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Chapter 41: A Scene
On the other side in North Blue, there's Kyiv Island, a neutral area not affiliated with any country's sphere of influence. With a small town and a population in the thousands, the lack of government control has made it a haven for illegal activities. Thieves run wild, the mafia operates freely, pirate ships unapologetically anchor at the decrepit port, and gunshots are common on the streets.
Darren and Flying Squirrel stood on the dock, smoking cigarettes. They wore black hooded coats that nearly obscured their identities. The busy port was alive with people bustling about, their arguments and the sound of merchandise being dragged along adding to the cacophony.
The odor on the port quay was horrendous, filled with the stench of rotten fish, spoiled fruit, expired spices, feces, and even corpses bobbing in the water.
"Has everything been arranged?" Darren, squinting at the merchant ship leaving the port, asked between puffs of his cigarette.
"Yes, I didn't show up. We handed it over to the caravan through a mafia force we control. It's impossible for anyone to find out about us," Flying Squirrel replied solemnly, his heart racing beneath his calm facade.
"Don't be so nervous," Darren said, sensing his companion's anxiety. He smiled, turned around, and patted Flying Squirrel's shoulder.
"Besides her, there was no one left alive on that ship. Even if the higher-ups investigate, they won't find any clues. To this world, the little girl selling flowers has vanished at sea along with the official ship."
Flying Squirrel took a long drag on his cigarette and rolled his eyes inwardly. The consequences of Darren's audacious act against the Celestial Dragons left him nervous, his palms sweating even now. Despite the fear, there was also a sense of gratification. The smile of the flower-selling girl, innocent and pure, made the risk seem worthwhile. Darren was right; the Celestial Dragons deserved what happened to them.
"What about her father? What should we do?" Flying Squirrel asked, exhaling smoke.
Darren pondered. "Soon, the higher-ups will send people to Badia Island to investigate. We can't tell her father the truth yet. We need him to play along."
Flying Squirrel's eyes narrowed. "Investigation? Didn't you say they couldn't find any clues?"
"They won't find anything," Darren sneered. "I blocked the signal of the surveillance phone bug with the Magnetic Fruit. The government will only find a dead line. They'll conclude that the ship was destroyed instantly, which will lead the investigation towards individuals with immense power. As a mere colonel at headquarters, I won't be under suspicion. But we'll still need to put on a show for the investigating team to satisfy the government."
Flying Squirrel realized the plan, but his brow furrowed. "Do you think the government will keep looking into it?"
"It's unlikely," Darren replied. "They don't have the patience. No one knows about it besides the investigation team and some senior officials. Without public knowledge, there's no political pressure. The investigation will likely end quickly and inconclusively." Darren's analysis made Flying Squirrel sigh with understanding.
"I really don't know how your head works. You're obviously from North Blue, yet you understand and analyze the top management so well."
"It's just that if the investigation is completed by then, Kake and Gion will probably guess something. Aren't you afraid that they will expose the secret?"
He turned to look at Darren, his tone tinged with concern.
No matter how you put it, for a North Blue Marine, those two from Gion are 'outsiders.'
They didn't have a good impression of Darren from the beginning.
Darren smiled and said, "Even if they guess something, they won't dare to say it. They wouldn't even know how to."
He looked at the dirty, black harbor in front of him with a contented expression, as though he belonged there.
"They are good people, better than me, better than you and even better than most in this world. They are too clean, too clear, which is their greatest strength and also their biggest weakness."
"I did what they wanted but didn't dare to do. So naturally, they wouldn't say anything. And once they make their choice..." Darren's eyes became meaningful, "they're tied to our boat."
Flying Squirrel was shocked. He took a deep breath and couldn't help but smile wryly, "Are you using everyone? You are quite the devil."
Darren smiled nonchalantly. "Flying squirrel, do you know? Life, real life, isn't a war between good and evil. It's a trade-off between greater and lesser evils. The world has long been upside down, with no ground for pure justice. Most Marines either become government watchdogs while swallowing their anger or watch crimes occur, unable to make a change, until they can't hold their rage. Unfortunately, I refuse to be a dog or a bystander."
He turned to his adjutants, the comrades-in-arms and partners who had been with him for years, his gaze fierce. "One day, all this will change. But until then, I have to be a devil..." He exhaled smoke like a dragon and said meaningfully, "...because we are already living in hell."
Flying Squirrel listened to these words in a daze and remained silent.
Darren then showed a relaxed look again, stubbed out his cigarette, and stretched greatly. "Let's go back and meet our Admiral Sengoku," he said with a smile.
...
Bhatia Island.
A huge warship with many scars docked slowly. The bow was shaped like a giant Buddha, and the Marine soldiers on deck had chilling expressions, appearing to be elite troops.
Civilians and traders at the port stared in amazement at the formidable warship loaded with super-large artillery. They subconsciously stepped back, shocked at heart.
It was like a floating war fortress.
Sengoku led a group of Marines off the deck, with a masked CP0 member concealed among them.
"This island..." Sengoku frowned as he looked at the blue-roofed and white-walled architectural style of Bhatia Island.
A soldier came up and whispered in his ear. "I see," Sengoku sighed inwardly. Though he was somewhat repulsed by the actions of the city government of Bhatia Island, he shook his head helplessly.
At that moment, hurried footsteps sounded from the end of the street.
Sengoku looked up, his face soon softening with a smile.
Gion and Kake, leading hundreds of Marines, were rushing over.
"Admiral Sengoku!" they called out, saluting him solemnly.
The crowd murmured in shock, recognizing the seemingly unremarkable man with black-rimmed glasses and a peculiar seagull hat as the Admiral of Headquarters, the World government's ultimate fighting force.
"Good, you've grown a lot since coming to North Blue," Sengoku said, his eyes brimming with respect. In his Observation Haki, the auras of Gion and Kake were much stronger than before.
"It's clear that Darren still cares about you."
At Darren's mention, dissatisfaction and anger crossed both Gion and Kake's faces.
"But where are the other two? Where's Darren and Flying Squirrel?" Sengoku looked around and inquired.
A chuckling voice interrupted from across the street, "North Blue is honored by the presence of Admiral Sengoku."
Everyone turned to see Darren and Flying Squirrel, in their military uniforms, approaching swiftly.
However, the moment Darren appeared, Sengoku's Observation Haki registered the people of Bhatia Island looking on with anger, resentment, and fear, yet without the courage to speak out.
What was this about?
Sengoku frowned slightly.