A strike faster than lightning!
Daren's eyes snapped wide open, and brilliant purple lightning flared deep within his pupils.
This wasn't the first time he'd faced Kaidou's chaotic "club swing," but no matter how many times he confronted it head-on, the pressure of that move was still suffocating in its intensity!
Too fast!
It felt like a thunderbolt tearing through the void—raw power and speed unleashed in a perfect, unstoppable line.
It couldn't be followed by the naked eye. Even with his enhanced Observation Haki, heightened by the Jiki Jiki no Mi, Daren could only barely perceive a faint, blurry streak of motion.
The Hassaikai, cloaked in wind and thunder, didn't look like it was being swung by Kaidou—
It felt like the kanabō was dragging Kaidou behind it!
In that instant, Daren couldn't help but compare Kaidou to Katakuri.
And he was completely certain—
Even if Katakuri activated future sight with his Observation Haki, there was no way he could dodge this blow!
Being able to see the future didn't mean invincibility.
When your opponent's strength was overwhelming—
When their speed outpaced even your nervous system's ability to respond—
All that awaited was helplessness. Despair.
In dozens, maybe hundreds of glimpsed futures, no matter what actions he took, what choices he made—
The ending was always the same.
Crushed by that single swing.
"Pretty impressive. But…"
Daren's lips curled into a wild, fearless grin as an unquenchable fighting spirit surged like fire.
"I'm not dodging it either!!"
Shhh!!
Jet-black Armament Haki instantly surged over his arm. As it filled his muscles, a burst of white vapor hissed off his skin.
He hadn't come to Wano to spar with Kaidou for Observation Haki training!
The wind exploded around him, whipping his hair skyward.
In this moment—facing a blow that could level mountains—Daren's spirit, will, and strength converged like never before.
"Daren, strength is unity. When you throw a punch—there shouldn't be even a shred of hesitation!"
"This is… a fist that carries your will!"
Garp's half-baked teachings flashed through his mind.
And as Daren's vision narrowed, his focus sharpened into something blazing—everything else faded like receding tides.
The wind vanished.
The lightning disappeared.
The cliffs, the mountains, the churning seas of Wano… even the massive kanabō just inches away—
Gone.
In their place was silence.
The warmth of a sea breeze.
The sound of waves against the shore.
His fist, rising under the sunlight—
And before him, a shattered, worn-down warship.
He was back—
Back in that abandoned military harbor at Marineford.
And in his eyes, there was nothing but that battered ship.
Mind, body, and technique became one in that instant.
Armament Haki +0.893
His Haki, which had stalled at 59, finally broke the 60-point threshold!
Visible to the naked eye, the Armament Haki surged along his arm and fist like a spiraling stream, warping the space around it like a rippling blast wave.
Daren's eyes burned with intensity.
And he burst into laughter.
"I get it now!!"
Daren threw a punch!
His Haki roared like thunder, and the force of his strike erupted into a hurricane.
He met Kaidou's Raimei Hakke head-on!
"Genkotsu Shock!!"
BOOM!!
The kanabō and the fist, both wrapped in crackling Haki, collided in midair like a meteor slamming into the earth!
The shockwave that followed surged outward like a tidal storm, blasting in all directions from the point of impact.
Even though the clash happened high in the sky, the expanding pressure slammed downward, fracturing the ground for kilometers around and sending shockwaves rippling through the land.
Crimson and azure auras clashed, bursting violently from the two monstrous figures. They devoured and crushed one another, unleashing waves of destructive force.
At that moment, King—who had just taken wing in his Pteranodon form after charging out of the palace hall—froze mid-flight, his eyes wide with disbelief.
That Marine… actually blocked Kaidou-san's Raimei Hakke head-on!?
How was that even possible!?
What the hell happened!?
Though King hadn't participated in the invasion of Marineford, he'd seen Daren's full power firsthand on Coin Island.
During the battle for the Moa Moa no Mi, Daren had managed—barely—to block one of Shiki's strikes. That had been thanks to the restrictive nature of his Devil Fruit and a bit of luck. Even then, he'd taken a heavy hit.
But King had seen it clearly—if not for that freakish physique of his, Daren would've been killed outright under Shiki's overwhelming swordsmanship.
And now... it hadn't even been that long.
A month!?
This Marine's growth was off the charts.
He'd already surpassed him.
What the hell had happened to this guy?
Could the Marine Headquarters' so-called officer training camp... really be that insane?
"Impossible!!!"
Kaidou suddenly let out a furious, incredulous roar, his eyes bloodshot as he locked onto Daren.
His heart surged in chaos.
This Marine brat—who once could've been swatted dead with a single swing—was now one step away from reaching that level of power!
Blood trickled from the corner of Daren's mouth.
Even though he'd managed to block Kaidou's strike with his own strength, Kaidou's raw power and Haki were still superior. His insides felt like they'd been flipped upside down by the impact.
But Daren just laughed wildly, showing bloodstained teeth in a manic grin.
Just a little more... just a little more...
His Armament Haki had finally broken through 60 points.
Now, if he could raise both his Strength and Speed to 80...
He'd break through that threshold—for real.
"This is all thanks to Queen-sensei's lessons... If he hadn't pumped me full of all those crazy deadly viruses, I wouldn't have grown this fast."
The moment those words left his mouth, Kaidou and King's pupils shrank in unison.
A rush of thoughts flashed through their minds.
Of course!
Daren's strength had skyrocketed lately—but his fastest growth had occurred while he was locked up in Queen's prison!
They turned their heads at the same time, glaring toward the blazing armory complex nestled in the mountains.
Down at that location, Queen—now in his massive Brachiosaurus form, leading the Beasts Pirates' rescue effort—suddenly felt every hair on his body stand on end.
He spun around…
Only to meet the murderous glares of Kaidou and King.
His already wrinkled face flushed bright red as he shouted,
"I didn't do it, I swear! Don't talk nonsense! This has nothing to do with me!!"