Sengoku: ...
He suddenly slammed his palm on the desk and roared in fury,
"That bastard Daren! Who the hell does he think he is!?"
"I'm an Admiral of headquarters—his direct superior! And he dares hang up on me!?"
"I've never had a mere Vice Admiral hang up on me before!!"
Staff Officer Tsuru, standing nearby, suddenly chimed in,
"Didn't Garp do that all the time?"
Sengoku: ...
He glared at Tsuru, who was trying to stifle her laughter. His heart felt even more stifled.
"Tsuru... you've changed."
Sengoku muttered,
"You weren't like this before."
Tsuru simply smiled and pressed her lips together.
She wasn't actually that old—not even fifty—but years of managing the Marines' endless internal affairs day and night had taken a toll. Her long, dark hair was already streaked with gray.
Yet time had not diminished her elegance. The crow's feet at her eyes and her silvered hair only added a distinct, weathered charm.
"Don't worry, Sengoku. Daren may be reckless, but he usually knows where the line is."
"He's just as politically sharp as you are. Don't forget how effortlessly he maneuvered through things back when he was stationed in North Blue."
Tsuru's calm, steady tone helped Sengoku settle down.
He took a long drag from his cigar, crossed his arms, and paced the office with a deep frown.
After a moment, he suddenly stopped, his tone firm.
"Still, I don't feel at ease. We should go see Fleet Admiral Kong."
Tsuru nodded in agreement.
If Daren really intended to go to war with Kaidou in Wano, they needed to be ready to support him at any moment.
This wasn't a decision the two of them could make alone.
...
They quickly made their way to the Fleet Admiral's office.
After waking Kong, who had been resting, they laid out the situation in a few concise sentences.
"Daren wants to go to war with the Beasts Pirates in Wano!?"
The moment he heard it, Kong snapped awake, any trace of sleep gone.
"Damn it! Sengoku, why didn't you stop him!?"
Sengoku hesitated, caught off guard.
Just as he was about to blurt out an excuse, he caught Tsuru signaling to him from the corner of his eye.
He froze briefly—then immediately adjusted, speaking in a low, steady voice.
"Fleet Admiral Kong, just as you suspected, I tried to stop him."
"But the Den Den Mushi had a poor signal. The call cut off before I could finish."
Sengoku's face was all seriousness, as if stating an undeniable truth.
It suddenly clicked.
Daren had deliberately hung up—to shield Sengoku from taking any responsibility for this "unauthorized" action.
Even if something happened, Sengoku, as a Marine Admiral, wouldn't be held accountable.
That brat Daren... not bad at all.
Sengoku muttered inwardly.
Kong looked momentarily stunned by Sengoku's words.
Tsuru spoke up at just the right moment.
"Fleet Admiral Kong, Wano's terrain is unique. The surrounding sea currents are chaotic. It's possible the magnetic field or signals were affected unpredictably."
Kong didn't question them—he just pressed his fingers to his temples with a sigh.
"Damn it... why now, of all times!"
"In that case, we need to prepare to mobilize on our end too."
He rose from his seat, powerful hands pressing firmly onto the desk as his expression turned sharp and commanding.
"We need to be ready on all fronts. That includes handling the political fallout!"
Sengoku and Tsuru straightened, raising their hands in salute.
"Yes, Fleet Admiral Kong!"
...
Wano Country.
Kuri Region.
Inside a palace built in traditional Japanese style.
"Kaidou-san, the outer defenses are complete. All major ports have been sealed off by the elite forces of the Beasts Pirates!"
King, exuding a cold and deadly aura, knelt on one knee and reported in a deep voice.
Hearing this, Kaidou's unease eased slightly.
The plan and setup in Wano were the cornerstone of his ambition to rule the seas.
He had long realized that if he wanted to dominate the New World and start an unprecedented war, his own strength alone wasn't enough.
Powerful subordinates, a massive force, a large army, and the military resources to plunge the world into chaos—
All were essential parts of his plan to build an anarchic "pirate empire."
Only by gaining firm control over Wano Country—a land rich in minerals and military resources, with an advantageous location—could he hope to compete with the others.
Charlotte Linlin had Totto Land.
Whitebeard commanded a vast and powerful army.
Shiki possessed an airborne fleet...
And he—he only had Wano.
No matter what, nothing could go wrong with his arrangements in this country.
"But seriously, are we being a little too cautious? It's not like the Marines even know we're here, right?"
At that moment, Queen, the large man lounging nearby with a bowl of red bean soup, muttered under his breath.
He was clearly unhappy with how strictly guarded and on-edge everything was.
After all, in this tense atmosphere, no one was in the mood to join him for a singing and dancing party.
"Shut up!"
King shot him a sharp glare.
Queen looked hurt.
"Can't I even talk? I've been seriously working on optimizing the armory's production lines, you know."
"I was just saying. It's not like I'd actually attract the Marines—"
BOOM!!
Before he could finish, a deafening roar erupted in the distance, shaking the ground beneath their feet.
The earth trembled violently, as if a massive dragon was stirring in the mountains, groaning from the depths of the land.
Kaidou and King's pupils shrank, their faces twisting in alarm.
That direction... it was where the Kuri District's weapon factory was located!
"This is bad!!"
Right then, a Beasts Pirates officer burst into the hall, dressed in animal pelts. He stumbled forward and dropped to his knees, face pale with fear.
"The Marine... that Marine is here!!"
"What!?"
Kaidou and King's eyes turned bloodshot in an instant.
They swung around, murder in their gazes, locking straight onto Queen.
The big man froze in place, instinctively covering his mouth with his metal arm.
"Damn Navy brat!!"
Kaidou had no time to deal with Queen.
With a furious roar, he snatched up his massive kanabō, and in an instant, transformed into a towering behemoth.
He tore through the palace roof, launching into the sky.
"Daren, you little punk! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"
A storm raged as his Conqueror's Haki exploded outward, unleashing a torrent of black and red lightning that lit up the darkened heavens.
The blue dragon's eyes blazed like fire as it let out an earth-shaking roar.