Rogers Daren, Rogers Daren... the World Government and Marine Headquarters are truly blessed to have such an "outstanding" officer under their command.

What a phenomenal job you've done recruiting the Shichibukai.

Dragon's mouth twitched violently. For a moment, he didn't even know where to start.

He'd heard the stories—how Daren was bold to the point of madness, defying superiors and pulling strings behind the scenes even during his time in the Marines. But this? This was beyond anything he could've imagined.

This was next-level absurd.

Do you think the Marines are your private property?

"Flamingo" Donquixote Doflamingo is your godson.

"Desert King" Crocodile and "Gecko" Moria were threatened into silence.

"Hawk Eyes" Dracule Mihawk sees you as the one to surpass in swordsmanship and even respectfully calls you "sir."

And "Devil's Heir" Douglas Bullet? Friend, enemy... complicated doesn't even begin to describe it.

They all appear to be enemies on the surface, like they share a deep grudge against you—but in reality, they're all tied to your leash in one way or another.

And then there's the really disturbing detail Dragon couldn't ignore—something that made his skin crawl the more he thought about it.

Every Shichibukai member you're connected to—except Doflamingo—has lost an arm.

Coincidence?

Or did you plan that?

Dragon suddenly felt a chill run down his own right arm. He looked at Daren with an expression that was equal parts suspicion and unease.

And as for the last Shichibukai...

"...Fisher Tiger didn't lose an arm. Don't tell me he's not one of yours?"

Dragon asked weakly.

Daren smiled pleasantly.

"Fisher Tiger is a hero of Fish-Man Island and the pioneer of the global slave liberation movement. Why would I lay a hand on someone like him?"

Dragon: "..."

Of course. He should've known.

Especially since the timing of Fisher Tiger's infiltration of Mary Geoise to free the slaves matched perfectly with the North Blue Fleet's assault on the Holy Land.

No need to think twice—Tiger's entire operation was probably planned, or at least greenlit, by Daren himself.

Dragon let out a heavy breath and scratched at his head in frustration.

So basically, every current Shichibukai... is one of yours!?

For a brief moment, he felt a strange surge of pity—yes, genuine pity—for the Five Elders and Sengoku.

He couldn't even begin to imagine their expressions when they finally discovered that the very Shichibukai system they created had been filled—top to bottom—with Daren's people, their sworn enemy.

"What Shichibukai... More like the Seven Warlords of the North Blue, all under the command of the so-called 'King of the North Blue'..."

He muttered bitterly, then turned to Daren with a resentful glare.

"So, aside from this... is there anything else you've been hiding from me? We're allies now, remember."

"What if I hadn't overheard all this today, and I ran into one of them out in the field and accidentally picked a fight?"

At the very least, you could've left me a damn signal.

We're on the same side!

Daren gave a calm smile.

"That won't happen. The whole world knows you and I are allies now. None of those guys would dare mess with you."

"Aaaargh! Is that what I meant?!"

Watching Daren's maddeningly calm face, Dragon felt his irritation peak.

He gritted his teeth.

"What I mean is—since we're allies now, this kind of internal intel between allies? You should be sharing it with me!!"

"Oh, that's what you meant." Daren nodded with sudden realization. "You're not wrong."

He paused, then added thoughtfully,

"But really, that's just about everyone. I've got limits too, you know."

Dragon rolled his eyes hard. He didn't believe a single word of that.

His eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"You didn't plant anyone inside the Freedom Fighters too... did you?"

Daren gave him a look and shook his head.

"Come on, don't you trust me?"

Dragon paused at that—and despite himself, he did.

Daren had supported the Freedom Fighters with both money and manpower.

Funding, weapons, logistics, troop structuring, soldier training... Without Daren's resources, the movement would've taken years to reach where it was now.

"...Besides, you Freedom Fighters are broke and short on people. I wouldn't even be interested in taking over."

Daren shook his head and muttered quietly.

Dragon: "..."

Did you really have to throw that in?

He raised a hand and clutched his chest, finally understanding why Fleet Admiral Sengoku was always making that gesture.

It was from pure frustration.

"...How's your recovery going?"

Dragon asked gloomily.

It had been two days since the so-called "training match" where Daren landed that punch that awakened Kaidou. Most of the bandages that had once wrapped Daren head to toe had now been removed.

His exposed skin showed a patchwork of scars, deep and shallow, with fresh tissue already growing back.

"Feels alright. The external wounds have mostly healed. The internal trauma—organs, bones—will take a bit more time to fully settle…"

Daren gave what he felt was a conservative estimate.

"…A set of life-threatening injuries like this... yeah, probably a week or so."

"..." Dragon didn't even have the energy to retort anymore.

He truly couldn't understand how Daren always managed to say the most outrageous things with such a calm, reasonable tone.

"...And what about the magnetic field rotation experiment? Any progress?"

Dragon asked again.

Ever since they got that initial analysis from the fat guy in suspenders, he'd been fixated on it.

If "magnetic field rotation" could be incorporated into Daren's regular training, just how far could his strength be pushed?

The thought alone was thrilling.

Still, Dragon knew Daren hadn't fully recovered, so he figured any real testing would be on hold for now.

"Oh, that?" Daren suddenly grinned.

Then, right before Dragon's stunned eyes, a faint arc of purple-blue electricity jumped and danced from beneath Daren's skin in an eerie, almost unnatural way.

It was barely visible, but in Dragon's eyes, it looked like something monstrous.

He instinctively staggered back two steps.

"Y-You...!"

He stared wide-eyed at the black-haired youth sitting casually in front of him, throat dry, instinctively slipping into a defensive Ryusoken stance.

"...You've already entered the 'Magnetic Field Rotation' state!?"

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