That bastard…
Marco shuddered at the sight of Darren's unrestrained grin. An involuntary chill crept up his spine.
If their last encounter had shown him Darren's ferocity, then what happened today—this entire auction house fiasco—had revealed something else entirely:
His madness.
He didn't even hesitate to scheme against Golden Lion—one of the only pirates considered equal to Marco's own captain.
And he had effortlessly destroyed Golden Lion's invincible airborne fleet.
This Marine was terrifying.
In strength, cunning, composure, long-term planning, and battlefield judgment—Darren outclassed anyone Marco had ever met.
To be targeted by someone like him… was to never sleep peacefully again.
"Damn it…"
Marco clenched his jaw and shot Darren a vicious glare. Flames of azure blue burst from his hands, forming a pair of flaming wings that carried him up into the sky.
King also gave Darren one last long look—eyes wary, even fearful—then transformed into his pterosaur form. His burning crimson wings beat the air, launching him into the sky.
Their silhouettes vanished swiftly beyond the clouds.
They knew full well: if they didn't retreat now, once Sengoku and Borsalino finished off the remaining pirates, they would never escape.
Darren didn't try to stop them.
Frankly, even if he wanted to, he couldn't.
Detonating the ports and sinking every pirate ship with his Devil Fruit ability had drained the last of his energy.
Standing upright now was already a struggle.
His body had reached its absolute limit.
The "Electromagnetic Wrath: Ten Thousand Cannons" had covered the entire island—its destructive power immense. It had wiped out Golden Lion's fleet in an instant—but it also cost Darren dearly.
The move was only possible thanks to the terrain of Coin Island. It was a miracle—not something he could reproduce again.
"Well… looks like it's almost over."
He lowered his gaze from the sky, scanning the battlefield—until his eyes locked onto the floating figure of Golden Lion in the distance.
Most of the pirates had already been defeated, the remaining ones subdued by Marines.
Especially under Borsalino's "clean sweep" light attacks—even pirates with hundred-million bounties couldn't withstand a single laser beam.
He might be lazy, but when he actually works, he's terrifyingly reliable.
Flames still scorched the ground. Smoke spiraled into the sky.
The land surrounding the auction grounds had turned to ashes. Pirates moaned in agony, bodies sprawled like scattered corpses.
"Golden Lion… it's over."
Sengoku had reverted to human form. He panted heavily, eyes locked on Golden Lion's grim silhouette.
He stepped forward, blocking the pirate's bloodshot stare from reaching Darren.
Borsalino's form reappeared beside him, smiling lazily as he pointed a glowing finger at Golden Lion.
Golden Lion's expression darkened.
He cast a glance at Bullet—still tearing through pirates in the distance—and suddenly let out a cold chuckle.
"How amusing… Sengoku, I didn't expect your Marines to produce someone like him."
His furious eyes burned straight through Sengoku and Borsalino—locking onto Darren.
"You think you can protect him forever?"
Sengoku's heart sank.
He knew Golden Lion's nature well.
Cruel. Murderous. Vengeful.
"I don't respond well to threats,"
Darren sneered suddenly.
"You think you're the only one who wants me dead? Please. Get in line."
He grinned defiantly—and started counting on his fingers.
"Birnndy World wanted me dead. He's already buried."
"Gol D. Roger tried to kill me. Lost his pants."
"Kaido's main base? I burned it to the ground. He probably wants to tear me apart and feed me to his pets."
"And Whitebeard? I lopped off his sworn brother's arm and nearly sank their flagship. Still breathing, aren't I?"
At first, Sengoku nodded proudly.
But the more Darren spoke, the darker his face became.
Wait a minute… did this brat just make enemies of literally every monster in the sea!?
"And as for you, Golden Lion…"
Darren's grin turned feral. His arrogance was so thick Sengoku wanted to cover his mouth.
"Your grand airborne fleet—forty ships, fifty thousand men—gone in a puff of fireworks. What exactly do you think you're going to do about it?"
"And this More-More Fruit—"
He raised his hand.
The ground writhed. Metal rose, split open like jaws—
—and revealed the Devil Fruit inside, gently resting in Darren's palm.
"…You didn't even get to touch it."
Golden Lion's pupils turned blood-red.
"You little brat!! You're DEAD!!"
He roared and slashed the air—
BOOM!!
The earth erupted beneath him, surging upward into three enormous lions—hundreds of meters tall—baring fangs as they came crashing down on Darren.
Lion's Tail: Imperial Earth Surge!!
"Darren!! SHUT THE HELL UP!!"
Sengoku shouted, bursting with golden light.
Borsalino sighed, arms outstretched.
The next moment—
A massive explosion shook all of Coin Island.
The ground shattered. The sky roared.
…
It was a long time before the chaos subsided.
Dust still hung in the air. Corpses littered the battlefield.
Sengoku brushed soot off his tattered coat and looked around the rubble. He finally exhaled.
"He got away. Damn… what a waste."
Borsalino reformed nearby in a swirl of photons, lazily commenting, "Yup. Slipped through again."
Sengoku glanced at his pristine coat with annoyance.
He scanned the horizon.
The cratered battlefield was now a graveyard. Bullet had disappeared—most likely escaped during Golden Lion's chaos.
Thud.
He turned around.
Darren had collapsed flat on his back, gasping, pale as snow.
The commodore glanced weakly at Sengoku and forced a bitter smile.
"…Didn't think he'd resist the bait to the very end."
Sengoku sighed and flopped onto the ground beside him.
"Golden Lion's too clever. It might look like he lost everything, but… his fleet? That means nothing to him. They were just tools."
"You wanted him to snap and go all out—to fight to the death? Not that easy."
Besides… even I'm not sure I could've protected you if he'd gone berserk, kid.
He didn't say that part out loud.
Darren chuckled.
"Still worth a try. But at least—we completed our mission perfectly, didn't we, Admiral Sengoku?"
Sengoku blinked. Then smiled.
He looked out over the scorched battlefield, the countless pirate corpses, the broken wreckage of sky-ships falling from the heavens.
Not far away, the skull flag of the Flying Pirate Crew turned to ash in the flames.
"…Yeah. Well done, Darren."
His fist clenched quietly.
Single-handedly defeating Golden Lion's legendary fleet—without losing a single man.
Unbelievable.
Once news of this reached Marine HQ—it wouldn't just rock the Marine. It would shake the entire world.
An achievement of unprecedented scale.
Not since the battle of God Valley had the Marines scored such a colossal victory.
Wano's raid was impressive—but Kaido couldn't compare to Golden Lion in global threat.
"Darren, this is it. You're definitely getting promoted this time."
He said it softly—then realized he got no reply.
He looked over.
Darren was already snoring.
Mouth slightly open, fast asleep—like a child.
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
And then, mumbling in his sleep, he muttered:
"Toki… You're beautiful today…"
Sengoku blinked. Then chuckled.
This brat really was a scoundrel.
Still dreaming about women at a time like this…
"Mmh… Gion, you're gorgeous too…"
Sengoku: "…"
His smile froze.
His face darkened.
"Ahem… we didn't hear anything, right?"
Borsalino grinned, eyes closed. "Nope, not a word."
The other Marines all nodded furiously.
"Nothing! We heard nothing!"
Sengoku's face twitched. He clenched his fist, tempted to beat Darren awake and demand answers.
But then he looked at the wounds.
And remembered the victory.
He took a deep breath.
Forced a stiff smile.
"…Just dreaming. That's all."
…
That day—
Marine Commodore Rogers Darren,
single-handedly destroyed the legendary Golden Lion's Flying Fleet—
and shook the entire world.
---
To be continued…