Just one minute before Daren started the Den Den Mushi live broadcast...
On Yakigashi Island, in Fukkura Town—the base of operations for the Big Mom Pirates.
A group of Big Mom Pirates sat around, feasting on grilled bread and meat, downing beer, and laughing boisterously. Grease-stained newspapers were scattered carelessly on the ground, the headlines still bold with shocking news: Shiki, Big Mom, and Kaidou had stormed Marine Headquarters Marineford just a few days ago.
"Haha! The Marines really embarrassed themselves this time!"
"Mama's strength is overwhelming—no one in the Navy can stop her!"
"That Vice Admiral Daren actually claimed he'd charge into the New World! Hahaha!"
"He's out of his mind!"
"If he dares to come to Totto Land, he's signing his own death warrant!"
"Tch! As if he would. That's just the empty barking of a beaten dog..."
"The New World isn't some playground. Even a Marine Admiral could fall here if they're not careful!"
"This is pirate territory!"
...
Laughter erupted again. The pirates scoffed and mocked the rousing speech Vice Admiral Daren had made not long ago.
"But Oven, is that rumor true? I heard Mama wants to marry that Marine named Daren?"
Amid the noisy clamor, a younger member of the Charlotte family asked curiously.
The man named Charlotte Oven frowned and shook his head.
"I don't know either. Word is Katakuri got into an argument with Mama about it."
Oven's physique was massive and heavily muscled. His orange hair was styled into three fan-shaped sections, with a matching orange beard on his chin. He wore no shirt, exposing his powerful torso, and draped an orange cape over his shoulders. His very presence radiated an intense and commanding energy.
At the mention of that Marine's name, a flash of deep hatred crossed Oven's eyes. He hadn't forgotten—Charlotte Perospero and Charlotte Daifuku, two of his brothers, had been killed by Daren.
"But if he really dares to come to the New World... I won't mind taking his head off."
Oven's voice turned icy. His clenched fists began to glow with a fiery orange-red light.
The moment he spoke, cheers and roars erupted around him.
The idea of the Navy invading the New World and declaring war on the great pirates?
It was the biggest joke they'd ever heard!
But then—
"Look..."
A voice suddenly rang out from a screen in the square nearby.
The pirates froze and turned to look.
"What is that?"
"Did someone hack the Den Den Mushi line?"
"Wait... that island in the image..."
"It looks kind of familiar..."
"That's... that's our flag! The flag of the Big Mom Pirates!"
The color drained from their faces. One by one, the pirates sprang to their feet.
That voice from the Den Den Mushi kept echoing, low and ominous like a death god's whisper, spreading slowly through the town packed with Big Mom Pirates—casting a deep shadow over every face.
"See that island?"
"That's one of the Big Mom Pirates' territories in Totto Land—Yakigashi Island."
"In the next three minutes..."
The voice paused for a beat, then twisted into a cold sneer.
"...I'm going to wipe out every last pirate on that island."
As the words fell, the hearts of thousands of pirates in Fukkura Town began to race.
That Marine... actually came to Totto Land!?
Where is he!?
Judging by the Den Den Mushi footage, he had to be hidden somewhere in the clouds above!
Panic spread as they frantically scanned the skies, weapons drawn, bracing for a sudden strike.
"Looking for me?"
A voice came out of nowhere, making countless pirates' pupils contract.
It wasn't from the screen—it came from behind them.
A chill ran down their spines. Their skin crawled as they spun around—and there he was. A tall figure had appeared without them noticing.
The Marine strolled over to the bonfire with ease, picked up an unopened bottle of beer, popped the cap, and took a long, satisfying drink.
He paused, then casually removed the Den Den Mushi from his head and set it on top of a beer keg.
"Yeah... this should give everyone a clearer view. That shaky first-person angle is a pain to watch."
With that done, Daren set the bottle down and lit a cigar without a care in the world.
As he looked at the tense pirates gathered before him, a reckless smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
"So, you all heard it."
A plume of smoke, shaped like a dragon, curled from his mouth as Vice Admiral Daren swept his sharp gaze across the square.
"You've got three minutes to entertain me."
His voice was calm—but it hit like thunder.
The suffocating tension snapped all at once, and an uproar of furious roars erupted like a crashing tide.
"You're dead!"
"Damn Marine, you've got a death wish!"
"You know where you are?!"
...
The pirates roared and opened fire on Daren in a frenzy.
Tat-tat-tat-tat!!
Bullets and cannon blasts poured down on him like a storm of gunpowder.
Clang! Clang! Boom! Boom!
Bullets ricocheted off him. Cannonballs exploded against his body, smoke and flames billowing around him.
A gust of wind swept through, clearing the smoke—
Daren stood there, completely unharmed.
Over a dozen pirates charged in, surrounding him from every direction and unleashing a barrage of strikes!
Suddenly—CRACK!
A sharp blast rang out. Sparks flew. Swords, axes, broadswords, and even spiked clubs shattered on contact.
The Den Den Mushi screens showed the pirates' faces twisted in disbelief, their eyes wide with shock.
Not a single scratch on that Marine Vice Admiral's skin.
The members of the Big Mom Pirates could hardly believe it.
This Marine's body...
It was just like Mama's!
"This is the best you've got?"
Daren didn't move an inch. He let out a bored sigh.
"Man... what a letdown."
Shards of broken blades scattered around him—then a sudden blue arc sparked at his fingertips.
Zzzap!!
The broken fragments shot out like lightning, piercing straight through the throats and hearts of all the pirates around him!
Blood erupted in a crimson spray around Daren. The pirates shuddered violently, flung backward, lifeless before they even hit the ground.