"That's a shame. Senor is a loyal subordinate of my godson Doffy, which means he's loyal to me too."
Daren spoke to Bullet with a half-smile.
"You're out of luck."
Bullet glanced at Daren, then at the silent Senor, clicking his tongue in annoyance.
"Save that line for when you actually manage to escape alive."
Daren shrugged and turned his gaze to Senor.
"So, Senor... tell me, what's Doffy's plan to get me out of here?"
Staying here didn't pose much threat to his life, and he could keep enjoying "Queen-sensei's" guidance. After all, Luffy's past experience served as a warning.
But Daren hated being at someone else's mercy.
More importantly, as his physique strengthened and his internal organs became more resilient, his resistance to viruses was steadily increasing.
At this point, even if Queen injected a high dose of virus into him, the side effects had become barely noticeable.
Senor didn't respond immediately. Instead, he shot Bullet a cautious, sidelong glance.
Seeing that, Bullet rolled his eyes in irritation.
"What's your problem? This cell isn't exactly spacious. Say it or don't. What, you think I can plug my ears!?"
He waved his only remaining arm, the Seastone shackles clanking loudly.
"Don't forget, I've only got one arm—I can't cover both ears!"
Still holding a grudge over losing that arm to my Railgun, huh… Daren looked at Bullet's sharp-eyed, gruff demeanor and couldn't help but chuckle.
That battlefield-born ferocity was so intense, it was easy to forget this guy was just a kid, no older than fifteen or sixteen.
"Go on, Senor. At least for now, this one-armed guy and I are allies."
Daren said with a grin.
Allies?
Senor blinked in surprise.
Daren-sama was a Marine, a rising star in the Navy who had garnered a lot of attention… and yet he was claiming to be allied with Douglas Bullet, the "Nation-Destroying Pirate"?
But then again, the man before him was also the godfather of the North Blue's underworld emperor. That thought made it easier for Senor to accept the situation.
He took a moment to gather his thoughts, then spoke seriously.
"Daren-sama, young master Doflamingo knows I don't have the strength to get you out from under Kaidou of the Beasts on my own. So he gave me two tasks."
Oh?
Daren raised an eyebrow, his interest clearly piqued.
Doflamingo's performance during the Dressrosa arc hadn't been great—honestly, kind of a mess. Not only did he toss the real Mera Mera no Mi into the coliseum, but he let Trafalgar Law slip away more than once, pushed Admiral Fujitora to turn against him, and in the end got completely overturned by Luffy.
But in truth, the guy's cunning and strategic thinking were among the best in the pirate world.
From seizing control of the North Blue, to gradually dominating the underworld's resources, threatening the World Government by leveraging the Heavenly Tribute to gain the title of Shichibukai, and stealing power in Dressrosa…
All of it, while undeniably connected to his lineage as a Celestial Dragon, still showcased his exceptional capabilities.
"Go on."
Daren said calmly.
Senor spoke in a low voice.
"First, use my Devil Fruit ability to locate your position. If possible, coordinate with you to aid in your escape… The young master said his godfather would never just sit around and wait to die."
Daren smiled.
That brat sent someone to rescue me because he doesn't want me dying by someone else's hand.
He wants to be the one to kill me.
Daren could see right through Doflamingo's petty ambition.
A self-absorbed, prideful kid born of the "bloodline of the gods" wouldn't tolerate someone else constantly standing above him.
But it was precisely that arrogance and pride that fueled his burning desire to take Daren's life.
Maybe one day, if Doflamingo really did get the chance to kill him—and succeeded—his Conqueror's Haki would break through to an entirely new level.
"And the second thing?"
Daren didn't comment on the first plan and went straight to the point.
Senor looked up, eyes locked onto Daren, and said gravely,
"Notify the Marines."
At that, Bullet frowned.
A satisfied smile appeared on Daren's face.
So, that brat Doffy's grown up after all...
If it weren't for me, with that arrogant personality of his, he'd never have thought to use the Marines to his advantage.
"Before I left the North Blue, I received intel through covert channels—Marine Headquarters has already dispatched enough combat power to come rescue you."
Senor instinctively reached for a cigarette but held himself back.
"...The lineup includes Marine Admiral Sengoku the 'Buddha', former Admiral 'Black Arm' Zephyr, Vice Admiral 'Hero' Garp, and Rear Admiral Borsalino, known as the 'Monster'..."
At this, Bullet couldn't hold back anymore.
"Oi, oi, oi, are you serious!?"
He sprang forward, eyes wide and twitching, staring at Daren in disbelief.
"The Marines' three legendary powerhouses... all deployed just to save you!?"
Sengoku, Garp, Zephyr—these names echoed like thunder across the seas.
Each one was a force strong enough to send countless infamous pirates running scared.
They were the pillars of world justice.
Normally, Sengoku, as the sole Admiral, would be stationed at Marineford.
Zephyr had long since retired from his position and devoted himself to training new recruits.
And Garp? Everyone knew his one obsession was chasing Gol D. Roger.
Yet now, these three legends—each with crucial responsibilities—had all mobilized just to rescue a single Marine Commodore?
If he hadn't heard it himself, Bullet wouldn't have believed it.
"Daren... don't tell me you're a Celestial Dragon or something?"
Daren scoffed.
"Besides a shared taste for money, women, power, and status, I've got nothing in common with those pig-headed, self-proclaimed 'gods'."
He turned back to Senor with a grin.
"So, you left behind your Vivre Card, didn't you?"
Senor's pupils shrank.
He took a deep breath to steady himself, then reached into his suit and pulled out a crumpled slip of paper, handing it to Daren.
"Yes, Daren-sama."
"This is half of my Vivre Card. I gave the other half to an informant in the Underworld—someone we bought out from the Donquixote Family."
"If everything went according to plan, the other half should already be in the Marines' hands."
...
(70 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake