Chapter 187: Volume 2 – Chapter 89: Sending Greetings

Senor's body was half-submerged in the ship's hull. He quietly pulled out a white handkerchief and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead as he cautiously scanned his surroundings.

Behind him, facing the sea, stretched a seemingly endless expanse of ocean. Waves howled as they crashed against the rocky shore, bursting into white foam.

A few gray-white seabirds glided low over the water, and the setting sun cast the sky and sea in a deep blood-red hue.

I never would've guessed the Beasts Pirates would place their main base in a place like this...

Turning his head, Senor looked toward the island. The reddish-brown earth stretched endlessly inland from the coast, vanishing into the horizon. Far in the distance, tall black chimneys pierced the sky, billowing thick, dark smoke.

From the bow-side port came bursts of raucous laughter. The scent of roasted meat and strong alcohol drifted through the air.

The outer members of the Beasts Pirates who were tasked with watching the ship had already lit a bonfire.

Senor exhaled slowly. His face was drawn, utterly exhausted.

He could really go for a smoke right now.

Three days and nights.

He hadn't slept a wink.

Since departing from Rubeck Island in the North Blue, he'd spent four days infiltrating the New World's underground emperor—the Shipping King, Umit—through Donquixote Family channels.

Relying on his Devil Fruit power, he'd slipped unseen into the lower slave hold of Umit's trading ship during its deal with the Beasts Pirates, never once showing his face.

He'd chosen the slave hold deliberately. Even if his aura accidentally leaked, anyone using Observation Haki would just mistake him for one of the countless slaves.

I have to stay sharp...

Senor took a deep breath, forcing his breathing to stay light and steady.

Back in the North Blue, he might be considered strong—but here in the New World, that meant little.

Even a regular officer in the Beasts Pirates could easily wipe him out.

His only real advantage... was his Devil Fruit ability.

With that thought, Senor quickly surveyed the surroundings once more.

So... where would the young master's esteemed godfather be held?

He quickly locked onto a target direction, and his body once again melted into the wooden hull of the ship—like a droplet vanishing into the sea.

...

At the port.

Below the pirate ship moored in the dockyard, a dozen or so pirates in animal pelts were sprawled out, drinking and devouring meat, loudly laughing and humming crude songs.

"This time, Queen-sama really hit the jackpot..."

"Oh? Something as important as the supply run, and King-sama didn't handle it himself? Wasn't he always the one in charge?"

"Can't be helped. Sounds like there's some new development in Wano, so Kaidou-sama left the island with King-sama."

"No wonder Queen-sama's in such high spirits."

"What's it matter to us? That kind of stuff is way above our heads."

"You got that right. Come on, drink!"

"Hey, wait... felt like something weird just flashed by..."

"Hahahaha! You're wasted! If you can't hold your booze, go sit with the kids."

"..."

…

Prison.

Bang!!

Two fists bound by Seastone shackles slammed into each other's faces at the same time. Daren and Bullet staggered backward, crashing into the stone walls of the prison and sending chunks of rubble flying.

Their lips instantly swelled, blood trickling from the corners of their mouths.

Daren wiped the blood away with the back of his hand, panting with a grin.

"Hell of a punch."

Bullet, equally out of breath, gave a savage grin.

"You're not so bad yourself."

They locked eyes, and a sharp gleam flashed between them like a bolt of lightning.

They stepped forward in unison.

Crack!

Their right feet hit the floor at the same time, leaving shallow craters. Their fists, thrown with full force, struck each other's cheeks again almost simultaneously.

Sweat and blood splattered into the air.

In that narrow cell, the two figures moved like wild beasts in a storm, unleashing an onslaught of brutal, close-quarters combat—the highest level of hand-to-hand technique found anywhere across the seas!

Daren, hailing from the North Blue, had fought his way up from the bottom ranks of the military. He'd spent years trading blows in close combat with Sakazuki, and after joining the training camp, refined his techniques further under Zephyr's guidance. His fighting style was ruthless and unrelenting.

Bullet had been clearing minefields since the age of eight. Calling his life a path paved in blood wouldn't be an exaggeration. He had no set style—only the purest, most lethal killing techniques. Every move was direct, efficient, and deadly.

And through the last few days of intense "sparring sessions," both men had begun to absorb elements of the other's combat style, each benefiting immensely.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Fists collided like thunder. Kicks sliced through the air like gales.

Suddenly—

Both Daren and Bullet's eyes narrowed at once, sensing something off. Without hesitation, they launched attacks toward the side wall of the cell.

A hammering punch.

A razor-sharp whip kick.

"Wait!!"

A panicked voice suddenly cried out from the rippling wall.

Boom!!

The wall exploded into debris and dirt. From within it, a figure embedded in the stone was violently ejected.

Daren's hand shot forward like an iron claw, seizing the intruder by the neck and yanking him out of the wall, lifting him high into the air.

Dust clouded the cell.

"Someone actually made it through the mountain and into this prison... Who the hell are you?"

Bullet narrowed his eyes, menace gleaming as he spoke with a cold sneer.

"I... I'm..."

Senor choked out the words. The strength gripping his throat wasn't overwhelming, but the Seastone shackles on their wrists had brushed against his body. The moment it did, a crushing sense of weakness washed over him like a tidal wave.

As the dust settled, Daren finally got a clear look at the suited young man before him—and the image instantly matched a figure in his memory.

"I know who you are."

He released his grip.

"Nice to meet you, Senor," Daren said with a calm smile.

Senor's face turned pale as his breathing grew ragged. His pupils shrank in shock.

How did he know my name? We've never met—and I've only been part of the Donquixote Family for half a month!

Could it be...

A chilling thought gripped him.

There's a spy... planted by Daren within the Donquixote Family!?

A shiver ran through his body, but he didn't dare dwell on it.

He glanced at Daren and Bullet—bloodied, ferocious, still radiating a pressure that felt suffocating, even while bound in Seastone shackles.

How is that even possible...?

"Daren, who's this guy?"

Bullet eyed Senor with visible hostility.

Senor took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm.

He looked at the black-haired Marine in front of him, then slowly dropped to one knee.

"Daren-sama, I'm a member of the Donquixote Family—Senor."

Lowering his head, he said solemnly,

"Young master Doflamingo-sama sent me... to deliver his sincerest regards."

...

(40 Chapters Ahead)

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