"Darren!!!"
Gion glared furiously at the newly appointed North Blue Admiral before her, who sat with his legs crossed and a flippant look in his eyes. She nearly ground her teeth to dust, her chest heaving with anger.
Before coming to North Blue, she had already heard one or two unsavory rumors about this man.
He was lecherous, depraved, corrupt, abused his authority, lived a debauched lifestyle, played favorites, and had countless connections with North Blue's political and business circles, not to mention the Mafia and underground forces.
She had even prepared herself for some of it in advance.
But she could never have imagined, not in her wildest dreams, that a Marine who was supposed to stand for "justice" could sink to such depths!
That sort of vulgar, indecent, filthy behavior—how could Darren describe it as "caring for the people" and "military-civilian cooperation"!?
Gion could barely bring herself to look at those two words, which should have been so wholesome and harmonious.
"What happened to your idea of justice!? How can you do this and still wear the Marine coat on your back? Does discipline mean nothing to you!?"
She unleashed a furious triple barrage.
"What you're doing doesn't just damage your own reputation. It brings shame on the entire Marines!"
As if to prove her point, she turned to confirm with Gion's partner:
"Am I right, Gion's partner?"
"...I never imagined caring for the people could mean caring for them that much. What a genius... Ah, you're right, Gion!"
Gion's partner, who had been muttering distractedly to himself, jolted as if struck by lightning. His wandering gaze instantly turned "righteous." He slammed his hand on the table and glared at Darren.
"That's right, Darren! You're a disgrace to the Marines!"
Darren gave him an amused look.
"So you don't want to, Gion's partner?"
"Of course I do... No, that's not what I meant. I mean, of course I care for the people!"
Gion's partner held his neck stiffly, his face flushed red.
Darren smiled, exhaled a stream of smoke like a dragon, and turned his gaze back to Gion's angry, pretty face. He spoke unhurriedly.
"This sort of thing is consensual. Lady Margery is happy, and I'm happy. It's a win-win."
Win-win, my ass!
Gion couldn't accept this "twisted logic." She gritted her teeth.
"But the governor of the Yadis Kingdom certainly won't be happy! What kind of political consequences will this cause if he finds out!?"
"—Who says Governor Tyrrell won't be happy?" Darren suddenly said with a knowing smile.
Gion froze, then seemed to realize something. She sat there, stunned.
Gion's partner gaped too, looking utterly bewildered.
The same unbelievable thought surfaced in both their minds...
Could it be... Could it really be...
Darren lightly tapped the ash from his cigar and continued.
"Besides, this sort of thing isn't really a big problem. I don't hide it. Since you know about it, Headquarters naturally knows too..."
"But why has no one at Headquarters ever tried to impeach me? Why has Admiral Sengoku never called me to account? Have you ever wondered about that?"
He slowly rose and planted his broad palms on the conference table, leaning forward slightly. His posture was intensely imposing.
A faint, domineering, aloof, and icy aura gradually radiated from him.
As Darren's smile slowly faded, Gion and Gion's partner both felt a chill creep through them.
Darren looked down at the two "second-generation officers" from Headquarters and said coolly:
"Because I get things done."
"You say I'm damaging the Marines' image. Then tell me, what kind of image do the officers from Headquarters in Marineford have?"
At his words, Gion and Gion's partner were left speechless.
They thought of Vice Admiral Garp, who picked his nose and slept in.
They thought of the "Great Senbei," Admiral Sengoku, who talked to goats and muttered to himself.
They also thought of the two "monsters" of the younger generation, Sakazuki and Borsalino.
One used the most ruthless methods to deal with pirates, not hesitating to harm civilians to complete his missions.
The other was sarcastic all day long and said, "How scary," no matter what he saw...
Thinking about it that way, they suddenly realized that the Marines' image... wasn't all that great either.
No, that wasn't right!
Gion suddenly realized that she couldn't let him talk his way out of this.
But just as she was about to speak, Darren waved her off.
"That's enough, you two. It's time for my training. If you're interested, come along. I'll be waiting for you on the training grounds."
"If you have a problem with the way I do things, I'd be more than happy to spar with two elites from Headquarters."
He put out his cigar, tossed a fresh box of cigars to Gion's partner, then strode out of the base commander's office.
Darren paused as he stepped through the office door.
"Oh, right. There's one more thing I forgot to say."
He turned around with an amused smile.
"Though I smoke, drink, love money, lust after women, enjoy killing, and have an overwhelming desire for power, I believe I'm a good Marine."
"Compared with those high-minded, useless fools with no talent who achieve nothing, I'm a whole lot better."
He waved, his smile broad.
Then he left the office, and the door slowly closed behind him.
Gion and Gion's partner sat there in a daze. Only after a while did Gion finally snap out of it.
"That bastard! I don't believe a word of that twisted logic!"
She gritted her teeth, took out the Military Den Den Mushi, and dialed Headquarters.
"Gion, what are you...?"
Gion's partner tucked the box of cigars away and asked curiously.
"I'm reporting Darren's conduct to Headquarters!"
Gion stared intently at the Den Den Mushi as it kept ringing, "Buru, buru."
Soon, the call connected.
"Buru!"
"Hahahaha, little Gion! Have you arrived in North Blue? How are things there?"
A hearty laugh came through the line. The Den Den Mushi vividly imitated Admiral Sengoku of Marine Headquarters, complete with his seagull hat and round, black-rimmed glasses.
"Reporting, Admiral Sengoku. I've arrived at Branch 321."
Gion spoke solemnly and by the book.
"But while carrying out my inspection, I discovered that Colonel Darren's personal conduct is so seriously problematic that it could damage the Marines' image and even cause political conflict!"
"While carrying out my inspection, I discovered that Colonel Darren's personal conduct is so seriously problematic that it could damage the Marines' image and even cause political conflict!"
Anger colored Gion's voice.
"Oh?"
Admiral Sengoku's puzzled voice came through the Den Den Mushi.
"What's the problem? From what I remember, that boy Darren is quite capable..."
"Quite capable..."
Maybe Darren's "caring for the people" had corrupted her, because Gion couldn't help feeling that something about those words sounded wrong.
She opened her mouth, her face gradually flushing as she stammered.
"He... He... He..."
The matter was so embarrassing that she couldn't bring herself to say it.
Gion's partner snatched the Den Den Mushi from her and shouted angrily:
"He slept with the governor of the Yadis Kingdom's wife!!"
Sengoku: ...
On the other end of the Den Den Mushi.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford. The Admiral's office.
Sengoku stared at the Den Den Mushi, his face dark as Gion's partner ranted with "righteous indignation."
"Admiral Sengoku, I strongly recommend that Darren be dismissed and investigated!"
"That's the wife of a kingdom's governor! She's still quite the beauty, too!"
Sengoku's face darkened even further.
Look, dismissing and investigating him was one thing. They could discuss that.
But why did he keep bringing up Lady Margery's looks?
"Ah, so it's that."
Sengoku muttered.
Gion and Gion's partner were both stunned by Admiral Sengoku's response.
What did "ah" mean?
That was it!?
"Admiral Sengoku... Your attitude..."
Gion sounded displeased.
Sengoku scratched his head.
"Gion, there are some things you don't know. That boy Darren does have plenty of problems. Your sister Tsuru and I are both well aware of that."
"This problem you mentioned... It's not the first time."
"Your sister Tsuru's naval administration and inspection departments have received so many complaints and reports about Darren that they're piled up like a mountain."
"As far as I know, this sort of thing has happened hundreds of times, if not a thousand."
Gion's partner was left stunned, trembling all over.
Hundreds of times, if not a thousand!?
So that bastard Darren had "cared for" hundreds of top-notch noblewomen like Margery?
He had "cooperated with the military" hundreds of times!?
What a... beast!
He took several long drags on his cigar.
Gion looked even more incredulous.
"Then why was he promoted to North Blue Admiral? If he keeps running wild like this, he'll turn all of North Blue into a complete mess."
Hearing this, Sengoku sighed inwardly. Gion was still too young and inexperienced. It seemed sending her to North Blue to see things for herself really had been necessary.
"Gion, is there a fax machine near you?"
Gion glanced around and spotted one in a corner of the office.
"Yes."
"I'll send you a document. Destroy it as soon as you've read it."
Soon, the fax machine rattled, and a military document appeared before Gion and Gion's partner.
"This is the report Darren submitted to Headquarters when he applied for promotion to North Blue Admiral. It details his time as commander of Branch 321 over the past two years."
Gion and Gion's partner exchanged a look, then opened the report and quickly leafed through it.
The further they read, the wider their eyes grew. Both looked astonished.
"Do you understand now?"
Sengoku's voice held a hint of significance.
"North Blue is chaotic. It's the most turbulent sea among the four seas."
"This sea has a deep-rooted history of Mafia activity and a persistently high crime rate. Many smuggling and black-market trade routes that run through the Grand Line have important bases and outposts here."
"Wars break out constantly among the countries of North Blue. And the 'evil army' Germa 66 is always seeking to dominate North Blue and restore the glory of the Germa Kingdom."
"But take a close look at this report..."
"During Darren's tenure, crime and pirate numbers across North Blue were brought under control. The Mafia factions left one another alone, the kingdom wars came to a halt, and people in the various kingdoms saw a marked improvement in their standard of living."
"This is the most stable era in the history of 'chaotic North Blue.'"
Gion listened, dazed, then reflexively argued:
"But Admiral Sengoku... Weren't the Headquarters prodigies, Rear Admirals Borsalino and Sakazuki, stationed in North Blue before?"
"Are you saying Darren is even better at governing than they were?"
She found it hard to believe.
Borsalino and Sakazuki were "monsters" from Headquarters, already acknowledged as "future Admirals."
At Gion's words, the corner of Sengoku's mouth twitched. His expression grew even more troubled, and he sighed.
"Gion... You still don't know those two well enough."
"While Borsalino was stationed in North Blue, he barely did any work unless Headquarters gave him a direct order. The pirates grew more and more rampant, and Headquarters finally couldn't take it anymore and decided to transfer him."
"What about Rear Admiral Sakazuki?" Gion asked, first startled, then refusing to give up.
Sengoku sighed again.
"Sakazuki... Why do you think he was transferred out of North Blue?"
"That boy ignored the political sensitivities between kingdoms and the safety of civilians. He used brutal force against every pirate he came across, causing severe damage to many towns and countries..."
"In the end, the countries of North Blue had 'had enough.' More than ten Affiliated Kingdoms expressed their dissatisfaction with him and joined forces to pressure Headquarters. Headquarters had no choice but to transfer him out."
Gion: ...
Gion's partner: ...
Sengoku rubbed his forehead and continued with a headache:
All in all, given the unique situation in the North Blue, only Darren could strike the right balance.
"Unlike you two, who grew up comfortably in Marineford, that kid Darren is a true North Blue native. He climbed all the way from the lowest rank of private to where he is today, so he must have something going for him."
"His record is impressive, and so is his strength. He acts decisively without losing his touch for diplomacy. In a place like the North Blue, he gets along just as well with the underworld as he does with the law-abiding world."
"And do you know something else?"
"Both Sakazuki and Borsalino supported his application for promotion to North Blue Admiral."
"Darren has earned those two men's approval... That alone is proof of his abilities and methods."
At this point, Sengoku's tone turned earnest, as though an elder were patiently advising the younger generation.
"You two—especially you, Gion—grew up at Headquarters. Your understanding of justice and the Marines is still very limited."
"Actually, Tsuru and I sent you to the North Blue this time because we wanted you to broaden your horizons and learn as much as you could."
"That kid Darren is cunning and clever. You'll learn far more by staying by his side than you ever could at Headquarters."
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