Beside him, Staff Officer Tsuru wore an expression of disbelief, eyes locked on the Den Den Mushi.
"Daren, what the hell are you doing in Wano Country!?"
Hearing that familiar, mysterious tone in Daren's voice, Sengoku felt a wave of dread rise in his chest.
He had heard this same cocky, troublemaking tone too many times before—
Right before the ambush on "World Destroyer" Byrnndi World in the North Blue;
When they resolved the Celestial Dragon murder case in the North Blue;
At the officer training camp graduation;
And just a few hours ago, before the lightning raid on Totto Land...
Every time, this tone meant only one thing—trouble.
The tangled politics of Wano Country, the public and diplomatic pressure... Thoughts flew through Sengoku's mind, and the more he considered it, the worse it felt.
The image of Fukkura Town on Yakigashi Island in Totto Land being flattened in an instant flashed vividly before him.
That damn brat... Don't tell me he's planning to stir things up in Wano?
The thought made Sengoku's scalp tingle.
"Admiral Sengoku, I just finished my mission and had nothing better to do, so I figured I'd take a little trip to Wano Country."
Daren's voice came through the Den Den Mushi with a relaxed, almost lazy tone—too relaxed. But it made Sengoku and Tsuru's hearts race.
If you've got nothing to do, can't you just come back to HQ?
Or head over to the Pleasure District for a drink and a show—anything but this!
Why the hell did you have to go to Wano!?
Sengoku clenched his teeth, frustration all over his face.
"You brat, you should know better than I do what kind of place Wano Country is!"
"That country's political situation is a mess, with all kinds of samurai factions entrenched there... Do you realize the political impact of a Marine suddenly showing up in Wano Country!?"
"What if you clash with one of those factions!? Those hard-headed maniacs aren't exactly known for being reasonable!"
Even though Wano maintained a strict isolationist policy and was practically cut off from the rest of the world, thanks to Marine intelligence networks and seafaring rumors, Sengoku had learned a thing or two about Wano's samurai.
They were lunatics with no regard for their own lives.
Driven by their so-called "bushido," they fought for the honor and dignity of their lord, drawing their swords at the slightest provocation.
If they could win, they fought to the death. If they couldn't, they'd still go down swinging.
Even the Marines—strong as they were—had no desire to make enemies of those stubborn, rigid, and absurdly powerful warriors.
It wasn't a matter of strength—it was that they were a nightmare to deal with.
And if Daren really got into it with the samurai factions in Wano, this wouldn't just be about the Marines fighting pirates anymore.
This would escalate to an international diplomatic incident.
The Marines attacking a neutral nation?
Even if Wano wasn't part of the World Government, such a move would surely spark backlash from other powerful neutral countries across the seas!
"Of course I understand, Admiral Sengoku."
Despite Sengoku's mounting frustration, the Vice Admiral's tone didn't shift one bit. He still spoke with that same carefree drawl.
"But I think you'll be very interested in what I'm about to tell you."
"What kind of bullshit news!? I don't want to hear it! Daren, don't you dare cause trouble. I'm ordering you to return immediately—before the samurai forces of Wano spot you... evacuate at once!!"
Sengoku was losing it now, yelling into the Den Den Mushi.
But what Daren said next left him frozen.
"I found a massive weapons production facility in Wano—one that dwarfs even the Beasts Pirates' base."
Sengoku's pupils shrank.
He and Tsuru instinctively looked at each other, both seeing the disbelief mirrored in the other's eyes.
They knew exactly how large the Beasts Pirates' military facility had been.
It was large enough to equip the entire active Marine force—twice over.
A military production line of that magnitude... in Wano!?
But Wano was a closed-off country.
A nation that hadn't waged war on others, and one that other nations didn't dare attack.
And most of the powerful groups in Wano were samurai.
Everyone knew samurai prided themselves on swordsmanship and looked down on guns and other firearms with disdain.
A factory churning out standardized military-grade weapons? That was the last thing Wano should need.
But now Daren was saying he'd discovered one?
That made no sense!
Why would those samurai need that many weapons?
Were they preparing for a world war?...
"Daren, are you sure?"
Sengoku's tone turned serious at once, his brows furrowing tightly.
"I'm not a man who likes to joke around, Admiral Sengoku."
Daren replied with a smile.
Sengoku's mouth twitched slightly.
Then he heard Daren continue,
"But since Admiral Sengoku isn't interested in this information, I'll follow your orders and withdraw immediately."
Sengoku: ...
Tsuru: ...
Sengoku clutched his chest and gritted his teeth.
"Hurry up and tell me, you brat!!"
...
On the other end of the Den Den Mushi—
High above the clouds.
Daren squinted, gazing into the distance at the vast complex sprawling across the Kuri region of Wano Country.
Majestic black chimneys rose from the structures, pouring out thick black smoke.
The entire military factory complex was nestled in the mountains, stretching outward in all directions. From above, it looked like an endless black sea.
Found you, Kaidou...
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly as he smiled.
"I see the flag of the Beasts Pirates."
The Den Den Mushi went dead silent.
Daren could almost hear Sengoku gasp from the other side.
Three seconds later, Sengoku's solemn voice came through:
"Daren, you did well."
"I didn't expect Kaidou to have invaded Wano Country. This intel is extremely important to the Marines!"
"However, this touches on global diplomacy and public perception. You must not act rashly. This needs to be thoroughly discussed at headquarters—"
"Bru!"
Daren cut the Den Den Mushi connection.
...
Marineford, Marine Headquarters.
Admiral's office.
Sengoku stared blankly at the now-silent military Den Den Mushi in front of him, his expression slowly turning ashen and stiff.
"That brat... How dare he... hang up on me?"
He mumbled, dazed, as if unable to believe what had just happened.
Staff Officer Tsuru looked at Sengoku's face, which was steadily shifting from pale to dark with frustration. The corner of her mouth twitched as she coughed lightly.
"It must've been a bad signal. Yes, that must be it."
Though, even her tone didn't sound too sure.