Chapter 48: The North Blue Admiral’s Mourning and Condolences

At that moment, Gion and Tokikake suddenly felt like the world around them had turned completely absurd—like they were trapped in a surreal dream.

Their mouths opened slightly, but no words came out.

This... this can't be right no matter how you look at it!!

He killed a Celestial Dragon! Even if he was careful enough not to get caught, how could he possibly get promoted for it...!?

Granted, they had no concrete evidence to prove that Daren was the one who killed Saint Xildes. It was only suspicion.

But Daren—this guy was a master of politics and power plays.

He had clearly and precisely identified the World Government's "political need" and effortlessly solved a problem that had left even Admiral Sengoku at his wit's end.

Thinking back on it, with someone as calculating and deep as Daren, wouldn't it be ridiculously easy for him to make the two of them vanish from the North Blue without a trace?

That thought alone was enough to make both of them instinctively lower their gaze, their eyes filled with a new layer of fear.

"Then allow me to thank Admiral Sengoku in advance for his support."

Daren had seen every flicker of emotion on Gion and Tokikake's faces. A faint smile rose to his lips as he raised a sharp, formal salute to Sengoku.

"Well, good. Very spirited."

Sengoku smiled in satisfaction.

"Then I'll take my leave..."

He glanced at the two speechless officers beside him, then added,

"Look after these two young ones for me."

Daren smiled and readily replied,

"No problem, Admiral Sengoku."

And with that, Sengoku turned and boarded the warship.

Amid the thunderous cannon salute and cheers of the North Blue Marines, the flagship Sengoku, carrying the Admiral of Marine Headquarters, slowly hoisted its sails.

The sea breeze billowed the sails wide, and the bold, flowing characters for "Justice" rippled with a sense of authority and power.

"Set sail!!"

A young Marine called out loudly from the lookout post.

The rudder lifted, the anchor turned, and the massive ship—like a fortress on the sea—moved out of the harbor into the crisp ocean wind.

Sengoku gave a final, high-spirited salute toward the shore, to Daren and the North Blue Marines.

Then he turned around—

Only to catch sight of someone lounging on the deck, basking in the sun. His mouth twitched involuntarily.

"Huh?"

Sengoku quickly noticed a large pile of wooden crates at the rear of the cabin.

"Borsalino, what is all this?"

He shouted.

Borsalino, hearing the call, slowly rose from his deck chair, stretching as he walked over.

"Oh, that?"

He rubbed the stubble on his chin with a relaxed smile.

"That's a farewell gift from Captain Daren."

Sengoku froze, a bad feeling rising in his chest. His expression grew stern.

That brat didn't try to bribe me with money, did he?

That would be a problem.

He hurried over and opened each and every one of the crates.

The moment he saw what was inside, Sengoku blinked in surprise.

Cigars, rice crackers, tea, donuts, liquor, fruits...

All sorts of items were stacked neatly inside, filling one side of the cabin.

Sengoku looked over the mountain of goods, and the severity in his expression gradually softened.

The gifts weren't extravagant—all modest, mid-range brands that any ordinary household could afford.

The cigars were Marshal Kong's preferred brand.

The rice crackers were his own favorite.

The jasmine tea? Tsuru's go-to.

Garp couldn't go a day without donuts.

The sherry was Zephyr's favorite.

And the fruit? Essential on long voyages—second only to fresh water and rations in preventing scurvy.

Sengoku stood before the thoughtful pile of gifts in silence for a long time, then smiled and shook his head.

"That brat Daren... really put some thought into this."

He sighed with a rare softness in his voice.

But the next second, his face suddenly changed—he jumped up and roared:

"Borsalino, you bastard!! What do you think you're doing?!"

Borsalino froze mid-reach, his hand hovering inches from a banana.

"I just wanted some fruit, Admiral Sengoku."

Sengoku stared at his "innocent" expression, veins popping with frustration.

"That's a gift from Daren—to me!!"

Borsalino blinked, then slowly raised his hands in surrender.

"Alright, alright..."

He turned away, muttering under his breath,

"Getting stingier by the day..."

Sengoku's mouth twitched violently.

…

Red Line.

Holy Land Mary Geoise.

World Government.

"My lords, this is the secret investigation report submitted by Admiral Rogers Daren of the North Blue."

A CP0 agent, clad in a deathly white silk robe, knelt on one knee and respectfully presented a document.

The Five Elders exchanged glances.

"That was fast... that kid Daren really doesn't waste time."

"He's certainly talented."

"Topman... your judgment is, as always, spot-on."

"..."

Topman Warcury's lips curled into a smug smile at the recognition from his peers.

That Marine brat Daren hadn't let him down.

In just a single day, he'd come up with a solution that satisfied everyone.

"But Warcury... why has Saint Xildes's family gone quiet all of a sudden?"

Ethanbaron, who had been polishing his eerie, purple-and-black demon katana, suddenly asked.

The other Elders turned their eyes toward Topman Warcury at the question.

While Daren's proposed resolution had been clever—providing them with a perfect excuse to fend off pressure from the Elder Council in the Holy Land—none of them were naïve enough to forget what kind of people the Saint Xildes family were.

Among the Celestial Dragon clans of the Holy Land, they were infamous for being "brutal," "rude," "paranoid," "twisted," and "insatiably greedy."

Topman Warcury chuckled lightly.

"Three hours ago, a merchant ship from the North Blue entered the inland sea of the Red Line. After passing multiple levels of inspection, it made its way into the Land of the Gods."

"More than one billion Belly worth of gold, silver, and priceless Northern specialties were unloaded from that ship and delivered straight to the estate of the Saint Xildes family."

"The caravan's manager handed a letter to Saint Xildes's father. Its contents were more or less: 'Rogers Daren, Admiral of the North Blue, expresses his deepest condolences and heartfelt grief over the loss suffered by the Saint Xildes family, and humbly presents a modest token of sympathy in honor of the great Celestial Dragons.'"

As he spoke, Topman Warcury's smile twisted with sarcasm.

"Supposedly, just ten minutes after receiving this 'condolence payment,' CP received an escort request for a noble patrol route."

"Saint Xildes's father, Saint Xildes, is currently en route to Pleasure District in the New World."

The other Four Elders: …

(40 Chapters Ahead)

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