Daren didn't know whether the seed he planted would truly take root in Katakuri's heart and grow into something meaningful—but it was an intriguing experiment.
Charlotte Katakuri, hailed in the original story as the pinnacle of the Charlotte family, wasn't someone Daren particularly disliked.
On the contrary, he found himself deeply fascinated by this tragic figure—utterly loyal to Big Mom and fiercely devoted to the Big Mom Pirates.
Charlotte Linlin, that madwoman, treated her children as nothing more than tools. She showed no maternal affection, acted purely on impulse, and wouldn't hesitate to kill her own offspring if they disobeyed.
But Katakuri was different.
Unlike Big Mom, he possessed a broad heart. As a central pillar of the crew, he had dedicated his entire life to protecting every single member of the Charlotte family.
Daren was curious.
When "loyalty to Big Mom" and "protecting his family"—two ideals that originally didn't conflict—began to diverge and clash, what path would Katakuri choose?
Would he suppress his rage over his brother's death and continue being the dutiful and obedient son?
Or would disappointment turn to disillusionment, leading him to finally rebel against Big Mom?
Of course, beyond just his curiosity, Daren had a deeper agenda behind provoking tension between Katakuri and Big Mom.
This was an experiment.
After this "lesson," the boost to Daren's Observation Haki from fighting Katakuri was approaching its limit.
The higher one's stats climbed, the harder they became to raise—this was part of the equation.
But more importantly, Katakuri at this stage hadn't yet reached the peak Yonkō-First-Mate level of the original timeline.
He simply didn't pose enough of a life-or-death threat to Daren.
In other words, the "leeks" weren't ripe enough yet—they still needed time to grow.
But Daren didn't have the luxury to wait two or three decades.
He had to stimulate Katakuri's inner world, push him to grow faster.
And if, in the process, he could shake Katakuri's loyalty and submission to Big Mom... then things would really get interesting.
From Daren's perspective, one of the key reasons Katakuri never reached Admiral-level combat power in the original story likely stemmed from Big Mom herself.
His obedience, his overwhelming loyalty to her, coupled with the burden of protecting his family, had severely capped his potential.
The same went for King and Marco.
Unlike Benn Beckman—the "Yonkō's Right Hand" who rivals an Admiral—Katakuri, King, and Marco were bound by clear chains of command with their respective captains.
Rather than being true "Yonkō's Wings," they were simply stronger-than-average subordinates.
The real "Yonkō's Wings"—true equals—were people like Beckman to Akagami, or Rayleigh to Roger.
They weren't bound by hierarchy. They stood as comrades, as partners.
The world of pirates is full of mysteries.
Willpower—or the "power of the heart"—plays a crucial role in both expressing and developing strength.
Once that will falters, or when submission to another takes root, power stagnates—or worse, regresses drastically.
There are endless examples.
In his youth, Gecko Moria once clashed head-on with Kaidou. But after losing his crew, he fell apart—his strength plummeting to the point where he couldn't even use Haki. Anyone could beat him.
Crocodile, too. As a rookie, he rampaged into the New World, unstoppable. He even fought Bullet for days without a clear winner.
But after being crushed by Whitebeard, he lost all drive, placing his hopes in the power of ancient weapons—only to be taken down by Luffy.
Yet during the Impel Down breakout, Crocodile rekindled his resolve and set sail once more.
With his will restored, he returned to the battlefield in the Summit War, his power surging—trading blows with top fighters, arguably becoming the MVP of the whole conflict.
Doflamingo is another prime example.
A man who once aspired to become the Pirate King.
But after witnessing Kaidou's monstrous power, he chose to yield and ally himself. He even trembled at the mere mention of Kaidou's name.
Otherwise, with his talent, he could've achieved far more.
…
Daren didn't know exactly what kind of impact his words would have on Katakuri.
But he was genuinely looking forward to seeing Katakuri grow stronger.
After all, he still hadn't fully mastered his Observation Haki.
And if his provocations somehow drove a wedge between Katakuri and Big Mom... well, that would make things even more entertaining.
With that thought, Daren soared through the sky toward Marineford, the Marine Headquarters, while activating his sensory ability to check on his current status.
Physique: 88.649 (Steel Body)
Strength: 78.513
Speed: 78.711
Devil Fruit Development: 85.211 (Island Coverage)
Armament Haki: 59.035
Observation Haki: 72.117 (Magnetic Field Induction)
Conqueror's Haki: 60.000
His physique, strength, and Armament Haki had all gone up by nearly one point. After all, he didn't take all those punches from Katakuri for nothing.
His speed had increased by two points—which made sense, considering how much dodging he did during that "special training" session. His body and reflexes had clearly sharpened.
Even his Conqueror's Haki had finally broken past the 59-point mark, now reaching a solid 60.
As for how to train Conqueror's Haki effectively, Daren still hadn't quite figured it out.
It was a reflection of one's "will" and "power of the heart"—an external manifestation of one's spirit.
But one thing was clear: fighting powerful opponents and clashing with other Conqueror's Haki users did help raise it, albeit slowly.
The fastest improvement, however, was undoubtedly in his Observation Haki.
Watching it jump from 47 to 72 in just half a day, Daren couldn't help grinning. His heart practically bloomed with joy.
"What elite officer training camp? Nothing beats Queen and Katakuri, the true master teachers."
Of course, he was only half-joking.
Deep down, Daren understood that without Zephyr's foundational training back at the camp, he'd never have improved this quickly in the first place.
As he pondered the newly awakened "Magnetic Field Induction" ability, he grew more eager to push both his Strength and Speed toward the 80-point threshold.
"So... maybe it's time to take a little trip to Wano?"
Eyes gleaming, Daren rubbed his chin and muttered thoughtfully.