Stussy drifted through Egghead's streets in a daze, and it took her a full five minutes to even begin pulling herself together.
Kizaru's presence on Egghead didn't surprise her. What left her utterly shaken was that Borsalino—the Admiral Candidate monster from Marine Headquarters—hadn't attacked them.
If it had been Sakazuki or Kuzan, she could almost understand restraint. Sakazuki had served alongside Darren in the North Blue for years, fighting shoulder to shoulder. And everyone in the Marines knew Kuzan's friendship with Darren ran deep.
But this was Kizaru. Borsalino himself.
According to CP intelligence, Kizaru enjoyed the World Government's absolute trust. That was why they kept handing him critical responsibilities—why he rose into the core leadership of the Marines at such a young age, and why he was placed in command of the Marines' mysterious scientific forces.
In other words, he was loyal.
If he'd merely chosen not to strike, Stussy could have forced herself to accept it as strategy—avoiding a full-scale battle that would ravage Egghead's research facilities.
But he wasn't just holding back.
He was leading them.
And somehow, that wasn't even the strangest part.
The strangest part was Darren.
That bastard was actually following him.
No hesitation. No suspicion. Not even a flicker of concern that this might be a trap—he simply swaggered after Borsalino as boldly as ever.
Watching the two of them—two towering figures strolling side by side, laughing and chatting like old friends—Stussy felt like she'd stepped into a dream.
They didn't look like enemies from opposing factions at all.
If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she would never have believed it.
---
"…So when exactly did all this happen? I truly didn't expect it," Borsalino said, the wide cloak of an Admiral Candidate fluttering behind him as he walked.
He cast a casual glance back at the blonde CP0 agent trailing them, then turned to Darren with a wry smile.
"A Senior Agent of CP0… Stussy's position lets her access quite a lot of the World Government's top-secret intelligence."
Darren chuckled. "Not as much as you, though, right, Borsalino?"
"I thought you were only responsible for military command of the Marine Special Science Group. I didn't expect the Government to trust you this much—enough to give you clearance to guard Vegapunk's lab, and come and go as you please."
Borsalino scratched the back of his head and sighed with exaggerated suffering.
"Honestly, it's giving me a real headache," he lamented. "The workload is brutal—especially since I'm only paid an Admiral Candidate's salary."
Stussy: "..."
She stood there listening, stunned into silence.
Looking at Borsalino's theatrically earnest expression, Stussy felt an almost violent urge to stomp his face into the pavement. Only the cold reality—that she couldn't beat him, and that she needed him to lead the way—kept her from doing something suicidal.
Listen to him. What kind of garbage is this?!
Commanding the Marine Special Science Group. Freely entering and exiting Egghead.
These were privileges even a CP0 Senior Agent like her didn't have.
And he had the nerve to complain?
Then Darren nodded, solemn as if they were discussing national tragedy.
"You're right. Guarding all this must come with its share of headaches."
Stussy's eye twitched.
Wait—are you actually agreeing with him?!
"To be honest, I'm sometimes a little envious of you, Darren…" Borsalino sighed again, his eyes narrowing with a glint. "After leaving the Marines, you must feel much freer, don't you?"
Darren's smile was faint, calm. "If you ever want to, the doors of the North Blue Fleet are always open to you."
Borsalino's grin turned a touch sharper. "If I dared go, would you dare use me?"
Darren narrowed his eyes, the corner of his mouth lifting. "And if I said I would—would you dare come?"
Their gazes held for a tight, loaded beat.
Then both men burst into laughter at the same time.
Stussy watched the foxlike smiles on their faces and felt her lips twitch, half disbelief, half irritation.
"We're here," Borsalino said suddenly, stopping without warning.
Darren and Stussy looked up.
A colossal steel complex loomed ahead, fortress-like, its sheer mass swallowing the horizon. The road leading to it was lined with robotic sentries of multiple types, and the front gate radiated a cold, futuristic authority that felt like it belonged to another century.
"Without authorization," Borsalino remarked as he strolled forward, "even a Marine Admiral would have trouble forcing their way inside."
As he approached, robotic eyes lit up around them, projecting thin red scanning beams across his body. Borsalino walked straight to the electronic panel beside the gate and pressed his palm against it.
Fingerprint verification confirmed.
Iris verification confirmed.
With a click like a lock disengaging, the gate hissed and released a bloom of white steam as it slowly lifted.
"High-purity Seastone?" Darren asked, glancing at the massive gate with a playful smirk.
"Indeed," Borsalino said with a shrug. "But I wasn't finished."
He tilted his head slightly, voice drawling in that languid way of his.
"While this fortress is a significant problem for even a Marine Admiral… for someone like you, getting in would be child's play."
He turned back to Darren and Stussy, smile warm and almost welcoming.
"Now, please—come in."
"Allow me to show you the future of this world."
---
At the same time…
South Blue, Baterilla Island.
Roger stared at his wife, dumbfounded, as she smiled at him—gentle, radiant. He froze so completely that even his toe-wiggling habit stopped.
"I… I'm going to be a father!?"
Portgas D. Rouge blushed faintly. She rested a hand over her still-flat belly and nodded. "Yes. Dr. Lia confirmed it. I'm pregnant."
"That's incredible!!"
Roger shot up, grabbed Rouge, and spun her in a circle, laughing so hard it felt like the whole house shook with it.
"Hahahaha! I'm going to be a father! I, Gol D. Roger, will have my own bloodline!"
His joy bubbled over—then, after only two dizzy turns, he stopped short and set her down as carefully as if she were made of glass.
"Sorry, sorry! I got carried away!"
He thumped his chest like he was making a vow to the world. "Don't worry, Rouge! I'll take good care of you! From now on, all the chores—laundry, cooking, everything—leave it to me!"
And with that, he tied on an apron and charged into the kitchen like a whirlwind.
Watching the once-indomitable Pirate King fumbling in an apron with a spatula in hand, Rouge couldn't help but smile. The soft curve of her eyes brimmed with quiet happiness.
To be continued...