All around them stretched an endless black void.
"So this is the deep sea..."
At the bow of the warship, Daren rubbed the stubble on his chin with interest, taking in the scene ahead.
The warships were encased in a transparent coating, and ten ships moved in a quiet, steady formation toward their destination.
All that greeted the eye was pitch blackness. Only when the warships' searchlights occasionally swept across the waters could one glimpse the ocean floor, reefs, and brilliantly colored coral deep below.
It was deathly silent. The kind of silence that made your scalp tingle.
From time to time, strange, low cries echoed from the darkness, accompanied by the faint outlines of massive black shapes drifting in the distance—both eerie and chilling.
In these lightless depths, anyone with claustrophobia would've passed out by now.
"Heh, Daren, you've never used a coated ship to dive this deep before, have you?"
At some point, Sengoku had walked over to the Vice Admiral and asked with a smile.
Daren shook his head and replied with a slight smile,
"No, I haven't, Admiral Sengoku."
"Ever since I left the North Blue, you've been aware of all my missions—never had the chance."
"And back when I was stationed in the North Blue, there was never a need for something this elaborate."
"In that sea, we preferred to settle things with brute force."
"Hahahaha! In that case, this will be a whole new experience for you…"
Sengoku laughed proudly.
"Even though coating technology is pretty advanced now, there are still plenty of risks. The water pressure in the deep sea is no joke."
"Only our Marine Headquarters has developed a coating this flawless."
As he spoke, he pressed his hand against the transparent membrane in front of them, leaving behind an exaggerated handprint.
"See that? Even at this depth—ten thousand meters down—it's compressed like this and still hasn't ruptured."
"This is something pirate coatings could never match."
By the time he finished, Sengoku's braided beard practically curled with pride.
"I see..."
Daren nodded as if having a sudden realization.
"But why are we diving into the deep sea with coated ships in the first place?"
Sengoku chuckled, clearly pleased with himself.
"You're still too young, Daren..."
He clasped his hands behind his back and began explaining.
"Shiki might be arrogant and reckless, but he's also incredibly cautious and calculating."
"If our fleet of ten warships crossed the Red Line openly into the New World, it wouldn't take long for the many powers there to notice us."
"A large-scale Marine movement into the New World is bound to draw the attention of countless pirates and dark forces—and news like that would definitely reach Shiki."
"If that happens, he'll be ready. And that could easily cause this mission to fail before it even starts."
"Mhm..."
Daren nodded thoughtfully.
"You're indeed far-sighted, Admiral Sengoku. I respect that."
Sengoku gave him a glance and continued.
"But you're the commander of this mission, so I won't interfere too much."
"Daren, if it were up to you, how would you get into the New World without being detected?"
Daren smiled.
"I'd fly."
Sengoku: …
He grit his teeth.
"You can fly—but the fleet can't!"
Daren nodded, then shook his head.
"It's actually possible. If Headquarters provides enough funding, we can refit the ships—make them lighter and reinforce them with metal."
"My power is limited, sure, but I can still make ten ships fly long-distance."
Sengoku clenched his fists.
His chest began to heave rapidly. Veins bulged on his forehead as he gritted his teeth and growled:
"Now that the headquarters is short of military funds, where are we supposed to find extra budget to rebuild warships!?"
"I see..."
Daren put on another look of sudden realization and sighed helplessly.
"Then there's no way."
"But Admiral Sengoku, has there ever been a time when our headquarters wasn't short on military funds?"
Sengoku: ...
His old face flushed red, then turned green, and finally purple.
His lips trembled, but in the end, he couldn't bring himself to argue. Instead, he abruptly turned his head and roared in another direction:
"Borsalino! You bastard!! What the hell are you doing still lying on that beach chair sunbathing at a time like this!?"
"This is the deep sea! Where would you even find the sun!?"
In the distance, Borsalino lowered the glass of watermelon juice in his hand, raised both arms in surrender, and responded with a look of innocence:
"I'm not sunbathing, Admiral Sengoku."
"I just wanted to lie down for a while."
Sengoku: ...
He clutched his chest and walked off into the cabin with a tragic expression.
Daren couldn't help but chuckle.
Once Sengoku had gone inside and he was sure no one else was around, he slowly took out a military Den Den Mushi and dialed a certain signal.
"Is that guy here yet?"
As the signal connected, Daren asked with a smile.
A low chuckle came from the other end of the Den Den Mushi.
"Yeah, he came."
"But you're really stingy, Daren."
Daren shrugged.
"His imagination is limited. That's not my fault."
The deep voice paused for a moment, then asked seriously:
"Do you have confidence this time?"
Daren's eyes locked onto the ink-black abyss ahead. A cold smile played on his lips.
"They've brought the fight to our doorstep. If we don't strike back, that'd just be pathetic."
"In the battle of Marineford, if that meteorite had veered just a bit more, it might've crushed Toki."
There was a moment of silence before the voice spoke again:
"Getting revenge and never letting go—that's definitely your style."
"If you've already made your move, then I have nothing left to hold back either."
"...I'll be waiting for your message in the North Blue."
"Good."
Daren hung up the Den Den Mushi.
He put it away and lifted his gaze.
He could clearly feel the warship beneath his feet beginning to ascend.
The sea surface was getting closer and closer.
Until a trace of wind and rain appeared in his field of view, completely obscuring the madness and resolve in his eyes.
"The Battle of Edd War?"
"This time, the protagonists won't be the two of you."