"I see..."
The remaining Five Elders exchanged glances, then could only offer wry, silent smiles.
For the Celestial Dragons, bloodline was important—but not that important.
The powerful never dealt in mercy or compassion.
Only interests were eternal.
After all, sons... were easily replaceable.
"What a sensible brat."
"This saves us quite a bit of effort."
"One billion Belly isn't exactly pocket change."
"Indeed."
One by one, the Five Elders gave their remarks.
Topman Warcury smiled.
"Daren's a sharp one. Perhaps, after this incident, we should consider keeping long-term ties with him."
At those words, the other Elders' eyes brightened slightly.
That wasn't a bad idea at all.
Anyone with eyes could tell—Rogers Daren, Admiral of the North Blue, was destined to join the Navy's highest leadership.
With his talent and potential, becoming a Marine Admiral was just a matter of time.
And when that time came, having an Admiral who answered directly to the World Government would drastically tighten their control over the Navy—while also serving as a valuable check on the other Admirals.
Topman Warcury watched the shifting expressions of his peers and sneered silently to himself.
He was already one of the highest authorities in the World Government. With a mere word or glance, he could condemn nations to ruin.
But that wasn't enough.
His name was Topman.
His true ambition was the top seat among the Five Elders.
But unlike the others, the family behind Topman Warcury lacked the deep roots and influence within the Holy Land.
In terms of political backing, he was far outmatched by his fellow Elders.
If he wanted to reach that singular "one-above-all" position, he'd need power beyond his own.
And the Marines—the most powerful law enforcement force under the World Government—were his perfect opening.
Starting with Rogers Daren, he would push him swiftly into a position of real authority, then slowly draw more of the Navy's power into his grasp.
And from there, his influence within the World Government would naturally expand.
"But before that," Topman Warcury said with a faint smile, smoothly shifting the subject,
"Let's take a look at the results of this investigation."
He slowly opened the document in his hands.
…
North Blue, 321st Branch.
Base Commander's Office.
After sending Sengoku off, Daren returned directly from Batia Island with Momonga and the others.
"So... is it confirmed there won't be any problems from the Holy Land?"
Momonga looked at Daren, who sat calmly puffing on a cigar, and finally couldn't hold back his curiosity.
Daren exhaled a stream of smoke like a dragon and squinted with a grin.
"I sent the Saint Xildes family a rather sincere condolence. One they couldn't refuse."
He deliberately emphasized the word "sincere."
"What kind of condolence?" Momonga asked, confused.
"One billion Belly."
"What!?"
Momonga gasped, unable to believe his ears.
A billion Belly... that wasn't a small number by any standard.
It was more than the annual tax revenue of many small to medium-sized kingdoms.
Even across the entire North Blue, the tax collected from supporting countless mafia families and underworld forces barely exceeded two billion Belly per year.
And now, just for a "condolence," the North Blue Marines had essentially worked half a year for free!
Let alone the fact that in their original plans, the development of the North Blue fleet was already a bottomless pit for resources and funding.
"Are you insane?"
Momonga looked helplessly at Daren's relaxed posture.
As Daren's adjutant, he served as both "housekeeper" and "strategist."
Watching Daren throw money around like it was nothing made his heart bleed.
"It was worth it,"
Daren said as he gently flicked his ash.
"You can always earn more money, but not everyone gets the chance to send gifts to the Celestial Dragons."
"If I hadn't connected with Topman Warcury, that merchant ship I sent wouldn't have even qualified to enter the Red Line's inland sea."
One billion Belly was a terrifying sum.
And considering it was only the year 1492 of the Sea Circle Calendar—the Great Pirate Era hadn't even begun—the Belly's purchasing power was still incredibly strong.
Even Byrnndi World, the so-called "World Destroyer," only had a bounty of 200 million Belly.
Ten times that... five Byrnndi Worlds.
But Daren believed every coin was worth it.
In this world, strength always comes first.
After that comes power—not wealth.
Momonga considered Daren's reasoning carefully and found it not entirely illogical, though he still winced.
"It's still too expensive..."
"Expensive?"
Daren looked at him and suddenly chuckled.
"I think it's pretty entertaining."
Momonga blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Daren took another drag from his cigar, then said,
"The Celestial Dragons have the highest authority in the world. They can treat anyone like pigs, dogs, or livestock—buy, sell, and exploit at will. To them, money is the measure of everything."
"But this time... it proved one thing."
He paused, his smile tinged with mockery.
"The life of a Celestial Dragon has a price too."
Momonga let out a silent, bitter laugh.
Only Daren—this rebellious, half-mad lunatic—could come up with logic like that.
After a moment...
Momonga recalled something and cautiously asked,
"What about the internal Marine investigation...?"
Daren laughed.
"The report's been submitted. Whatever the government wants, I've given them—no conditions."
"Ship movements during the incident, the location of every Marine officer... including our North Blue division, of course."
Momonga frowned. "And what about you?"
"Me?"
Daren smiled faintly.
"As the Admiral of the North Blue, I was naturally stationed on Batia Island when the incident happened... fulfilling my duties."
"And on that point, every member of the North Blue fleet—and the inspectors from Marine HQ—Lieutenant Commanders Tokikake and Gion—can testify."
"Perfect alibi."
With that, Daren stubbed out his cigar and slung on his Marine cloak.
"Let's move. The big shots are gone, time to get to work."
Momonga blinked in confusion.
"Where to?"
Without missing a step, Daren pushed open the door.
The icy sea wind whipped his cloak into a wild frenzy behind him.
"We lost money on one Celestial Dragon. Time to earn it back... from another."
Momonga froze—then instantly understood.
One name flashed across his mind.
Donquixote Doflamingo.
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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