Black suit trousers. Broad shoulders. Neatly cropped black hair. And that handsome face—wearing a lazy, arrogant smile as if the world were beneath his notice.
The man seated in the Chief Guard's office was unmistakably familiar.
For a moment, Magellan could only stare, convinced he'd stepped into a dream.
What is Instructor Darren doing in Impel Down?!
Did he sneak in here?
If he did… what is he planning?
Could he be here for me?
The thought hit him like a wave and left a sting behind his eyes.
Then another realization slammed into him.
Wait—what about the new Chief Guard?
Did Darren-sensei… take him out?
Panic gripped Magellan. His young face twisted through shock, fear, and a helpless kind of urgency as he stood rooted to the spot.
"Why are you standing there like a statue, Magellan? Come in and sit," Darren said lightly, cigar between his fingers, watching Magellan's internal battle with amused patience.
Magellan stared at him, brows drawn tight. Then his expression hardened, resolve snapping into place. Thick purple poison began to seep from his skin as he stepped forward.
"Instructor Darren, you should retreat first!"
"Leave this to me. I'll cover the rear!"
His voice was grave—like he'd chosen righteousness over survival.
Darren blinked. Then his eye twitched. He let out a long, exasperated sigh.
"What are you thinking? I'm the new Chief Guard."
Magellan: ???
He froze, blank.
The most dangerous criminal on the sea… the World Government's sworn enemy… the one man on Headquarters' list of "retreat if encountered, do not engage"…
Instructor Darren is the new Chief Guard of Impel Down?!
It was absurd. Impossible.
This can't be real…
Darren casually fished a document from inside his coat and tossed it over.
Magellan caught it on reflex and read.
"By order of Admiral Sengoku of Marine Headquarters, Mr. Bruce Wayne is hereby appointed as the new Chief Guard of Impel Down, effective immediately."
It bore the Admiral's seal. Official. Genuine.
Except…
"Bruce Wayne?" Magellan's lip twitched as he looked up.
"Yes. That's correct," Darren said solemnly.
Then, with theatrical seriousness, he opened a desk drawer and withdrew a lightweight helmet.
Cast from metal, its surface was smooth, matte black. Two sharp, bat-like horns rose from it, shifting between light and shadow under the oil lamp like something alive.
Darren inhaled, placed the helmet over his head, leaving only his strong jawline exposed.
In a low, rasping voice, he declared:
"I-am-batman!"
Magellan stared.
"I don't understand what that means, Instructor Darren," he said, raising a hand in honest confusion.
Darren's eye twitched harder.
Great. Only I get the joke.
"It doesn't matter," Darren said wearily. "Just remember this: my name is Bruce Wayne now. I'm the Chief Guard of Impel Down—a murderous lunatic who wears a bat mask."
It was, of course, just Darren indulging in a little gallows humor.
He needed a mask. That was all.
But when the idea had come up, he couldn't resist.
What?
Covering half your face—even leaving your chin out—and somehow people still can't recognize you?
Isn't that perfectly normal on the sea?
Magellan nodded slowly, then asked, "But how did you get a transfer order from Headquarters?"
Darren's smile turned faint. "I made a private deal with Admiral Sengoku. I volunteered to spend some time here in Impel Down."
Magellan looked utterly lost. "But… but you're wanted by the Government and by Headquarters. How could you possibly—?"
Darren waved a hand, as if brushing away a trivial detail. "That's the business of Rogers Darren, the 'World's Most Dangerous Criminal.' What does that have to do with me, Bruce Wayne?"
Magellan fell silent, stunned.
"Right," Darren added, as if suddenly remembering, "you fought with us that night, didn't you? If so, why didn't you leave with Zephyr-sensei and the others? Why end up in Impel Down?"
Magellan's face stiffened. He stammered, "That night at Marineford… I was fighting alongside Zephyr-sensei and Tokikake. But when you arrived, I… I wasn't really in a position to stay, so I left early…"
"You… couldn't?" Darren frowned. "What do you mean, 'not in a position to stay'?"
Magellan's face went bright red.
Before he could answer, an unmistakable, obscene gurgle came from his stomach.
Then Darren saw it—purplish-black smoke billowing faintly from behind Magellan.
Magellan: "..."
Darren: "..."
So that's what it was.
He'd pushed his Devil Fruit too hard in the fight and paid the price in the most humiliating way possible. He'd been trapped on the toilet and missed Zephyr's "last train out."
Darren pinched the bridge of his nose, jaw tightening as he wrestled down laughter.
"…That's rough," he said, choosing his words with heroic restraint.
When he looked up, Magellan was crouched, hugging his knees, muttering in misery.
"By the time I finished, everything was over. Everyone had already left."
"The moment I stepped out of the restroom… a squad of elite Marines in protective suits was waiting for me."
"Thankfully, Admiral Sengoku vouched for me and transferred me from Headquarters to Impel Down. That's what kept me out of a military tribunal."
Darren looked him over—prison guard uniform, a toilet brush tucked behind his waist—and, for once, found himself short on comfort.
Overnight, Magellan had gone from a promising Academy graduate to the lowest-ranking guard in Impel Down…
Because he'd missed the bus while taking a dump.
After a moment, Darren said, "Don't worry. When this is done, I'll get you out."
"Zephyr-sensei founded the NEO Marines. They're growing fast in the New World—hunting pirates, enforcing justice. If you want to join them, I can make it happen."
"And if you don't… you can join the North Blue Fleet instead."
To be continued...