Chapter 409: Volume 3 – Chapter 52: He Has Money

Dragon strode over quickly, crouched down, and picked up a crumpled newspaper from the ground.

The date on it was from the previous day—probably left behind by one of the poor folks who'd come for "treatment" or "prayer." For people like them, reading the paper was the cheapest form of entertainment.

But what caught Dragon's attention wasn't the date—it was the headline.

Blazoned across the front page in massive, eye-grabbing type:

"Live Broadcast!! Invasion of Totto Land!! Newly Appointed Vice Admiral Rogers Daren Storms Yakigashi Island Alone, Overwhelms Big Mom Pirates Officer Charlotte Oven!"

Beneath the title was a long article, including a full transcript of Daren's comments during the live broadcast via Den Den Mushi.

Dragon stared at the paper in stunned silence.

"This is today's news? We've been holed up in this church for days... something big must've gone down out there."

Kuma walked over, his body still showing signs of fatigue, and took a glance at the paper—then froze.

"This is a warning..." Dragon muttered, eyes locked on the story. His face gradually lit up with excitement, and his hands trembled slightly as he gripped the paper.

"I can't believe it... Daren actually invaded Totto Land!!"

"A global live broadcast... sending a direct threat to every pirate out there!"

Kuma couldn't hide his shock and murmured,

"To think there's someone in the Marines with that kind of resolve, besides you... Wait, Dragon, isn't this Vice Admiral Daren the 'close friend' you mentioned before?"

Dragon puffed out his chest proudly and gave a satisfied nod.

"That's right. Back when he traveled from the North Blue to Marine Headquarters for training, I was the one who escorted him. I never imagined he'd make it this far."

But as he spoke, his tone turned wistful.

Watching his old friend steadily rise, step by step, achieving such brilliant results on the path he chose...

While he himself, once so bold in front of Daren, was still wandering aimlessly across the sea, barely scraping by, hiding from place to place like a stray—Dragon's heart felt heavy, his expression complicated.

Kuma looked at Dragon's thoughtful, troubled profile. He placed a hand firmly on his shoulder and said solemnly,

"You're going to make it, Dragon. I believe in you."

He paused, then added with a serious nod,

"I'll try harder to save money from now on."

Dragon gave him a dry, amused smile.

"Wait..."

Something suddenly struck him. He rubbed his chin, deep in thought.

"Maybe... we won't need to worry about money much longer."

Kuma blinked, then looked at Dragon with growing anticipation.

"Don't tell me—you figured out a way to earn some cash?"

Being a pirate hunter was no easy feat. Before the Great Pirate Era, there hadn't been all that many pirates sailing around. With so few bounties and so many competing hunters, relying on them to fund a private army was basically a pipe dream.

Dragon glanced back down at the Vice Admiral's photo in the article and gave a knowing smile.

"We're broke... but someone out there has more than enough money."

...

New World.

Daren slowly stirred from a soft bed.

The moment he opened his eyes, a crushing wave of exhaustion and pain surged through him, washing over every inch of his body.

His muscles throbbed with fiery agony, as if they'd all been torn apart.

Each breath carried the taste of blood, and his vision swam in a haze.

Having long since grown used to injury, Daren instantly recognized his condition.

—Severely wounded.

Widespread muscle tears, serious trauma to his internal organs, at least thirty fractured bones, two broken teeth, and debilitating weakness from massive blood loss...

Wounds like these would have killed an ordinary person many times over.

Even with his current body—hardened like steel and backed by monstrous regenerative power—the damage was severe. Full recovery would take no less than five days.

Haaah...

Daren let out a long breath and forced himself upright, using his hands to push off the bed.

Even that simple motion drew a cold sweat from his brow and left him gasping for air.

His arms trembled visibly as he propped himself up against the headboard, panting hard.

A faint, sickly flush colored his paper-white face.

"But... where am I?"

He glanced down at his chest, now loosely bandaged.

The room around him was lavish—a premium suite with a private bath and a spacious sitting area.

The air was tinged with the scent of expensive perfume—sharp, provocative, and mysterious. It carried a hint of danger.

The plush bedding, the genuine leather sofas, the neatly arranged premium wines on the shelf... As a regular in luxury hotels, Daren could immediately tell—this was top-tier.

"Why would I be here?"

He frowned.

He vaguely remembered pushing his battered body to the brink just to escape Wano. When he finally stumbled upon an island, he hadn't even had time to make out what kind of place it was before he lost consciousness, plummeting from the sky and crashing into a blurry town below.

Looking back now, that "special training" in Wano had been nothing short of a death-defying ordeal.

Even if he hadn't broken through in the final moment, he couldn't have pushed any further—he needed to conserve enough strength for a strategic retreat.

Against a monster like Kaidou, once stamina gave out, the only outcome was death.

Dangerous as it was, the payoff had been enormous.

With this battle, he had finally shattered the barrier that had held him back.

Once he fully recovered, no one in this vast sea would be able to stop him.

...

As his thoughts drifted, the door to the suite suddenly opened.

A woman stepped in, graceful and poised.

Golden hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders. Her long legs and narrow waist were accentuated by a snug, white dress that hugged every curve. Her foxlike eyes sparkled with charm.

With each step, her red high heels clicked rhythmically against the floor.

She smiled at Daren, two dimples forming in her cheeks.

Without a word, she sat leisurely on the sofa across from him. As she crossed her legs, she tilted her hips just enough to give him a glimpse beneath her dress.

Red.

'Definitely intentional.'

Daren quickly arrived at that conclusion, the corners of his mouth curling into a faint smile.

He recognized her.

"Pleased to meet you, Daren-san. I've heard quite a lot about you."

The blonde woman leaned back, arms crossed, her smile relaxed and alluring.

Daren returned the smile.

"My apologies, beautiful lady. If I weren't in such poor condition, I'd gladly kiss the back of your hand."