The North Blue Admiral's Condolences and Consolation

At that moment, Gion and Gion's partner suddenly felt that the world before them was utterly absurd, as if they had fallen into a dream.

Their lips parted slightly, but they couldn't utter a word.

This... No matter how you looked at it, something was wrong!!

Even if someone had killed a Celestial Dragon and been careful enough not to get caught, there was no way they'd get promoted because of it...

Though they were only speculating, and had no concrete evidence proving Darren was the one who killed Saint Childers.

Darren really had mastered the games of power and politics.

He'd clearly and keenly grasped the World Government's "political needs," effortlessly solving a dilemma that had given even Admiral Sengoku a headache.

Thinking back on it, with Darren's cunning and scheming, wouldn't making the two of them disappear from North Blue without a trace be child's play!?

As soon as the thought crossed their minds, a hint of fear crept into their gazes as they looked at Darren.

"Then I'll thank Admiral Sengoku in advance for your support."

Darren saw right through the ever-changing expressions of the two little troublemakers, Gion and her partner. A faint smile appeared on his face as he raised a hand and gave Sengoku a crisp military salute.

"Good. Excellent spirit."

Sengoku smiled with satisfaction.

"Then I'll be on my way..."

He glanced at the two bewildered young officers beside him, Gion and her partner, then added after a moment's thought:

"I'll leave these two young ones in your care."

Darren readily agreed with a smile.

"No problem, Admiral Sengoku."

With that, Sengoku turned and boarded the warship.

Amid the North Blue Marines' booming salute cannons and farewell shouts, the flagship of Marine Headquarters Admiral Sengoku, the Sengoku, slowly raised its sails.

The fierce sea breeze billowed the sails, making the two bold characters, "Justice," look stern and vigorous.

"Set sail!!"

A young Marine called out from the warship's crow's nest.

The helm was raised, the anchor turned, and the fortress-like warship sailed out of the harbor into the cool sea breeze.

Sengoku gave one last distant salute to the North Blue Marines gathered at the harbor, with Darren at their head, brimming with confidence.

He then turned around and saw someone sprawled on the deck, basking in the sun. The corner of his mouth twitched.

"Hm?"

Sengoku soon noticed a large pile of wooden crates of various sizes at the rear of the cabin.

"Borsalino, what's this?"

He called out.

At the sound of his voice, Borsalino slowly rose from his deck chair and ambled over, stretching as he went.

"Oh, this..."

He rubbed the stubble on his chin and smiled.

"...It's a parting gift from Colonel Darren."

Sengoku froze. A sudden, ominous feeling welled up inside him, and his expression grew stern.

That brat Darren hadn't sent him money, had he?

That would be troublesome to handle.

He hurried over and opened all the crates.

The moment he saw what was inside, Sengoku paused.

Cigars, senbei, tea leaves, doughnuts, fine liquor, fruit... A dazzling assortment of goods filled one side of the cabin.

As Sengoku looked over the little mountain of supplies, the sternness in his eyes gradually softened.

The gifts weren't expensive, just mid-range brands that an ordinary family could afford.

The cigars were the brand Fleet Admiral Kong liked to smoke;

The senbei were the kind he himself liked to eat;

The jasmine tea was Tsuru's favorite;

Garp couldn't go a day without doughnuts;

The liquor was Zephyr's favorite Sherry;

Fruit was one of the most important supplies on a long voyage, after fresh water and food, and could prevent scurvy...

Sengoku stood before the pile of little gifts in silence for a long while, then suddenly smiled and shook his head.

"That brat Darren really put some thought into this."

He spoke with some emotion.

But in the next second, his expression changed, and he leapt up, roaring:

"—Borsalino, you bastard!! What are you doing!?"

Borsalino froze, his hand hovering over a bunch of bananas.

"I wanted some fruit, Admiral Sengoku."

Looking at Borsalino's "innocent" expression, Sengoku felt his anger flare.

"These are gifts Darren sent me!"

Borsalino stared blankly for a moment, then helplessly raised both hands in surrender.

"Of course..."

He turned away and muttered under his breath:

"You're getting stingier and stingier..."

Sengoku's mouth twitched violently.

Red Line.

Mary Geoise, the Holy Land.

A small building belonging to the World Government.

"My lords, this is the confidential investigation report submitted by North Blue Admiral Darren."

A CP0 agent in a stark white silk robe knelt on one knee and respectfully presented a document.

The Five Elders exchanged glances.

"That was quick, for the little brat Darren..."

"He certainly has considerable talent."

"Damocles... Your eye for people is as sharp as ever."

"..."

Hearing his colleagues' praise, Saint Damocles curled his lips into a self-satisfied smile.

That young Marine, Darren, hadn't disappointed him.

In just one day, he'd found a solution that satisfied everyone.

"But Damocles... Why has Saint Childers's family in the Holy Land suddenly quieted down?"

Saint Solomon asked, wiping his sinister purple-black katana.

The other Five Elders looked toward Saint Damocles as well.

Although Darren's solution was quite ingenious and had given them grounds to withstand pressure from the Holy Land Council of Elders, Saint Childers's family was no pushover.

Among the Celestial Dragon families in the Holy Land, they were known for being "arrogant," "rude," "stubborn," "twisted," and "extremely greedy."

Saint Damocles smiled.

"Three hours ago, a merchant ship from North Blue entered the inland sea of the Red Line. After passing through multiple inspections, it made its way into the Land of the Gods."

"More than a billion Beli in gold and treasure, along with countless rare North Blue specialties, were unloaded from the ship and delivered to Saint Childers's family estate."

"The merchant caravan's manager handed Saint Childers's father a letter. The gist of it was... North Blue Admiral Rogers Darren expressed his deepest condolences and profound sorrow over the losses suffered by Saint Childers's family, and offered a modest consolation gift to the great Celestial Dragons."

At this point, Saint Damocles's smile turned mocking.

"Apparently, ten minutes after receiving this 'consolation payment,' Cipher Pol received an order to provide an escort for a Celestial Dragon's outing."

"Saint Childers's father, Saint Child, is already on his way to the Pleasure District in the New World."

The other four Elders: ...

(Note: The Pleasure District is a famous illicit area in the New World, the largest red-light district in the world of One Piece, like Kabukicho.)