The strength of a Yonkō-class fighter ranks among the absolute peak of these seas. Only those who truly reach this level can be considered "gold-class contenders."
It's the line that separates the truly strong from the rest. Some people struggle their entire lives and never make it past this threshold, while others, with monstrous talent, walk into that grand palace with ease.
Momonga already had exceptional potential. Now, with the Goro Goro no Mi gifted by Daren, stepping into that realm wasn't out of reach.
Hearing Daren's words, Momonga rolled his eyes.
Easy for him to say. No one but Momonga himself knew how much time and effort he had poured into mastering the Goro Goro no Mi over the past six months.
What he hadn't told anyone was this—watching Daren grow stronger by the day had stirred a deep, indescribable sense of urgency and anxiety in him.
It wasn't jealousy.
It was the fear of being left behind.
What if... even if it seemed unlikely... but what if, one day, Daren—this monster of a man—ran into an enemy he couldn't defeat, or got caught in a life-or-death crisis...
And what if, in that moment, Daren needed his deputy's help, but he was too weak to provide it?
Momonga didn't even want to imagine that scene.
As if sensing his thoughts, Daren patted him on the shoulder and smiled.
"Don't put so much pressure on yourself. Sometimes you've just got to let things play out."
"How's the fleet doing lately?"
At the mention of work, Momonga immediately snapped into professional mode, his expression turning serious.
"Not bad. Thanks to the foundation you laid, the situation in the North Blue is pretty stable."
"As for the Donquixote Family, ever since we gave Doflamingo that warning last time, he's been a lot more well-behaved. Overall, fleet tax revenue is steadily rising."
Daren nodded.
He knew all about the "warning" Momonga had given Doflamingo—that was part of the reason he handed over the Goro Goro no Mi.
"That kid Doffy's always been like that—proud, defiant, with no regard for anyone else. Half the time I don't even know how to deal with him. If there's no better option, a good, solid beating is the only way to keep him in check."
Daren sighed.
Momonga: "..."
You really are playing the "dad" role to the hilt.
"...After the ruckus you caused in the New World this time, I doubt the Donquixote Family will be acting up for a while."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You wiped out Shiki the Golden Lion's fleet just like that... Ruthless. I've heard he's the kind who never lets a grudge go."
There was a hint of concern and caution in Momonga's tone as he spoke.
Daren just chuckled dismissively.
"I won't be leaving headquarters anytime soon. What could he even do?"
"If he really dares to show up at Marineford, honestly, I'd look forward to that."
A glint of cold killing intent flashed in his eyes. He raised a hand, gently brushing the still-aching wound on his chest. A defiant smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
"I remember that slash he gave me all too clearly."
Momonga was momentarily speechless, then let out a small, reassured smile.
Shiki the Golden Lion, vindictive?
Maybe.
But Momonga knew all too well—this man standing before him wasn't exactly a good guy either.
Daren was the kind of lunatic who killed a Celestial Dragon just because he was in a bad mood!
It had already been a year since the shocking "Celestial Dragons Incident," but Momonga still found himself replaying that moment—when Daren, risking everything, struck down Saint Xildes.
Was it out of pity for that civilian father and daughter?
Maybe.
But with Daren's calm and composed nature, it was hard to believe he'd act so recklessly on emotion alone.
Was it because of his pride and duty as the "King of North Blue," or that unspoken rule he had—"once you take the money, you finish the job"?
Maybe.
But Momonga understood that things like duty, responsibility, and rules never really meant much to Daren.
...None of those were the real reason he made his move.
The truth behind why Daren killed the arrogant Celestial Dragon, Saint Xildes, was hidden in the last thing he said to him that day.
"That guy's face was so revolting, I had the urge to kill him... and it wasn't something I could control, no matter what."
I just couldn't stand him. He ruined my mood, so I wanted to take him out... even if he was a Celestial Dragon.
That's the kind of "justice" Daren follows.
—"Justice as he pleases."
Shiki the Golden Lion might be eyeing Daren, but wasn't Daren already targeting Shiki too?
Momonga had never seen Daren take a loss from anyone.
"By the way, how's the development of the fleet's laser weapons coming along?"
The question reminded Daren of something Borsalino had said.
A smile appeared on Momonga's face as he replied,
"Very smoothly."
"Vinsmoke Judge really lives up to his reputation as one of the top scientists on the seas. He's already successfully deconstructed the laser weapon's energy core and made modifications."
"With the current progress I've made in developing the Goro Goro no Mi, each charge cycle takes three minutes, and a single charge can unleash at least fifty laser blasts."
"In the past six months, the fleet has expanded from ten to twenty warships, and it's still steadily growing at a rate of two new ships per month."
"As of now, the North Blue Fleet has twenty main battleships. Each one is equipped with at least five laser cannons and five conventional heavy cannons, plus eight supply ships."
"Based on your earlier plans, by the second half of the year, the North Blue Fleet is expected to grow to around twenty-five ships. By then, all weapons will be fully upgraded, forming a complete large-scale naval combat fleet."
Daren nodded in satisfaction.
He had full confidence in Momonga's capability, especially when it came to managing military affairs—his patience and diligence even surpassed Daren's own.
Though Daren had been gradually stepping back from the fleet's daily operations, he still provided the strategic vision, shaped by his knowledge and perspective as someone from the modern world.
A fleet that far surpassed the technological level of this era!
Replacing traditional wooden hulls with high-grade alloys, swapping natural wind propulsion for high-efficiency energy systems, and equipping ships with cutting-edge laser weapons instead of outdated gunpowder cannons...
Thanks to Germa 66's modifications, the North Blue Fleet's warships were beginning to resemble modern battleships.
Every aspect—from construction and upgrades to weapon integration—cost more than five times what a comparable Marine Headquarters vessel would.
If Daren hadn't looted the treasure of Skypiea's City of Gold, even draining all of North Blue wouldn't have been enough to fund such a fearsome fleet.
And this heavily armed North Blue Fleet would become his greatest strength and the core force under his command for the days to come...