At this point, Kong paused deliberately, his expression serious, as if waiting for a reaction.
However...
The others simply looked at him quietly, seemingly waiting for him to continue.
Kong: ...
Right, I almost forgot—these brats are all monsters far beyond ordinary.
If it had been those Marine officers from earlier, they'd probably be gasping in shock by now.
Shouldn't have kicked them out so early…
Kong couldn't help but grumble to himself. Still, the secrets of the Ancient Weapons were far too critical—ordinary officers really had no business knowing too much.
"I didn't expect the legendary Ancient Weapons to actually exist. That being the case, it's highly likely that this is Shiki's real goal," Sakazuki said thoughtfully.
Kuzan scratched his head.
"But this Ancient Weapon doesn't sound that special. Destroying an island in one strike… Daren's Enma can do that too, can't it?"
Daren shook his head.
"It's not the same. Even with Enma's full power, amplified a hundredfold, the best it could do is wipe out a small or medium-sized island. And after one attack, it needs a long cooldown before it can be used again."
"But an Ancient Weapon... I get the feeling its power far exceeds Enma's."
In his mind, he pictured the ability of the Mermaid Princess Shirahoshi from the original timeline—summoning and commanding gargantuan Sea Kings, each thousands of meters long, to fight at her will. If that kind of power could be controlled... forget destroying an island—it could reshape an entire sea.
If Poseidon was already that strong, then Pluton wouldn't fall far behind.
A single blast destroying an island... that might just be a casual shot.
Kong nodded solemnly.
"In any case, although the three Ancient Weapons have long disappeared—perhaps even lost to the flow of history—there's still a chance they exist…"
"If Shiki ever gets his hands on that kind of world-ending power, nothing on this sea will be able to stop his ambition."
At those words, a terrifying image rose unbidden in everyone's mind:
A massive warship—Pluton—suspended silently in the sky by Shiki's Devil Fruit power, hovering far above Marine Headquarters. Then...
Boom—one shot.
Kuzan shivered.
Sakazuki's face darkened.
Cold sweat trickled down Sengoku's back.
We absolutely cannot let Shiki get any lead on the Ancient Weapons!!
That same thought struck everyone at once.
With a lunatic like that... who knew what chaos he'd unleash?
"So, Daren, what do you think?"
Sengoku was visibly tense now, glancing at Daren with growing anticipation.
If Shiki got his hands on an Ancient Weapon, Sengoku couldn't say what would happen to Sakazuki and the other Logia-types—but as a Mythical Zoan who couldn't fly, he'd be blown to bits for sure.
Daren fell into thought as he casually pulled out a cigar.
Kuzan immediately grinned and offered a lighter.
After lighting it and taking a deep drag, Daren spoke slowly.
"Shiki's approach to tracking down the Ancient Weapons may be crude, but there's no denying it works."
"It takes time, yes... but eventually, he's bound to find something."
"And the worst part is—we can't stop him. We can only stand by and watch it all unfold."
Everyone nodded grimly, a heavy weight settling in their chests.
It was a cruel reality.
And it explained why Shiki had no hesitation making such bold threats.
Even with all the power the Marines had... they were helpless against the wild, ruthless madness that was Shiki.
"But that doesn't mean we can't do anything."
Daren's sudden shift in tone lit a spark of hope in everyone's hearts.
"You have an idea?" Sengoku asked eagerly.
"I'm not sure how well it'll work, but I do have an interesting plan." A mischievous smile tugged at Daren's lips.
Seeing that grin, Sengoku's mouth twitched. He couldn't help but feel something bad was coming.
Then Daren said casually,
"We just tell him where the Ancient Weapon is."
The conference room instantly fell silent.
Sengoku: ???
Tsuru: ???
Garp: ???
Kong: ???
Everyone stared at Daren in shock and confusion.
We don't even know where the Ancient Weapon is—how are we supposed to tell him?
And even if we did have a clue, we'd never hand it over to Shiki!
Sengoku quickly came to his senses. Swallowing hard, he rasped,
"You mean... feed him false intel?"
"And ambush him at the target location?"
The moment those words left his mouth, everyone's eyes lit up.
"No. A fake lead won't fool someone as cunning and paranoid as Shiki," Daren said, shaking his head with a grin as he exhaled a stream of smoke that curled like a dragon.
"Besides, if ambushes worked on Shiki, the Marines would've caught him long ago—we wouldn't be here racking our brains."
Sengoku fell silent. That was true. Someone like Shiki wouldn't be easy to deceive.
Even if they got lucky, set up a trap, and got him to take the bait, there was no guarantee it would work. Shiki's Observation Haki was no joke.
"Then what are you suggesting?" Kong asked, frowning.
Daren's smile deepened.
"We leak a bit of info through the underworld. Keep it simple: a Great Pirate has gotten hold of a clue about the Ancient Weapons."
"That way, we don't need to lift a finger—Shiki will go after that unlucky bastard himself."
As the words sank in, Sengoku shot to his feet, eyes blazing.
"Yes!!"
He couldn't stop himself from letting out a low shout.
The others were also beginning to grasp Daren's plan.
If the rumor claimed the clue was in some fixed location, Shiki would be on guard. And once he found out it was fake, he'd just resume raiding islands and towns, searching for the next clue.
It wouldn't stop him at all.
But if the rumor said the clue was in the hands of a Great Pirate? That changed everything.
Shiki would throw himself into a drawn-out battle with that pirate—and with luck, the conflict might even weaken the pirate forces in the New World.
"But Daren, how can you be sure Shiki won't just confront the target and get them to clear things up?" Tsuru pointed out the biggest flaw in the plan.
Everyone paused and started to think.
That's right. If Shiki tracked down the pirate, and they talked it out, the truth could come out. Then all their scheming would go to waste.
Daren replied calmly,
"That's why we can't pick someone like Kaidou or Big Mom. They still have a decent relationship with Shiki."
Sengoku's eyes widened.
No way…
At that moment, Borsalino grinned and said,
"So, who's the unlucky one this time?"
Daren glanced at him, then answered with a smile,
"Gol D. Roger."
Everyone froze.
Daren's words hit like a thunderclap.
Gol D. Roger!
Of course—he was the perfect target.
Everyone knew about Roger and Shiki's bitter rivalry. Their grudge went all the way back to the Battle of God Valley.
And the most critical point—Roger's oddball personality guaranteed one thing: if Shiki came knocking, Roger wouldn't explain or clarify anything.
The moment those two met, it would explode into a full-scale war—no doubt about it!
Garp was the first to react. Laughing heartily, he threw an arm around Daren's shoulders.
"Bwahaha!! Daren, kid, I like you more and more!"
Sengoku, meanwhile, cast a wary glance at Daren.
This guy... is dangerously crafty.
He was calling Shiki sneaky earlier, but clearly the dirtiest mind here is his!
Seeing all the different expressions on their faces, Daren just smiled.
He knew this plan was going to work.
Because the intel he leaked... wasn't fake at all.
Roger really did hold some clues about the Ancient Weapons.
With this move, Shiki and Roger were bound to clash in an earth-shattering battle.
As for the location...
Daren narrowed his eyes, sweeping over the massive sand table until they locked on a specific spot.
That location had a name clearly marked on it.
...Edd War Sea.