The soft, seductive music drifted through the air like a gentle breeze, lulling the senses.
The lights shimmered on the geisha's red lips, while the folding screen behind them, painted with ukiyo-e art, framed a scene of desire and indulgence.
Suddenly—
The music stopped.
Bang. Bang. Bang...
The dancers on stage collapsed one after another.
Zephyr's eyes instantly sharpened.
Borsalino smirked.
"Hm? Why'd it stop?"
Sengoku blinked open his groggy eyes, the smell of alcohol heavy on his breath as he grumbled in annoyance.
Inside the lavish private room, aside from the three of them, all the dancers and geisha had fallen to the floor, unconscious.
Zephyr snapped irritably,
"Wake up!!"
Just as he spoke, the door to the room slowly creaked open, and a figure in a white suit stepped inside.
The man wore a black mask that completely concealed his face.
He leaned lightly on an ornate cane and bowed gracefully to the trio, smiling politely.
"Honored Marine gentlemen, this is for you."
"Who are you?" Zephyr narrowed his eyes, his voice sharp and wary.
The man shrugged, still smiling.
"Just a nobody. But inside this envelope is the intel you're looking for."
He pulled an envelope from inside his coat and handed it to Zephyr with both hands.
Someone from the underworld, huh... To have figured out who we are so fast?
That thought flashed through Zephyr's mind as he cautiously accepted the envelope and began to open it.
"A sheet of paper?"
He stared at the crumpled slip inside, confused. It was completely blank—no words, no markings.
"That's a Vivre Card,"
Sengoku said, now fully alert, his tone heavy.
Vivre Card?
Zephyr blinked, then spread out his hand, laying the piece of paper flat in his palm.
What happened next was uncanny—
In the still, windless room, the crumpled paper began to tremble faintly in Zephyr's hand and shift toward a specific direction.
It was a Vivre Card—no doubt about it.
"Whose Vivre Card is this?"
Sengoku fixed his gaze on the masked man, a sharp gleam flashing behind his black-rimmed glasses.
The man shook his head.
"Apologies, Admiral Sengoku. I don't know."
"But what I can tell you is that the person this Vivre Card belongs to has entered the Beasts Pirates' base of operations."
"As for whether you trust that information... that's for you to decide."
With that, he turned and began to leave, cane tapping softly against the floor.
Borsalino watched the man's retreating figure, a slight smirk on his lips as he raised a glowing fingertip, golden light beginning to gather.
"No. He's just a messenger."
Sengoku reached out and stopped him, shaking his head.
"Sengoku... can we trust this?"
Zephyr frowned, staring at the Vivre Card twitching in his palm.
Sengoku paused for a few seconds, then exhaled slowly.
"The direction matches Wano... and if I recall..."
He murmured,
"That brat Daren has ties to the underworld, doesn't he?"
…
"So you're saying the other half of the Vivre Card is already in the hands of Admiral Sengoku and the others?"
In the damp, foul-smelling prison, Daren tucked away the Vivre Card and said coolly to Senor.
"That should be the case, Daren-sama."
Senor nodded.
"Also, on my way here, I picked up some intel about the Beasts Pirates."
He paused, recalling the details.
"For reasons unknown, Kaidou and King have both left the island."
The moment those words landed, Daren and Bullet's eyes lit up.
Kaidou and King are gone?
Which means… at this very moment, the only high-level combatant on the island is that fat guy in suspenders—Queen the Plague!?
As the realization struck, the two exchanged a glance. The fire burning in each other's eyes was unmistakable.
An opportunity!
Over the past few days, aside from maintaining intense, disciplined training, they had been seriously thinking through escape plans.
The prison's defenses, while tight, didn't include top-tier fighters.
But breaking out was only the first hurdle. The real danger came after.
With their current strength, they stood no chance against the monster that is Kaidou—especially not with King and Queen at his side.
But if it was just Queen alone…
They could pull it off!
"The Seastone shackle key,"
Daren said suddenly, eyes fixed on the cuffs around his wrists.
Bullet nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, if we're going to escape, the first step is getting that key."
Without the effects of Seastone weighing them down, the two of them together could easily tear through the island's defenses—especially if Queen was the only one left.
Seeing the shift in their expressions, Senor asked anxiously,
"But Daren-sama, wouldn't it be safer to wait for reinforcements from Marine Headquarters?"
"No. There's no telling when Kaidou might come back."
Daren shook his head.
"The longer we wait, the bigger the risk."
If Kaidou suddenly changed his mind and decided to kill them both, they'd be out of options.
The Marines were only a contingency.
"Exactly. I say we act now," Bullet added, a bit too eagerly.
Daren glanced at him, amused.
This guy's probably thinking if the Marines really do show up, he won't have a shot at escaping.
He might still stand a chance against Kaidou. But against Garp, Sengoku, and Zephyr? Even Whitebeard would be in deep trouble facing that lineup.
"I understand."
Senor took a deep breath.
"Daren-sama, give the word—what should I do?"
"I've already mapped out the troop deployment on the island. Queen's lab is to the northwest of the prison, surrounded by a massive weapons factory. It's about a minute's walk from here."
Bullet looked to Daren, his tone serious.
"The key to the Seastone shackles is on Queen himself—he carries it with him at all times."
Daren fell silent, his mind shifting gears.
A lab…
A weapons factory…
Furnaces, chimneys…
The prison…
The Seastone shackle key...
As he rubbed his temple, deep in thought, both Senor and Bullet remained silent, not daring to interrupt.
Senor had heard plenty about Daren's brilliance.
As for Bullet… well, planning wasn't exactly his strong suit.
"I've got a plan, more or less."
A moment later, Daren looked up, locking eyes with Senor.
"But Senor—this plan depends on you. It's going to be dangerous."
Senor grinned.
"Leave it to me."
...
(70 Chapters Ahead)
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