"Answer me!"
The Vice Admiral's furious roar cracked through the square like a thunderclap on dry earth—and echoed through every Marine base across the entire world.
It was deafening.
The shockwave from his Conqueror's Haki whipped through the air, flinging garments and rattling the very souls of everyone present.
But even that overwhelming force couldn't compare to the weight of Daren's words.
His voice, sharp as a blade, pierced straight into the hearts of every Marine, leaving their minds blank with stunned silence.
No one spoke.
No one dared to.
Because deep down, they all knew—
Was the great battle to defend Marineford really a victory?
This was supposed to be the stronghold of the Marines. The Holy Land of Justice.
And yet… it had been breached—by pirates.
After killing tens of thousands and reducing most of Marineford to rubble, they had turned and left with arrogant ease.
And the so-called rulers of the sea—the Marines—had done nothing but watch.
How could that possibly be a victory?
"This was a defeat!"
"This was a disgrace to the Marines!!"
Daren shouted, his rage boiling over, eyes bloodshot with fury.
The crowd stirred, visibly shaken.
Their faces contorted with conflict, their hearts churning with grief, confusion, denial.
Zephyr, Sengoku, and Kong exchanged glances, mouths parting—but not a single word came. In the end, they too fell silent.
Because even they couldn't argue against it.
Daren was right.
A smirk crept deeper onto Borsalino's face.
Sakazuki's fierce gaze sharpened, and his gloved fists slowly clenched.
...
On the high platform, Daren took a long breath, as if wrestling to keep his emotions in check.
He looked out at the countless faces below—so many marked with grief, doubt, and pain—and finally let out a sigh.
"I know... these words are hard to accept."
"But they're the truth."
"No matter how much we dress it up, no matter how we try to hide it—the truth is still the truth."
"Our Holy Land of Justice was nearly taken."
"Marine Headquarters was almost sunk beneath the sea, reduced to dust... and a joke in the eyes of the world."
He paused for a moment, hesitation flickering in his eyes—but it was quickly replaced by determination.
"A few days ago, the senior brass at HQ spoke to me about this graduation ceremony."
"They all agreed—after everything we'd suffered in the war, the trauma and loss were already heavy enough. They didn't want to burden everyone with more, so they asked me to give an uplifting speech."
"Fleet Admiral Kong, Admiral Sengoku… their concerns were valid. Honestly, I agreed with them at first."
"We'd celebrate, lift our spirits, rebuild Marineford... and everything would return to normal."
"But do you know what?"
A glimmer of sorrow flashed in Daren's eyes.
"I couldn't do it."
"I thought I could, but when it came down to it, I couldn't say the words."
"Because when I look at all of you… when I see the pain you're hiding—your grief for loved ones, for friends, for lovers and comrades lost... when I hear these hollow words trying to paint a picture of peace…"
"I just can't do it."
"All I see is sadness. All around me—ruins."
"I can't deny that harsh, bitter reality."
Daren clenched his fists tight.
"I... find it hard not to be angry."
He raised his head, his piercing gaze sweeping across every face in the crowd.
"Even pirates understand the meaning of vengeance—yet the Marines cower."
"Yes, I'll admit it. We are in pain. We are under pressure."
"Marineford must be rebuilt. The wounded need care. The dead must be honored. We need funding... Marine Headquarters is standing on the brink."
"I know you're afraid. But…"
"Are we—the righteous Marines—just going to stand by and let pirates flaunt their power above our heads?"
"Are we going to let them run free in our seas?"
"Are we going to swallow this humiliation and crawl through life like cowards!?"
With each line, his voice rose, sharper and more impassioned. Faces across the square turned red, their eyes filled with emotion.
"No!!"
Daren's eyes burned crimson. He stepped forward, throwing his hand out forcefully.
"We are Marines!"
"We carry justice on our shoulders!"
"When faced with pirates and their evil, I say this..."
He took a deep breath, his voice echoing like thunder across the heavens.
"No compromise!!"
In an instant, the crowd erupted.
"Well said!!"
"No compromise!!"
"That's right! Mourning won't bring back the dead—those pirates are still in the New World! Let's take the fight to them!!"
"War! War!!"
...
One after another, Marines surged to their feet, their grief replaced by seething fury. The flames of rage blazed high.
They waved their arms, eyes locked on the man on stage—Rogers Daren.
To them, he was now the hope of true victory.
Sengoku's face went pale.
None of this had gone how he imagined.
Was Daren... rallying for a full-scale war against the Great Pirates of the New World!?
Kong's expression darkened, clouded and shifting.
He hadn't expected Daren to seize the stage like this, igniting the emotions of the entire military... the situation had spun out of control.
Zephyr stood stunned, shaken by what he was witnessing.
Borsalino finally cracked a satisfied smirk and murmured to himself, just barely audible,
"You really went for it… Daren."
Beside him, Sakazuki's eyes glinted with newfound intensity.
Tokikake swallowed nervously, darting glances around the rapidly spiraling crowd.
"No compromise!!"
As the cries reached their peak, Daren raised his arms high and bellowed,
"Will we let the pirates continue to strut across the seas?"
"Will we let the flag of justice be smeared with filth?"
"Will we allow this great, free ocean to fall into the hands of criminals?"
"Never! I swear it—we will never abandon our duty to hunt them down!"
"Brothers in arms, comrades... trust me—we will win!"
Amid a storm of battle cries and thunderous roars, under a sea of raised fists and the eyes of the world watching from Marine Headquarters and beyond...
The newly appointed Vice Admiral drew the sword at his waist, its blade flashing as it pointed toward the horizon.
Toward the New World.
"The age of the Marines hiding in safety is over!"
"The New World... is our true battleground!"
His defiant voice echoed outward, carried on a surge of force that tore the air, whipping his wide Vice Admiral cloak behind him like a banner in the wind.
As if answering his call, every seagull-adorned flag in Marine Headquarters snapped to life in unison, blotting out the sky.
Daren raised his sword and roared:
"From this day, upon my graduation—I, Rogers Daren, will take the lead and command the G5 Marine base in the New World!"
"We will not back down until the mission is complete!"
He drew a deep breath and shouted with all his might:
"—Eradicate every last pirate!!"
Just then, a sword cry split the air like lightning.
BOOM!
A streak of black, overwhelming energy burst from the earth, ripping through the sky and hovering high above the square.
Everyone recognized the blade at once.
The cursed sword—Enma!
Enma quaked violently, resonating with its master's unyielding fighting spirit.
Its chilling aura swept outward, stoking the fury and bloodlust in every Marine.
"No compromise!!"
The crowd erupted again, a tidal wave of rage. Their eyes gleamed red with killing intent.
"Set sail! Hunt the pirates!"
Kuzan waved his arms wildly, face flushed with passion.
Below the stage, Garp smashed his stool to pieces and roared, teeth clenched,
"I'm heading out right now—to kill that bastard Roger!"
Kong, Sengoku, and Zephyr stood frozen, speechless before the rising storm.
"It's over…"
At last, a satisfied smile appeared on Daren's face.
It was time for the final blow.
Clenching his fist, he raised his voice with resolute conviction.
"All of you who carry justice—join me on the frontlines."
He flashed a bold grin.
"This time, I'll lead you... to true victory."
With a sharp clang, Daren sheathed his sword.
His snow-white cloak billowed behind him, heavy with iron resolve.
"Justice will prevail—and I'll be waiting for you... at the Fortress of Justice."