What the hell is going on!?
Is that Marine trying to get himself killed!?
Queen's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. Even when his cigar burned his lip, he didn't notice—he just stared in disbelief at the Vice Admiral, who once again hurled himself straight at Kaidou.
Not far away, King looked just as stunned.
Part of him was shocked by the Marine's sheer willpower and physical toughness. But more than that, he was baffled—utterly confused by Daren's actions.
After those last two exchanges, the outcome was already clear.
By all logic, someone as cunning as Daren had no reason to stay.
He'd already destroyed most of the weapons factories in Kuri and completed his mission. Sticking around to keep fighting Kaidou-sama would only get him hurt for nothing.
If this kept up, his injuries would only worsen—and he might never leave Wano alive!
What's he thinking!?
A flicker of doubt flashed in King's eyes.
Could the Marines still be hiding something?
Or did that guy really believe he could beat Kaidou-sama?
The chaotic swirl of guesses and suspicions made King hesitate to act. That Marine was too damn crafty. Every time they ran into him, it turned into a nightmare.
If Daren still had some kind of trump card, he needed to be ready for anything.
...
While Queen and King were still lost in thought, Daren had already crashed into Kaidou once again!
Boom!!
His bloodstained arms, wrapped in Armament Haki, smashed against Kaidou's massive kanabō.
A shockwave exploded out, their hair whipped wildly in the blast.
"Worororo!! Marine brat, have you lost your mind!?"
Kaidou laughed wildly, his thick dragon tail lashing the air into a violent gust.
"It's useless! No matter how many times you come at me, you'll never be my match!!"
"That's what you think!!"
Daren laughed, blood running from the corner of his mouth.
After taking that hit, his personal stats had shifted again!
Physique +0.396
Strength +0.163
Speed +0.145
Armament Haki +0.732
Conqueror's Haki +1.512...
Closer!
He was getting closer!
A fierce light flared in Daren's eyes, hotter and brighter than ever before.
Every muscle in his body throbbed with pain.
His arms and ribs showed signs of fracturing.
His lungs burned like fire from the internal injuries...
But even through all of that, he could feel it—clearer than ever—with every clash against Kaidou, he was getting stronger!
Not by much.
But the growth was real!
He was closing in!
He was inching toward that realm... that peak where he could stand shoulder to shoulder with the strongest fighters on this sea!
Let the beatings rain down even harder!
Daren grinned wide, his white teeth now dyed a deep red.
"You don't know your place!!"
Kaidou roared in fury, and with another swing of his Haki-clad kanabō, he brought it crashing down on Daren's head like a bolt of thunder!
Bang!!
Blood spurted from Daren's nose and mouth, a broken tooth flying out amidst the red spray.
His body shot back again like a cannonball, carving a trench hundreds of meters long into the earth.
Dust erupted into the air.
Before Kaidou, Queen, and King could even react, the blood-soaked Vice Admiral came charging toward Kaidou once more.
"Hahahaha!! Not enough! Nowhere near enough!!"
He laughed maniacally.
"You're asking for death!!"
Kaidou's blood-red eyes flared with rage. He stepped forward, gripping his kanabō with both hands.
Swish!
Crackling black and red lightning burst around his body, surging like a storm, and with a mighty swing, he unleashed another devastating strike!
"Raimei Hakke!!"
Boom!!
Daren's body was blasted backward even faster than before, crashing straight into the distant mountains—almost tearing through them entirely!
Dust shot skyward, thunderous booms echoed without pause, and the entire Kuri region trembled as if hit by a quake.
"This... that had to do it, right...?"
Queen stood frozen, staring at the collapsed mountains, his eye twitching uncontrollably.
He couldn't believe that someone—anyone—could take that many direct hits from the monster that was their captain.
But the next moment made his heart skip a beat.
From deep within the shattered mountain range...
That towering figure once again staggered to his feet through the thick, swirling dust!
"What... what kind of monster is this!?"
Queen gasped sharply, his face pale as a sheet.
"No human could possibly have a body that strong! Not even an awakened Zoan user could endure this much!!"
Then something seemed to click in his mind. He instinctively took two steps back.
"Unless..."
A hand suddenly clamped down over his mouth.
"Shut up!!"
King snarled, his eyes twitching as he forced Queen into silence.
Queen let out muffled protests, flailing his arms, and finally pointed frantically in the direction of the mountains.
"I never imagined... that the breakthrough would come like this."
The Vice Admiral's low, raspy voice echoed from the distance, tinged with a strange trace of amusement.
King's pupils shrank sharply.
A blood-soaked military boot stepped out from the dust and pressed gently against the ground.
But that one step...
Boom!!
A monstrous rumble shook the land like a giant beast slamming down from the heavens! The earth quaked violently.
A column of dust shot into the air, winds howled around them.
The Vice Admiral's silhouette slowly emerged.
His uniform and cape were soaked in blood. His arms and face were swollen and dripping red—but his eyes burned hotter than ever.
Kaidou narrowed his gaze.
He couldn't say why... but at that moment, he sensed something from Daren—an aura that felt eerily similar to his own.
That trace of kinship sparked a bad feeling deep in Kaidou's gut. Without hesitation, he struck.
Swish!
He swung the kanabō through the air. A compressed wave of force—club energy—shot forward like a missile, tearing through everything in its path as it hurtled toward the Marine Vice Admiral.
"Narikabura!"
A ranged technique, similar to the way swordmasters unleash flying slashes—except this was a shockwave fired from a kanabō!
Faced with a strike powerful enough to obliterate a warship, Daren's lips curled into a curious smile.
No guard. No dodge.
He charged straight into it!
Under the stunned, horrified gazes of Queen and King...
He took it head-on!
Boom!!
The shockwave slammed into Daren's face and chest with brutal force, sending him skidding back dozens of meters.
Blinding light exploded outward, the impact wave spreading with violent force.
Then, silence.
The winds howled again, tugging at the tattered, blood-soaked Marine cloak.
The Vice Admiral's figure emerged once more.
He tilted his head, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and looked at the three stunned men with a calm smile.
"It almost worked…"
Not a scratch.
Queen gulped hard.
King's pupils trembled violently.
Kaidou stared in disbelief.
They all saw it—an imperceptible gleam of hardened energy flowed across Daren's skin.
They recognized that glow immediately...
Daren rolled his neck with a crack, clenched his fists, and squeezed until the air itself cracked around them.
His eyes burned with fanatic heat.
"So this... is what it feels like…"
Physique: 90... 'Indestructible Body'.