Sengoku and Kong ordered Momonga to report to headquarters from North Blue!?
Daren's heart suddenly skipped a beat. A fleeting change flashed across his face before he quickly masked it.
Outwardly calm, his mind was racing at lightning speed.
The most likely reason Sengoku had summoned Momonga was to uncover the truth about the battle in the North Blue.
With his insight, there was no way Sengoku wouldn't realize that, by strength alone, Daren couldn't have taken down Shiki—a legendary-level pirate—all by himself.
Was it suspicion? Or had Sengoku discovered something?
Daren's thoughts turned rapidly.
The secret of the North Blue Fleet could never be exposed. It was his greatest trump card—his foundation for survival in this vast sea.
A flying fleet with long-term development potential and overwhelming battlefield and military dominance was practically unstoppable in these waters.
Especially now—thanks to further technological upgrades from Germa 66—the North Blue Fleet had been freed from its dependence on Daren's Jiki Jiki no Mi. It now floated using an engine system.
Though the engine's power source was derived from Momonga's Goro Goro no Mi, at the very least, it no longer needed Daren's direct control. That alone had drastically improved the fleet's mobility and operational freedom.
Most crucially, it meant Daren and the North Blue Fleet could operate independently.
This was clearly proven during the operation to hunt down Shiki—the devastating efficiency of this military tactic had been undeniable.
Coupled with the fleet's heavy artillery and advanced technology, the North Blue Fleet remained a force to be reckoned with—even in Daren's absence. It could significantly shift the balance of power on the seas.
With the ability to move through the air and launch cross-regional surprise assaults, it posed a terrifying strategic threat to every faction in the world.
Now that Shiki was dead, that also meant the fleet Daren had created was the only flying fleet in existence.
It wasn't that Daren didn't trust Sengoku.
He didn't trust the Marines.
After all, the Marines still served under the World Government—that immovable, absolute behemoth.
Even now, standing at the peak of Marine command with unmatched prestige, who could predict what the future held?
One slip, and the truth about him killing a Celestial Dragon might be revealed.
And deep down, Daren had a hunch—knowing himself—he'd likely kill more Celestial Dragons down the line. A clash with the World Government felt inevitable.
When that day came, no matter how much merit he'd earned or how high his rank, the consequences would spiral out of control.
Just look at Zephyr. Despite his legendary record, he still ended up dying at the hands of his own prized student.
So no matter what, the North Blue Fleet could never be exposed.
It was his last resort.
His path to survival when everything else failed.
No... Sengoku probably doesn't mean any harm by having Momonga report in.
Daren silently shook his head and came to that conclusion.
For now, at least, his importance to the Marines' strategic future was undeniable.
This was likely just a formality.
Even so, he couldn't let Momonga face the pressure from Sengoku and Kong alone.
Though Momonga had grown considerably in both political and interpersonal savvy since taking up the role of North Blue admiral, that still wasn't enough to stand up to two Marine veterans like Sengoku and Kong.
He had to shift their attention immediately!
Daren quickly made up his mind.
All these thoughts passed through his head in an instant.
A relaxed smile appeared on his face as he shook his head.
"Admiral Sengoku could've just asked me directly about this. Why make Momonga travel all that way..."
Just as the last word left his lips, his expression suddenly changed.
His face went deathly pale, as if his wounds had suddenly flared up. His eyes flew wide open as he coughed up a massive gush of blood.
The thick, crimson liquid instantly soaked through the white hospital sheets. Daren's aura visibly plummeted, his body weakening so rapidly it was terrifying to behold.
"Hey! Daren, what's wrong with you!? Doctor!! Someone get a doctor in here, now!!"
"The patient's coughing up blood! I think he's dying!!"
Tokikake screamed in shock, panic plastered across his face as he shouted in a frenzy, looking completely unhinged.
"If he dies, I won't be able to use my VIP card anymore!!"
The alarm bell on the hospital bed blared sharply.
Within seconds, a swarm of doctors and nurses rushed in with tense expressions.
"Vital signs are dropping!"
"Start an IV, now!"
"Vice Admiral Daren's wound has reopened! His blood pressure's spiking! Damn it—suture the wound immediately!"
"What!? The needle won't go in!?"
"..."
The medical staff bustled around Daren as he coughed up mouthfuls of blood, frantically scrambling to stabilize him.
"What's happening!? This kind of case... we've never seen anything like this!"
A military doctor stared wide-eyed, as if he'd seen a ghost, frozen in disbelief as he locked onto the readings on the life monitor.
All the devices beside the bed were flashing nonstop. The ECG monitor was drawing curves that swung violently—rising and plunging like a roller coaster, completely erratic.
"This is unbelievable!"
All the doctors gasped in unison, struggling to believe what they were seeing.
In all their decades of medical experience, none of them had ever encountered such a bizarre pattern on an ECG.
But there was no time to process the shock. Gritting their teeth, they pressed on with the emergency treatment.
Daren's eyelids and lips twitched unconsciously. His pupils began to lose focus. Blood poured from his mouth. He looked like he was on the brink.
"Vice Admiral Borsalino, please step back. Vice Admiral Daren's condition is critical—we need to focus everything on saving him,"
the attending doctor said sternly.
"No problem..."
Borsalino gave Daren a meaningful glance, smiling slightly as he stepped aside.
Then, as if something had just occurred to him, he turned to Tokikake—who was pacing around in a complete panic—and said casually,
"Commodore Tokikake, you'd better hurry up and notify Admiral Sengoku and the others."
Tokikake froze for a moment, then snapped to attention and nodded like crazy, blurting out,
"Right, right! Notify Admiral Sengoku... Vice Admiral Borsalino, you've gotta vouch for me—I didn't do anything!"
"I just came here to steal some fruit, that's all! Whatever's going on with Daren has nothing to do with me!"
With that, he bolted out of the room like a shot, racing toward the Fleet Admiral's residence.
As he ran, he shouted at the top of his lungs,
"Daren's not gonna make it!!"