He wasn't an idiot.
If he were, he would never have made it into CP0.
Every member of the World Government's intelligence agency was trained from a young age and selected through an extremely rigorous process. Whether in intelligence analysis or combat ability, they were among the very best this sea had to offer.
He understood perfectly what this Vice Admiral meant.
—"It's not that I can't kill you. I just can't be bothered to."
It was a blatant threat.
If this Marine truly wanted to kill him, and unleashed Enma's full power, there was absolutely no way he could withstand such a terrifying strike.
Thinking about it made his scalp tingle.
This man was a complete lunatic.
"So, can I interpret your attack as a threat to the World Government and the Five Elders, Vice Admiral Daren?"
The CP0 agent gritted his teeth, his voice hoarse and tense.
He knew he couldn't afford to back down. After all, he represented the authority of the World Government.
Besides, he was betting that Daren wouldn't dare kill him here, in front of everyone.
Unless he wanted to throw away his career as a Marine.
"Threat? No, no, CP0-sama, you're thinking too much."
A cold smile played at Daren's lips.
"Everyone knows that I, Rogers Daren, am absolutely loyal to the World Government and the Five Elders. I've completed every mission flawlessly, no matter how difficult."
"So, what threat are you talking about?"
As he spoke, two streaks of piercing light whistled from the distant sky, halting neatly at Daren's sides.
The moment these two swords appeared inside the office, an overwhelming surge of presence swept through the air.
The sword tips, exuding a chilling gleam, pointed steadily at the CP0 agent. The pressure was so suffocating that it felt like the air itself had frozen solid.
The moment Sengoku saw the blades, his pupils contracted sharply.
Borsalino's grin grew even wider.
The CP0 agent instinctively took a step back, the blood draining from his face as he cried out,
"Golden Lion's swords!"
He recognized them instantly.
These two famous blades—"Oto" and "Kogarashi"—had once belonged to the legendary pirate, Shiki the Golden Lion!
Both were legendary Meito, famed across the seas for having been soaked in the blood of countless powerful foes.
Now, being simultaneously locked onto by three deadly blades, the CP0 agent felt every drop of blood in his body freeze. His face turned ghostly pale.
"But I'll remind you of one thing, CP0-sama... You do not speak for the Five Elders."
Click.
Daren casually took out a lighter and lit a cigar.
"Goodbye, sir."
A faint crackle of static spread through the air.
In an instant, a violent magnetic field enveloped the three swords, making them tremble wildly, like bloodthirsty beasts about to pounce.
The CP0 agent's face finally changed as he shouted,
"Wait—"
"Enough! Daren!"
Sengoku suddenly roared, fixing Daren with a stern glare.
"Are you trying to disobey my orders?"
Daren frowned, then sighed helplessly.
"I wouldn't dare."
He flicked his finger, and the three Meito swords flew back, circling slowly around his body.
"My apologies. It was my negligence. I made a fool of myself."
Sengoku turned to the CP0 agent and said calmly.
The CP0 agent let out a long, shaky breath, relief flooding through him. His voice softened noticeably.
He looked gratefully at Sengoku.
"No, it was my tone that was too harsh, Admiral Sengoku."
Glancing nervously at the Vice Admiral still leisurely smoking his cigar, he said carefully,
"The Five Elders hold no suspicion toward you. It's just that the Shichibukai selection is a matter of great importance, and the government is under immense pressure."
Sengoku nodded thoughtfully.
"I understand."
"In that case, I will dispatch enough forces to fully investigate the matter and deliver a report to the government as soon as possible."
He paused, then looked toward Daren.
"Vice Admiral Daren himself will be in charge of the investigation."
The CP0 agent nodded immediately.
"That would be ideal. I won't trouble you further, Admiral Sengoku."
Without wasting another second, he turned and practically fled from the office.
The female CP0 agent threw a subtle glance at Daren before following suit, leaving quickly.
Only after their footsteps faded did Sengoku finally exhale heavily, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he looked at Daren.
"You're a clever one, kid."
Daren shrugged.
"I had no choice. That guy was getting way too arrogant."
"CP0 might have a terrifying reputation, but he forgot one thing: this is Marine Headquarters.
Besides, no matter what, I couldn't let him insult you like that, Admiral Sengoku."
Sengoku's mood immediately lifted.
The moment Daren made his move, he had already guessed the boy's intention.
After all, he knew Daren well. He was never the impulsive type.
Daren would break CP0's arrogance with action, and Sengoku would step in to smooth things over.
One played the bad cop, the other the good cop. Together, they easily suppressed CP0's challenge.
"What a reassuring kid, Daren..."
The more Sengoku looked at him, the more satisfied he felt.
But then his eyes shifted toward Borsalino, still lounging on the sofa with his legs crossed, and a sharp pain struck Sengoku's heart.
His face darkened.
When would that bastard ever make his life this easy, just once?
...
"So, Daren, what do you think about this?"
Sengoku sat back down, rubbing his temples.
Daren pretended to ponder for a moment before slowly speaking.
"In my humble opinion, there's no need to be overly nervous about this matter. The selection of the Shichibukai follows the law of the jungle, where the strong prey on the weak. Although those who were killed were on the government's list, the fact that they were eliminated so easily proves they might never have been qualified to become Shichibukai in the first place."
"Of course, there may be deeper government interests involved behind the scenes, but it's not my place to comment."
"Still, since the government has now ordered a full investigation, we in the military can't afford to be perfunctory either."
Listening to Daren's analysis, Sengoku nodded approvingly.
"Yes, you're right."
He tapped his fingers lightly on the desk.
"The key question now is—who exactly is targeting the Shichibukai?"
After thinking for a while without reaching any conclusion, he shook his head and turned to Daren.
"Then I'll leave this matter to you, Daren."
"No problem, Admiral Sengoku."
Daren nodded with a smile and turned to leave the office.
...
"Brr brr..."
The military Den Den Mushi suddenly rang.
Sengoku frowned and answered the call.
"This is Sengoku."
A frightened voice immediately came through.
"Reporting, Admiral Sengoku! Another person on the list has been hunted down!"
"...It's the 'Blood Shadow Swordsman' Felkas!"
Sengoku's face darkened instantly.
...
Marineford, Oval Military Port.
The CP0 agent hurried toward the World Government's official ship docked at the port.
This Marine Headquarters was far too dangerous—he didn't want to stay even a moment longer.
But just as he boarded the ship, the Den Den Mushi tucked inside his clothing rang.
He hesitated briefly before choosing to answer.
The news that came through made his pupils shrink into pinpoints.
"What? Another one is dead!?"
He couldn't believe his ears.
In less than half an hour, yet another candidate from the list had been killed!
It was simply inconceivable.
Behind him, the female CP0, having overheard the report, clearly froze as well, stopping in her tracks.
"Damn it!!"
The male CP0 cursed and hurriedly rushed onto the ship.
"Wait, something feels off. I need to go back and investigate."
At that moment, his companion's voice called from behind.
The CP0 agent codenamed "Lone Wolf" paused, looking suspicious, but eventually nodded.
"Can you manage alone?"
"No problem."
The CP0 wearing a fox mask answered hoarsely, then her figure silently vanished from the spot.
She passed unseen through the heavily patrolled military district of Marineford, relying on her exceptional stealth skills to avoid all eyes. Before long, she arrived at an abandoned warehouse.
At that moment, a miniature metal ball, which had been discreetly guiding her ever since the port, floated out from her palm—then suddenly dropped from midair as if it had lost its signal.
She stared at the abandoned, empty warehouse ahead, her expression shifting.
After taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door.
Inside, the warehouse was vast and pitch-black, so dark that she couldn't even see her own fingers.
The air was thick with the smell of dust.
Her pupils suddenly contracted.
Before she could react, the heavy iron door behind her slammed shut with a loud bang!
Immediately after, she felt a pair of strong hands reach out from the darkness, wrapping tightly around her waist.
Clang, clang...
The crisp sound of metal chains clashing echoed in the air, and the cold touch of steel pressed sharply against her skin.
Her expression shifted dramatically.
She felt her strength suddenly drain from her body, leaving her limbs weak and powerless.
"Seastone!"
"Damn it! Daren, what are you trying to do!?"
Stussy finally couldn't hold back, exposing her real voice, her face filled with panic as she questioned him.
"Shh..."
Daren's figure gradually emerged from the darkness, making a quieting gesture, his lips curled into a faint, mocking smile.
"If I'm not mistaken, it was under your guidance that CP began suspecting the Marines, wasn't it?"
Stussy gritted her teeth, glaring fiercely at Daren, but she didn't deny it.
This man was terrifying.
Without making a single sound, the people on the list had been wiped out one after another, each death clean and without a trace.
Even now, the government couldn't find the slightest clue.
But Stussy knew very well... the slaughter of those candidates was definitely tied to the man standing before her.
So she made her move.
Using her influence within CP, she began guiding the government's investigation toward the Marines, trying to disrupt Daren's plans and ultimately win their wager.
What she hadn't anticipated was that Daren would act so decisively, terrifying her CP companion into fleeing!
And the most infuriating part was that her actions had directly led to Daren himself being assigned to lead the investigation!
What kind of absurd situation was this!?
Was she supposed to investigate herself!?
"It seems I was right. You really are disobedient, my Queen."
Daren saw through Stussy's tricks at a glance.
Since this woman wanted to play games, he didn't mind indulging her.
After all, he had everything firmly under control. There was no chance she could turn the tables.
Besides, he had expected her to try something like this the moment their bet was made.
He would take this opportunity to let her experience what true despair meant.
—The overwhelming gap in strength, intelligence, and control.
"In that case, it looks like I'll have to punish you properly."
Daren sighed, as if helpless, but the grin at the corner of his mouth only grew more wicked as he walked step by step toward Stussy.
"W-What are you trying to do..."
Stussy tried to back away, but the Seastone shackles on her wrists completely suppressed her strength, leaving her body weak and powerless.
"Nothing much. I just want to see how long you can hold out under the effects of Seastone."
Daren smiled as he approached her, lifting her chin playfully, staring with interest at the fox mask covering her face.
Stussy trembled.
This guy...
She finally began to panic.
Under the suppression of Seastone, she couldn't transform into her powerful vampire form—her body now no different from that of an ordinary human...
And if she had to face this monster's "Indestructible Body" like this...
Just imagining it made Stussy's legs tremble uncontrollably.
"You... You said that until the bet was over... you wouldn't touch me!"
"That's right."
Daren nodded solemnly, speaking righteously.
"I'm a man of my word. I'm known for my honesty."
Hearing that, Stussy finally let out a breath of relief.
Although this man was cunning and ruthless, when it came to promises, he was reliable.
She had read up on Daren's time in North Blue... the "King of North Blue" always repaid his debts!
But Daren's next sentence sent her heart plunging into despair.
"—But the one who made the bet with me was Stussy, the Queen of the Pleasure District. What does that have to do with you, CP0?"