The atmosphere in the massive conference room was suffocating.
It was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop.
All the Marine officers stood frozen in place, pale and motionless like statues.
Their eyes were fixed on the military Den Den Mushi, now in a dormant state, expressions filled with horror. No one spoke a word.
Then, two seconds later, a lazy, drawn-out voice finally broke the silence.
"How terrifying... Shiki the Golden Lion actually discovered the spy we planted in his ranks."
Borsalino scratched his head with an exaggerated look of helplessness.
"Damn it!!"
Sengoku slammed his fist onto the table, fury blazing in his eyes.
That bastard Shiki... he destroyed an entire Marine base just to send them a message!
Sure, the G14 Branch was just a small outpost on the fringes of the New World—nothing compared to the larger Marine facilities—but it still had over 500 troops stationed there!
From the moment their spy sent out the encrypted warning to the time the signal was decoded, it hadn't even been a full minute before Shiki wiped out the entire branch!
His terrifying speed and destructive power were enough to send a chill down anyone's spine.
What made it worse was that this method—an abrupt strike to send a message—was exactly the same tactic the Marines themselves had just used days ago!
That realization made everyone instinctively glance at the calm Vice Admiral casually smoking a cigar.
"Hey now, staring at me isn't going to help..."
Daren raised both hands, cigar in his mouth, looking exasperated.
"This has nothing to do with me."
The others rolled their eyes but didn't argue.
They knew it wasn't Daren's fault.
Shiki's recklessness and unpredictability were just part of who he was. That was exactly why he was more feared—and harder to deal with—than any other pirate on the sea.
"Daren... do you have any way to restrain Shiki?"
Kong rubbed his temples, his brow deeply furrowed as he looked at him.
Daren shook his head.
"Sorry, Fleet Admiral Kong."
"Shiki doesn't have a fixed territory or any clearly defined sphere of influence. His airborne fleet comes and goes like a ghost. Standard tactics just don't work on someone like him."
Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions darkened.
They were completely at a loss.
Kong fell silent for a moment. Then, rising to his feet, he slowly gave his order.
"In that case, pass this down... For now, pull back our surveillance net, reduce intelligence and espionage activities. We can't afford to provoke Shiki any further."
"This meeting is adjourned. Sengoku, Tsuru, Daren, Sakazuki, Borsalino, Garp... and Kuzan, you all stay."
He waved his hand tiredly.
"Yes, Fleet Admiral Kong!"
All the other officers stood up at once, saluted sharply, and left the room with heavy expressions.
Worry was etched into every face as they exited. No one could hide the cloud hanging over them.
Even the Marines had no clear countermeasure against a lunatic like Shiki.
Once the room had cleared and the doors shut behind them, Kong turned back to Daren, who was still calmly smoking.
His gaze was intense.
"Daren, you said standard methods don't work... What about unconventional ones?"
At those words, the others widened their eyes.
Was Daren really implying he had another way?
Sengoku, in particular, looked visibly stirred, his eyes fixed firmly on Daren.
"You guys are putting a lot of pressure on me here..."
Daren scratched his head, looking troubled.
"Shiki's strength is undeniable. The world is vast, and he moves through it freely. As long as he's not actively seeking death, who could really stop him?"
"I'm just a Vice Admiral. How could someone like me possibly restrain Shiki?"
Kong gave him a glance, then said suddenly,
"I'll offer you a candidate seat for Admiral."
Daren's expression shifted, turning serious.
"But even so, as a Marine, no matter what position I hold, I must uphold justice. Only then can I live up to the trust placed in me by the people and my fellow Marines."
Sengoku: ...
Tsuru: ...
Borsalino's lips curved into a smile.
Sakazuki narrowed his eyes.
Kuzan's jaw dropped in disbelief.
Garp burst out laughing.
Kong's face twitched as he snapped,
"If you've got an idea, spit it out already!"
Daren cleared his throat and, after a few seconds of thought, began slowly,
"Going head-to-head with Shiki won't work. That guy's taken hits from us before—he's bound to be more cautious now. That's exactly why he attacked the G14 Branch—to issue a warning to the Marines."
"But what he doesn't realize is that this action... exposed him."
"Oh? How so?" Sengoku asked, clearly intrigued.
The others fell silent, listening closely.
Daren continued confidently,
"Shiki clearly doesn't want to start an all-out war with the Marines. That's why he used this kind of indirect pressure to force us to stop infiltrating his crew."
"That means he's after something he considers far more important... or rather, some thing."
"So that brings us back to the key question."
He pointed to the large tactical sand table on the desk.
"What exactly is he targeting with these attacks?"
Then he turned toward Kong with a knowing look, half-smiling.
"Maybe you, Fleet Admiral Kong, can help answer that?"
At that, Sengoku, Garp, and Tsuru's expressions all subtly changed.
Kong narrowed his eyes at Daren. After a long pause, he finally said,
"There are some things that aren't beneficial for you to know too much about."
His gaze swept over Daren, Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan in turn, then he let out a long sigh.
"But with your abilities and potential, it's only a matter of time before you're pulled into these secrets anyway..."
Kong took a deep breath, the weight in his old eyes heavier than ever before.
"Shiki is searching for the Poneglyphs scattered across the world."
"More precisely, he's looking for clues within them... about the three ancient weapons."
So it really was that...
Daren's heart sank.
From the moment he recognized the pattern in Shiki's strikes, he had suspected that Shiki was after the Poneglyphs.
"Ancient... weapons?" Sakazuki frowned.
"Do things that vague and mystical really exist?"
Kong nodded solemnly.
"Yes. The ancient weapons do exist."
"They are three weapons from an age long past, each bearing the name of a 'god,' and said to have the power to destroy the world: Pluton, Poseidon, and Uranus..."
"It's said that these three ancient weapons possess the power to lay waste to everything. Among them, Pluton is a massive warship, and a single shot from it is rumored to be enough to annihilate an entire island."
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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