The Greatest Disgrace in Marine History-Chapter 231 - 133: Tug-of-War and Game of Wits

The air in the Admiral's office was stifling to the extreme.

It felt as if the temperature in the room had plummeted; even the potted plants in the corners seemed to be holding their breath.

Behind his black-framed glasses, Sengoku's eyes gleamed with a sharpness never seen before. His gaze locked onto the young Marine before him like a hawk fixating on its prey, a commanding and oppressive aura emanating from him, bearing down directly on Darren.

Darren's heart gave a sudden jolt—but his expression remained calmly composed, seasoned and unflinching.

Was I found out?

No. Impossible.

He had full confidence in his methods and capabilities.

That incident back in the North Blue, where a Celestial Dragon was killed—he had cleaned up everything meticulously, leaving not a single trace behind.

Subjectively, there was no apparent motive for him to attack a Celestial Dragon. After all, his established persona didn't align with such an act.

Objectively, his alibi was watertight. More than that, all traces had been thoroughly erased. Not even the Marines, let alone the World Government, could uncover anything.

If there was anything that could raise suspicion, it would be that his strength and Devil Fruit ability matched the profiler's description of the culprit.

But that was it—nothing more.

So this reaction from Sengoku...

Was he bluffing?

A flurry of thoughts flashed through Darren's mind in an instant. He allowed a perfectly-timed look of "bewilderment" to surface on his face, blinking with apparent confusion.

"Lord Saint Shaldes?"

"Admiral Sengoku, I don't understand what you mean."

"The tragic demise of Lord Saint Shaldes—wasn't it deemed an accident? You personally reached that conclusion through investigation, did you not?"

"'The esteemed World Noble, Lord Saint Shaldes, was attacked by a large Sea King during his voyage through the North Blue. The official government ship was destroyed in an instant, resulting in the unfortunate deaths of Lord Saint Shaldes and numerous CP division guards aboard. The Marine Headquarters and the World Government express their deepest condolences.' ...That was the final verdict, wasn't it?"

"As for the idea that I murdered Lord Saint Shaldes..."

Darren hastily waved his hands, face filled with alarm.

"How could I possibly dare lay a hand on a Celestial Dragon?"

"I am, after all, a law-abiding Marine!"

The corner of Sengoku's mouth twitched. He nearly lost his composure.

Yes, yes... in the entire Marine, you're the most 'law-abiding.'

Watching Darren's natural performance, Sengoku couldn't help feeling exasperated.

When it came to the Saint Shaldes incident, his initial investigation had yielded nothing. For a time, he truly believed it to be an unfortunate attack by a Sea King.

After all, back when he was investigating in the North Blue, Sengoku hadn't found a single suspect.

—Until the campaign against "World Destroyer" Byrnndi World.

In that battle, Darren had displayed power far beyond expectations—his formidable combat prowess, superb military command, and the sheer strength of his North Blue fleet.

Most importantly, Darren—the North Blue Commander—had revealed an ability to fly.

It was from that moment on that Sengoku began to suspect.

Though it was the faintest glimmer of doubt, for safety's sake, he secretly reopened the investigation into the Celestial Dragon's death.

Strangely enough, however, the deeper he dug, the more Sengoku found—absolutely nothing incriminating about Darren.

But it was precisely this that deepened Sengoku's conviction that Darren was the culprit!

He had no evidence—but he trusted his instincts.

"Darren, I won't beat around the bush..."

He cleared his throat, his gaze hard as steel upon Darren.

"We both know the specifics of the Celestial Dragon attack case."

"Leaving aside the possibility of an accident, if we presume there was a perpetrator, then that individual would necessarily meet the following three criteria."

"First, they would have to possess tremendous power—enough to sink the official ship before the CP guards could even react."

"Second, they would very likely have a grudge against Lord Saint Shaldes."

"Third, they would probably possess the ability to fly."

"In the North Blue at that time, among those who fulfilled all three conditions and had prior contact with Lord Saint Shaldes..."

Sengoku let out a long breath.

"There was only you—Supreme Commander of the North Blue, Rogers Darren."

As soon as the words left his lips, Sengoku stared intently at Darren, searching for any flicker of emotion on his face.

But he found none.

"Admiral Sengoku, such accusations cannot be made lightly."

Darren suddenly chuckled, a touch of helplessness in his tone.

"If we follow your logic, then I'm not the only one who fits the profile."

"And who else would that be?"

"Borsalino."

Sengoku: "..."

Facing Darren, who was entirely unfazed, Sengoku felt a dull ache tighten in his chest.

Darren glanced at him, now more certain than ever that Sengoku had no proof. He smiled and said:

"If we're dredging up old matters, then perhaps it's time I came clean with you about something."

"What is it?" Sengoku frowned.

Darren sighed lightly and spoke slowly:

"Back then, when CP0 agents arrived in the North Blue and announced that I was to take over the investigation into Lord Saint Shaldes' death—you remember that, don't you?"

Sengoku nodded.

"Of course I remember. The Gorosei considered me, a Marine Admiral, too burdened with military duties, and with the urgent need to pursue Byrnndi World... so the investigation was delegated to you..."

"—But was that really the reason?"

Darren cut him off, his tone carrying an ambiguous hint of irony.

"Admiral Sengoku, with your intelligence, do you truly believe that the esteemed Gorosei, residing high above the world, would concern themselves with whether you're busy or not?"

"Or... was it simply that they didn't think you were suited to handle a Celestial Dragon incident?"

"Absurd..."

Sengoku instinctively moved to refute—but the moment the words left his mouth, he froze.

Darren's insinuating tone suddenly brought something to mind. His expression shifted subtly.

Indeed.

He was a high-ranking Marine Admiral—yet in the eyes of the Gorosei, he was insignificant.

By standard protocol, any incident involving a Celestial Dragon should immediately take top priority. The Admiral involved must abandon all tasks and attend to it at once.

Yet before the investigation had even concluded, the Gorosei dispatched CP0 agents to hand the investigation over to Darren.

What did that really mean?

Back then, Sengoku had been wholly focused on the campaign against Byrnndi World. He hadn't paid any attention to the issue.

He'd even been secretly pleased, thinking he had dodged a burdensome responsibility.

"Could it be..."

Sengoku's eyes flickered with unease, his face darkening by the moment.

"Darren... are you suggesting that the World Government doesn't trust me?"

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To be continued...