The Den Den Mushi call ended.
Inside the spacious base commander's office, only Gion and Kaji remained, staring at each other in silence for a long while.
Both of them had grown up at Marine Headquarters, raised and educated under the most orthodox ideals of Justice. They simply couldn't comprehend how a corrupt, decadent Marine like Darren could receive such high praise from the Fleet Admiral they respected so deeply.
What shocked them even more was the fact that Sakazuki and Borsalino—those two brilliant, arrogant "monsters"—had both acknowledged Darren's strength and methods.
Those two were famously polar opposites.
Their personalities, ways of handling affairs, and even their personal philosophies were completely different—almost mutually incompatible.
And yet, they had reached the same conclusion about Darren.
"Th-this… how is that even possible…?"
Gion sat there blankly, murmuring to herself.
Everything she had experienced since arriving in North Blue had delivered blow after blow to her once-pure, idealistic heart.
Click.
The sharp sound of a lighter snapping open broke her thoughts.
"Kaji, what are you doing!? You're still smoking his cigar!?"
Gion turned and saw Kaji lighting up, her face instantly darkening with fury.
Kaji shuddered under her icy glare and replied nervously,
"B-But… didn't Fleet Admiral Sengoku tell us to learn from Darren?"
Gion: "..."
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku told you to learn from him—did he tell you to copy his bad habits of smoking, drinking, and chasing women!?"
Gion snapped, grinding her teeth.
Kaji hurriedly put the cigar away, then muttered under his breath,
"I kind of feel like those aren't bad either… A Marine who smokes, drinks, and chases women can still be a good Marine…"
"What did you say!?"
"I—I said you're right, Gion."
...
"No. I can't accept this."
Gion suddenly stood up. Determination surged back into her clear, autumn-like eyes.
She clenched her fist tightly.
"Justice must be pure. No filth can be tolerated."
"I'm staying here—and I'm going to reform that scoundrel Darren. I'll make him turn over a new leaf!"
"I absolutely won't allow his so-called 'fallen' and 'rebellious' justice to poison the North Blue Marines!"
Kaji sat beside her, watching her blazing resolve, and could only cover his face in helpless exasperation.
Meanwhile, his thoughts drifted elsewhere.
Military–civilian cooperation… caring for the people…
"Hehehe…"
He didn't even realize what he was imagining, but a lewd laugh slipped out.
"Stop giggling! Get to the training ground—now!"
Gion shot him a freezing glare.
Kaji looked confused. "The training ground? For what—training? We just arrived in North Blue, and the journey was rough. Isn't that a bit much?"
Gion rested her hand on the Meitō at her waist. A sharp glint flashed in her eyes.
"Didn't that scoundrel Darren say he wanted to spar with us?"
Her face burned with competitive spirit.
"I want to see whether this so-called North Blue Rear Admiral actually deserves his reputation."
As a prodigy who had grown up under constant praise at Headquarters, she naturally had her own pride.
---
Branch 321
Training Ground
The sky was clear. A cold sea breeze swept across the open field.
Dust drifted through the air over the vast training ground.
Along the perimeter stood rows of weapon racks—clubs, greatswords, naginatas, and more. Dozens of humanoid stone targets were set up nearby, and further off was a line of training cannons.
An old, decommissioned warship lay abandoned at the edge of the grounds.
Marines from Branch 321 were already conducting their daily drills, though many of them kept sneaking glances toward the center of the field.
There, Darren stood shirtless, wearing only black military trousers, calmly doing one-finger push-ups.
1997… 1998… 1999… 2000.
After completing two thousand one-finger push-ups with his right hand, he switched to his left.
1… 2… 3… 4…
His movements were steady, precise, each rep pushed to the extreme—almost rhythmic.
Defined, explosive muscles combined with his wild, unrestrained aura made him look like a prowling leopard from afar.
This was the scene that greeted Gion and Kaji the moment they arrived.
"I didn't expect him to train this hard…"
Gion admitted quietly. Though she was still angry, she couldn't deny it.
Marines stationed in the Four Blues were notorious for lax discipline due to their distance from Headquarters. Unless inspections were imminent, most of them slacked off in daily training.
Yet this corrupt, decadent man was unbelievably strict with himself.
"Tch. That's nothing special…"
Kaji stood with his hands in his pockets, wearing a look of disdain—but his tone carried a hint of sourness.
In truth, he was shocked as well.
By the time they finished observing, Darren had completed another two thousand one-finger push-ups.
"You're here."
He dusted off his hands and smiled at them.
"Want to train together?"
Under the sunlight, sweat traced its way down his sharply defined jawline and muscular contours. Paired with his handsome face, the visual impact was overwhelming.
Female Marines watching from a distance already had stars in their eyes.
Even Gion's gaze wavered for a split second.
No wonder Mrs. Margaret was so obsessed with him…
Of course, she wasn't so shallow as to be swayed by looks alone.
It was just that Darren's type was rare within the Marines.
Compared to Sakazuki and Borsalino—and then to Kaji, who stood there like a street punk—this lewd, shameless scoundrel was… strangely easier on the eyes.
But she hadn't forgotten why she came.
She needed to teach him a lesson.
"No need, Colonel Darren."
"We came to test your strength, didn't we, Kaji?"
Gion spoke solemnly.
"Huh? I don't really want to—sounds exhausting…"
Kaji blurted out instinctively. Then he felt killing intent surge from beside him.
He straightened instantly, puffed out his chest, and corrected himself loudly:
"That's right! Colonel Darren! Let's see what kind of power the North Blue Rear Admiral truly has!"
"Oh?"
The corner of Darren's mouth curled into a faint half-smile.
"Are you sure?"
"You're both elites from Headquarters. If we really spar, I'll have to ask you to go easy on me."
Sharp light flickered in his eyes.
Though Gion and Kaji were still young and far from their future peaks, they were genuine prodigies nurtured by countless high-ranking officers.
Darren was curious.
And more importantly—
He needed an excuse to properly educate these two "inspectors" from Headquarters.
The Marine was, at its core, a system built on force.
In the end, strength spoke loudest.
Only by subduing them could he make them fall in line. Otherwise, their constant interference would make everything unbearably inconvenient.
"Don't worry, Colonel Darren. Since you gave me cigars, I'll hold back a little."
Kaji grinned slyly.
Isn't this the perfect chance to beat this guy up?
Gion slowly drew her Meitō, her expression cold and furious.
If words wouldn't work, she'd let her blade do the talking.
The three of them—each harboring their own intentions—wore faint, dangerous smiles as the spar was about to begin.