Mary Geoise.

The streets bustled with traffic and throngs of people.

This sacred city was painted in shades of blue and white—white walls, blue tiles. The streets were spotless, the air perfumed with the scent of blooming flowers. Flower beds, fountains, street lamps, and greenery lined every corner.

Shops stood on either side of the streets, their displays overflowing with extravagant goods.

Finest cigars, rare and expensive liquors, delicately baked pastries and cakes, luxurious garments... The sheer refinement and opulence of what was sold here bordered on the surreal.

Celestial Dragons, dressed in ornate clothing and wearing their signature bubble hoods, strolled arrogantly through the streets. They were always flanked by entourages, many holding iron chains in hand. At the other end of those chains were often beautiful young women or muscular young men—faces pale with fear, crawling beside the Celestial Dragons like insects or stray dogs.

The Celestial Dragons shouted and barked orders, occasionally lashing their slaves with iron whips just to make them scream or stumble, drawing anxious, fearful glances from passersby—as though flaunting their "property."

Yet none of the shopkeepers or citizens batted an eye. They showed neither anger nor surprise, as if this cruelty was nothing new.

From the moment Daren stepped into Mary Geoise, he could feel several hidden eyes watching him in silence.

But he paid them no mind. Instead, he leisurely observed the surroundings, playing the part of a wide-eyed traveler stepping into the Holy Land of the Celestial Dragons for the first time, taking in its so-called majesty.

All the while, he quietly activated his Observation Haki.

With its release, a massive, invisible low-frequency magnetic field spread out from Daren like a ripple.

In an instant, nearly the entire environment of Mary Geoise fell within his perception.

Unlike conventional Observation Haki that simply detects living auras, Daren's ability—enhanced by the magnetic field sense of the Jiki Jiki no Mi—could not only track living beings with uncanny precision, but also perceive magnetic fluctuations from inanimate objects to a certain degree.

Which meant...

As streams of data poured into his mind, a vivid, three-dimensional map began to form in his head.

Like a virtual simulation, translucent models of buildings sprang up one after another. Every street, every shop—even the position of street lamps and small decorative fountains—appeared on this mental 3D map with perfect clarity.

Gradually, as Daren sharpened his magnetic sense further, tiny flickering dots began to appear across the map.

Shopkeepers, nervous pedestrians shrinking before Celestial Dragons, arrogant nobles, and CP agents lurking in the shadows... All lit up on the map in different hues.

"Interesting... So Mary Geoise runs on slave labor buried underground? How primitive."

Daren raised one sharply-angled black eyebrow, a cold smirk curling at his lips as something caught his attention.

He quickly pinpointed several key structures.

Massive armories. Lavish villas scattered along the outskirts of Mary Geoise.

The armories—and the Celestial Dragons' exclusive residential zone known as the "Land of the Gods."

After firmly imprinting the layout of the virtual map into his memory, Daren let out a slow breath.

He still didn't know what kind of deal the Five Elders were going to propose—but he knew better than to place any faith in the morality of those five scheming relics.

All the quiet moves he'd made over the years—back in North Blue, at Marine Headquarters, and within the Shichibukai system—had been cautious and precise, but even then, he couldn't be sure he'd kept everything hidden from those five undying ghosts.

For the World Government to hold dominance over the seas for 800 years, it had to be terrifyingly competent. And those Five Elders, said to wield the highest authority in the World Government, definitely weren't just figureheads.

Daren had no idea what kind of cards those ancient shadows were hiding.

After all, his knowledge of the "plot" was limited.

But he had to prepare—just in case those five old fools really tried something suicidal, he needed to be ready to respond.

The intel he had just gathered on Mary Geoise might very well come in handy someday.

After all, getting into Mary Geoise was a rare privilege. Even a Marine Admiral couldn't step foot in the Holy Land without the express approval of the World Government.

Now feeling an increasing number of hidden shadows quietly closing in on him, Daren knew—

His time was running short.

"Then..."

Daren narrowed his eyes as his Observation Haki silently expanded again.

His senses reached out sharply toward that distant, ancient, and towering fortress.

If what came before was just a light appetizer, then that colossal stronghold was the true main course.

Pangaea Castle.

The political heart of Mary Geoise, the nerve center of the World Government, home to the Five Elders—and even... the ruler of the Empty Throne, Imu.

But just as Daren's Observation Haki was about to touch Pangaea Castle, something strange happened. His pupils contracted slightly.

His perception... vanished.

Like a stone sinking into the ocean—his Haki melted away the moment it brushed against the castle, dissolving completely.

It felt like a terrifying black hole was lurking within, silently devouring everything.

"So, it really won't be that easy..."

Daren frowned.

"It's not exactly good manners to probe others' secrets with Haki, Vice Admiral Daren."

A calm, slightly amused voice suddenly spoke up behind him.

Daren's expression shifted. His muscles instinctively tensed.

Someone had appeared behind him—without making a sound.

And he was in the middle of using Observation Haki!

"No need to be on edge. I'm not here with hostile intent."

That teasing voice spoke again.

"While we see most people in this sea as little more than ants, Vice Admiral Daren... you're different. Your strength and talent have earned our respect."

"Oh really?"

Daren let out a cold chuckle, narrowing his eyes as he slowly turned around.

But the man before him made him pause.

Because... his face looked incredibly familiar.

He appeared to be in his thirties, cloaked in a lavish red mantle. His features were sharp and commanding, and though not physically imposing, he radiated an unshakable presence.

At his waist hung a Western-style sword, and his left hand rested casually on the hilt as he spoke.

What stood out the most was his hair.

Crimson red, styled in a crescent arc that curved upward like a blood moon.

If not for that strange hairstyle, this man could easily be mistaken for a future version of "Red-Haired" Shanks.

At some point, the pedestrians had completely vanished. The street was silent and empty.

Only the man with the blood-moon red hair remained, leaning casually against a white wall, smiling calmly at Daren.

"Pleasure to meet you, Vice Admiral Daren."

He stepped forward and extended a gloved hand.

"I am Saint Figarland Garling, Deputy Commander of the God's Knights."

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