Staring at the silent group of generals before him, Sengoku could feel his rage boiling over.

"If Daren really wants to stay hidden, who could possibly find him..."

Leaning back in his chair with his head resting on his hands, Kuzan muttered,

"...He knows the Marine force deployments and intel network better than any of us."

Sengoku didn't respond.

A vein twitched at the corner of his eye as he took a deep breath.

Garp, crunching on rice crackers nearby, chuckled and offered casually,

"Relax, Sengoku. Didn't the government already issue a full stop on any action against Daren?"

Sengoku ignored the old fool and sank into thought.

Just then—

Bang!

The doors of the conference room burst open, slammed by a panicked figure.

"Ad-Admiral Sengoku! We found him!"

"Vice Admiral Daren—no, Rogers Daren... he's been found!"

Sengoku jolted upright.

"Where?"

Whoosh!

Sakazuki and Kuzan rose to their feet in unison, eyes locked onto the breathless messenger.

The messenger, gasping for air, stammered out,

"On... on a global broadcast!"

At those words, everyone froze.

Sengoku immediately activated the Den Den Mushi video transceiver.

As light flickered across the room, a sharp image slowly appeared before the gathered Marine officers—and their expressions froze.

On screen,

Their former comrade stood tall in a sharply tailored suit, on a stage bathed in light, swarmed by hundreds of reporters.

He straightened his tie, then smiled at the camera.

"Hello, everyone. I'm Rogers Daren."

Bang!

A chair clattered to the floor.

Sengoku shot to his feet, palms slamming the table, body leaning forward.

His bloodshot eyes locked onto the Den Den Mushi feed.

"What is he trying to do?"

...

As the former Vice Admiral spoke with a calm smile, his deep, magnetic voice spread through the Den Den Mushi network, echoing across the entire world.

...

Fish-Man Island.

"Is it time, Daren?"

Douglas Bullet sat atop a headless corpse in a CP uniform, staring at the live screen before him, a savage grin stretching across his face.

With a single brutal squeeze, he crushed the severed head in his hand.

Blood splattered across his face, making his grin all the more vicious.

"Kahahaha! Let's tear this world apart!"

Boom!

A colossal wave of energy exploded from him, crackling with dense black and red lightning that tore through the air.

Nearby—

"Hawk Eyes" Mihawk, "Gecko Bat" Moria, and "Desert King" Crocodile stood or sat amidst the wreckage of a destroyed World Government vessel and dozens of fallen CP agents.

Fierce winds howled across the summit, whipping their cloaks and clothes with violent force.

Four formidable, one-armed figures stood atop the peak of Fish-Man Island.

No one dared approach them.

…

"Fufufufu... it's starting."

In the New World, inside the grand hall of the Donquixote Family estate, a young blond Celestial Dragon burst into loud laughter as he stared at the Den Den Mushi screen before him.

He raised a glass of red wine and downed it in one gulp.

The blood-colored liquid spilled from the corners of his mouth, staining his loose white shirt bright red.

"Go on, my godfather... don't disappoint me!"

...

"Mamamamama... Just as I thought from the beginning!"

In the castle of Whole Cake Island, Totto Land.

Big Mom gazed intently at the figure on the screen, her burning eyes filled with desire as she licked her bright red lips.

"Did you see that, Katakuri? He's no longer a Marine. That means it won't be long before I can make him mine..."

Behind her, Katakuri knelt on one knee with his head lowered, veins bulging across his forehead.

A crimson flash of murderous intent flickered in his rage-filled eyes.

...

Wano Country, Onigashima.

"Ka-Kaidou-sama! It's that Marine brat!"

In the council chamber, a fat man in black-and-white suspenders pointed at the Den Den Mushi screen, his face filled with disbelief.

"...He's still alive!"

"—Of course he is!"

Kaidou's eyes were bloodshot, his entire body reeking of alcohol as he stared hard at the image.

"If that brat could be taken down so easily, then what the hell does my Indestructible Body even mean?!"

Queen scratched his head.

"Really? I always figured you couldn't take those three monsters at Marine Headquarters..."

Boom!

A dragon-scaled hand slammed Queen's head into the wall.

Seeing Kaidou's fury, the rest of the Beasts Pirates held their breath, trembling as they huddled in the corners of the room.

In the doorway of the council hall, a small white-haired head with red oni horns carefully peeked out.

She stared at the black-haired youth on the screen with innocent wonder, her bright eyes slowly lighting up with starlike sparkles.

"It's Daren-san..."

...

The sudden worldwide broadcast immediately drew the attention of countless powers and factions around the world.

At that moment, people everywhere stopped what they were doing, eyes glued to the screen, waiting for the most wanted criminal in the world to speak.

"I won't waste your time introducing myself."

The global live broadcast continued.

On screen, the former Vice Admiral raised his hands and planted them firmly on the podium with a bold, aggressive motion.

"I'm sure you all have countless questions and curiosities about the recent headlines concerning me."

"Today's broadcast is to clear up those doubts."

"So, the first question..."

Swish!

Every reporter in the banquet hall raised their hand at once, forming a sea of outstretched arms.

Daren smiled and casually pointed to one.

"Daren-san... May I call you Daren?"

The chosen reporter clutched a sheet of notes, his face flushed red with excitement, voice trembling slightly.

"Recently, there have been a great number of... well, rumors... saying that you've formed an incredibly powerful airborne fleet—combining unmatched mobility with terrifying long-range destructive capability."

"And that the massive fire at Mary Geoise, the Holy Land of the Celestial Dragons, wasn't just caused by the infiltration of former Shichibukai Fisher Tiger, but by a bombing carried out by the North Blue flying fleet under your command.

Is... is that true?"

The entire hall fell into dead silence.

You could hear a pin drop.

Everyone instinctively held their breath, eyes locked on Daren, awaiting his answer.

While the World Economy News Paper had run stories and even published photos of the blazing Holy Land, they weren't enough.

Given the paper's reputation for sensationalism, most nations and powers around the world still doubted the report.

"That's a good question."

Daren cleared his throat, eyes narrowing with a smile steeped in amusement.

"About whether I possess an airborne fleet capable of mass destruction...

Let me make this clear to everyone."

"That is not a rumor."

The world fell silent for a heartbeat.

And then—

An uproar exploded.

...

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