At that moment, Daren's gaze sharpened dramatically as he fixed his eyes on Redfield, a flicker of confusion flashing in the depths of his pupils.
"You kids from Marine Headquarters who call yourselves 'monsters'..." Redfield's words caused several familiar faces to instinctively surface in his mind.
Within Marine Headquarters, there were only four individuals besides himself who were universally recognized as "monsters."
—Dragon, Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan.
Could it be that, besides him, one of them had also come to this deep-sea prison to seek "training" from "Red the Aloof" Redfield?
If that were true, Sakazuki could be ruled out immediately.
Daren had once worked with Sakazuki in the North Blue and knew the man's character all too well. With Sakazuki's burning hatred for pirates and his vow to eradicate every last one of them, even breaking his hands wouldn't make him accept guidance from a pirate.
In fact, long ago Sengoku had explicitly forbidden Sakazuki from entering Impel Down. Even prisoner escort missions were carefully withheld from him to prevent that man from losing control and going on a killing spree.
As for the other three...
Daren frowned, quickly ruling out Dragon.
Before killing a Celestial Dragon and "defecting from the Navy," Dragon—being the biological son of the Navy hero Garp—had indeed possessed the privilege of freely entering and leaving Impel Down.
However, his personality wasn't one inclined to mingle in a place like this. More importantly, Dragon had never mastered the "Future Sight" form of Observation Haki.
That left only two possibilities—Kuzan and Borsalino.
Kuzan wasn't out of the question. After Daren's "incident of wreaking havoc at Marine Headquarters," rumor had it that the once fiery man had become far more withdrawn. He'd even started ignoring orders, wandering the seas on a bicycle, fishing to clear his mind.
As for Borsalino...
A smirking, infuriating face flashed through Daren's mind, making the corner of his mouth twitch. He felt he'd found his answer.
"You could say that. Right after this old man was defeated by Kong and Garp..."
At the mention of being "defeated" by Garp, Redfield's lips twitched ever so slightly. He paused, then continued in a calm tone.
"...after being sent to this cursed place called Impel Down, it wasn't long before that brat of yours—Borsalino—came to see me."
I knew it!
Daren was momentarily speechless, his jaw tightening in frustration as the realization hit him.
If that bastard Borsalino had sought out Redfield back then, it meant that on the very day Daren had "taken on the entire Marine Headquarters alone," Borsalino had already mastered the "Future Sight" form of Observation Haki!
"What a damn performance..."
He recalled the scene vividly—the moment he'd kicked that bastard hundreds of meters through the air, crashing him through more than a dozen military fortresses. A herd of wild horses seemed to thunder through Daren's mind.
That "Future Sight" Observation Haki had been used by that yellow ape just to take his attack head-on—then make the most convincing, over-the-top "exit" imaginable!
Unbelievable.
"So you did the same as I'm doing now? Blindfolded him, shackled him with Seastone cuffs, and trained him?"
Daren asked, his tone filled with restrained irritation.
Redfield's expression turned strangely complicated.
He glanced at Daren and shook his head.
"Not really. He just came by to ask me about the secrets of Observation Haki."
"Truth be told, I wasn't too eager to tell that kid. He doesn't exactly look like a good person—so young yet already giving off that sly, insincere air. Not elegant in the slightest..."
"...That Borsalino guy does look a bit rough around the edges."
Daren didn't know how to respond to that, so he simply nodded in agreement.
Redfield chuckled softly and went on.
"But while his looks weren't much to speak of, he did share a rather interesting secret with me."
"His request wasn't demanding either—he never even asked me for guidance. I figured it wasn't anything too important. After all, without enough talent and effort, even if every great warrior on the seas came together to teach him, he still wouldn't master it. So I just told him."
"I just never imagined..."
Daren: "..."
He sighed, continuing Redfield's thought.
"I just never imagined he'd grasp it so quickly?"
Redfield gave Daren a mildly surprised glance.
"So you're aware of his talent too... Indeed," he said with a smile, his tone filled with admiration. "That kind of comprehension—so absurdly fast and instinctive—I've never seen anything like it. If I hadn't witnessed it with my own eyes, and confirmed that brat had no 'Future Sight' ability before that, I wouldn't have believed such a monster could exist on these seas."
"At the time, to me, he was just a kid tagging along behind Sengoku."
"A mere Rear Admiral, yet he mastered something most people couldn't awaken in a lifetime..."
Daren looked at the admiration on Redfield's face, then lowered his gaze to the Seastone shackles and black cloth in his hands, feeling an uncomfortable heaviness settle in his chest.
Noticing Daren's frustration, Redfield smiled knowingly.
"Daren, there's no need to dwell on it. Your talents lie in a different direction."
Daren shrugged, smiling wryly.
"I'd still rather have that bastard Borsalino's talent..."
He shook his head, his eyes regaining their sharp, unyielding light.
"But if I'm not mistaken, you're not going to tell me... that secret of Borsalino's, are you?"
Redfield smiled faintly and raised a finger to his lips in a shushing gesture.
"Some secrets are more interesting when left untold."
"Fine."
Daren didn't press further.
"Then, shall we continue?"
Redfield shook his head.
"Take a break. Training Observation Haki isn't like building muscle—it requires sharp focus and a calm heart. Don't push yourself to the edge."
"Besides, weren't you planning a party?"
A party!?
At that word, the prisoners huddled in their cells and those groaning on the floor all perked up instantly, their ears twitching in unison.
Daren sighed helplessly.
"Your ability to see right through people is really unfair."
He clapped his hands and called toward the gate.
"Have them bring everything in, Magellan."