The Greatest Disgrace in Marine History-Chapter 265 - 167: Cleaning Up the Mess

In the howling storm, that rebellious, impassioned song gradually faded into the distance.

Yet its echoes lingered in the hearts of all who heard it, refusing to disperse.

It was as if within those ancient, epic verses there lay a mysterious, mighty power that set one's blood alight and stirred the soul to action.

The Marines on the battleship knelt on one knee, eyes fixed on the ragged little ship vanishing into the horizon, tears streaming down their faces before they even realized.

They couldn't understand the lyrics, but the heroic and mournful melody was filled with such power.

On the island's harbor, an enormous crowd had quietly gathered.

They too stood there, hearts surging, silent for a long while.

"This has become troublesome... he's actually awakened Conqueror's Haki..."

Borsalino stood with his hands in his pockets, a faint smile playing at his lips.

Darren smiled thoughtfully.

It seemed his earlier suspicion might have been correct after all.

For a Marine, killing a Celestial Dragon was the fastest, most direct way to awaken Conqueror's Haki.

No—maybe that wasn't the whole story.

Darren shook his head, dismissing the idea.

Dragon's Conqueror's Haki hadn't awakened at the moment he killed that Celestial Dragon—it had burst forth naturally when his heart shifted, when he solidified his resolve.

Killing a Celestial Dragon was only one piece of the puzzle.

The so-called Conqueror's Haki was the power of spirit itself.

A power that came from the soul.

The deepest cause of its awakening was always the transformation within the heart, spurred by some external shock.

For example, seeing a loved one in mortal danger, the desperate determination to save them could awaken Conqueror's Haki.

Or, when crushed by oppression, an unyielding ambition to roam the seas like a sovereign.

Or, the dream of freedom, the defiance of an unbowed will...

So killing a Celestial Dragon—this "act" alone—wasn't enough to awaken Conqueror's Haki in a Marine.

At least, not entirely.

What truly mattered was whether the Marine's own will was strong enough, whether the spiritual pressure he faced was enough to crack his world—and whether he could find, within the turmoil and doubt of that act, the conviction he would live by for the rest of his life.

That was the key to awakening Conqueror's Haki.

It was only fitting that this man would become the future leader of the Revolutionary Army—the World's Worst Criminal.

Dragon's newly awakened Conqueror's Haki was already powerful enough to generate those crackling black-red lightning bolts.

The sheer wave of spiritual force had left even Darren—himself a Conqueror's Haki user—momentarily dazed, a shiver prickling his scalp.

It was that sudden surge of will that allowed Dragon to overpower Sakazuki's final blow, buying the chance to escape.

As Darren's thoughts drifted, Sakazuki's battleship and another belated battleship slowly sailed into the harbor.

Sakazuki disembarked from the deck, his face dark as the rain, a smear of vivid blood still clinging to the corner of his mouth.

Darren noticed his right hand was dripping blood.

"Borsalino, why didn't you pursue him?"

Sakazuki's expression was cold, his voice carrying an edge of interrogation.

Borsalino raised his hands in a mock-surrender gesture, his face a picture of innocence.

"A monster who's awakened Conqueror's Haki, plus the advantage of Dragon's powers on the sea... even if I'd chased him, it wouldn't have ended well."

"Besides—Commodore Darren here needs someone to look after him, doesn't he?"

He lowered his voice suddenly, his smile turning sly.

"Sakazuki, there are some things you'd best not go too far with... You heard it yourself—Dragon never betrayed 'justice'..."

Sakazuki fell silent for a long moment.

He glanced at Darren, at the brutal injuries covering his body, and his cold expression shifted almost imperceptibly. He pulled out a military Den Den Mushi, dialing Marine Headquarters.

Soon the line connected.

"What's the situation, Sakazuki?" came the anxious voice of Admiral Sengoku from the other side.

Sakazuki pressed his lips together, his hoarse voice cutting through the rain.

"Reporting, Admiral... In the midst of the battle, the target criminal, Monkey D. Dragon, awakened Conqueror's Haki."

"Commodore Darren and I are both seriously wounded. Rear Admiral Borsalino..."

He glanced at Borsalino's seawater-drenched uniform, the corners of his eye twitching ever so slightly.

"...lightly wounded."

"The target managed to escape. The capture mission... has failed."

There was a long silence from the other side of the line.

"I understand... You've done well, Sakazuki," Sengoku finally said, his voice sounding almost relieved as it steadied.

"Take some time to recover, then set course for home."

He paused, as if recalling something, and asked,

"By the way—Commodore Darren, is he still conscious?"

Sakazuki blinked, glancing at Darren, who nodded faintly.

"Yes, he's conscious."

"Good. Hand the Den Den Mushi to him. I have something personal to discuss."

Sakazuki frowned, but in the end said nothing, passing the Den Den Mushi to Darren before he and Borsalino stepped a few paces away toward the sea.

"Cough, cough... Admiral Sengoku, it's me," Darren said weakly, pausing to catch his breath.

"How's your condition?" Sengoku asked, concern lacing his voice.

Darren gave a faint smile. "Admiral, don't worry about me."

"Good, good..." Sengoku murmured, then his tone dropped, becoming lower, more private.

"This matter's cleanup—I'll leave it in your hands. How do you plan to handle it?"

Darren gave a resigned smile, as if he'd already expected this.

So in the end, it's still my job to clean up the mess.

That bastard Dragon—if you wanted to kill a Celestial Dragon, why did you have to do it on my turf?

He took a slow breath and answered evenly.

"Admiral, tomorrow every newspaper and journal in the North Blue will publish the same news."

"The report will read: The notorious criminal Monkey D. Dragon and his gang of five hundred were thoroughly defeated by the Marines in the North Blue. Dragon's fate is unknown, but all five hundred of his subordinates have been arrested."

"...but Dragon didn't have any such gang—" Sengoku began reflexively.

But the moment the words left his mouth, he understood immediately.

This was to give the World Government a convenient explanation—to let them vent their anger.

After all, they couldn't admit that even with so much Marine power deployed, Dragon had still managed to escape. That would make the Marines look incompetent—unbelievable even.

"I'll handle it. Besides... the North Blue has been far too quiet for far too long," Darren said with a faint smile.

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To be continued...