energy, and even their lives.

Such people were indeed respectable and truly great.

This was also the reason why Darren did not dislike the "troublesome" Gion.

Because it was only through the existence of "fools" like Gion that this world remained filled with hope.

But Darren knew he could never reach that level.

Because the righteous path was simply too difficult.

Darren did not possess the monster-like talent of Sakazuki, nor did he have the privileged lineage and background of Gion.

From the moment he transmigrated five years ago, he had walked step by step to where he was now, especially in a chaotic sea like the North Blue... every step he took had been extremely arduous and perilous, like walking a tightrope over a cliff.

Therefore, he had to be cautious and more cautious, careful and more careful.

He had to seize power, wealth, strength, benefits, and status whenever possible.

And now, it was time to reap the fruits of this war's victory.

With this thought in mind, Darren quickened his pace.

Night fell.

Werner, the capital of the Yadis Kingdom, was brightly lit and bustling with activity.

In the palace's grand banquet hall, the nobles, celebrities, ministers, crown princes, and wealthy merchants of the Yadis Kingdom were dressed in their finest, mingling amidst the clinking of glasses.

The crystal chandelier overhead cast a brilliant glow, refracting the red wine in the guests' glasses into enchanting ripples.

The guests were deep in pleasant conversation.

"Let me tell you, that battle was truly perilous. Germa 66 is truly worthy of being called an evil army, and their commander, Vinsmoke Judge, was as powerful as a monster..."

On one side of the banquet hall, Gion's partner, dressed in a brand-new tuxedo, looked quite dashing. He swirled his glass of red wine, bragging shamelessly to a group of noble ladies and young misses:

"You probably don't know this, but he used extremely advanced high-tech weaponry. The electricity released from his spear could knock an elephant unconscious instantly."

Hearing this, the ladies and misses covered their mouths with their hands, letting out gasps of shock.

"And then?"

"And then?" Gion's partner deliberately lowered his voice, making it sound magnetic, and imitated Darren's demeanor, smiling "indifferently":

"The power of Germa technology is indeed strong, but I am a genius who has been tempered through fire and blood at Navy Headquarters. How could a mere Vinsmoke Judge be a match for me?"

"With just a casual kick, I sent that guy flying over a dozen meters away."

"Facing the majesty of justice, he still tried to struggle in his final moments. In the end, I found him too noisy, so I just shut his mouth for him."

The ladies and misses widened their eyes, staring at Gion's partner with sparkling gazes. The adoration in their eyes made the latter feel incredibly smug.

"How amazing, Major!"

"Truly worthy of being a genius from Navy Headquarters!"

"To think such a powerful 'evil army' as Germa 66 was so easily crushed by you."

Facing the flattery of the crowd, Gion's partner felt as if every pore on his body had opened up in delight.

The North Blue is truly the best...

So many gorgeously dressed noble ladies and misses, the finest red wine, top-tier cigars, and spectacular dance performances...

No wonder that bastard Darren always stayed in this place.

As for the truth behind those words?

Well, when the war broke out, the Germa Kingdom was quite a distance from the coastline, and with the thick sea mist blocking the view, even the Yadis Kingdom's army couldn't see exactly what had happened, let alone these ladies and misses who were safely in the capital of Werner.

Having clarified the details in his mind, Gion's partner took a light sip of red wine, puffed on his cigar with a melancholic air, and sighed despondently:

"Do you know?"

"I have spent my entire life searching for a decent opponent. I thought coming to the North Blue might bring this genius a little bit of fun, but I never expected to be so disappointed in the end."

Upon hearing this, the ladies and misses were even more stunned, staring at Gion's partner with glowing eyes and sighing in admiration.

"If even the Major is this powerful, then just how formidable must Lord Darren be..."

"That's right, Lord Darren is not only incredibly powerful, but he's also so handsome and charming..."

"Exactly, exactly..."

Recalling the appearance of that supreme commander of the North Blue Navy, a shy blush appeared on the faces of the young ladies, while the noblewomen looked on with infatuated eyes, appearing as if they were in the throes of spring fever.

Gion's partner: ...

Wait, did none of you hear a word I said?

Wasn't this supposed to be about this genius? How did it end up back on that bastard Darren again!?

That guy didn't even attend this banquet, for heaven's sake!

Gion's partner couldn't help but roar internally, his facial muscles twitching as his complexion gradually darkened.

He took a fierce drag of his cigar, his face full of indignation.

"Um... Mr. Gion's partner..."

At that moment, a timid voice suddenly sounded from behind him.

He turned around instinctively to see a girl wearing a white lace dress standing there with a slightly flushed face, her fair little hands twisting together in front of her, radiating a shy, youthful aura.

What a beautiful, pure girl!

Gion's partner felt as if his heart had been struck by something; his pulse skipped a beat, and his eyes suddenly shot out a pair of red hearts.

Love!! This is love!!

He screamed frantically in his heart.

"Um... Mr. Gion's partner, I would like to..."

The girl shyly raised her eyes, cast a timid glance at him, and then quickly withdrew it in fear, looking as adorable as a startled little deer as she murmured:

"Have... your Den Den Mushi... contact information..."

She's shy!!

She wants my Den Den Mushi contact number!

She must have heard about my "achievements"!

She likes me!!

Gion's partner felt as if he had been struck by lightning, nodding his head frantically in a flurry:

"No problem, I'll give you my private Den Den Mushi number right now."

The corners of his mouth couldn't stop curling upward.

"No... I wanted to ask if you happen to know... Mr. Darren's contact information?" the girl said, shaking her head with a slightly reddened face.

Crack!

Gion's partner felt as if his heart had been struck by something; his heartbeat stopped entirely, and the red hearts in his eyes instantly petrified and shattered.

Under the girl's bewildered gaze, He slumped like a deflated balloon, turned around in a petrified state, and walked with a desolate back toward the corner of the banquet hall, where he crouched down and remained motionless.

Two lines of tears streamed down his face, unable to be held back.

Not far away, Gion, dressed in a high-slit pink evening gown, declined a dance invitation for the fifteenth time, glanced at Gion's partner crouching in the corner and emitting gloomy black smoke, and felt her mouth twitch.

She took a sip of red wine, as if remembering something, gritted her silver teeth, and clenched her fists.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Darren had also arrived at the port and boarded the warship.