Drip... drip...
Crimson blood dripped like a beaded curtain from the broken blades suspended midair.
Everyone stood frozen, faces pale, swallowing hard as they watched the scene unfold.
"M-Monster..."
"Our attacks... didn't even scratch him..."
"That body... it's as tough as Mama's..."
...
Before the pirates could react, dazzling arcs of electricity crackled once again from Daren's body.
It was as if some invisible force pulsed through the air. The shattered blades shot out like arrows, slicing through the crowd of pirates.
Sshhk! Sshhk! Sshhk!
A spray of blood followed. The outer members of the Big Mom Pirates didn't even realize what hit them—their throats, eyes, and hearts were pierced before they could move. Their bodies trembled, then collapsed like felled trees.
The next moment—
Vice Admiral Daren suddenly raised his head, a savage grin spreading beneath his flowing hair.
Boom!
His legs exploded with power as he shot forward like a cannonball.
He dove straight into the pirates like a wolf among sheep. Armament Haki wrapped tightly around his hands, morphing into razor-sharp dragon claws that tore through anything in his path.
Blood sprayed in all directions. None of the pirates could match him—even for a single exchange. He cut through them like a storm, leaving a river of corpses in his wake.
"Damn it! Get him!!"
"He's just one man!!"
"We'll bury him in numbers if we have to!"
"Don't be scared!!"
Though Daren's ferocity initially threw the Big Mom Pirates into chaos, they were no ordinary crew. Seasoned warriors of the New World, they quickly steadied themselves, gritted their teeth, and surged forward with weapons drawn, encircling him.
At the same time, they scrambled to contact their allies, urgently summoning reinforcements from strongholds across the island via Den Den Mushi.
Within moments, all of Yakigashi Island was thrown into utter chaos.
Pirates from every outpost raced toward Fukkura Town, wielding all manner of weapons and wearing bloodthirsty expressions.
Civilians fled in terror, pouring out of town, desperate to escape the devastating battle.
Explosions thundered through the air again and again.
Under the Den Den Mushi's broadcast, the entire world watched in stunned silence as the wild, unstoppable Marine Vice Admiral rampaged like a beast in a frenzy.
Buildings crumbled before him. Pirates were torn to shreds. The very ground couldn't withstand the monstrous force of his blows, cracking and splitting open under his feet.
Smoke and dust spiraled skyward.
"Still not enough! Not even close!"
Daren roared in frustration, punting a pirate hundreds of meters through the air, smashing him through over a dozen buildings.
Three massive battle axes came crashing down toward him—but he didn't even flinch.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The axes shattered on contact. Their wielders recoiled in horror, hands torn and bleeding from the impact, staring at the grinning Marine Vice Admiral before them.
Then—before they could react—two massive hands clamped down on their heads and slammed them together with brutal force.
Crack!
Skulls burst like melons, red and white splattering the ground.
"There's an opening!"
At that moment, a pirate with spiky hair leapt behind Daren, laughing triumphantly.
Black Armament Haki coiled around his spear, and his eyes flashed with killing intent as he thrust it toward the back of Daren's neck!
Clang!!
Sparks flew.
The pirate's eyes went wide in disbelief.
A pitch-black sheen had appeared across the Vice Admiral's nape—blocking the full force of his strike without leaving so much as a scratch.
"Your strength's not bad... just lacks purity."
Daren sneered, spun around, and in the same motion that his left hand snatched the spear, his right hand lunged forward, grabbing the pirate's head. Amid terrified screams, he slammed it down with brutal force!
Boom!!
The ground within a hundred-meter radius caved in several meters deep. Cracks split open in all directions, swallowing buildings and unfortunate pirates alike.
Dust billowed into the air. The earth beneath him had suddenly collapsed into a void.
Clenching the spear tightly, Daren pulled his arm back like a drawn bow and hurled it with full force!
The spear, wrapped in Armament Haki, ripped through the air, creating white shockwaves as it flew—impaling over a dozen pirates in its path and pinning their bodies like skewers into the ruins far ahead.
At this stage, Daren's power no longer relied on form or technique.
Especially against these "small fry," every movement could be lethal. He was a killing machine—precise, efficient, and terrifying.
"Kill him!"
"Take him down!"
...
But even after one round of slaughter, the number of pirates hadn't dropped. Instead, they kept pouring in from all directions of the town.
Reinforcements from every stronghold on the island had completed the encirclement!
Watching this unfold through the Den Den Mushi, countless viewers around the world couldn't help but feel anxious for Daren.
Yet, strangely, the more pirates appeared, the wider—and wilder—Daren's grin became.
He hadn't felt this thrill in a long time.
Ever since entering the Grand Line, his enemies had always outclassed him.
Every battle had been a struggle, even a beatdown. He'd survived by the skin of his teeth.
If not for his inhuman physique, he'd be long dead by now.
Sure, fighting stronger foes made for a blood-pumping story, but being crushed again and again had built up a deep, seething frustration.
And now, he had the perfect outlet to let it all out.
...
"You think you're something!? This is Totto Land!"
A furious roar thundered from the front like distant lightning.
A wave of scorching heat rolled forward as Charlotte Oven burst through the dust, his entire body radiating crimson heat.
"It's Oven!"
"He's here!"
"We're saved!"
"Oven's one of the 'monsters' of the Big Mom Pirates!!"
The terrified pirates lit up at the sight of him, shouting excitedly.
Charlotte Oven bellowed:
"Heat Denasshi!"
Oppressive heat condensed into a spiraling orange-red blaze around his fist. It ripped through the air toward Daren's face!
A user of the Netsu Netsu no Mi, Oven could instantly heat anything he touched—capable of boiling even the sea!
"Even if Mama wants you, I won't let you run wild!"
At that moment, flames seemed to blaze from his eyes—his entire body burning with rage.
Daren, however, only grinned. His stance shifted into Ryusoken. Without dodging, his black three-fingered dragon claw lashed out directly to meet Oven's blow.
Boom!!
The claw locked onto Oven's fist, and a massive shockwave erupted, shaking the earth beneath them like waves on water.
"Hahaha! You dared to grab my fist? You've got no idea how to die, do you!?"
Oven burst into laughter.
"I'm a Netsu Netsu no Mi user! I can boil the damn sea—what the hell!?"
His laughter cut short.
Oven's eyes bulged—nearly popping from his skull.
The intense heat he unleashed, hot enough to melt buildings, hadn't even singed Daren's skin!
"Sorry to disappoint you... but you're not magma."
Daren's lips curled into a mocking smirk as Oven's face twisted in horror.
"You think you're worthy of being called a 'monster'?"
The three-fingered dragon claw suddenly twisted—
Crack!
Snap!!
Oven's entire arm, blazing with heat, was twisted into a mangled spiral!
Blood sprayed as muscles and flesh tore apart, instantly vaporizing from the sheer heat and force.
"Aaaaaargh!!"
Charlotte Oven screamed in agony, his eyes filled with fear and disbelief as he stared at Daren.
His power—was completely overwhelmed!?
Sure, he wasn't on the same monstrous level as Mama, but within the Big Mom Pirates, he was still top-tier.
He was confident he could stop a small pirate ship going full speed—just with brute strength.
But what he didn't know... was that Daren's standard training involved dragging a mid-sized Marine warship with his bare hands.
And a warship of that size? It was at least ten times heavier than some poorly built pirate boat.