The moment the thought crossed Redfield's mind, his first instinct was disbelief.
Holy Land Mary Geoise—the Celestial Dragons' stronghold—was one of the most heavily guarded places on the entire Sea.
And after the recent bombing incident, the World Government would have learned its lesson. Security would be tighter than ever.
More importantly, the inauguration ceremony for the new Commander of the Knights of God was underway. Representatives from more than a hundred member nations were attending to witness the spectacle.
A grand event like that, with that many delegates present…
It didn't take much imagination to understand what Mary Geoise must look like right now—layers upon layers of security, enough armed force to choke the horizon.
And when it came to the World Government's prestige, any mishap during such a ceremony would be unforgivable. A single mistake would be a political catastrophe.
Darren's words left little room for interpretation.
He wasn't going to Mary Geoise to sightsee.
He was going there to cause trouble.
Because aside from the World Government—packed with monsters and powerhouses—Redfield couldn't think of anyone on the Sea worthy of being Darren's "test shot."
Before Darren could reply, the prisoners crouched in the shadows perked up, ears straining. Their eyes began to gleam.
Mary Geoise… to test his guns?
The thought made their breathing turn heavy and fast.
Magellan, meanwhile, went pale.
Fear, conflict, unease—emotion after emotion raced across his face, stretching his expression until his lips trembled.
"This isn't a conversation I should be hearing…"
He turned away in a hurry, clapping his hands over his ears—though the gaps between his fingers still betrayed him.
"Of course," Darren said with a faint, poisonous smirk. "The Holy Land must be lively right now. And as everyone knows, I love a good show."
Redfield stared at him, speechless.
His lip twitched.
A show?
This was an excuse. A shameless one.
You're picking a fight. And you're planning to throw sand directly into the World Government's gears, you little devil.
"Don't underestimate it, Darren," Redfield said, frowning. For a fleeting moment, he wondered if the boy had gotten drunk on his own momentum. "For an inauguration of this scale, the World Government will have prepared contingency plans upon contingency plans. If you storm Mary Geoise, you'll be facing an overwhelming siege."
"No matter how strong you are, you can't stand alone against the Gorosei, the Knights of God, and an army of CP0 agents—let alone the Marines. The full force could be deployed. Kong and Sengoku might even be there."
He let the warning settle, fixing Darren with a hard, steady stare.
Even a lunatic should know when to stop.
But what Redfield didn't expect was—
The venomous eavesdropper with his ear pressed to the wall collapsed on the spot, turning ashen as if his soul had left his body.
"It's over…"
Magellan clutched his head, babbling in despair as though struck by lightning.
"Why would you say that? Now… Darren-sensei is definitely going."
Redfield: "…?"
What kind of logic is that?
He stared blankly for a heartbeat, then looked at Darren.
And what he saw made his mind go completely empty.
Darren stood there with his fingers slightly curled, his whole body trembling as if he were barely containing himself.
In his eyes—battle lust.
It blazed like wildfire, crackled like lightning, swelling and swelling until it was almost visible.
"Now I definitely have to go," Darren said, a reckless grin stretching across his face.
"So many top-tier monsters gathered in one place… even God Valley wouldn't have compared to this."
Magellan buried his face in his hands and groaned.
"I knew it!"
Redfield, for once, was equally stunned.
He'd spent decades roaming the Sea. He'd seen every kind of madness a human being could muster.
But this?
Someone who looked at the most dangerous place in the world and thought: perfect.
Were there really people who thought they'd lived too long?
Redfield opened his mouth, ready to say something—then met Darren's eager expression and shut it again, a dry chuckle slipping out.
"These kids nowadays… they're completely insane…"
Once Redfield confirmed Darren's intent, Eternal Hell exploded.
"ROAR!!"
"Hey, hey, hey! Darren! You're not joking, are you!?"
"You're serious!? You're really going to storm Mary Geoise!?"
"Dahahaha! You've got guts!"
"I've been a pirate for years—knocked over countless old ladies and never once helped 'em up—but you? You've got my respect!"
"Darren! Take me with you! I'll butcher those Celestial Dragons right alongside you!"
"Me too!"
"Take me! Shishihahaha! My blade's been starving!"
"I'm in! If you bring me to kill Celestial Dragons, I'll even be your lackey!"
"Me too!"
"Kehahahaha! I'll twist their heads clean off!"
The prisoners' faces flushed crimson as they slammed their fists against bars and doors, metal shrieking and rattling through the corridor. A crazed, feverish gleam burned in their eyes.
The way they surged forward, the way they clawed at the air—it looked as if, if they weren't locked in, they'd have already dogpiled Darren in celebration.
"We're doomed…"
Laughter, curses, howls, taunts—an endless storm of noise. Filthy arms thrust out through the bars, waving wildly down the corridor. For a moment, it felt like the whole world had cracked.
At the end of the passage, Magellan stood frozen, staring at the scene as if he'd broken reality. His heart hammered so hard it hurt.
This… this… what the hell is happening!?
These Level Six monsters… they look like they want to become Darren-sensei's underlings. Like they're ready to follow him straight into Mary Geoise!
Does that make any sense!?
Darren-sensei is a… Marine—my ass.
He's the most dangerous criminal in the world right now.
And yet…
It somehow makes perfect sense.
To be continued...